Stories by heather cherone

(WTTW News)

Johnson Inks Extension With ShotSpotter Until September, Hours Before Contract Expires

Chicago first entered into a contract with ShotSpotter in 2017. The controversial technology relies on microphones and sensors to identify the sound of gunfire and alert law enforcement.

Mayor Brandon Johnson addresses the news media on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (Heather Cherone/WTTW)

Johnson Promises to Spend All of Chicago’s Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds, With Focus on ‘Disinvested’ Communities

“I’m going to spend all that money, I can assure you of that,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.

(WTTW News)

City Council Votes 18-32 to Reaffirm Decision to Reject Push to Upend CPD Discipline System

After a spirited debate, Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward) — once the leading progressive voice on the Chicago City Council — was the only alderperson to change their position since the December vote.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker addresses the news media. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)

State, County Leaders Agree to Spend Additional $250M to Care for Migrants — But $70M Gap Remains

That cost is on top of the $150 million already set aside in Chicago’s 2024 budget, the $100 million earmarked in Cook County’s budget to care for the migrants, and $160 million in state funds Pritzker agreed to spend to care for the migrants in mid-November, officials said.

(WTTW News)

South Shore Voters to Weigh Need for Protection From Gentrification Sparked by Obama Presidential Center

Voters in two precincts of the 7th Ward will be asked whether Ald. Greg Mitchell (7th Ward) and Mayor Brandon Johnson should “support a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) ordinance to prevent the displacement of renters, condo & home owners in South Shore in light of the impact of the Obama Center and growing development in the area.”

(WTTW News)

Mayor Brandon Johnson Cancels ShotSpotter Contract, Fulfilling Major Campaign Promise

Chicago will stop using the ShotSpotter technology by Sept. 22 — one month after the Democratic National Convention takes place in Chicago and after the summer months that are often the most violent period of the year, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced.

(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Just 29% of Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds Meant to Transform Chicago Have Been Spent: Data

Chicago spent less than $160 million on a host of programs including affordable housing, mental health, violence prevention, youth job programs and help for unhoused Chicagoans through Dec. 31, 2023, according to reports to the federal government.

Chicago Police dash cam video of Martina Standley receiving medical attention after being struck by a Chicago Police SUV in South Shore in November 2019.

Pay $3.25M to Family of Woman Struck, Pinned by Police Car, City Lawyers Recommend

The proposed settlement is set to be considered Wednesday by the City Council’s Finance Committee. If approved, a final vote of the City Council could come as soon as Thursday.

City Council Set to Weigh Push to Require CPD to Study How Officers Are Deployed, Despite Political Peril

City Council Set to Weigh Push to Require CPD to Study How Officers Are Deployed, Despite Political Peril

The Chicago Police Department would be required to immediately launch a new study of whether officers are efficiently and effectively deployed across the city, under a measure set to be considered by a key City Council committee.

A mural of Adam Toledo painted by Milton Coronado. (Matt Masterson / WTTW News)

Fate of Officer Who Fatally Shot Adam Toledo in Limbo as Judge Halts Police Board Hearings Amid Dispute

The Police Board is blocked from holding any hearings until Feb. 24, with the next hearing in the lawsuit brought by the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 7, set for Feb. 26, according to the Cook County judge's order.

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez (33rd Ward) urges her colleagues to call for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza during a Chicago City Council meeting on Jan. 31, 2024. (Heather Cherone / WTTW News)

Mayor Brandon Johnson Breaks 23-23 City Council Tie to Call for Cease-Fire in Israel-Hamas War Amid Intense Debate

Chicago is now the largest American city to adopt a cease-fire resolution, joining Minneapolis, San Francisco, Oakland, Atlanta and Detroit.

A mural of Adam Toledo painted by Milton Coronado. (Matt Masterson / WTTW News)

Fate of Officer Who Fatally Shot Adam Toledo Depends on Whether Chicago City Council Rejects Push to Upend Police Discipline System

Whether the officer who shot and killed 13-year-old Adam Toledo is publicly held accountable for the teen’s death depends on whether the Chicago City Council votes this week to reaffirm their rejection of an effort to upend the system used for 60 years to punish officers.

The city of Chicago’s landing zone for migrants at Desplaines and Polk streets on Jan. 3, 2024. (WTTW News)

Chicago Won’t Evict Migrants Until At Least Mid-March, Mayor Brandon Johnson Announces

Mayor Brandon Johnson did not lift the requirement that migrants leave city-run shelters in 60 days — instead, the nearly 14,200 men, women and children in city shelters will have longer to find more permanent housing.

