Letters From Baghdad

BUMPED UP Believe it or not files - Mayor Emanuel's mayoral vehicle gets a parking ticket on Michigan Ave and he calls to have it NON-SUITED (Quashed)

2011-10-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

In the post below this posting you will see that Mayor Rahm Emanuel is seeking to get the State of Illinois to approve speed cameras to write tickets just like the red light cameras... In addition to blasting all the city employees who owe past due parking ticket fines! Well wait to you see how multi-millionaire Mayor Rahm Emanuel handles it when he gets a ticket for parking illegally!

During the evening of Oct 12, 2011 Mayor Rahm Emanuel's leased vehicle (the official mayoral limo) was ticketed for being parked ILLEGALLY on Michigan Ave in Downtown Chicago... The parking ticket appears to have been written by a person working CTA Special Employment who was unaware that Rahm Emanuel has a leased vehicle with no designators on it to show that it is the mayoral limo.

Now we all know that Rahm Emanuel made $18 million dollars in one year working for the Fannie and Freddie Mortgage Company ontop of millions of dollars in his war chest... So does Mayor Rahm Emanuel do the right thing and pay the ticket???

NO SIREE! HE CALLS AND YELLS AT A CERTAIN COMMANDER AND HAS IT QUASHED AFTER THROWING A SHIT FIT LIKE A THREE YEAR OLD KID WHO HAD HIS CANDY TAKEN AWAY!

Mayor Emanuel who is chasing city employess to pay their parking tickets and who now wants speeding cameras... Has his parking ticket quashed, killed, non-suited!.....

Detective Shavedlongcock has the parking ticket citation number... would the officer who wrote it please e-mail me please???? shavedlongcock@yahoo.com

The amazing part is had Rahm just paid the parking ticket and then had the incident "leaked to the press" he would have look like a regular guy doing the right thing...Now he looks like, well you know what he looks like....

Bleeding all of us to the limit - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to point cameras at speeders & issue computerized speeding tickets

2011-10-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is asking state lawmakers to allow Chicago to use red-light cameras to automatically ticket drivers who speed through school safety zones.

The administration says it’s about public safety, but skeptics note violators would pay fines of up to $100 at a time when City Hall is facing major budget problems.

“I think it’s piling on. It’s really kind of draconian,” said Ald. Joe Moore, 49th. “The jury is still out on whether the red-light cameras are effective in terms of safety. . . . So then it really becomes a revenue raising tool, rather than a public safety tool, and I think there are more honest ways of raising money.”

The change is being pushed by Gabe Klein, Emanuel’s transportation commissioner, though the idea surfaced at the City Council a few years ago.

Klein held the same job in Washington, D.C., where speeding cameras were used. Chicago owns its red-light camera system and the devices are capable of detecting the speed of vehicles, Klein said.

“We have the ability to do what we want with it and contract with who we want,” Klein said.

All Chicago would have to do is install an additional strip on the ground to calibrate a vehicle’s exact speed. That will give the city an accurate reading that can hold up in court, Klein said.

“The idea is not to begin writing a lot of tickets. It’s about getting people to slow down. It’s about changing behavior,” Klein said. “Having an expectation that police can handle this on their own is unrealistic.”

The proposal surfaced Wednesday in the form of legislation introduced by Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan of Chicago.

The change is aimed at those driving over the speed limit in so-called “safety zones” — areas designated as roadways near property owned by a park district, school or a private or public college or university.

Signs would have to be posted letting drivers know their speed is being monitored.

Emanuel’s administration already gathered background information to bolster its case for the cameras, saying the No. 1 cause of Chicago pedestrian crashes is failure to yield by motorists.

The chance of a pedestrian fatality increases nine times when vehicles are traveling 10 mph over the 20-mph speed limit in school zones, according to the administration.

Mayor Richard Daley installed red-light cameras in late 2003. Billed as a public safety measure, they quickly became a cash cow. Red-light camera fines were worth nearly $45 million to the city as of 2008. About 790,000 drivers got red light tickets in 2009.

Aldermen eventually acknowledged the cameras were a way to raise revenue during tough financial times.

Ald. Edward Burke wondered whether the public safety deterrent aspect of the red-light cameras was “a myth.”

“It's a money machine, that's all. Period,” said Burke, 14th, in March 2010.

Two years earlier, Burke was among a pair of aldermen who called for using the cameras to crack down on speeders on city streets.

Burke introduced a resolution urging state lawmakers to lift a prohibition that bars municipalities from using cameras for speed enforcement.

Daley backed that resolution in 2008, and now Emanuel is asking Springfield to make it law.

Klein said he’s not sure yet how many cameras would be geared toward catching speeders or how much revenue might be generated.

He stressed that the money raised would go toward transportation safety and infrastructure projects.

The transportation commissioner said he has been focused on traffic safety since he took over in May.

“Sure, the timing may be unfortunate that the bill got posted today. It has nothing to do with the budget,” Klein said. “I’d be happy if there were no revenues, but people don’t respond if there’s no penalty.”

It’s unclear what type of reception the proposal will receive in Springfield. Last year, lawmakers passed a watered-down reform package aimed at making it easier to appeal tickets from red-light cameras after receiving numerous complaints about the devices.

“The idea was to respond to a request (from the city) and see what sort of discussion there is,” said Madigan spokesman Steve Brown.

If it passes and is signed into law, the measure would take effect July 1.

Moammar Gadhafi death photo

2011-10-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

An image captured off a cellular phone camera purportedly shows the arrest of Moammar Gadhafi in Sirte on October 20, 2011.

Qaddafi Dead?

2011-10-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

From Fox News:
Libyan strongman Muammar Qaddafi is dead, according to a spokesman for the Transitional National Council.
Qaddafi died of wounds suffered during his capture near his hometown of Sirte on Thursday, Reuters and Sky News reported. U.S. officials say they are working to confirm the TNC's claim.
"Qaddafi is dead. He is absolutely dead ... he was shot in both legs and in the head. The body will be arriving in Misrata soon," media spokesman Abdullah Berrassali told Sky News.
The Transitional National Council's UK spokesman, Mahmoud Nacua, warned that there was "not enough information" to confirm Qaddafi's capture, and a former TNC spokesman in Britain, Guma al Gamati told Sky News that "this is not confirmed."
Sirte, Qaddafi's hometown and the last bastion of his supporters, was the last holdout against TNC forces. The town's capture, which both military officials and new regime political sources said was expected later Thursday, would pave the way for the TNC to officially take control of Libya and move its headquarters away from its Benghazi stronghold in the east to the capital, Tripoli. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/10/20/muammar-qaddafi-captured-in-libya-commander-says/#ixzz1bKOF8OfP
If true, one less dictator in the world.

Ex-Woodridge cop named in warrant over charity theft arrested in Missouri

2011-10-20T05:41:00.000-07:00

A former Woodridge patrol officer accused of stealing more than $30,000 from a police charity has been arrested in Missouri, nearly five months after a warrant was issued.

Scott Webb, a 10-year-veteran of the Woodridge department, was sought on a $250,000-bail arrest warrant on accusations that he never donated more than $30,000 raised during two events to support families of fallen officers.

He had not been heard from since the warrant was issued in late May, but a police officer in Branson, Mo., ran Webb’s information during a routine traffic stop and spotted the arrest warrant Tuesday, according to authorities.

DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin said he learned early Wednesday morning of Webb’s arrest.

“We’re obviously very pleased,” Berlin said. “He’s been on the run for quite a few months now, so we’re pleased that justice will now take its due course.”

Webb, of Romeoville, is accused of taking funds from the “Crawlin’ for the Fallen” pub-crawl fundraiser in 2009 and 2010, which were hosted by the Woodridge Police Association.

“My understanding is that he’s waived extradition, and we expect him to be back here sometime early next week,” Berlin said Wednesday afternoon. “I am not sure exactly when they’re going to be able to get him back here.”

Rumors began to swirl in the Woodridge department during the summer of 2010 that Webb never mailed in the money raised by the events. Webb was placed on paid leave in August 2010, when village officials launched an investigation.

He resigned from the department in March, and come late May when he was indicted on two counts of felony theft, Webb could not be found.

Woodridge Mayor William Murphy and Police Chief Steven Herron issued a joint statement two days after the indictment pleading for anyone with information to help police locate Webb.

The stolen funds were intended for the Illinois chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors, a nonprofit that helps send families of fallen officers on trips to Washington, D.C., where their loved ones are honored.

Craig Figgins, president of the organization’s Illinois chapter, said the Crawlin’ for the Fallen event generated a “sizable amount” of funds for the group and “a lot of good has come from them.” According to the charity’s website, the Woodridge police union has donated $47,000, nearly double the amount of next-largest donor listed.

Webb, who last lived on the 1700 block of Rebecca Drive in Romeoville, faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.

Crestwood set to reward indicted police chief

2011-10-20T02:41:00.000-07:00

Female police chiefs in the south suburbs aren't having much luck... 1st good old Crusty Toes Regina Evans gets tossed to the fire pending her federal indictments and now Theresa Neubauer....

Crestwood officials really like Theresa Neubauer, the village’s police chief.

Neubauer was placed on paid administrative leave this year after she was named in a 22-count federal indictment that accuses her of falsifying water department records over a period of two decades.

Before she became police chief, Neubauer was a Crestwood water department clerk. She did such a good job in that role that she was promoted to water department supervisor.

What exactly did she do in the water department?

According to the U.S. attorney’s office, “for 20 years Neubauer, 53, and Frank Scaccia, 50, Crestwood’s retired certified water operator, purposely hid the fact they commingled well water with Lake Michigan water and, by doing so, avoided complying with state and federal environmental regulations.

“As a result,” according to U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, “Crestwood’s water customers were exposed to well water that was not adequately tested for contamination.”

And that must have really impressed Neubauer’s superiors because she was named the police chief, even though she apparently had never been a full-time police officer.

I guess they could claim that they didn’t know what Neubauer was doing at the water department, but they do now.

And since the indictment was released, Neubauer has been told she doesn’t even have to work to collect her annual salary of $61,500 as chief.

Her punishment for being named in a federal indictment is that she no longer has to work for her money.

Still, Mayor Robert Stranczek and the Crestwood Village Board apparently feel they need to do more to support Neubauer.

At the village board meeting at 8 o’clock tonight, they will consider paying the legal fees of her criminal defense attorney. That item was on the board’s Oct. 6 agenda, but trustees decided to get a legal opinion from the village attorney before voting on the matter.

That opinion was delivered this week, and I’m told it is very likely the village board will vote tonight to pay for Neubauer’s legal defense.

I’m impressed.

This is an era in American history that tends to bring out the worst in employers. People who have worked for a company for 30 years, never taken a sick day, always been on time, are losing their jobs.

They’ve never been accused of a crime or done anything wrong. It’s just the economy, people are told. Times are tough.

But not for Neubauer. She has a job, and Crestwood taxpayers will likely finance her legal defense.

Trustee John Toscas is the only elected official who has spoken out publicly against spending tax money to defend a village official accused of jeopardizing the health of everyone in her village.

Toscas was elected in the aftermath of the Crestwood water scandal and apparently doesn’t fully appreciate everything Neubauer has done.

Why, if it wasn’t for her, Crestwood might not be facing multiple class-action lawsuits.

If she had refused to falsify those water department documents, the village might have saved the $3 million in legal bills it has spent defending itself.

That’s right. The tab for legal bills alone is already more than $3 million, and the meter is going to be ticking for many years to come.

If I were a taxpayer in Crestwood, I would attend the village board meeting tonight to congratulate my elected leaders for setting a standard of loyalty unequaled in America today.

While other employers look for any excuse to cut their budgets, Crestwood officials stand tall behind Neubauer.

Where other elected leaders and company CEOs have cut and run when a scandal destroyed the reputations of their community or business, the people at the helm in Crestwood have said, “Public opinion be damned.”

Neubauer is obviously just the sort of police chief the village wanted.

As a water department clerk and supervisor, she must have fulfilled every request and expectation of the village fathers.

In other words, it seems clear she did exactly what she was told to do.

Tonight’s meeting is at the Crestwood Civic Center, 14025 Kostner Ave. This is a unique opportunity to see an employee rewarded for decades of unquestioned devotion.

It’s not often that a police chief indicted for criminal conduct is honored in such a fashion.

Bring the kids.

WHAT? Large stash of heroin stolen from Will County sheriff's evidence locker, source says

2011-10-20T02:36:00.000-07:00

A large amount of heroin has been stolen from a shipping container that Will County sheriff's police were using to store evidence, police sources say, potentially dealing a setback to prosecutions, along with the county's efforts to stem surging heroin use.

One source said four individually wrapped kilos of heroin, potentially worth $500,000 or more, were stolen from the container, which was left outside a sheriff's substation and secured with a padlock. Other sources could not confirm the amount.

Marijuana and some small items, including a saw and a bow-and-arrow set, were also stolen.

The container was stored on a fenced lot near Laraway Road in unincorporated Joliet, where police keep impounded vehicles.

The thefts are another black eye for the department's evidence-handling procedures. Last year details emerged about shoes belonging to Scott Eby, who pleaded guilty in November to the 2004 slaying of 3-year-old Riley Fox, found near the Wilmington creek where her body was dumped. The prison-issued shoes had his name written inside them, but the evidence was overlooked for years.

Experts said valuable evidence like narcotics, cash or jewelry is typically stored in a much more secure area, sometimes in a locked space inside a dead-bolted evidence room.

Will County sheriff's police do have an evidence storage area at the substation, sources said, so it's unclear why the container was used and why such valuable items were stored outside. Sheriff's spokesman Ken Kaupas did not return calls seeking comment.

Whoever broke in apparently slipped through a gap in the fence and cut the lock off, said department spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer, citing a police report. The report only lists a concrete saw and a bow-and-arrow set as missing, said Hoffmeyer, noting that an inventory was being taken.

Hoffmeyer said she was unaware of the drug thefts when contacted by the Tribune.

The break-in was discovered Oct. 14, she said. It's unclear when the container was last entered by police. There is a video camera at the site.

A spokesman for the Will County state's attorney's office declined to comment.

County authorities are working to contain what they've described as a heroin epidemic, with the number of heroin overdose deaths in Will County rising from to 26 last year from five in 2000. So far this year there have been 22 fatal heroin overdoses, according to the county coroner's office.

Legal experts said the thefts could torpedo any narcotics cases based on the stolen drugs, with the possible exception of drug conspiracy or solicitation charges, even if the missing evidence had already been tested by the state crime lab.

"In cases where these drugs were the basis for the charge, boy I think the state's out of luck," said Loyola University law professor Jamie Carey, who has written a book on courtroom evidence. "If they don't have the contraband itself, I feel that they're not going to be able to proceed."

Ronald Smith, a John Marshall Law School professor, agreed, saying defendants have a right to do their own testing of any alleged narcotics.

"Unless prosecutors can bring that stuff into the courtroom, they don't have a case," he said.

Another bad Police Sketch released for suspect in West Side attacks

2011-10-20T02:33:00.000-07:00

I love how all police sketches have to make the offender now look white... what a fricken joke!
Police late Wednesday release a sketch of a suspect sought in at least eight robberies and sexual attacks against women on the West Side.

At a news conference Oct. 7, Harrison Area Cmdr. Anthony Riccio said the latest victim was robbed and sexually attacked by two men at 4:40 a.m. that day in the 600 block of North Leamington Avenue.

Police said they believe a man — sometimes joined by an accomplice — has been involved in all eight of the early-morning attacks.

The first attack took place in late August with the rest occurring in late September and early October, police said.

The women were approached on the street and ordered at gunpoint to hand over cash and jewelry. Each was either sexually molested or assaulted, police said.

Riccio said detectives are working “around the (Overtime) clock” to find the suspects. Only vague descriptions were released; the Negro assailants wore a black skull cap or ski mask to conceal their faces, he said.

Anyone with information about the crimes should call Harrison Area detectives at 312-746-8253.

2 colored guys and one ugly mudshark charged in deadly Avondale home invasion

2011-10-20T02:28:00.000-07:00

It looks like the brother man scored another white chick! Damn that is one nasty ugly wildebeest!PHOTO: Davonta Williams, 17, Sean Williams, 33, Jennifer Vojinovic, 27.

A trio faces murder charges in connection with a deadly Northwest Side home invasion that left a 15-year-old boy dead and his mother seriously wounded, authorities said today.

The daylight home invasion happened at around 8:40 a.m. Tuesday in the 3400 block ofNorthLawndale Avenue in the city's Avondale neighborhood, according to Chicago police.

The suspects, Sean Williams, 33, Davonta Williams, 17, and Jennifer M. Vojinovic, 27, were each charged with single counts of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, armed robbery, home invasion, and three counts of unlawful restraint, police said.

All three were arrested by alertAlbany Park District officers, who spotted the vehicle matching the plate information provided by a witness, police said. Authorities also recovered 9mm and .25-caliber handguns.

Police believe that both male suspects shot Andre Vasquez along with his Krystal Hethcoat, 33, while Vojinovic acted as the getaway driver.

According to relatives of the victims, Vasquez, a Schurz High School sophomore, and his 14-year-old sister were preparing to leave for school and one of them had just opened the apartment's front door when two males barged in.

The intruders bound Vasquez and Hethcoat in the home's basement, while the teen's sister managed to escape.

Police said the intruders bound the mother and son with duct tape while demanding money. The pair ransacked the home before shooting both Vasquez and Hethcoat.

Vasquez, was pronounced dead at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center just hours after he was shot, authorities said. His mother was in serious-to-critical condition at Illinois Masonic as of Tuesday night.

"This is unreal," Tina Quinones, an aunt of Vasquez and his sister told the Tribune. "I don't understand why this would happen. They don't have anything. There was no reason for this."

Police offered no clues on why the home was targeted by the group.

All three suspects are expected to appear before a judge later today.

Kind Of Feeling Blue Right Now So....

2011-10-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

So., I go watch and listen to some of my favorite songs. Here a couple:

And I a huge fan of the fiddle/violen (what is the difference?)

Just For Fun Irish Dancing Monkeys

2011-10-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

Wonder which one is Michael Flatly?

Las Vegas Liberal Hate Group Wants To Take Over A Park

2011-10-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

From the Las Vegas Sun: The speed with which Occupy Las Vegas has organized and the anxiety it is creating as it seeks places to occupy and protest from now until the end of the 2012 general election came through clearly Tuesday.
At the end of a seven-hour Clark County Commission meeting, four members of the group spoke during the public-comment period.
The grass-roots group is an extension of Occupy Wall Street, born in New York a month ago over disgust with corporate influence in government, exemplified by billions in taxpayer dollars to bail out banks while the remaining “99 percent” of America continues to suffer economically.
Addressing commissioners, the four said they want to work with the county to figure out which public park can be used for them to gather. They tried to lease space, said Kristal Glass, but were denied. Glass said they were advised by government officials “to seek a sympathetic land tycoon, even though some of these landowners are part of the cause of our current economic situation.”
“It is another way of saying our government no longer works for the people but works solely for the wealthy,” Glass said.
Now they want to work with the county. But if it doesn’t work, Glass said the group is prepared to occupy a park without being sanctioned by the government. The resulting nightly arrests by police “will be mass-televised to the state and the nation,” she added. “Please be wary of excuses like the cost of replacing grass. This will be a drop in the bucket when considering the overall cost of bad publicity or police action.” http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/oct/19/occupy-las-vegas-protesters/
So far the liberal hate group, Occupy Las Vegas, has been an epic failure. They can only get a couple hundred to participate in their protests and that number includes numerous tourists.
So, now these thugs want to take over a park which is paid for by taxpayer money and is maintained by the taxpayers of the area. These vermin deserve no special place to protest and if they do chose to protest at a park, then they have to leave when the park closes everyday. Most parks are in neighborhoods and those who live there shouldn't have to deal with the great unwashed, the drugs, the sex, the music, chanting and having their world upside down.
And if the thugs don't leave, then they are violating other people's rights, like the right to visit a park with being harassed by a bunch of rodents called Occupy Las Vegas.
The funniest part of the conversation went like this- from the same article: Abbinett implored Sisolak to work fast in finding a location for the group to assemble, and then whispered — loud enough for others to hear — that fringe right-wing groups such as the American Nazi Party, the Ku Klux Klan and skinheads were wanting to participate in Occupy Las Vegas but were being rebuffed by organizers. Umm, no, you moron, your ranks are filled with anti-Semites. Many of the protesters are bigots. And they are very white. They don't need the KKK and the Nazi party to promote their hate, they are already haters, starting with the leaders of the group.
So, if the protesters decide to take over a park and refuse, I hope the Marshals and Metro police will show these thugs the top end of a billy club. Maybe they can have taser practice day at the park. Maybe it will knock some sense into them.

