Wednesday, December 31
For Obama library, a contest of haves vs have-nots
HONOLULU (AP) — President Barack Obama has preached economic opportunity and equal access to education as cornerstones of the legacy he wants to leave behind. But in the contest to host his presidential library, two public universities that serve needy communities fear the playing field has been tilted against them by a pair of elite, private schools with seemingly endless money.
Walmart and Sam’s Club to Enhance Poultry Safety Measures
Walmart recently announced that it will implement enhanced poultry safety measures for suppliers designed to further protect customers against foodborne illnesses. The new guidelines are in addition to Walmart’s food safety program that requires poultry suppliers to achieve prevention-based certification against one of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) internationally recognized standards.
Stevie J Ordered to Rehab after Failing Drug Tests
A cast member on VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” has been ordered to spend 30 days at a drug rehabilitation center after prosecutors said he repeatedly failed cocaine and marijuana tests.
Kwanzaa Principles Much Needed for African American Community Building
Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor and Chair of Africana Studies, California State University-Long Beach and Executive Director, African American Cultural Center, Los Angeles, Ca. created the Kwanzaa celebration to reinforce the basic values of African culture, called the Nguzo Saba which in Swahili means the Seven Principles, with hope that the seven principles of the festivity would serve as the building blocks to reinforce and enhance African American communities and culture.
IDOT and Law Enforcement Official Work Together to Ensure A Safe End to 2014
The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Illinois State Police (ISP) and more than 230 law enforcement agencies from across the state are working in concert to decrease vehicle related fatalities as year 2014 ends.
Rev. Johnnie Coleman Dies at Age 94
Elected officials, along with her church community and friends are mourning the death of Rev., Dr. Johnnie Coleman, who died Dec. 23 at age 94. Referred to as the “First Lady of the New Thought Christian Community,” Dr. Coleman founded Christ Universal Temple, that first opened on 61st and Cottage Grove Ave. in Chicago in 1956, and today stands at 11901 S. Ashland Ave., as a progressive, new thought church. Rev. Coleman served as Senior Minister there for 50 years and founded the Universal Foundation for Better Living, an international organization of affiliated ‘new thought’ churches and study groups that embrace a metaphysical interpretation of the Bible with a focus on healing, meditation and positive thought.
Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. to Deliver Keynote Address at U of C’s MLK Event
At a time when protests calling for justice are occurring across the nation in response to high profile instances where African American men, that many feel were unjustly killed at the hands of police officers, followed by grand jury decisions not to indict them, longtime civil rights leader, the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. will speak on the topic of “injustice” as part of his keynote address at the University of Chicago’s (U of C) 25th Annual, Martin Luther King Jr., celebration next month.
’85 Chicago Bears Help ComEd Tackle Refrigerator Recycling
One lucky ComEd customer received a gift fit for a champion this holiday season. ComEd teamed up with WBBM radio to host the “Retire Your Old Fridge” contest, which awarded a ComEd customer for participating in its Smart Ideas® Fridge and Freezer Recycling program. Winner Katie Straka of Palatine received a personal visit from former Bears champions Otis Wilson and Richard Dent, who presented her with tickets to a Bears game.
Open Enrollment for Obamacare Still Available for the Uninsured
As 2014 comes to a close, it’s still time to purchase a health care plan under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or change your current health care plan during this year’s Open Enrollment process before the final deadline on Feb. 15, 2015. The Open Enrollment period for 2015 began on Nov. 15, 2014.
Mayor Emanuel Halts Petition Examination of Mayoral Challenger
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel withdrew his challenge as to the validity of signatures on ballot petitions belonging to challenger, Dr. Willie Wilson, halting the Chicago Board of Election’s examination of the documents on Christmas Eve, according to Wilson's attorney Frank Avila.
Tuesday, December 30
US off war footing at year's end, but wars go on
WASHINGTON (AP) — Taking America off a permanent war footing is proving harder than President Barack Obama may have suggested.
Wednesday, December 24
Public Speaking Symposium at South Suburban College
Do you have a fear of public speaking? If so, you certainly are not alone. Glossophobia or speech anxiety is very common. That is why the Chicagoland Speakers Network is helping area residents overcome their uneasiness with speaking publicly, during its Second Annual Public Speaking Symposium.
