“While the risk in Chicago remains low, CDPH wants the public to be able to make informed choices about gathering in spaces or participating in events where monkeypox could be spread through close or intimate contact,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Stories by heather cherone
City Set to Sell 2 Vacant Lots to Wife of Former Ald. Michael Scott
Heather Cherone | Jun 13, 2022
Natashee Scott, the former alderperson’s wife, is set to pay $8,000 for two city-owned vacant lots adjacent to her family’s home along Albany Avenue across the street from Douglass Park in North Lawndale on Chicago’s West Side.
Chicago Failed to Enforce Law Requiring City Contractors to Disclose Links to Slavery: Officials
Heather Cherone | Jun 9, 2022
Chicago’s effort to address reparations for the descendants of enslaved people stalled as suburban Evanston became the first city in the nation to offer reparations.
19 People — Including Former Alderperson’s Sister — Apply to Fill Vacant 24th Ward Chicago City Council Seat
Heather Cherone | Jun 8, 2022
Whoever the mayor picks to fill the 24th Ward seat and is confirmed by the City Council will have a leg up if they run for a full term in the next municipal election, set for February 2023.
Lightfoot Begins Re-election Campaign with Whistle Stop Tour Focused on South, West Sides
Heather Cherone | Jun 8, 2022
Mayor Lori Lightfoot began her campaign for a second term as mayor on Wednesday with a whistle-stop tour focused on the South and West sides, vowing to battle the forces that continue to segregate Chicago and exclude Black and Latino residents from getting their share of city resources and investment.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot Launches Re-election Campaign with Video Vowing to ‘Never Back Down’ Despite Criticism
Heather Cherone | Jun 7, 2022
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s opening argument in her bid to be the first woman to be re-elected as Chicago mayor acknowledges that much of her term in office has been marked by bruising and at times deeply personal confrontations. “Change doesn’t happen without a fight,” Lightfoot said in the video.
Ald. Roderick Sawyer: Chicago Needs a Mayor That Leads with Collaboration, Not Confrontation
Heather Cherone | Jun 7, 2022
Late last week, another candidate got into the race for mayor: 6th Ward Ald. Roderick Sawyer. Sawyer has a long history with City Hall; his father Eugene Sawyer – served the city of Chicago as mayor for a brief period after the death of Harold Washington. And in 2011, the younger Sawyer was elected to lead the ward where he was born and raised.
Former Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson Deserves 2 Years in Prison for Lying, Cheating on Taxes, Feds Tell Judge
Heather Cherone | Jun 7, 2022
Patrick Daley Thompson was convicted on seven charges in February, forcing his removal from the Chicago City Council. He is scheduled to be sentenced July 6 by U.S. District Court Judge Franklin Valderrama.
Don’t Send Former Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson to Jail — He’s Been Punished Enough, His Lawyers Say
Heather Cherone | Jun 6, 2022
Once considered the heir to the political empire built by his grandfather, former Mayor Richard J. Daley, and his uncle, former Mayor Richard M. Daley, Daley Thompson’s conviction meant he was longer eligible to serve as a member of the Chicago City Council.
‘Ald. Burke Should Tell It to a Jury’: Judge Rejects Bid to Dismiss Charges, Block Use of Recordings
Heather Cherone | Jun 6, 2022
U.S. District Court Judge Robert Dow’s 194-page ruling paves the way for Burke and his co-defendants, longtime aide Peter Andrews and Portage Park businessman Charles Cui, to stand trial together in 2023, more than three years after they were indicted and pleaded not guilty.
Judge Refuses to Overturn Conviction of Former Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson
Heather Cherone | Jun 6, 2022
In a 63-page ruling, a federal judge rejected the former alderperson’s bid for a new trial or an outright acquittal. Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6.
Lightfoot Takes Aim at Rivals: ‘Another Man Who Thinks He Can Do This Job Better Than Me’
Heather Cherone | Jun 2, 2022
Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th Ward) became the fifth candidate to challenge Lightfoot’s expected bid to be the first woman to be re-elected as Chicago mayor on Thursday, slamming Lightfoot as “mean-spirited” and blasting what he called her “uncollaborative” style of governing in a series of interviews.