OK - Now it has been confirmed - Benefit for Eddy Yoshimura & Tony Ceja - Tomorrow at 6pm FOP HALL

2011-10-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

BENEFIT FOR EDDY YOSHIMURA AND TONY CEJA

TOMORROW - THURSDAY 20 OCT 2011 6pm

Chicago FOP 7 Hall 1412 West Washington Blvd

$20.00 per person

POSTED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

NO COMMENTS PLEASE

Lions And Tigers And Bears, Oh My

2011-10-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

From the Huffington Post: Sheriff's deputies shot nearly 50 wild animals – including 18 rare Bengal tigers and 17 lions – in a big-game hunt across the state's countryside Wednesday after the owner of an exotic-animal park threw their cages open and committed suicide in what may have been one last act of spite against his neighbors and police.
As homeowners nervously hid indoors, officers armed with high-powered rifles and shoot-to-kill orders fanned out through fields and woods to hunt down 56 animals that had been turned loose from the Muskingum County Animal Farm by owner Terry Thompson before he shot himself to death Tuesday.
After an all-night hunt that extended into Wednesday afternoon, 48 animals were killed. Six others – three leopards, a grizzly bear and two monkeys – were captured and taken to the Columbus Zoo. A wolf was later found dead, leaving a monkey as the only animal still on the loose. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/19/terry-thompson-muskingum-county-animal-farm_n_1019641.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Chp-desktop%7Cdl6%7Csec1_lnk2%7C105644
It's a shame those magnificent animals had to die but then you cannot have a community held hostage by wild animals. But let's cheer on the monkey.

Still on the run - DuPage authorities searching for indicted ex-cop Scott A. Webb - Stole $30,000 from police charity

2011-10-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

A former Woodridge cop accused of pilfering more than $30,000 from a police charity continues to elude authorities more than two months after his indictment, officials said.

Scott A. Webb, 39, has been wanted since he was charged May 23 with taking cash donations from the nonprofit Concerns of Police Survivors.

On Thursday, DuPage County state’s attorney spokesman Paul Darrah said investigators were still actively pursuing the veteran patrol officer, who quit in March before facing a formal police disciplinary hearing. “We’re implementing every possible method available to us to locate him,” Darrah said. “We’re not waiting on him to knock on our door. ”

Webb, who last lived on the 1700 block of Rebecca Drive in Romeoville, is accused of stealing from two “Crawlin’ for the Fallen” fundraisers in 2009 and 2010. The events benefitted the state and national chapters of Concerns of Police Survivors (COPS), which serves families of officers who die on the job or who are killed in the line of duty.

Webb was involved with the annual fundraisers for several years, authorities said, as a member of the Woodridge police union, which hosted them.

Mark Hannan, vice president of the charity’s Illinois chapter and special agent for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Office of Special Investigations in Lisle, said he was “very concerned” when Webb didn’t voluntarily surrender upon his indictment in May.

“There are many honorable and decent people at the Woodridge PD who have already stepped forward to continue supporting COPS, and we are always grateful for people who come to our aide,” Hannan wrote in an email. “As a law enforcement officer myself, I find these charges very disturbing because we rely on people’s compassion and goodwill. Any theft is wrong, but it is especially dishonorable in this profession.”

Authorities wouldn’t reveal specifics about their search for Webb, citing the sensitive nature of the investigation.

But Woodridge Police Chief Steve Herron encouraged members of the public to keep their eyes open.

“We certainly do request that if the public sees Scott or knows where Scott is or has heard from Scott, that they encourage him to turn himself in or contact their local police department at 911,” Herron said.

Webb, a 10-year officer, is being sought on a $250,000-bail arrest warrant. If convicted of theft over $10,000, he could be sentenced to three to seven years in prison or probation, prosecutors said.

Searching: Man could face up to 7 years in prison

Still on the run - Woodridge police searching for cop charged with taking $30,000 from charity - Organization helps survivors of slain police officers

2011-10-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

Woodridge officials are asking the public's help in locating an ex-police officer charged with stealing more than $30,000 intended for a group that helps survivors of officers who died in the line of duty.

The ex-officer, Scott A. Webb, 39, of Romeoville, was indicted Tuesday by a DuPage County grand jury on two counts of theft between $10,000 and $100,000.

However, he has not surrendered to authorities, Woodridge Police Chief Steve Herron and Village President William Murphy said Friday in a statement.

"It is indeed a sad day when any member of the law enforcement community is charged with crimes against organizations that aim to provide aid and comfort to families of heroes who have paid the ultimate sacrifice," the statement from Herron and Murphy read.

As a member of the Woodridge Police Association, Webb had helped organize a pub crawl that benefitted the Illinois chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors, a peer support group for families of deceased law enforcement officers, state COPS President Craig Figgins said Friday.

Figgins said the pub crawl generated about $15,000 a year, and Webb is suspected of diverting proceeds of the event last year and in 2009.

"Thirty thousand dollars is a big chunk of money in our budget," he said.

The Woodridge Police Association began the fundraiser in 2005 and over the first four years donated $47,000 to COPS, Figgins said.

Webb was placed on administrative leave in August, and he resigned in March, according to the village.

Anyone with information about Webb's whereabouts is asked to call the DuPage County state's attorney's office at 630-407-8000 or the Woodridge Police Department at 630-719-4740.

Gov Pat Quinn: New Illinois doctor database launches online

2011-10-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

Here is the new website: https://www.idfpr.com/applications/professionprofile/default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Illinois patients can now research their doctors using an online database the state launched Wednesday.

The idea is to take the guesswork out of choosing a doctor by allowing easier access to information about the state’s 46,000 licensed physicians and surgeons.

The database can be accessed through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s website at idfpr.com. There, patients can learn about a doctor’s educational background and training, determine what type of insurance they accept and find out what languages are spoken in the office.

Also included is information regarding criminal convictions, whether hospital privileges have been revoked and disciplinary action against the doctor by regulators in Illinois and other states.

Sponsoring Rep. Mary Flowers, D-Chicago, said the measure will protect patients from seeking out treatment from shady doctors who put lives at risk.

“We always say, ‘well, you’re the patient, you should have known’… there was no way,” said Flowers, who credited a series by the Tribune on dangerous doctors for helping persuade lawmakers to vote for the measure.

The new database replaces a similar site that operated from 2008 to 2010, but was taken down following a state Supreme Court ruling regarding medical malpractice reforms.

PHOTO: Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and his black girlfriend Monica Walker

Chicago's Lakefront path closed in wake of area wind, 1000 foot waves and flood warnings - Too bad Occupy Wall Street weren't all in Grant Park!

2011-10-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

The lakefront bike and jogging path was closed this morning in the wake of warnings of high winds, high waves and lakeshore flooding.

A high wind warning is in effect for the Chicago area from 3 p.m. this afternoon to 10 a.m. tomorrow morning.

By about 3:45 p.m., waves crashing onto the lakewall east of Lake Shore Drive near Fullerton Avenue were reaching 15 feet high or higher. By 2 p.m., winds of about 41 mph were clocked at the Harrison Water Crib, about 3 miles east of the lakefront near Armitage Avenue, according to the National Weather Service. Gary Airport reported 24 mph winds and gusts of 47 mph.

In addition, a forecast of heavy rain and 14 to 25 foot waves has prompted a lakeshore flood warning from 3 p.m. today to 4 p.m. Thursday. Bikers and joggers were threatened with the same treacherous wave activity encountered on lakefront paths late last month, National Weather Service meteorologist Ben Deubelbeiss said.

The lakefront path was shut down from Fullerton to Grand avenues.

The National Weather Service said north to northeast winds of 40 to 45 mph with gusts up to 60 mph are likely. The strongest winds will be in areas adjacent to Lake Michigan.

Downed tree limbs and power lines are expected, and high-rise dwellers were advised to take in their balcony furniture to keep it from blowing away.

The chance of precipitation is 100 percent. Periods of heavy rain are possible this evening and tonight, with the heavier rain over northwest Indiana and portions of northeast Illinois east of the I-57 corridor.

In all, up to 2.5 inches of rain is expected.

Large waves crashing onto the shore likely will result in flooding this afternoon and tonight. Waves will build to 14 to 18 feet this afternoon and 20 to 25 feet tonight. Waves will gradually subside to less than 15 feet by late Thursday afternoon.

But the waves probably won't force closure of Lake Shore Drive. "The waves may come up on some of the bike paths with some spray on the roadway," said weather service meteorologist Deubelbeiss. "But waves aren't likely on Lake Shore Drive."

Rain is also likely tomorrow.

Today's high temperature will be around 50, although it will feel much colder because of the wind. The low tonight will be in the mid-40s.

5 Colored Cons Stabbed at Jail-Release Welcome Home Party

2011-10-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

An inmate-release party turns into something resembling a jailhouse brawl.

A welcome home party for a teen released from juvenile detention resulted in gunshots and stab wounds for five people at the party.

The congratulations-for-getting-out-of-juvenile-detention party occurred on the 500 block of Hess Street in Bethlehem Saturday night, police told the Morning Call.

Reports of gunshots in that area brought police to find two people with stab wounds from a huge brawl that erupted on the street during the party. Police brought the two wounded to St. Luke’s Hospital and later discovered that three more people were stabbed and had gone to the hospital on their own.

Four adults and one 17-year-old juvenile were among the wounded, reports the Morning Call.

Five people were detained, including a woman suspected of firing a gun, but all were released, police say. There have been no charges filed in the case but the investigation is ongoing.

Police told the Morning Call that the cause for the fight was unknown and the guest of honor was not among the wounded or detained.

Evergreen Park, IL High School makes news overseas... But not for anything good

2011-10-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

'You can go to the bathroom... but only three times each semester': Parents' fury at high school's new rules -

Ted Kaczynski a.k.a. THE UNIBOMBER went to Evergreen Park High School

Angry: Beatrice Bailey's son, pictured, has a digestive problem and shits in his pants & she is annoyed at the new policy

DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER WHEN EVERGREEN PARK WAS FUCKING WHITE????? UNREAL??? MT GREENWOOD LOOK OUT! AND AS FOR THIS POLICY? THE BLACK STUDENTS SUM IT UP 100%... THE SHITHEAD STUDENTS SAY THEY HAVE TO GO THE WASHROOM AND LEAVE THE SCHOOL!

Now what the stupid WBBM-TV Chicago News couldn't figure out is there is NO LIMIT ON HOW MANY TIMES YOU GO TO THE BATHROOM... What the school said was after three times you have to make up the time you missed in class while in the bathroom. Meaning students are free to go to the bathroom as many times as they want but they have to make up the missed time after school... But good old pandering CBS makes it seem like they are stopping the shitheads from going to the bathroom. Listen to these kids speak, they are in high school and they can even speak proper English! Click the above link to see the whole news story in the U.K. Press.

Was there a UFO sighting by police in Will County Illinois (Braidwood and Channahon) Police radio chatter suggest so

2011-10-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

Can a police officer from this area please fill the blog and our viewers in? I got several e-mails about on duty police transmissions over the radio about officers and civilians observing what they thought was an UFO in the Will County area.

Thank you!

NYPD High Ranking Deputy Inspector Anthony "Tony" Bologna loses 10 vacation days on a beef for spraying pepper spray on OWS Protestor

2011-10-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

The highranking NYPD cop who peppersprayed a young teacher’s aide during an Occupy Wall Street protest has been docked 10 vacation days for the incident, officials said yesterday.

Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna was slapped with the penalty after the department determined he violated guidelines for use of the eyeburning mist, cops said.

The incident quickly gained notoriety after a video was posted on YouTube, showing Kaylee Dedrick, 24, getting sprayed by Bologna while standing behind orange netting. After getting hit, she fell to the ground, wailing in pain.

Bologna was notified yesterday and has three days to accept the punishment or choose to appeal — which could result in a more severe result, sources said.

Dedrick met with prosecutors Monday to demand Bologna be charged criminally.

Meanwhile, neighbors of Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan are fed up with protesters’ repeated failure to follow through on promises to address qualityoflife issues from the protests — and now the local community board plans to meet tomorrow to develop a new strategy to deal with the noise, smell, public urination and overall ruckus.

Last night, OWS members protested outside a lower Manhattan event that Gov. Cuomo attended. Liberal author Naomi Wolf was in attendance, and got arrested for disorderly conduct for allegedly failing to move from a sidewalk.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/pepper_cop_stung_with_loss_of_days_j6jg3TDK43JJL3XBPINfTK#ixzz1bEiJx55G

Thanks to Arizona Eagle for this news article.

Landmark Hanoi hotel unearths Vietnam War bunker

2011-10-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS AND DESCRIPTIONS
HANOI, Vietnam (DSLC) — The siren's wail at the historic Metropole Hotel sent American folk singer Joan Baez and other guests scampering across a garden and into an underground bunker. Even through five feet of concrete, they could still hear the roar of American bombs raining on parts of Hanoi.

Nearly four decades have passed since the so-called Christmas Bombings rocked parts of Vietnam's capital in December 1972. After the war ended three years later, the bunker was sealed and all but forgotten.

Its exact location remained a mystery until this summer, when a worker's drill pierced its thick concrete roof during renovations of a poolside bar. Since then, workers have been excavating the flooded and low-ceilinged space. Not much has been found in the seven rooms: a wine bottle, a rusty paint can and a light bulb still in a socket. But a few tales remain, some involving famous guests.

"If these walls could talk, they would tell a lot of stories," says hotel general manager Kai Speth, while giving The Associated Press an exclusive first glimpse. The bomb shelter "needs to be brought back into the life of the hotel as a reminder of what this hotel and this town went through."

The North Vietnamese government used the French colonial-era hotel, a stately four-story building in the shadow of Hanoi's Opera House, to house foreign guests during the war.

Nguyen Thi Xuan Phuong, now 82, remembers staying in the bunker during the Christmas Bombings with anti-war activist Baez. On one of the 12 nights that B-52s pounded areas around the city, the lights went out, prompting a few foreigners to scream in the darkness.

"Can you sing a song?" Phuong asked the young singer. "We may not change the situation, but your songs may help calm people down." When Baez's voice rang out as someone plucked a guitar, the bunker was revitalized, Phuong recalls.

Others who sheltered there included war correspondents and American actress Jane Fonda, says Phuong, who worked for the government as a doctor assisting foreign guests.

Fonda's visit to enemy territory ignited fury at home. She criticized U.S. policy on North Vietnamese radio and earned the nickname "Hanoi Jane" after posing for a photo atop an anti-aircraft gun — an incident that Fonda later said she regretted.

Publicists for Baez and Fonda did not respond to requests for comment.

French entrepreneurs opened the Metropole in 1901, calling it the "the largest and best appointed hotel in Indo-China." Over the years, it welcomed celebrities from Charlie Chaplin — who came in 1936 on his honeymoon — to Graham Greene, who wrote parts of his famous novel, "The Quiet American," at the hotel.

The Metropole was renamed the Thong Nhat (Reunification) Hotel after Vietnam gained its independence from France in 1954. But after communist forces won the Vietnam War in 1975, the hotel languished under state management as a reunified Vietnam struggled to recover from fighting that killed some 58,000 Americans and an estimated 3 million Vietnamese.

It wasn't until the early 1990s, after a French company assumed partial ownership, that the Metropole regained its earlier name and its place as one of the city's spots to see and be seen.

Today, with Vietnam emerging as one of Asia's fastest growing economies, Hanoi's nouveau riche roll up in Bentleys and Rolls-Royces and toss down $70 per person on Sunday brunch. Upscale boutiques line its green-shuttered white facade, with electric blue handbags selling at Hermes for $7,000 — nearly seven years' salary for the average Vietnamese. Mick Jagger, Angelina Jolie and Fidel Castro have all spent the night.

Even those who can't afford the $10 cocktails gravitate toward the city landmark. Every day soon-to-be Vietnamese brides in pouffy layers of white silk and lace pose for wedding photos outside its walls.

Discovery of the roughly 500 square-foot (nearly 50 square-meter) bunker with its mildewed, mustard-colored walls raises questions about how it will be preserved and who will be allowed to visit, especially since half of the hotel is indirectly owned by the government.

Prominent Vietnamese historian Duong Trung Quoc says it should be opened to the public. While the bunker primarily protected foreign guests, he says it could play an important role in illuminating Vietnam War history.

But Speth, the general manager, says he doesn't want mobs of tourists turning his five-star hotel into a Southeast Asian "Grand Central Station."

"I have an obligation to my guests to keep the Metropole luxurious and exclusive," he says. "If I just leave it open, can you imagine? All of the tour guides of Hanoi would take everybody down there."

_________________________________

METROPOLE HOTEL: 15 Ngo Quyen St., Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam; http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-1555-sofitel-legend-metropole-hanoi/index.shtml or 011-84-4-38266919. Nightly rates for online reservations begin at around $300 a night including taxes.

Mug shirts: Hilarious mug shot T-shirts

2011-10-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: VIDEO ADDED - McGhetto McDonalds News: Murdering Ex-con Felon McDonald's cashier jumps counter, beats two women with metal bar over $50 bill

2011-10-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

Photo: Cashier Rayon McIntosh beats Denise Darbeau after an altercation. Darbeau jumped over the counter, whereupon McIntosh grabbed the metal rod and went for her. New York:

A McDonald's cashier with a manslaughter rap was caught on camera savagely beating two women with a metal bar inside the Greenwich Village franchise on Thursday, police said. Rayon McIntosh, 31, beat down the female customers after they attacked him following an argument over the veracity of a $50 bill inside the W. Third St. restaurant, police said.

WATCH THE VIDEO: SHOCKING ATTACK AT MCDONALD'S

He can be seen in the video repeatedly striking the women, who had jumped behind the counter, even after they were on the ground, as horrified customers' screamed and pleaded for him to stop. McIntosh was arrested and charged with assault, police said. He was held on $40,000 bail. The women, Denise Darberau, 24, and Rachel Edwards, 24, were also arrested and charged with menacing, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, police said. Both were hospitalized, one with a cracked skull and broken arm. The other had a cut. McIntosh had been paroled from prison in March after serving 10 years for manslaughter for shooting and killing a 17-year-old classmate in 2000.

