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Skilling: Possible showers, thunder Thursday night ahead of sunny weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:55 GMT

SMOKY SKIES AND ELEVATED AIR POLLUTION LEVELS persisted for a 9th consecutive rain-less day Thursday.The smoke is blowing in at high levels from fires burning in Ontario & Quebec provinces in Canada---while the stagnant air mass which has been mired in an atmosphere blocking pattern and has therefore lingered over the area all week, has grown more polluted in the lower reaches of the atmosphere. The low level build-up of pollutants, including particulates and ozone, is behind the continuing AIR QUALITY ALERTS which continue through Friday night.THE NEW DROUGHT MONITOR arrived from the NWS and USDA today and shows drought conditions continue expanding across the Chicago area and Midwest. The vast majority of the Chicago area in now in an area of SEVERE DROUGHT per the index---and the portion of the Chicago area in drought expanded by 17% today.Northeast winds off Lake Michigan produced a huge lakefront to inland temp spread again—from 90-deg inland at Oswego and Genoa (in DeKalb ...

14-year-old girl shot while outside in West Pullman

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:55 GMT

CHICAGO — A 14-year-old girl was shot Thursday afternoon while she was outside near a sidewalk in West Pullman.Chicago Police Department officers were called to the shooting around 4:15 p.m. in the 12200 block of South Racine Avenue. Mother instructed 14-year-old son to shoot, kill man at hot dog stand, court docs allege When they arrived, they found the girl who was shot in the leg, police said.The girl was taken to Comer Children's Hospital in good condition, according to the police and fire departments.Police haven't released additional details about the incident but they said the girl was near a sidewalk when she was shot.No one has been arrested yet and detectives are still investigating.

$200K bond for man accused of injuring 4 in hit-and-run outside Sox ballpark

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:55 GMT

CHICAGO (AP/WGN) — A 20-year-old Chicago man, who is facing multiple charges in connection with a hit-and-run collision that injured four pedestrians, two critically, outside Guaranteed Rate Field, the home of the Chicago White Sox, appeared in bond court Thursday. Condelarious Garcia, 20, faces four felony counts each of failure to report an injury accident and aggravated reckless driving causing bodily harm, police said. The pedestrians were injured just after 6:20 p.m. Tuesday as they headed to the White Sox game against the Texas Rangers.Garcia also faces one misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license and citations for failure to reduce speed, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and having an expired registration.SEE ALSO: Son of victim speaks out after driver in hit-and-run crash near Guaranteed Rate Field chargedInside the courtroom Thursday, Garcia's public defender spoke to his client's clean criminal history and strong family support, visible as his parents, aunt...

Cook County looks ahead at 2024 budget, thousands of jobs remain vacant

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:55 GMT

CHICAGO -- It's mostly good news when it comes to the Cook County fiscal budget for 2024, however there are still a short fall that is projected.A $214.7 million surplus from a personal property replacement tax, and higher sales tax due to inflation, that expects to benefit Cook County. But heading into 2024, the county is forecasting an $85.6 million budget gap for next year.That’s partially due to a $22 million higher pension payment than this year, due to reforms at the state capitol. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle thinks that deficit can be filled without raising taxes or making layoffs. Critics becoming impatient with Mayor Johnson’s approach towards crime prevention in Chicago There are also 4,000 job vacancies, which the county says has helped in payroll savings. Many in the healthcare sector - including 700 registered nurse vacancies - which is a top priority to fill, by offering tuition reimbursement and retention bonuses.Other costs for the county include c...

How Berwyn's Brian Gutierrez joined unique MLS company in Chicago Fire FC win

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:55 GMT

PORTLAND — One of the promising young players on Chicago Fire FC who hails from the area had another major moment in his still young Major League Soccer career. Midfielder Brian Gutierrez, a homegrown player for the club who grew up in Berwyn, assisted on a first half goal by Fabian Herbers and the game-winner by Kei Kamara against the Timbers in Portland Wednesday night in a 2-1 victory. By doing so, Gutierrez became the tenth player in the history of MLS to record 15 assists before reaching his 21st birthday. The accomplishment came just a few days after the midfielder turned 20 and in his fourth season of play for the Fire at the top level. Lionel Messi’s MLS arrival has ticket sales, price impact on Soldier Field match vs Chicago Fire FC It marks the third time that Gutierrez has had multiple assists in a single game, doing so earlier this season against Inter Miami CF on March 25 and against FC Cincinnati on October 1, 2021.Joining the Fire Academy in 2015, Gutierrez made hi...

