The photographs in Conflict Zone document endless war and daily life. (05.19.11)
A dramatic compilation of photographs from journalists covering conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan debuts in Chicago.
For Preckwinkle, Rewards Are Hard to Find (03.31.11)
New Cook County president has accomplished much, but finds little joy in the job
City intends to keep alderman candidates secret (03.05.10)
The city considers information submitted by applicants to be private, and denied a Freedom of Information request submitted by the Current, seeking the names of would-be aldermen.
With primary over, Keats takes aim at Preckwinkle (02.05.10)
“The theme of the campaign is ‘changing which member of the club is running the board doesn’t change that the club is running the board,’” he says.
Preckwinkle’s win a tough pill to swallow for Stroger (02.02.10)
It was a primary with enough plot twists to make tonight’s “Lost” premiere look pedestrian.
O’Brien donor lists boast familiar name: Roti (01.26.10)
Terrence O’Brien has spent much of his campaign for the Cook County Board presidency touting his management of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and pledging to clean up Cook County government.
But a few donors on O’Brien’s latest campaign finance disclosure forms have a familiar name from headlines of scandals past: Roti.
County seeks to stave off foreclosures (12.18.09)
A new program helps homeowners in foreclosure.
Two reality shows lift veil on county jail (12.14.09)
Sheriff Tom Dart is opening up the sheriff’s department, warts and all.
The case for Todd Stroger (12.14.09)
Battling negative perceptions from all sides, Todd Stroger talks about his accomplishments and why deserves a second term.
Low patient numbers key as hospital closure threats loom (12.07.09)
Oak Forest and Provident Hopsitals, panned by many as inefficient and underused, may doomed to close.
RELATED: I discussed the issue on WBEZ’s 848 on 12/7.
Cook commissioners override sales tax veto (11.30.09)
Cook County Commissioners dealt President Todd Stroger a blow today, overriding his veto and sustaining the rollback of the one half percent sales tax that they said harmed county residents, slowed business and is illogical in a bad economy.
Some commissioners spending more on offices despite county fiscal problems (11.24.09)
As Cook County leaders look ahead to a slimmed down 2010 budget, some commissioners are seeing their personal budgets grow, despite a county-wide mandate requiring offices to cut their expenditures.
County board votes to cut sales tax (11.17.09)
Cook County commissioners today voted to repeal the county’s controversial sales tax by one-half percent, and President Todd Stroger immediately vowed to veto the measure, though he would not say when a veto would come.
Plans for old County Hospital in play (11.17.09)
Preservationists cheer the proposed renovation of Cook County Hospital, but is the price tag too high?
Stroger a no-show at candidate forum (11.16.09)
Democrats running for county board president blasted incumbent Todd Stroger for failing to show up last night at a forum sponsored by the 43rd Ward Democrats at DePaul University.
Petition challenges could hamper ballot printing (11.11.09)
Prolonged legal battles of challenged petitions could be problematic for the county clerk’s office.
Mental health advocates fear privatization of city clinics (11.11.09)
Advocates wonder just how long the city can maintain a dozen mental health centers with a shaky budget, dwindling staff and state grants that keep shrinking.
Health system starting to take shape in Stroger campaign (11.09.09)
Can Todd Stroger bank on the health system to prop up his campaign? Local political observers say his attitude toward the health board will make it difficult for him to be positioned as a champion of health care. But Stroger argues that without the sales tax, health care in the county would be in trouble.
Museum, IIT spell out new program for science teachers (07.16.10)
Seeking to inspire a new generation, the Museum of Science & Industry is refocusing its mission on hands-on experiences, while giving middle school science teachers a new take on how to reach their students.
Back home, veterans fight a different kind of war (11.05.09)
With a staggering number of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans returning home with mental health problems, local clinicians are volunteering their time to work with veterans struggling with the effects of war.
