April 2009

Chicago cops honored for heroic actions

By Admin on April 30, 2009

Chicago police officers in the Monroe District got a call of shots fired on West Fulton Street. When they arrived, they talked to a neighbor who showed them how the slug from a shotgun traveled through his condominium wall from next door, almost striking him.The officers knocked on the neighbor’s door. Although nobody answered, the officers heard rustling inside. Suspicious, the officers scaled a ledge to approach the condo from another angle and saw a person moving toward a bathroom, shotgun in hand.

Through the closed bathroom door, the officers negotiated with the man to turn himself in, without another shot fired. The officers arrested the man and collected a stash of cocaine, cannabis and cash for evidence.

Two of the officers, Stephen Anderson and Enrique Izaguirre, were among more than 200 cops to receive commendations and awards at the Chicago Police Department’s monthly ceremony. 

Officers were honored for saving the lives of people trapped in burning buildings, arresting suspects wanted in murders and sexual assaults, solving a burglary ring that stole about $500,000 in bronze vases and other property, and sometimes, like these officers, perhaps stopping more tragic incidents from happening.

Several marine officers were honored for preventing one such incident.

Following weather radar that showed a serious storm was approaching, Officer Alan Bednarek told all marine units to be on the lookout for boats in danger.  He noticed in video surveillance of the lake a small canoe was in heavy seas, and sent officers toward the boat.

Soon after, a distress call came in that men were in the water.  The overboard passengers were quickly scooped up by marine officers, saving their lives, and the six officers on Thursday were honored with a Lifesaving Award.

–Angela Rozas

Standing water in Will County farm fields just after lunch Tuesday

By Admin on April 30, 2009

John Hazzard, who farms near Wilmington in western Will County and always does such

a terrific job keeping us posted on conditions throughout the growing season, sends us

these shots of the standing water in what should be fully planted corn fields taken just

after lunch Tuesday. Area farmers have been unable to begin planting this year because

of all the rain and wet ground which has resulted. It’s a situation common across

Illinois and Indiana. John estimates it will take close to…

Suspected swine flu cases close schools

By Admin on April 30, 2009

Two Oswego schools and an Aurora school were added to the growing roll of schools closed because of probable swine flu cases this afternoon.

Two Oswego schools, Fox Chase Elementary School and Thompson Junior High School, as well as Bednarcik Junior High School in Aurora will be closed Friday; School District 308 will inform parents and post information on its Web site on Sunday about whether they will reopen next week, district officials said.

Tom Schlueter, a spokesman for the Kane County health department, said the schools were being closed because “it’s important to break the chain and stop the spread of the disease by getting it at the very beginning.”

Earlier this afternoon, officials announced the closing of two Joliet schools and a school in Streamwood, and a middle school was closed in west suburban St. Charles this afternoon after the Kane County Health Department determined that a student there has a probable case of swine flu. Officials also had announced a Rogers Park school closed Wednesday will remain shut until further notice.

Haines Middle School was shut down at 1 p.m. and will not resume operations until CUSD 303 is notified of test results by the Centers for Disease Control, the district announced today on its Web site.

The Cook County Department of Public Health recommended closing Ridge Circle Elementary School in
Streamwood because of the case of a Streamwood boy with probable swine flu. Two schools, Farragut and Sator
Sanchez elementary schools also were being closed in Joliet, officials
there said.

Ridge Circle Elementary School in Streamwood will remain closed until
May 11, the full 7 days recommended by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, school officials said. The closing came after an
11-year-old boy from the northwest suburb was diagnosed with a probable
case of swine flu.

At an afternoon news conference, St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 Supt. Dr. Donald Schlomann said the sickened student was a girl, but he declined to reveal her age or grade.

He said the girl came to school on Monday and seemed fine, but she developed a high fever that day and was sent home. The next day she was taken to a family doctor who took a sample of the virus from the girl and sent it to the state’s Department of Public Health.

After determining the virus was probably swine flu, it was sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for further testing.

The girl is feeling well, Schlomann said.

“She would like to come back to school, but unfortunately school is closed,” he said.

He said no other students have shown symptoms and the 1,100-student school did not have an abnormally high absentee rate.

The school’s extracurricular activities have been canceled until further notice and workers will do a wipe-down at the school with anti-bacterial wipes tonight, according to schlomann.

He said the earliest the school could open is Monday, if no other cases are found.

Haines joins a small but growing list of schools closed because of probable swine flu cases.