Likely Case of Monkeypox Detected in Chicago, Health Officials Announce
Heather Cherone | Jun 2, 2022
The first probable case of the rare disease was discovered on Wednesday in a man who recently returned to Chicago from Europe, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Effort to Tighten Chicago’s Ethics Rules Stalls Without Lightfoot’s Support
Heather Cherone | Jun 1, 2022
The proposal crafted by Ald. Michele Smith (43rd Ward), chair of the City Council’s Ethics and Government Oversight Committee, and the Chicago Board of Ethics would hike the maximum fine for violating the city’s ethics ordinance from $5,000 to $20,000 as part of an effort to grapple with Chicago’s seemingly intractable legacy of graft and mismanagement.
Former CPS CEO Paul Vallas Announces Run for Mayor, Says Chicago Faces a ‘Crisis of Leadership’
Heather Cherone | Jun 1, 2022
Paul Vallas’ announcement emphasized his years of public service, which included stints as former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s budget director and schools’ chief.
Judge Set to Rule on Use of Recordings in Corruption Probe of Ald. Edward Burke, As Trial Slips to 2023
Heather Cherone | May 31, 2022
A federal judge said Tuesday that he is preparing to issue a nearly 200-page ruling in the corruption case against Ald. Edward Burke (14th Ward) that could determine whether federal prosecutors can use thousands of hours of the powerful politician’s telephone conversations.
COVID-19 Poses ‘High’ Risk Across Chicago, Cook County: Federal Health Officials
Heather Cherone | May 26, 2022
Chicago officials will not immediately reimpose an indoor mask mandate because the city’s hospitals are not being strained by the number of people seriously sick with COVID-19.
City Council OKs Lightfoot’s Proposal to Expand, Extend Teen Curfew
Heather Cherone | May 25, 2022
The city’s curfew now starts at 10 p.m. seven days a week and applies to 17-year-olds. The vote, delayed Monday by a parliamentary procedure amid a deluge of criticism, came over the objections of the ACLU of Illinois, which warned city officials that the change would “exacerbate tensions between the police and young people.”
Chicago City Council Votes 41-7 to Approve Bally’s River West Casino
Heather Cherone | May 25, 2022
The $1.73 billion proposal now heads to the Illinois Gaming Board, which must license Bally’s to operate the Chicago casino set to be built along the Chicago River near Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street.
Chicago’s New Police Oversight Board Inches Forward After Months of Delays
Heather Cherone | May 24, 2022
The effort to launch the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability is nearly five months behind schedule. Ald. Harry Osterman (48th Ward) said 37 people applied to serve on the seven-member commission, and praised those selected by a working group of alderpeople.
176,000 Chicagoans Apply for City’s Guaranteed Basic Income Program: Lightfoot
Heather Cherone | May 24, 2022
The $31.5 million program has enough funding to send just 5,000 Chicago families $500 per month for 12 months, officials said. Approximately 64% of applicants live below the poverty line, which is $26,500 for a family of four. An additional 40% of applicants live in households that earn half that amount, officials said.
Ald. Michael Scott Jr. Resigns from Chicago City Council, Citing Toll of Pandemic, Violence
Heather Cherone | May 24, 2022
Ald. Michael Scott’s resignation will be effective June 3, according to his letter to Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Lightfoot will have 60 days to appoint a replacement, who will serve until the next election, set for February 2023.
Chicago Casino Plan Poised for Approval Later This Week After Initial City Council Vote
Heather Cherone | May 23, 2022
The Chicago City Council is expected to give its final stamp of approval to the Bally’s plan on Wednesday, sending the proposal to the Illinois Gaming Board, which must license Bally’s to operate the Chicago casino set to be built near Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street.
Alderpeople Call Special City Council Meeting to Pressure Lightfoot on Crime Spike, Summer Violence
Heather Cherone | May 23, 2022
Crime in Chicago usually peaks during the summer months, when hot temperatures force people outside and fray tempers. In recent years, the Memorial Day holiday weekend has been extremely violent.
Lightfoot’s Proposal to Expand, Extend Teen Curfew Blocked — For Now
Heather Cherone | May 23, 2022
Ald. Nicholas Sposato (38th Ward) and Ald. Emma Mitts (37th Ward) — who both support the proposal — used a parliamentary procedure to prevent a vote on Monday. However, Public Safety Committee Chair Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th Ward) filed a notice with the city clerk’s office to ensure the measure would get an up-or-down vote on Wednesday.
Crucial Vote on Chicago Casino Delayed, As City Council Members Object to Fast Timeline
Heather Cherone | May 20, 2022
Even though Lightfoot stacked a special City Council committee with her allies to consider the casino proposal, Ald. Tom Tunney (44th Ward) acknowledged Friday that the mayor did not have enough support to advance the plan to build a casino and resort.