Chicago, a “research powerhouse” for diabetes (10.28.09)
With more than 10 percent of Chicago’s diverse population battling diabetes, researchers, sociologists and teachers are finding it a fertile ground to combat the disease.
Library helps writers capture experiences (10.16.09)
A memoir-writing workshop at the Pritzker Military Library helps veterans and others record their experiences.
MRSA survivors say screening is key (10.07.09)
A passionate group of local activists is urging more action to stem the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.
Rush program helps Guardsmen practice combat medicine 09.22.09
Hearing the sounds of wounded soldiers crying for help and the staccato of nearby gunfire, Illinois National Guard Capt. Thomas Kim briefly flashed back to a war zone, but his mind quickly returned to the combat trauma simulation being held in a classroom at Rush University Medical Center.
City’s sometimes “we tell on you” approach irks eatery owners 08.31.09
“It really endangers the place, in terms of public perceptions,” says Michael James, co-owner of Heartland Café in Rogers Park, which went through a much-publicized shutdown in March. “I still run into people who say, ‘I thought you were closed.’”
More layoffs loom at county health system 08.26.09
Nearly 500 Cook County Health and Hospitals System workers would lose their jobs in the next year under a budget plan introduced to system board members this morning.
City health budget could be slashed by $6.4 million 08.25.09
The Chicago Department of Public Health’s budget is going to be even smaller than it was last month when plans to close at least four mental health centers were announced, says Commissioner Terry Mason.
A drop in state funds and the need to cut $6.4 million out of its city budget mean Mason will have to manage with significantly less money.
Need a nurse? Chicago may need 11,000 in years to come 08.24.09
By 2025, some estimates predict the shortage of nurses to grow to 260,000 nationwide. In the Chicago area, there could be a shortage of nearly 11,000 nurses. Today, according to a study conducted by the Metropolitan Healthcare Council of Greater Chicago, there is a shortage of more than 9,000 nurses.
Community focus yields turnaround at W. Side Hospital 08.20.09
At St. Anthony Hospital, a West Side fixture for more than 100 years, a stoic statue of the building’s namesake peacefully gazes past a valet parking stand towards Douglas Park. The popular barbecue pit smolders and valets triple-park cars in a clustered lot.
But it wasn’t long ago that it was empty, bleeding money and ignored by community members.
Critics hope new U of C chief can restore trust 08.17.09
“There’s a major PR thing they can do to help show they mean well if they backtrack and try to respond to the criticism and anger people have about these clinics closing and the hospital policy,” says Shannon Bennett, a community organizer with the Kenwood-Oakland Community Organization.
Getting drugs is “as easy as getting toothpaste” 08.10.09
With his first taste of alcohol and first puff of marijuana at 12, Darryl Thompson got hooked on drugs. His addiction to cocaine and heroin led to crime, which put him in jail for a spell. He lived on the streets and couldn’t hold a job.
The drugs, says Thompson, were easy to find.
Chicago hospital collaborative would reduce energy emissions 08.05.09
While Chicago competes to show the world it is worthy of hosting the 2016 Olympics, it’s also poised to show it’s a leader in sustainable health care.
Lawmakers pledge to address unregulated homes for the mentally ill 07.31.09
Key state lawmakers say the lack of regulation of some Illinois group homes for the mentally ill is “terrifying” and that more oversight is needed.
Loophole allows for “flop houses” for the mentally ill 07.30.09
“It’s another one of those horrifying little sidebars in public mental health policy in Illinois,” says Tony Zipple, CEO of Thresholds, an organization that provides services to about 7,000 mentally ill Chicagoans. “These places are essentially unregulated.”
Family: Cops, group home dropped the ball on missing man 07.22.09
Though Shalom Carter went missing July 5, Shechinah Carter says the family wasn’t notified by representatives of the group home until July 11. A day later, they filed a missing persons report with the Chicago Police Department.
Health board wary of procurement amendment 07.17.09
A proposed ordinance introduced to the Cook County Board of Commissioners earlier this month is causing a stir among county health system board members.
