Dunbar H.S. employee suspended over video of girl shoved down stairs

Chicago Public Schools officials have suspended an employee of Dunbar Vocational Career Academy on the South Side after a video surfaced that appears to show him pushing a 16-year-old female student down a flight of stairs. On the video, which seems to have been taken on a cell phone, it appears the man then hovers over the girl at the bottom of the stairs and shoves her again when she gets up and lunges at him. The video is posted on www.worldstarhiphop.com.

CTA rolls back some controversial Ventra fees

CTA Ventra payment card holders who use the card’s controversial debit features won’t be charged for talking to public transit customer service operators or using the cards for cash ATM withdrawals under new fee rollbacks revealed Thursday. The new concessions soften some of the more onerous fees associated with the pre-paid debit features of a new fare payment system the CTA plans to debut later this year.

Trial begins for teen charged in videotaped killing of father in West Rogers Park alley

Defense attorneys argued that all Anthony Malcolm did in the early morning hours of July 10 was hold a cell phone camera — inadvertently filming the fatal punch that claimed the life of Delfino Mora, a father of 12. Prosecutors argued that Malcolm was as culpable as the other two suspects who, authorities say, proceeded to rifle through Mora’s wallet as he lay dying in an alley in the 6300 block of North Artesian.

Men claim Chicago cop falsely arrested them for DUI

Heads, Gregory Sledge would go to jail.

Tails, he would go free.

It was heads.

That’s how Chicago Police Officer Harold Rodriguez allegedly decided to frame Sledge on a driving under the influence charge last year, the West Side man said in an interview Thursday. …

Ex-judge: Charter-school operator UNO needs ‘robust’ policy against conflicts

The United Neighborhood Organization needs to adopt “robust conflict-of-interest” policies in the wake of a scandal that’s jeopardized tens of millions of dollars of state funding for UNO’s network of charter schools in Chicago, a retired federal judge hired by the politically influential group urged Thursday.

Desperate search for missing fiance ends in tragic discovery

Antwone Price liked expensive toys, and he wasn’t shy about showing off the fruits of his success as a hip-hop concert promoter. But mostly, Price — a Daley Center clerk by day — was a family man, his fiancée, Kiara Robinson, said Thursday, a day after Price’s body was found stuffed in the trunk of his car on the South Side. His friend, Trevin Hullum, was found dead in the back seat.

Illinois Senate passes ban on motorists holding cell phones while driving

The bill sponsored by Sen. John Mulroe (D-Chicago) cleared the Senate by a 34-20 vote and would still permit the use of cell phone headsets and allow drivers to press their phones once either to start or end phone conversations. The plan moves to the House, which passed an earlier version.

Joliet man convicted in international ‘Wonderland Club’ child porn ring, arrested again

David Vaksdal, 45, was arrested early Thursday on two counts of possession of child pornography and could face more charges after his computers are examined, Joliet Police Detective Tizoc Landeros said. Police raided Vaksdal’s apartment early Thursday. In October 1998, Vaksdal, a home contractor, was busted as part of “The Wonderland Club,” an international pedophile and child pornography network. The ring spanned 14 countries and 22 states.

Cops: Accused strangler says he deserved nothing good because of ‘evil in me’

Accused strangler James Ealy wept in the back seat of a police car as he explained that he deserved nothing good in life because of the “evil in me,” three detectives testified Thursday.

“He said nothing good should happen to him,” Waukegan Police investigator Domenic …

As school closings loom, 27,000 CPS students now enrolling in new schools

Enrollment runs through May 31, giving parents little more than a week to register their children in person for the fall. Both closing and welcoming schools will host registration as kids prepare to switch schools.

6 kids taken to hospital after bad bounce on ‘bouncy house’

Six Algonquin elementary students were taken to hospitals as a precautionary measure after the inflatable playground equipment they were enjoying at a northwest suburban school tipped over Thursday afternoon.

‘Beautiful day to get smoked,’ gunman allegedly said before fatal shooting

As he was readying to buy marijuana in the Back of the Yards neighborhood Tuesday, Angel Cano made small talk about the pleasant weather, according to Cook County prosecutors.

New head fed: Zach Fardon’s U.S. attorney nomination brings accolades, challenges

Former colleagues and peers piled accolades onto Zach Fardon Thursday after President Barack Obama nominated him to be the next U.S. Attorney in Chicago. But there was no question that the 46-year-old will face a set of challenges as he’s expected to take the helm of one of the most prominent prosecutors’ offices in the nation. Chief among those challenges: convincing the public the office is indeed tackling guns, drugs and gangs — it’s just that public corruption dominates the news coverage.

Congress Theater close to being clear of city violations

The Congress Theater is just a step away from being cleared of its city violations. On Thursday, city attorney Judy Frydland told a Cook County judge the theater at 2135 N. Milwaukee must still connect its backup generator and lighting system before any sort of city agreement can be made.

1 injured from extra-alarm blaze at abandoned West Side building

One person was taken to a hospital Thursday morning after a fire in an abandoned apartment building in Chicago’s Lawndale neighborhood.