Category: News
Column: Aurora electrician loves his snow job at the Paramount Theatre
With record snowfall so far this holiday season, there’s a chance you might already be a little tired of the white fluffy stuff, especially if you have to repeatedly shovel it off your driveway and sidewalks.
But step inside the Paramount Theatre to “White Christmas,” and I guarantee you will be delighted with the snow that drifts through the audiences of this Broadway Series production playing in downtown Aurora through Jan. 11.
Mother Nature – specifically a “polar vortex disruption,” according to meteorologists – might be responsible for all this snow we are getting outside. But within the Paramount walls, the snow falls to head electrician Jake Hartge, a 28-year-old Auroran – born and raised here – who comes from a century-long family history of electricians skilled in stage technology.
Because “all theater atmosphere is controlled by electricity,” says Hartge, he is responsible for the “weather” taking place in these big stage productions – including haze, fog, rain and of course all the snowflakes.
Hartge tells me he fell in love with this industry after seeing “Peter Pan” at the Paramount when he was 4 years old. After splitting his time as a theater kid between musical direction and the technical side, he followed in the footsteps of his father, the retired head electrician at the United Center in Chicago, as well as both his uncles – one who still works at the Lyric Opera – and his grandfather and great- grandfather, whose union memberships with IATSE Local 2 go back 100 years.
“It is,” he said, “just in my blood.”
After plenty of contract theater gigs with the union, starting at age 20, Hartge landed his “dream job” at the Paramount three years ago. Which means he also was around to help turn the Aurora theater into a winter wonderland for last year’s hit Disney musical “Frozen.”
Hartge describes those icy crystals “from Elsa’s hands” that stormed the stage and floated through the entire theater as magical, fanciful, while this year’s “White Christmas” flurries are “more nostalgic.”
If you’ve not already seen this Irving Berlin classic, I hope you have tickets to do so in the coming weeks because it is a high-energy spectacle that will leave you with a warm feeling all over, no matter what the temperature is outside.
Turns out there are two different types of snow swirling around this holiday production.
What showers much of the audiences, says Hartge, are snowflakes, made from a soap-like fluid, produced by four snow machines — two of which are placed in the ceiling by the spotlights and two more on the side towers to the left and right of the theater’s front house.
“We use the really super dry fluid” so it “does not soak” the audience and the floors, he says, adding there’s not all that much clean-up because “most of the audience take the snow with them.”
As head electrician for the Paramount Theatre, Jake Hartge is responsible for making “weather” happen in its productions, including the snow that falls on the stage and throughout the audiences of “White Christmas,” now playing at the theater in downtown Aurora through Jan. 11. (Denise Crosby/The Beacon-News)
On stage, Hartge goes on to explain, in order “to protect the actors’ costumes,” the snowflakes are made up of tiny pieces of plastic – “like shredded grocery bags” – spit out by “chicken wire” that “gradually moves back and forth” inside two boxes.
Sometimes the most effective special effects in theater really are low-tech, Hartge admits, noting the snow machines in the ceiling were put in place “just with a rope and a guy (in this case, the electrician himself) pulling it up in the air.”
Hartge, who works closely with lighting designer Greg Hofmann to bring his artistic vision to life, certainly has plenty of other heavy lifting to do, including running all the lighting cues. That’s why he can be found at every performance of “White Christmas,” sitting high in the balcony in the tech booth until it’s “time to let it snow.”
That’s when Hartge likes to lean over the balcony edge “and watch the house react.”
It never fails to make him smile. And it can’t help but fuel his pride in a legacy that has helped bring theater magic to generations of audiences.
Because his wife Lily is a stage actor, Hartge knows there’s a good chance their 2-year-old daughter Alice will follow in these live entertainment footsteps. Whether she wants to be on stage or behind it remains to be seen, of course.