Mental health centers on the chopping block – again 07.16.09
In a familiar move, the Chicago Department of Public Health is poised to shutter at least four city-run mental health centers within 45 days, as the city grapples with an unclear budget picture.
Malcolm X medical program fights for survival 07.14.09
Now, instead of welcoming a new class of physician assistant students for the summer, Malcolm X is scrambling to repair the program’s tarnished reputation and move forward with a reconstituted staff.
Chicagoans star in weight loss program 06.19.09
When Craig Nash was forced to purchase an extra airplane seat, that was it.
Free breast, cervical exams threatened as state budget wrangling continues 06.19.09
If state legislators buck Gov. Pat Quinn’s call for an income tax hike, the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program stands to lose millions and would be forced to slash more than half of its services to uninsured women, advocates say.
Chicago lags in breast cancer screening 06.17.09
“What we’re finding is that women have significant access barriers to get the required screenings and treatments they need,” says Marie Gilliam, executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Breast Cancer Task Force.
Health system approves controversial purchasing plan 06.04.09
The Cook County Health and Hospital System board this morning approved a contentious purchasing plan that was opposed by some county commissioners and local business owners.
Study: Half of Chicago HIV carriers unaware they have HIV 06.02.09
A first-of-its-kind study looking at HIV infection rates found that half of gay men in Chicago who have HIV did not know they were infected, and two-thirds of infected black men were unaware.
@tonyperaica, the Twittering commissioner, gives a look inside county government 06.01.09
Twitter is a platform, he says, that allows him to connect with younger constituents, while railing against any and all injustices that occur with “the wild and strange things that take place here.”
Chicago ranks worst in drug abuse study 05.29.09
People arrested in Chicago are more likely than prisoners in other major cities to test positive for drugs, according to a new report from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Hispanic alliance reaches out to Alzheimer’s victims 05.26.09
“They give us information, (telling us) what resources and what help is out there, because you don’t know where to go,” says Martha Arroyo, 29, who helps care for her 69-year-old father, Jose. “We weren’t familiar with this kind of disease. Especially for Latinos, a lot of people who don’t speak English, they don’t know where to go or who to ask for help.”
Students happy to be back in the classroom at Kilmer 05.06.09
Students at Rogers Park’s Joyce Kilmer Elementary jumped into each other’s arms this morning after a week away from their friends and teachers, following the closure of the school due to swine flu.
First case of swine flu shows wisdom behind hand-washing bill, legislator says 04.29.09
A bill requiring Chicago schoolchildren to wash their hands before lunch is more relevant than ever, says its chief sponsor.
County health exec tied to company vying for $500M contract 04.29.09
The Cook County Health and Hospital System’s chief procurement officer was formerly a high-ranking executive at a company that’s under consideration for a $500 million contract with the system, the Daily News has learned. The procurement officer, Leslie Duffy, was formerly director of client development at VHA, Inc.
Doctor’s Web site highlights Chicago healthcare bargains 04.24.09
When physician Leslie Ramirez launched Leslie’s List, an online database of local health care prices, she knew it would help people learn what kind of options existed for drugs and testing.
But she didn’t know it would become such an important reference for an increasing number of Chicagoans whose benefits have been cut or eliminated as a result of the economy.
Cops promote pedestrian safety 04.23.09
When Emily George was hit by an SUV in 2006, she wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary. In fact, she looked both ways before crossing Lake View’s Belmont Avenue to catch a cab.
But when a car jumped out from behind the stopped taxi, crossed into the oncoming traffic and tossed George 15 feet down the street, her perception of life as a pedestrian was changed forever.
Local medical suppliers mull legal action against county 04.21.09
Elliot El-Amin fears that his business would implode if the Cook County Health and Hospital System moves forward with a plan that would eliminate competitive bidding for medical supplies.
