He's a real sheriff not like Tom Dart - Sheriff Chuck Wright: Justice System Owes Wounded Deputy Apology - The system FAILED AGAIN

CLICK HERE TO SEE SHERIFF CHUCK WRIGHT'S NEWS CONFERENCE

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. -- For the second time in two weeks, the Spartanburg sheriff -- now known across the country for his straight talking -- held a news conference to talk about one of his deputies being shot at.

This time, the deputy was wounded twice, but he is expected to survive.

In the last news conference, Sheriff Chuck Wright focused on his desire for responsible citizens to get concealed weapons permit and arm themselves. That news conference led to international attention and a trip to New York to share his views.

This time, Wright zeroed in on the justice system that he says isn't working. He said it continues to allow repeat offenders, like the suspect in Sunday night's shooting, to be released to commit more crimes.

"We've had a gentleman that we've had several opportunities to keep in jail and our system has failed us again. This is becoming a theme every time I get behind a mic."

Robert Odell Brown, 27, has been charged with attempted murder in the shooting of Deputy Brad James.

Wright said Brown's criminal record started as a “youthful offender” when he was 19, and in the years since, he has been charged with assault and battery with intent to kill, burglary (second offense), providing false information to police, failure to stop for a blue light, resisting arrest, malicious damage, stealing bonds, receiving stolen good and criminal domestic violence.

Wright said, "Our justice system has been a failure."

"I think the justice system owes Brad James' family and Brad James himself a huge apology," he said.

Wright said the deputy was "doing his job, protecting you guys" when he executed the traffic stop.

"Bad guy runs, good guy does what he does and catches the guy, and when he catches him, the bad guy turns around and he shoots my deputy in the face with a .410 shotgun, and he shoots him in the back -- when he's down, he shoots him again."

Wright said James is a great officer, a great guy and a great person to be around. He said right now he is praying for the deputy's eyesight, because James currently can't see out of his right eye.

Wright said after James was shot the second time, he got up, and out of "sheer determination," he pursued Brown 150-200 yards before he had to give up.

"That's a hero, to me," Wright said.

He said he was glad he was glad he did not have to make a call to James' wife like he had to in 2007 to the widow of Deputy Kevin Carper, telling her he had been shot and killed.

"I'm grateful to God almighty that we don't have to say that about Brad."

Shiquan Freeman, 28, of Queensbury Way, and Crystal Dominique Lovett, 25, of Delmar Road in Spartanburg, are charged with accessory after the fact to a felony. Wright said they took Brown to Virginia in a Crown Victoria, the third car involved in the getaway.

He said Brown told Freeman and Lovett that he had been shot when someone robbed him.

Wright said, "Instead of taking him to a hospital or calling 911, they decided to drive him to Virginia."

Because there was another car used by Brown before he was driven to Virginia, Wright said there will be more accessory charges.

"I promise you, there are several other people involved," he said.

Wright Blames Judicial System

Wright said he is calling on lawmakers to "wake up."

He said taxpayers want more prisons and newer-style chain gangs. And he said there need to be laws that don't have loopholes that keep freeing criminals.

Wright said the whole system needs to be revamped, and the problem isn't judges or lawyers, it's the whole system. He said judges have too much leeway, and "when a defendant's mamma is crying in the courtroom," it's hard for judges to give lengthy sentences. But he said "zero to 30 years" is too much leeway, and there should be minimum sentences.

He said there should be sentencing guidelines and, "We're going to have to do something in the country to make people not want to go to jail." He said he doesn't want to be mean to people in prison, but that it "doesn't need to be like the Comfort Inn."

He said Spartanburg County has good prosecutors. He said Barry Barnette does not mind putting guys in jail.

Wright said "5 percent of the people cause 100 percent of the problems" in his county.

He said the system needs to be changed to keep the bad guys in jail, but in the meantime, hearkening back to his last news conference, he said, "Good citizens of this county, arm yourselves. Get a concealed weapons permit to carry, and protect yourselves."

Read more: http://www.wyff4.com/news/29703810/detail.html#ixzz1d5dnB3i1

FOP 7 Chicago: Illinois SB512 may be called back up as early as tomorrow

Pension Legislation Alert 11/07/11
The Lodge has received word that there could be movement on SB512 as early as tomorrow. It is imperative that we make our voices heard load and clear that we vehemently oppose this legislation.
Now is the time for you and your family members to contact your State Representatives and State Senators! Please tell them to say NO to SB512 which would change the way pension benefits are earned and calculated along with increasing contributions by the members of the fund.
The easiest way to contact your legislators is to call 888-412-6570. You will be connected with your State Representative and State Senator.
Pension Reform Facts 11/04/11

The media and politicians have spread so many inaccuracies regarding our pension that even our members may not know facts from fiction. The proposed fixes fall squarely on the shoulders of the annuitants when there is already legislation in place that places the burden on the City which is exactly where it belongs.
These are your pension benefits. Take the time to protect them. Please feel free to print and distribute the FOP Pension Reform Facts flyer.

Add another homicide to the totals...Workers find man's body stuffed in closet of South Side apartment

Construction workers doing work in an apartment building today in the Oakland neighborhood found the body of a man stuffed in a closet, officials said.

The unidentified body was found in the closet of an apartment in a multi-unit building on the 4000 block of South Lake Park Avenue shortly after noon, police said.

The man appeared to be black and in his 40s, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

The man, who appeared to have sustained blunt head trauma, was found when workers at the in the building smelled a foul odor and found the body stuff in the closet of an apartment, police said.

Police have launched a death investigating and are awaiting autopsy results that could more conclusively give the cause of death before launching a homicide investigation, police officials said.

Shitbird charged in slayings of 3 in Chatham including a mother of a 2 year old picking up pastries for her birthday party

Chicago has to be at about 1,000 homicides this year already.... We been having 3 or 4 people murdered each day.....

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with murder in the slayings of a 21-year-old Calumet City student killed as she picked up pastries for her 2-year-old’s birthday party and two other people, police said.

Nicko Grayson, 17, of the 7000 block of South Perry Street, was charged with first-degree murder in the slayings of Chanda Thompson, 21, Shawn Russell, and a friend, Cortez Champion, both also 21.

Authorities said the victims were sitting in a car in a parking lot next to A Piece of Cake Bakery in the 400 block of East 87th Street about 5 p.m. Saturday when a gunman emerged from an alley and began shooting. The gunman then fled on foot, possibly to a nearby getaway vehicle.

Champion grew up in the Calumet Heights neighborhood on the South Side, his grandmother Beatrice Champion said Monday.

Thompson, who lived with Russell in the same block as her father in south suburban Calumet City, was in college studying nursing and also worked part time, her uncle said.

The close-knit family moved to Calumet City from Chicago because they thought it would be safer, said Thompson, who lives less than a mile away from his niece and brother.

"All we do is work and take care of our family," he said.

Grayson was expected to appear in Cook County Violence Court for a bond hearing midday Tuesday.

Chicago Bears pull off a sloppy win over the Eagles... But we will take it....

Bears outlast Eagles 30-24, improve to 5-3
The Chicago Bears faced yet another fork-in-the-road contest Monday night in the midst of their curious 2011 odyssey, and came away with an impressive 30-24 victory.

Boxing Great Smokin Joe Frazier Dies at 67 - I met him several times... He was always a gentleman to coppers

Boxing great Joe Frazier died Monday night of liver cancer. He was 67. The former heavyweight champion, nicknamed "Smokin' Joe," used his devastating left hook with impunity during his professional career, retiring with a 32-4-1 record. He went toe to toe three times with Muhammad Ali, including the famous "Thrilla in Manila" fight. Frazier, the son of a South Carolina sharecropper, boxed during the glory days of the heavyweight division, going up against greats George Foreman, Oscar Bonavena, Joe Bugner and Jimmy Ellis.