For now, her father says with a smile, “it’s just really neat to be part of the Paramount family.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com
73-year-old robbed, bound in Homer Glen home, sheriff says
A 73-year-old Homer Glen woman was robbed at gunpoint shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday, a report from the Will County sheriff’s department said.
The woman was returning home from grocery shopping and pulling her car into the garage in the 16800 block of South Deer Path when she was approached by a man wearing a black hoodie who was holding a gun, a sheriff’s police said.
A second man exited a dark-colored Acura, reported stolen out of Chicago, and was following her, police said.
The men forced the woman inside her home, sat her in a chair and bound her wrists and ankles, the release said. They men stole a credit card from her purse, demanded a PIN number and withdrew $2,000 from the victim’s account at a bank in Orland Park, police said.
The woman was able to free herself about 20 minutes later and sought help, the release said.
Investigators said they believe the woman was targeted due to her age.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/11/homer-glen-woman-robbed-bound/
Igor Jesus anota gol tardío y da victoria al Forest contra Utrecht en la Liga Europa
Por KAREL JANICEK
Igor Jesus entró en el minuto 86 y aún tuvo tiempo para anotar un gol de último minuto para el Nottingham Forest en su victoria del jueves 2-1 en Utrecht en la Europa League.
El delantero reclamó su cuarto gol de la campaña a dos minutos del final después de que el portero del Utrecht, Vasilis Barkas, no pudo detener el cabezazo de Dan Ndoye.
Arnaud Kalimuendo dio la ventaja a Forest al inicio del segundo tiempo antes de que Mike van der Hoorn igualara con un cabezazo.
Forest sigue invicto en la competición de segunda categoría con tres victorias y un empate desde que Sean Dyche asumió como entrenador en lugar de Ange Postecoglou.
En otros partidos previos, el Real Betis se mantuvo invicto tras una victoria 3-1 sobre el Dinamo en Zagreb.
Young Boys desperdició un penalti pero aún así logró una victoria 1-0 sobre Lille, que jugó una hora con diez hombres tras la tarjeta roja de Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Stuttgart se recuperó de una derrota 5-0 ante el Bayern Múnich en la Bundesliga al vencer 4-1 al Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Midtjylland sigue impresionando
El equipo danés Midtjylland se colocó provisionalmente en la cima de la Liga Europa con 15 puntos después de seis partidos con una victoria 1-0 sobre Genk. Cho Gue-sung anotó para los anfitriones.
Lyon recibe al debutante holandés Go Ahead Eagles y Aston Villa al Basilea más tarde.
Después de ocho partidos, los ocho primeros en la tabla de 36 equipos avanzan directamente a los octavos de final en marzo.
Los equipos ubicados del noveno al vigésimo cuarto avanzan a los playoffs de eliminación en febrero.
Sin victoria para Rangers, sin punto para Niza
Barnabás Varga anotó el gol de la victoria para completar una remontada del Ferencváros 2-1 sobre el equipo escocés Rangers y se mantuvo invicto con cuatro victorias y dos empates.
El delantero Bojan Miovski dio a Rangers una ventaja de 1-0 antes de que Bence Ötvös igualara en el tiempo de descuento de la primera mitad para los anfitriones, que son entrenados por el exjugador del Celtic Robbie Keane.
Rangers sigue sin una victoria en la fase de liga.
Niza sigue siendo el único equipo de la Liga Europa sin un punto después de una derrota 1-0 en casa ante Braga con gol de Pau Victor. Fue la octava derrota consecutiva para Niza en todas las competiciones.
Villa en ascenso
Después de un comienzo lento de la temporada, Villa se recuperó el sábado y es tercero en la Liga Premier, incluyendo una victoria 2-1 sobre el líder Arsenal.
“Lo más importante es cómo estamos construyendo el equipo, cómo estamos logrando en nuestro proceso durante cada competición nuestra mentalidad más fuerte en todo”, dijo el entrenador Unai Emery antes del partido en St. Jakob-Park en Basilea. Emery ha ganado el trofeo de la Europa League cuatro veces durante sus períodos al mando de Sevilla y Villarreal.