Camille Cosby Defends Husband as ‘Kind, Generous’
Bill Cosby’s wife rejected sex assault allegations against her husband of a half-century on last week, saying the man being accused by at least 15 women of drugging and having sex with them is “a man I do not know.” In a statement issued Monday, Camille Cosby dismissed accusations that date back as far as the late 1960s.
Education Department Clarifies Requirements for Offering Single-Sex Classes
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released guidance today for K-12 schools that offer or want to offer single-sex classes. In response to numerous inquiries about the legality of single-sex classes, OCR issued guidance that charts a path for schools on how they can provide boys-only or girls-only instruction while remaining in compliance with civil rights laws.
Mothers Memorialize Children Lost to Gun Violence with Christmas Tree Ornaments
As many of us celebrate Christmas with gift giving, and bring in the New Year reflecting on good times, others are finding it hard to enjoy the Holidays, because they are trying to cope with the pain of losing a child to Chicago’s ongoing gun violence, such as Englewood mother, Tonya Burch.
Harriet Rees Mansion Relocation Opens Door to McCormick Place Additions
The historic Harriet Rees Mansion, 2110 S. Prairie Ave. in Chicago, a three-story, 762-ton, brick and limestone structure, was recently relocated one block north to 2017 S. Prairie Ave. in order to make way for the construction of the McCormick Place Event Center, a 10,000-seat event center, and a 1,200-room Marriot Marquis Headquarters hotel, both slated for completion by late 2016.
Alternative School Holds Holiday Event on Historic Site
Saturday’s cold weather and snow flurries provided the perfect setting for Prologue, Inc.’s annual Winter Wonderland event. Founded in 1973, Prologue, a nonprofit organization serving Chicago communities for 40 years, provides community services, educational and job-training programs for young people, ages 17 to 24, who want to earn a diploma, but find traditional learning environments challenging.
Mayoral Candidate Willie Wilson Responds to Mayoral Emanuel’s Petition Challenge
Chicago Mayoral candidate, millionaire businessman, Dr. Willie Wilson and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel are creating quite an election campaign ruckus, over the validity of nominating petitions Wilson submitted to the Chicago Board of Election.
Chatham Business Association Throws "Winterfest" for Small Business Supporters
Last week, the Chatham Business Association (CBA) in partnership with Special Service Area (SSA) #51 held a customer appreciation Winterfest event, at the CBA office, 800 E. 78th St., to thank customers who supported local businesses in the Chatham community during CBA's Black Friday Plus initiative which ran from Nov. 28 to Dec. 18.
Mayor Emanuel’s Son Robbed Near North Side Home
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, on Saturday, attended the funeral of Demario Bailey, the twin teenager who was killed under a viaduct in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood last week, while coming to the aid of his twin brother who was being robbed of his coat. Ironically, now comes news that the Mayor's own teenaged son, was the victim of a robbery last Friday, which left him bruised and battered.
The Buick Club of America builds community around the classic
Sponsored by Buick
Owners of all cars are proud, however, people who own a Buick are a unique and enthusiastic group indeed. They assemble as The Buick Club of America, but you don’t have to be a Buick owner to join the club; you just have to love Buick.
Monday, December 22
All those times Buick LaCrosse made a cameo in film and you kind of gasped
Sponsored by Buick
The internet is amazing – granted – but when we set out to research the Buick LaCrosse in film or TV, we didn’t anticipate finding a populated find-your-car-in-media database. Or did we?
Women in STEM: 10 quotes by GM’s Alicia Boler-Davis
See how she got to the top and why she’s staying there
We curated Boler-Davis interviews and speeches on YouTube, and here are 10 direct quotes from the mind making the connection between GM and you. Number one is ridiculously inspiring. Let’s start with the basics. Boler-Davis recently – and by recently we mean earlier this month – told Fortune Magazine how she discovered her potential in engineering; she wasn’t born a VP, you know.
The perks of owning an American classic car
Sponsored by Buick
Nothing can compare to the nostalgia you feel when you’re sitting at a stoplight and you see a well preserved El Dorado drive pass you. Everybody is looking.
Thursday, December 18
Digital dilemma: How will US respond to Sony hack?
