Category: Chicagoland

Electronics Sales and Thefts Up This Year; Watch Your Stuff on CTA

Posted on by TL

Reports leading up to the holiday season indicated sales of electronics were up this year. While not meeting 2010 targets due to the G.O.P./Bush Recession, manufacturers still expected to do well.

Thieves are also looking for your gadgets, so be careful.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Lindsey Anderson had a strange feeling when a man boarded and sat down in front of her on the CTA’s Green Line near the Harlem station earlier this month.

“Maybe it’s women’s intuition or ESP, I don’t know,” said Anderson, 26, who lives in the city’s North Center neighborhood.

Sure enough, Anderson said the man reached toward her in a swift motion and tried to take her high-end cell phone. But she kept a tight grip on her Motorola Droid, and the man eventually ran off.

The would-be thief left Anderson with some soreness, but also her phone. Other commuters haven’t been as lucky. Chicago police say crooks spy the tiny white ear buds that often signal an iPhone and use the frequent stops of an “L” train to get away with a quick score.

I visited several mobile phone centers today, and they were packed. I didn’t purchase anything new — just shopping around — but these places were booming. Compare that with Macy’s, which was all but empty. Would-be thieves hope to sell your favorite gadget on the streets.

And Macy’s is way over-rated.

Wow! Schaumburg’s First-Ever Tax Levy is $23.7 Million

Posted on by TL

I try not to be surprised, but, yow! I had no idea residents of Schaumburg have never paid a tax levy in the village’s 53 years of existence.

Now, the roughly  75,386 residents are going to have to dig deep to help plug a budget gap, adding about 8.1 percent to each resident’s 2009 tax bill.

From the Daily Herald:

The decision to establish Schaumburg’s first property tax in the village’s 53-year history may not have been a popular choice, but it was needed, Mayor Al Larson said.

“They’ll probably throw us out of office in a year and a half, but it’s something that you have to do,” Larson said. “It’s not taken lightly; we didn’t just make up a number and throw it out there. There’s some real, real costs to the village.”

Trustees unanimously approved a $23.7 million tax levy at Tuesday night’s meeting, which was moved to the Prairie Center for the Arts as village officials anticipated a larger audience. About 70 attended the meeting with 10 making public comments opposing the levy.

The village’s new property tax will add about 8.1 percent to a resident’s 2009 tax bill. The village will start collecting in 2011.

Schaumburg officials said decreased revenue from sales, hotel, food and beverage taxes and the state’s income tax helped create a $17.6 million deficit in the budget.

Larson wouldn’t forecast if the tax would ever be lifted, citing the uncertainty with the economy. He asked if he could “borrow a crystal ball” to predict when the recession would be over.

“Is it going to be over in a year, two years, three years?” he said. “If revenues come back the board certainly would look at cutting the levy.”

Holy over-budgeting, Batman!

Note the mayor pledged to possibly cut, but not eliminate, the levy, somewhere down the road.

Now, perhaps, the South Suburbs will have more success convincing the rest of the state to reform the way schools are funded?

Residents of Schaumburg, welcome to the great State of Illinois.

Always Loving the Spotlight, Dwight Welch Helps Nab 3 Bank Robbery Suspects

Posted on by TL

When I first read this in the Trib, I just knew the “suburban mayor” had to be Dwight Welch trying to play cowboy again.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Three suspects were arrested this afternoon after they robbed a bank in south suburban Country Club Hills, officials said.

Three officers from Country Club Hills and Mayor Dwight Welch, who is a state-certified police officer and former sergeant, were joined by officers from neighboring Homewood and Flossmoor to make the arrest in the city’s Provincetown subdivision just south of 183rd Street.

Officials say two of the men robbed the First Midwest Bank at 4101 W. 183rd St. at about 2 p.m., while the third suspect waited in the van, according to a news release.

I really don’t care for Dwight Welch. I don’t care for anyone who engages in patronage government. It’s a big waste of taxpayer dollars, and really only benefits the politician dolling out the dollars or jobs. Dwight Welch certainly knows how to spend money.

But, you have to give credit where credit is due. According to the report, Mayor Welch joined three of his officers and responded to the scene, where they met with the two other officers. The group followed a set of fresh footprints to a nearby townhouse, where they ordered the suspects outside and took them into custody.

