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* Sun-Times cites rate hike, industry trends in circulation drop

The Chicago Sun-Times reported a drop in overall weekday circulation in the past six months — as the single-copy price jumped from 50 to 75 cents — but an increase in home-delivery subscriptions.

The company said the decline was in line with expectations because of the price increase, which took effect March 30, and industry trends.

The Chicago Sun-Times’ Monday through Friday average circulation over the six-month reporting period fell to 275,641, a decline of 12 percent compared with the same period a year ago, according to the FAS-FAX report being released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations today. The newspaper’s Sunday circulation slipped 1.8 percent to 251,260, while Saturday’s average declined 7.9 percent to 210,027.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported a 5.5 percent increase in its weekday home-delivery circulation.

* Hole is plugged, now city must cut costs

* Red-light cameras yield

Chicago’s worst budget crisis in modern history has put the brakes on plans to expand the city’s Big Brother network of red-light cameras to more than 330 accident-prone intersections by 2012.

Mayor Daley’s tough-times 2010 budget includes no money for additional red-light cameras after installing them at 50 intersections this year, bringing the citywide total to 189.[…]

The 50 cameras added this year cost $2.8 million to install and $50,000 each a year to maintain and support on the Internet.[…]

In 2008, Chicago’s network of red-light cameras pumped out 579,560 tickets at $100 a pop and generated $44.8 million in sorely needed revenue. Through the first eight months of this year, there were 501,666 tickets issued and $37.7 million million collected.

* Chicago parking tickets are up 26 percent this year

Violation fines for leased parking-meter spots take in $7 million more than last year

* $1.55M for traffic aide who said cops retaliated for ticket

A city employee was awarded more than $1 million by a jury Friday after she claimed she was wrongfully arrested when she refused to rescind a parking ticket issued to a police officer’s car.

* Durbin calls for bailed-out banks to help on foreclosures

Marquette Park is no different from neighborhoods nationwide, he said. Durbin spoke in a downtown hotel conference room before about 500 protesters who traveled to Chicago to target the American Bankers Association’s annual meeting.

Durbin and protesters accuse the ABA of lobbying against banking reform despite the organization’s members receiving billions in federal bailout dollars.

Protesters also plan to demonstrate Monday and Tuesday. The ABA meeting began Sunday at the nearby Sheraton Hotel and ends Wednesday.

* Hotels, union hit snag over health insurance

The union representing 6,000 hotel workers in downtown Chicago and 15,000 hospitality workers in the Chicago area said Friday that contract negotiations are “very, very far from settlement.”[…]

This year, as with the last contract negotiations in 2006, the union is negotiating with the large hotel chains separately rather than as a group through the Hotel Employers Labor Relations Association. John Schafer, vice president and managing director for Hyatt Regency Chicago, said Hyatt has been diligent in meeting with the union but that negotiations were taking longer because of the arrangement.[…]

Contracts proposed by the Starwood and Hyatt chains, Strassel said, would render up to 50 percent of workers ineligible for health insurance. Costs for coverage for the remaining group would increase significantly. “Our folks are housekeepers and dishwashers.”

* Roofers, landscapers in a turf war over Chicago’s green roofs

* Post-Olympic Plans Floated in Washington Park

* Post-Olympic event: Damage control

* Community group calls for Fenger boycott

* Thousands vaccinated for swine flu in Chicago

More than 7,000 Chicagoans have been vaccinated for swine flu on the first day of a free citywide vaccination drive.

* Hundreds turned away at clinics giving H1N1 shots

* H1N1-Swine Flu Vacccinations Are Safe, Says Chicago Health Department

* State gears up for more H1N1 testing

* Two Illinois swine flu deaths reported

Illinois saw two deaths due to swine flu and 66 new hospitalizations because of the virus in the last week. The Illinois Department of Public Health released the updated statistics on Friday. The updated information means that 22 people in Illinois have died of swine flu and there have been 542 hospitalizations due to the disease.

* Neighbors fight group’s plan for Naperville area Islamic center

* At Evanston park, a turf war between mentally ill patients and parents who live nearby

City trying to make space attractive to young families wary of smokers from nearby treatment center

* 3 Illinois newspapers file lawsuit seeking records

Three Illinois newspapers say they have filed a lawsuit against Logan County officials seeking search warrants and other documents, some pertaining to the deaths of five family members in the town of Beason.

* Herman says his resignation will help U of I

* Illinois teacher of the year is from Chicago

* Teacher of year transformed by job

* 85 Illinois soldiers honored

posted by Mike Murray
Monday, Oct 26, 09 @ 9:24 am

Comments

Perhaps the folks in Naperville and Evanston could come up with a joint solution for their respective Islamic Center and park-smoking-mental-patients concerns.

I’m not sure what it would be, but my guess is it would be located somewhere near Stickney.

Comment by wordslinger Monday, Oct 26, 09 @ 10:21 am
This probably isn’t the best time or place to ask, but does anyone know if the the governor is having Trick or Treat for the kids at the mansion this year? Thanks.

Comment by Cheswick Monday, Oct 26, 09 @ 11:12 pm