US Senator LiL Dick Durbin talking out his ass again....

Senator Dick Durbin acting all concerned that ILLEGAL ALIENS charged with serious and violent crimes are fleeing back to their home country to avoid ANY prosecution....

What he doesn't say is his Cook County Democratic Sheriff Tom Dart refuses to obey federal I.C.E. holds on ILLEGAL ALIENS who are inmates at the Cook County Jail and releases ILLEGAL ALIENS back to the streets of Chicago....

If Sheriff Tom Dart would obey the federal illegal alien holds... these asswipes wouldn't be free to escape back to their home countries.... Hey Dick Durbin... If you are really concerned... Call Tom Dart and tell him to obey the federal holds on these illegal aliens!


Citing an ongoing Chicago Tribune investigation, Illinois Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin today urged Attorney General Eric Holder to fix breakdowns in America’s criminal justice system that allow growing numbers of criminal suspects to flee the country each year and evade trial for murder, rape and other serious felonies.

Durbin added that he plans to convene a meeting in Chicago with Justice Department officials as well as leaders of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Chicago police and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, to counter what he called “an unacceptable lack of enforcement” that crippled efforts to bring back fugitives who fled across the U.S. border.

“Our law enforcement agencies must ensure that dangerous fugitives are brought to justice in Illinois and that other suspects clearly understand that they cannot flee our borders without being caught,” Durbin wrote in a letter to Holder. “I am ready to use all available resources to facilitate your action plan.”

Justice officials said they were reviewing the letter but declined further comment.

In a separate action, a leading Illinois Republican lawmaker said today that he would move to amend the Illinois criminal statute that protects close family members from prosecution for aiding or harboring a fugitive, a loophole highlighted by the Tribune articles.

Published last week, the Tribune’s four-part “Fugitives from Justice” investigation showed how easily and often felony suspects simply flee to countries such as Mexico, India, Korea and elsewhere.

While authorities often quickly pin down the fugitives’ locations abroad, learning the towns and even exact addresses where they fled, many of them remain free, making a mockery of the law and leaving victims’ families shattered and communities distrustful of police.

In an examination of more than 200 international fugitive cases from northern Illinois, the Tribune found an astonishing lack of coordination and follow-through among U.S. Justice Department officials, county prosecutors and local police on the U.S. side of the border; a failure by these agencies to keep track of their mounting caseloads; inexplicable years-long delays, and outright errors.

During a recent 18-day trip through central Mexico, Tribune reporters searched for nine fugitives and located eight of them — five accused of homicide, two of sexually abusing children and the other of shooting and wounding a man. All eight fled the U.S. and went right to their hometowns, the Tribune found. They registered cars, got marriage licenses or birth certificates all using their real names.

Citing the Tribune series, Durbin wrote to Holder that “reports indicate that the lack of apprehension of fugitives may stem partially from the lack of coordination and information-sharing between local, federal and international law enforcement agencies.”

Spokespersons for the Cook and Will County state’s attorney’s offices said they welcomed Durbin’s initiative and would participate in any summit aimed at improving the apprehension of border-crossing fugitives. Representatives of the Chicago police and Cook County Sheriff’s Office could not immediately be reached for comment.

In Springfield, state Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-Hinsdale, said he would work with law enforcement groups, the judiciary and others to revise the Illinois law that protects close family members from prosecution for harboring fugitives.

In a case detailed by the Tribune, 21-year-old Muaz Haffar fled for Syria after being charged with attacking University of Illinois at Chicago student Tombol Malik with a bike lock and beating him to death in July 2005. Law enforcment sources said Haffar’s father paid for Haffar’s airline ticket out of the country, and one of Haffar’s older brothers accompanied him on at least one leg of his journey out of Chicago, the Tribune investigation found.

Haffar’s relatives were not charged with any wrongdoing, and Haffar remains at large.

Sharon Bialek says Herman Cain try to get a blowjob off her....

Reporting from Washington and New York—
A Chicago woman came forward today to accuse presidential hopeful Herman Cain of groping her while the two were in a car 14 years ago while Cain was the head of a Washington trade group.

The allegations are the most explicit to have been made public and marks the first time one of Cain's accusers has identified herself.

At a press conference in New York, Sharon Bialek, a former employee of the National Restaurant Association, said she had sought Cain's help in finding a new job after the association had fired her. Instead, Bialek said, Cain, while the two were seated in a parked car, reached under her skirt and also attempted to move her head toward his crotch.

Cain's campaign instantly issued a denial. "All allegations of harassment against Mr. Cain are completely false," it said.

Attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing Bialek, said the woman was born and raised in Chicago and "has spent the majority of her life there."

An assistant for Allred declined to say where Bialek now lives.

For the past two years, Bialek has been a full-time homemaker and single mother of a son, 13, the attorney said.

Allred said Bialek met Cain through her former job with the educational foundation of the restaurant association in Chicago in 1996-1997.

After leaving the foundation, Bialek worked for five years for WGN Radio in marketing and for two and a half years at CBS Radio as managing director for non-traditional revenue, Allred said. (WGN is owned by Tribune Co.)

Allred said Bialek was a a college graduate who, earlier, co-hosted a cooking show on television for nine years and worked for Revlon as an account manager and for the Easter Seals Society in corporate development.

Bialek is, apparently, the fourth to accuse Cain of sexually inappropriate conduct during the time Cain was president and chief executive officer of the association. She said she did not file a complaint after the incident in July 1997 because she was no longer working for the trade group.

Two of the women reached settlements with the association, agreeing to keep quiet as part of the deal. A third told the Associated Press that she considered filing a complaint, but did not.

Bialek said she had met Cain during the restaurant association's convention. She had been impressed with Cain, she said, and once she was terminated by the group, she went to Washington to seek his help in finding a job.

Cain, she said, upgraded her hotel room to a suite, took her out to dinner, and later, while the two were in a car, made an unwanted sexual advance that she rejected. She said she asked him what he was doing, and that he replied, "You want a job, don't you?"

"I was very, very surprised and very shocked," said Bialek.

The statute of limitations on any lawsuit has likely expired, meaning that Allred can't file an action on Bialek's behalf. The press conference took place in a packed room in New York's storied Friar's Club.

She said she was coming public now "to give a face and a voice to those women who cannot or for whatever reason do not wish to come forward and on behalf of all women who are sexually harassed in the workforce."

She implored Cain to "make this right so that you and the country can move forward and focus on the real issues."

Allred called Bialek a "registered Republican" and Bialek said she approached Cain at a tea party event a month ago, but said Cain did not acknowledge anything inappropriate occurred between them.

Some of Cain's allies immediately made a target of Allred, a Democratic campaign donor, rather than focusing any anger on Cain's accuser.

Georgia state Sen. Joshua McKoon, who has endorsed Cain, accused Allred of "carnival theatrics" fueled by a partisan agenda.

"Her involvement makes it clear that it's a political smear job orchestrated by those on the left because there is nothing more terrifying than Herman Cain as the Republican nominee," the Republican lawmaker said.

But Doug Heye, a political consultant who is unaligned in the GOP race, said Bialek's allegations "are different because they involve a name and specific details."

He said Allred's involvement "is going to make some people disbelieve the charges out of hand because of the side show she creates. But Herman Cain has to be clear and convincing in his response."

Even before Bialek stepped forward, presidential rival Jon Huntsman and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour had publicly urged Cain to address sexual harassment allegations in greater detail.

It wasn't clear whether he would.

After spending much of last week denying accusations, he told reporters who sought to question him Saturday night, "don't even go there."

Cain had an evening appearance scheduled on the Jimmy Kimmel show, his only public event of the day.

