Image via Wikipedia Going to prom, signing yearbooks and attending graduation are all part of the high school experience. But about 4,400 teens each year don’t reach these milestones because they die from suicide. The 25th Chicago Police District is working with community youth to discuss ways to prevent this silent epidemic that is the third-leading...
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Sexual harassment made national headlines during the 1990s after Monica Lewinsky and Anita Hill became household names. A recent case filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in U.S. District Court claims victims of harassment who speak out are being retaliated against, and the number of these types of cases are on the...
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Facing dire economic times and dwindling resources, more people are not only becoming homeless – they’re then at risk of facing physical assault. State Rep. Thomas Holbrook (D-Bellville) introduced a bill, HB5114, that would create stiffer penalties for offenders who target the homeless, veterans, active duty members and reservists of the Armed Forces. Instead...
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For anyone who’s paid a traffic ticket, filed a lawsuit in small claims court or checked online to find the next court hearing, the circuit clerk’s role is integral. But that could change, as all 102 circuit clerks across Illinois, including Cook County Circuit Clerk Dorothy Brown, face 10 to 20 percent salary cuts...
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Public schools across the state await an appellate decision on whether they must reinstate the controversial moment of silence at the beginning of each school day. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is grappling with the decision to uphold the district court’s opinion that held it unconstitutional. In the meantime, lawmakers are struggling...
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Bad credit? No credit? No problem. With Illinois’ unemployment rate at a staggering 11 percent, employers can afford to be more selective in whom they hire. But a new bill could give job seekers with bad credit a fighting chance in landing a position. Rep. Jack Franks (D-Woodstock) has introduced a bill, HB4658, creating...
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First-time felons in Illinois could escape prison time and get a fresh start under a new proposal, but prosecutors and victims rights organizations say it may not ease the stress of a strained court system or protect victims. State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) introduced SB 2607 on Jan. 21.It would allow offenders who either...
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Over 50 Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) workers and union representatives faced the chilling winter winds last week to protest proposed service cuts and layoffs, which protesters warn will leave disadvantaged communities out in the cold and possibly violate their civil rights. “We’re here to bring awareness to the massive cuts and layoffs,” said Keith...
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Parents and staff at Gunsaulus Scholastic Academy praised and defended Principal Amy Kotz at last week’s Chicago Board of Education meeting. School representatives brought letters of support for Kotz, who’s been under fire for making changes at the school since taking over in 2008. They say some teachers are impeding Kotz’s attempts to improve...
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Dozens of parents from Pasteur Elementary School in West Lawn voiced their outrage about school overcrowding at the Sept. 30 Chicago Board of Education meeting. Everado Mares, chairman of Pasteur’s Local School Council and parent of a sixth-grader there, brought a petition with more than 300 signatures from people pleading for a solution to...
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