Is Illinois heading towards legalized medical marijuana? State Senator John Cullerton (pretty website!) hopes so. He's sponsoring a bill that the Senate Public Health Committee approved 6-4 yesterday. A similar measure failed in the Senate last year, but try, try again. more ›

). Even less fun is rotting away in a cell for almost 26 years for a crime you didn’t commit. Now imagine that the key to your freedom was sitting the entire time locked in a box in a lawyer’s office, who couldn’t reveal it due to attorney-client privilege. That’s exactly what happened to Alton Logan. Logan, now age 54, was arrested in 1982 for the murder of a security guard at a south side McDonald’s in a robbery gone wrong. He was identified by witnesses along with Edgar Hope. A few days later, as police were hunting down Andrew and Jackie Wilson for an unrelated murder of two officers, a raid on Andrew’s suspected hiding place turned up a shotgun that tested positive as the gun used in the McDonald’s shooting. But since only two men were involved in the robbery and police conveniently had two men already in custody, charges were never filed against Andrew Wilson in that case. You might remember Wilson -- his allegations of being tortured by Jon Burge and two detectives started the snowball that led to Burge’s firing and a $1 million award by the court. But the plot twists even further -- public defenders Dale Coventry and Jamie Kunz, representing Wilson in the police shooting, received word that Hope was claiming Logan had nothing to do with the McDonald’s murder, and was pointing the finger at Wilson. When Coventry and Kunz confronted Wilson he admitted to being the trigger man. Wilson agreed to allow the lawyers to prepare a notarized affidavit of his confession, but it could only be revealed after his death. The affidavit has sat sealed in a metal box in Coventry’s office ever since. Andrew Wilson just died in November of last year -- Coventry and Kunz have now come forward with the new information, and Logan’s attorney is motioning for a new trial. Logan’s case is an example of how our justice system is for the most part effective, but far from perfect. The evidence to help exonerate someone in prison is just sitting around next to back issues of the , and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Even if Coventry and Kunz didn’t care about reprimands and losing their license for breaking the attorney-client privilege, because of that privilege the affidavit would be inadmissible, anyway. At least that’s our hope, as the thought of these two men sacrificing Logan just for the sake of their careers is unfathomable. Can any of our law degree toting readers confirm this? [Trib] more ›

Update: The transit bill has landed on Blago's desk! The Senate approved the sales-tax plan, and now all we need is Blagojevich's signature to save 81 bus routes, 2,400 jobs and all of our sanity. [ABC 7, S-T] more ›

Georgette Watson, the 46-year-old principal of Brentano Math and Science Academy in Logan Square, died yesterday while she was having a root canal. According to reports, she was anesthetized, but it's not clear yet if she was under general or local anesthesia. She stopped breathing 40 minutes into the procedure, and despite efforts to revive her, she died. Her autopsy is scheduled for today, but she appears to have had a heart attack. more ›

Since splitting from the Ghetto Gourmet, Efrain Cuevas has fashioned a cottage industry for himself. Between "Cook the Vote", a "singles only" underground supper club, private catering and cooking classes, and his own "Ghetto Gourmet"-style undergorund dining club 24 Below, Cuevas has become increasingly busy on the local dining scene. A dinner Cuevas planned two weeks ago brought about some backlash. Cuevas planned a birria dinner involving a goat he would personally slaughter and butcher.... more ›

Looks like we're not the only ones with a case of the Mondays: Things aren't looking so great for Blagojevich today, either. Over the weekend, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn blamed Blago for the firing of 17 veterans from security jobs within the Illinois Department of Military Affairs. "The governor proclaimed this 'Hire a Veteran Month.' He didn't say 'Fire a Veteran,'" said Quinn. All together now: Oh, snap! Blagojevich says it's a matter of federal... more ›

Mary Mitchell goes to town today with an article about Chicago police officers Tasing an 82-year-old woman. The Illinois Department of Aging (who knew?) received an anonymous tip that Lillian Fletcher, alone in her West Side home, needed help; they dispatched the police to do well-being check. When police got to Fletcher's door, she refused to let them in, and when they pushed their way in, she got a hammer. Police spokeswoman Monique Bond tells... more ›