Michael Jackson doctor Conrad Murray found GUILTY of pedophilia-freako-slaughter

Michael Jackson's personal physician has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for causing the pop icon's 2009 death by a powerful surgical anesthetic.

The verdict against Dr. Conrad Murray comes after a jury of seven men and five women deliberated for about nine hours over two days. The 58-year-old cardiologist, who was charged with the lowest possible homicide offense, faces a maximum sentence of four years in state prison and a minimum sentence of probation.

Murray now also faces the probable loss of his medical license. California authorities already suspended his right to practice, but medical boards in Nevada and Texas agreed to wait to evaluate licenses he holds in their states until after the criminal case.

Over a four-week case, prosecutors painted Murray as a deceptive and incompetent doctor who abandoned his medical judgment in complying with Jackson's request to be given a surgical anesthetic to put him to sleep.

Witnesses testified to many egregious medical missteps -– giving propofol in an unmonitored setting, fumbling at basic resuscitation, keeping no records –- failures that experts said directly led to Jackson's overdose death.

As his famed patient stopped breathing and suffered cardiac arrest under the influence of propofol, jurors were told, the doctor chatted on the phone and sent and received email and text messages. And in the crucial moments after he discovered the singer had stopped breathing, he delayed calling for help and lied to paramedics and emergency doctors, witnesses said.

Central to the government's case were the doctor's own words from a police interview two days after Jackson's death. In the 2-1/2-hour tape, Murray admitted to giving the singer the propofol -– caving after Jackson repeatedly begged for it, he said -– as well as two other drugs earlier in the day.

Admissions in the interview were enough evidence enough of the doctor's guilt, witnesses said. But the prosecution's star witness also said levels of the drug found during an autopsy showed Murray lied about how much propofol he administered. Dr. Steven Shafer, a renowned anesthesiologist and propofol expert, said the only plausible scenario was that Murray left a large drip of of the anesthetic running into Jackson's blood after he was dead.
The doctor's defense presented to jurors an alternate theory pointing the blame at Jackson himself. Under mounting pressure to perform and addicted to a painkiller that rendered him completely unable to sleep, the pop star swallowed a sedative and injected himself with propofol -– a mixture that killed him instantly, they contended.

No defense witness, however, addressed head-on a point the prosecution's medical experts repeatedly drove home: that even if Jackson died by his own hand, Murray was equally liable for leaving Jackson alone.

Defense attorneys called to the stand former patients of Murray's who countered the government's portrayal, calling him a caring, skilled physician who treated low-income patients for free.

Thanks to the big Detective P!

Detective P caught me having lunch today and picked up the tab! You're the bestest buddy! Keep the good fight going! He is a loyal viewer and supporter of this blog!

Artishai C. "Pouty Face Wildebeest" Payne charged with shooting her room mate

A 24-year-old woman was charged with shooting an ex-roommate in Zion after an argument broke out between them over a previous theft at their home, police said today.

The shooting happened Sunday at about 3:53 p.m. on the 2700 block of Hebron Avenue, according to police. Police responded after a person called police about the shooting and they found a 21-year-old woman squatting next to a parked car with a single gunshot wound to her abdomen, police said in a statement.

The victim lived with the alleged shooting for a few weeks and had recently moved out, police said. The victim was at the home after receiving a text message telling summoning her to the home to remove property from the home, police said.

After the victim showed up, the woman and the alleged shooter identified by police as Artishai C. Payne, argued over a theft that had occurred in the home weeks earlier. The two began arguing on the sidewalk outside the home when Payne went into the home, retrieved a handgun and the shot the victim in the lower stomach, police said.

Zion rescue squad personnel took the victim to Vista Medical Center East and she was eventually transferred to Advocate Condell Medical Center where she underwent "extensive" surgery, police said. Her condition had stabilized by this morning.

As police were at the crime scene, Payne turned walked into the lobby of the Zion police station and turned herself in. She allegedly confessed to the shooting after questioning by police. The handgun used in the shooting was recovered.

She was charged with aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, both are felonies, police said.

She is being held in the Zion jail and is expected to have a bond hearing later today.

Mayor Emanuel: Says "FOR THE CHILDREN" 49 times during press conference for Speed Cameras.... And says "Not doing it for the revenue" 4 times....

Mayor Emanuel Pushes, Clarifies Plan for Speed Cameras in School Zones: MyFoxCHICAGO.com

Mayor Emanuel Pushes, Clarifies Plan for Speed Cameras in School Zones

Chicago - Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his commissioners are recommending the city install speed cameras to protect children in school zones, and he is urging lawmakers in Springfield to pass a bill allowing the cameras to be set up.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel said he is impatient when it comes to the safety of Chicago's children, so he pulled together state legislators and medical personnel to push for speed cameras around schools and parks.

Emanuel held a press conference Monday at the Emergency Operations Center at OEMC, where real-time traffic cameras monitor Chicago's streets. He said speed cameras are just part of a plan to increase safety around schools.

“Any revenue goes back to school programs. It doesn’t go to fund the deficit, if we ever get anything. After school programs, speed bumps, there’s a host of things you can do to protect children. So the revenue is dedicated to our children’s safety in and around schools," Emanuel said.

Emanuel said he's found funding for crossing guards, surveillance cameras in high schools and the Safe Passage Program. He said speed cameras would be a deterrent, not a revenue source.

Mayor Emanuel began by saying Monday is the funeral of Diamond Robinson, 6, who was killed crossing the street in Englewood on her way to a Halloween party. He said her death and talking to her mother on the phone motivates him to push for the speed cameras.

The bill has already passed the Illinois Senate and the Illinois House is expected to vote on it this week. Chicago is the only city included in the bill.

There has been some question as to where exactly the cameras would be placed. An analysis by the Chicago Tribune found almost half the city could be covered by the cameras. The law allows the cameras within a 1/8 mile radius of schools and park areas.

According to a press release from the mayor’s office, the Chicago Department of Transportation will choose high-priority areas to put the cameras based on rates of pedestrian crashes, severity of injuries and number of crashes.

After a public education campaign, the city would issue warnings for a 30 day grace period. After that, motorists travelling more than 5 mph more than the speed limit would get one warning letter before being issued a ticket.

The fine for getting caught would be $100.

Lindsay Lohan serves 4.5 hours of her 30 day sentence and is released.... Kind of like our Cook County Jail

Lindsay Lohan has been released from jail -- a mere 4.5 hours after she checked in.

As we first reported, Lindsay checked into the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, CA last night at 8:48 PM PST to begin serving her 30-day jail sentence.

She was released at approximately 1:30AM. Tough life.

Mercer Island, Washington - U.S. Secret Service agent shoots at peeping tom

An off-duty Secret Service agent shot at a prowler who appeared to be videotaping his daughter through a window of his Mercer Island home Sunday evening.

After receiving a call from a neighbor about a suspicious person in his yard, the agent confronted the man about 8:45 p.m., said Leslie Burns, Mercer Island police spokeswoman. The prowler made a furtive move, and the agent fired. The suspect fled.

It’s not clear if he was hit.
Police canine units tracked the suspect to the street, but the trail disappeared.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a description or a vehicle description,” Burns said.
She said officers will return in the morning to see if they can find the bullet or any other evidence. Police also will be in touch with area hospitals in case the suspect was injured.

BELOIT, WISCONSIN: Colored man dead, police officer shot after Town of Beloit shooting

A colored man on welfare is dead after a police officer shot him outside a bowling alley in the Town of Beloit early Sunday morning. The officer sustained a gunshot wound to his leg.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is investigating the incident, which took place in the parking lot of Rex Lanes at 2547 S. Park Ave. at 1:43 a.m.

Town of Beloit police said in a news release that the officer "encountered a large crowd" and requested assistance. When he got out of his car, he heard gunshots and saw a man firing a handgun.