2 black boys, 10, held in Kitsap for loaded gun at school

2011-10-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

(Washington State) Kitsap County sheriff’s deputies on Tuesday arrested two 10-year-old boys after discovering a loaded handgun in one of the student’s backpacks at Silverdale Elementary School in Central Kitsap County.

One of the boys “wanted to assault certain members of his own family,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Tuesday night.

The boys were arrested at about 3 p.m. and taken to a juvenile-detention facility where they were charged with various weapons offenses.

The boy who wanted to shoot members of his family asked his friend to bring a handgun to school, according to a police narrative. The friend found the keys to his family’s gun safe, removed a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and put it in his backpack.

The boys tried firing the weapon at a clearing near the school but were unsuccessful, police said. They showed the gun to other students on the bus.

Word quickly spread there was a gun on school grounds, and a teacher found the weapon and brought the backpack to the school office, police said. A sheriff’s deputy found that the gun was loaded with 10 rounds in the ammunition magazine, although the chamber was empty.

The student who brought the gun to school was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a weapon on school property and conspiracy to commit assault with a deadly weapon. The other student was charged with conspiracy to commit assault with a deadly weapon.

Off-duty Chicago cop robbed of wallet, badge on Far South Side by Colored Armed Robbers

2011-10-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

An off-duty Chicago police officer was robbed of his police star and wallet as he was walking home in the Longwood Manor neighborhood on the Far South Side, police said.

The officer, described only as a man in his 40s, wasn't injured during the 1 a.m. armed robbery in the 9700 block of South Wentworth Avenue, police said.

The officer, who is assigned to the Central police district in the South Loop, was walking to his home when at least two men approached him, police said.

One of the men, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, pulled a chrome .357 Magnum handgun and demanded cash, police said.

The men got away with the officer's wallet and five-point star badge, but not his service weapon, police said.

Police had only a vague description of the gunman and none of the second man. No arrests had been made.

Thief uses crane to steal Jeep from NW Indiana car lot

2011-10-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

(FILE PHOTO)
A thief lifted--literally--a Jeep Wrangler from a northern Indiana car lot, using a crane to make the heist.

A surveillance camera at LaPorte Chrysler captured someone driving a truck with a crane onto the lot, then circling around to park next to the 2008 Wrangler before hooking it with the crane and loading it onto a trailer.

"The Jeep has to be heavily damaged," said dealership general manager Matt Magnusen. "He clamped into the roof, put the jaws through both doors and lifted it up."

The thief was in and out in six minutes.

The daring theft took place at 6:40 a.m. Sunday. The two-door 2008 Jeep Wrangler--bright red with a snow plow--had been sold and was sitting in the dealership's back lot, Magnusen said.

The vehicle with the crane probably was either a logging or a railroad truck built for heavy labor, Magnusen said.

"It's still missing, but police are working on a couple of leads," he said.

Lawsuit filed by daughter of Chicago firefighter who died when roof collapsed

2011-10-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

Photo: The abandoned Sing Way Laundry on E. 75th Street, scene of a fire on last year that killed two Chicago firefighters, including Edward Stringer (inset).

The daughter of a Chicago firefighter is suing the owners of a foreclosed South Shore laundromat, alleging their failure to properly maintain the building resulted in her father’s death last year.

Jennifer Stringer, daughter of Edward Stringer, filed a wrongful death lawsuit today against Chuck M. Dai and Richard Dai, owners of Sing Way Cleaners in the 1700 block East 75th Street.

Edward Stringer, 47, was among the firefighters dispatched to a fire at the abandoned building on Dec. 22. As some of the firefighters went inside to put the fire out, others cut holes in the roof to ventilate the building. The roof suddenly collapsed, killing Stringer and Corey Ankum, 34, and injuring 19 others.

The lawsuit notes that Stringer’s death certificate lists his cause of death as “compressional asphyxia from a roof collapse.”

Records indicate the city had cited the owners for 14 separate violations, but the building was never repaired and homeless people often sought shelter there.

The suit comes about one month after the Tribune disclosed that a federal report concluded that the failure of the Chicago Fire Department to implement certain safety precautions also contributed to the firefighters’ deaths.

The report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, released in July, found that poor communications, an insufficient number of radios and the lack of a system to alert the Fire Department of hazardous buildings put the firefighters at risk.

Neither the Chicago Fire Department nor the city of Chicago is named as a defendant.

Lightbox

2011-10-19T05:48:00.000-07:00

Tired of seeing your pics on your blog pop up in that annoying "lightbox" Blogger forced on us? Well go over to Pictorial Arts and read this post on how to turn that off!
http://mydelineatedlife.blogspot.com/2011/10/just-say-no.html

Here's his visual aid he posted :

Thanks to Thomas Haller Buchanan of The Pictorial Arts!

Why A Democrat Voted Against Obama's Jobs Bill

2011-10-19T00:53:00.000-07:00

Jon Tester is a Democrat from Montana and voted against President Obama's Jobs Bill (Pass this bill now!!!)
From the Havre Daily News: Last week, I cast a vote in the Senate that was praised by some and criticized by others. I voted against the American Jobs Act after considerable discussion, research and listening to many folks. I stand by my vote, and I want to share my reasons directly with you.
First, we can’t forget our own history. A few generations ago this nation made an incredible investment in infrastructure, and the jobs it created helped lead us out of the Great Depression. President Roosevelt’s vision was to create a stronger and more productive America using the brains and brawn of American workers.
Roosevelt’s example should guide our nation now as we rebuild from this recession.
We built our way out of the Great Depression with an unprecedented investment in physical infrastructure. We built highways and bridges and parks and factories. We connected the nation with industry. We electrified rural farms and ranches. In Montana we built lodges and trails that help people the world over to enjoy Glacier National Park and Montana’s natural beauty; we built airports; we created water and irrigation systems.
We knew that investing in infrastructure, education and research and development are powerful, long-term job creators. We were right.
Today, we know that America’s bridges, roads, electrical grids, national parks and schools are in need of repair to carry our nation and our economy into the future. We also know that we have educated and able people ready to get the work done.
My vote against the president’s jobs proposal came after considering our own history and our path to the future.
The American Jobs Act invested far too little in actual job creation. In fact, only 20 percent of the $447 billion was dedicated to physical infrastructure, and only about half of that money would have been available right away.
Over $250 billion of the bill was devoted to temporary tax gimmicks that don’t create jobs. History shows us that too.
Of course, there are provisions I supported. I support the surtax on millionaires. I feel strongly that this nation’s wealthiest should pay their fair share in taxes.
But we should use the revenue from a new surtax on millionaires to pay for things that build our economy, like roads, bridges, transmission lines, rural broadband and water projects. The president’s bill would have used this revenue to pay for expensive, temporary tax gimmicks that won’t create jobs in the long term. I have no doubt we will put that revenue to much better use in the near future.
In the weeks ahead I will be working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make sure that we put Americans back to work in the short term, while also making jobs investment in the long term. I’ll work on proposals for the entire nation and specific to Montana to address our infrastructure needs, to ensure continued research and development to carry our economy forward, and to continue educating and training the children who are the future.
All of this can and must be done in a way that addresses one of the underlying problems hurting our economy: our growing deficit and the uncertainty it creates. To get there, we need a wholesale reform of our tax code to make sure wealthy Americans and big corporations pay their fair share, and to make taxes more fair for working families. And we need to ensure that critical initiatives like Social Security and Medicare are built to last, so they can benefit our kids and grandkids.
http://www.havredailynews.com/news/story-279698.html
Of course, Tester is in a re-election fight in 2012. And he throws in the usual liberal BS. But the bottom line is that even a liberal Democrat realizes that this jobs bill was a bunch of crap.
Too bad, our senior Senator, Crybaby Harry Reid didn't realize this, but he is a Kool Aide drinker and is suffering from Democratdementia.

WOW Big surprise here... Less cops longer response time: New records show slower police response time in Milwaukee

2011-10-18T23:26:00.000-07:00

Thom Reed opens his front door in the Sherman Park neighborhood and looks toward the corner of N. 49th and W. Hadley streets.

Within seconds, he hears two gunshots pierce the warm autumn night. A woman screams in terror, and two cars screech their tires and are gone.

He considers calling 911 to inform the Milwaukee Police Department but tells a reporter it's pointless.

"I don't bother calling on a few shots anymore," said Thom, 56. "Why bother to get involved? If someone was hit, they can call it in. But on a Friday night like this, you'll just be put on hold."

A Journal Sentinel report in August found average police response time to calls for service was slower last year than before Police Chief Edward Flynn took charge in 2008.

Department records showed police response lagged in 13 of 15 major call categories last year compared with 2007 figures.

New records obtained this month by the newspaper show the department's overall response time was 3.5 minutes longer on average during the three full years since Flynn's arrival compared with the three years prior. That's more than 10% longer.

In one example found by the newspaper, Milwaukee police took more than 45 minutes to get to a fatal stabbing in Riverwest in July, even though it was considered a top priority call and the caller admitted that she stabbed her boyfriend.

In another case, police took more than two hours to arrive at the scene of a fatal car crash in June on the far northwest side.

Instead of focusing on rapid response, the Police Department assigns more squad cars to proactive policing efforts in high-crime areas. Flynn said his strategy has helped reduce the city's crime rate but has acknowledged it can result in a slower response.

Police declined to respond to questions for this story.

Exasperation
Reed's frustration with the lack of police response has evolved into exasperation. His experience echoes that of more than a dozen city residents interviewed by the Journal Sentinel.

As the default neighborhood block watch captain, police encourage him to call in when he observes crime in the area. He's typically the only neighbor who calls on incidents like shooting, drug dealing, prostitution and loud parties. Most other residents fear retribution from criminals if they report crime, he said.

Reed, a Marine veteran, recently began keeping track of when he heard shots fired in his neighborhood. In September alone, he recorded half a dozen incidents. On one of those occasions, he called in the late afternoon about multiple shots fired and said he was told by a police dispatcher to stop calling.

In an incident in August, he heard more than a dozen shots fired, again near the intersection of N. 49th and W. Hadley.

He called 911 and listened to a voice recording that said he would be on hold for 15 minutes to one hour. Annoyed, he hung up and called Police District 7 to speak to an officer. While on the line with the officer, a 911 dispatcher patched in and took his call.

More than an hour later, a police squad showed up at his house and an officer wanted to know where the shooting occurred. By then, the perpetrator was gone, Reed said.

"People just don't bother calling police anymore. If crime is down at all, it's because people are not even reporting things, because police don't respond," he said.

Milwaukee Police Association President Mike Crivello said locating the shooter on a shots fired call is often difficult, but police still must respond to those calls. Not doing so erodes trust in police service, he said.

"If I've got somebody out in the alley shooting off a gun and the police won't respond . . . you think I'm not going to consider moving out of the city?" Crivello said.

Nearby gunfire
It's the night of Oct. 7 - the Milwaukee Brewers have just won the National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The fireworks around Miller Park can be heard exploding in the distance, which makes it more difficult to distinguish nearby gunfire.

Thom Reed's brother, Duke, sits at their kitchen table and chain smokes menthol cigarettes. He said he's woken up several times a week by shootings on his street.

He has given up on relying on police to respond to calls.

"Why call? Why bother?" said Duke, 53, an unemployed electrical engineer. "By the time they get here the guy is long gone, and I have to wait up two hours. What's the use? I definitely feel less safe than 10 years ago."

Thom and Duke asked that their photograph not be taken because of safety concerns.

Duke said he is weary from the constant crime and disorder in his neighborhood but doesn't have many options.

"Why do I have to move? I can't live anywhere that's cheaper. This is my neighborhood. I've been here since 1968," he said. "This is an area that should be protected constantly by the cops, and I'm not looking to move out of here."

Later in the evening, Thom, who runs an Internet business designing rare musical instruments, goes into his backyard and hears seven shots in the area of N. 50th and W. Center streets but doesn't call 911 because it's too far.

He figures police will respond to the incident. His suspicion is confirmed after a quick walk down the alley where he sees the flashing lights of a police cruiser.

A party is going on around the block, and intermittent fighting and shouting can be heard. Thom sees a young man with a gun walking through the alley.

About an hour later, he hears a single shot down the alley and knows where it came from but is worried about retaliation from drug dealers. He doesn't call police.

"This is every night around here," he said. "Someone is shooting almost every night. We don't know which ones to call in anymore."

Several days later on a weeknight, Thom calls a reporter to tell of a nearby drug house where a group of young men were fighting and a shot was fired earlier in the day.

With a tone of irritation in his voice, Thom explains how he called 911 earlier that night. Police didn't respond, so he called back about 30 minutes later and a dispatcher told him a squad car had been sent to the incident, but Thom didn't see one.

"I called the police, and nothing was done," he said. "This is the police's way of handling it. These guys around here all have guns, and nothing is being done."

In An Emergency, Seconds Count, Except In Henderson

2011-10-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today, I had to call the Henderson, NV. 911- not for an emergency, but needed police assistance. I was put on hold for about 3 minutes, from the time the call went through to the time the call was answered. I had to listen to the recordings of not to hang up in English, Spanish and TTY for the deaf.
In that amount of time, 3 minutes, someone in caridac arrest would be brain dead.
So, if you call 911 in Henderson, you better hope that it is not an emergency.

In The "You Got To Be Kidding Department..."

2011-10-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

The extremely liberal Las Vegas Sun is having a Truth Squad check. And they are using unethical extremely liberal writer David McGrath Schwartz. Yeah, this is going to be interesting.
From the Liberal Sun: Congress passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010, which opponents have labeled “Obamacare.” Its most prominent feature mandates that individuals be insured.
This, according to an analysis by the state of Nevada, will cost the state $613 million between 2014 and 2019. The state is putting together a plan to implement most parts of the federal health care legislation, even as Nevada is a party in a lawsuit arguing that parts of the legislation are unconstitutional.
More immediately, a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis found that although health care premiums rose sharply last year — about 9 percent — the federal health care legislation was responsible for only 1-2 percent of the increase.
True or false?:
It’s in the eye of the beholder, as so much is with the health care law.
Only a few provisions of the health care legislation have taken effect. Most won’t kick in until 2014.
And from those that have, the impact so far is minimal. For example, in Nevada only about 300 people have enrolled in a program to provide health insurance to individuals with pre-existing medical conditions. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/oct/18/truth-squad-fact-checking-gop-presidential-debate/
So, Schwartz starts off by using the very liberal Kaiser Family Foundation. Yep, that's a real honest assessment.
So, I will use my conservative source, the Heritage Foundation: The Impact of Obamacare on Jobs and the Economy
Last year, America was told the new health care law would help the economy and create jobs. Today, even the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirms that job losses will be inevitable under Obamacare.
OBAMACARE FACTS AND FIGURES…- New taxes, penalties, and fees resulting from the new law will decrease the amount of investment in the economy. This reduced investment will in turn lead to a decline in productivity, causing the economy to produce $706 billion less worth of goods and services.- On February 10, 2011, CBO Director Doug Elmendorf testified before the House Budget Committee that Obamacare will result in an estimated 800,000 fewer U.S. jobs.
http://www.heritage.org/research/projects/impact-of-obamacare
See, I can play that game also, Schwartz. At least I don't go out and say I am the Truth Squad. Talk about an ego trip.

Tonight's Debate: Romney and Perry bicker over illegal beaners

2011-10-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

CryBaby Hary Reid "Blah, Blah, Blah"

2011-10-18T18:47:00.000-07:00

Harry Reid is going blah, blah blah again, this time going after Mitt Romney about the foreclosure crisis.
From the LVRJ: In a state where the loss of a family home perhaps has been the most painful outcome of the stressed economy, Mitt Romney took hits Tuesday from Nevada leaders of both parties after commenting that the government should let the foreclosure process "run its course and hit the bottom."
The comments from the former Massachusetts governor came as all eyes were on Las Vegas where the Republican presidential candidates gathered to debate. They gave Democrats fresh fodder against the presumed GOP frontrunner in the battleground state.
Sen. Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, said Romney's comments were insensitive at best, and illustrated the differences between Democrats and Republicans.
"Nevada has the highest foreclosure rate in America, and it has for almost three years," Reid said in comments to reporters. "And here's what Mitt Romney said. He would just let them hit rock bottom. I don't know what's more graphic than that in how we have different views of what the world should be like than our Republican friends."
Reid later said the former Massachusetts governor should apologize to "the thousands of Nevada families struggling to keep a roof over their heads."
"With the highest foreclosure rate in the nation, Nevadans can't afford someone in the White House whose response to this crisis is 'tough luck'," Reid said in a statement put out by the state Democratic Party.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/reid-hits-romney-on-foreclosures-132106878.html
Umm, Harry, what exactly have you done about the foreclosure crisis except to pass failed laws that have not worked?
Family Guy has Harry Reid pegged: blah, blah, blah

Another A.G. Catherine Cortez Masto.Scandal

2011-10-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

Nevada Attorney General, Catherine Cortez Masto has shown that she is just another Democratic Party hack.
Cortez Matso, at the bidding of Crybaby Harry Reid brought completely false charges against Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki just before the 2010 election season so that Krolicki couldn't run against Crybaby Reid. The charges were dropped by a judge who said the charges were basically bogus and there was no trial.
Now, Cortez Matso shows once again that she is just a complete political hack who is totally incompetent in her job.
Fromt he Las Vegas Sun: The Nevada Attorney General’s office dropped six felony counts against former Assemblyman Morse Arberry today in exchange for his guilty plea to a misdemeanor for depositing $120,000 in campaign checks into a personal account.
Arberry’s sudden guilty plea in Justice Court to “fraudulent appropriation of money” comes with an agreement he pay back $121,545 that investigators said he diverted from his campaign accounts to his personal account, according to Jennifer Lopez, spokeswoman for Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto. He received a six month suspended sentence.
“Morse Arberry has accepted responsibility for his conduct,” Lopez said in a statement. Masto did not respond to requests for comment.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/oct/18/morse-arberry-takes-plea-deal-some-see-incredibly-/
Great, he takes responsibility. Many criminals do. But they still get punished and they don't have 6 felonies dropped for a minor misdemeanor charge.
Further, from the article:
Another politician, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “This case was presented as a slam dunk and the attorney general went incredibly soft on a fellow Democrat.” For other Nevada politicians, “there’s no disincentive to do exactly what he did.”
Arberry was prevented from running again after the 2009 session, but resigned to seek a lobbying contract for Clark County judges. He solicited the contract with Clark County district courts while still technically chairman of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. He agreed to pay a $750 fine to settle a complaint with the Nevada Commission on Ethics.
He agreed to pay back $100 a month. He also agreed to a $1,000 fine. Unless Arberry plans on living another 1150 months or about 94 years, this money isn't going to be paid back.
Arberry basically stole $121,545 from his campaign account and put the money in his pocket. And he gets no punishment.
Congratulation, Cortez Matzo for being such an incompetent Attorney General. One standard for Republicans, one standard for Democrats. What a political hack and worthless Attorney General we have in Nevada.

New Hampshire: It's Time To grow Up And Stop Acting Like A Baby

2011-10-18T17:53:00.000-07:00

Newsy.com has a nice video about the boycott and scheduling of the primaries and caucuses.

The only thing missing is that Nevada traditionally has it's caucus on Saturdays so when New Hampshire says they want Nevada to switch to a Tuesday, they are full of crap. They want us Nevadans to change our tradition to keep their, New Hampshire, tradition. And that is pure BS.
It's time for New Hampshire to grow up and stop throwing temper tantrums. You still have the first primary and you still have your primary before any caucus.
It's time to grow and throw away your diapers and pacifiers.

