What occurred to the 50 colleges Rahm Emanuel closed, a household’s challenges after immigration and extra in your Chicago information roundup

Good afternoon. Right here’s the most recent information that you must know in Chicago. It’s about an eight-minute learn that may temporary you on at this time’s greatest tales.

— Matt Moore (@MattKenMoore)

Climate ⛅

This afternoon can be largely cloudy with a excessive close to 73 levels. Related climate will proceed into tonight with a low close to 47. Tomorrow — sunny with a excessive of 69. And Sunday — additionally sunny with a excessive close to 77.

High story

Ten years later, more than half of Chicago’s closed schools remain unused

Within the 12 months earlier than Chicago closed what can be an unprecedented 50 public colleges in 2013, neighbors of most of the focused colleges supplied a warning to then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

As soon as emptied, they mentioned, the buildings would solely find yourself hurting their neighborhoods.

These buildings, virtually all on the South Facet and the West Facet, have been primarily in communities already wanting for funding, already drained of residents. They have been previous and in want of expensive repairs. They usually have been constructed to be colleges. So discovering any doable reuses for the buildings, not to mention something just like the neighborhood anchors they’d been, can be a gargantuan and costly activity.

Nonetheless, Emanuel plowed forward, saying that conserving children in “half-empty colleges” wasn’t good for anybody. “The town of Chicago has a possibility to make use of these amenities to revitalize our economic system in key areas and develop alternative for Chicagoans in our neighborhoods,” Emanuel mentioned on the time.

Ten years later, that promise rings hole. Greater than half of the buildings emptied of youngsters and academics in 2013 nonetheless aren’t again in use.

Over six months, reporters from the Chicago Solar-Occasions and WBEZ have visited every of the shuttered buildings. The closings of fifty colleges, together with 4 that shared amenities, left 46 buildings empty.

Reporters spoke with dozens of neighbors and reviewed 1000’s of public paperwork to study what has turn out to be of the colleges unfold throughout 21 wards that have been closed by Emanuel’s chosen colleges CEO and college board. Learn the total investigation from our Nader Issa and Lauren FitzPatrick and WBEZ’s Sarah Karp and Alden Loury.

Extra information you want

• The Chicago Police Board voted yesterday to droop an officer for 90 days for his function in an incident by which one other officer physique slammed a schizophrenic man throughout an arrest almost 4 years in the past. Officer Mark Johnson was discovered responsible on all however one of many administrative costs lodged in opposition to him, in accordance with a written ruling by the board.
• Metropolis authorities are trying to find a hit-and-run driver who struck a bicyclist who initially declined medical consideration after a Humboldt Park crash, then died three days later after struggling a mind hemorrhage. Rick Lomas’ demise is the primary bicycle fatality in Chicago this 12 months, in accordance with a spokesperson for the town.
• Police yesterday introduced the arrest of a suspect in a taking pictures Tuesday exterior the Legler Regional Library Department in West Garfield Park that wounded two boys, ages 12 and 16. Costs are pending on a single rely of aggravated battery with a firearm, police mentioned.
• A household who fled Russia over the struggle in Ukraine is struggling to seek out authorized assist because it searches for stability within the U.S. The Eremenko household journeyed from Russia to the Mexico-U.S. border, the place they joined 1000’s of different immigrants in search of asylum, earlier than finally reaching Chicago. Extra on the hurdles the Eremenko household is going through from our Elvia Malagón.
• BP agreed to pay a $40 million penalty and spend virtually $200 million on environmental controls to settle authorities allegations that the corporate launched extreme poisonous chemical substances at its Whiting, Indiana, oil refinery on Lake Michigan. The set up of recent air pollution controls will scale back benzene and different dangerous air pollution, in accordance with federal officers.
• Cook dinner County has been giving felony information to individuals who mustn’t have them. For at the least three years, a knowledge error has precipitated chaos within the lives of people that have been promised a clear file in the event that they did probation. Extra on this alarming error from WBEZ’s Shannon Heffernan.
• Cook dinner County Sheriff Tom Dart’s workplace is tightening its digital monitoring guidelines to make clear that house dwellers in this system can not do issues like get mail from their constructing’s vestibule or use a basement laundry room. The revisions observe an Illinois appellate ruling final month that slammed Dart for “ambiguity” on whether or not residents of multi-unit buildings may be in widespread areas for such “actions of each day dwelling.” Extra on Dart’s revisions from WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell.
• Tempers flared on the state Senate ground yesterday throughout debate of Democratic-led measures, together with a invoice that clears the best way for gun producers to be sued and one other that may enable companies to create multi-capacity loos open to all genders. Our Tina Sfondeles particulars the heated debate.
• Hours after his inauguration, Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an govt order creating the place of deputy mayor for neighborhood security. He’s now named Garien Gatewood to fill a job the mayor views as pivotal to delivering on his most vital marketing campaign promise.
• Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot was described by one alderperson yesterday as a sore loser whose “wholly inappropriate” determination to signal 10 govt orders on her ultimate workday in workplace has pressured Mayor Johnson to “clear up the mess.” That’s in accordance with Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (thirty fifth), Johnson’s Metropolis Council ground chief and handpicked Zoning Committee chair.
• Sam Zell, the Chicago actual property tycoon, died yesterday at age 81. The billionaire, often known as “the grave dancer” for selecting up distressed property, as soon as owned the Tribune Co., which went into chapter 11. Extra on Mr. Zell’s life and legacy from our David Roeder.

A brilliant one ✨

Ángela Aguilar celebrating her personal musical highway, with a loving nod to her Mexican traditions

The web’s princess of regional Mexican music is coming to city.

Ángela Aguilar is kicking off her Piensa En Mi tour on June 2 at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre.

The 19-year-old is aware of that her final title carries with it a musical legacy. In spite of everything, she’s the daughter of legendary singer Pepe Aguilar, born whereas her mom accompanied him on tour in Mexico in 2003.

Now because the third technology of Mexican mariachi and ranchera singers, Aguilar is part of certainly one of Mexico’s most well-known “royal” households, led by her grandparents Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre. She doesn’t let that go to her head, although — even with a doll created in her likeness.

“I’m simply beginning out and I’ve a protracted approach to go,” she mentioned in an interview with the Solar-Occasions. “Being third technology implies that in all probability every part that you just’re going to do, they’ve already finished.”

She’s excited to be kicking off her tour in Chicago, dwelling to a direct Greyhound bus path to the Mexican state of Zacatecas, the place her grandfather was born in 1919. It’s a route 1000’s of proud Zacatecanos have taken over time to name Chicago dwelling.

“You may think about how many individuals from the city are [in Chicago],” she mentioned. “And each time I’m going, it looks like dwelling.

“… I really feel like Chicago is a type of locations that basically honors Mexican traditions,” she continued. The town is dwelling to tons of of 1000’s of individuals with Mexican heritage, and is a culinary haven relating to regional dishes.

Our Ambar Colón has extra with Aguilar forward of her June 2 stint on the Auditorium Theatre.

From the press field 🏀⚾️🥍

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