I’m glad the police caught the alleged bad guys, and I’m sure Dwight Welch is happy for the good press. Sure beats the State Board of Elections knocking on your door.

This isn’t the first time Welch has tried to steal the spotlight. NBC’s Steve Rhodes asked in September why Welch was trying to become the face of the Chris Kelly’s suicide investigation:

Welch also seems to have watched a few too many episodes of NYPD Blue, eagerly announcing in the early-going of the investigation that Flores-Buhelos had “lawyered up.”

It’s not an unusual term to hear around the federal building in Chicago or the grittier precincts of the city, but probably not a term a Country Club Hills mayor hears that often in real life.

Terry Gillespie is a defense lawyer tasked to represent his client with zeal, but in this case his angry retort that Welch had engaged in “unconscionable grandstanding” rang true.

In the least, Welch has acted carelessly, which is always a good way to endanger a criminal case.

But the criticism lobbed Welch’s way hasn’t slowed him down.

Now he is promising revelations at a press conference today that will leave people following the case both “pleased and a little surprised.”

How anyone could be “pleased” with any new findings is a mystery in itself.

At the time, Rhodes suggested that it was time to push Welch off-stage and let the real authorities “take hold of the case.”

Dwight is jumping into the spotlight again.  I simply cannot imagine a situation where a police officer would be happy to have the mayor tagging along for a chase.

Read rest of the story here at the Trib.

Beluga Whale Born At Shedd Aquarium This Week Dies

Posted on by TL

Don’t know why, but I actually felt a twang of grief when I read this headline in the Chicago Tribune.

Strange. Feel sorry for the little guy.

Here’s the scoop:

A male baby beluga whale born in a difficult birth Sunday at the Shedd Aquarium died Tuesday after never establishing a bond with his mother or learning to nurse from her.

"This is an extremely sad day for the Shedd Aquarium family," Ken Ramirez, senior vice president of animal collections, said in a written statment announcing the death.

"Over the past 48 hours we provided round-the-clock care to the calf, and this morning, we became more concerned since he continued to be disoriented in his swimming and still had not reached two critical milestones of bonding with mom and nursing.

"Based on our knowledge of a healthy calf, we knew something was wrong."

The statement did not give details of where or when the calf died but said that his 20-year-old mother, Naya, is in good health and remains under 24-hour-a-day observation by the marine mammal staff.

Read more here. And hug your pet goldfish.

Or something like that.

Michael Jordan Sues Jewel, Dominick’s for Using His Name, No. 23 to Sell Steaks

Posted on by TL

Wow. This was just incredibly bad judgment on the part of Jewel and Dominick’s.

From the Sun-Times:

Michael Jordan is suing Chicago’s two big grocery chains, Jewel and Dominick’s, claiming they used his good name and his good number — 23 — to sell steaks and other goods without his permission.

According to the suit, filed Monday in Cook County Circuit Court: “Jordan brings these claims for violation of the right of publicity, false endorsement, false designation of origin, deceptive business practices, and unfair competition against” Jewel-Osco and Dominick’s.

In both cases, the grocery store chains had advertisements in a commemorative Sports Illustrated issue congratulating him on this year’s induction in to the basketball Hall of Fame, according to the suit.

According to the suit, the Dominick’s ad featured Jordan’s name and number with the phrase “You are a cut above” and a photo of a steak.

Below the congratulations is an ad for $2 off a Rancher’s Reserve steak. In the case of Jewel, Jordan takes issue with a full-page magazine ad that congratulates him on the Hall of Fame honor.

The pair of basketball shoes, with a number 23 on the tongues, “appear to be an inaccurate and misleading copy of Air Jordan basketball shoes, which are the subject of an endorsement agreement between Jordan and Nike, Inc.

I would not want to wrestle with Michael Jordan in the courts.

Read more at the Sun-Times.

Withers: Drunken Husband of State Sen. Heather Steans Goes to Gay Bar to Harass Rival

Posted on by TL

You can’t make this stuff up.

From 365Gay.com:

Let’s start this Christmas week with some crazy family mess from Illinois. Jim Madigan, an openly gay Illinois politician, wants to unseat 7th District State Sen. Heather Stearns. No problem there unless you are Stearns’ husband, Leo Smith. Last week the challenger held a fundraiser in a gay bar called The Call. Madigan was minding his business, doing what pols do when they want you to open up your wallet, and who shows up? Leo Smith.