"Multiple shots were fired and officers from the City of Beloit and the Rock County Sheriff's Department responded to assist," the news release said.

The police officer and the man were taken to Beloit Memorial Hospital. The man was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Officials would not release the ages or names of the people involved, pending notifications of relatives.

No information was immediately available on whether the officer responded to an incident at the scene or was patrolling the area.

"While the investigation is continuing, there is no reason to believe the public is in danger from this incident," the Department of Justice said in a news release.

The state Division of Criminal Investigation, the Rock County Sheriff's Department and the Beloit Police Department are investigating the incident and are seeking more information on what happened.

People with tips are asked to call the Rock County Sheriff's Department at (608) 757-7925 or the state DOJ at (608) 266-1671.

We have to make up for all the BILLIONS OF DOLLARS Mayor Richard Daley stole! Not some but ALL city stickers to go way up!

Mayor Cokehead Emanuel to ease library cuts, raise all city sticker fees

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is softening the blow of his library cuts — and raising city sticker fees across the board instead of confining the increase to large vehicles — to accommodate rebel aldermen and win the 26 votes he needs to approve his 2012 budget.

“I said we were gonna form a new partnership between ... the mayor and City Council — that the voters didn’t want Council Wars and they also didn’t want a City Council that would be a rubber stamp,” Emanuel told a City Hall news conference Friday. “This speaks to that new partnership ... that hears what the aldermen say, listens to their suggestions and ideas and addresses them, because there’s more than one way to get to a destination point.”

The mayor’s original plan called for raising the city sticker fee for large vehicles by $15 and broadening the umbrella of drivers forced to pay the new $135 fee for “large passenger vehicles” to include 184,000 more vehicles.

The decision to reduce the weight threshold from 4,500 pounds to 4,000 pounds came under fire from City Clerk Susana Mendoza and others because it would have forced soccer moms and other mini-van drivers to pay $60 more for their city stickers.

The mayor’s new plan would maintain the 4,500-pound weight limit in favor of across-the-board increases of $10 to $85 for small and medium-sized vehicles; and $15 to $135 for the larger ones. That means all 1.26 million drivers who buy city stickers would pay more, except for senior citizens and motorcycle owners.

Emanuel also followed Mendoza’s recommendation by raising the penalties for failing to display a valid city sticker — from a $120 fine and a $40 late fee to $200 and $60, respectively.

The mayor’s plan to switch to an across-the-board increase in city sticker fees did not work to satisfy Mendoza, however. Far from it.

“I am very much opposed to an increase for anyone right now,” the clerk said.

Noting that 200,000 drivers were ticketed last year for failing to display valid city stickers, Mendoza said, “I don’t think we should ask people who are currently in compliance to pay more before going after those who are blatantly breaking the law and choosing not to pay their fair share.”

The mayor’s decision to restore $1 million he cut from graffiti removal and vacant lot cleaning and $3.3 million cut from Chicago Public Libraries did please aldermen, however. Instead of laying off 284 employees, libraries would fire 184; and Monday and Friday morning closings would not apply during the 19 weeks when school is out.

To address aldermanic concerns about struggling parish churches, the mayor is softening the impact of the water and sewer fees he plans to impose for the first time on hospitals, universities, churches and other non-profits.

Instead of cutting off the free water spigot in one fell swoop, Emanuel plans to give those institutions a 60 percent discount in 2012, 40 percent in 2013 and 20 percent in 2014. By 2015, they would pay full freight.

Yet another change still being negotiated would reduce — not eliminate — the $75-a-year refuse collection rebate paid to condominium owners.

Lakefront aldermen have complained that it’s a matter of fairness, since condo owners pay property taxes, but have to pay private scavenger services because city crews do not pick up their garbage.

Rebel aldermen welcomed the mayor’s peace offering and the open-door policy that set the stage for compromise.

“Under Daley, there wasn’t much opportunity to say, ‘Here’s another option. Here’s an alternative to doing these cuts.’ It was basically, ‘There’s the cuts. Vote on it,’” said Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd). “This mayor has come back to the table. His budget director found a way to soften the blow. Of course, we’ll like to see all of these things off the table. But it’s his budget. He’s essentially setting his course for the next four years.”

Still, Waguespack said maverick aldermen plan to push for further changes.

We have to make up for the BILLIONS OF DOLLARS Mayor Richard Daley stole - Criminal fines to double and triple!

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has said his plan to raise taxes, fines and fees by $220 million in 2012 includes higher fines for a laundry list of offenses, but he has yet to air that laundry list.

Now, the mayor’s 2012 revenue ordinance makes the details public. It’s a doozy.

If your car is impounded for carrying drugs, driving drunk, soliciting a prostitute or carrying a firearm registered to someone other than the driver, the penalty will double — to $2,000. But, if the violations occur within 500 feet of a park or school, the fine will triple — to $3,000.

If your car is seized for drag racing on Chicago streets, there’s a new, $1,000 fine in addition to the towing and storage fee. For playing a radio too loud, the new fine will be anywhere from $500 to $750.

If the vehicle is snatched for driving with a suspended or revoked license or displaying altered temporary registration permits, the fine would double — to $1,000. Vehicles towed after being used in an unlawful attempt to flee or elude police officers would also double — to $2,000.

Tampering with parking meters or pay-and-display boxes — something motorists have done on occasion to vent their anger at the deal that privatized Chicago parking meters — would carry a fine ranging from $500 to $750.

The mayor isn’t just throwing the book at criminals.

He’s also raising nuisance fines. They include:

†Allowing weeds to grow to a height that exceeds 10 inches — $600-to-$1,200-a-day, up from $500-to-$1,000.

†Illegal dumping or allowing trash to accumulate in a way that provides a food supply for rats — $300-to-$600, up from $250-to-$500.

†Accumulation of materials or junk on any open lot or other premises not placed on open racks “elevated not less than 18 inches above ground”: $300-to-$600, up from $250-to-$500.

†Failure to maintain vacant lots and keep them clear of debris: $300-to-$600.

†Neglecting to register or renew registration of a vacant building: $500.

The revenue ordinance introduced at last week’s City Council meeting also ends the bargain fee that Chicago businesses have paid to create loading zones that tie up traffic or deprive other motorists of on-street spaces.

In the Central Business District, there’ll be an annual fee of $500 for up to 20 linear feet of curb space used and $50 for every linear foot above that amount.

Outside the downtown area, the loading zone fees will be $110 for up to 20 linear feet of curb space and $50-per-foot after that.

The mayor’s budget also includes a plan to raise the city’s hotel tax, impose a $2-weekday congestion fee on downtown and River North parking; double water and sewer rates over the next four years and lock in annual cost-of-living increases after that.

And thanks to a budget compromise aimed at appeasing Chicago aldermen, there will be an across-the-board increase in city sticker fees. The only exceptions will be senior citizens and motorcycle riders.

State police: Man strips naked, walks on to tollway, fatally struck protesting Gov Quinn's doubling of the tolls

NOTHING GETS THE ATTENTION OF GOV PAT QUINN MORE THAN A NAKED MAN BEING REAR ENDED!

A man stripped off his clothing and walked on to the Tri-State Tollway Sunday afternoon, where he was fatally struck by a van, Illinois State Police said.

The collision was reported at about 5:54 p.m. on northbound Interstate 294 at mile marker 16 near south suburban Worth, authorities said.

Witnesses told state police that the 34-year-old motorist was speeding down the toll road in his black GMC pickup truck when he rear-ended a vehicle before hitting a guard rail and coming to a stop, authorities said.

The man then got out of his truck, took off all of his clothing, then walked on to the roadway where he was hit, said state police Master Sgt. David Schneider. Three people were taken to an area hospital because of the rear-end collision, Schneider said.

