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Wednesday, January 30, 2019

It's cold out there!!!

The Chicago Police put this information out on twitter this past Saturday with regards to finding a warming center during this wave of frigid temps. As always call 311 to find a warming center near you or for a well-being check. And also noted in the tweet, police stations are warming stations as well.

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

CPS schools are closed on Wednesday #Chiberia

Many were concerned, especially on social media and with temps going to very chilly lows CPS is cancelling classes on Wednesday.
And here's the official word by the CPS' CEO
If you're looking for a warming center here's some information posted at The Sixth Ward. Feel free to call 311 to find one near you.

Sunday, January 27, 2019

Woman shot dead in Roseland alley ‘was loved by so many’ #Ward09

About 2:35 a.m., officers responding to a call of shots fired found Ambriana Collins suffering from several gunshot wounds to her chest in an alley in the 10700 block of South Eberhart on the Far South Side, according to Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Investigators were told a white truck was seen speeding from the scene of the shooting, police said.

Collins was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:51 a.m., authorities said. She lived in the neighboring West Pullman neighborhood.

Collins left behind a 4-year-old son named Angelo, according to her relative Shiela House, who said the boy’s father died from cancer last October.

“Everybody’s just so lost about it,” House said.

Another relative, Devin Williams, said Angelo might be staying with his grandmother for now.

House said Collins was a hardworking mother, noting that she was employed at both a Popeyes restaurant and a McDonald’s location at 103rd Street and Kedzie Avenue.

“We’re just so stunned,” House said. “Everybody called her Ambrii. She was loved by so many.”
An update to the incident reported by ABC 7 Chicago last Friday. Would like to share this video of the scene from the Sun-Times. You would find it in the article. [VIDEO]

Friday, January 25, 2019

ABC Chicago: Woman found shot to death in Pullman

The rest of the story
Police responded to a report of shots fired at about 2:35 a.m. in the 10700-block of South Eberhart Avenue. Police discovered a woman with several gunshots in her chest in an alley.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not released her identity.

Police said a truck, possibly white, was observed fleeing the scene. No one is in custody and Area South detectives are conducting a homicide investigation.

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

View our 2019 elections page #Ward09

Now one of the tabs for this blog. No one from the last election is on the ballot this year in Ward 09, however, we shall see if incumbent Alderman Anthony Beale will once again be re-elected to his office. He's been an Alderman since 1999.

I've been mostly paying attention to The Daily Line's 2019 Alderman election spread sheet. I see that Marcia Brown-Williams has been removed from the ballot due to petition objections. Her name will be stricken from the 2019 page.

Otherwise I will keep an eye out for other updates as I find them.

I will note our still public 2015 election page which was updated months after the election with vote totals for the candidates who were running at that time.

Monday, January 21, 2019

14-year-old boy shot in Fernwood

Saw this on my Facebook feed this morning video of the scene where teenaged boy was shot after being dropped off by his "Uber"
The boy was dropped off by the ride-share vehicle in the first block of West 105th Street at about 2:28 a.m., police said. He was approached by two male suspects who spoke with the boy before police said they opened fire.

The boy was grazed in the head and ran inside a home and is hospitalized at Comer Children's Hospital. Police said he is in fair condition. The ride-share driver was not injured.

The suspects fled the scene, police said. No one is in custody and Area South detectives are investigating.
And as always be careful out there! 

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Curbed Chicago: CTA completes $280 million 95th Street terminal overhaul #Ward09

I know this is old news at this point and had already shared one article about this, but Curbed Chicago also covered the opening of the north terminal at 95th. It really does look like a hub of activity, and it does seem like an airport. Perhaps CTA's answer to Midway Airport...
There are some other articles I would like to share with regards to transit projects in Chicago.

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Woman defends herself at a bus stop in Fernwood #ChiMayor19

[VIDEO] Tuesday morning a woman was waiting for a bus near 103rd & Wallace and was forced to use her own conceal carry gun on a teenaged attacker. His attempt to claim a victim whatever his motives cost him his life. I don't like to read about the death of a teen, however, I'm glad that a woman had the wherewithal to not allow herself to be victimized.

You think someone like an Ed Burke - longtime Alderman of the 14th ward who was recently charged by federal authorities with extortion - cares whether or not you use a gun to protect yourself. Well it doesn't matter when federal authorities raided his offices they found 23 guns. Also bear in mind he usually had a police protection detail with him as well which he was stripped of once he resigned his powerful position as chair of the city council committee on finance.

Finally this is one of the more important issues in this year's mayoral campaign what you would've read on today's CapFax blog. An important issue for many Chicagoans, public safety.
Not to say everyone owning a gun will protect each and every citizen, however, citizens are concerned. Why not empower citizens to defend themselves in the absence of police.

Saturday, January 5, 2019

The new 95th terminal is now open... #Ward09 #BuildingwithBeale

The CTA terminal at 95th is 90% complete. The north terminal is now open as of Friday morning. As a result it gives me the excuse to share this article from the Tribune before the north terminal opened:
The $280 million project replaces the original 50-year-old rail and bus terminal at the southern end of the Red Line, which runs along the Dan Ryan Expressway. The station, one of the busiest on the CTA system, serves 20,000 daily commuters and sees about 1,000 CTA, Pace and Greyhound bus trips on an average weekday, CTA officials said.

The four-year station construction was also a necessary step in building the extension of the Red Line south to 130th Street, which is part of the agency’s long-range plan.

“This is a huge, huge accomplishment for the city of Chicago and the Far South Side,” said Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th. Beale said the station will be more user-friendly for bus, rail and pedestrian traffic and will draw business to the area.

The south terminal was completed last spring. Having two terminals eliminates the conflict between eastbound and westbound buses on 95th Street, allowing eastbound buses to use the south terminal and westbound buses to use the north terminal, CTA officials said. Previously, there was only a north terminal.

The new station includes a heated, glass-enclosed pedestrian bridge over 95th Street, connecting the north and south terminals and cutting down on conflicts between cars and people walking. The number of bus bays has increased to 26, from 12, CTA officials said.

The station also will have more turnstiles and Ventra vending machines, a longer train platform to reduce overcrowding, additional bike racks, and new signage.

“I think it’s a great lift to the community,” said Ald. Howard Brookins Jr., 21st. “It’s a beautiful station. It will spur additional economic development down 95th Street, and it will ease traffic going down that corridor.”
As for that future CTA Red Line extension:
The construction of the new station needed to be done before the Red Line can be extended to 130th Street, CTA officials said. Last year, the CTA picked a route for the extension, which will include four new rail stations. The agency is now preparing to complete the preliminary design and engineering work needed to pursue federal funding for the project.
You want to know the financial scale?
The cost of the station exceeds that of two recent big projects: the $203 million Wilson Street station rebuilding on the Red Line’s north branch and the $75 million Washington/Wabash station in the Loop. The 95th Street station construction was larger than the other projects and included track work in the rail yard at 98th Street, CTA officials said.
Finally seems like an unnecessary expense:
The new station, which has a distinctive red roof, will feature two new public art displays by Chicago native Theaster Gates. The south terminal will have a pair of tapestries made from the strips of decommissioned fire hoses that are sewn together, and the north terminal will include a radio station and DJ booth that will broadcast over the station’s public address system.
A DJ Booth and a radio station, really? Though I hear that there will be public bathrooms available. Still not sure about that idea of DJ at a transit terminal.

Regardless can't wait to see the finished project...