Bellwood school district spends on travel, perks while deep in debt
Money in Bellwood School District 88 is tight. The district is steeped in debt, and many of the students come from low-income homes. The classroom basics — such as paper...
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Bellwood district pays $105,000 to refill superintendent’s pension account
Money may be tight in Bellwood School District 88, but the school board still managed to quietly divert more than $105,000 from an education fund to replenish a retirement account...
Could Obama library turn tide on decades of neglect for Washington Park?
Washington Park residents view the proposed Obama library as one of their best prospects for an economic renaissance of their impoverished neighborhood. For 15 years, one of the busiest retail...
Chicago area’s middle class shrinking, report finds
If the middle class seems like it's under siege, well, that's because it is. Across the Chicago metropolitan area, 51 percent of households are maintaining their foothold in the coveted...
Obama library could seed a turnaround on Woodlawn’s open land
If Woodlawn is chosen as the site for the Obama Presidential Center, a South Side megachurch, a nonprofit development organization and the city could suddenly find themselves holding some of...
Chicago Fire Department names veteran firefighter deputy commissioner
The Chicago Fire Department has tapped a veteran firefighter to fill the agency's No. 2 job. Richard Ford II, a Chatham native who lives on the city's Far South Side,...
Small group of Chicago police costs city millions in settlements
Officers Sean Campbell and Steven Sautkus were patrolling their quiet beat on Chicago's Southwest Side in April 2014 when they saw the driver turn without flashing his signal early enough....
Small group of protesters on New Year’s call for police reform
A small group of demonstrators gathered downtown Friday to mark the new year and send a message that, despite promises for reform, they aren't ready to turn the page on...
Costs rise, delays continue at taxpayer-funded Maywood housing rehab
When Cook County officials first set their sights on financing the overhaul of a beleaguered west suburban apartment building, the goal was to put two dozen cash-strapped families into new...
Niles Township school expense reports show extensive travel, high-end hotels
When a north suburban school administrator logged a 393-mile lobbying trip to the state capital, the $220 expense on his mileage reimbursement form looked ordinary. But another expense report for...