State legislators clamp down on student loan defaulters

SPRINGFIELD-The Illinois House voted Saturday to arm a state agency with new powers to garnishee wages for student loan defaulters despite worries the move will drive more Illinoisans into bankruptcy or foreclosure. By a 63-44 vote, the House sent Gov. Pat Quinn a measure sponsored …

Man charged in Lincoln Park robberies

A 25-year-old Northwest Side man has been charged with robbing Lincoln Park businesses while armed with a knife and syringe. Police believe Austin Pierce accompanied a female suspect in five neighborhood robberies this month. During the crimes, the suspects passed a note to a clerk …

Man questioned after 2 roommates found dead

Police are questioning a man after his two roommates were found dead Friday night in the South Side Woodlawn neighborhood. At about 9:20 p.m., police received a call from someone who said their friend was going to kill his roommates who live in the 6500 …

Eyewitness recalls violence of Tinley Park restaurant attack

A horde of masked figures went on a rampage, clubbing diners at The Ashford House restaurant on May 19 in Tinley Park. They did not discriminate as to the targets of their violence, even pushing an 80-year-old woman to the ground, according to an eyewitness who’s a former Chicago police officer.

Rahm Emanuel’s new plan for Chicago’s returning vets

Just in time for Memorial Day, Mayor Rahm Emanuel is launching a “Returning Veterans Initiative” to help find jobs for soldiers coming home to Chicago, drive down unemployment rates now triple the national average and smooth their transition to civilian life.

With the end of …

Cops seek man who slashed tires of police van during NATO protests

Chicago Police released a photo Friday of a man suspected of slashing the tires of a police van during anti-NATO demonstrations on May 19. Police said the man slashed the rear tires of the police van about 9:30 p.m. in the 300 block of West …

‘Brainwashing’ passage cut from CPS scholastic test

A national testing company has ash-canned a reading passage that critics say subjected a captive audience of Chicago Public School children to pro-charter-school “brainwashing.’’ The Scantron Corporation took action this month after the head of Chicago’s Parents United for Responsible Education demanded the company drop the passage and apologize to what could be thousands of Chicago students.

Peterson tiff all about emails

Drew Peterson’s judge took offense Friday to a prosecutor’s attempt to limit emails bouncing back and forth between attorneys in the case. But the simple result of a hastily called hearing to discuss an “emergency motion” in the three-year-old murder case is this: attorneys from one side can’t email attorneys from the other after work hours.

State Senate moves to kill law that boosted suburban chief’s pension

A former suburban police chief who benefited from an obscure pension sweetener and unapologetically declared “I deserve every penny of it and I deserve a lot f------ more” could wind up getting a lot less. By a 31-18 vote, the state Senate Friday moved to repeal a state law that allowed retired Oak Brook Police Chief Thomas Sheahan — a member of one of Chicago’s better-known political families — to boost his pension by more than $30,000 a year.

Dog saves Plainfield family from house fire

A family dog is credited with helping his owners escape a late night fire at their Plainfield home Thursday night.

Man pleads guilty to assault caught on video at Chicago subway stop

Scotty Strahan of Chicago will spend the next year on probation after pleading guilty to punching a homeless man at a Downtown CTA station last year, an attack recorded by an accomplice and posted online.

State House votes to add $1 to pack of cigarettes to help Medicaid

Another major reform to the state’s Medicaid program fell into place for Springfield lawmakers Friday with House passage of a $1-per-pack cigarette tax increase to help plug a $2.7 billion hole in the state’s health-care program for the poor.

City shows off two new bridges on North Halsted

If you’re driving on Halsted Street near Division, you’ll see something bright blue, shiny and new. The new “tied-arch” bridge in the 1100 block of North Halsted is open to traffic, bikers and pedestrians. It’s replacing an old movable — or “bascule” — bridge built in 1904.

Will County prosecutor wins state Supreme Court challenge on DUI case

`A Will County prosecutor has come out on top in a rare challenge to a judge’s decision to throw out a drunk driving conviction.

The state’s Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Gerald Kinney, chief justice for the 12th judicial circuit court, was wrong to strike …

Durbin: I’ll work with Kirk to pick Patrick Fitzgerald’s successor

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Friday that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has offered up the name of an acting successor to replace him at the end of June and that “carries a lot of weight.” As for a permanent successor, Durbin said he has approached U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and they intend to convene a “small group of people we trust” to come up with nominees.