Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Morning Shorts

Posted in:

Illinois

Federal authorities are investigating several Cicero police officers for allegedly trying to thwart FBI agents running surveillance on an Outfit associate and high-ranking member of the Outlaws motorcycle gang who ran a pawn shop in town, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

Cicero police allegedly ran car license plates, pulled over cars they suspected were driven by federal agents and tried to find hidden surveillance cameras around the business of Mark Polchan, according to recently unsealed court records. Polchan is awaiting trial on charges he bombed a business for the Outfit.

* SJ-R Opinion: Shatter state police’s culture of secrecy

* Prisoners returned to Pontiac Prison

* Illinois February jobless rate hits 8.6 percent

* Big Jump in Illinois Unemployment

The unemployment rate in Illinois has increased at a historic pace. That’s according to a jobless report out Tuesday.

* Ill. unemployment at 17-year high

* Illinois’ unemployment rate reaches highest level since 1983

* ‘Thousands’ line up to apply for 300 hotel jobs

* St. John’s to lay off 38 employees, reduce costs in other areas

* Hog cooperative files for bankruptcy

* Catering firm closes doors after loans called

* Stays at rescue mission’s homeless shelter increase 20 percent

* City to help Chicagoans find out if eligible for foreclosure assistance

“We want to help homeowners get into affordable, sustainable fixed-rate mortgages,” Mayor Daley said of the event co-sponsored by the city and two not-for-profit groups, the MacArthur Foundation and Neighborhood Housing Services.

Last year, Chicago was hit with 20,592 foreclosure filings, a 48 percent increase over 2007. If properties remain vacant, they can have a “devastating impact” on the surrounding neighborhood, the mayor said.

City Hall estimates that as many as 8,000 Chicagoans whose homes are in foreclosure will be eligible for the federal program.

* Hard times affect health care

* Highland makes deal for oil pipeline under Silver Lake

* Chicago Tribune, LA Times merge foreign ops

* State gets ‘A’ for teen protection measure

A teenager in Illinois who feels threatened by a significant other, a parent or anyone for that matter may turn to the courts and file an order of protection.

Over the past six years, hundreds of teens, both male and female, in Peoria, Woodford and Tazewell counties have taken advantage of the state law that allows them to obtain protection orders just like adults.

Illinois is one of only a handful of states that have responded to teen dating violence with this law, an advocacy group stated in a national survey.

* Children’s health: Will County a focal point of national study

* Chicago gun violence: Feds warn against straw purchases

* Municipal candidates rake in campaign bucks

* Money makes Aurora’s campaign go ’round

* Workers welcome layoff delays as candidates open fire on Mayor Stockton

* Chicago’s Olympics team prepares for its big pitch

* Chicago 2016 gives glimpse plan

* Time to give up fight, OK Chatham Wal-Mart

* Chicago Police Using Military Style Rifles

The Chicago Police Department continues to move forward with a plan to equip rank-and-file officers with rifles that were originally designed for military use. Chicago, like other big cities and some smaller towns, has made such weapons available to tactical officers. Now they’d go to cops on the beat. Superintendent Jody Weis says around 500 officers have gone through the training that allows them to use the semi-automatic gun on duty. One group of young people has continually opposed giving Chicago cops the increased firepower, but they’ve not had much luck changing Weis’ mind. WBEZ’s Robert Wildeboer reports on the stalemate and the powerful weapon that’s behind it.

posted by Mike Murray
Wednesday, Mar 25, 09 @ 9:07 am

Comments

CBS2’s website has an interesting article up this morning about the revolt over parking meter increases:
http://cbs2chicago.com/local/Parking.Meter.Revolt.2.967110.html

Comment by Former Traffic Prosecutor Wednesday, Mar 25, 09 @ 9:32 am
Patience, please.

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Mar 25, 09 @ 9:37 am
In a time of anxiety and upheaval, it’s comforting to know that there’s one place — Cicero — that’s committed to maintaining it’s traditional values.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Mar 25, 09 @ 9:52 am
The mob is operating in Cicero? Man where have I been; how did I miss this? When did this start happening?

There goes the neighborhood I guess. I don’t understand how they could let this crop up all of a sudden. Why wasn’t someone paying closer attention?

Comment by Quinn T. Sential Wednesday, Mar 25, 09 @ 9:53 am
Quinn, are you being sarcastic?

Comment by Lynn S Wednesday, Mar 25, 09 @ 10:25 am
Re: the ‘BEZ piece on CPD acquiring M4 carbines…

1) The could have easily attained the increased accuracy objective without the increased range by issuing M4s chambered in 9mm. IMO it makes a much better urban precision weapon - look at Europe, they seem to pass out 9mm subguns like popcorn.

2) “Stationery” targets (in the transcript)? LOL! Actually accurate in this case, but I don’t think that’s what the reporter meant to say.

Comment by Ken in Aurora Wednesday, Mar 25, 09 @ 11:13 am
Hard to believe that Daley, who has a well-deserved repututation of being ant-gun, is willing to equip his army (sorry, mispoke-poiice) with a rifle cartridge designed for long-range, wide-open spaces purposes. Don’t have a problem with the rifle style weapon, but there are cartridges designed for short-range, maximum knockdown (as opposed to penetration) purposes. Don’t think the M4 is available in .45 ACP or .44 magnum, but they would be much better calibers.

Comment by Downstate Commissioner Wednesday, Mar 25, 09 @ 7:19 pm
The war on drugs is turning us into a police state. We’ve got more criminals per capita than every other country in the world, which suggests the problem is with our laws, not our people.

Didn’t we learn the lesson of prohibition that resulted in more violence and corruption (still present in IL) instead of focusing on just the problem of addiction?

Nicotine is the most addictive drug, and more abuse legal prescription drugs than most other illegal drugs.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Mar 25, 09 @ 8:00 pm
I think you’ll find, Anon, that most folks here agree with you. Now, if we can just convince the rest of the public and the legislature…

Comment by Lynn S Thursday, Mar 26, 09 @ 10:16 am