Authorities have no idea what led the motorist -- identified only as a Robbins resident -- to walk on to the roadway. Investigators were awaiting autopsy results to learn whether drugs or alcohol may have played a role, Schneider said.

Authorities shut down several lanes of traffic for about an hour as state troopers investigated.

Drunken Illegal Beaner Julio Duran charged with DUI in Mount Greenwood crash on Kedzie

A motorist whose blood alcohol content was reportedly more than three times the legal limit when he plowed into an auto repair shop early Friday in Chicago’s Mount Greenwood community has been charged.

Julio Duran, 27, of the 7200 block of South Sawyer Avenue, was charged with aggravated DUI, DUI, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, driving on a revoked license and driving without insurance, police News Affairs Officer Daniel O’Brien said. In addition to the local charges, I.C.E. has placed a no bond hold on Duran due to his immigration status.

Though Duran, of Marquette Park, remained hospitalized, his case was before a judge Saturday, and Duran was ordered held on $250,000 bail. His blood alcohol content was measured at .294, prosecutors said.

Duran lost control of his car about 1:20 a.m. Friday and crashed into Mount Greenwood Auto Supply and Repair, 10319 S. Kedzie Ave., police said.

Chicago police squad car crash sends 4 to hospital

At least four people were injured, one seriously, following a traffic crash at a South Side intersection involving two Chicago police vehicles.

Authorities didn't immediately state whether any police officers were hurt in the crash that happened near the intersection of 87th Street and Martin Luther King Drive at about 8:40 p.m.

The crash involved two police vehicles, according to a witness.

Three of the victims were taken in good condition to Advocate Trinity Hospital, while one person was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in serious-to-critical condition, according to a Chicago Fire Department spokesman.

The crash happened just steps from where three people were shot dead Saturday evening.

A Detective Shaved Longcock Musical Break..... It's an all CARPENTERS break! Karen Carpenter & Richard Carpenter - The Carpenters Musical Videos

She is still the most beautful woman in the world to me! Her voice is the absolute most beautiful in the business... She could have been Mrs. Shavedlongcock had she lived! What a shame....











BONUS VIDEO

Female Chicago police officer killed in apparent domestic attack - Brutally beaten by her grandson

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEWS VIDEO

A 15-year-old boy was being questioned after a Chicago police officer was found dead behind her home, authorities said today.

The officer was found a little before noon in the 8800 block of South Wallace Street, according to police.

The death was believed to be domestic-related, police said. The officer apparently had been beaten.

Law enforcement sources said the body was found in a sewer trap behind the house.

Hester Scott, of 8800 block of South Wallace Street, was declared dead on the scene at 4:25 p.m., according to a spokesman for the medical examiner’s office.

She was believed to have died from trauma, but an autopsy was scheduled for Saturday.

A statement from News Affairs confirmed the officer was 55 years old and had 25 years on the job.

Scott's brother, Marvin, was distraught as he spoke about his sister's death.

He said she battled in court for months to adopt her daughter's four children.

"She survived death and life everyday on the streets of Chicago," said Marvin Scott, a Navy veteran who spoke near his sister’s home.

"Hester would give you anything, but she (was) not going to be taken advantage of,” her brother said. “She put everything she had into her grandchildren."

A Chicago police officer who came to the scene said she had worked with Scott for more than 20 years.

"She was a wonderful person with a great personality," said Officer Willia Robinson. "It has literally not settled in yet."

The News Affairs statement said officers were called about 11:50 a.m. for a report of an open door at the home and later found the body. A person of interest was being questioned, according to the statement.

Neighbors said Scott had lived in her two-story home for about 20 years.

Wilbert Grant, 92, said several grandchildren currently resided with her in the home.

"She was nice and very friendly," he said.

This afternoon Wallace Street was blocked off by five Chicago Fire Department vehicles -- engines and trucks -- and several police cars between 88th and 89th streets.

A police forensics services van was stationed in front of the officer's home, which was cordoned off with red tape.

Jose Velasquez Castillo, Illegal Beaner, dies after falling into pool while mowing lawn

A 41-year-old Anaheim man died Saturday when he fell into a swimming pool while mowing a lawn, authorities said.

The Orange County coroner’s office said the man, Jose Velasquez Castillo, was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 1:59 p.m.

Castillo was mowing a lawn in the residential cul-de-sac of South Stone Circle near the 57 Freeway on Saturday when he fell into a the pool.

Officials are still not sure how the incident occurred and the cause of death was still unclear, pending an autopsy. The lawn mower was recovered from the pool undamaged.

OOPS, Wrong hotel to rob! Two martial artists in town to fight take down an armed shithead holding up their hotel desk clerk

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO OF THIS INCIDENT

Two mixed martial artists from Oregon were in Los Angeles for a grappling tournament, but they ended up using their skills to do much more than win a match. They subdued an armed robber who was holding up the clerk at their hotel. Watch the security video in this report from KCAL-TV.

Brent Alvarez runs Twisted Web MMA in Eugene, Ore., and Billy Denney is his student. They were walking through the hotel lobby when they saw the robber, who had gone behind the hotel's counter, pulled out a gun, and demanded money. The clerk handed over the cash, but yelled for help. Alvarez and Denney jumped on the robber, and while Denney controlled his wrists, Alvarez sunk in a rear naked choke. They held him in place until police arrived.

Alvarez is 2-2 in amateur bouts, while Denney is 7-2. According to the Twisted Web Facebook page, Denney took third at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation no-gi worlds. (In no-gi, participants wear a rash guard or no shirt instead of the traditional martial arts uniform of a gi.) Alvarez went 1-1 in his fights.

No matter their results, I have a feeling that Denney and Alvarez will remember this trip to L.A. for something other than the tournament. Kudos to them both for being brave and using martial arts to do more than win a match.

2 lesbian drama queens sheboons put on an act in court after being sentenced to life for the death of a 3yr old child

"Two wildebeests women collapsed in court Thursday morning after receiving life sentences for the death of a 3-year-old girl. Shanita Latrice Skank Cunningham and Erica Mae Big Butts were sentenced Thursday morning for the death of Serenity Richardson. Shortly after being sentenced to life, both Butts and Cunningham fell to the floor with emotional outcries coming from family members. Both women had to be wheeled out of the court room. In November of 2009, EMS was dispatched to 207 Congaree River Drive in the Lakes of Summerville subdivision around 7 p.m. Tuesday. Richardson was not breathing and was later pronounced dead at Summerville Medical Center. "All I ask is that justice be served for her today. That she finally can seriously rest in peace, and then maybe, just maybe I can breathe a breath of fresh air," said Ieshia Richardson, the victim's mother." The two offenders are in a lesbian love affair.

They both lost a lot of street cred with this display. sho nuff!

Lisa Tortorello who is the author of "My Hero, My Ding" will be featured on WGN-TV's "Chicago's Very Own"

Lisa Tortorello is a home grown Chicagoan....

Teacher and Author....

Her book, My Hero, My Ding, has been featured on my blog.

Lisa will be in an upcoming episode of

WGN-TV's "Chicago's Very Own"

Below is a sneak preview of that feature...

Here we have an internationally famous detective reading Lisa's book while traveling in Mexico.

Lisa Tortorello's blog is listed under my blog listings on the right hand side of this blog...

Only in the ghetto... very similiar to the killing over the last pork chop! Cops: Woman dies after being stabbed over missing Halloween candy

A woman was pronounced dead this morning after being stabbed on Halloween by a male friend who became angry over a missing bag of candy, officials said.

Maria Adams, 49, was stabbed with several steak knives about 2:30 p.m. Monday on the 7100 block of South Winchester Avenue in the West Englewood neighborhood on the South Side, police said.