WASHINGTON (AP) — The detective work blaming North Korea for the Sony hacker break-in appears so far to be largely circumstantial, The Associated Press has learned. The dramatic conclusion of a Korean role is based on subtle clues in the hacking tools left behind and the involvement of at least one computer in Bolivia previously traced to other attacks blamed on the North Koreans.
10 auto-loving quotes from a man who devoted his life to car design
Sponsored by Buick
Edward T. Welburn – most of us in the automotive industry may have heard the name – but let me introduce you to the legend. Welburn has been a General Motors employee for 35 years. He’s the current and first GM Vice President of Global Design. Yes, they actually created a VP position and title for him.
Remember the time Buick retweeted your here’s-my-new-car photo? We do.
Sponsored by Buick
There’s nothing like when somebody you admire retweets your tweet, right? You take a screenshot and tweet that because you want everybody to know important people see, read and retweet your Tweets.
Wednesday, December 17
UIC Submits Multi-Site Proposal for Obama Library
Proposals to host and build the Barack Obama Presidential Library and Museum have been submitted to the Barack Obama Foundation by the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), and the University of Chicago (U of C) who met the Dec. 11 deadline for final proposal submission. Universities in New York and Honolulu are also competing for the right to build the presidential library that promises an economic boon for the area that lands the deal.
Hong Kong protesters choose to remain in Admiralty encampments
HONG KONG, (UPI) -- Leaders of Hong Kong's student protest movement have decided to remain in street encampments, setting up the potential for conflict with police attempting to clear protest sites.
Paralegal Training Offered at South Suburban College
A person qualified by education, training or work experience who is employed or retained by a lawyer, law office, corporation, governmental agency or other entity, and who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work primarily for a lawyer, is typically defined as a paralegal. It is a worthy profession that perhaps many will aspire to, if given the chance.
CSU to Restructure Foundation Board in Light of Anticipated Cuts in State Funding
According to a Chicago State University (CSU) spokesman, the current economic climate and limited funds available from the state of Illinois, has led the CSU Board of Trustees to the restructuring of the CSU Foundation, a non-profit entity governed by its own set of board of directors, that is responsible for raising funds for the University's advancement.
U of C's Obama Library Bid Names Three Possible Sites
While site location tops local conversations regarding the University of Chicago’s (U of C) Barack Obama Presidential Library and Museum proposal, submitted to the Barack Obama Foundation by last Thursday’s submission deadline, collaboration is the buzz word from U of C’s Library team.
Minority Contractors Association Receive Award
Rev. Larry Bullock, President and Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Minority Contractors Association (USMCA), recently accepted the Minority Contractors Association Annual Millennium Builders Award from the Metropolitan Water
Urban Partnership Bank Brings on New Board Member, Receives CDFI Designation
Urban Partnership Bank’s (UPB) board of directors is now a 12-member team with the addition of recently elected, Michael W. Lewis, a respected civic and financial services leader.
Cook County Board President Seeks End to Automatic Juvenile Court Transfers to Adult Criminal Court
Cook County Board President, Toni Preckwinkle, is seeking to end automatic transfer of juveniles to Adult Court, a system she says disproportionately impacts African American and Hispanic youth charged with certain felony offenses.
Tuesday, December 9
Senate probe catalogs brutality against detainees
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States brutalized scores of terror suspects with interrogation tactics that turned secret CIA prisons into chambers of suffering and did nothing to make America safer after the 9/11 attacks, Senate investigators concluded Tuesday.
Friday, December 5
Police: Chokehold victim complicit in own death
NEW YORK (AP) — Eric Garner was overweight and in poor health. He was a nuisance to shop owners who complained about him selling untaxed cigarettes on the street. When police came to arrest him, he resisted. And if he could repeatedly say, "I can't breathe," it means he could breathe.
Veterans Affairs Psychologist Discuss Services
The Chicago Citizen Newspaper recently spoke with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Richard Doss, about the service he provides U.S. military veterans facing post-traumatic stress and sexual assault issues, at the Chicago Heights Veteran Center (CHVC), 1010 Dixie Highway, Chicago Heights, Ill.
Supreme Court Considers Facebook Threats Case
From the violent lyrics of rap music to the crude comments of teenagers in video-game chat rooms, the Supreme Court struggled Monday over where to draw the line between free speech and illegal threats in the digital age.