Why This Country's Immigration Policy Is Insane

2011-10-18T15:49:00.000-07:00

This has to be about the dumbest case of dealing with an illegal immigrant I have ever seen.
From jsonline: Federal immigration officials say they won't interfere with the work-release sentence of an illegal immigrant who drove drunk the wrong way on a Milwaukee freeway for five miles and collided with at least one car.
When Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Wagner recently sentenced Armando Rodriguez-Benitez to 11 months at the county jail with work-release privileges, Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke protested strongly. He alerted the U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the hopes that Rodriguez-Benitez would be deported immediately.
But that won't happen.
Instead, the sheriff is now calling for immigration reform.
Officials with the immigration agency wouldn't comment on the specific case but said they can't interfere with a sentence that a judge imposes - even if it's a work sentence and the person isn't legally authorized to work.
"Technically they're still in custody, so we can't touch them until they're released from that. I don't think we see that very often," said Ricardo Wong, field office director for the Chicago office of ICE. "What we do is place a detainer on the person. Once the person is released from custody, whether it's a bond or sentence, that's when we come in and get that person and go through our removal procedures."
Deportation is a separate process that can take years because immigration judges decide what happens to the immigrant and the person may have the option to appeal.
Gail Montenegro, a spokeswoman with ICE, said one reason the agency does not get involved until any criminal charges have been resolved is that it ensures people serve their sentence before possible deportation.
"We don't interfere with the criminal proceedings because if we did, these criminals would all get deported instead of serving a sentence. It's sort of 'evading justice,' if you will. They'd get to go back and not face any repercussions," Montenegro said. "So we do not interfere until the criminal process has been resolved."
For people who don't have insurance, work release can be the only way to pay for any damages they caused. Rodriguez-Benitez did not have insurance and was driving without a license, court records show. Several cars were severely damaged as drivers tried to swerve out of Rodriguez-Benitez's way.
Clarke said taxpayers shouldn't have to pay to keep Rodriguez-Benitez in jail for such a short sentence. He questioned how Rodriguez-Benitez would legally be allowed to work.
"No employer's supposed to employ an illegal immigrant, so how's that supposed to happen?" Clarke said. "It just smacks in the face of common sense. If the guy's not supposed to have a job, if he's illegally employed, that's one thing. We're acting as a co-conspirator to further violate fed immigration law. Which is why I said this sentence doesn't make any sense."http://www.jsonline.com/news/crime/drunken-driver-cant-be-deported-yet-immigration-officials-say-132026043.html
So, to break it down, you have an illegal immigrant who was convicted of drunk driving- a pretty serious offense.
Then you have a judge who sentences to jail with work release privileges. Huh? He is an illegal immigrant- he isn't supposed to be working because he is an ILLEGAL. What work is he going to do? Clean windshield in the middle of downtown Milwaukee?
Then he was driving a car that damaged several vehicles- luckily, he didn't hurt or kill someone. And, so the federal immigration's folks response is what? Well, they don't want to get involved because they are waiting for his sentence to be resolved. Ok, for the most harden criminals, I can see their point of view. But the feds even didn't put a hold on this guy. And he is serving a short sentence. I would have no problem if they deported the least harden criminals in exchange for their sentences. Then the jails don't have to pay for the extra expenses of keeping the illegal thugs in jail.
But again, how does an illegal immigrant supposed to get a job on work release?
This is just an insane case of dealing with an illegal immigrant.

Obama Attempts To Pay Off Social Security Recipients

2011-10-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

The Obama administration announced that there will be a 3.5% payment increase in 2012 for social security recipients.
One way to look at it is that there hasn't been a raise for several years and they need a raise.
Another way to look at it is can Social security afford the raise.
And the third and final way to look at it is the Obama administration is doing this to buy off the social security folks for their votes.
I vote for #3 followed by 2 and 1.
Social Security is broke and I doubt that it will be able to handle the increase. However, Social Security recipients have not had a raise for a few years and they have had many of their expenses raised.
However, if this was not an election year, would the Obama administration raised the rates? I doubt it. Why they didn't they propose raises the past 2 years? Because it wasn't an presidential election year.
So, way to go to bribe those on Social Security just for their votes.

There Is A GOP Debate In Las Vegas Today: Who Cares?

2011-10-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

Today, there are a bunch of GOP candidates having a debate on CNN tonight. I only have three words: Who the hell cares? (ok 4 words, but I am a special ed. teacher)
Half the field will be gone by the time the GOP caucus comes to Nevada in January. A couple more will boycott the caucus, supposedly. That leaves only about 2 or 3 candidates left. I have a mind so, I really don't care what they say in their debate- it's all scripted anyways.
About the only one's who care are the talking heads on TV who have nothing else to talk about.
So, go ahead and debate tonight in Las Vegas. Who really cares?

New York City police officer charged in hate crime

2011-10-18T14:49:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK - A New York City police officer was charged with a federal hate crime after he allegedly used a racial slur to brag about the false arrest of an African-American man, according to court documents unsealed on Monday.

Michael Daragjati, who has been with the NYPD for eight years, was accused of stopping and frisking the man on Staten Island in April.

The man complained about the treatment after the search turned up no weapons or contraband, at which point Daragjati arrested him and filed a report falsely claiming the man had resisted arrest by flailing his arms and kicking, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn.

Investigators from the FBI and the NYPD's Internal Affairs Bureau intercepted telephone calls in which they said Daragjati boasted about the arrest and made repeated derogatory references to African-Americans, telling a friend he had "fried another nigger."

In the calls, investigators quoted him as saying that it was too easy for police officers to get in trouble and that he had been "skating it for a long time."

Daragjati, 32, was arrested on Monday morning, and faces a maximum sentence of a year in jail and a $100,000 fine if convicted of the criminal civil rights violation.

The complaint does not say why investigators began monitoring Daragjati's calls after the arrest, which was witnessed by three plain clothes officers from a different unit. A spokesman from the prosecutor's office declined to comment on whether those officers had raised concerns about Daragjati's conduct.

"The power to arrest -- to deprive a citizen of liberty -- must be used fairly, responsibly, and without bias," U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said in a statement on Monday.

"Motivated by base racial animus, the defendant allegedly abused this power and responsibility. Our system of justice depends on the public's confidence that those who enforce the law also obey the law."

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly commended the investigation and prosecution.

Daragjati also faces unrelated charges of extortion and wire fraud involving a construction and snow-removal business he runs.

__________________________________________

Thanks to Johnny R for this news story

Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. formally investigated

2011-10-18T14:42:00.000-07:00

Above Photos: Jesse Jackson, Jr. and alleged mudshark mistress Giovanna "Scabs" Huidobro

This just in… Jesse Jackson Jr. ethics investigation resumes after feds lift hold
Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011

* 4:18 pm - The Justice Department had asked the US House Ethics Committee to hold off any investigation into Congressman Jesse jackson, Jr. while it probed the Rod Blagojevich case and related matters. That request has now been withdrawn, so the committee is moving forward.
Jackson will probably be hit with some bad press about this. For instance, this is from Debbie Halvorson…

“The House Ethics Committee’s decision to look into possible ethics violations by Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr. is proof that he continues to be plagued with distractions over his possible role in Rod Blagojevich’s pay-to-play scandal involving President Obama’s former Senate seat. We should have a Representative that is focusing on job creation and economic development for our district—not on ethics investigations. The 2nd Congressional District deserves strong leadership that will be focused on the needs of local residents. Our campaign remains focused on the many challenges facing the residents of the 2nd Congressional District.”

_________________________________

Thanks to Arizona Eagle for this breaking news story

Control Freak Rahm Emanuel: Emanuel says he consulted on Occupy Chicago arrests and personally took control!

2011-10-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said today he consulted with Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy late Saturday night before police arrested about 175 protesters who refused to leave Grant Park.

Emanuel also said his administration has reached out to organizers of the Occupy Chicago demonstrations, but a spokesman for the group said they have refused a meeting.

Emanuel's comments were the first since the largely peaceful demonstration Saturday that ended early Sunday when some of the demonstrators were hauled off in handcuffs around 1 a.m., approximately two hours after the park's 11 p.m. closing time.

"As it relates to Grant Park, there's a very specific law as it relates to closing down the park," Emanuel said. "There was conversation between the police department and the protesters about respecting that -- and it starts at 11 o'clock -- about vacating Grant Park. Those conversations went all the way to -- I'm doing this by memory -- 12:30 or 1 o'clock-ish.

"And at that point -- Garry and I had a couple conversations throughout the night -- we have to respect the laws and we have to enforce them."

Asked if he directed McCarthy to arrest the protesters, the mayor said "I was in -- not 'direct,' I wouldn't characterize it that way. I was in consultation and conversation with the police superintendent."

After the mayor's comments, his press office reiterated that McCarthy made the call to make the arrests.

Speaking at an unrelated news conference this morning, Emanuel said the Police Department and the city Law Department are talking to the protesters "to see if we can find a way to go forward so they can continue to express themselves, which is what happens in a democracy, with also respect for law from everybody involved."

But a spokesman for Occupy Chicago said they declined the meeting because protesters are still facing misdemeanor charges stemming from the protest.

“We decided not to have the meeting (with Emanuel’s people) until the charges were dropped,” said spokesperson Kelvin Ho, adding that the group relayed that message to the mayor's office.

Male lovers arrested on warrants, including murder, after stop on I-290

2011-10-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

Photo: Homosexual lovers Michael A Lane, 29, of Chicago,left, and Dwayne C Moore, 24, of Chicago

Two lovers wanted on outstanding warrants, including one for murder, were arrested after Illinois State Police officials stopped a car they were traveling in for a routine traffic stop, officials said today.

The traffic stop happened on Oct. 15 shortly after 1 a.m. on I-290 at Laramie Avenue, Illinois State Police said in a press release.

The men were in a 2004 Buick driven by a third man, Todd A. Sutton, 42, of Chicago, as it was traveling eastbound on the Eisenhower Expressway, police said.

An Illinois State Police Master Sergeant was on routine patrol when he noticed that the vehicle had an improperly displayed registration and pulled over the vehicle, police said.

After stopping the vehicle, police determined that Sutton was driving with a suspended license and the men in the vehicle were questioned and identified by police, officials said.

Police determined that Lane was wanted for murder and Moore was wanted for violating the conditions of his parole, authorities said.

Sutton, Lane and Moore were arrested. Lane and Moore are lodged at the Cook County Jail, officials said.

“Our streets and highways are safer today with the arrest of these offenders -- two offenders wanted for murder and parole violation,” said Illinois State Police Director Hiram Grau(Retired CPD Boss).

Cops: Daniel "The Dago" Rago slaps Bears' Devin Hester at Des Plaines casino

2011-10-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

A man was arrested at Rivers Casino in Des Plaines after police said he slapped Chicago Bears wide receiver Devin Hester in the back of the head.

Hester was in a cash transaction line at around 10:40 p.m. Friday when Daniel G. Rago, 52, of the 200 block of Wille Street in Mount Prospect, approached the football player, slapped him in the back of the head and walked away, Des Plaines Police Chief Jim Prandini said.

After Hester notified the casino’s security team, Rago was escorted to a holding area and later arrested by Des Plaines police.

“There was no brawl, no melee that drew attention to the situation,” Prandini said. “There was no big scene that took place.”

Prandini said Rago did not explain his reasons for the alleged slap to police. Prandini added that Hester was “very professional” during the incident, noting Hester did not retaliate and asked to sign complaints against Rago.

“Devin was basically attacked. He did the right thing and showed great restraint in an unfortunate situation,” said Eugene Parker, Hester’s agent.

Rago was charged with one misdemeanor count of battery, police said. He posted $100 bond is scheduled to appear in Cook County court in Skokie on Dec. 1. Rago could not immediately be reached for comment.

Chicago cop under investigation after shots fired on boat near Wilmette

2011-10-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

A Chicago police officer is under investigation for allegedly firing his service weapon while on a boat on Lake Michigan off Wilmette, prompting a response by a U.S. Coast Guard boat.

The off-duty officer and a friend were detained after authorities searched the boat and found several weapons, “hundreds of rounds of ammunition,” two coolers of beer and a half-empty bottle of vodka, officials said.

The two men were not charged.

“If it’s an automatic weapon, there are other laws that go into that, but they didn’t have any automatic weapons,” explained Rob DeVoy, chief boatswain’s mate with the Coast Guard.

The Independent Police Review Authority said it is looking into the case. “I don’t know the extent of the situation, but I can tell you that at least one weapon was discharged,” said the agency's attorney, Eric Muellenbach.

The officer remains on active duty, officials said. He could not be reached for comment.

There goes the neighborhood...as usual! Suspects arrested after 2 shot in Northwest Side home invasion

2011-10-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE FOR RAW NEWS COVERAGE/VIDEO

A mother and her teenage son were shot and seriously wounded this morning in a Northwest Side home invasion, authorities said.

At least two suspects were arrested following the shooting, which occurred in the 3400 block of North Lawndale Avenue in the Avondale neighborhood at about 8:40 a.m., police said. A third person was also being questioned, they said.

The two victims were taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital in serious to critical condition, according to the Fire Department. Police said at least one of the them was shot in the head.

The owner of the building said the upstairs tenant called him this morning in tears, alerting him of the shooting. He went to the scene, where officers told him there had been a home invasion and suspects had been arrested.

The owner said a mother and her son, a high school student, have lived in the lower unit of the building for about a year and a half.

Reached by phone this morning, the upstairs tenant declined to comment.

The block is lined with two-story wood-framed houses, similar to the one where the shooting occurred. The home, with five Halloween headstones on the front lawn, sits across the street from St. Wenceslaus School, which is next to a church.

Kurt Hafner, an employee at a catering business on the block, said it's "very scary" and "very startling" to know about a shooting on the block.
"You'd think with a school across the street this neighborhood would be as safe as any," he said.

The home was roped off with yellow and red tape, as detectives and evidence technicians walked in and out. Four marked and two unmarked squad cars remained on the scene as of 11:30 a.m.

Don't think Chicago won't be next....Evanston board recommends 5-cent fee on shopping bags

2011-10-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

Just for your information: Those using the L.I.N.K. Card are exempt from sales taxes so once again this would be a WORKING PERSON'S TAX..... Again....

The Evanston Environment Board is recommending a 5-cent fee on paper and plastic shopping bags in all retail stores.

The board made the recommendation after studying proposals for reducing the pervasiveness of disposable shopping bags.

The Evanston city council will take up the measure next week.

DSLC Game Show: In which photo is President Barack Obama giving the young boy stanky finger?

2011-10-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Courtesy of THE DRUDGE REPORT 2011

Occupy Wall Street demonstrators: Take from the rich and give it to us! But when their stuff gets stolen... that's different

2011-10-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

It’s a den of thieves!

Occupy Wall Street protesters said yesterday that packs of brazen crooks within their ranks have been robbing their fellow demonstrators blind, making off with pricey cameras, phones and laptops -- and even a hefty bundle of donated cash and food.

“Stealing is our biggest problem at the moment,” said Nan Terrie, 18, a kitchen and legal-team volunteer from Fort Lauderdale.

“I had my Mac stolen -- that was like $5,500. Every night, something else is gone. Last night, our entire [kitchen] budget for the day was stolen, so the first thing I had to do was . . . get the message out to our supporters that we needed food!”

Crafty cat burglars sneaked into the makeshift kitchen at Zuccotti Park overnight and swiped as much as $2,500 in donated greenbacks from right under the noses of volunteers who’d fallen asleep after a long day whipping up meals for the hundreds of hungry protesters, the volunteers said.

“The worst thing is there’s people sleeping in the kitchen when they come, and they don’t even know about it! There are some really smart and sneaky thieves here,” Terrie said.

“I had umbrellas stolen, a fold-up bed I brought because my back is bad -- they took that, too!”

Security volunteer Harry Wyman, 22, of Brooklyn was furious about the thievery -- and vowed to get tough with the predatory perps.

“I’m not getting paid, but I’m not gonna stand for it. Why people got to come here and do stupid stuff? All it does is make people not wanna come here anymore,” Wyman fumed.

At one point yesterday, Wyman and other volunteers briefly scuffled with a man who was standing near a park entrance with a pail calling out: “Donations! Donations!” -- and pocketing the cash people tossed in the bucket.

Meanwhile, the Rev. Jesse Jackson was at Zuccotti late last night as he and about 50 protesters formed a human chain in front of a medical tent after police officers came over to ask about the tent, cops and protesters said.

“Jesse dropped in like a ninja,” said Stephanie Perricone, 21. “He came out of nowhere and helped us all out.”

The officers were asking about the size of the tent when the crowd of demonstrators -- including Jackson -- stood en masse in front of it.

The cops said didn’t ask for it to be taken down and the issue was quickly resolved.

9th Circuit finds police stun gun use excessive in 2 cases

2011-10-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

The ruling could prompt police to reexamine rules and practices for the temporarily debilitating weapons.

Police used excessive force when they fired Tasers at a pregnant woman in Seattle and a victim of domestic abuse in Maui, a federal appeals court ruled Monday in a case that could influence how police handle those resisting arrest across the West.

The ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, sitting in a full 11-judge forum used to decide important questions of law, could prompt police forces to reexamine their rules and practices for the temporarily debilitating stun guns.

In the Seattle case, a seven-months pregnant Malaika Brooks was driving her son to school when she was stopped by police, ticketed for driving 12 miles over the 20-mph speed limit and blasted with a stun gun three times after refusing to sign the citation.

Two years later and thousands of miles away in Maui, Jayzel Mattos was trying to defuse a brewing clash between her drunk husband and four police officers called to a domestic disturbance when one of the officers suddenly dropped her to the floor with two jolts from his Taser, which was set in dart mode.

The federal appeals court ruled that in both instances, police used excessive force and that their actions violated the Constitution's protection from unreasonable force.

While deeming the use of the stun guns in Seattle and Maui excessive, the court said the officers weren't liable in the civil suits filed against them because the law governing Taser use wasn't clearly established at the time of Brooks' 2004 arrest or when Mattos was jolted without warning for what police said was obstructing police at her home in 2006.

But the court's ruling Monday may now serve to establish that using stun guns without an imminent threat of harm is unreasonable, at least in some cases, exposing police officers to liability in future lawsuits, legal analysts said.

Barry McDonald, a constitutional law professor at Pepperdine University, said the 9th Circuit ruling wouldn't be unduly restrictive for law enforcement because the circumstances in the two cases it reviewed were unusual and unlikely to be relevant in most instances when police decide to use stun guns.

"They took some pretty sympathetic factual scenarios to establish this law," said Laurie Levenson, a criminal law professor at Loyola Law School, noting Brooks' advanced pregnancy and the allegedly unprovoked stunning of Mattos.

The ruling should encourage police to better assess the threat level they confront and the severity of the offense for which a citizen is resisting arrest, said Levenson, describing the decision as "certainly not a case where the court says police can't use Tasers."

The Los Angeles Police Department has detailed guidelines for officers on the appropriate use of stun guns and their procedures already comply with the court ruling, said Assistant Chief Sandy Jo MacArthur.

Other regional law enforcement agencies have been refining their stun gun rules after a similar decision last year involving Coronado police in San Diego County.

Monday's ruling could influence the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the parents of a San Bernardino man who died in May. Three officers were accused of shocking him repeatedly with stun guns for 10 minutes. Allen Kephart, 43, was stopped by three sheriff's deputies after he honked his horn at them for turning in front of his car, the lawsuit contends.