She was taken in critical condition to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, where she was pronounced dead Saturday, police said.

The attack, which police are calling domestic related, happened at the home of Ledell Peoples, 55, police said.

Peoples was charged with attempted first degree murder and aggravated domestic battery. Thursday he went before a judge who ordered the man held on $2 million bond, according to records.

Now that Adams has died, police are awaiting autopsy results to determine whether to upgrade charges to first-degree murder, police said.

Adams, who lived on the 8200 block of South May Street, was with Peoples on Halloween when the man became enraged when a bag of candy went missing from his home and accused the woman of taking it, police said.

The man used several steak knives from his kitchen to attack the woman. The woman threw several plates at him to defend herself, officials said. The man sustained a gash over his right eye.

Police responded to the home after Peoples called them, officials said.

2 honor students on the verge of discovering the cure to cancer shot & wounded in South Side shooting

Chicago, IL - A 15-year-old and 19-year-old were shot this afternoon in the West Chesterfield neighborhood on the South Side, police said.

The shooting happened about 2:55 p.m. on the 9100 block of South Wabash Avenue, Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Veejay Zala.

The younger boy sustained a gunshot wound to his stomach and the older man was shot in the back, Zala said.

The two were taken in serious-to-critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Chicago Fire Department officials said.

Chicago to proclaim Bill Kurtis Day

Monday will be Bill Kurtis Day in Chicago.

Chicago's Cultural Affairs Commissioner Michelle Boone will read a proclamation at a Monday evening gala benefit honoring Kurtis and his longtime partner Donna LaPietra. It will declare Nov. 7, 2011, Bill Kurtis Day and Donna LaPietra Day in the city.

Kurtis is a broadcaster, documentary host, author and producer. LaPietra is vice president and executive producer for Kurtis Productions.

Kurtis has been an anchor with CBS in Chicago and has produced crime and news documentary shows for cable television.

The proclamation notes the couple's "immeasurable contributions to the arts and our city."

Bill's news partner Walter Jacobson will have a day named after him called, "Drunken News Anchors Who Beat Their Wife Day."

Prosecutors: Off-duty Chicago officer killed after yelling at her grandson for cutting school

Photo: Keshawn Perkins (inset) is charged for murdering his grandmother Hester Scott who was an off-duty Chicago police officer.

The 15-year-old grandson of an off-duty female police officer killed her after the boy had skipped school and the victim caught him sleeping in the basement, prosecutors said.

Keshawn Perkins, who had been adopted by his grandmother Hester Scott and lived with the officer at her home on the 8800 block of South Wallace Street, was charged as an adult in her killing on Friday, prosecutors said in court today.

Perkins fell asleep watching television in the basement of Scott's home and was roused from his sleep by Scott yelling at him for playing hooky from school, officials said.

When Perkins awoke, he grabbed a lamp and used it to repeatedly hit her on the head and also stabbed her several times with a kitchen knife, prosecutors said.
Other sources earlier said that Scott and her grandson may have had a dispute over the use of a cell phone.

After beating and stabbing her, Perkins then wrapped Scott's body in a blanket, dragged her to a catch basin the backyard, and dumped her body there, prosecutors said. He then took his grandmother's purse and fled from the home, prosecutors said.

A witness saw Perkins, covered in blood, dragging an object in the backyard and then saw him fleeing with the purse in his hands, prosecutors said.

Police were called to the home after the front door of the home was found open. After police arrived, Perkins was brought to them by neighbors, prosecutors said. Police found two bloody kitchen knives in the basement of the home, officials said.

Prosecutors said Perkins admitted to police that his grandmother had caught him skipping school and that he hit her with the lamp, "until she shut up."

The teen also told police where to find his grandmother's body and led them to a garbage can where he dumped his bloody clothes, prosecutors said.

An autopsy determined that the woman died of blunt force trauma to her head and also indicated that she had stab wounds to her hand, neck, back and head, prosecutors said. One of the neck wounds severed her jugular vein, officials said.

In court today, Perkins was ordered held without bail and did not speak. While charged as an adult, Perkins was wearing gray juvenile corrections facility pants and a blue shirt.

He is a 9th grade student at Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep, 250 East 111th Street. He has no criminal record, prosecutors said. He was represented by a public defender.

Here is something 100% free.... Mt Greenwood Cemetery Civil War Presentation - TODAY (SUNDAY) 2PM 11/06/2011

TODAY -  November 6th, 2011 beginning at 2PM


A great presentation to bring the kids. They have an actual Civil War Uniform that was worn by one of the soldiers buried at Mt. Greenwood Cemetery. The program is being given by the foremost expert in the American Civil War, Wayne Wolf.

Not too many things are free anymore... and it's hard to find things that the kids would enjoy... But I think the adults and children will truly enjoy this Civil War presentation.

Click on the below image to enlarge it for further information and phone numbers.

Mount Greenwood Cemetery is located in beautiful downtown Mt. Greenwood at 2900 West 111th Street (Between Kedzie and California) Chicago, IL 60655

After firing Regina & Ron Evans, Country Club Hills now wants a police chief who was once busted for soliciting whores - HE OFFERED $15.00 FOR SEX!

Deputy Chief Mark Scott, the big spender!, offered a black street whore $15.00 for sex! This guy must have at least 12 diseases if he is screwing $15.00 WHORES!

ABOVE PHOTO: File photo of Regina "Crusty Toes" Evans and her husband Ron "DownLo" Evans who were both fired from CCH Police. Both are currently under local and federal investigation for millions of dollars missing in federal grants for minorities.

Country Club Hills’ new deputy police chief, who is being groomed to be the city’s next chief, was once charged with soliciting a prostitute, the SouthtownStar has learned.Deputy Chief Mark Scott, then a Country Club Hills detective, was charged with paying a woman he thought was a hooker $15 for sex in July 1998, according to a Chicago Heights police report obtained by the SouthtownStar. But the prostitute who was strolling at Hickory Street and Chicago Road in Chicago Heights that night was an undercover Cook County sheriff’s police officer.

Nineteen other men were charged with solicitation in that undercover investigation, and only Scott and another man had their charges dismissed, court records show. They indicate that the rest received court supervision and paid fines anywhere from $200 to $750.“People make mistakes in their lives and try to move on and learn from it and do positive things from it,” said Scott, who was appointed deputy chief Oct. 24. “You forget about what happened in the past, and you move forward.”Scott refused to discuss details of his arrest or why the charge was dropped. But he said being a police detective didn’t give him any influence in the courtroom.“If I was to call someone and ask for a favor, I wouldn’t have gone to court,” he said.

Mayor Dwight Welch maintained that Scott is an “outstanding guy other than that one indiscretion.”“He thought it was strange some woman was out there, and it turned out to be a sheriff’s officer and they charged him,” Welch said. “It turned out (they) didn’t have a case because he didn’t solicit.”After the incident, Scott was suspended without pay for a couple of weeks before returning to work, Welch said, adding that Scott received no special treatment as a police officer.

Scott was appointed to his current post after former Police Chief Regina Evans was fired last month. Evans has filed for bankruptcy and faces lawsuits from her personal finances and is under scrutiny regarding her involvement in two questionable city programs.Scott began to rise in the ranks as Evans slipped out of favor. Welch tapped him to be the city’s acting chief when Evans went on sick leave in August, two days after her husband and former city inspector general, Ronald Evans, was laid off.

Former Police Chief William Brown was rehired on a one-year deal to replace Evans, who was fired after she refused to resign as chief. Welch appointed Scott as deputy chief, saying he would be sent for administrative training. A year of being second-in-command would also allow Scott to “test his mettle” in preparation for a possible promotion to chief, the mayor said.“There’s a strong belief within the council that he’s homegrown, he’s an honest policeman, he’s a hardworking police officer, he’s come up through the ranks,” Welch said. “The last choice (Evans) was from outside the city, and I think the council is looking inside the city.”Brown said he knew about Scott’s prostitution arrest, which doesn’t “speak to his character as a police officer.