(WTTW News)

First Installment of 2023 Cook County Property Tax Bills Arrives On Time

Property tax bills for Cook County residents are available online at cookcountytreasurer.com and should hit mailboxes this week.

Mayor Brandon Johnson presides over a meeting of the Chicago City Council. (WTTW News)

Johnson Defends Handling of Migrant Crisis Amid Continuing Tensions With Pritzker

Mayor Brandon Johnson said state officials have not worked fast enough to help migrants move out of Chicago’s shelters into permanent homes, or fulfill promises to open 2,000 new shelter beds.

Chicago City Hall. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Johnson Calls for Cease-Fire in Israel-Hamas War as Vote on Controversial Resolution Delayed

Brandon Johnson, a Democrat, is now the mayor of the biggest American city to call for a cease-fire, putting him at odds with President Joe Biden and most members of the Democratic Party.

(WTTW News)

Effort to Stop Cop-Union Backed Push to Upend CPD Discipline System Stalls

A vote on the measure could come as soon as Jan. 31, triggering what is likely to be a fierce legal fight that will determine whether, and how, city officials can hold officers accountable for serious misconduct.

(WTTW News)

Battle Begins to Ban Natural Gas in New Chicago Homes and Businesses to Fight Climate Change

While similar measures are already in place in New York City, Los Angeles and dozens of smaller cities, it is unclear whether the push for Chicago to join those cities will succeed, even with the backing of Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Chicago City Hall. (Heather Cherone/WTTW News)

Effort to Crack Down on New Dollar Stores in Chicago Advances

The full Chicago City Council is set to vote Wednesday on the proposal crafted by Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th Ward), who has been fighting the proliferation of dollar stores for nearly a decade. 

Chicago City Hall. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Chicago Taxpayers Set to Pay $5M to Family of 64-Year-Old Man Who Died After Paramedics Failed to Treat Him

Two Chicago Fire Department paramedics found the former Marine “face down on the floor” but failed to provide emergency medical care or take him to a nearby hospital, according to the lawsuit filed by his family.

Chicago Police Department Headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Ave. (Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)

Repeated Police Misconduct by 141 Officers Cost Chicago Taxpayers $142.8M Over 4 Years

Cases that involved at least one officer with repeated claims of misconduct accounted for 60% of the cost borne by taxpayers to resolve police misconduct cases between 2019 and 2022, according to the analysis by WTTW News.

The city of Chicago’s landing zone for migrants at Desplaines and Polk streets on Jan. 3, 2024. (WTTW News)

Chicago Won’t Evict Migrants Until Feb. 1, Officials Announce

Mayor Brandon Johnson will not evict migrants from city shelters until at least Feb. 1, suspending the 60-day limit he imposed for the second time in less than a week, a city spokesperson said.

An online flyer that lists Melissa Conyears-Ervin as the host of a prayer group, identifies her as “Chicago City Treasurer” and uses her official city portrait. (Facebook)

Watchdog: Treasurer Conyears-Ervin Fired Employees After They Warned She Was Violating Ethics Ordinance by Using City Resources to Host Prayer Service

The Chicago Board of Ethics ratified the inspector general’s findings on Nov. 13, and Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin now has an opportunity to contest the results of the probe at a future meeting of the board. Each violation of the law could trigger a fine of $20,000.

A protester holding a sign that says, “We’re sick of this,” stands in front of a lifted DuSable Bridge on May 30, 2020. (Evan Garcia / WTTW News)

City Promoted Employees Who Were Reprimanded for Citing School That Fed Protesters Trapped Downtown During George Floyd Protests: Watchdog

The two employees, a manager and a supervisor, “incompetently performed the duties of their positions” on May 30, 2020, when they cited the leaders of the Chicago Freedom School, according to a report released Friday by the city’s watchdog.

The city of Chicago’s landing zone for migrants at Desplaines and Polk streets on Jan. 3, 2024. (WTTW News)

Chicago Suspends 60-Day Limit on Shelter Stays for Migrants; Pritzker Appeals to Texas Gov.’s ‘Humanity’ to Stop the Buses Amid Extreme Weather

“The next few days are a threat to the families and children you are sending here” because of the bitterly cold weather, Gov. J.B. Pritzker told Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

(WTTW News)

Push to Create Permanent Chicago Police Oversight Board Begins

Applications are now open to serve four-year terms on the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, which is designed to give Chicagoans real control of the police department as part of an effort to build trust in officers and police brass and put an end to repeated allegations of misconduct.