“We do other business, as well, but we’re growing our business in the medical arena. It would cease to exist,” says El-Amin, whose CE Services has done business with the county’s health system for about four years.
Local businesses: County will shut us out 04.20.09
The Cook County Health and Hospital System’s board expects a proposed change to purchasing policies will save nearly $20 million a year.
But some aspects of the plan have minority and female business owners fuming. They say the proposal would take business away from locally-owned vendors and cost jobs.
Mental health providers frustrated with state billing system 04.15.09
It’s been a year since Frank Anselmo was introduced to the state’s new mental health billing system, and to say it’s been a headache would be an understatement.
From botching billing transactions to spitting back data, the system is costing providers what could amount to millions, he says.
Federal dollars will save mental health centers 04.09.09
On a day of twists and turns on the fate of four city-run mental health clinics, the mayor’s office announced that the centers will stay open with the help of federal economic stimulus dollars.
The announcement late this afternoon capped a frenzied day in which mental health center employees thought their centers were closing and mental health advocates were fielding calls from concerned patients.
Mental health centers appear to be closing, despite mayoral reprieve 04.09.09
In a confusing turn of events, four city-run mental health centers appeared to be closing today, despite a reprieve by the mayor Tuesday designed to keep them open.
As late as 10:30 a.m. today, Mayor Richard M. Daley was discussing the negotiations with mental health advocates about the fate of the centers. “We’re still working with those people. We’re working with them, yes we are, trying to make sure we keep them (the clinics) open,” Daley said to reporters.
Mayor’s office says clinics will stay open while talks continue 04.09.09
As patients and advocates of four city-run mental health clinics slated to close await word on the centers’ fate, the mayor’s office says the centers will stay open as long as talks between city officials and advocates continue.
Questions remain after closed-door meeting on mental health centers 04.08.09
City officials met with a coalition of mental health advocates last night at City Hall in an 11th hour meeting to discuss the fate of four mental health centers slated to close.
Confident following news the city was holding off on the plan, advocates and patients attending the three-hour meeting left confused, frustrated and uncertain, as city officials told them that more analysis was needed.
Mental health closures on hold, Daley says 04.07.09
In a surprise announcement, Mayor Richard M. Daley said at a press conference this morning that a plan to close four of Chicago’s city-run mental health clinics is on hold.
Daley’s comments came on the day the South Side centers were scheduled to close, and following a report in the Daily News that billing problems and computer glitches caused the Chicago Department of Public Health to lose more than $1 million in state funds. The ensuing funding crisis led to the plans to close the four clinics.
Exclusive: Billing glitch led to mental health closures 04.07.09
The Chicago Department of Public Health lost more than $1 million in state funding by failing to fix computer problems with its billing system, public records show, sparking a funding crisis and the scheduled closure of four South Side mental health centers today.
Stimulus money hard to come by for public health projects 03.31.09
As more federal stimulus money is announced, a picture of what kind of support Chicago and Cook County public health agencies will receive is slowly developing. It’s a murky picture, at best.
Audit finds U of C violated federal law when patient died 03.27.09
The University of Chicago Medical Center violated federal law by not giving an emergency patient who later died sufficient treatment, according to an Illinois Department of Public Health investigation. Exclusive related follow-up.
Stimulus money could save mental health centers 03.17.09
Nearly $10 million of federal stimulus money is earmarked for substance abuse and mental health services in Chicago, and opponents of a plan to close four city mental health centers hope some of that money can be used to keep the facilities running.
In Junction City, wars invade classroom 02.11.09
Junction City — When the United States was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, the seniors at Junction City High School were in fifth grade. Most of the children at Fort Riley Elementary School have never known a world without war.
Former lawmaker leaves legacy of service 01.05.09
Jessie M. Branson, who spearheaded child passenger safety restraint laws in the Kansas Legislature and advocated for people with mental disabilities, died Saturday of natural causes at Lawrence Presbyterian Manor. She was 88.