That has never factored into my evaluation of him as a person or a police officer. It is what it is.”Ed Noyes, the head of the city’s police and fire commission, also said he knew about Scott’s 1998 arrest.“He screwed up and went off the deep end there for a little bit and got himself (in trouble),” Noyes said. “That’s part of the record, and we will support him.”

Check out these new colorful pistol hand grips by Eagle Grips (Video)

Carol Stream, IL-- In this Chicago suburb Eagle Grips is making incredible choices for gun owners. There is no compromise on materials used. Check out the latest material for your personal protection. You can set your own style and watch your friends copy your lead. Kirinite is the latest material employed by Eagle Grips to dress up your handguns. I thank Paul Huebl and Crime File News for this information.

I post this movie clip now and again because 35 years later it still fits so well....

4 Negroes rape an elderly man... No hate crime here???

SOCORRO, Texas — Socorro police and the FBI are looking for four men who police say attacked and raped an elderly man who was out on his early-morning walk. Investigators said the 70-year-old was walking Thursday around 6 a.m. at Valle del Sol Park on Valle Rico Road and Valle Fertil when they said four black men got out of a late-'90s Ford or Chevrolet van or minivan and demanded the Mexican-American man to give them money.

When he said, "No," they allegedly grabbed him, threw him in the van and raped him. Socorro spokesman David Garcia said the men yelled racial slurs at the victim as they assaulted him. "These four people know each other well enough to do something like this in front of each other. This is an atrocity!” Garcia said. “This man was somebody's dad. This man was somebody's brother, somebody's friend." He said the victim was so badly hurt, he had surgery and is in serious condition at a hospital. “I think that's ridiculous. A 70-year-old man getting taken and raped by an unknown vehicle, you know,”

Christian Nevarez, 23, said. He lives in the neighborhood and said he usually wakes up early and sees several people taking walks along the park. He said children also walk to school early in the morning. Police said the attackers are in their mid-20s to 30s. Call Socorro police at 915-858-6986 if you have any information in this case.

Hot Female Bank Robber wearing the Det Shavedlongcock favorite things - Ponytail & Baseball Cap robs River North bank TWICE

A smoking hot woman bandit wearing all black robbed a River North bank this morning and is suspected of robbing the same bank in September, officials said.

Shortly after 9:30 a.m., the woman held up a Chase Bank located at 600 N. Dearborn St., officials said.
There was no immediate information available about whether she was armed with a weapon or used a demand note, but police said she was wearing all black. More specifically, she was wearing a ball cap, sunglasses, a black sweatshirt and black pants and carried a black purse.

The woman also was described as white with brown hair, about 5 feet 7 inches tall, great shape and hot ass, between the age of 25 to 30, according to the FBI.
On Thursday, a man who was suspected of robbing the same Loop bank four times was charged in one of those robberies after his fingerprint was lifted from a demand note.

Anyone with information on the bank robberies should call the FBI at (312) 421-6700

Chicago's Indian Summer Leads to 2 Dozen Murders & Scores Shot and Wounded in last 7 days

2 colored folks dead, a few more wounded in South Side shooting

A woman and a man were reported dead and another man wounded this evening in a shooting in the Chatham neighborhood on the city's South Side, officials said.
The shooting happened about 5 p.m. on the 8700 block of South King Drive, said Police News Affairs Officer Dan O'Brien.
Preliminary reports stated a vehicle pulled up and someone from inside opened fire, killing a man and a woman. Another man was wounded and taken in serious-to-critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to Fire Media.
As of 6 p.m., no one was in custody for the shooting and there was no vehicle description available, O'Brien said.

Chicago Tribune's John Kass sets Anita Alvarez & Tom Dart straight on high profile murders

CLICK HERE TO READ THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE'S JOHN KASS IN REGARDS TO THE INDIAN HEAD PARK - KELLI O'LAUGHIN TRAGIC MURDER AND HOW ANITA ALVAREZ AND TOM DART ARE BASICALLY PLACING THE TRIAL IN JEPOARDY JUST TO GET TV AIR TIME.


CLICK HERE TO READ THE EVER FAMOUS "19TH WARD POLITICS AND BEYOND" BLOG POSTING

Huge 34 vehicle crash kills several injures many more....

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

LONDON — A huge crash involving 34 vehicles on a highway in southwestern England killed at least seven people and injured 51, British police said Saturday.

The crash on Friday night involved explosions, and cars and tractor trailers burning "literally to the ground," Assistant Chief Constable Anthony Bangham told reporters. Police expect the death toll to rise and they fear they may find more bodies in the wreckage, Bangham said.

Video footage shown on British news channels showed large balls of fire consuming trucks, and billowing smoke at the scene.

It was not immediately clear what caused the collision on the M5 highway, but police said foggy conditions and wet road surfaces were partly to blame. Road accidents of this scale are rare in Britain, and rescuers have described the pile-up as one of the worst in living memory.

The affected section of the busy highway has been closed in both directions as police remove all vehicles for forensic examination. The highway will not be reopened until Sunday at the earliest, police said.

Paul Slaven, a fire department official from the region, told the BBC earlier that the pile-up Friday evening on the M5 highway involved 20 cars and six trucks. He said the incident was the "worst road traffic collision anyone can remember" in the area.

Police said a section of the M5 highway would remain closed for at least 24 hours, and released a hotline number for people concerned about friends or family who may have been involved in the accident.

Tom Hamill, of Wells, who witnessed the accident, told BBC: "I'd slowed right down and had veered into the central reservation and I think that saved our lives — the fog lifted and I saw utter carnage.

"The thing that made me realize how bad it was, was you could hear the thud of cars hitting into lorries: One car overtook us going at about 60 or 70 miles an hour and just crashed straight into a lorry.

"I could hear people screaming and shouting. One woman who was carrying a baby and child was desperate — I helped the child over the central reservation and we all just tried to get as far away from the fire as possible."

Shots fired at Chicago Police

Police: Negro Man shoots at responding Chicago police officers Friday night
Two men were arrested late Friday night after at least one fired a gun at police responding to a call of a loud party, police said.

Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Ron Gaines said two guns were recovered after a man opened fire on police at about 11:30 p.m. on the 1600 block of East 67th Street.

Nobody was injured in the shooting and charges are pending against the two, Gaines said.

Chicago Illegal Beaner Pedro Cruz charged in death of woman found being BBQ'ed in a garage - He must have ran out of cats & dogs

A 25-year-old man has been charged with killing a woman found burning in a garage behind her Uptown apartment on Thursday, police said.

Pedro Cruz, who lived in the same building as the woman he is accused of killing, is expected to appear in central bond court this morning on a first degree murder charge, police said.

Maria Santiago, 54, died from multiple blunt trauma and strangulation in a homicide, according to authorities. Her body was found on fire in a garage in the 5000 block of North Clark Street about 9:53 a.m. Thursday, police said.

Firefighters called to the scene in a garage in an alley east of Clark Street and found the body, said Chicago Fire Department spokesman Richard Rosado. The fire was put out, and the investigation turned over to police, he said.

4 hurt in Chicago police officer-involved shooting on North Side

Four people were injured in a single shooting near Ashland Avenue and Division Street this morning, one of several overnight shootings on the North Side, authorities said.

An off-duty police officer witnessed a car pull up and saw someone inside open fire, striking three males standing on a sidewalk outside La Pasadita restaurant about 3:48 a.m. in the 1100 block of North Ashland Avenue in the East Ukrainian Village neighborhood, Chicago Police News Affairs Sgt. Al Stinites said, citing early reports.