Now don’t go crazy. Smith is not living life on the down low. He spent an hour drinking at the bar, another ten minutes in the bathroom (baby, I don’t even want to know) and then decided to go up to Madigan and tell him about himself.

“I’m not here for your event! I know you think you’re gonna get famous with all your bull***t! But those things are about me.”

The two men went back and forth, talking about everything from ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich to gay rights. Smith doesn’t think Madigan has a gay rights record that is worth anything. A strange charge against a guy who was director of Equality Illinois.

Probably not the best move for your wife’s campaign.

"Alcohol – the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems." – Homer Simpson

Danny Davis Likes Dorothy Brown for Cook Co. Board President, and So Do I

Posted on by TL

Rep. Danny Davis endorsed Dorothy Brown for Cook County Board President. In desperation, Todd Stroger played the race card, stupidly, I think.

From the Sun-Times:

U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) threw his support behind Dorothy Brown in the crowded Democratic primary for Cook County Board president.

Davis noted that a recent poll showed Brown, the Cook County Circuit Court Clerk, leading the pack and he said that factored into his decision.

Davis dropped his own candidacy for board president earlier this year after failing to convince incumbent Todd Stroger to drop out.

Brown, who lost a 2007 bid to unseat Mayor Daley, thanked Davis for his support and said it would help propel her to victory in the four-candidate race.

The Sun-Times says Stroger released the following statement: “Congressman Davis has made a point of expressing his desire to not create or involve himself in any issue that would divide the African-American community. However, this endorsement has the potential to do just that.”

That’s just silly, Todd.

I would like to see Dorothy Brown issue a strong statement condemning patronage jobs. That happens, and I’m all in.

More from the Sun-Times here.

Guantanamo Comes to Illinois: Thomson Chosen for Guantanamo Detainees

Posted on by TL

From Lynn Sweet at the Sun-Times:

The White House will announce Tuesday that President Obama will seek to acquire the Thomson Correctional Center in northwestern Illinois to house detainees now held at the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

I reported in Saturday’s editions of the Sun-Times that the Obama administration had settled on the nearly vacant Thomson and would be making the announcement soon.

Obama has directed the federal government proceed with the acquisition of Thomson to house federal inmates and a "limited number" of detainees from Guantanamo Bay Military prison in Cuba to be housed in a facility operated by the Department of Defense.

And justice for all.

Eleven-Year-Old Aston Wise Killed by Coward with Shotgun

Posted on by TL

When will it stop?

The sad news from the Chicago Sun-Times:

Eleven-year-old Aston Wise was a passenger in a sport-utility vehicle parked on a South Shore street Friday night when a masked gunman opened fire with a shotgun, killing Aston and critically wounding his father.

Aston, of the 6800 block of South East End Avenue, was shot in the head in the 7800 block of South Kingston, police said. He was pronounced dead on the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Aston was a sixth-grader at Martha Ruggles Elementary School, 7831 S. Prairie, Chicago Public Schools spokeswoman Monique Bond said.

Police Supt. Jody Weis said detectives are investigating if the shooting was connected to a relative with gang ties.

Weis said Aston had a half brother in the Black Disciplines street gang and that there has been “low-key” conflict between the Black Disciplines and the Gangster Disciples. Police are also looking into the possibility of a carjacking, Weis said.

“We won’t really know until we get a chance to talk with the father,” Weis said. No arrests had been made as of Saturday night.

Another one of our children cut down, this time by a coward with a shotgun.

BREAKING NEWS: Terror Alert in Chicago, IL

Posted on by TL

This just in via email:

BREAKING NEWS: Terror Alert in Chicago, IL

The Chicago Bears football practice was delayed nearly two hours today after a player reported finding an unknown white powdery substance on the practice field. Head coach Lovie Smith immediately suspended practice and called the police and federal investigators.

After a complete analysis, FBI forensic experts determined that the white substance unknown to players was the GOAL LINE.

Practice resumed after special agents decided the team was unlikely to encounter the substance again this season.

Sorry Bears fans.  I couldn’t resist.