Fly Through Holiday Travel with Ease
For many, travel is as essential to holiday festivities as the jolly old elf himself. Heeding the advice of seasoned travel pros can help take the headache and hassle out of your holiday travel this year.
‘Tis the Season to Safeguard Your Identity
The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is an exciting time. But from the crowded malls to the big online markdowns, a silent threat lurks – one with the ability to wipe out your good financial standing and make it a not-so-jolly holiday for you and your family.
Solange Knowles shares photos from her honeymoon in Brazil
Solange Knowles shared several photos from her Brazilian honeymoon on Instagram over the weekend.
Gabrielle Union highjacks Dwayne Wade's post-game interview
NEW YORK, (UPI) -- Dwayne Wade was one of the key players during the Miami Heat game against the New York Knicks on Sunday, but his wife Gabrielle Union had a few pointers about his performance.
Funding for Graymoor Subdivision Sewer Work Project
Funding put together by various sources will allow sewer repair other work in the Graymoor Subdivision in Olympia Fields.
Mobile Grocer Partners with American Heart Association to Battle Food Deserts on West Side
The American Heart Association (AHA) and Crisp! Mobile Grocery (CMG), an affordable mobile grocer initiative sponsored by Catholic Charities partnered on an effort to tackle the food desert crisis on Chicago’s west side with a kick-off event at Loretto Hospital, 645 S. Central Ave., on Nov. 21 where community members received an informative presentation about the impact of unhealthy eating habits and how to utilize Crisp! Event goers were also treated with a free nutrition and food demonstration by Chef Judson Todd Allen, personal chef to Steve Harvey.
Thursday, December 4
Police cases converge to stir national debate
NEW YORK (AP) — From the White House to the streets of some of America's biggest cities, the New York chokehold case converged with the Ferguson shooting and investigations out of South Carolina and Cleveland to stir a national conversation Thursday about racial justice and police use of force.
Community Members Vying for 17th Aldermanic Ward Vacancy
Community activist, Glenda Franklin, and David Moore, assistant to Cook County Board of Review, Commissioner, Larry Rogers Jr., announced their candidacy to fill the vacancy left by Ald. Latasha Thomas (17th Ward) who will not seek re-election after serving four terms and nearly 15 years following her July 2000 appointment by former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Dorchester Art + Housing Collaborative Opens in Grand Crossing
World Renowned artist, Theaster Gates’ unique approach to neighborhood revitalization is taking off in the Hyde Park/Grand Crossing neighborhood with the grand opening last of week of the Dorchester Art + Housing Collaborative, an art-centered mixed-income community that provides affordable housing opportunities in the Grand Crossing neighborhood.
Cusic Family Commands Three Chicago Stages in ‘A Christmas Carol’ and “If Scrooge Was A Brother”
Seldom do parents get to share the spotlight with their children but one lucky family is getting to do just that as they showcase their talents simultaneously on three different stages across Chicago.
President Obama Convenes Meeting to Discuss Policing Issues in Black Communities
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama said Monday he wants to ensure the U.S. isn't building a "militarized culture" within police departments, while maintaining federal programs that provide the type of military-style equipment that were used to dispel racially charged protests in Ferguson, Missouri.
Mayor, City Council Approves $13 Minimum Wage Increase by 2019
Chicago employees currently earning the $8.25 minimum wage, received an early Christmas gift with the City Council ordinance approval on Tuesday that hikes hourly worker’s pay over the next four years to $13 per hour by 2019.
Wednesday, December 3
NYC cop in videotaped death: No intent to harm
NEW YORK (AP) — A white New York City police officer was cleared Wednesday in the chokehold death of an unarmed black man stopped on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes — a case that sparked outrage and drew comparisons to the deadly police shooting in Ferguson, Missouri.
Monday, December 1
Injured War Hero Receives Mortgage-Free Home on Chicago’s South Side
A Chicago military service man was the recipient of a mortgage-free home courtesy of Military Warriors Foundation in partnership with Bank of America as a way to help ease his transition back to civilian life. A 501(c)(3) non-profit charity, founded by Lt. Gen., Leroy Sisco, (Ret.), in 2007, the Military Warriors Foundation, provides support for the nation’s combat wounded heroes and Gold Star Families as they transition out of the military and into their new civilian life.