Four of the 11 judges dissented in part from the 9th Circuit ruling, including Chief Judge Alex Kozinski, who expressed concern that restricting the use of non-lethal force with Tasers could result in police resorting to more dangerous means to subdue those resisting arrest.

In the last decade, Kozinski said, half a million police officers were assaulted in the line of duty and 536 were killed, "the vast majority while performing routine law enforcement tasks like conducting traffic stops and responding to domestic disturbance calls."

Two of the dissenters disagreed that Brooks' constitutional rights were violated, saying she brought the action on herself by repeatedly refusing to sign the traffic citation or to get out of her car when police tried to arrest her.

"There are only so many ways that a person can be extracted from a vehicle against her will, and none of them is pretty. Fists, batons, choke holds, dogs, tear gas, and chemical spray all carry their own risks to suspects and officers alike," wrote Judges Barry G. Silverman and Richard R. Clifton.

The Illinois State Rifle Association, in Conjunction with the John Marshall Law School Student Chapter of the Federalist Society, will hold a seminar

2011-10-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

The Illinois State Rifle Association, in Conjunction with the John Marshall Law School Student Chapter of the Federalist Society, will hold a seminar at the law school (Saturday, October 22, 2011)

THE EVENT IS APPROVED FOR 1.5 HRS OF MCLE CREDIT

Focusing on recent developments in District of Columbia v. Heller, and McDonald v. City of Chicago, renowned constitutional scholar, Professor Nelson Lund, George Mason University Law School, the keynote speaker, will address Second Amendment scholarship with emphasis on Heller and Originalist Jurisprudence, and Two Faces of Judicial Restraint (Or Are There More?) in McDonald v. Chicago.
Two well-known practitioners, Richard Dvorak and Blake W. Horwitz, will address the basics of 1983 actions, the intersection between criminal law and civil rights, and how the outcome of a criminal law case would affect a 1983 action.

Admission is FREE, and includes food and beverage. The Seminar is approved for 1.5 hrs continuing legal education credit (CLE) for Illinois attorneys attending the event. Each Seminar registrant will receive a packet containing written materials pertaining to the covered topics as a source for future reference.
This seminar will also prove helpful to attendees who are not attorneys, since it will be instructive regarding your rights since the decisions in the Heller and McDonald cases, and how civil rights actions may be pursued.
REGISTER NOW !
Room capacity requires RSVP by October 18th. Call: (815) 635-3198, or e-mail: member@isra.org. Non-attorneys seeking further details may contact ISRA General Counsel, Victor D. Quilici, who is coordinating the event, at (847) 298-2566.
The Seminar will be held at:
John Marshall Law School

315 S. Plymouth Court (Room 1200)

Chicago, IL 60604
Time:
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM EST
Continental breakfast from:
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM EST

Alderman, union fight Emanuel plan to reduce police and fire dispatchers

2011-10-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

Chicago firefighter-turned-alderman Nick Sposato (36th) and the union representing fire dispatchers maneuvered Monday to kill Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s plan to reduce the ranks of police and fire dispatchers at the city’s 911 emergency center.

Fire and EMS dispatcher Jeff Johnson , union steward for IBEW Local 9, said the mayor’s plan to eliminate the jobs of 17 fire dispatchers, lay off nine others and shrink the supervisory ranks from 13 to 8 could send response times and employee burn-out rates through the roof.

The jobs of 45 police dispatchers would also be eliminated. So would four of 22 radio repair technicians at a time when radio and data frequencies need to be reprogrammed to comply with a Federal Communications Commission mandate.

“We strive to answer every call in under two rings. With these cuts, it’ll go from two seconds to 15 seconds. That’s a very dangerous number,” Johnson said Monday.

“If we have call takers working 16 hours a day, people are gonna get burned out. They’re gonna start making mistakes. It’s gonna put public safety in danger. They’ll end up paying more in overtime and in lawsuits” than they would have in salaries.

Sposato said he doesn’t buy the mayor’s office’s argument that paying overtime to a leaner staff of dispatchers would be “less expensive than having a full-time staff person” who is not needed year-round.

Not when dispatchers are already stretched so thin, some of them are doubling their annual salaries in overtime.

“You’re playing with fire there. You know what happens when you play with fire? You get burned,” Sposato said. “People are furious all the time about being put on hold. We have a lot of problems with 911 services, through no fault of dispatchers. I don’t want to cut dispatchers. I don’t think that’s the place to cut. It would lead to an increase in response times.”

Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) argued that 911 dispatchers “get burned out just like air traffic controllers. And if they make one mistake, it can be deadly.” Ald. Bob Fioretti (2nd) called the 911 center “one of the many places not to cut.”

Ald. John Arena (45th) noted that front-line workers have been “cut back to skeleton levels” in tree trimming, street and alley light repairs and he would hate to see similar cuts impact the 911 center.

“A full-time employee with benefits and pension can cost more [than] paying overtime to one employee, but what’s the burn-out rate? That’s an intense job. We have to look at that. I want to know how are we gonna deliver services in a critical area like that when they’re making this many cuts,” Arena said.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported Sunday that Emanuel’s plan to lay off more than 500 city employees and eliminate 776 vacancies could impact the 911 center in a way that could slow response times or stretch call takers to the limit.

In an e-mail response to the Chicago Sun-Times, Emanuel’s communications director Chris Mather argued that it was “completely speculative and incorrect” for the union to suggest that layoffs would trigger an increase in response times to 911 calls.

The operations floor has already been operating with vacant positions unfilled and “continues to maintain the highest level of efficiency,” she said.

“Residents can still expect a fast response followed by a quick dispatch of resources,” Mather said, noting that the city has “budgeted for any possible increase in overtime.”

In 2009, more than 60 operators at the 911 center each earned more than $20,000 in overtime pay. One racked up $90,552 in overtime, more than his $77,784 annual salary.

Police: Drinking dad had girl, 9, drive him to store - VIDEO INCLUDED

2011-10-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Police: Drinking dad had girl, 9, drive him to store
Oralandar Brand-Williams/ The Detroit News
Brownstown Township, MI — A Downriver man who knew he was too drunk to drive bragged to gas station attendants that he had a designated driver — his 9-year-old daughter — who ferried him to the station and would drive him home.

Soon after, 39-year-old Shawn Weimer was arrested with his young daughter, booster seat beneath her, at the wheel of a red and white full-size panel van he uses for work.

Weimer of Brownstown Township is set to appear in 33rd District Court in Woodhaven today to face a hearing on child abuse charges.

In a surveillance video from the gas station at 2:46 a.m. Oct. 8, Weimer is seen and heard proudly telling a gas station clerk how his young daughter is his driver for the early morning run to the gas station because "I'm drunk."

"I got, I got a designated driver," he says on the tape. "Nine years old. Nine! Listen, we're leaving, and she's driving."

The young, dark-haired girl stands next to her father eating a candy apple and looking up at him as he goes on about her driving abilities.

Albert Abbas, a manager at the CITGO gas station on the corner of Telegraph and West roads, said he couldn't believe it when one of his employees came into his office to tell him that the girl was behind the wheel when the van took off from the station.

"Nobody could believe it," Abbas said Monday. "He woke (the girl) up to drive him to the gas station. He bought her a candy apple as a reward (for driving him)."

A couple of miles after leaving the gas station, with his daughter behind the wheel, police stopped Weimer's car on King Road near Dean Road, after receiving phone calls about an underage driver. Weimer was arrested after the girl told police that her father had been drinking whiskey all night.

The father, who told officers he was teaching his daughter to drive, refused a Breathalyzer test.

Brownstown Detective Lt. Robert Grant said the slight girl was surprised when stopped.

"What did you stop me for? I'm driving good," Grant quoted her as telling police.

"The child was under the impression that she's a good driver, and that it was OK," said Grant. "She is a sweet girl."

The girl told police that her father had allowed her to drive before.

Even the 911 caller who reported the activity detailed the little girl's driving skills. The caller followed the vehicle as it left the station to make sure police would be able to locate it.

"Just watched a van pull out of the CITGO gas station. A 7-year-old girl is driving it, and her dad is drunk, and he's in the passenger seat," the caller said. The dispatcher asks if the vehicle is staying on the road, and the caller replies, "She's driving pretty good. I'm telling you … I can't believe it."

The little girl was turned over to her maternal grandfather when police were not able to reach her mother in Lincoln Park. The parents are separated, and the child was with her father for the weekend.

The father, a plumber, was arraigned Oct. 10 in 33rd District Court. He has been charged with second- and fourth-degree child abuse. Police charged him with being a habitual offender in connection with previous offenses.

He is due back in court at 1:30 p.m. today for a preliminary exam. The habitual offender charge stems from convictions on four previous felonies, including receiving and concealing stolen property and unarmed robbery, Grant said.

Efforts to reach Weimer and his attorney were not successful. The girl's mother refused comment on the incident, saying, "I have nothing to say about that."

Grant said the matter also has been referred to Wayne County child protective services.

In June, a 7-year-old Huron County boy barefoot and clad only in pajamas drove a car for 20 miles, putting the pedal to the metal as high as 50 mph, before slowing down and stopping with the help of police.

The Bad Axe youngster said he was trying to get to his father's home in northern Michigan; police pulled him over some 15 miles from his destination.

Huron County Sheriff Kelly Hanson said the child was initially charged with unlawfully driving away with a vehicle.

"It's not unusual to see children driving on farmland property, but it is very uncommon to see a young boy barely able to reach the gas pedal driving a vehicle," Hanson said.

Since the incident, authorities have initiated an abuse and neglect petition against the boy's mother. "We had a feeling something else was going on," said Dawn Schumacher, chief assistant prosecutor for Huron County.

A pre-trial hearing in the case of the mother, whose name was not released by authorities, is scheduled today in the case.

Schumacher said the petition against the mother involves an investigation into the mother allowing a convicted sex offender, identified as Francis Barevich, to associate with and have contact with the little boy.

Authorities are investigating whether the mother's relationship with the man was the reason the child fled in her vehicle.

The youngster is now living in a northern Michigan town with his father, said Schumacher.

Worst news for Obama since becoming president - Obama's teleprompter, podium stolen in Virginia (Probably Tea Party People!)

2011-10-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

A van containing President Obama's teleprompter and podium were stolen from a Virginia hotel parking lot on Monday, according to NBC12 in Richmond.

The truck was parked at the Virginia Center Commons Courtyard Marriott near Richmond before the president's scheduled Wednesday appearance in Chesterfield, the station reported. In addition to the teleprompter, $200,000 worth of audio equipment and presidential seals mounted on Obama's podium were inside the stolen vehicle.

NBC12 reports the truck was recovered on Monday at 12:30 p.m. at a Holiday Inn Express near the Richmond airport.

The Defense Information Systems Agency released the following statement on the incident:

"A government vehicle was stolen and has been recovered. No classified or sensitive information was in the vehicle. We take incidents such as this very seriously, and a formal investigation is continuing in coordination with relevant law enforcement agencies."

At this time, officials have not said if any items were missing from the van.

Sheriff Tom Dart: Dozens of families come forward in effort to ID Gacy victims

2011-10-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

Dozens of families of men who disappeared during the 1970s have come forward for DNA testing since the Cook County sheriff's office announced it had exhumed the skeletal remains of eight unidentified victims of serial killer John Wayne Gacy.

Sheriff Tom Dart says about 70 families contacted the department through its website or by calling detectives since last week's announcement.

He said the descriptions of their loved ones — young white males who lived or worked in the Chicago area — could have put them in the path of Gacy, who killed at least 33 young men between 1972 and his arrest in late 1978.

Two Chicago-area families had by Monday afternoon provided DNA samples to compare to the skeletal remains, and another family was set to be tested. DNA swab kits also had been mailed to Minnesota and Iowa authorities to test a family in each of those states.

Both families already tested gave accounts that would explain how their loved ones could have gone unidentified at a time when dental records provided the only scientific means of identifying remains, Dart said.

"In one case the young man had perfect teeth (and) never went to a dentist," the sheriff said. In another instance, the man's parents had tracked down their son's retired dentist only to find the records had been destroyed.

Dart said in both those cases, the families' descriptions did not suggest young men who would have willingly disappeared.

"One young man went to a wedding and dropped his date off and was never seen again," he said. "(That is) not the behavior of someone taking off to start a new life somewhere."

The other family told detectives their loved one had talked about working construction and being paid cash — a chilling similarity to some of Gacy's known victims, who were killed after agreeing to work for Gacy in exchange for cash.

Dart said it will be weeks before the laboratory can complete the tests to determine if the DNA of the victims match the DNA of the families.

Detectives who worked for months reviewing unidentified remains cases discovered that eight of the 33 people Gacy was convicted of murdering never were identified. They quietly obtained exhumation orders over the past few months and took jaws, teeth and in some cases femur bones to a Texas lab.

Dart said he hoped that families who always wondered what happened to their loved ones or who perhaps never reported their loved ones missing would come forward to help solve the last mystery of one of the most grisly crimes in American history.

Most of Gacy's victims were buried in a crawl space under Gacy's home, though detectives said four of them were dumped in an area river after he ran out of room at his house. Gacy admitted his crimes to detectives before he was convicted and was executed in 1994.

Hard to believe... All the Chicago murders and violence involved the colored folks again! Who would have thought that!

2011-10-18T07:32:00.000-07:00

Man fatally shot in Englewood neighborhood
A 26-year-old man was pronounced dead Monday evening after being shot in the Englewood neighborhood, officials said.

Officers found the man with gunshot wounds to his left shoulder and hand on the 6900 block of South Aberdeen Street at about 5:30 p.m., police said. Authorities initially said he was shot in the head. He was identified by the Cook County medical examiner's office this morning as Odie Henry, of the 1800 block of West Garfield Boulevard.

Henry was standing on the street when an unknown gunman came up to him and shot him, police said.

He was pronounced dead at 8:35 p.m. at the county morgue.

Teen shot in head in West Pullman neighborhood
A male is his late teens was hospitalized after being shot in the head in the city's West Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side, police said today.

Authorities had few details on the shooting that occurred at about 9:22 p.m. Monday in the 11800 block of South Perry Avenue.

The victim, who was believed to be either 17 or 18, was wounded and rushed to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition, police said.

Detectives remained at the scene gathering details this morning.

Cops: Man stabbed, critically hurt during quarrel with girlfriend
A man was stabbed and critically hurt during an argument with his girlfriend on the city's South Side, police said.

The 32-year-old victim suffered multiple stab wounds during the quarrel that occurred at about 11:45 p.m. Monday inside an apartment in the 6300 block of South King Drive, police said, citing preliminary information.

The man was rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition, according to a police spokeswoman.

Officers arrested the man's girlfriend at the scene, but charges hadn't been filed as of this morning, police said.

Garry McCarthy takes to road to sell police station closures - "It's a good thing...Less police stations...Really!"

2011-10-18T00:05:00.000-07:00

At a packed community meeting in Kenwood, McCarthy said the decision to shutter stations and "right size" police districts was based on the geographic size of the area, reported crime and staffing. Closing stations puts about 20 more cops on the street, he said.

"I know everybody loves having a building," McCarthy said. "It's not the building that matters. Instead of taking something away, we're getting more cops on the street."

Many in the crowd at Saint Paul the Redeemer weren't buying it. Several of the hundreds in attendance were reluctant to support the plan because they said it was not publicly aired and they only learned of it after Emanuel announced it as part of his budget address last week.

Ald. Will Burns, 4th, who hosted the forum, said it was an important first step in building support.

"This is a radical idea, and you have to build confidence in people who are skeptical," Burns said.

Should the plan go through, people who live in the 4th Ward will lose their Prairie police station and see it folded into the Wentworth station.

"I'm hoping your department is taking into consideration the peculiarities of each district," said Anita Newsome, who lives in North Kenwood. "We are home to the president of the United States. I want you to be aware that we are combining districts that have different cultures."

Several others expressed concerns about resources and manpower going to high-crime areas when the districts are combined. Although no one expressed it in stark terms, it highlighted the potential class fissures.

"We're not going to abandon one part of the district to cover another part," McCarthy said.

Monday's meeting was the first round of appearances McCarthy intends to make.

"Every T is not crossed and every I is not dotted yet in this plan," McCarthy said.

The administration also wants to close the Wood station on the near West Side and the Belmont station on the North Side.

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEWS VIDEO

OWS Protestors are pushing the limits of many city police departments

2011-10-17T20:53:00.000-07:00

Pawn stars Review: October 17, 2011

2011-10-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

This past week was a sad day as Indy car driver passed away at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Sadly my family was there. For more information about the race and the tragedy, please see the home page of the blog: http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/
Today, the 10:00 and 10:30 episodes are reruns.
The first episode was first aired on October 25, 2010. Unfortunately, I did not get the first part of the show:
http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2010/10/sorry-for-missing-first-part-of-first.html
The second episode first aired on April 25, 2011:
http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2011/04/pawn-stars-review-april-25-2011.html
Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a nice week.

Chicago wants the last drop of your blood and money - Chicago ticketing cars with old city stickers not removed

2011-10-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

Photo: Bonnie King with the $120 ticket she received for having more then one Chicago city sticker on her automobile, in Chicago, today. King had three city stickers including visitors parking stickers on her windshield

As a transplant to Chicago, Bonnie King thought the city’s annual vehicle stickers were “novel.” So each year, she left the old city sticker on her car when she attached a new one.

Last week, the 32-year-old Albany Park resident was hit with a $120 ticket for having an improperly displayed sticker on her car. She said her 2011 sticker was adhered in the correct place, the lower passenger-side corner of the windshield, and wonders if she was ticketed because two old stickers were still in place.

“It seems to make no sense especially when I paid for the (current) sticker,” she said of her ticket.

Ald. Richard Mell recently emailed residents in his 33rd Ward with a warning after one of his constituents apparently received a ticket for a similar infraction.

“Please don’t get caught on a technicality!” Mell’s email read. “Remove the old stickers and make sure the new one is located in the correct position.”

City law requires motorists place stickers “at the lower right-hand corner on the inside of the glass portion of the windshield of such motor vehicle.” The ordinance also tells motorist they must follow the instructions on the sticker, which include removing the previous year’s sticker.

“They tell you to do it, but I don’t think it’s really that clear you’d get a ticket if you don’t do it,” King said.

However, Holly Stutz, deputy comptroller for the Department of Finance and Revenue, said the department doesn’t ticket motorists who leave old stickers on their vehicle.

A spokesman for Chicago police, which issued the ticket to King, said he did not have the records on King’s case and so could not comment.

However, he said that in general the department may issue tickets if an officer feels a sticker, or multiple stickers, are obstructing a driver’s view, the spokesman said. Both that infraction, and one for improperly displaying a sticker, carry a $120 fine, the spokesman said.

There were 200,122 tickets issued to people who did not have a sticker or displayed a sticker improperly last year, according to Stutz. This year there were 134,262Ö tickets issued through Aug. 31.

Lou Rios, 68, of Roscoe Village, still has last year’s sticker attached to his vehicle along with the current one. Rios said he’ll remove the old one immediately if there is a chance he’ll be ticketed.

North Side resident Maria Acain, 45, has five stickers on her car including this year’s. She said she simply hasn’t had the time to remove the old ones and believes there are more important scofflaws for the city to go after.

“They have to concentrate on the vehicles that are not registered, rather than pick on good citizens that follow the rules,” she said.

