Stories by Heather Cherone
City Lawyers: Pay Family of Man Who Died 5 Hours After Paramedics Left Without Treating Him $200K
| Heather Cherone
The family of a 55-year-old Chicago man who died five hours after paramedics were called to his West Garfield Park home but left without treating him should be paid $200,000, city lawyers recommended.
Chicago Will Not Create Reparations Commission After Lightfoot Objects
| Heather Cherone
Chicago will not create a commission to study whether — and how — the city should pay reparations to Chicagoans who are the descendants of enslaved African Americans after Mayor Lori Lightfoot objected to the long-in-the-works effort.
City Council Sued Over Online Conference Call That Detailed Panic, Sorrow After Unrest
| Heather Cherone
The Chicago City Council violated the Open Meetings Act by holding an online conference call with Mayor Lori Lightfoot in the wake of unrest that swept the city following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, according to a lawsuit filed Friday.
Chicago Could Move Into Next Phase of Reopening July 1: Officials
| Heather Cherone
Nine days after Chicago began reopening — and after days of massive protests against police brutality and unrest — the rate of confirmed cases of the coronavirus is still dropping, city health officials said Friday.
Aldermen Endorse Plan to Fast-Track Outdoor Dining
| Heather Cherone
A plan to fast-track applications from restaurants and cafes to serve customers outdoors cleared a key city panel Thursday, as city officials vowed to do everything possible to help restaurants stay afloat amid the pandemic.
13 Police Officers Lounged, Napped in US Rep. Rush’s Office as Looting Swept South Side
| Heather Cherone
More than a dozen officers lounged, slept and snacked in the burglarized South Side office of U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush in the early hours of June 1 as unrest swept the city, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday.
City Spent $400K for Security Guards to Patrol South, West Sides During Peaceful Weekend
| Heather Cherone
The final cost to hire 100 private security guards to patrol the South and West sides to protect businesses from a second weekend of looting and damage that never materialized was $400,000, Chicago officials said.
Aldermen Endorse Plan to Earmark $20M for 2nd Round of Housing Assistance Grants
| Heather Cherone
Aldermen on Wednesday endorsed Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to use federal money to create a $20 million fund to offer grants to Chicagoans struggling to pay their rent and mortgages because of the pandemic.
City to Use $5M in Private Funds to Help Chicagoans Left Out of Federal Coronavirus Relief
| Heather Cherone
Chicagoans who did not get financial help from the federal government during the coronavirus pandemic can apply for $1,000 grants from the city, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Wednesday.
Lightfoot to Unveil New Protections From Evictions for Renters as Pandemic Eases
| Heather Cherone
Mayor Lori Lightfoot will ask aldermen to approve an ordinance designed to minimize the number of evictions across the city as the coronavirus pandemic eases, officials said.
Pandemic Blows $700M Hole in Chicago’s Budget: Lightfoot
| Heather Cherone
The dire financial picture for Chicago comes after Mayor Lori Lightfoot insisted through mid-April that the city was well-prepared to weather the economic storm whipped up by COVID-19.
Aldermen Rebuff Mayor’s Effort to Block Creation of Reparations Commission
| Heather Cherone
The Chicago City Council is one step away from creating a commission to study whether — and how — the city should pay reparations to Chicagoans who are the descendants of enslaved African Americans.
City to Spend Up to $1.2M for Security Guards to Patrol South, West Sides
| Heather Cherone
City officials announced Saturday they were prepared to spend as much as $1.2 million to hire 100 private security guards to patrol the South and West sides to protect businesses from a second weekend of looting and damage.
George Floyd Protests: 1,258 Arrested, 130 Police Officers Injured in Chicago
| Heather Cherone
As peaceful protests entered their ninth day in Chicago, the police department announced it had arrested 1,258 people in three days during the unrest that swept the city after the death of George Floyd.
Police Board President: Officers Struck Me 5 Times With Their Batons During Protest
| Heather Cherone
Chicago officers struck Chicago Police Board President Ghian Foreman five times on his legs with their batons during a protest on Sunday in Hyde Park that turned violent, Foreman told WTTW News.
‘What Are We Going To Have Left In Our Community?’ Aldermen React with Panic, Sorrow to Unrest
| Heather Cherone
As unrest swept the city Sunday, aldermen pleaded with Mayor Lori Lightfoot to help them protect their communities from roving bands of criminals clashing with police and looting businesses.
Lightfoot Calls for Officer Who Flipped Off Peaceful Protesters to Be Fired
| Heather Cherone
“We will not tolerate that kind of abusive, offensive conduct on the part of police officers, period,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Friday.
Stalled by Pandemic, Push to Create Elected Board to Oversee CPD Gets New Life Amid Protests
| Heather Cherone
Efforts to put an elected board of Chicago residents in charge of the Chicago Police Department — stalled by the coronavirus pandemic — could get new life amid a renewed nationwide push to hold police officers accountable for misconduct.
Lightfoot Again Defends Call to Block Off Downtown as Unrest Swept South, West Sides
| Heather Cherone
An increasing number of complaints that Chicago officials decided to protect downtown at the expense of neighborhoods on the South and West sides are “not true and illogical,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Wednesday.
After Relatively Quiet Night, Police Superintendent Optimistic That Worst is Over
| Heather Cherone
Looting and unrest has largely subsided in Chicago as large peaceful protests against police misconduct continue, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown told reporters Wednesday.
Chicago Reopening May Be Delayed by Protests: Lightfoot
| Heather Cherone
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said plans to lift some restrictions in Chicago on Wednesday designed to stop the spread of COVID-19 may be delayed after violent protests sparked by the death of George Floyd swept the city.
Lightfoot Imposes Curfew After Protests Over Killing of George Floyd Turn Violent
| Heather Cherone
Following an increasingly chaotic scene in the Loop on Saturday evening sparked by outrage over the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police, Mayor Lori Lightfoot imposed a curfew on Chicago residents from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Building at Former Crawford Power Plant to be Demolished June 5
| Heather Cherone
A planned demolition of a building at the former Crawford Power Plant will take place June 5, after being delayed nearly three weeks after protests erupted and the local alderman objected, company officials announced Friday.
As Stay-At-Home Order Ends, Here’s What Is Open — And What Isn’t
| Heather Cherone
The stay-at-home order put in place on March 21 by Gov. J.B. Pritzker officially expired Friday. Here’s what is now open — and what will be different in Chicago as compared with the rest of the state.
Lightfoot Blasts Trump For ‘Threatening’ Those Protesting Death of George Floyd
| Heather Cherone
Mayor Lori Lightfoot called the president’s statements about those protesting the death of George Floyd “profoundly dangerous” and were part of an effort to stoke racial tensions for his own political benefit.
Uber Launches Rent-By-Hour Service as Demand for Ride-Hailing Services Drops
| Heather Cherone
Ride-hailing giant Uber will allow customers to book its cars and drivers by the hour in Chicago starting Tuesday as the coronavirus pandemic continues to reduce demand for one-way trips.
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