chicagotribune--2020-08-05--Monee man charged in 76-year-old’s slaying inside Matteson home

The Cook County sheriff ’ s office , which investigated the slaying , confirmed that deputies were called to the @ @ @ @ @ Monday and found his body , but haven ’ t released any information about the @ @ @ @ @

A Monee man has been charged in the fatal attack of a 76-year-old Matteson resident on Monday.
Jeffery Meegan, 30, faces two counts of first-degree murder in the death of Floyd Farkas, whom police found lying face down inside his Wildrock Terrace home just before 4 a.m. Monday, Cook County state’s attorney spokeswoman Tandra Simonton said.
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Farkas was pronounced dead at an area hospital less than an hour after he was found, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Jeffery Meegan (Cook County sheriff's office)
His death was ruled a homicide caused by multiple injuries suffered in an assault.
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The Cook County sheriff’s office, which investigated the slaying, confirmed that deputies were called to the victim’s home early Monday and found his body, but haven’t released any information about the circumstances of his death.
A judge on Wednesday set Meegan’s bond at $1 million. He is due back in court Aug. 26.
zkoeske@tribpub.com
Twitter @ZakKoeske


chicagotribune--2020-08-05--Six progressive Chicago aldermen call for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to step down

“ Speaker Madigan ’ s entanglements in multiple scandals cast a pall of corruption at a time when we must @ @ @ @ @ families , seniors and students , ” the statement reads .
“ He should do @ @ @ @ @ state and step down from his roles as Speaker of the House and Chairman of @ @ @ @ @ .
”

In this file photo, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan talks to press on Nov. 12, 2019, at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Six progressive first-term aldermen on Wednesday added their voices to those calling for Michael Madigan to step down as the Illinois House speaker and head of the state’s Democratic Party because of allegations ComEd tried to influence him by bribing people in his orbit.
Aldermen Matt Martin, 47th; Andre Vasquez, 40th; Maria Hadden, 49th; Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th; Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez, 33rd; and Daniel La Spata, 1st, released a statement saying they “feel strongly that our current circumstances require a change in leadership.”
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“Speaker Madigan’s entanglements in multiple scandals cast a pall of corruption at a time when we must be focused on protecting working families, seniors and students,” the statement reads. “He should do what is best for the state and step down from his roles as Speaker of the House and Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.”
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Four of the six — Vasquez, Sigcho-Lopez, Rodriguez Sanchez and LaSpata — are members of the Democratic Socialists of America, and all six have positioned themselves to the left of the Democratic Party establishment that Madigan represents.
So it’s not clear that their opposition to his leadership will add to the pressure on the speaker from within his party.
Madigan last week said he has “no plans to resign” after polling his members.
Madigan denied any improper behavior, saying: “I have never made a legislative decision with improper motives and any claim otherwise is unfounded.” He has not been charged with wrongdoing.
Madigan has faced growing calls to step down from his legislative post and his chairmanship of the party since ComEd agreed it would pay a $200 million fine and cooperate with prosecutors who accused the utility of a “yearslong” scheme to provide jobs, contracts and payments to Madigan allies to win favor with him.
Asked about the aldermen’s statement Wednesday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said there’s a need to “have a serious conversation as Democrats at every level about what we stand for, and I think people are having that conversation.”
Lightfoot last month said if the allegations involving Madigan are true, he should step down.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-08-05--What we know now about remote learning in Chicago Public Schools this fall

With only weeks before the start of the school year , Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice @ @ @ @ @ schools across CPS will begin the year with remote learning .
The decision , which @ @ @ @ @ public health guidelines and feedback from parents , poises the district to aim toward a @ @ @ @ @ quarter .

Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson, right, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot announce the school year will begin with remote learning. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
With only weeks before the start of the school year, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson announced Wednesday that all schools across CPS will begin the year with remote learning. The decision, which they said was based on public health guidelines and feedback from parents, poises the district to aim toward a hybrid model in the second quarter.
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CPS said it’s also setting out “enhanced standards” for remote learning. Here is what we know so far:
Live instruction will happen every school day
According to a CPS news release, every K-12 student and teacher will engage in live instruction throughout the school day. Pre-K students will also receive live instruction, though there will be a greater focus on small group learning and parent interaction.
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All schools will transition to Google education suites
Schools will use Google for Education tools for live video instruction. The system will also track and support engagement across the district. Teachers and students are expected to log on to Google on a daily basis for a “home-room check-in,” according to CPS.
How will attendance and grades be determined?
The district will be transitioning back to a letter grade system for assignments. In a shift from the end of the school year this past spring, schools also will track classroom attendance and enforce “intervention systems to support students who do not participate in remote learning to help address underlying concerns and ensure students are being supported,” CPS said.
“The district has learned critical lessons from this spring and we are prepared to implement an improved remote learning model in the fall that best meets the academic and social-emotional needs of students,” said CPS Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade.
What if students don’t have access to the internet?
CPS announced it will extend hot spot coverage for students in temporary living situations and expand free, high-speed internet access to approximately 128,000 CPS students.
The district will distribute 36,000 more computing devices to students after distributing about 128,000 devices last spring.
Additional plans to support special needs and English language learners are being finalized, according to CPS.
jvillagomez@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @JessicaVillag


chicagotribune--2020-08-05--Illinois coronavirus graphs: 7,573 deaths, 186,471 confirmed cases and 2.9 million tests

• How are Illinois regions doing ?
Check our daily charts on where each region stands on positivity rate and @ @ @ @ @ .

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine tracked coronavirus cases, deaths and test totals from Jan. 22, 2020 through March 10, 2023, but is no longer providing this data. These charts will no longer be updated.
Check the Illinois Department of Public Health for the most up-to-date data for Illinois.
[ Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus ]
Can’t see these charts? Go here.


chicagotribune--2020-08-05--Grant Park killing, other violence spurs activists to call for increased housing funds for those exp

Grant Park killing, other violence spurs activists to call for increased housing funds for those experiencing homelessness

The Coalition for the Homeless estimates nearly 80,000 people are experiencing homelessness in Chicago , including people who have lost @ @ @ @ @ with someone else , and it expects the number to increase during COVID-19 .
The @ @ @ @ @ less-expansive definition of who is homeless , says the 2019 count of people who are @ @ @ @ @ streets or in shelters , showed about 5,200 people who are homeless .

Household items are strewn about at a homeless encampment in the 1100 block of South Desplaines Street on April 23, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Jill Keiser could never remember the punchlines to Aaron Curry’s jokes.
Curry, 58, would stop into Keiser’s social services site run by nonprofit Chicago Lights, sometimes laughing so hard he nearly fell out of his chair.
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A month ago, Curry was killed while sleeping on a mattress in Grant Park. Two weeks later, another man was sleeping on a bench in Grant Park when he was stabbed multiple times. That man, 53, survived the attack.
Keiser is among activists who Wednesday called on Chicago officials to provide an additional $100 million in funds a year to find permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. The proposal, led by Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, would be supported by an increase in the city’s real estate transfer tax. The current Chicago tax rate requires buyers and sellers to collectively pay $5.25 in taxes for every $500 of the transfer price, according to the city’s website.
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The Coalition for the Homeless estimates nearly 80,000 people are experiencing homelessness in Chicago, including people who have lost their homes and are living with someone else, and it expects the number to increase during COVID-19. The city, which uses a less-expansive definition of who is homeless, says the 2019 count of people who are homeless, living on the streets or in shelters, showed about 5,200 people who are homeless.
“Housing is equivalent to safety,” coalition member RauQuaia Hale-Wallace said Wednesday. “People are safer when they have a roof over their head.”
Activists pointed to fires set at local homeless encampments, including one at Belmont and Kedzie avenues in July. Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, represents the area where the fire happened. He said Wednesday that people experiencing homelessness should be treated with dignity and respect.
“People living on the streets will always be more vulnerable to hateful acts like this,” coalition member Juanita Rodgers said Wednesday. “We need to continue to push our city officials so they cannot ignore this.”
Mary Tarullo said the coalition is having conversations with local officials, and the group hopes Mayor Lori Lightfoot will consider supporting the effort. Tarullo said the group is open to ideas aside from generating revenue from the real estate transfer tax.
The Rev. Bruce Ray, of the Logan Square Ecumenical Alliance, said Wednesday that he hopes for a day when all Chicago residents will have stable housing.
“Sadly, that day has been too slow in coming,” Ray said.
Tom Gordon, a coalition member, lives at Uptown Tent City, a community under overpasses at Wilson and Lawrence avenues in Chicago.
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“It is not a crime to live. It is not a crime to be homeless. But I feel like that is how people look at us,” Gordon said.
As part of their event, activists held a vigil Wednesday to honor Curry, holding candles on video platform Zoom while Hale-Wallace sang in his honor.
Chicago police believe the two attacks in Grant Park are related. Surveillance photos of the suspect were released to the public, and Chicago police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli said Wednesday no arrests have been made. Anyone with information can call 312-744-8261 or submit anonymous tips at CPDTIP.com.
sczyzon@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-05--Illinois Holocaust Museum to hold annual fundraiser online this fall because of COVID-19