Two people were taken to Stroger Hospital and one person to St. Mary Medical Center, all in serious-to-critical condition, a Chicago Fire Department spokesman said.

The three were all males, according to police, but additional information wasn't immediately available.

The officer fired in the direction of the shooter and someone from inside the car later turned up at Stroger Hospital with a gunshot wound, but it's not yet clear if that person's wound was caused by the officer.

The Independent Police Review Authority is investigating, Stinites said. Early reports didn't indicate that any of the three people injured while standing on the sidewalk returned fire.

Police are reviewing surveillance footage, Stinites said. The area immediately in front of La Pasadita was marked off with red tape strung out to police cars and parking sign poles, and more than a dozen yellow markers sat next to shell casings on the ground.

In other overnight vciolence, one person was shot about 3:45 a.m. at Augusta Boulevard and Milwaukee Avenue in the Noble Square neighborhood on the North Side, according to the fire department. Additional details surrounding that shooting weren't immediately available.

A 22-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman were shot in the 1300 block of South Troy Street on the city's west side about 2:15 a.m. The man, identified by the Cook County medical examiner's office as Emandrell Crum. died.

Crum was shot in his right side, in the kidney area, Chicago Police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli said. The woman suffered a graze wound to her head and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and is listed in stable condition, Mirabelli said.

Another man, whose age wasn't immediately available, was shot in his shoulder about 1:13 a.m. on the 4600 block of North Monticello Avenue in the Albany Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side, Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Ron Gaines said.

The shooting may have been a drive-by, he said. The victim was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in stable condition, Gaines said.

A 32-year-old man was shot multiple times in the 1700 block of Juneway Terrace in the Rogers Park neighborhood about 8:40 p.m., according to police. He is in stable condition at Saint Francis Hospital, police said.

He was standing outside when another man approached and opened fire, police said.

A 16-year-old boy was shot in his leg Friday afternoon in the South Chicago neighborhood, according to police. He heard four or five shots as he was walking south on the 7900 block of South Marquette Avenue about 5:45 p.m., according to police.

He was taken to South Shore Hospital in stable condition with a wound to his leg, police said.

GOLDLINE the Gold selling company to many celebrities charged in a 19 count federal fraud indictment

Executives at the precious metals dealer Goldline told ABC News Wednesday they would vigorously fight criminal charges brought against them by local officials in California, saying the allegations of fraudulent tactics were "without merit" and "preposterous."

"The company will vigorously contest the allegations," Brian Crumbaker, Goldline's Executive Vice President, said in a statement emailed to ABC News early Wednesday. "We believe Goldline has industry best-practices in customer disclosures enabling the most informed decisions."

READ Goldline's Response to the Charges

As reported on "Good Morning America," local officials in California filed a 19-count criminal complaint Tuesday against Goldline, a company that used endorsements from Glenn Beck and other conservative icons to sell hundreds of millions of dollars in gold products to consumers.

The complaint alleges that Goldline "runs a bait and switch operation in which customers, seeking to invest in gold bullion, are switched to highly overpriced coins by using false and misleading claims," according to a statement released by the consumer affairs division of the Santa Monica City Attorney's office.

The company has been charged in the court filing with misdemeanors that include theft by false pretenses, false advertising, and conspiracy, the City Attorney's office said. In addition to the charges against the company, the complaint accuses former CEO Mark Albarian, executives Robert Fazio and Luis Beeli, and salespeople Charles Boratgis and Stephanie Howard of defrauding customers. Current CEO Scott Carter is accused of making false or misleading statements. Each of the charged offenses carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and maximum fines of between $1,000 and $10,000 per offense.

Crumbaker said in his statement that the criminal complaint has numerous errors. "A core allegation of the complaint cites the company for 'offering Bullion for sale on Goldline's website with no intention of selling it,'" he said. "The so-called bait and switch allegation is preposterous because bullion accounts for more than 40% of the ounces of gold sold by the company during the past year."

The decision to launch an investigation into Goldline was first reported by ABC News more than a year ago. Santa Monica officials said they were looking into allegations they said were leveled against the company by unhappy customers.

"There are two main types of complaints we're seeing," Adam Radinsky of the Santa Monica City Attorney's office said at the time. "One is that customers say that they were lied to and misled in entering into their purchases of gold coins. And the other group is saying that they received something different from what they had ordered."

Goldline officials said at the time that customer complaints were infrequent and it responded immediately to address them. The proof of the company's commitment to customer satisfaction, they said, is Goldline's top rating from the Better Business Bureau. "When we learn that customers have not received the experience they deserve, we investigate and take action," said Carter, then Goldline's executive vice president, in a letter to ABC News sent last year.

The criminal complaint lays out a series of allegations that it contends add up to a conspiracy to trick customers into overpaying for an investment in gold.

For instance, the complaint alleges that the company trains salespeople to "get the money in" from customers on the promise of delivering gold bullion, with the intent to later switch the sale to far more overpriced collectable gold coins. It alleges that the company trains its employees "to disguise the more than 50 percent markup on the overpriced coins," and alleges that Goldline reprimands its salespeople if they fail to convince the customer to buy the overpriced coins.

Gold Bullion Vs. Gold Coins
At the heart of the complaint is the suggestion that Goldline profits not so much by selling pure gold bullion, but by persuading customers who want to capitalize on the rising value of gold to purchase collectable coins. The coins are subject to a significant mark-up in price, and several Goldline customers told ABC News that they found it difficult or impossible to resell those coins without taking a loss.

One of the customers was 63-year old Joe Kismartin of suburban Detroit. He says what he heard on TV about gold and the Goldline company made a lot of sense.

"They got the commercials on TV and the way the economy's going I was figuring well, maybe I'll just do it for a little bit, save it for inflation, you know, in case something happens to the economy, it bottoms out and I've got something to fall back on, gold, rather than money," he said.

But Kismartin says he ended up losing almost half of the $5,000 he spent, because, he says, the Goldline salesman pressured him to buy overpriced gold coins, not the gold bullion he had seen in the commercials.

"I wanted to go bullion, I didn't want coins," he said. "I told the gentleman I don't want coins. He said I got the deal here, the special deal, I got Swiss coins. He more or less talked me into buying the coins."

When Kismartin took the coins to a local coin shop, he was told the $5,000 worth of gold coins he bought from Goldline five months earlier was worth just over $2,900, a loss of $2,100. "You know, I'm living month to month, that's a big loss."

Goldline disputes Kismartin's allegations against the company, saying it sells "a variety of products ranging from the most common bullion coins to exceptionally rare certified coins." Goldline said it looked into each case ABC News reported on last year and found that while both customers had initially complained, the company believed they wound up satisfied. And one of them -- Goldline did not identify which one -- was provided "a number of written disclosures at the time of purchase that went even further than Goldline's ordinary written disclosures," and yet went ahead with the purchase anyway.

In filing the complaint, officials have opened a new front in a long-running and very public dispute over the way Goldline has turned the sale of gold into a massive retail operation that capitalizes on popular conservative figures -- most notably Glenn Beck. The marriage of conservative talk and gold sales appears to make sense -- both have traditionally targeted an audience that is skeptical of the government, concerned about the nation's economic future, and uneasy about inflation and the stability of American currency. Neither Beck nor any of the other celebrity endorsers are accused of any wrongdoing.

The promotional strategy appears to have been beneficial both to Goldline, which boasts $500 million in sales, and to such conservative figures as Beck and former presidential hopefuls Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee, all of whom have, at various times, coupled their television or radio appearances with Goldline advertisements.

When contacted last year, a spokesman for Beck noted that Goldline has an A plus rating from the Better Business Bureau.