By Hannah Meisel Catholic dioceses in Illinois failed to disclose hundreds of abusive clerics before the State opened what would become a years-long investigation into sex abuse within the Church, Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Tuesday. Included in a scathing 700-page report published by Raoul’s office at the end of
By Hannah Meisel A federal jury Tuesday, May 2, convicted three ex-lobbyists and the former CEO of electric utility Commonwealth Edison for their involvement in an alleged bribery scheme aimed at longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Prosecutors alleged the foursome gave Madigan allies jobs and contracts at the utility
By Hannah Meisel Facing a perceived betrayal during a make-or-break election season in 2018, former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan called the person he often sought counsel from: longtime friend and confidant Mike McClain. Several Democratic Party candidates running for the state Senate were using lines in their campaign ads
Hello, I’m Chief Keith Cross of the Aurora Police Department. This week, we are releasing portions of the 911 call and body-worn camera footage from the officer-involved shooting that occurred Sunday, Feb. 5. In compliance with the Illinois Law Enforcement Worn-Body Camera Act, the faces and identifying characteristics of the
When a black man, a son, father, brother, nephew, and a friend loses his life at the hands of five black now ex-cops, mere miles from where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. laid down his life, it’s hard to talk about racial progress and to celebrate Black History Month. April
By Keith M. Cross, Chief of Police, Aurora Police Department Saturday, Jan. 7, similar to many other people all over the world, I watched the horrific events that unfolded during a police/civilian interaction in Memphis, Tenn.. When I watched Tyre Nichols being beaten by several police officers after being pulled
By John & Nisha Whitehead It takes a special kind of evil to both promote prostitution and traffick a child for sex, and yet this evil walks among us every minute every day. Consider: Every two minutes, a child is bought and sold for sex. Hundreds of young girls and
By Jerry Nowicki A Kankakee County judge ruled Wednesday, Dec. 28, that lawmakers overreached their constitutional authority in passing a measure to abolish cash bail in Illinois, while other provisions in the wide-ranging SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform were not affected by the ruling. The ruling by Judge Thomas W.
Reprinted from November 28, 2019Second of three parts Nearly two-thirds of imprisoned mothers have never received a visit from their children. Jill McCorkel, professor of sociology and criminology, Villanova University in Philadelphia, submitted the following article to The Conversation. “Visits are the exception rather than the norm in American prisons.
Reprinted from November 28, 2019 First of three parts With the holidays here, most families look forward to sharing special times with their families. But mothers in prison aren’t likely to see their families this Thanksgiving, or any other day. Nearly two-thirds of imprisoned mothers have never received a visit
By Jerry Nowicki Much of the talk from supporters of the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform has in recent days centered on how it will or will not be amended before January 1, 2023 when cash bail will be abolished in Illinois as part of a provision known as the
By Jason Crane The Aurora City Council members listened to success stories and a request of funds for Aurora Crime Stoppers, at the Tuesday, Oct. 11 City Council meeting. Board president of Aurora Area Crime Stoppers, Vernon LaVia, and Board member, Mike Funkey, reminded the City Council the 501(c)(3) non-profit
Kane and DuPage County locations will be hosts to town halls on the SAFE-T Act and ending cash bail. The public is invited. Admission and parking are free. Parkview Community Church, 764 St. Charles Road in Glen Ellyn, will be host to the DuPage town hall from 10 a.m. to
By Peter Hancock State senator Emil Jones III has been charged in federal court with three criminal counts tied to his dealings with a redlight camera company. Jones, a Chicago Democrat, is the son of former Senate president Emil Jones Jr.. The younger Jones has served in the Senate since
July 30, 2022Dear editor; Don’t know how to contact the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) management, but I have to tell you that they should check for thieves! I flew from Rockford to Mesa/Tempe, Ariz. and back to Illinois in February this year, and had no problems, either way. In April,
Cantigny Park and the League of Women Voters invite the public to their next Civic Awareness Series program at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8 at Park Visitors Center. The program, offered in-person and online, will address violence in our communities and how to restore safety. Panelists include Phil Andrew, principal
By Peter Hancock The Illinois State Police (ISP) announced Monday it will start using a broader definition of what constitutes a “clear and present danger” when reviewing a person’s Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card. That’s a factor ISP considers when deciding whether to grant someone a FOID card or to
July 6, 2022Dear editor; Ho hum, another mass shooting, only this time a little closer to home. The weapon used? Yup, you guessed it… an assault-style rifle, capable of belching out 30 rounds of human-obliterating ammo per clip. The shooter in Highland Park, Ill.? A young, white, male who legally
In preparation for the Fourth of July weekend and the following weeks, the City of Aurora government has launched a citywide campaign for fireworks scofflaws. By City Code, fireworks are illegal in the State’s second-largest city, and the selling, possession, storage, and usage of fireworks now come with hefty fines.
By Peter Hancock A federal judge in Chicago handed down a one-year prison sentence Tuesday for a former State senator who once was chairperson of the Senate Labor Committee. Tom Cullerton, a Villa Park Democrat, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of embezzlement for receiving salary and benefits