“ While we are sad that we can not gather in person this year , we are excited to take @ @ @ @ @ it is the best way to continue raising funds to support the museum ’ s @ @ @ @ @ committee ’ s president , Juliet Gray , said in the release .

Students tour an exhibit at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie in 2019. (Camille Fine / Chicago Tribune)
The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie announced Wednesday it plans to host its annual soiree virtually this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The event is free and scheduled for Sept. 2, according to a news release. The museum’s Women’s Leadership Committee plans to stream it live from a studio and feature a musical performance by Katie Kadan, a Chicago native who was a 2019 finalist on NBC’s “The Voice,” among others.
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“While we are sad that we cannot gather in person this year, we are excited to take the event virtual and feel it is the best way to continue raising funds to support the museum’s important work,” the committee’s president, Juliet Gray, said in the release.
The benefit is the museum’s signature event and aims to raise funds “to combat hatred, prejudice, and indifference,” and to inspire others to “speak out for what’s right — turning powerful lessons of history into positive actions today,” according to the release. The museum recommends donations of $200 at the event.
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“With racism and anti-Semitism on the rise, connecting the lessons of the Holocaust to present day is more urgent than ever,” said museum CEO Susan Abrams. “While the museum is focused on education and awareness, social events such as the soiree are another way to work toward our mission.”
The museum previously opened to visitors July 15 after being closed since March because of COVID-19. Attendance was limited to 25% capacity and guests were required to wear face masks.
The museum plans to include raffles at the event for items including a Peloton indoor bike, a bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle whiskey, a $1,000 gift card to Chicago Cut and an iPad Air, the news release said.
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-08-05--Murder charges filed in death of 10-year-old girl hit by gang gunfire while playing inside Logan Squ

Murder charges filed in death of 10-year-old girl hit by gang gunfire while playing inside Logan Square home

Lara had dropped off the gunman , according to Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan , and then picked up the @ @ @ @ @ Lara has not cooperated with police and detectives are still looking to identify the shooter @ @ @ @

