Stories by Matt Masterson
Sentencing Date for Convicted Ex-Ald. Ed Burke Pushed Back to June 24
| Matt Masterson
Judge Virginia Kendall initially set his sentencing date for June 19 — which is also the Juneteenth holiday — but on Friday she pushed that date back to June 24.
12-Year-Old Among 2 Girls Charged in String of Chicago Retail Thefts
| Matt Masterson
Chicago police on Friday announced criminal charges against two girls, ages 12 and 17, after they allegedly stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from a half dozen different stores over the past few weeks and months.
Will Chicago Renew its ShotSpotter Contract? Public Sounds Off on Controversial Technology During Community Hearing
| Matt Masterson
The city’s current contract with SoundThinking — which was previously known as ShotSpotter — expires Feb. 16. Mayor Brandon Johnson made a campaign promise to end the contract, but has not yet indicated whether he’ll renew the deal.
Friday Deadline for Cook County Residents to Apply for FEMA Funding After September Flash Floods
| Matt Masterson
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, renters and homeowners have until 11:59 p.m. Friday to apply for the disaster assistance, which comes more than five months after rain and flooding wreaked havoc around Cook County.
Jussie Smollett Asking Illinois Supreme Court to Review Hoax Hate Crime Convictions
| Matt Masterson
The former “Empire” star on Monday filed a petition to the state’s high court after an appellate court upheld his 2021 convictions on five counts of disorderly conduct.
CTU-Backed Educators at Instituto del Progreso Latino Charter Schools Officially Begin Strike Tuesday
| Matt Masterson
Chicago Teachers Union-backed educators at two Instituto del Progreso Latino charter schools are going on strike after they say little progress was made during the latest round of contract negotiations over the weekend.
2 People Killed in Weekend Shootings Across Chicago: Police
| Matt Masterson
According to Chicago Police Department data, 11 people were shot in 11 separate incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
Shootings, Homicides in Chicago Both Down at Least 25% to Start 2024, According to Police
| Matt Masterson
According to the Chicago Police Department, there were 31 homicides recorded through the first month of 2024. That’s the lowest total for any January since 2019 (23 homicides) and the third-fewest in the last decade.
CPS Proposes Delaying First Day of 2024-25 School Year With Democratic National Convention Coming to Chicago
| Matt Masterson
CPS on Thursday released its proposed calendars for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years, which included a start date of Aug. 26 for the upcoming year due to the “estimated influx of 75,000 visitors: coming to Chicago for the convention.
3 Senn High School Students Shot, 1 Fatally, Near Edgewater Neighborhood School
| Matt Masterson
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling confirmed the shooting occurred just after 3:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of West Thorndale Avenue, just blocks away from Senn’s campus.
‘We’ll Adjust’: Top Cop Larry Snelling Responds After Mayor Johnson Expresses Support For Removing School Resource Officers
| Matt Masterson
Speaking Wednesday before the Economic Club of Chicago, Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said police officers will always have some role in school safety, even if they’re no longer working inside schools.
Trio of 15-Year-Olds Charged After Armed Robbery at CTA Red Line Stop
| Matt Masterson
Chicago police on Tuesday morning announced that two boys and a girl have been charged with armed robbery. The boys also each face an additional count of armed robbery stemming from a separate incident Monday.
Prosecutors Ask Judge to Sentence Madigan’s Ex-Chief of Staff Tim Mapes to As Much as 5 Years in Prison Following Perjury Conviction
| Matt Masterson
In a sentencing memo filed Monday, the government asked a federal judge to sentence Mapes to between 51 and 63 months in prison following his conviction last August on charges of making false declarations and attempted obstruction of justice.
Innovations High School Closed Monday After 2 Students Killed in Loop Shooting
| Matt Masterson
In a message posted on its webpage, Innovations High School informed students that classes would be canceled Monday and then resume Tuesday.
2 People Killed by Gunfire Over Weekend Across Chicago: Police
| Matt Masterson
According to Chicago Police Department data, 13 people were shot across the city between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
2 Innovations High School Students Killed in Afternoon Loop Shooting: Police
| Matt Masterson
Two teen boys were fatally shot as they left their high school Friday afternoon in the Loop.
Instituto del Progreso Latino Charter Teachers Announce February Strike Date
| Matt Masterson
Chicago Teachers Union-backed educators at a pair of Instituto del Progreso Latino charter schools could go on strike early next month after more than two years of bargaining.
CPS Board Approves $800K Payouts to Settle 2015 Prussing Elementary Carbon Monoxide Leak Lawsuits
| Matt Masterson
The seven-member board voted unanimously in favor of the agreements, which would settle a pair of lawsuits filed by Prussing parents after at least 71 students and seven adults were taken to the hospital as a result of the leak.
Chicago Police Officer, Sister Avoid Jail Time Following U.S. Capitol Breach Convictions: Reports
| Matt Masterson
CBS News reported a federal judge in Washington D.C. sentenced Karol and Agnieszka Chwiesiuk each to three months home detention and three years probation after they were found guilty last year on multiple misdemeanor charges.
CPS Could Pay $800K to Settle Lawsuits Stemming From 2015 Carbon Monoxide Leak That Hospitalized Dozens of Students
| Matt Masterson
Chicago education officials this week could vote to approve more than $800,000 in payments to settle a pair of lawsuits filed in response to a 2015 carbon monoxide leak at a Northwest Side elementary school that left several dozen students and staff members hospitalized.
‘They’re Gone’: Tinley Park Father Accused of Killing Wife, 3 Adult Daughters
| Matt Masterson
Maher Kassem, 63, was detained in jail following a hearing Tuesday after he was arrested and charged with four counts of first-degree murder.
3 Teens Wounded, 1 Man Killed in Weekend Shootings Across Chicago: Police
| Matt Masterson
According to the Chicago Police Department, eight people were shot — one fatally — in seven separate shooting incidents between Friday evening and Sunday night.
CPS Revising Asset Management Policy After 77,000 Electronic Devices Reported Missing
| Matt Masterson
The Chicago Board of Education will take public comments on proposed changes to the district policy. That move comes weeks after CPS Inspector General Will Fletcher published investigatory results showing that $23 million worth of electronic devices had been unaccounted for.
CPS Classes Will Resume Wednesday After Bitter Cold Led to Tuesday Cancellation
| Matt Masterson
CPS announced classes will be in session for all students Wednesday as the frigid temperatures the city has seen this week have begun to dissipate.
6 People Killed by Gunfire Over the Holiday Weekend Across Chicago: Police
| Matt Masterson
According to the Chicago Police Department, 18 people were shot in 16 separate shooting incidents between 6 p.m. Friday and 11:59 p.m. Monday.
CPS Cancels Tuesday Classes Amid Dangerous Cold
| Matt Masterson
“We have been carefully monitoring the forecast over the past 24 hours, and have determined that given frigid temperatures predicted for tomorrow, and a Wind Chill Warning from the National Weather Service that wind chills that could reach -30 degrees, it will be unsafe for staff and students to travel to school,” the school district said in a statement.
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