Kilmer Elementary School in Rogers Park was closed when a 12-year-old girl who attends the school came down with what tests showed was probably swine flu. Kilmer will remain closed until further notice, School Public School spokeswoman Monique Bond said today.

Three schools also are closed in Kane County, two of them in Batavia, including Batavia High School.

Rotolo Middle School in Batavia is being closed as a preventative measure. All activities and practices are canceled, as well. “Our first priority is the safety of our students, faculty and community,” said Superintendent Jack Barshinger in a statement issued Wednesday.

Marmion Academy, a Catholic-Benedictine High School in Aurora, also has a probable case and is closed until Monday, said a spokesperson.

As of this afternoon, there were at least 20 probable cases of swine flu reported in Illinois.

– Cliff Ward, Jeff Long and Carlos Sadovi
Swine flu scare:
• Photos: Observing the swine flu outbreak
• Map: Swine flu’s spread, updating statistics
• Vote: Are you worried? Changing your behavior?
• Latest worldwide develoments on flu
• Complete coverage from chicagotribune.com

Al Qaeda agent admits aiding Sept. 11 attacks

By Admin on April 30, 2009

Accused Al Qaeda sleeper agent Ali Al-Marri made a stunning reversal in federal court in Peoria today, pleading guilty to conspiring and providing support for two of the chief architects of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Ali Al-Marri entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm in Peoria. He admitted to one count of conspiring to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization.

Al-Marri, a legal U.S. resident and native of Qatar, was arrested in late 2001 while studying at Bradley University in Peoria after federal authorities alleged he was tied to organizers of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

The Bush administration declared Al-Marri an “enemy combatant” in late 2001 and held him without charges for more than five years at a Navy brig in South Carolina. The designation was dropped when he was indicted by a federal grand jury in Illinois.

 

The conspiracy charge carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. Sentencing was scheduled for July 30.

The government says Al-Marri met with Osama bin Laden in the summer of 2001 and was sent to the U.S. to help Al Qaeda operatives carry out post-Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

He got a bachelor’s in business management administration from Bradley in 1991, then went to work for a bank in Qatar. He is married and has five children.

Al-Marri decided to return to Bradley, obtained a student visa and returned to the U.S. on Sept. 10, 2001.

Joel Hood, Associated Press

Spectacular tornado shots from Wednesday evening (April 29) in Texas

By Admin on April 30, 2009

This tornado touched down near Cedar Hill, Texas, Wednesday evening and is captured

in these amazing photos by professional photographer David Mayhew, whose work is

always nothing short of spectacular. We’ve shared David’s work with you on this blog

and on WGN before. Cedar Hill is a small community near Floydada, which is roughly

50 miles northeast of Lubbock.

The Storm Prediction Center logged 12 tornado reports Thursday. David points out the

final photo includes TWO funnels! …

Evanston school evacuated in bomb threat

By Admin on April 30, 2009

Chute Middle School in Evanston was evacuated this morning after officials there received a bomb threat late this morning, a spokeswoman for Evanston-Skokie School District 65 said.

No one was injured in the incident, which began a little before 11 a.m. when someone phoned in an anonymous tip that there was a bomb at the school, 1400 Oakton St. in the north suburb, district spokeswoman Pat Markham said. 

The school was reopened several hours later after officials determine the school was safe, said Evanston Police Cmdr. Tom Guenther.

School officials called 911 and evacuated students according to the school’s emergency plan, Markham said. The evacuation was “fairly orderly” because students have practiced leaving the school in emergencies, Markham said.

The more than 500 students at the school were taken by bus to two other schools, Oakton and Dawes elementary schools, Markham said. Students were proceeding with their day, including lunch and other activities, Markham said.

Guenther said students were taken back to Chute later in the afternoon and the school was to be open on Friday.

“The school was searched methodically and after a re-evaluation of the building, everything seemed to be clear,” Guenther said. 

He had no further information about the threat or a possible motive.

“We take all threats on their face value and we don’t discount them,” he said.  

– Liam Ford

Stocks struggle to maintain gains after Chrysler news

By Admin on April 30, 2009

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are set to extend their rally as investors hoped for reassuring readings on jobless claims, personal spending and manufacturing.

Seized hotrod turned over to bureaucrat

By Admin on April 30, 2009

‘Swine flu’ no more

By Admin on April 30, 2009

Judge: Tyra Banks’ stalker needs counseling

By Admin on April 30, 2009

NEW YORK — A Georgia man who told police he and Tyra Banks
“had a thing together” was convicted Thursday of stalking the
supermodel-turned-TV host.

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