Depot getting back on track to handle more travelers 01.05.09
Before the days of jumbo jets and turnpikes there was rail travel, an American staple since the 1830s. Today, it’s almost a quaint reminder of a bygone era.
But the spiffed-up Burlington Northern Santa Fe depot in east Lawrence is reminding travelers that rail travel is still here, and it may be gaining, um, steam.
Internet users atwitter in ’08 01.02.09
Are you an RSS fiend? Addicted to Google? Do your friends and family want to hold an intervention to wean you off the Web?
You might be part of the Twitterati, a population held hostage by its keyboard.
Students put teachers to test with high-tech innovations of cheating 12.01.08
Never underestimate the creative genius of the desperate student.
That iPod and Blackberry are being used for more than listening to tunes or texting with friends. Want to know how? Just check out the 2,150 video tutorials about cheating on YouTube.
District braces for future as teachers near retirement age 11.16.08
The millions of people born in the post-World War II years are hurtling toward retirement, putting a strain on Social Security and entire business sectors.
And the Lawrence school district is poised to see its own exodus of baby boomers: 38 percent of the district’s nearly 1,000 teachers and administrators are eligible to retire.
ESL school excels in variety 11.09.08
It’s perhaps the most diverse building in Lawrence, where today 28 countries and five continents are represented, and 28 languages, including English, are spoken. Of the roughly 450 students, about 300 speak a foreign language.
Learning coach program helps teachers navigate professional challenges 09.29.08
When first-year teacher Cassidy Kitcheyan finds herself overwhelmed by the demands of her job, she knows help is just an e-mail away.
The Haskell Indian Nations University graduate is a first-grade teacher at Hillcrest School, and she relies on the help of the Lawrence school district’s learning coach program. The program is an initiative launched this year to assist teachers – rookies and veterans – in professional development.
Day School puts students back on track 08.18.08
Ashley refuses to go to high school. Not with the throngs of students, the teachers that couldn’t get through to her, the distractions.
She’s more comfortable clad in the green sweatshirt and blue sweatpants that make up the Day School uniform at the Douglas County Youth Center. The only problem is the outfit is unflattering.
Landmark year for athletics spurs ripple effect throughout university 08.16.08
So you bought your Todd Reesing jersey and Orange Bowl T-shirt during the college football season. Maybe you added a Big 12 and national champions T-shirt in the spring. Heck, throw in a poster, a commemorative book, maybe even a souvenir mouse pad.
Even if you haven’t purchased a thing celebrating Kansas University’s landmark athletic year, countless KU fans have.
Support growing for football addition 08.16.8
When word spread of plans to add a new football facility adjacent to Memorial Stadium, public opinion was quick to condemn the move. But with construction of the Anderson Family Football Complex nearly complete, even some of the project’s harshest critics are coming around.
Readying for war 06.06.08
A multimedia package about the 1st Infantry Division’s training at Fort Irwin, Calif.
Training for war very lifelike 06.06.08
Fort Irwin, Calif. — In the barren desert that makes up most of Fort Irwin, soldiers train in conditions that are near-mirror images of what they’ll face in war zones like Iraq.
But the soldiers aren’t the only ones living on base.
In fact, the realistic scenarios they face are thanks to a cast of hundreds. From Hollywood-effects wizards to Iraqi expatriates, Fort Irwin could be the world’s largest live-action movie set. Without the cameras.
Scouts honor Civil War veterans 05.25.08
Many of the names carved into the ancient headstones at Oak Hill Cemetery are barely visible, glazed in moss and weathered by time. Some grave markers are obscured by piles of leaves or overgrown plants. And the names of Union soldiers, like Prather, Clarke, McCabria and Larterburg meant little to the packs of Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts wandering around the cemetery Saturday.
The influence of tradition, modernity 05.12.08
Click here to see the Journal-World’s multimedia presentation about Old German Baptists
The brand new basketball court and rows of volleyball nets seemed out of place next to the men in plain shirts, broad fall pants and wide-brimmed black hats.
