Morning Shorts
Monday, Sep 15, 2008 - Posted by Kevin Fanning
* Illinois AG looks into gas price gouging reports
Pumping gasoline into his leased taxicab in Chicago’s Loop, Joe Owusu, 63, said he paid 70 cents more for a gallon of gas in the afternoon than he did in the morning. Owusu said he filled his cab before beginning his shift Saturday near his home in suburban Romeoville. Normally, the price difference is about 40 or 50 cents because Chicago has a higher gasoline tax.
* Pamphlet to go out on constitutional convention
The Illinois secretary of state’s office has begun distributing a pamphlet concerning a proposal on the November ballot calling for a state constitutional convention.
* CPS test scores up again for 7th year
* Most Chicago Public Schools students meet or exceed state standards for 7th consecutive year
The district’s composite score—which includes reading, math, and science—increased 1.3 percentage points from the year before, with 65.4 percent of all students meeting or exceeding state requirements. It’s the seventh consecutive year composite scores have increased.
* Coming to aid of college students
The funding will come in the form of Stafford loans. They typically range from $3,500 to $20,500, at a 6.8 percent interest rate. The program will be run by the Illinois State Student Assistance Commission (ISAC). Baxter Credit Union of Vernon Hills, Corporate America Family Credit Union of Elgin and Motorola Credit Union of Schaumburg are among the credit unions that have agreed to participate.
* Teachers in Huntley to Strike Monday
* 46 million drink drugged water
Testing prompted by an Associated Press story that revealed trace amounts of pharmaceuticals in drinking water supplies has shown that more Americans are affected by the problem than previously thought — at least 46 million.
That’s up from 41 million people cited in a story last March that led officials in Chicago and other cities to analyze their drinking water.
* 2nd lawsuit filed over children’s museum plan
Neighbors want a Cook County judge to review “every stage of the decision- making process.”
* Alvarez doesn’t fit the mold - and that’s good
Is Peraica independent? Yes. Is he a reformer? Yes. There’s no question his voice on the Cook County Board, joined by other like-minded commissioners, has infused more accountability into county government.
But Alvarez, a Pilsen native who never ran for office before, doesn’t fit the mold into which he tries to ply her.
* Ald. Allen wants to talk to CTA leaders
“There needs to be more input from elected officials regarding CTA initiatives,” Allen said. “They need to tell us about it before we read about it in the paper.
“Are we adding cars, taking seats out, raising fares, laying off people? What’s our plan? Is the Circle Line alive? Are we building the Block 37 superstation? Are we doing double-deckers? Are we gonna start flying cars over people?”
* Get your signatures, get on the ballot
A change in state law earlier this year raised the minimum number of candidates needed to require a primary election, which has been a staple of Aurora politics for years. It now takes five names on the ballot to make a primary necessary. That has prompted some questions about when or how often someone needs to circulate petitions.
* Dropping weak case builds trust in Criminal Courts . . .
* … So will info on cop discipline
* Former Illinois Appellate Court judge
“Integrity was something absolutely critical to him,” said his daughter, Leah Bailey. “He was very concerned about doing everything the right way, and he was somebody who really loved if he could possibly help people along the way.”
* Sox sweep doubleheader
- Soy Milk - Formerly Known As Napoleon has left the building - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:12 am:
I think its funny how ISAC pats itself on the back for offering loans, when they were so proud of getting out of the loan business about 24 months ago. Yeah team Blago! (one-handed clap)
yes, this is a good thing of course - but the irony isn’t lost on everyone
- Anon - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:13 am:
The entire Chicago metropolitan region is suffering tremendously as a result of the record rainfall. Flooding is unprecedented and people are losing property and being displaced from their homes.
Counties, cities, and townships have been working tirelessly to protect their local communities and citizens. Everyone at the local level is working so hard. That begs just one question -
WHERE’S ROD?
- wordslinger - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:18 am:
Great day in Chicago baseball. Cheers to the Sox for knuckling down and winning two big games in horrible conditions.
And here’s to El Toro, Big Z, joining the immortals Milt Pappas, Kenny Holtzman and Burt Hooton. A trivia question for all time: Where did Zambrano no-hit Houston? In Milwaukee, among 23,000 screaming Cubs fans. The Brewers were getting pounded in Philly.
Add insult to injury for the Brewers and I think you’ve got a division title.
- Z - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:24 am:
Kevin, a Sox article but no mention of big Zs no hitter…where’s the fair and balanced?? Please don’t turn into Keith Olberman and show Rich’s bias toooo much. Go Cubs!!
- Rich Miller - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:29 am:
Z, I deliberately added the Sox article to Kevin’s compilation in order to prompt just such a reaction.
lol
- Ghost - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:31 am:
I see the AG is doing another gas price probe. I wonder if this one will result in no action like the last one.
- Kevin Fanning - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:37 am:
It will be a cold day in hell when I’m able to sneak a pro-cubs article into the morning shorts.
- Snidely Whiplash - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:45 am:
As Harry used to say: “The Cubbies are coming tra-lah, tra-lah!”
- Wumpus - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:49 am:
Rich, I expect more from you. I expect integrity, not yellow, shock journalism!
The Sox swept, Twins lost,
Cubs won (with a no hitter) and The Brewers are proving themselves to be bigger September chokers than the Cubs.
Good jobs to both teams and the bears…too sad.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:56 am:
I am not aware of any Cub wins.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:57 am:
Wumpus,
Everything on the Cap fax Blog is yellow journalism. Yellow is, after all, the background color.
- Bill - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:59 am:
Did the Cubs play yesterday? I thought they were rained out.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 9:59 am:
And we get Schock journalism when the subject of the 18th CD comes up.
