Local News

CPS Seeks Community Input on Draft Guidelines for School Actions

The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) released a draft last week of the school district annual guidelines for taking school actions, including co-locations or re-assigning boundary changes to expand access to a high-quality education for all students.

Group Throws Birthday Party for Boy who Lost Mother, Grandmother in Shootings

Persha Chew, who lost her sister and mother to gun violence last week, was struggling on how to tell her young nephew that his mother was never coming home. The 26-year-old Chicago South Side woman said she also wondered how to celebrate his birthday.

CPS Taps Principal to Head Controversial Bronzeville High School

A principal was selected to head a high school in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood that reopens next year after protests, including a hunger strike.

Chicago Bulls to Celebrate 50 Years of Basketball this Season

The Chicago Bulls announced last week plans to commemorate 50 years of the franchise’s existence throughout the upcoming 2015-16 season.

Chicago’s African American Aldermen call on Mayor to Fire Police Supt. Garry McCarthy

The Chicago City Council’s Black Caucus demanded the firing of Police Supt. Garry McCarthy, saying he hasn’t done enough to battle crime or promote black officers. “We have been troubled by the superintendent’s lack of responsiveness to our concerns and requests as we face this (crime) crisis,” said Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th Ward), president of the caucus.

Gary Teenager Opposes Sagging Pants Fashion, City Considers Anti-Sagging Ban

Honor roll student Da’Ione Fields wants to see his community improve. On weekends, the 18-year-old Gary high school senior sometimes voluntarily boards up abandoned buildings.

Fashion Week Show Moves Crowd with Police Brutality Focus

“Black Lives Matter” just landed on the Fashion Week runway. Designer Kerby Jean-Raymond’s collection for the Pyer Moss label launched earlier this month with gripping and now familiar videos of police violence. The choking death of Eric Garner. The teenage girl thrown to the ground outside a Texas pool party. The running down of a suspect as lights flashed. The smashing of a car window, and then cries.

AP Interview: Black Lives Matter Skipping 2016 Endorsement

The Black Lives Matter network will skip a presidential endorsement but keep up its political activism by confronting candidates about the treatment of African-Americans in the United States, one of the group's founders says.

Baseball Hall-Of-Famer Provides At Bats For Local Youth Sports Programs

Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken Jr. wants to make sure that kids on the South side of Chicago have the opportunity to engage in sports, something that can positively impact their futures.

Three West Side Men Charged in Shooting

The Chicago Police Department announced this week that three men were taken into custody in connection to a shooting that occurred in the 3000 block of W. Lexington Avenue.

CPS Holding Public Hearings for Charter School Proposals

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) will hold public hearings today, Sept. 30, to receive public comments from students, families, educators and the general public regarding new charter school proposals submitted under the 2014 new schools request for proposal. CPS is required to review new school proposals on an annual basis by state law.

Cook County Dependent Verification Program to Provide Savings, Reduce Fraud

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced this week that a eligibility verification program conducted by the county’s Department of Risk Management could result in as much as $13 million in savings through the elimination of coverage for ineligible dependents.

South Suburban African American is Top Bacteria Science Researcher

Jarrad Hampton-Marcell enjoyed dissecting worms as a youngster in south suburban Robbins, Ill. “I was one of those always curious kids,” Hampton- Marcell recalled. “I was pulling out worms and would play with them. I would dissect them to see what was going on.”

Former Chicago Prep Athlete Takes Pride in Playing in Howard Univ. Band

Marcus Prince considered himself a better than average soccer player on the junior varsity team at Jones College Prep High School in Chicago.

E-Cigarette Advocates Oppose Emanuel’s Tax Vapor Products

The American Vaping Association, a leading advocate for the benefits of vapor products such as electronic cigarettes, is calling on ex-smokers, business owners, and public health advocates in Chicago to oppose Mayor Rahm Emanuel's proposed tax on vapor products.