They were raising a green and yellow tent, a replacement for the one that was blown away by heavy winds Saturday night, in preparation for youth gathering at the annual Old German Baptist Brethren Conference, which has drawn thousands of Old German Baptists to the Lawrence area.
Obama rally draw fans across racial, age spectrum 05.11.08
When it comes to the 2008 race for president, Krystal Jumping Elk, a freshman at Haskell Indian Nations University, says only one candidate is thinking about issues important to American Indians. And after former Sen. Tom Daschle, of South Dakota, campaigned at Haskell for Barack Obama in late January, Jumping Elk said many of her classmates began to support the Illinois senator.
Police seek driver in hit-and-run fatality 05.05.08
A hit-and-run accident early Sunday morning claimed the life a Lawrence man.
Thomas Crum, 60, died after a two-vehicle collision just before 2 a.m. on West Sixth Street, a few blocks east of Kasold Drive.
Sunday night fever 04.28.08
When Mona Kelter and Frank Knernschield step onto the dance floor, they’re prepared to stay there.
Downtown vacancy rates close to national average 04.26.08
Old-fashioned business sense has kept Weaver’s Department Store a downtown destination for more than 150 years…
…But with competition from national chains encroaching on independent businesses, the rise of big-box stores and suburban shopping malls, and new zoning regulations, some of the strategies that have sustained downtown Lawrence are facing big challenges.
Lawrence businesses mixed on convenience, cost of taking credit cards 04.26.08
Anne Whealdon hates to use cash.
The Kansas University senior relies on her two credit cards to fund her lifestyle, using plastic to pay for everything from new clothes to dinner at her favorite downtown restaurant, Ingredient.
Recovery effort for canoeist continues 04.21.08
Eudora — Kenna Wright was frightened when two men started banging on her door and yelling loudly, shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday. She was startled, having dozed off, but the pleas to call 911 made her realize something was very wrong.
Super Sunday 04.14.08
Sunday capped nearly a month of high-fives, hugs and impromptu celebrations, courtesy of Kansas University’s men’s basketball team. A victory parade in downtown Lawrence was the final chapter in a season that kept Jayhawk fans on edge but ultimately brought a national championship home.
5 seniors share awards spotlight 04.14.08
It’s all over.
The frenzied celebrations of the last few weeks culminated Sunday night at Allen Fieldhouse, where more than 10,000 fans gathered to pay tribute to the Kansas University men’s basketball team.
Jayhawks back at Allen Field House 03.31.08
It was like game day all over again. An estimated 6,000 fans waited for several hours to welcome the Kansas University men’s basketball team to Allen Field House, following their Elite Eight victory over Davidson. Despite a party that lasted throughout the evening on Massachusetts Street, the fans were enthusiastic until the very end.
Street of Dreams 03.30.08
Call it Mass. chaos.
Massachusetts Street turned into a tangle of triumph after Kansas University’s Elite Eight victory over Davidson, sending the Jayhawks to the Final Four for the first time since 2003.
Thousands of people poured out of bars and descended upon downtown, clogging Massachusetts Street and paralyzing traffic as circles of jubilant fans mobbed each other, exchanging high fives and hugging total strangers.
Clinton Lake racers rally from fall 03.29.08
Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical treated and released 12 people, including one woman, Saturday after their canoes filled with water and capsized during an adventure race on Clinton Lake. No injuries were reported, and nobody was taken to the hospital.
Loyal Jayhawk fans brandish school spirit for ESPN 03.03.08
Scott Lienemann has thick skin. Clad in a purple Kansas State basketball jersey, he stuck out in a sea of blue Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse, when ESPN filmed its popular College GameDay program for the third time since 2005. The taping preceded an evening basketball match-up, where Kansas University looked for payback after losing to Kansas State on Jan. 30.