A reputed gang member came to rival territory and opened fire on a group of adults gathered outside, wounding none of them but killing a 10-year-old girl watching TV in her living room, prosecutors said Thursday.
A bullet fired by Christopher Lara came through a window and hit Lena Marie Nunez in the head, according to prosecutors.
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Lara, a 19-year-old alleged member of the Maniac Latin Disciples, was charged with murder and ordered held without bail Thursday.
Police initially said Lara was considered the getaway driver in the shooting, but prosecutors on Thursday said he was in fact the gunman. “(He) sprayed bullets at a number of individuals and had no concern for any safety of anybody out there,” Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said in court.
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While no eyewitnesses identified Lara, one witness’s description matched Lara’s clothing and appearance on the night of the shooting And Lara’s 2010 Mercury Mariner was captured on multiple cameras driving to and from the scene, prosecutors said.
Christopher Lara. (Chicago Police Department)
Lena was watching TV with her 8-year-old cousin in an apartment in the 3500 block of West Dickens Avenue on June 27. Outside, a group of family and friends were hanging out in front of the detached garage when Lara fired from the mouth of the alley, Murphy said.
Lara fired multiple shots, and someone in the group with a concealed carry license returned fire in his direction and tried unsuccessfully to chase him down, Murphy said. Someone inside the building heard gunshots and a “thump” as Lena fell to the floor, he said.
A bullet had shattered the window, struck Lena in the head, then grazed her 8-year-old cousin in the nose, prosecutors said. The younger girl’s injury was initially believed to have been from broken glass.
Lena was taken to Stroger Hospital and pronounced dead.
Witnesses told police that about 10 minutes before the shooting, they saw a distinctive tan-colored SUV with tinted rear windows drive past them slowly, as if scoping them out, Murphy said.
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A search for the SUV turned up surveillance footage showing it in the vicinity of the shooting moments before, Murphy said. Police soon found that it was registered to Lara, who was listed as its driver during past traffic stops, records show.
Investigators went on a lengthy hunt for more video that turned up footage from private security cameras, police surveillance and even body-worn camera from an officer who responded to a “gang disturbance” featuring Lara earlier in the evening, Murphy said.
Lara and two “associates” can be clearly seen in bodycam footage from the disturbance at Wabansia and Keystone avenues -- Maniac Latin Disciple territory southwest of the shooting -- a few hours before the attack, Murphy said.
Lara was wearing a black baseball cap and a tan-colored tank top, with a black cloth mask under his chin, Murphy said.
Before the shooting, Lara and the two other men can be seen in the Mariner going east on Armitage Avenue, into rival Imperial Gangster territory, prosecutors said.
Video footage shows the SUV getting closer to the scene of the shooting, then slowing down as it approaches the block and into the alley where shots were fired, Murphy said.
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A Ring camera nearby captured audio of tires screeching just after the shooting, and various cameras show the Mariner driving west, away from the area of the attack, prosecutors said.
Also, records show Lara’s cellphone “ping” off nearby cellphone towers as he made his way around the neighborhoods that night.
Lara’s build and clothing, as captured on camera, matches the witness description of the shooter, Murphy said. In addition, the day after police put out a public bulletin seeking information about the SUV, Lara got a text message urging him to get rid of his car, Murphy said.
Lara was taken into custody Tuesday and told police in a videotaped interview that he heard the shots that killed Lena, but that he was in his car about two miles away at the time -- an assertion contradicted by the video footage.
Lara’s attorney, Assistant Public Defender Dylan Barrett, said Lara lives in Streamwood with his family, including his girlfriend and their 4-month-old son. He works in landscaping and had lined up work with a staffing agency when he was arrested, Barrett said, noting that there were no positive eyewitness identifications or physical evidence tying him to the shooting.
But circumstantial evidence is still evidence, Judge Susana Ortiz said, noting that Lara was caught on “more surveillance video than I can count at this time” and ordering him held without bail.
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mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-08-05--ComEd pleads not guilty in federal bribery case; prosecution to be deferred for three years

But while the charges against ComEd will likely sink into the background after the arraignment , the case is far @ @ @ @ @ the case on July 17 , U.S. Attorney John Lausch said the investigation is “ @ @ @ @ @ continue .
”

A ComEd headquarters building is shown on July 17, 2020, in the 3400 block of North California Avenue in Chicago. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
ComEd pleaded not guilty to an expansive federal bribery charge Wednesday during what will likely be its final court hearing until 2023.
The plea was a formality, since the company has entered an agreement to defer prosecution. ComEd will pay a record $200 million fine and cooperate in the ongoing probe of its lobbying practices in Springfield in exchange for the charges being dropped at the end of the agreement period.
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In announcing the charges last month, prosecutors accused ComEd of orchestrating a “yearslong bribery scheme” involving jobs, contracts and payments to allies of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Prosecutors said the utility attempted to “influence and reward” Madigan by providing financial benefits to some of those close to him, often through Downstate lobbyist Michael McClain, a key confidant and adviser at the center of the probe.
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Madigan, the nation’s longest-serving speaker and Illinois Democratic Party chairman, has not been charged with any wrongdoing and is identified in court papers as “Public Official A.”
But while the charges against ComEd will likely sink into the background after the arraignment, the case is far from over. In announcing the case on July 17, U.S. Attorney John Lausch said the investigation is “vibrant, and it will continue.”
The investigation appears to go well beyond ComEd. In a subpoena sent to Madigan’s office on the day the ComEd charges were announced, authorities sought records related to AT&T, Walgreens and Rush University Medical Center. The subpoena also sought records related to Madigan’s political organization and law firm, as well as former state lawmakers and current or former Chicago aldermen.
The Chicago Tribune has previously reported that AT&T had also been subpoenaed by federal prosecutors in relation to its Springfield lobbying, which involved many of the same Madigan-connected power brokers employed by ComEd.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-05--Merrillville man charged after shooting driver with assault-style rifle, records show