- Vote Quimby! - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 10:06 am:
Bill, the Cubs did play…albeit in a place determined to be in the best financial interest of commissioner Alan “Spud” Selig’s inner circle. Oh, BTW, the magical year continues….
- Kevin Fanning - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 10:13 am:
- I’m not aware of any Cub wins-
And Sarah Palin isn’t aware of any dinosaurs.
- wordslinger - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 10:21 am:
Drayton McClane bet against Ike and lost. He could have played the series in Tampa starting Friday. He gambled, and Bud Lite stuck him with Wrigley North and a sweet payday for his daughter.
Meanwhile, the Sox start their last series in Yankee Stadium tonight. Lot of great Sox teams just missed pennants due to the Evil Empire. Next year, it’ll just be Fenway and a Zell property in Lakeview for parks where the Great Bambino played.
Forgive my rambling, but over the weekend I was reminded the Sox were in New York to play the Yankees 9/11/2001. I was at Comiskey the next week when the Yankees came to town — the Sox fans gave the Yankees a thunderous standing ovation when they were introduced. LIve long enough and you’ll see everything.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 10:31 am:
Seriously, I don’t cover minor league teams except when they want the state to buy their ballparks.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 10:41 am:
So, how about them Miners?
They finished in 2nd place in the west division of the Frontier League. Their stadium, financed in part with state $, is ironically called “Rent One Stadium”.
http://www.southernillinoisminers.com/p_about_rent_one_park.php
- Kevin Fanning - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 10:46 am:
Lol
- The Doc - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 10:46 am:
***Seriously, I don’t cover minor league teams except when they want the state to buy their ballparks. ***
Cue the violins. Where’s your spirit of bipartisanship? Would a group hug help alleviate your feelings of envy and bitterness?
- Snidely Whiplash - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 10:46 am:
Any team that’s in a league in which the pitcher doesn’t bat is in the minor leagues. It’s like the difference between the NFL and the Arena Football League, which plays on a 50 yard field and allows bounces off of walls to count.
- Kevin Fanning - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 10:54 am:
Are the twins in 1st place still…?
- Wumpus - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 10:58 am:
Its looking like a great October for Chicago and all everyone can do is bicker. More home games, more money for Chicago and Chicagoans. It is not an either or situation, so root, root, root for the home teams! That is, up until the World Series.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 11:02 am:
===envy and bitterness===
Envy? The Sox have the most recent world championionship of any team in Chicago, including minor league practice squads.
Bitterness? My team is in first place, with a great manager and a loyal and interested fan base.
You must be projecting.
- The Doc - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 11:54 am:
***Envy? The Sox have the most recent world championionship of any team in Chicago, including minor league practice squads.
Bitterness? My team is in first place, with a great manager and a loyal and interested fan base.
You must be projecting.***
Intentional failure to even acknowledge the Cubs’ success proves my point. Minor league practice squad? That’s cold!
- Rich Miller - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 12:01 pm:
===That’s cold! ===
You Cub fans are so easily offended, which is, of course, why I tweak you so much.
- Ghost - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 12:04 pm:
KFan, the most comments you have generated in a morning shorts so far appear to be about the stories you didn’t run.
- Kevin Fanning - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 12:13 pm:
Ghost,
Always good to see your uplifting posts on a dreary Monday.
- Z - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 2:00 pm:
Rich, Your article choices (or lack thereof) sound similar to book burning or other efforts to limit proper reporting and dissemination of facts. You could have just had more fun at our expense that this was the 1st Cubs no-hitter in Kevin’s lifetime. Can’t you let the kid enjoy this ride…just think of the extra fun you can have if they crash and burn (as you I’m sure assume). I know you do have a heart inside that gruff exterior…Go Cubs!
- Rich Miller - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 2:02 pm:
===sound similar to book burning===
What a bunch of whiners.
- wordslinger - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 3:34 pm:
Bad couple of days for Astros. Lose a three-day sellout gate because of Ike, go to “neutral” Milwaukee, no-hit by Zambrano, and Lilly had a one-hitter through seven.
That team had climbed back into the wild card and was red hot. Ouch.
- Rich Miller - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 3:37 pm:
Tribune.com sent out an email blast touting “another possible no-hitter” after the 6th inning.
lol
What were they thinking?
- wordslinger - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 3:53 pm:
Rich, the Trib is still trying to get a handle on this new media thing.
Forgive my age and memory for omissions, but that reminds me of 20 plus years ago (1985?) in Springfield, where there was a well-respected local tv anchor who had a somewhat less-respected son working as a sports reporter.
The Cardinals were in a pennant race against the Mets. John Tudor lost to Dwight Gooden at old Busch 1 to 0. In the live postgame locker room, the son interrupted Tudor’s gang bang to ask him “what happened, John, didn’t have the good stuff today?”
Tudor paused, tried to answer, than started ripping the son, dropping curses about “what kind of question is that, I only gave up one run.” The kid cut away, back to his old man, who had turned a whiter shade of pale.
Anyone else remember that?
- Six Degrees of Separation - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 5:18 pm:
Tribune.com sent out an email blast touting “another possible no-hitter” after the 6th inning.
Murphy’s Law of the Unmentionable. As soon as you mention the “unmentionable”, if it’s bad it happens, if it’s good, it goes away.
What were they thinking?
Apparently they were not thinking of Murphy’s Law of the Unmentionable.
Rich - in case you didn’t know by now, the Unmentionable pitcher of the Unmentionable team lost the no-no right after the e-mail was sent. The Unmentionable team still won 6-1, however.
- Amy - Monday, Sep 15, 08 @ 6:30 pm:
unmentionable pitcher, today? isn’t some guy whose name starts with Z still unmentionable? wasn’t there some fight at the Cell in the last few years with the Sox and his involvement? i was unaware that any game other than the one on ESPN was in progress on sunday evening.