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Public housing battle over Chicago Fire FC training facility site heads to court

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:22 GMT

CHICAGO — Community members are fighting back, even as construction starts on a new Chicago Fire FC soccer team training facility.At issue is 25 acres of public land on the Near West Side, owned by the Chicago Housing Authority, once part of the ABLA Homes demolished years ago.In recent months, the CHA leased the land to the Chicago Fire FC soccer club as part of a 40-year agreement to develop a new practice facility. Fire FC paid $8 million upfront with an annual graduated fee to be paid down the line. Lionel Messi’s MLS arrival has ticket sales, price impact on Soldier Field match vs Chicago Fire FC The Fire FC reached a deal with former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the closing months of her time in office. But a coalition of community-based groups filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday saying the city broke a promise to redevelop 775 public housing units on the site. The group filing suit said only 245 units have been constructed. On Wednesday, the case goes before a federal judge....

'It’s so senseless': Chicago man shot and killed near youth football game in Blue Island

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:22 GMT

BLUE ISLAND, Ill. — A man is dead after being shot and killed shortly before a youth football game near Memorial Park in Blue Island Sunday evening."As we were going on the field, we heard what we thought were fireworks then we saw fans running back towards the stadium," said Durand Hodges, a parent and coach of the Garfield Park Gators 10U Pop Warner football team. "In the parking lot, there was an altercation and someone had been shot."Hodges said fans from a previous game between the 13U Elmhurst Bears and Dixmoor Vikings were seen arguing inside the stadium, and the altercation spilled outside. West Side youth football team reach goal, will travel to national championship According to the Blue Island Police Department (BIPD), officers were called to the 12800 block of Highland Avenue around 7:30 p.m. for a person who was shot. When officers arrived, they found a 32-year-old man from Chicago who had been shot in the neck.The victim was taken from the scene by ambulance to Advoc...

City of Chicago sees dramatic rise in car thefts over last year

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:22 GMT

CHICAGO — According to new data from Chicago police, an average of 83 cars are reported stolen per day in the city. The number of car thefts has doubled this year, compared to last, and overall, car thefts are up 226% from 2019.Some victims say they do not feel like police are taking the crimes seriously."When you call they're just kind of like, they like brush it off," said Amanda, a victim of car theft who spoke to WGN News in August. Chicago shootings and murders drop, others crimes rise, according to police stats Retired Chief Of Detectives, Eugene Roy says one reason may be the lack of manpower in the city. The Chicago Police Department is currently down 1,500 officers compared to a few years ago, and Roy says there are fewer officers on the street to deter crime."Due to the dramatic rise in the number of auto thefts sometimes there aren’t enough call takers to take all the cars and quickly process them in the order they’re received," Roy said.Another reason for the increase ...

Joliet man pleads guilty in crash that injured Illinois state trooper

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:22 GMT

WILL COUNTY, Ill. -- A Joliet man who crashed into a Illinois State Patrol vehicle in 2021 and seriously injured a trooper pled guilty on Tuesday.According to the Will County State’s Attorney's Office, 23-year-old Angel Casillas, of Joliet, pled guilty on Tuesday for the vehicular crash that left Illinois State Police Trooper Brian Frank with serious and ongoing injuries. ‘Want this for my parents’: Reward increased in 1979 murders of Niles West students as families want answers On February 15, 2021, Frank was working with other ISP troopers on a single-vehicle crash on I-55 just north of Route 30. The crash was located about a half-mile north of US-30 in the left lane against the center median wall of I-55.As the scene was being cleared, Frank positioned his fully-marked patrol vehicle with emergency lights activated just south of the crash to assist in diverting traffic from the left lane and help protect the towing company and emergency personnel on the scene. He also deployed...

Three-legged bear breaks into Florida home, drinks White Claws

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:22 GMT

LAKE MARY, Fla. (WFLA) — A three-legged bear known locally as Tripod was caught on camera breaking into a home in Lake Mary, Florida over the weekend and helping itself to some snacks and adult beverages.Josaury Faneite-Diglio found out she had a thirsty, uninvited guest when she got a security camera notification around 5 p.m. Sunday, she told local news station WESH.The home wasn't unoccupied when the bear arrived, however – Faneite-Diglio's son, 13-year-old Joseph Diglio and the family dog, Bruno, were both inside. Diglio said that he realized there was a bear in the home after he heard Bruno barking and then watched Tripod rip a makeshift door into the screen surrounding the enclosed patio."Oh my God. I've never been this close to a bear," Diglio can be heard saying in the video. Tripod then made himself at home and lumbered over to the family's mini fridge. Flamingos found in Florida likely hitched a ride with Hurricane Idalia "Once I saw him open the fridge, I got scared tha...