Photos have been posted on Facebook from the 2011 Charity CPD Vs CFD Chili Cookoff

2011-10-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

CLICK THE BELOW LINK TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS - YOU DO NOT NEED A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT TO VIEW THE PHOTOS - THEY ARE OPEN FOR ALL TO SEE

Courtesy of Substance News

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1577960265478.54102.1729796662&type=1

Glenview police ask for help identifying this colored woman She only speaks ebonics.

2011-10-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

Photo: She keeps asking for a "Sgt Herman"....very weird

Glenview police are asking for help identifying a woman found in a residential neighborhood Saturday. Authorities say they are having difficulty communicating with the woman.

Someone called police about the woman at about 12:30 p.m. Saturday. She was seen in the 900 block of Buccaneer Drive, near West Lake Avenue and Shermer Road, said Sgt. David Sostak of the Glenview Police Department.

The woman was described as African-American, 60 to 70 years old, and in good physical health but very smelly underwear. Police said she was wearing clean clothing and did not seem to be homeless.

Police: Northbrook slanty eyed whore, 24, found naked in car with boy, 15

2011-10-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

A Northbrook woman was arrested Saturday evening after she was found naked in a parked vehicle with a teenage boy, authorities said Monday.

Na "Happy Ending" Choi, 24, of the 2000 block of Valencia Drive, was arrested at about 8 p.m. Saturday and charged with criminal sexual assault, according to Northbrook police.

Police received a call about a suspicious vehicle with its lights off and windows steamed in the parking lot of Wood Oaks Green Park, 1150 Sanders Road, according to a report.

Officers found two people in the vehicle not wearing clothes. An investigation revealed that the two people had sexual contact and that the boy was 15, according to the report.

Northbrook Police Chief Charles J. Wernick declined to comment on the nature of the relationship between the two people or on Choi’s background.

Choi was taken Monday to the Cook County Courthouse in Skokie for a bond hearing, Wernick said. Details of the hearing were not immediately available.

A man who answered the phone at Choi’s address said the whore wasn't available to comment.

Choi’s next court date is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 26, Wernick said.

Puff The Magic Dragon

2011-10-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite songs of all time and it's about a dragon! As i get older i appreaciate Folk music more and more and here is one of the best Folk group ever, Peter Paul and Mary. Sadly we've lost Mary but the music is forever. Watch as the faces of the children light up when they hear the opening chords of Puff.

3 Negro Suspects kept 4 victims chained in Philadelphia 'dungeon' for their disability checks: cops

2011-10-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

Photo: Police carry out chains from the home in Philadelphia that were used to chain the victims.

The three suspects who held four mentally disabled adults chained up in a Philadelphia basement "dungeon" to steal their government checks were officially charged Sunday, police said.

The ringleader is believed to be Linda Ann Weston, who according to the Philadelphia Inquirer previously served eight years in prison for starving a 25-year-old man to death in the early 1980s.

Along with the 51-year-old is her boyfriend, Thomas Gregory, 47, and a homeless man named Eddie Wright, 49, Philadelphia police said Sunday.

The bond for the two men was set for $2.5 million each on Monday. Weston is still waiting arraignment.

The three are charged with criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, kidnapping, criminal trespass, unlawful restraint, and false imprisonment, authorities said in a statement.

More charges are likely.

"What went on was pure evil," said Lt. Ray Evers, a Philadelphia police spokesman, told the Inquirer.

The building's landlord, Turgut Gozleveli, discovered the captives - three men and one woman - shackled to a water heater on Saturday, police said. He found them locked behind a large steel door and inside an old 15-by-15 bomb shelter.

"It was terrible," he said, according to the Inquirer. "Something I never expected to see in my life."

Gozleveli told the Philadelphia Daily News, "They had bedsores, were very, very thin... Physically, they did not look in good condition. They were definitely malnourished."

Buckets of urine and feces littered the floor, along with a mattress and some bedsheets. They were hospitalized but said to be in good condition.

The suspects held the four - who ranged in age from 29 to 41 and have the mental capacity of 10-year-olds - in order to steal their disability checks, police said.

The victims are believed to be from Texas, but authorities have not confirmed that or released their names.

Police believe they moved from there to West Palm Beach, Florida, nearly a year ago before arriving in Philadelphia.

Joliet police officer criminally charged in off-duty attack

2011-10-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

JOLIET, IL — A police officer was arrested Saturday after allegedly beating up an ex’s new boyfriend.

Robert Mau Jr., 30, has been charged with aggravated battery for reportedly breaking the 40-year-old man’s nose.

Chief Mike Trafton said the six-year-veteran was off-duty just before 1 a.m. when he drove to the 2900 block of Reardon Drive.

“He saw a woman that he was in a relationship with until very recently sitting in a parked car with another man,” Trafton said. “He punched the victim and broke his nose.”

Neighbors reportedly called 911 and Mau was taken into custody at the scene. The other man was treated for facial injuries at a local hospital and released.

Following his arrest, Mau posted bond at the station and was released Saturday morning.

“All of his police powers have been removed and he has been placed on administrative leave while an investigation is conducted,” Trafton said.

Chicago Police issue alert after 5 armed robberies of white victims on NW side - "IF YOU SEE A BLACK MAN APPROACHING YOU - RUN THE OPPOSITE WAY!"

2011-10-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Chicago police issued a community alert today after the same man apparently committed five armed robberies on the Northwest Side of the city.

In each of the five cases, a single man takes out a hand gun, approaches the victims on the sidewalk and robs them of their wallets, money and cell phones, police said. Most of the crimes occurred in the early morning hours, police said.

The armed robberies happened on the following dates, times and locations:

-- Oct. 9, on the 1500 block of North Greenview Avenue at 6:23 a.m.

-- Oct. 10, at 3:30 a.m. on the 1400 block of North Milwaukee Avenue

-- Oct. 11, at 2:30 a.m. on the 2200 block of North Milwaukee Avenue

-- Oct. 12, at 1:10 a.m. on the 1200 block of North Greenview Avenue

-- Oct. 16 at 4:30 p.m. on the 1600 block of West LeMoyne Street.

The male suspect is described as a black, between 23 and 40 years old, between 5-feet-7 inches and 6-feet tall, and between 155 and 200 pounds.

He was last wearing a dark blue skull cap, a gray hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. He was armed with a chrome or silver handgun.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at (312)746-8362.

Texas students mandatorily taught to recite Mexican pledge of allegiance

2011-10-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

UPDATE FROM A BLOG VIEWER: Glenn Beck interviews the father of the female student who refused to recite the Pledge to Mexico

In the name of educating students about a foreign culture, a teacher in McAllen, Tex., required students in her intermediate Spanish class to memorize and individually recite the Mexican national anthem and pledge of allegiance — but one student objected, catching the attention of the school district and The Blaze, which reported the story this morning.

Fifteen-year-old Brenda Brinsdon refused to complete the assignment and, instead, complained to the teacher, principal and, eventually, with the help of her father, William, the school district superintendent. The response of the teacher? Reyna Santos explained that she grew up in Mexico and loved the country. The response of the principal? Yvette Cavazo told Brinsdon it was part of the curriculum and she should participate. The response of the school district superintendent? School district spokesman Mark May told The Blaze the assignment was no different than memorizing a poem or a passage of Shakespeare.

Brinsdon was particularly bothered by the timing of the assignment, which came last month during “Freedom Week,” the week after the Tenth Anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In fact, the assignment came on Constitution Day itself — the same day as Mexico’s Independence Day.

Said Brinsdon’s father: “Our kids don’t even know the [American] national anthem and here we are … teaching them to memorize and perform the national anthem for Mexico. I just think it’s so backwards.”

He also objected to May’s characterization of the assignment as just another memorization exercise, saying that that cheapens the notion of a pledge. “You‘re taking their allegiance and their oath from Mexico and cheapening it just as a grade or words [that] don’t mean anything,” he said.

To the school district’s credit, Brinsdon wasn’t forced to participate: She was given an alternate assignment — an essay on the history of the Mexican revolution.
Here’s a thought: Why not just study the Mexican pledge of allegiance? Read it in a textbook, diagram its sentences, dissect its meaning. Certainly it makes sense to study the culture of other countries. But leave the out-loud recitation of any kind of loyalty oath for the U.S. pledge of allegiance (which, interestingly enough, is increasingly less recited in U.S. schools). You can bet plenty of students in non-English-speaking competitive countries (a) learn English, (b) study the political, economic and cultural systems of the United States and (c) never recite the U.S. pledge of allegiance in school.

If the point is to memorize and recite a passage in Spanish (it was a Spanish class, after all), recite a translation of the U.S. pledge. That’s what we did in my Spanish 3 class in high school and it stuck with me …

Juro fidelidad a la bandera de los Estados Unidos de America y a la república que simboliza, una nación bajo Dios, indivisible con libertad y justicia para todos.

Submachine guns, handguns stolen from LAPD SWAT-training site

2011-10-17T06:57:00.000-07:00

Police officials confirm that more than 30 firearms, stored overnight at a building considered secure, were stolen. 'It's embarrassing.... It's a lesson learned,' Deputy Chief Michael Downing says.

Los Angeles, CA (DSLC) - A cache of Los Angeles Police Department submachine guns and handguns was stolen last week from a secured building used by the department's SWAT unit, raising fears that the weapons, which police had altered to fire only blanks, could be converted back to lethal use, police officials confirmed.

The weapons, which include 21 MP-5 submachine guns and 12 large caliber handguns, were moved Wednesday night to a multistory building at 14th and San Pedro streets downtown and stored in a locked box on the building's first floor, said LAPD Deputy Chief Michael Downing.

Members of the SWAT unit, which specializes in hostage rescues and other high-risk situations, were scheduled to train at the facility Thursday, Downing said. A police officer arriving at the building around 9 a.m. Thursday discovered the weapons were missing, according to Downing. The officer also found electrical equipment stacked near a back door, indicating the burglars may still have been working and fled when the officer arrived.

Downing said the building, although not a guarded LAPD facility, was considered secure. To get to the weapons, the thieves cut through bolt locks on an outside door and two internal doors and forced their way through a metal roll gate, he said.

"I guess 'secure' is all relative now," he said. "It's embarrassing.... It's a lesson learned."

The theft was particularly awkward because it involved the SWAT unit, one of the most prestigious assignments in the department and one whose members are trained to methodically think through the possible outcomes of situations before acting.

When told about the weapons theft, other LAPD officers, who asked that their names not be used because they did not want to criticize fellow cops publicly, questioned why the weapons weren't simply kept at SWAT's headquarters, about a mile from the training site. "Even with some locked doors, they should have seen this as a possibility," one said.

As a rule, Downing said, officers are not supposed to leave weapons unattended at the building. He added that "appropriate measures" had been taken in response to the gaffe but would not specify if anyone had been disciplined. He said officials are also reviewing SWAT's procedures for using the building to see if changes are needed.

The building, which once housed textile companies, was donated to the department. Inside, the department put up walls and made other changes in order to create realistic scenarios for training exercises. They did not install an alarm system or surveillance cameras.

Shortly after the break-in was discovered, detectives from the LAPD's local police station and forensic technicians were summoned to the building, but several hours passed before Downing and other senior LAPD officials were made aware of the breach. When Downing finally learned of the stolen weapons about five hours later, he ordered investigators with expertise in gun thefts to take over the case, he said.

Those investigators are "working on leads," Downing said. He declined to elaborate but added that he believes the weapons will be found.

It was no secret that the facility, named the Kennedy Building after its owner, was used by SWAT for training. The officers could be seen coming and going and sometimes put on public demonstrations there. That raised the possibility that the thieves had been surveilling the site.

Asked whether there was any indication that the burglary was an inside job involving LAPD officers, Downing declined to comment, except to say, "We're not ruling anything out."

"You wonder if this was a planned operation, what information they had, whether they were conducting surveillance," Downing said.

About a month ago, a woman was seen photographing the building, which triggered an investigation by the officers from the department's counter-terrorism division, according to Downing. That incident appears unrelated to the break-in, but investigators are continuing to investigate, he said.

The obvious concern is that whoever stole the weapons will convert them from firing blanks to using live ammunition. Downing acknowledged that was "definitely a possibility" but said that to do so would require an understanding of the inner workings of the weapons.

Gun experts and online tutorials suggest, however, that the process is relatively simple and requires only a few parts. The company that manufactures the conversion kits used by the LAPD has an instructional video on its website that walks a viewer through the steps of returning an MP-5 to its original form in about five minutes.

The parts required to change the MP-5 back to live firing were for sale on a gun supply website. It was unclear, however, what documentation or background checks would be required to purchase them.

The idea that nearly three dozen high-powered submachine guns and .45-caliber handguns could make their way onto the black market or be put to use by criminals worried LAPD officials enough that they notified law enforcement agencies in the region.

"This is a big deal," Downing said. "We're concerned. We want to recover them."

Police: Four colored boys attacked, robbed Hispanic man on South Side

2011-10-17T06:49:00.000-07:00

PHOTO: Isiak Beach / photo from Chicago police
Police have charged three teens and a 19-year-old man with attacking and robbing a man of his wallet early Sunday on the South Side.

Isiak Beach, 19, of the 8500 block of South Mackinaw Avenue, was charged with one count of felony robbery, as were three boys aged 14, 15 and 16, police News Affairs Officer Hector Alfaro said. The juveniles’ names were withheld because of their age.

Officers were first called to the incident in the 9100 block of South Commercial Avenue about 12:30 a.m. on reports a gang disturbance was taking place, Alfaro said.

A 44-year-old man told the responding officers a group of several teens punched and kicked him and took his wallet, then fled, Alfaro said. Police spotted the teens and arrested them after a short foot chase.

The man was taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital where he was treated and released, Alfaro said. Beach will appear for a bond hearing later Monday. Calumet Area detectives are investigating.

Well

2011-10-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

Reading Cal's post about him closing down his blog and the death of one of my favorite race car drivers and stuff in real life has pretty well depressed this morning.
Don't know why i blog and i'm thinking again of just shutting down and going away, i am easily depressed about things, have been my whole life.
The joy i get out of blogging these days is the Halloween posts i'm doing over at the Macabre Drive-In Theater.

Bricks tossed through window of suburban church hosting anti-gay event

2011-10-17T06:37:00.000-07:00

Had this been a church supporting gays, this crime would have been a BIG DEAL but since the church is anti-gay....well don't expect anything to be done!

Vandalism happened ahead of anti-gay speaker's appearance

Several bricks were thrown through windows Saturday morning at a Christian school in Arlington Heights, hours before the school hosted a banquet organized by a group that describes itself as "dedicated to exposing the homosexual activist agenda."

The vandalism occurred around 7 a.m. Saturday at Christian Liberty Academy, 502 W. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights police Sgt. Thomas Boggs said late Sunday.

No arrests have been made, and police are still investigating, he said.

Naperville-based Americans for Truth about Homosexuality held a banquet at the school Saturday night, according to the organization's website. The group presented an award during the banquet to Scott Lively, a controversial anti-gay speaker and author.

No incidents were reported during the banquet, Boggs said.

Glen Ellyn police search for ILLEGAL BEANER heading back to Mexico in woman's apparent slaying

2011-10-17T06:34:00.000-07:00

Photo: Wetback Illegal Beaner Juan M. Granados (left) was named a person of interest by Glen Ellyn police in a woman's death. He was last seen driving a black, four-door 1992 BMW 325i with Illinois license plate L655003.

Glen Ellyn police are investigating the apparent homicide of a 36-year-old woman found dead in her apartment Sunday morning.

The woman’s body was found when officers were conducting a well-being check at her apartment at 19 Briar Street around 11:30 a.m. Sunday after family members told police they had not seen her since Friday, according to a news release from Glen Ellyn police.

Authorities didn't immediately release the woman’s identity or her cause of death.

Police are searching for a person of interest, Juan M. Granados, who they say may have been the last person to see the woman alive. He was last seen driving a black, four-door 1992 BMW 325i with Illinois license plate L655003. Hey may be on his way to Mexico, police said.

“It is unknown what, if any, involvement Granados may have in the case,” a statement from police said.

Further details were not immediately available. The DuPage County Major Crimes Task Force is assisting with the investigation.

Anyone with information regarding the case should contact the Glen Ellyn Police Department, 630-469-1187.

Black guy tries to rob asian guy, Gets choked out

2011-10-17T06:31:00.000-07:00

More Nevada Race Car Tragedy: Rick Huseman Dies In Plane crash

2011-10-16T23:33:00.000-07:00

From ABC LA: Professional off-road racer Rick Huseman was among three people killed in a small plane crash near Barstow on Sunday, Eyewitness News has learned.
The California Highway Patrol received a call about 1:45 p.m. of a plane crash near Lake Dolores. About 45 minutes later, they found the wreckage of a small plane about 1/2 mile south of the lake in the Harvard Hills area.
"I'm extremely saddened to confirm this," said Monster motorsports manager Ramses Perez in an email to Eyewitness News. "Rick & his brother passed away in a plane crash."
According to Perez, Huseman's brother, Jeff, was killed in the crash as well.
The third victim has not been identified.
Born in 1973, Rick Huseman was a Riverside native and won several races in the Pro 4x4 division, according to a bio on Monster's website.
http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/inland_empire&id=8394137
The plane took off from the North Las Vegas airport and Rick Huseman had competed in races earlier this weekend in the Las Vegas area.
For from the drivers web site: Tragically, Rick and his brother, Jeff, passed away October 16th in a plane crash.
We will post funeral arrangements as soon as they are available.
Please keep Michelle and the Huseman family in your prayers. http://www.rickhusemanracing.com/
It's been a horrible day for racing in Las Vegas.

Could Have The Crash Involving Dan Wheldon Been Prevented?

2011-10-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

I have been reading many comments on other blogs and news reports complaining about the crash that killed Dan Wheldon. Most people were sadly misinformed or just plain stupid.
First, when the Indy Car people decided to come to Las Vegas, they were not planning on a 100+ degree day. The normal temperature around this time is in the lower 80's if not cooler. But we have been in a hot spell where the temps have been around 95 in the shade and on the track had to been at least 100 or hotter. I was at the race and it was hot and I had to take several breaks from the heat. I am sure the heat made the track slicker.
There may have been a precursor to the events on Sunday. There was a NASCAR Camping World truck race the day before and at the same time of day and there were numerous accidents in the race. There was something like 12 cautions for the truck race, which is quite a bit, even for the trucks. Several drivers complained about the slickness of the track. So, perhaps the heat had a lot to do with the crash.
They also had 34 cars start the race. In the Indy 500, they only have 33 cars. However, I am a true fan of Indy car racing, if you have read my blog and if they thought 34 was a safe number, I'll take their worrd for it.. You can argue that some of the drivers were not that experienced.
Also, the race had just started, so you had full fuel tanks and that probably caused many of the fires.
Some people have said that speeds were to fast. If you put a restrictor plate in the Indy cars, then the racing would have been even closer and there could have been even a worse tragedy. Would 190MPH made a difference if the the cars were even closer together?
But then you say, what about NASCAR? The NASCAR racing has been extremely boring the past couple of years. It was so boring this year that I fell asleep during the race for a few minutes at the track. The Indy cars pride themselves of side by side racing, NASCAR does not.
So, for those who blame the track, please, look at all the facts and not emotion. Maybe they should have waited until it got cooler in the day to have the race, but that probably was not possible because of the TV contracts. And how many drivers like slower racing?
We are going to find out a lot more in the next few days/weeks. Maybe they will find fault with the track but in the end, I believe this was just a tragic accident.

