Frank Schmidt, one-time owner of a Joliet landfill that was at the center of an epic feud between Chicago Ald. Dick Mell and former Governor Rod Blagjoevich, has been charged with federal tax evasion. According to federal authorities, Schmidt has been charged with five counts of tax evasion for failing to pay $2 million in tax on $11 million of income. Schmidt is expected to plead guilty. more ›

This week, we're counting down the top 9 stories of 2009 according to the Chicagoist staff. more ›

Police have released their full report on the investigation into the death of former Blagojevich aide Christopher Kelly. Kelly died in September from complications stemming from a suicide attempt. Several additional details were released, including Kelly telling his girlfriend, "It's my life...Tell them they won, tell them they won." There's no indication of who "they" refers to, but Kelly was under pressure from federal prosecutors to testify against Blagojevich. The Trib has more here. more ›

It's been just a hair over nine months since Rod Blagojevich was impeached and a little less than that since he was removed from office. And yet we're still learning about what went on behind the scenes of the Blago administration. Today's Sun-Times features an in-depth look into the clout shenanigans that went on with Blago in charge. The two most prolific supporters in terms of hiring were Blago's right hand man, the late Christopher Kelly, and his father-in-law, Ald. Dick Mell (33rd). Mell was the sponsor for 293 positions with 110 of those getting filled. More than 5,700 total candidates supported by almost 400 political sponsors are listed in the Blago database. Stop by the Sun-Times story to check out full details as well as excerpts from Ald. Mell's and Kelly's lists. more ›

• The Wheaton Police Department was evacuated today after a box of explosives was found in a parking lot outside the building.
• The unionized workers of another Sun-Times Media Group paper rejected the demands of businessman James Tyree's bid for the company even as STMG CEO Jeremy Halbreich began visiting newsrooms in an effort to drum up support.
• Former Blagojevich adviser Christopher Kelly, who committed suicide over the weekend, was laid to rest today.

Details continue to emerge in the death of former Blagojevich adviser Christopher Kelly including the fact that the Country Club Hills police department concluded the death was "an apparent suicide." more ›

Inside, Rod Blagojevich might be all torn up about the death of Christopher Kelly. If we were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, we'd say he's still making sense of it on the inside, which is why his mouth keeps vomiting out the same old "woe is me not my fault" song and dance on the outside. But we know better than to do that by now, don't we? more ›

Two days after his death, while pieces of what happened are falling into place, plenty of questions still swirl around Christopher Kelly. An autopsy of former Blagojevich adviser Christopher Kelly proved inconclusive and the Cook County medical examiner's office claims they'll need more tests and investigations before they can rule on an official cause of death. Kelly was found by his girlfriend in his SUV late Friday night, parked in a lumber yard, and having swallowed a large number of pills - the Trib reports, "Tylenol wrappers and a large container of pills were found in Kelly's SUV." more ›

Police are still investigating the death of former Blago adviser Christopher Kelly but Kelly's "girlfriend" (Kelly was married at the time of his death) is no longer talking to police and, according to Country Club Hills mayor Dwight Welch, she is "lawyered up." Which is perhaps a good thing: according to the Tribune, while the death has been investigated as a possible suicide - the Sun-Times reports that Kelly, "called a woman identified as his 'girlfriend' and told her that he took some pills and was going to kill himself" - it seems they're now treating the case as a homicide investigation due to it's high profile nature. Said Welch, "We're giving it all of the bells and whistles. Were going after every detail ... we're treating it as we would if this were a homicide. It's a high profile case, we want to do it by the books, by the numbers and do it right.'' more ›

The Chicago Tribune is reporting two sources as saying that Christopher Kelly, a key player in the Rod Blagojevich investigation, is dead. more ›

Christopher Kelly, former fundraiser for ex-governor Rod Blagojevich, will be sentenced today on the first series of charges he's already pleaded guilty to, with two more sets of charges he's already pleaded not-guilty to. Today, Kelly will be sentenced for using work funds to pay off gambling debts and pay for his house and for personal expenses. He's still to face charges related to a roofing deal at O'Hare and racketeering charges with Blago. Federal prosecutors have been hoping they would get cooperation from Kelly in their case against Blago but that has yet to be the case. Estimates for Kelly's sentence on the charges he will be sentence for today range from about three to four years in prison [Fox 32] more ›

Both the Sun-Times and the Tribune are reporting that sources close to the Blagojevich case say that former gubernatorial Christopher Kelly may be ready to begin cooperating with federal prosecutors. Kelly, who was a close friend and confidant of the former governor, plead guilty in January to federal tax-fraud charges for hiding gambling losses. Prosecutors have jacked up the pressure on Kelly recently, charging him with taking kickbacks in a scheme to rip off United and American Airlines at O'Hare airport. more ›

Yesterday evening, the other shoe dropped and Rod Blagojevich and five others were indicted on a wide range of fraud and corruption charges. The indictment contains 19 charges in all against Blagojevich, his brother Robert, former Chief-of-Staff John Harris, former adviser Lon Monk, former fundraiser Christopher Kelly, and power broker William Cellini. Here are some of the highlights from the news surrounding the indictments. more ›

The group of community leaders in Bensenville fighting the O'Hare expansion has launched a new multimedia ad campaign, saying the plan will destroy the community without improving airport capacity. "We are not about 'Not In My Backyard.' We are about expanding the airport the right way," Bensenville Village President John Geils said at a news conference at Chicago City Hall. The city plans to spend $15 billion to modernize O'Hare by 2014 and has already acquired over 500 properties and a cemetery for a runway scheduled for 2011. more ›