Police were called to the complex around 1 p.m .
The victim told police he had a hard time breathing @ @ @ @ @ where he was shot .
The bullet entered near his right armpit , exiting through @ @ @ @ @ .
He didn ’ t know Hayes and had never seen him before , the @ @ @ @

A Merrillville man faces charges he shot a motorist with an assault style rifle in his apartment complex’s parking lot after cutting the victim off in traffic, charges say.
Carlos Hayes III, 19, was charged July 27 with four felonies including attempted murder, aggravated battery, battery by means of a deadly weapon, battery resulting in serious bodily injury.
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Going to pick his girlfriend up from work, the victim said he was driving on Broadway in Merrillville when a blue Chevy Malibu swerved around him, causing him to slam on his brakes.
It pulled into a side street leading up to the Maple Leaf Apartments, in the 7100 block of Broadway. Fearing a van was speeding up behind and could hit him, the man also pulled into the same road, driving into the complex to turn around, documents state.
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While turning around, he saw a man emerge from the Malibu with an AK-47, charges state.
“I ain’t on none of that,” he told the man, later identified as Hayes, who shot him from about 40 feet away, records state.
“You got me, bro,” he told Hayes, who said, “Move your head,” before firing a second time that missed, charges state.
Police were called to the complex around 1 p.m. The victim told police he had a hard time breathing and couldn’t say where he was shot. The bullet entered near his right armpit, exiting through his back, charges show. He didn’t know Hayes and had never seen him before, the victim told police.
The man was transported to Methodist Hospitals Southlake, before he was transferred to a Chicago trauma hospital.
A witness told police he heard shots, then looked out, seeing Hayes holding an AK-47-type weapon, later spotting him walking around the complex to pick up three shell casings, charges state.
Cops found a casing at the scene consistent with AK47-style rifle, documents show.
Another witness recognized the Malibu, saying Hayes was constantly “flexing,” or showing off, in the parking lot, holding out his “numerous firearms,” charges state.
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After impounding the Malibu, police found documents with Hayes’ name, 22 grams of suspected marijuana in the center console and a semi-automatic magazine in the trunk, documents said.
A bullet fragment was later found in the victim’s Volkswagen Jetta.
The following morning, an unidentified man called Merrillville police, asking if they towed his car. He was out of town, but came home to find his car missing, charges say. When asked if he lived there, the man said “yes,” documents show.
The cellphone number was later traced to a phone listed under Hayes’ father, charges state.
Later that afternoon, Hayes’ mother called police to report the car stolen. She claimed he had been in Arkansas with friends, which was later contradicted by cellphone records and his Instagram account.
Hayes posted a $7,500 cash bond July 28. His initial hearing is scheduled Aug. 12 before Lake Superior Magistrate Kathleen Sullivan.


chicagotribune--2020-08-05--Rapper killed in Gold Coast shooting

Rapper killed in Gold Coast shooting

Treja Kelley had been hesitant to come forward after witnessing the murder of her 17-year-old cousin .
But she found @ @ @ @ @ stand last year and helped secure a guilty verdict .
Her testimony , though , @ @ @ @ @ head , prosecutors said .
Just a few months after testifying , Kelley was shot @ @ @ @ @ not far from where her cousin had been slain .
She was 18 and pregnant @

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LaSheena Weekly, second from left, marches with others down a sidewalk in the Gold Coast after holding a press conference about the death of her son, Carlton Weekly, 26, who performed under the name FBG Duck. Weekly asked for there to be no retaliation shootings after her son was killed in the downtown location earlier in the week. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)