Chicago Sun-Times

SPECIAL REPORT: If Marconi closes, students will have to walk past drug dealers on way to Tilton

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:14:00 -0500

If Marconi Community Academy is approved Wednesday to be closed, its students will be sent to Tilton Elementary School, just half a mile away but across one of West Garfield Park’s open-air drug markets. What exactly may children have to walk through to school? The Rev. Marshall E. Hatch Sr. leads the tour. “When it comes to a drug-sale corner, the buyers need to be able to find you all the time. I’m just very surprised that could happen right across the street from a public school,” Hatch says. “I don’t know that it has been well-thought through . . .”

Red Line reroute ‘smooth sailing’ on Sunday, but true test comes Monday

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:12:04 -0500

In 17 years of riding the Red Line South to her job downtown, Stephanie Williams can count on the number of times she has been late for work. “I’m giving myself a whole bunch of grace time,” said Williams, 45, as she headed to work Sunday morning. She got a pleasant surprise: Her new route took only 10 minutes longer — and the shuttle bus and train ride were free.

WATCHDOGS: Metra cops ride overtime express with 45% increase since 2009

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:12:23 -0500

Three years after Metra said it would look into its police department’s bulging budget for extra work hours, the department has been riding an overtime express, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis finds. Sgt. John K. Geraty’s OT pay was tops among police officers who work for Metra. His total pay was $154,446, with more than half of that — $90,273 — for overtime.

Navy Pier staffer’s 48-hour Ferris wheel ride breaks Guinness record

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:13:15 -0500

It didn’t seem right to Clinton Shepherd that the birthplace of the Ferris wheel didn’t hold the record for the longest Ferris wheel ride. “I thought Chicago should have that title,” he said Sunday, after spending a record-shattering 48 hours, 8 minutes and 25 seconds awake riding the pier’s iconic attraction. Shepherd, Navy Pier’s operations manager, sought to bring the record home after he saw an article about the previous Guinness Record — a 25-hour spin at California’s Santa Monica Pier.

Police, prosecutors differ on charging driver in alleged incident outside Aurora clinic

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:12:34 -0500

A driver accused of swerving his SUV at a teenage demonstrator outside an Aurora Planned Parenthood clinic was charged with aggravated assault even though police said security cameras never showed him veering toward the protester. As a result Aurora police declined to charge the driver. But the DuPage County State’s Attorney did. The disagreement focuses on security video of the incident.

5 dead, 15 wounded in city gun violence

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:12:54 -0500

Five people have been killed and at least 15 others wounded — including a 12-year-old boy left in critical condition — in shootings around the city since Friday night.

2 adults, 10 teens charged in Saturday disturbance in North Michigan Avenue area

Sun, 19 May 2013 20:44:00 -0500

They were charged with a range of offenses including reckless conduct, loitering, resisting police and damaging an officer’s bicycle, police said Sunday.