Chicago Cops: Team of 3 Negroes responsible for at least 11 NW Side armed robberies

2011-10-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

A team of three robbers are believed to be responsible for nearly a dozen armed robberies on the city's Northwest Side dating back to last month, Chicago police said tonight in a community alert.

In each case -- the first occurring Sept. 23 and the last happening just on Oct. 13 -- three men approach a victim in an alley or on the street, with one of them pulling a small caliber handgun and demanding wallets, money, and cell phones, according to the alert from the Albany Park police district.

The robberies usually took place between 4 p.m. and midnight, across several adjacent neighborhoods including Albany Park, Irving Park Ravenswood Manor.

Police couldn't immediately say whether any injuries were reported in any of the robberies.

The robbers are described as African-American men between 20 and 35 years old, each between 5-foot-9 and 6-foot-2, each weighing between 180 and 200 pounds. All three were seen wearing dark hooded sweatshirts and blue jean type pants.

Anyone with information on the robberies are asked to call Grand Central Area detectives at (312) 746-8362.

Media Reports On Dan Wheldon's Crash

2011-10-16T19:23:00.000-07:00

Picture from AP/jsonline
The media has been all over the Dan Wheldon fatal crash in Las Vegas. Some good reporting and some horrible reporting.
From the horrible category: From the Las Vegas Review Journal: Sam Schmidt, the owner of the race team that Wheldon drove for, was seen pacing back and forth outside the trauma center late Sunday afternoon.
http://www.lvrj.com/sports/crash-at-las-vegas-indycar-race-involves-15-cars-driver-dan-weldon-airlifted-to-umc-131951048.html Sam Schmidt is a paraplegic and is confined to a wheelchair. He really cannot pace.
Other media reports: The other local newspaper, the Las Vegas Sun just reran a AP story and the only local take on the accident was to wonder about the driver interviews and saying it was a good call to cancel the race. http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/bloggity/2011/oct/16/tragic-day-las-vegas-motor-speedway/
The good: From ESPN: The accident spoiled what Bernard had hoped would be a showcase event for the struggling IndyCar Series.
The second-year CEO worked the entire season on turning the finale into a spectacle, and said he'd offer his resignation to the IndyCar board of directors if ABC's broadcast didn't pull a .8 ranking. His goal was to improve upon last year's season finale's horrible television rating and give the series some momentum for what's hoped to be a strong season in 2013 with the introduction of a new car and new manufacturers.
So Bernard poured everything into Las Vegas, renting the speedway from owner Bruton Smith and agreeing to promote the event himself. He landed enough sponsorship to at least break even on race, and the $5 million challenge bought him an enormous amount of publicity the entire year.
Bernard got the Las Vegas Strip to close to stage a parade of cars, hosted industry parties and a blackjack tournament all to boost interest in the race. He even got MGM Grand Resorts to offer a pair of tickets to anyone staying this weekend in one of the chain's 14 properties.
But what was hoped to be a day of celebration quickly turned somber.
When drivers returned to the track for the tribute laps, Wheldon's No. 77 was the only one on the towering scoreboard. Franchitti sobbed uncontrollably as he got back into his car for the memorial ride. The sound of "Danny Boy" echoed around the track, followed by "Amazing Grace." Hundreds of crew workers from each team stood at attention in honor of Wheldon.
"What can you say? We're going to miss him," Ganassi said. "Everybody in IndyCar died a little today."
http://espn.go.com/racing/indycar/story/_/id/7111712/dan-wheldon-dies-following-indycar-crash-vegas
The local media did not report this at all. How pathetic.
From Sam Schmidt Motorsports, owner of Dan Wheldon's car and team: LAS VEGAS (Oct. 16, 2011) – A statement from Sam Schmidt, owner of the No. 77 IndyCar Series team, about driver Dan Wheldon, who suffered fatal injuries in a crash during the IndyCar Series season finale Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
“Dan Wheldon was a tremendous competitor, a great racer and an even better person. It was an honor to have him be a part of our team. All of us at Sam Schmidt Motorsports are deeply saddened by his passing. On behalf of everyone at Sam Schmidt Motorsports, our prayers go out to all of his family, especially his wife, Susie, and their two children.”
http://www.samschmidtmotorsports.com/sam-schmidt-statement-regarding-dan-wheldon/
From the IZOD Indy car website: The sound of bagpipes playing "Amazing Grace" cut through the silence and accompanied drivers on their five-lap tribute to one of their own. Lining pit lane, IZOD IndyCar Series and track officials and crew members of every team stood at attention -- many weeping and comforting each other.
A run for $5 million via a promotion, which was to augment the celebration of the inaugural IZOD INDYCAR World Championships Presented by Honda, turned somber when INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard announced that Dan Wheldon was pronounced dead at University Hospital from injuries suffered in a fiery 15-car crash on Lap 11 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Wheldon, of Emberton, England, was 33. He is survived by his wife, Susie, two young sons, his parents, Clive and Susie, and three siblings.
The 200-lap race to decide the series championship and rookie of the year was ruled incomplete by INDYCAR officials and championship points would include races through the Kentucky Indy 300 on Oct. 2. That gives the title to Dario Franchitti for the third consecutive year and the Sunoco Rookie of the Year title to James Hinchcliffe.
http://www.indycar.com/news/show/55-izod-indycar-series/50911-wheldon-succumbs-to-injuries-in-crash/
The AP appears to have the best reports, while local newspaper reporting is not very good.

Pomona California Police shoot, kill man

2011-10-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

Pomona police shot and killed a man Sunday morning.

The shooting took place on the 900 block of West Holt Avenue at about 8:40 a.m., according to Deputy Guillermina Saldana of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

An unknown number of officers fired on a black man, who was pronounced dead at the scene, Saldana said. She had no further details on the circumstances. Pomona police referred all inquires to the Sheriff's Department, which was called in to investigate the officer-involved shooting.

Investigators remained on scene Sunday afternoon.

----------------------------------------

Detective Shavedlongcock:

Isn't it ironic that the other day when several male blacks attacked a retarded woman not one fucking mention of the offenders' race but here we have a police shooting and the news is screaming a black man got shot by the police...

The media is such a pandering piece of shit it is truly beyond belief!

Videos Of Violent Crash In Las Vegas

2011-10-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some videos of today's crash in Las Vegas in which I attended and have blogged in my pervious 2 posts:

Isn't this usually considered foreplay on Sweetest Day Weekend? Woman charged after pelting husband with cupcakes

2011-10-16T18:22:00.000-07:00

In the heat of a domestic dispute, a Chicago woman pelted her husband with cupcakes before police arrived to arrest her Saturday night, authorities said.

The sweet evidence of her crime was visible on her husband's head and shirt when officers responded to the home in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side, according to a police report.

On Sunday morning, Cook County Circuit Judge Adam D. Bourgeois Jr. ordered electronic monitoring for the woman and a $10,000 bond. She is charged with a misdemeanor count of domestic battery.

The fight started with a verbal quarrel about 7:45 p.m. at the home in the 4700 block of South Western Avenue, according to a police report, but escalated until the woman started hitting her husband over the head.

After that, she reached for the box of desserts and directed a fusillade of snack cakes at his head and body, her husband told police. Several of the confections apparently hit their mark, as the man's head and shirt were smudged with icing when officers arrived, according to a police report.

He told officers he feared for his safety, and she was verbally aggressive with officers, the report states.

Police said she admitted hurling the treats at her husband.

Records indicate that the alleged victim himself has been arrested three times since 2003 on domestic battery or battery charges. Charges in all three cases were later dropped.

As he left home Sunday, the alleged victim of the cupcake assault declined to comment.

Pictures Of Today's Indy Car Tragedy In Las Vegas

2011-10-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

Upper Left: Crew and staff stand on the front stretch in honor of Dan Wheldon as the cars do their 5 lap tribute.

Upper Right: Cars doing their 5 lap tribute

2nd row right: Scoring tower showing Dan Wheldon's number

3rd row left: Smoke right after the accident

3rd row right: Cars getting ready for 5 lap tribute

4th row Right: Beginning of the race

5th row right: Smoke from the crash

Sorry for the messed up order- I am an amateur when it comes to putting multiple pictures out.

I Saw A Man Die Today: Dan Wheldon RIP

2011-10-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

Today is a very sad in sports as Dan Wheldon died today at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and I was there to see the tragedy unfold.
As a former firefighter and EMT, I have been to death scenes but never before have I saw a man killed before my eyes. (However, when I was about 9, I saw a boy killed by a car in Milwaukee) Now, of course, everything happened so fast and we were far away, about a 1/4 mile or so, that I was insulated from the site, somewhat.
The family (my wife Cathy, my 2 kids and myself) got to the track early and we watched the end of the Indy Lites race and afterwards, we got out of the sun for about an hour.
We went to our seats at the beginning of the driver introductions and I can remember seeing Dan Wheldon so happy up on the stage because he was going for $5 million dollars and he seemed happy to be back with the Indy car drivers.
After the drivers got into their cars and they did their parade laps and then the green flag fell. The drivers weren't in perfect order, but it was close.
I tried to keep an eye on Wheldon the first few laps because he is one of my favorite Indy drivers. Us Dan's have to stick together. I noticed he had moved up a few positions.
And then the fateful 13th lap began and the cars seemed to be stretching out. The lead cars were at least a 1/2 straightaway ahead of the crash. All of sudden, I saw the crash and it is still clear in my mind. I can't remember if I had heard anything, but all of a sudden I saw cars spinning and then flying and flipping. I saw, what I know now, was Wheldon's car on fire as it flew in the air. I saw another car that looked to be upside down. I then saw several other cars on fire and one of those on fire and it travelled down the whole backstretch before stopping in front of the fire trucks.
I've been to numerous racing events, including NASCAR, Indy in Milwaukee and to short tracks. When there is a crash, everyone yells, "Oh yeah, that was cool". Not this time. Everyone sensed immediately that something bad had happened.
The safety crew was on the scene immediately and they sent all the fire and safety equipment to the crash site. The cars not involved in the crash completed 1 more lap and they saw all the damage and some saw how bad Wheldon's accident was.
Within 5 minutes of the crash, the Med-Evac helicopter started warming up. In about 10 minutes the first ambulances pulled up to the infield care hospital- two of them. Within another 10 minutes, the helicopter was on it's way to UMC Trauma Center.
At first the track announcers downplayed the accident. They said everyone was awake and alert, about 25 minutes after the crash. However they interviewed a driver, maybe Scott Dixon, who relayed that Wheldon was doing very badly. From then on, the track announcer said the situation was very serious. About 45 minutes, the first hint that Wheldon may have passed was when the track announcer said that Wheldon was a good man and driver- using past tense.
Meanwhile, the track was being cleaned up. The cars were taken away. They put a tarp on Wheldon's car, and with the tarp, you could see the car was horribly damaged- it looked smaller, like it was compacted from the top. Some other cars were partially damaged and others were completely destroyed.
What was troubling was within 10 minutes of the crash, they showed a video on Indy car crashes through the year to advertise the safety crew. I bet they regret doing that.
About 1 hour and 20 minutes after the crash, the track announcer started giving hints that Wheldon did not make it. He would say despite rumours, they didn't have any official information about Wheldon. During this whole time, most of the fans either stayed in their seats, went to the concourse to get out of the sun or some went home. But everyone was respectful, no one was complaining about the delay and it was pretty quiet.
After 2 hours, the drivers and owners went to a meeting and it was evident that Wheldon had died by the way the announcer was talking. He had said that Danica Patrick broke down and cried after talking to Roger Penske. The he said that good news travels fast and there was no good news to report.
Then the announcement- everyone was quiet and then when we were told, everyone just sat down and were just stunned. Dan Wheldon had passed and that the race was over. Then the announcer gave a brief history of Wheldon and after mentioning the 2011 Indy 500, the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Then the drivers decided to do a 5 lap memorial tribute to Dan Wheldon. The crews got the cars ready and then all the crew members, safety crews and other infield staff, family and friends gathered along the track as the Indy car drivers slowly did 5 laps, side by side by side. Every time the cars went past, the crowd gave a standing ovation to the drivers.
After the 5 laps and everyone was parked, the crowd silently, for the most part, left the LVMS, in a somber mood from what they had witnessed.
I know my 2 kids are going to have a problem handling this. They never have seen a man die before, except on TV. And I am sure this will be true of other kids in attendance.
So, to Dan Wheldon's family, friends and fans our prayers are with you. Thank you for the excitement you have given us.

Dan Wheldon

2011-10-16T15:34:00.000-07:00

Indy 500 Champion Dan Wheldon has died from his injuries in today’s IRL race in Las Vegas, Dan was a IRL champion and 2 time winner of the Indy 500. Dan was 33 and leaves a wife and 2 young children.
Rest In Peace

Racing vet Dan Wheldon killed in crash at IndyCar race in Las Vegas - RIP Dan Wheldon

2011-10-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

Racing vet Dan Wheldon died Sunday after he was involved in a multi-car wreck at an IndyCar race in Las Vegas, IndyCar's CEO said.

Wheldon, a two-time Indy 500 winner, was in line to win $5 million if he captured the checkered flag at Sunday's race.

The race was halted after the wreck, according to IndyCar spokeswoman Denise Abbott.

8 Colored folks packed into a car injured when the car crashes into Chili's restaurant

2011-10-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

Eight people were injured when a car plowed into a Chili's restaurant on the South Side Saturday night, officials said.

Two victims were transported to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook county in serious-to-critical condition and two others were transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in serious-to-critical condition, Fire Department Chief Joe Roccasalva said.

Three victims were transported MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island in fair-to-serious condition and one was transported to Little Company of Mary Hospital, Roccasalva said.

The building, at 1750 W. 119th Street in the Morgan Park neighborhood, caught fire after the crash, but the fire was extinguished, Roccasalva said.

THIS IS THE ACTUAL SKETCH - Sketch released for suspect in North Aurora home invasion - IT APPEARS A CARTOON CHARACTER IS THE WANTED SUSPECT

2011-10-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

North Aurora police today released a sketch of one of two men who bound a woman in a home invasion Friday and stole a gold necklace from her.

A patrol officer was flagged down by a passerby about 9:15 a.m. and told that a woman was injured near Lincolnway Street and Elm Avenue, police said.

Officers found the 44-year-old woman with her hands bound behind her back with duct tape.

She had been in her home on the 100 block of Elm Avenue when two male suspects -- at least one with a gun -- entered through an unlocked door and struck her several times before taping her hands and eyes, police said in a release.

One of the suspects removed a gold necklace she was wearing before they left.

The woman was later able to free herself.

The victim was not sexually assaulted or abused but had non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Provena Mercy Center Hospital in Aurora, police said.

Police described one suspect as a short white male in his late teens or early 20s wearing a dark-colored jacket with a hood and sunglasses.

A description was not available for the second suspect, but the two might have been driving a dark blue large SUV, such as a Chevrolet Suburban or Tahoe or a Cadillac Escalade.

Anyone with information is asked to call the North Aurora Police Department Investigations Division at (630) 897-8705, ext. 610 OR DISNEY CARTOONS AT 1-800-DISNEY1

It always amazes me that Chicago is made up of many different people and the only ones doing the muders, shootings or getting shot are the black folks

2011-10-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

Man killed in West Englewood stabbing
A 24-year-old man died after being stabbed early this morning near his home in the South Side's West Englewood neighborhood, police said.

The incident happened at about 3:20 a.m. in the 6600 block of South Oakley Avenue, said Chicago Police Officer Robert Perez.

The man was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:51 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

The man's identity was not being released pending notification of relatives, said a medical examiner spokeswoman. The man's home address was on the same block where he was stabbed. The incident is still under investigation.

Man shot on West Side while opening store is in critical condition and most likely going to die
A 37-year-old man was in critical condition this morning after being shot on the West Side while opening a store for business, police said.

The incident happened about 8 a.m. in the 300 block of North Laramie Avenue, said Chicago Police Officer Laura Kubiak.

The man was outside the store when a gunman ran from across the street and opened fire, hitting him in the back, Kubiak said. The gunman then ran west down a nearby alley.

The victim was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, Kubiak said. No one was in custody in the shooting.

Man dies week after suffering gunshot wound
A 24-year-old gunshot victim died Saturday night, nearly a week after being shot in his abdomen in Chicago's Roseland neighborhood.

Ivan Kelly, of the 0-100 block of West 112th Place, was pronounced dead at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn late Saturday night, a spokeswoman for the Cook County medical examiner's office said.

Kelly was shot in his abdomen at 11:40 p.m. Oct. 9 near 109th Street and Eggleston Avenue. The shooting is still under investigation, police said.

One dead, six others wounded in overnight shootings
A 27-year-old man was shot and killed in the South Shore neighborhood and six others were injured in shooting incidents Saturday evening and Sunday morning, authorities said.

The South Shore shooting took place about 6:40 p.m. in the 2200 block of East 71st Street, said Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Darryl Baety. The Cook County medical examiner's office identified the man as Darius Knowles, of the 7400 block of South Kingston Avenue.

Police said Knowles was standing on the street when a red minivan pulled up and an unknown person got out, firing four shots at the him. He was wounded twice in the torso and once in the upper left arm, Baety said.

He was taken by Fire Department ambulance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he later died, according to police.

No one was in custody and police are working to establish a motive. Calumet Area detectives were investigating and referred all questions to News Affairs.

In other overnight shootings, two men were shot in incidents early Sunday morning.

The first happened about 8:11 a.m. in the 300 block of South Laramie Avenue in the South Austin neighborhood on the West Side, police said, when a 37-year-old man was shot while opening a store for business. The man, who was shot multiple times according to Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Robert Perez, as taken in serious condition to Mt. Sinai Hospital.

About 8:21 a.m. on the South Side, a male, believed to about 18 years old, was shot in the leg in the 2500 block of East 77th Street in the South Shore neighborhood on the South Side, Perez said. He was treated at the scene, Perez said, but no further information was available about possible hospitalization.

A man and a woman were shot about 3:15 a.m. this morning in the 600 block of East 62nd Street in the West Woodlawn neighborhood on the South Side, police said, citing preliminary reports.

The man was shot in his leg and the woman in her right elbow. Both are in stable condition, police said.

Other details surrounding the shooting weren't immediately available.

A teenage female was shot in her knee about 9 p.m. Saturday night in the city's Englewood neighborhood, police said. Her exact age wasn't immediately available.

She was walking southbound on Normal Boulevard near 60th Place when a newer-model white four-door sedan drove by and someone inside the vehicle opened fire, police said.

The victim's family took her to St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center in good condition, police said.

Another man was shot about 6 p.m. Saturday in the 2100 block of West Cullerton Street in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood, according to Chicago Police News Affairs.

Police said he was shot in his back and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition had stabilized.

175 Chicago protesters arrested after being told to leave Grant Park

2011-10-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RAW NEWS VIDEO OF THIS INCIDENT

CHICAGO, IL (DSLC) - Chicago police arrested about 175 Occupy Chicago protestors in Congress Plaza just after 1 a.m. Sunday, about 90 minutes after police issued their first warning that the group was violating municipal code.

Police completed the last arrests and cleared the plaza of protesters at 3:30 am, more than two hours after arrests began.

The protesters will likely be cited with municipal violations and face fines, police said.

Occupy Chicago volunteers said they were taking bags and other belongings from people who were arrested to Grace Episcopal Church for people to pick up once they were released from jail.

With the din from supporters from across the street long since faded away, the participants were taken away in police trucks and CTA buses, often cheering.

