Tag Archives: adam chappelle

Emanuel introduces ordinance to replace IPRA

Aug 30, 2016 | WLSAM Staff

By Adam Chappelle, WLS-AM 890 News
(CHICAGO) There will be a new agency charged with investigating police wrongdoing in Chicago, under an ordinance introduced by Mayor Rahm Emanuel Monday. It’ll be called the Civilian Office on Police Accountability, and it will replace the Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA).

The new agency will not have the authority to hire its own independent counsel. Alderman Scott Waguespack said Monday some of his colleagues are pushing for the city Law Department to control the new agency’s expenditures and how the agency’s outside lawyers would be chosen.

The North Side alderman also asked Mayor Emanuel not to try to rush the ordinance through the City Council next month. He wants to take the ordinance back to community members and organizations that were involved, saying that 2 weeks isn’t enough time for all parties to have their say on it.

Schaumburg woman convicted of killing daughter free on bond

Aug 26, 2016 | WLSAM Staff

By Adam Chappelle, WLS-AM 890 News

(CHICAGO) 56-year old Bonnie Liltz was sentenced to 4 years in prison earlier this summer for killing her disabled daughter, Courtney. But on Thursday, she was freed on just a $5,000 bond while she appeals her conviction.
Liltz was found guilty of killing her daughter in a failed murder-suicide plot. She gave the 28-year old a fatal dose of medicine, because she feared her adopted daughter was going to be institutionalized due to her failing health caused by cerebral palsy.
Her attorney claims Liltz’ health has taken a nosedive since reporting to prison pack in May. In an appeal that was approved Thursday, attorney Thomas Glasgow asked that Liltz be released to deal with her medical issues.
The release was extremely rare for an appeals court. It was so rare, Glasgow said in his more than 2 decades as a lawyer, he’s never seen an appellate bond granted before Thursday.

Rosemont goes ahead on construction of new baseball stadium

Aug 16, 2016 | WLSAM Staff

By Adam Chappelle, WLS-AM 890 News

(CHICAGO)When the Cubs were fighting with the city of Chicago over renovations at Wrigley Field, the village of Rosemont had an idea- move to the suburbs.

While the Cubs- obviously- didn’t take the village up on the offer, Rosemont is going ahead with plans to build a baseball stadium. Construction will begin later this year on a $55M minor league baseball stadium in the town’s entertainment district.

When it’s done, the stadium expects to be the home of a new independent league team, creating a rivalry with the Gary South Shore RailCats.

Designs of the stadium call for a single level which will include club areas, luxury boxes, party decks and a 360 degree concourse. It’s expected to open in 2018.

Suburban man charged in fatal DUI crash

Aug 16, 2016 | WLSAM Staff

By Adam Chappelle, WLS-AM 890 News
(CHICAGO) A 41-year-old man has been charged in a DUI crash that killed a 31-year-old man and his daughter in south suburban Chicago Heights Sunday morning.

Police say Bill Brown was behind the wheel of a Nissan that T-boned a BMW near Chicago Road and Lincoln Highway around 8 a.m. Sunday. After the collision, the BMW burst into flames. Witnesses rushed to rescue the people inside, but were only able to save three children from the backseat.

The 41-year old man, identified by police as Jose Juan Romero, and his daughter, Maritza Romero, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Planned toll lanes on Stevenson get federal approval

Aug 11, 2016 | WLSAM Staff

By Adam Chappelle, WLS-AM 890 News

(CHICAGO) The concept of paid toll lanes on the Stevenson Expressway might be happening, after all. That project received federal environmental approval this month.

The plan would be to add a tolled express lane in the current median between the Veterans Tollway (I-355) and the Dan Ryan Expressway. More than 170,000 cars and trucks pass through that stretch of road each day, according to IDOT. That makes it one of the busiest and most important passenger and freight corridors in Illinois.

IDOT hopes to recruit private developers to help curb the $425 million cost of the project. Those private partners would have a say in the design, build, operations, and management of the toll lanes.

Construction could start as early as 2017, and the lanes could be open to traffic by 2019.

Work begins on new O’Hare runway

Aug 11, 2016 | WLSAM Staff

By Adam Chappelle, WLS-AM 890 News

(CHICAGO) Work on a new runway at O’Hare is set to begin Thursday. The more than 11,000 foot runway will be the airport’s 6th east-west runway and the 2nd longest at the airport when it opens in 2020.

City aviation planners say the new tarmac will reduce flight delays and spread out jet noise the in the areas east and west of O’Hare.

The runway is part of a $1.3 billion infrastructure project that includes new de-icing pads, hangars, and a modern taxiway system. None of the $1.3 billion will be coming from Chicago taxpayers, though. The hefty price tag will be picked up by the FAA ($345M), existing passenger facility charges ($200M) and aviation bonds.

It’s the final new piece to the decades-long O’Hare Modernization Program. Another current runway is due to undergo expansion by 2021.

May 25: A somber anniversary at O’Hare

May 25, 2016 | WLSAM Staff

By Adam Chappelle, WLS-AM 890 News

(CHICAGO) On May 25, 1979, the nation’s worst single aviation disaster happened at O’Hare. American Airlines flight 191 was heading from Chicago to Los Angeles when a faulty pylon caused an engine to completely fall off the plane. ​

Recordings from O’Hare’s air traffic control show controllers noticed the plane was in trouble from the start. ATC called for emergency crews just seconds after the DC-10 took off and began banking hard at a nearly 90 degree angle.

The plane barely made it to the end of the runway before it crashed into a hangar, killing all 271 passengers and crew on board.

WLS’ Jim Johnson was at the scene of the accident, and called it ‘one of the worst sights I have ever seen.

The crash of American flight 191 ended up exposing a common cost-cutting problem in the aviation industry. Rather than following procedures, American and other airlines would take shortcuts to reattach pylons to the wing after an engine was replaced. The FAA ordered all DC-10s grounded until inspections were performed, and found more than a half-dozen other aircraft had improperly installed pylons and were at risk of suffering the same fate as Flight 191.

 

© WLS-AM 890 News

SCOTUS denies final Blago appeal

May 23, 2016 | WLSAM Staff

By Adam Chappelle, WLS-AM 890 News

(CHICAGO) Rod Blagojevich is officially out of appeals. An appeal that asked the high court to reject Blago’s appeal of his corruption convictions was denied on Monday. The justices denied the appeal without comment.

Back on March 28th, the court initially turned down Blagojevich’s appeal. The former governor challenged an appeals court ruling that said he crossed the line when he tried to sell Barack Obama’s Senate seat.

Blago argued that circumstances in his case changed, because prosecutors declined to retry him on five counts that were tossed out by a federal appeals court.

Oak Lawn man lands on FBI’s Most Wanted list

May 19, 2016 | WLSAM Staff

By Adam Chappelle, WLS-AM 890 News

(CHICAGO) A 28-year old suburban Chicago man has been added to the FBI’s Most Wanted list. Luis Macedo is charged in a brutal 2009 killing on the city’s south side. Macedo, last of Oak Lawn, is wanted in the death of 15-year old Alex Arellano.

The teen was walking with friends in the 3000 block of West 54th Place back in 2009 when Macedo and other members of the Latin Kings gang approached him. Federal officials say Arellano was beaten and shot to death, then his body was set on fire.

Officials say Macedo hasn’t been seen since the attack 7 years ago, and he may be hiding out somewhere either in the southeast or Mexico.

Four other gang members were arrested in connection with Arellano’s death and were either convicted at trial or pleaded guilty to the crime and are already serving prison sentences. FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Anderson said Thursday Macedo was likely the ringleader of the group that killed Arellano.

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