DIRTY DINING
Health inspectors shut down Wicker Park cafe
A popular Wicker Park cafe was shut down Wednesday after city health inspectors found evidence of rat infestation and other sanitary issues, officials said.
Earwax Cafe, 1561 N. Milwaukee Ave., was ordered to close after Chicago Department of Public Health inspectors found rat feces in a basement storage area, holes in walls that allowed insects and rodents to come in and a poorly maintained outside garbage container, according to a department news release.
The city found similar violations during a routine unannounced inspection on Oct. 15, and the city says the restaurant didn’t comply with orders to fix the problems.
Earwax managers will have to appear at a hearing Dec. 4 where they will have to pay a fine expected to total $1,000, the department said.
Mom pleads guilty to putting baby in bag
A 24-year-old woman could spend up to seven years in prison after pleading guilty Wednesday to placing her newborn son in a plastic garbage bag and knotting it shut. Alsina Shelton pleaded guilty to aggravated domestic battery and aggravated battery charges — without a sentencing agreement — after Cook County Circuit Judge James Linn acquitted her of an attempted murder charge, said Andy Conklin, a state’s attorney’s office spokesman.
Dominick’s gas-credit program comes to city
A program that gives customers gasoline credits for grocery purchases has come to the Chicago area. Safeway, parent company of Dominick’s, is offering the program through about 300 BP stations and six fuel stations directly affiliated with Dominick’s stores. Customers with “Fresh Values” cards can get 10 cents per gallon off at Dominick’s own stations for every $100 in purchases at Dominick’s stores. For gas bought at BP, they earn a $1.50 credit for every $100 in purchases at Dominick’s.
‘Mancow’ coming back
Erich “Mancow” Muller, who lost his last full-time Chicago radio job 27 months ago, has signed a letter of intent to host a weekday talk show for WLS-AM 890. Mike Fowler, WLS-AM’s president and general manager, confirmed that Muller will replace Jerry Agar in the 9 a.m.-to-11 a.m. slot, beginning Monday. For his first week, he will be paired with Pat Cassidy, who joined WLS from WBBM-AM 780 this summer.
“It’s going to bring a lot of energy to the station,” Fowler said. “It’s a younger version of Rush [Limbaugh], with some Roe Conn thrown in.”
Muller, who will continue to do a separate syndicated morning program, did not return a call for comment.
