By: Deborah Bayliss - February 6, 2014 11:52 a.m.
Establishing its competitive footing in its quest for the Barack Obama Presidential Library, the University of Chicago (U of C), announced last week the establishment of the Barack H. Obama Foundation, created to oversee planning for the university's possible future attraction.
By: Deborah Bayliss - February 6, 2014 11:28 a.m.
The City of Chicago is promoting its free Tax Preparation Assistance Program in an effort to encourage, eligible Chicago residents, to apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). According to the Mayor’s office, 100,000 households in the City fail to claim the EITC, leaving as much as $200 million in unclaimed dollars.
For the fourth year, NIKE, Inc. is honoring Black History Month with a collection that pays tribute to a group of extraordinary athletes and their unwavering dedication to achieving success at the highest levels. Black History Month is always a reminder that athletes worldwide representing the NIKE, Inc. brand have been inspired by a legacy of Pan-African achievement.
By: Lee Edwards - February 6, 2014 11:04 a.m.
In honor of Black History Month, the Chicago Urban League and the Gary Comer Youth Center are both hosting Black history film festivals.
By: Lee Edwards - February 6, 2014 10:41 a.m.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Divvy Bikes program, it is a system provided by the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) where bikes are rented to users for 30 minute intervals and returned to one of the network of docking stations located throughout a city as part of a bike sharing system. The bikes are rented for 30 minute intervals in order to insure all riders have a bike available to them. CDOT received initial funding for Divvy through federal grants and the City’s TIF funds.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today issued a comprehensive report addressing major obstacles hindering equal opportunities for women in the federal workforce, in addition to highlighting stakeholder recommendations. The report is available on EEOC's website at http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/reports/women_workgroup_report.cfm.
Approximately 5.6 million American children alive today – or one out of every 13 children under age 18 – will die prematurely from smoking-related diseases unless current smoking rates drop, according to a new Surgeon General’s report.
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” When it comes to interviewing and advancing in your career path, it’s not just a cliché; it’s the truth. While having the right credentials, education and experience are important to employers, their first impression when meeting a candidate face-to-face is literally what they see in your demeanor and physical appearance.
By: Lee Edwards - January 31, 2014 3:24 p.m.
Cook County's Shared Car program, which has been in progress for one year, has already saved taxpayers approximately $250,000 according to county officials.
The Shared Car program is the latest of several government transportation programs supported by Zipcar throughout Illinois, including programs at the state, city and county levels. The program, which decreases employee vehicle costs and travel reimbursements, complemented Cook County's existing fleets by providing access to car sharing for employees, and optimized their existing fleet with Zipcar's FastFleet technology.
By: Deborah Bayliss - January 31, 2014 3:15 p.m.
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk announced new legislation at a press conference last week held at Alain Locke Charter School, on Chicago’s West Side, pushing for year-round schools throughout the nation as a way to close the achievement gap.
Village of Hazel Crest officials talked with local residents and business owners last Thursday during a public meeting to discuss lifting the current moratorium on issuing business permits/licenses to pawn shops and cash-for-gold enterprises. The village’s moratorium or, temporary prohibition of issuing licenses to pawn shops and cash-for-gold ventures, has been in effect for a year. It now must be reviewed by the Village of Hazel Crest’s President and Board of Trustees but the fate of the moratorium, according to village officials, will be decided mostly by concerned citizens.
By: Deborah Bayliss - January 29, 2014 4:34 p.m.
There’s no shortage of news about African American youth who take the wrong path in life. Here’s a story however, that highlights an African American youth who started down the wrong path but changed his course and is now an entrepreneur with a device that soon will be on store shelves as a product that benefits children and their families. It's called the Thermofier.
By: Deborah Bayliss - January 29, 2014 4:25 p.m.
A legislative measure originally introduced by former U. S. Cong. Jesse Jackson, Jr., is once again being presented by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mark Kirk (R-IL), along with Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL), during the first session of the 113th Congress this week to establish a national park in Chicago’s Historic Pullman neighborhood.
By: Lee Edwards - January 29, 2014 11:33 a.m.
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced last Wednesday that seven proposals for charter operating schools have been approved for the 2014-2015 School Year (SY14-15) and the 2015-2016 School Year (SY15-16). However, some community members are strongly opposed to the new schools opening in their neighborhoods.
By: Deborah Bayliss - January 29, 2014 11:07 a.m.
Following a study that shows CPS (Chicago Public Schools) high students who were at risk of dropping out but improved their math scores with the help of an intensive tutoring and mentoring program, the City of Chicago and the University of Chicago will expand the program to include 1000 students next year.
By: Deborah Bayliss - January 29, 2014 10:51 a.m.
Chicago is maintaining its status as the place for major film and television productions, with an overall increase in filming activity, according to information released from the Chicago Film Office at the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE).
“This past year has been an outstanding year for film in Chicago with major films and six full-time TV shows in production,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
By: Lee Edwards - January 29, 2014 10:40 a.m.
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn appointed Arthur Bishop as Director of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) on Friday.
“Arthur Bishop is a long-standing public servant who has dedicated his professional career to helping Illinois families,” Governor Quinn said. “I am confident that he will carry out the mission of the department by making the safety and well-being of children across the state priority number one. I thank acting Director Denise Gonzales for her commitment to protecting children and stepping up to ensure a smooth transition.”
The Internal Revenue Service is offering taxpayers a number of instructional YouTube videos to help prepare their taxes for the upcoming filing season, which begins on Jan. 31.
Take a trip to the grocery store and you’ll encounter miles of aisles stocked with thousands of food products. Every product has a story to tell or better yet, sell. Information printed on packages is helpful but it’s often confusing and even a bit misleading.
The dreary weather may have you down, but it doesn’t have to
A few weeks after the holiday season, everything seems to just stop. All the eating, shopping, celebrating and spending time with family seems to come to an abrupt end. All of a sudden we’re back to our daily routines.