Ken Paxton impeachment trial starts in Texas Senate

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:22 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The impeachment trial for suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton began Tuesday morning at the State Capitol. Proceedings started at 9 a.m. in the Senate chamber.Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is acting as the presiding officer of the trial, functioning as a judge. Senators will serve as jurors. Proceedings began with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas administering oaths to Patrick and others involved in the process.KXAN's Monica Madden is at the trial Tuesday. View her live coverage below on X (Note: You must be logged in to X):Tweets by themonicamadden The Texas House adopted 20 articles of impeachment against Paxton. The Senate will consider 16 of those articles in the trial.The first task for the court will be to rule on pretrial motions. Paxton’s attorneys have requested the Senate dismiss all of the articles of impeachment. Patrick can defer a decision on that motion until after evidence is presented, or he can allow senators to vote on whether to dismiss in...

4 takeaways from the first day of Ken Paxton's impeachment trial

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:22 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The impeachment trial for suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton is underway at the Texas State Capitol. Ken Paxton impeachment trial starts in Texas Senate Here are five takeaways from the first day of the trial. 1. Paxton pleaded not guilty to all articles of impeachmentPaxton's lead lawyer Tony Buzbee spoke on Paxton's behalf and pleaded not guilty to each article of impeachment. In May, the Texas House voted 121-23 to impeach Paxton on 20 articles of impeachment. These range from making false statements to obstructing justice to accepting bribes from a campaign donor. The Senate will consider 16 of these articles in the trial. READ MORE: A comprehensive guide to Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial Here's a closer look at each article of impeachment. 2. Paxton not compelled to testifyLt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is also the impeachment trial judge, ruled that Paxton will not be compelled to testify in his trial.Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, left, s...

Travis County's mental health authority to eliminate 115 staff positions

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:22 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- To remedy a roughly $22 million shortfall in federal and state funding next fiscal year, Travis County's largest mental health provider is slashing nearly 10% of its staff positions, some of which are vacant, a board meeting Thursday revealed. Outside of one Integral Care facility, a staff member said employees are "stressed, overwhelmed" and said the staff cuts are only going to make a case load that's already heavy much worse. "It's unexpected. People are going to lose their stability. Not only for employees but for the clients," that employee said. We are not naming them. Integral Care provides resources for people with mental health illnesses, substance use disorder and intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to its website. Those resources include crisis services -- such as the operation of the region's 988 call center -- along with counseling and case management, drug and alcohol treatment and housing services. Nearly a quarter of suicide hot...

Small towns in MN and elsewhere are disbanding police forces, citing hiring woes

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:22 GMT

GOODHUE, Minnesota — As Goodhue Police Chief Josh Smith struggled this summer to fill vacancies in his small department, he warned the town’s City Council that unless pay and benefits improved, finding new officers would never happen.When nothing changed, Smith quit. So did his few remaining officers, leading the Minnesota town of 1,300 residents to shutter its police force in late August.America is in the midst of a police officer shortage that many in law enforcement blame on the two-fold morale hit of 2020 — the coronavirus pandemic and criticism of police that boiled over with the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. From Minnesota to Maine, Ohio to Texas, small towns unable to fill jobs are eliminating their police departments and turning over police work to their county sheriff, a neighboring town or state police.The trend isn’t altogether new.At least 521 U.S. towns and cities with populations of 1,000 to 200,000 disbanded policing between 1972 and 2017, according to a...

Explainer: Gov. Walz says he’s open to fix for school resource officer rules. What’s the issue?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:22 GMT

With the school year starting Tuesday for most students throughout Minnesota, some showed up to buildings where law enforcement had pulled their school resource officers.Law enforcement has raised concerns about a change in state law regarding what force school resource officers can use against students. Minnesota Republican legislators called last week for a special legislative session to revert the law back to its previous form.Gov. Tim Walz, visiting an elementary school Tuesday morning in Bloomington, responded to a media question about whether a special session was needed.“I think we all want a solution to this,” he said. “Some districts have worked it out and they believe the language is clarified” and others have not. “… I’m certainly open to anything that provides a solution to that, if that means the Legislature working it out to make sure we have it.”The value of SROs is the relationships that are built “long before any...