* Just 1 Asian carp found sleeping with the fishes
“If there aren’t any Asian carp, we still believe it was an essential operation,” John Rogner, assistant director of the Illinois Natural Resources Department, said before the lone 22-pound fish was found.
* Kevin Wright: Market-driven power pricing has been good for customers
* A hearing on a half-dead historic district: The state takes up Michael Reese today
For historic preservationists, the fantasy outcome has to be that the council will shame Mayor Richard M. Daley by saying “yes” to the recommendation, thereby making it clear to all the world that the mayor is engaging in an act off cultural vandalism.
But the likelihood of that really happening? Probably somewhere between slim and none.
* Police Supt. Weis: not ready to call Scott’s death a suicide
Weis said the police still need to make sure they have spoken to everyone who came into contact with Scott over the week before his body was discovered Nov. 16 near the Apparel Center at 350 N. Orleans.
* Lathrop Homes: Chicago plans to move ahead with redevelopment of public housing complex
Despite an ongoing effort by residents of Lathrop Homes and several community organizers to preserve the low-income public housing complex — including a push to designate the site as an historic landmark — the city is moving ahead with plans to begin redeveloping the complex next year.
* Chicago lab goes after digital crooks
* Grayslake N. principal accused of sexual harassment in former job
* County worker fired in scandal back in jail
* City inspector took bribes, jury told
A City of Chicago supervisor pocketed cash bribes and was treated by developers to Bulls skybox tickets — all in exchange for overlooking code violations and pushing through permits, prosecutors said Thursday.
* Former deputy fire chief indicted on child porn counts
* Cook Co. needs about 2,000 election judges
* Orland falls short on election judges
* Census bureau looking to fill temporary jobs
* Census Bureau to hire 300 to distribute forms
* Chicago, Peoria nurses paid more
* 24-hour hotline gives flu advice
* Ill. health officials warn against computer scam
* Suburban homeless population grows; shelter crunch worsens
Crowded and underfunded, suburban shelters turned away an increasing number of homeless last year and already have done it this year even though temperatures have been above normal since October, the traditional start of shelter season.
* I-PASS users face extra charge
Starting Jan. 1, motorists who use Illinois Tollway I-PASS transponders on the Indiana Toll Road will be paying a little more — 3 cents per toll — for the privilege.
* Winter’s here, yet Illinois corn harvest drags on
* Who’s to blame for water commission mess?
* Oak Lawn chips away to try to balance 2010 budget
A $1.4 million deficit in Oak Lawn’s 2010 budget has been pared to $1 million, leaving village officials to again consider more cuts instead of raising or introducing taxes.
* Cries for cash to greet voters
* Energy grants help Machesney Park economy, environment
* Time for bond issue in School District 228?
* Our Opinion: District 186 should alter how teachers evaluated, graded
* Flowers’ office closed for good?
* Dist. 144 teachers strike in 2nd day, appears headed into next week
* Prairie Hills School District On Strike
* Union officials oppose SD 140 hiring custodial firm
* Schools add background checks for visitors
* Aldermen kill one-strike-and-you’re-towed music ordinance
* Oak Park child porn suspect on electronic monitor
When residents of the 1000 block of N. Taylor Avenue heard a helicopter circling at 6:30 a.m. Thursday, they didn’t know that would mean the federal arrest of a neighbor.
Within several hours, cyber-crimes agents from the Chicago office of the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, backed by Oak Park police, served a search warrant on the house at 1000 N. Taylor, seized a computer and took Kevin G. Fuller into custody. Neighbors say the 41-year-old biology professor at Columbia College was a quiet and polite man who lived in a modest corner house, kept the back yard well maintained and tended a parkway garden. A federal judge says he’s a danger to the community. […]
The 1,500-square-foot house at 1000 N. Taylor is owned by Chicago radio personality Bruce DuMont, who is president and CEO of Chicago’s Museum of Broadcast Communications. Neighbors and public records indicate Fuller has lived at the address since 2003.
The men appear to have known each other since at least 1997. A newspaper article from that year in Fuller’s hometown paper in Rockmart, Ga., notes that Fuller met President Bill Clinton at a Museum of Broadcast Communications fundraiser at the Chicago Cultural Center, and quotes DuMont. On the museum’s Web site Friday, Fuller appeared in two photos, one at May 2009 banquet and another with the caption “MBC staff, volunteers and Junior Board.” Those images have since been removed.
There was no answer at the door of DuMont’s house Friday morning. DuMont has not returned phone messages left with his secretary or replied to e-mails.
- wordslinger - Friday, Dec 4, 09 @ 9:30 am:
The way those carp can jump, they were probably hiding in the trees when they dumped the poison.