Giving new meaning to the phrase "money's too tight to mention", a memo from Illinois Department of Central Management Services acting director Maureen O'Donnell set a November 16 deadline for all state agencies to opt out of all bottled water contracts. From the memo: "As Chief Procurement Officer, I am charged with continually seeking ways for the State of Illinois to reduce its expenditures. I am therefore requesting that all State agencies cease purchasing bottled... more ›

Jeffrey Rush, son of Congressman Bobby Rush, was fired from his job as an assistant supervisor of security at the Fox Valley Adult Transition Center following allegations that he had sex with two female inmates. Fox Valley ATC is Level 8 security — that's the least severe, on a scale from 1 (maximum) to 8 (transitional), and it's not uncommon for inmates to leave the facility for work, counseling, school, or as a reward for... more ›

In a report published Monday, the Chicago Reporter found that Chicago is the the nation's capital for "high-cost" home loans. The study, looking at three years' worth of federal home-loan data, showed that in 2006, "the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet metropolitan statistical area, which includes Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, McHenry and Will counties" led the nation, with 88,315 “high-cost” mortgages. "High-cost" mortgages are defined as first-lien home loans that are at least three percentage points above... more ›

We took a break from our Dungeons and Dragons to check out the competitive gaming taking place at the Chicago Cultural Center this weekend, which played host to the 2007 U.S. Open. We’re not talking about tennis here. We’re talking about the Rubik’s Cube Championship, where the winner of the 3x3x3 Speed Solve gets an all-expense-paid trip to the 2007 World Rubik’s Cube Championship in Budapest. The competition was was sanctioned by the World Cube... more ›

Rep. Bobby Rush and two co-sponsors introduced a bill to the U.S. House of Representatives in January that would allow groups to hand out condoms to inmates. The Tribune reports that inmates are 5 times more likely to contract HIV than others. A similar bill was struck down by an Illinois State House committee 6-5 on Thursday, leaving the controversial and unpopular issue in the hands of the U.S. Senate. The AIDS foundation of Chicago,... more ›

As March comes roaring in like a lion, our fearless leaders here in town and downstate have been doing some roaring of their own. Let's take a look back at some of the more noteworthy events thus far: Illinois' crappy reputation with elections is yielding news calls for an audit. State rep Mike Boland (D - Moline) has introduced an amendment to the election code requiring an election-night audit in each precinct in Illinois instead... more ›

The Illinois Department of Transportation is still sticking to completion date for the Dan Ryan reconstruction project. Resuming heavy work on the project, the department has indicated that the ramp from the Skyway to the Dan Ryan local lanes will be closed until June. For those that can't take an alternate route, it's a little confusing. All Skyway traffic will be directed into the express lanes. If you normally exit at 59th Street, Garfield Boulevard, 47th Street or 43rd Street, you must exit the Skyway at State Street. Yeah, we say just don't take it. more ›

The good news: Metra posted a single-year ridership record with approximately 80 million passengers. This was partly due to construction on the Dan Ryan, expanded rail service, and high gas prices. Amtrak also rang in with a 69 percent increase on expanded routes between Chicago and St. Louis, Carbondale and Quincy. The Chicago-to-St. Louis line showed a 95 percent increase in riders for last quarter over the same period last year. The news: The Regional... more ›

If you are near a window of some type, then this isn't news to you; it's disgusting outside. Cold, snowy, windy — all the trademarks of our beloved Chicago winters. And not surprisingly, commutes of all types are screwed up. While there are many reasons to dump on the CTA, we hold the Pink Line above almost all others as evidence of why things need to change. Maybe the fact that it derailed this... more ›

A man sleeps pleasantly inside his home. Suddenly a phalanx of backhoes rumble toward his property. The man, discombobulated and outraged, takes action and tries to block the machines the only way he knows how. No, the story we describe isn't the beginning of Hitchhiker's Guide, but it's just as surreal. On Friday morning, Monee resident Mark Baugh was awoken by his wife when a crew of Illinois Department of Transportation workers showed up at... more ›

Yee Haw, Pardner! We got us a whole mess 'a turkeys to rustle up here, so let's get these doggies rollin'! Chicago taxpayers are footing the bill for legal representation of witnesses in the Hired Truck Scandal to the tune of $595,080, for witnesses alone! This number only covers the cost of witnesses that weren't implicated in the scandal. The largest portion of this bill, $210,717, went to a single law firm that used to... more ›