"I did it!" one woman said, beaming. "Did you see what I did?"

Officers individually approached protesters, who had formed a human chain and sat on the ground, to give them the option to leave the park voluntarily or be arrested.

As of 1:30 a.m., at least 50 protesters had been hauled away, while about 150 others stood and continued their demonstrations from across the street on Michigan Avenue.

The arrests were mostly peaceful, though many people shouted that the police "were the instruments of the one percent," referring to the movement's popular refrain.

One person chose to leave rather than be arrested while two men were seen refusing to stand and had to be carried away by several officers.

Many chanted "The whole world is watching," echoing chants during protests at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, some of which took place in and around Grant Park.

About 500 or so protestors -- down from 2,000 earlier in the day -- had pitched tents early in the evening. Police warned them at 11:30 p.m. Saturday they were violating a municipal ordinance which closes the park at 11 p.m.

As the arrests continued, other officers dismantled the two dozen tents and threw away some of the signs.

"I'd like to ask why (New York Mayor Michael) Bloomberg let the people stay in the park peacefully and clean up their own mess, and Rahm Emanuel won't let us do the same," said Joseph Eichler, 23, of Logan Square.

When a group of protesters sat defiantly in their tent and refused to leave, the officers dismantled the tent with the people still in it.

"I'm going down with the ship!" one man shouted, right before the group was arrested.

After police cleared most of the plaza, a group of about 60 protesters remained around 2 a.m., huddled together, shouting over the repeated warnings that they would be arrested if they didn't leave.

"It's our duty to defend our rights, our right to peacefully assemble," said Brit Schulte, 23, of Uptown. "This is our park, and they're trying to take it away from us. We shouldn't be arrested right now."

Participants, expecting to be arrested, pledged to return to the plaza Sunday.

As arrests resumed, people chanted, "Shame on Rahm! Shame on Rahm!"

Still, the protesters retained a sense of humor.

"Who should be studying for their midterms right now?" one woman yelled.

"Who really needs to pee right now?"

Chicago police warned the crowd before moving into the protest that they would be arrested if they didn't disperse. They closed down northbound Michigan Avenue just before 1 a.m. Sunday before beginning the arrests.

It wasn't clear until about 1 a.m. that police would arrest members of the group.

A crowd of about 2,000 people marched from LaSalle Street and Jackson Boulevard to Congress Plaza, north of Congress Parkway and east of Michigan Avenue, continuing the 3-week-old protest against what they see as corporate corruption and myriad other issues.

Officers delayed movement on the protesters, something participants took as a promising sign."What we have done tonight," one man announced using their human megaphone technique, "might have resulted in the right to occupy where we want!"

Bearing homemade signs, American flags and printed banners, the crowd settled in the plaza to listen to a variety of speakers, while some participants erected tents and set up sleeping bags.

"Look at what we did!" shouted one speaker. "The corporations control the government and the wealth but we have the greatest power of all: the power of the people!"

"This is our Tahrir Square," said another speaker, referencing the protests in Egypt as part of what has been called the Arab Spring. "We're not going to take it anymore! We're going to take these streets!"

Occupy groups nationwide declared Saturday as a Global Day of Action, with protesters in various countries rallying for similar causes.

Dwight Overton of the West Side said he started participating on the fourth day of the movement and got more involved as he participated in the general assemblies and learned more about the issues.

"I want to get everyone aware of corporate corruption and greed," said Overton, 24, the din of honking horns and drum beats behind him. "I want to give the United States and the world back to its people, and not have corporations' influence on the government."

Erica Weitzel, 26, said she planned to sleep overnight in the square and has been encouraged by the group's camaraderie and commitment to its pledge of non-violence.

"It's beautiful and exciting down here to see people taking care of each other and being kind to each other," said Weitzel, of the Ukrainian Village neighborhood. "I think that taking time out of your day to come down here and stand up for what you believe in is the most American thing you can do."

As the demonstration continued, speaker after speaker implored the participants to camp out overnight and to stand firm in their beliefs.

"We hope that you are here in the dead of winter," one speaker shouted. "The weather is not going to stop this movement!"

Arielle Amiri, 18, said she and her friends often had discussed how they would change the world, given the chance. The one thing they settled on, she said, was changing the distribution of wealth.

"Now that there's a movement to represent the 99 percent that hasn't had a voice in quite some time, it seems silly for me not to be here," said Amiri, a freshman at DePaul University.

Later in the evening, individual protesters came to the megaphone to voice their individual grievances, from a union worker who hasn't had a raise in five years to people whose family members have lost their homes.

"In 2009, my parents' home was foreclosed on," one man said, "Not because we were stupid, not because we took on a lease we knew we couldn't afford, but because we had no choice. What they did with our money was illegal!"

Tom Cui, 18, said he "fell in love" with the protest because of its focus on democracy.

"People don't vote anymore because they don't trust the government," said Cui, of Evanston. "Having a movement like this where people can come up to the microphone and be heard, that's the kind of democracy that enables people to get involved again."

Off To The Races

2011-10-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

We will be gone most of the day, going to the INDY car races at the LVMS. When we return, about 5 shades of red later, I'll post some pictures of the race.
If you are in the Las Vegas area, come on down to the LVMS and have some fun. They are practically giving away tickets.

I Only Have One Thing To Say To The Gay Arm Service Members

2011-10-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your service.
The group Outserve had a conference in Las Vegas this past week and there were no protests, yelling or screaming. (thank you westboro Church fo rnot showing up)
However, I do have issues with the group. for instance, from the Reno Gazette Journal-Herald: Despite the warm reception she has received from superiors and colleagues, Morgan learned last week that because the military still does not recognize same-sex spouses as dependents, her wife, Karen, will not be allowed to attend an upcoming welcome home ceremony at National Guard headquarters in New Hampshire for deployed troops and their families.
Morgan, 47, who spent a dozen years in the Army on active duty and has been in the National Guard for another seven, also is battling breast cancer and is continuing to lobby to have military benefits extended to families like hers so they will be taken care of if she does not survive.
"She deserves the same benefits as any other spouse," Morgan said. "She went through the same stress, fear and concern during my deployment as any other spouse."
http://www.rgj.com/article/20111015/NEWS07/110150346/Active-duty-gays-Las-Vegas-convention-say-coming-out-has-been-nonevent?odyssey=tabtopnewstextFRONTPAGE
The vast majority of the States in the United States do not recognize gay marriage and the Federal government does not either. Because of this, her "wife" ( don't know if she got legally married- the article did not say one way or another)should not get the same benefits as married spouces. The same would be true for straight people who are not married but live together and have kids. they don't deserve anything either. Until the federal law is changed, existing law needs to be enforced.
Again, for those who are gay and served in the service, thank you for your service.

And The Hits Keep On Coming: Hells Angel Killed At Hells Angel Funeral

2011-10-15T23:38:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, a Hells angel member, who was president of the San Jose Chapter, was killed in Sparks, NV. in a shoot out with another motorcycle gang.
well at this Hells Angel's funeral, another Hells Angel member was gunned down and died.
From the San Jose Mercury News:Despite a heavy police presence at a Hells Angels funeral in San Jose on Saturday, a top bike-club enforcer nicknamed "Mr. 187" after the state penal code number for murder was gunned down Saturday in front of stunned mourners.
Multiple sources told this newspaper that the victim of the 12:51 p.m. shooting at Oak Hill Memorial Park on Curtner Avenue was Steve Tausan, a notorious sergeant-at-arms for the Santa Cruz chapter of the club who was suspected of murder in the 1997 beating death of a man at the Pink Poodle strip club.
San Jose police would not confirm the identity of the shooting victim, but did report that he was pronounced dead at a hospital at 1:44 p.m.
Saturday's violence appeared to be a confrontation between fellow Hells Angels members that was set off when Tausan punched a fellow biker, and the biker retaliated by shooting him.
The funeral drew thousands of bikers from clubs all across the West Coast, who rumbled into the cemetery Saturday morning. Uniformed officers from various law enforcement agencies ringed the perimeter, while others attended the ceremony in plainclothes.
http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_19121442
Nothing says class like punching a fellow biker at a funeral.

Matt Kenseth Wins At Charlotte, Jimmie Johnson Falls To Sports Illustrated Jinx

2011-10-15T22:52:00.000-07:00

Wisconsin native, Matt Kenseth won the evil Bank Of America Charlotte 500 tonight and is within 7 points of the Chase title.
From ESPN: Matt Kenseth won his only Cup title in 2003 and NASCAR immediately changed the championship rules.
He always resisted the urge to take it personally despite the overwhelming evidence that his methodical but nondescript season forced NASCAR to pump some life into the system by creating the current Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
Now, eight years later, he's finally back in the title hunt.
Kenseth won Saturday night's race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, passing Kyle Busch on a restart with 25 laps remaining, to grab his first victory of this Chase.
It moved him two spots in the standings to third, and he's only seven points behind leader Carl Edwards at the halfway point of the Chase.
"It doesn't really matter to me that much what everybody thinks," Kenseth said. "We're in it or out of it or whatever. What's important to me is trying to win races and trying to be competitive and go do the best job we can do every week.
"If somebody wants to say I'm boring or whatever -- I was hired to try to go win races and try to run good and that's what I try to do every week."
http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/7109434/matt-kenseth-race-kyle-busch-win-charlotte
Meanwhile 5 Time Jimmie Johnson crashed and burned in a big hit against the wall and finished 34. Just by coincidence, 5 Time appeared on Sports Illustrated cover this week, thereby becoming another victim of the Sports Illustrated cover jinx.
From ESPN: Five-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson was in a hard accident that sent him spiraling in the standings.
He was running seventh with 17 laps remaining when contact with Ryan Newman sent him headfirst into the wall. The hit was so hard, his back tires briefly lifted off the track.
He finished 34th and dropped to eighth in the standings.
"That one stung for sure. Pretty big impact," Johnson said.
Johnson, winner of last week's race at Kansas, had started the race ranked third in points and only four points behind Edwards. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week, and had dismissed the idea of falling prey to the so-called cover jinx.
After notching his lowest Chase-race finish since he was 38th at Texas in 2009, he may now be wondering if the curse is credible.
"This is not going to help us win a sixth championship," he admitted.
Yeah, that's an understatement.

Today's PAX 501 - Message from Supt Garry F. McCarthy

2011-10-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

Garry F. McCarthy, Superintendent of Police
VOLUME 11 14 October 2011 NUMBER 10
CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT
PAX 501

Since my appointment as Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, I have sought to streamline operations and create a more efficient Department while maintaining the high level of police service and professionalism for which this Department is known. Every change has been made with the dual purpose of giving officers what they need to do their jobs safely, efficiently, and to the best of their abilities, as well as providing for the safety of our communities and the people of this city.

Initial changes included eliminating levels in the command structure and restoring the position of First Deputy Superintendent. Several additional changes were announced in Mayor Emanuel’s 2012 proposed budget notably that over the course of the next few months, the Department will undergo a major restructuring. Among the changes is the merger of several Police and Fire specialized units, the relocation of CFD administrative offices into CPD headquarters, and the consolidation of area commands, patrol districts and detective areas. The proposed budget also provides for the hiring of two classes of recruits in 2012.

Following the restructure, the Department will consist of three Area commands: North, Central and South, and the Wood (13th), Belmont (19th) and Prairie (21st) Districts will be consolidated as follows: Wood (13th) will be consolidated with the Monroe (12th) District; Belmont (19th) will be consolidated with the Town Hall (23rd) District; and Prairie (21st) will be consolidated with the Central (1st) and Wentworth (2nd) Districts. It has not yet been determined how the Area buildings will be consolidated.

This consolidation plan will create a strong and sustainable organizational structure, allowing officers to perform their duties more effectively and with less bureaucracy. Additional officers will be freed up by the merger of administrative functions meaning more boots on the ground working in districts.

At this time, there are several items that remain undetermined, including the timeline for implementation. Discussions about this are ongoing.

I am confident that this reorganization will help us continue the crime reductions we have achieved in recent months and will increase public safety within our communities.

As part of the budget process, the City Council will review the Mayor’s proposed budget over the course of the next few weeks. During this time, I will present the Department’s budget to the Budget Committee and outline its merits and the public safety advances we will achieve with its implementation.

I will do my best to keep Department members informed as the process moves forward and details are finalized. This is an exciting time for the Chicago Police Department and I am proud to share in it with all of you.

Thank you for your continued dedication.

Keep the truth going and the good fight happening! Donate to the Det Shavedlongcock News and Blog! Simply Click ----->

2011-10-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

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One Song They Won't Be Singing at The Protests

2011-10-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

Hey Shithead, here's a better solution... Don't be blasting your radio ASSHOLE!

2011-10-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

Chicago Tribune Pandering Problem Solver: Motorist raises ruckus after car is impounded over noise violation - Man paid Berwyn $500, faces further potential fines at Nov. 3 court date

It was an unseasonably warm October day, and as Jack Stewart drove down Cermak Road in Berwyn en route to pick up a pair of shoes for his wife, the 42-year-old state employee rolled down the windows on his 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix and cranked up Eminem on his car stereo.

Crossing Oak Park Avenue, he noticed a police car behind him, lights flashing.

"I pulled over thinking he was going somewhere else," Stewart said of the Oct. 4 incident. "He got on his loudspeaker and said to pull over and park around the corner."

Thirty minutes later, Stewart's car was impounded — whisked away under Berwyn's noise ordinance, which prohibits any sound that can be heard more than 75 feet away.

Getting his car back was not cheap. When he showed up at the impound lot, Stewart was charged a $500 penalty, paid directly to Berwyn, and another $206 in towing and storage fees.

Upset with the impoundment and the fees, Stewart's wife, Shavon Dawson, emailed What's Your Problem?

Dawson said she knew getting the money back was impossible, but she thought publicizing the incident was a public service.

She called the act of impounding the car for loud music "unethical."

"It's one thing to issue a $100 ticket as a warning, but to automatically just take my car?" Stewart said. "I believe this is their way of gouging people and trying to make up revenue the city doesn't have."

Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the ACLU of Illinois, said vehicle impoundments — and correlating fees — have increased dramatically nationwide, as cash-strapped municipalities look for ways to fill their dwindling coffers.

"One of the things we've seen is relatively minor offenses now have incredible economic consequences that disproportionately fall on people who can't afford them," Yohnka said. "I think there is no question that in many places around the country we've seen that the issue is not law enforcement but rather funding."

In most cases, towns have begun impounding cars for violations such as DUI, solicitation of prostitutes or drug possession. In Chicago, impoundment fees are $1,000, double what Berwyn charges. Chicago's impound fee for DUI arrests would increase to $2,000 next year under Mayor Rahm Emanuel's proposed budget.

A Chicago police spokesman said officers are allowed to impound vehicles for a noise violation, but observers say that rarely happens.

Charles Beach, a Chicago DUI and traffic attorney, said villages like Berwyn sometimes enact "draconian measures" like vehicle impoundment to crack down on violence.

"The statute is used as a tool to go after gangbangers," Beach said.

But when used on peaceful motorists like Stewart, such fines have different implications. In some cases, the impound fees are nothing more than a revenue source, Beach said.

"It's just the money-grubbing municipalities looking to make more money," he said.

A survey of the villages surrounding Berwyn show that most have ordinances prohibiting motorists from playing loud music but none impound vehicles for the infraction.

In Forest Park, motorists violating the village noise ordinance are given a ticket, but generally only after someone has complained about the music, most often neighbors living near a carwash, said Tom Aftanas, the village's deputy police chief.

"We don't specifically set up somewhere to try to catch someone with their radio loud," Aftanas said. "We do not impound vehicles for it."

In Oak Park, officers can issue tickets for loud car stereos, with fines ranging from $20 to $750. Village spokesman David Powers said most fines wind up on the lower end of the scale, "unless there was some kind of history or mitigating circumstance."

There is no provision in the Oak Park ordinance for impounding a vehicle for a noise violation.

In neighboring Cicero, cars can be impounded for loud stereos, but town spokesman Ray Hanania said such impounds are extremely uncommon. Police officers use the ordinance as a tool to crack down on noise in neighborhoods and on gang activity, Hanania said.

If a vehicle is impounded, it is likely for another infraction discovered in the process of issuing the noise ordinance ticket, he said. The last vehicle impounded in Cicero for a noise violation was in May, though it was not clear if the motorist was charged with other violations, Hanania said.

The impoundment fee in Cicero is $100, with an additional $100 charged for each day the vehicle remains on the impound lot, Hanania said.

When asked whether Cicero had ever set up a trap to impound cars playing loud music, the spokesman said no.

"We've never done that," he said. "That's not to criticize (Berwyn). What they do is their business. But on our end, there is a concern for the circumstances involved."

In Stewart's case, he was driving down a busy, nonresidential street at 3 p.m. and insists there were plenty of other motorists playing music as loudly as him. He saw no signs announcing Berwyn's noise ordinance and said the officer never provided proof he violated the law.

Stewart said he tried to argue that both the citation and the fees were unwarranted, but the police officer wasn't interested in his pleas.

"He said he sets up a trap for this type of stuff. 'That's how serious we take it in Berwyn,'" Stewart said. "I'm like, 'You're crazy. You can't be taking my car.'"

On top of the $706 he has already paid, the Elmhurst resident is required to attend the Nov. 3 court date to determine whether he is guilty of the actual infraction. He faces up to $165 in court fees and as much as $750 in additional fines. In all, the incident could cost him $1,621.

In Stewart's mind, the money he paid to get his car back following the impound means Berwyn has already determined his guilt. The Nov. 3 hearing, he said, becomes more like an appeals hearing.

Both Beach and Yohnka said courts have ruled repeatedly that impound penalties are legal, and that they are separate from whatever fines a judge imposes for violation of an ordinance.

"I'm not opposed to ordinances to keep down noise and violence," Stewart said. "But the way they're doing it is all wrong."

The Problem Solver called Berwyn's village hall and was referred to Police Chief Jim Ritz. Ritz told the Problem Solver to call the village attorney, Anthony Bertuca. Bertuca never called back, but a secretary at village hall said Bertuca had referred the matter to Mayor Robert J. Lovero.

Lovero did not return calls or an email seeking comment.

Stewart said he will go to the court hearing and argue that the officer has no proof his car stereo was too loud.

"They pull you over for speeding, at least they have a radar gun; if they give you a ticket for running a red light, at least there's a photo," he said. "How do you prove that my music was a danger? And again, since when is loud music an offense of that magnitude where you take my car?"

Stewart said his experience wasn't 100 percent bad. After getting the car out of the impound lot Oct. 4, a few hours after it was taken, he and his wife drove to the shoe store and bought the shoes.

"We needed to walk around, we needed to blow off some steam," he said. "So we bought them."

Zebra escapes from Boston Zoo - forces evacuation

2011-10-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

BOSTON, MA — An endangered female zebra and her foal that escaped from their exhibit and forced the evacuation of a Boston zoo have returned to their enclosure.

The zebras at the Franklin Park Zoo escaped late Saturday morning. No injuries to animals or humans were reported.

Operator Zoo New England says the baby broke through the exhibit's electrical fencing and its mother followed.

The foal returned to the enclosure about 40 minutes later. Its mother was led back to the zebra barn at mid-afternoon. The zoo then reopened.

Zoo New England says the fencing was tested and working before the zebras escaped.

The animals are Grevy's zebras, a species found primarily in Kenya that numbers only 2,500 worldwide. It was the baby's first day in the exhibit.