- Pat collins - Friday, Dec 4, 09 @ 9:36 am:
Just 1 Asian carp found
Lets hope so. Those things are terrible on the environment.
- lake county democrat - Friday, Dec 4, 09 @ 9:39 am:
Lead editorial in the Sun-Times is about an anti-gerrymandering effort (after the Illinois legislature lied last Spring that they would address it in the current session). Can’t compete with the Oak Lawn budget.
- Team America - Friday, Dec 4, 09 @ 9:45 am:
I happened to be speaking with an IDNR lawyer yesterday on another topic, and the carp issue came up. He pointed out that the IDNR started poisoning at the far upstream position, which is the least likely place to find the carp (as we would hope). I would not be surprised if we see more carp show up as they work their way down. As I understand it, this is only the beginning of this process, it wasn’t a one-day show.
- Third Generation Chicago Native - Friday, Dec 4, 09 @ 10:18 am:
One Asian carp? Somehow I don’t think this is going to go over well with a lot of people.
As far as Jody Weis, he is going to be extra careful considering how sensitive the Michael Scott death is to his boss.
- HappyToaster - Friday, Dec 4, 09 @ 10:30 am:
Pat, they’re just fish.
Dithering around on any particular invasive species or access to the lakes doesn’t address the root public policy and ecological issues.
The Great Lakes fisheries collapsed in the mid 20th Century on account of overfishing and pollution. Pollution has been addressed to some extent. The fisheries were never allowed to recover.
Instead state DNR’s started stocking various non-native species and collecting the revenue from the trout and salmon stamps. (The former apex predator Lake Trout is only stocked on the Feds dime as it grows to slow.) The lower lakes are no longer commercial fisheries but are maintained for the sport and charter interests.
Instead of supporting a broad ecological pyramid on which natives species could defend their niche lake ecology is a thin, man-made reed and extremely vulnerable to invasive species, viral and bacteriological infection, algae blooms, etc.
Because it has fingers into three of the lakes and has a whole bunch of stocking streams, Michigan is at the nexus of the issue and why Granholm is trying to shift the blame on to the FIBs.
Given Michigan’s economy, bringing up it’s reliance on and support for the sport fishing industry is a non-starter. About all Quinn can do is smile and nod.
- Pat collins - Friday, Dec 4, 09 @ 10:41 am:
Michigan is at the nexus of the issue
Well, I wont disagree with u there. that is why it ought to be a Federal issue ;)
What is FIB?
- CarpCatcher - Friday, Dec 4, 09 @ 10:55 am:
1 ASIAN CARP?? a $3 Million dollar project?? WOW might be the most expensive Carp EVER
- wordslinger - Friday, Dec 4, 09 @ 10:56 am:
–What is FIB?–
This term of endearment has a lot more currency among our Cheesehead friends.
It’s an acronym to describe Illinoisans. The “I” is for “Illinois.” The “F” and the “B” don’t pass muster for Rich’s rules of engagement.
- HappyToaster - Friday, Dec 4, 09 @ 11:03 am:
What is FIB?
Pejorative acronym used in Wisconsin to describe the fine citizens of Illinois when they come to spend their tourist dollars.
I doubt it’s used in Western Michigan but the dynamic is the same. Reliance on, and disdain for tourists makes for easy demagoguery.
- Pat collins - Friday, Dec 4, 09 @ 11:27 am:
I have never heard of that before!! interesting….
- HappyToaster - Friday, Dec 4, 09 @ 12:02 pm:
The fish kill was intended to keep any carp from passing through the barrier area while repairs were undertaken. In that context the total number of dead carp is meaningless. Maybe it worked, maybe not, how will they ever verify it?
As Dale Bowman (Sun Times outdoors guy) has pointed out the fish were able to go around the barrier anytime the Des Plaines River was in flood, the barrier has a sketchy operational history, there’s DNA evidence the fish are well lakeward of the barrier and they seem to be in every CPD lagoon.
Granholm is threatening lawsuits to block CSSC access to Lake Michigan but didn’t say boo about the Seaway. Most all Great Lakes invasives have hitched a ride in that way. Those that have an economic interest in shipping beyond the Lakes probably ought not to throw stones.
- Dunning, Sponget & Leach - Friday, Dec 4, 09 @ 12:33 pm:
Friendly Illinois Brethren. At least, that’s what they say to my face.
- Loop Lady - Friday, Dec 4, 09 @ 12:35 pm:
DSL: that’s not what I’ve heard it stands
for….;)
- Okay Then... - Friday, Dec 4, 09 @ 1:28 pm:
With the $3 million of taxpayer money spent, can taxpayers at least be treated to a big fish-fry dinner?