File this under “yay!,” but temperatures this winter may actually be slightly above normal – which is hopefully some consolation on this snowy, 30 degree day. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources says rainfall in September was a half-inch above normal, and in Chicago and southern Illinois specifically, precipitation was also above normal. And, this leads the National Weather Service to forecast an increased chance of above-normal temperatures across Illinois this winter and blow-normal precipitation... more ›

On a recent road trip out to St. Charles, Chicagoist believes we spotted no less than three Portillo's restaurants on I-64. Being a sucker for a killer breaded chicken sammich and an equally lethal chocolate shake (their fries ain't bad neither), we yearned to pull over for a little anti-diet naughtiness. It's turning out to be a good thing we didn't, for on Friday Portillo's recalled 3,703 pounds of roast beef. The pre-sliced, fully-cooked roast... more ›

What is it that drives people to be stupid? It’s something Chicagoist often wonders about. Perhaps stupid comes from the same place that drives the rest of humanity to do more productive, or at least less illegal, things – family, fortune, fame, hormones. Maybe the road to stupid is paved with good intentions. After all, it’s a pretty heavily traveled road, and traffic can make anyone crazy. A couple from north suburban Winthrop Harbor faces... more ›

Admit it, you’re a little naughty, aren’t you? It’s OK. We’re fine with that. In fact, Chicagoist supports your right to be as nasty as you want to be. As long as you’re smart about it, and it doesn’t result in any deaths or break any laws. Well, at least not any of the important laws. more ›

Thought you could keep that little IRS debt a secret? Yeah, not so much. The Illinois Department of Revenue has posted the names of 200 businesses and individuals who owe them money on the department’s Web site. Officials believe the list will bring in $1 million in unpaid taxes from people who are embarrassed by potential disclosure. A state law allows the names of delinquent taxpayers to be made public if they have owed at... more ›

Chicagoist won't rehash the ol' "Two Seasons In Chicago" joke because it's tired and you all know it. There is some truth to it, of course, and if you're a regular driver on the city streets, as well as the surrounding expressways, construction is the bane of your existence. Hopefully, though, construction woes didn't cost any of you $3K in damage to your car as it did to West Dundee's Matt Wilkerson. In today's Getting... more ›

So far this week Chicagoist had an argument with our siblings over baseball, endured a date with a guy who isn't even registered to vote, forgot to set our alarm clock, thus making us late for a big meeting at work, fell down some stairs, and accidentally threw our favorite cashmere sweater into the dryer. And it's only Wednesday! Sigh. Even with all of that, our week is still not going as poorly as Governor... more ›

A recent report from the state’s Auditor General says the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) hired inexperienced workers, did not fully utilize federal funding for safety projects, and mismanaged a reorganization of the agency in 2004. It goes on to criticize the hiring of two friends of Governor Blagojevich with histories of drunk driving into the department. Last month Blago’s longtime friend Dan Stefanski was quietly let go from his special assistant position after being... more ›

If you rely on the Dan Ryan Expressway to get anywhere on a regular basis, we feel really sorry for you. Starting on April 1, the Illinois Department of Transportation will begin a major renovation of the roadway that is scheduled to last for nearly two years. The construction will modernize the Dan Ryan, which now handles twice as much traffic as it was originally built to handle, but in the meantime it will take... more ›

Two More Months Until Tax Day more ›

The Illinois Department of Transportation launched a new web site called Getting Around Illinois on Thursday. It provides a wealth of traffic and road information, including directions, construction zones, which roads have been cleared during snow storms, and road services like rest stops and gas stations. Eventually they will even provide email and text message alerts about accidents and road closures. IDOT touts the site as one-stop shopping for transit data that previously had been... more ›

Chicagoist nearly sprayed our coffee all over the living room this morning when we heard on the news that televangelist and former presidential candidate Pat Robertson is suing Governor Blagojevich. We were hoping the paler version of Alan Keyes would stay out of our state. And we’re surprised he has time to get involved here when he is so busy thanking Hurricane Katrina, anointing President Bush as God’s choice, calling for the assassination of... more ›