Ex-Proud Boy member from Aurora who stormed Capitol gets 3 years in prison

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:55 GMT

AURORA — A man from Aurora, who is a former member of the Proud Boys, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. James Robert Elliot, 25, must also pay $2,000 in restitution.  Oath Keeper who stormed Capitol gets more than 8 years in prison in latest Jan. 6 sentencing Elliot was indicted in December of 2021 and pleaded guilty a year later to assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers. The suburban tow truck driver is married with two small children. According to court documents, at one time, he bragged about being a member of the Proud Boys. He later wrote a letter to the judge in his case saying he left the group and has moved his life in a positive direction.  Read more: Latest Chicago news headlinesElliot's 37-month sentence is the most given to anyone from Illinois linked to Jan. 6 insurrection.

MedWatch Daily Digest: RSV vaccines for seniors, e-cigarette sales surge — and more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:55 GMT

For Thursday, June 22, WGN’s Dina Bair has the latest on new information, including the following: More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch CDC panel recommends RSV vaccine for adults 65 & olderA virus known to infect younger children is also causing hospitalizations and deaths among older adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel recommends the RSV vaccines for everyone 65 and older. The federal committee is also urging the vaccine for some adults between the age of 60-65 whose doctors feel they would benefit from the dosage. The advisory panel endorsed two RSV vaccines that should be available come fall. RSV is a common virus that typically causes flu-like symptoms. Each year, more than 60,000 older adults are hospitalized with the virus. More than 6,000 have died. E-cig monthly sales up 46% between 2020-2022The sales of e-cigarettes are way up, according to figures from the CDC.Between 2020 and 2022, sales increased by more than 46%.Units of month...

Millions of Baby Shark toys recalled over risk of 'impalement'

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:55 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – A recall involving millions of baby bath toys modeled after the viral "Baby Shark" children's song was launched Thursday after reports of multiple injuries.Zuru, an El Segundo, California-based importer of the Chinese-made products, is recalling 7.5 million toys, which are sold at major retailers and online.The brightly-colored yellow, blue and pink sharks have a hard plastic top fin which make them potentially hazardous, especially in a bathtub or wading pool, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.There are two types of toys under recall, 6.5 million of the full-sized Robo Alive Junior Baby Shark Sing & Swim Bath Toy, and 1 million of the Robo Alive Junior Mini Baby Shark Swimming Bath Toy.Date code in “DGYYYY/MM/DD” format and in the date code range of DG20190501 through DG20220619 and model number “#25282” are located on the bottom of the recalled full-size toys. (CPSC)Recalled Robo Alive Junior Mini Baby Shark Swimming Toy in blue. (CPSC)Recalled Ro...

15-year-old lone gunman in Milwaukee Juneteenth celebration shooting that injured 6: police

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:55 GMT

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Officers arrested a 15-year-old boy they now believe was the lone gunman in a shooting after a Juneteenth celebration that left six people wounded, Milwaukee police said Thursday.The boy is the third person arrested in the shooting Monday outside the Greater Philadelphia Church of God in Christ. Police provided no information about the 15-year-old suspect, including why they now believe he was the lone shooter.Two males ages 17 and 19 were arrested after the shooting, police said. Both of them had been shot. Police previously believed one of them had fired a weapon, but clarified Thursday that this is no longer the case.SEE ALSO | At least 6 teens shot after Milwaukee Juneteenth celebration endsThe other four people who were wounded were girls or women ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old, police said. All six shooting victims were expected to survive.Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a fight between young women outside the church, police sa...

Nearly half of Texans not confident lawmakers did enough to fix power grid, poll says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:55 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In a newly released Texas Politics Project poll, researchers found nearly half of participants said they were not confident Texas lawmakers did enough during the legislative session to increase reliability of the state's power grid moving forward. Less than 20% of Texas voters who took part in the poll said they were "very" or "extremely" confident lawmakers had done enough to keep the lights on. "There has been a very long hangover, if you will, from the impact and the experience of [the 2021] winter storm, despite the fact that for two sessions straight now, the legislature has passed legislation and put new money into attempting to both make the grid, as it exists, more resilient and to expand capacity," James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project, said. ERCOT asks Texas to conserve energy Tuesday with extreme heat likely Texas Gov. Greg Abbott notably signed HB 1500 into law following the regular session, which forces several grid reforms including r...