According to data from the Illinois EPA, Chicago’s Air Quality Index was at a 185 as of Thursday morning, placing it in the “unhealthy” range. That means older adults, people with heart or lung disease and children and teens should avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
Stories by matt masterson
April Perry Nominated to Become Chicago’s First Female U.S. Attorney, Biden Announces
April Perry, who currently serves as senior counsel overseeing Global Investigations and Fraud and Abuse Prevention at GE HealthCare, has been nominated to become the next U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois after John Lausch stepped down earlier this year.
Board of Education Approves $9.4B Chicago Public Schools Budget, Renews Resource Officer Contract
The district’s budget for the 2024 fiscal year will contain $4.8 billion in school-level funding, which officials said is an increase of more than $240 million over last year.
Chicago Board of Education President Miguel del Valle Stepping Down This Week as Term Expires
Miguel del Valle, who has led Chicago’s Board of Education since 2019, announced he will be leaving his post at the end of this week.
After Charges Dropped, Chicago Woman Accused in Fatal Restaurant Shooting Files Lawsuit Against City, Police
Attorneys for 35-year-old Carlishia Hood announced the lawsuit Tuesday morning, claiming the arrest of Hood and her son was an “obvious rush to judgment” by police following the fatal June 18 shooting.
Removed Jones College Prep Principal Retires Amid District Investigation
Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez notified Jones College Prep parents and families Monday that Joseph Powers has retired after serving as the high school’s principal since 2008.
Cook County Prosecutors Drop Murder Charges Against Chicago Woman, Son in Fatal Restaurant Shooting
A spokesperson for the Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office confirmed it had dropped first-degree murder charges against Carlishia Hood and her son stemming from a fatal June 18 shooting.
3 Teens Among 8 People Killed by Gunfire Over Weekend in Chicago: Police
According to Chicago Police Department figures, 29 people were shot in 25 separate shootings between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday. That included at least three teenagers who were killed by gunfire.
Chicago Officials Outline Safety Plans Ahead of Sunday’s Pride Parade
Interim Police Superintendent Fred Waller said he met with local business leaders to assure them the police department has safety plans in place for the parade and other Pride events this weekend.
Chicago Man Charged After Allegedly Striking 4 in Hit-and-Run Outside Guaranteed Rate Field
One victim remains unresponsive, prosecutors said
Condelarious Garcia, 20, faces four counts each of aggravated reckless driving and failure to report an accident, as well as a misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license and multiple traffic citations.
Chicago Woman Allegedly Ordered 14-Year-Old Son to Fatally Shoot Man During Restaurant Altercation: Prosecutors
Carlishia Hood, 35, and her teenage son have each been charged with first-degree murder stemming from the fatal Sunday night shooting of Jeremy Brown at a West Pullman restaurant.
2 More Chicago Public Schools Vote to Remove Resource Officers From Their Buildings
Austin High School will remove one of its two school resource officers, while Marshall High School has voted to remove both of its SROs. Even so, the contract total will actually increase slightly due to increased salaries for the CPD officers assigned to schools.
75 People Shot, 13 Fatally, Across Chicago Over Juneteenth Holiday Weekend: Police
According to Chicago Police Department data, 75 people were shot in 51 separate incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Monday, which marks one of the most violent weekends of the year to date. That included three separate mass shootings.
Chicago Public Schools Launches Free Summer Meals Program
Classes may be finished, but beginning Tuesday, Chicago Public Schools will offer free meals to students at hundreds of school buildings throughout the city during the summer months.
Chicago Police Board Votes to Fire Sergeant Who Led Botched Raid at Home of Anjanette Young
The board in a 5-3 vote Thursday moved to terminate Sgt. Alex Wolinski, finding that he committed multiple rule violations and a “failure of leadership … so serious as to be incompatible with continued service.”
Father of Alleged Highland Park Parade Gunman Expected To Go to Trial on Reckless Conduct Charges Later This Year
Lake County Judge George Strickland said during a status hearing Friday that he intends the trial of Robert Crimo Jr. to begin sometime in late October or early November.
As Mayor Johnson Weighs Board of Education Picks, Some Parents, Advocates Concerned About Lack of Engagement
“This is an important moment for our district, not only because of the change in mayoral leadership; but because, with the election of ten board members in November 2024, the Chicago Board of Education will begin its transition from fully appointed to fully elected,” the advocates wrote in the June 14 letter.
Chicago Woman Charged After Allegedly Critically Injuring Ride-Hailing Driver in Downtown Crash
Ayca Sarialioglu, 29, was arrested and charged with felony counts of failing to report an accident involving injury and leaving the scene of a traffic accident involving injury. She also faces a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol stemming from the incident Monday.
13-Year-Old Facing Felony Charges for Alleged Involvement in Brown Line Robbery
According to the Chicago Police Department, the boy was charged Wednesday with two counts of robbery and a single count of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm.
At Least 5 Injured After School Bus Overturns on Dan Ryan Expressway
According to the Chicago Fire Department, the victims were all transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the bus refused medical assistance.
CPS Pledges Additional $240M For Schools Under New Budget Proposal, Though Some Will Still See Cuts
Chicago Public Schools unveiled its budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, which officials say will boost per-pupil spending by nearly $1,000 and reduce the number of schools that will see decreased funding, compared to spring projections.
4 People Killed in Weekend Shootings Across Chicago: Police
3 teens wounded in CTA station shooting
According to Chicago Police Department data, 31 people were shot in 26 separate shootings between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday. That included the four people killed and three teens who were wounded in a shooting at a CTA station Sunday afternoon.
Chicago Public Schools’ Special Education Chief Steps Down Amid Calls For Her Ouster
CPS confirmed Friday that Stephanie Jones, the district’s chief of the Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services (ODLSS), is stepping down from that role after four years effective immediately.
CPS Educators and Employees to Get 12 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave
Mayor Brandon Johnson, along with Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez and Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates, announced that the school district is in the process of expanding its paid parental leave up to 12 weeks for birthing and non-birthing parents.
Chicago Man Charged With Firing Gun At Police Officers During Pursuit
Antwon Harrison, 24, was held without bail during a hearing Wednesday after he was charged with two counts of attempted murder stemming from a shooting incident Monday evening.
Mayor Brandon Johnson ‘Looking Forward’ to Continuing Work with CPS CEO Pedro Martinez
On the final day of classes for Chicago Public Schools students, Mayor Brandon Johnson again signaled that he may be planning to keep schools chief Pedro Martinez in that position moving forward.