Además, Celtic y Roma se enfrentan más tarde en Glasgow.
En la tercera categoría, la Conference League, Crystal Palace jugó en Shelbourne en Dublín, y Fiorentina recibió al Dynamo Kyiv.
___
Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
Pritzker Signs Law Limiting Federal Immigration Enforcement In Illinois
Pritzker Signs Law Limiting Federal Immigration Enforcement In Illinois
Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law on Dec. 9 that will limit federal immigration enforcement in the state, including in its courthouses and hospitals.
“With my signature today, we are protecting people and institutions that belong here in Illinois,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Dropping your kid off at day care, going to the doctor, or attending your classes should not be a life-altering task.”
HB 1312, which went into effect immediately, allows people to take legal action against law enforcement officers they believe violated their constitutional rights during civil immigration operations in the state.
The legislation also bars civil arrests in and around courthouses for anyone attending certain state court proceedings and provides a pathway for affected individuals to seek damages for false imprisonment.
Hospitals are required under the new law to restrict the release of protected health information and implement policies governing interactions with law enforcement agents, according to the governor’s office.
The bill also prohibits schools and child care centers from disclosing the actual or perceived immigration status of students, employees, or anyone associated with them to third parties unless required by law.
The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) welcomed the governor’s move to sign the bill, calling it a “necessary legislative step” to protect people’s constitutional rights.
“The fear of being abducted by federal immigration agents when attending a hearing in state court is disrupting people’s ability to engage with the justice system for critical matters, such as seeking a protection order in a domestic violence situation or addressing a traffic ticket,” Cecilia Mendoza, NIJC associate director of government relations, said in a statement.
Homeland Security Department (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said Pritzker violated the U.S. Constitution and his oath of office when he signed the bill into law.
The bill comes as the Trump administration has expanded immigration enforcement in Illinois, sparking protests near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Chicago, which prompted President Donald Trump to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to protect ICE personnel and facilities. A federal judge later issued an injunction to temporarily block the deployment.
According to a DHS statement on Dec. 8, Illinois released about 1,768 criminal illegal immigrants back into the community this year despite federal detainer requests. Those who were released were convicted of various crimes, including homicide, burglary, serious drug offenses, weapons offenses, and sexual predatory offenses.
This follows ICE Director Todd Lyons’s September letter to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul asking him to honor ICE arrest detainers for criminal illegal immigrants in state custody.
The detainers require the state to notify ICE when a criminal illegal immigrant is due for release to ensure that the person can be safely transferred into federal custody.
In its Dec. 8 statement, the DHS said Raoul’s office did not respond.
Jill McLaughlin and Reuters contributed to this report.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/11/2025 – 17:00
Former Brooklyn Nets forward Jason Collins, 47, is battling stage 4 brain cancer
Former Brooklyn Nets forward Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in the NBA, is battling stage four brain cancer, he announced Thursday.
Collins, 47, has a particularly aggressive form of glioblastoma, he wrote in an article published by ESPN.
“I was in the CT machine at UCLA for all of five minutes before the tech pulled me out and said they were going to have me see a specialist,” Collins wrote. “I’ve had enough CTs in my life to know they last longer than five minutes and whatever the tech had seen on the first images had to be bad.”
Jason Collins looks on in the first half during a game between the Nets and Bucks on Nov. 19, 2014, at the Barclays Center in New York. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
In September, Collins’ family announced he was undergoing treatment for a brain tumor, but he said Thursday that statement was intentionally vague and allowed him to gather his thoughts and explain his whole story.
Glioblastoma is the most common form of brain cancer in adults, according to the American Cancer Society. The cancer spreads quickly around the brain or spinal cord, endangering crucial parts of the central nervous system.
“What makes glioblastoma so dangerous is that it grows within a very finite, contained space — the skull — and it’s very aggressive and can expand,” Collins wrote. “What makes it so difficult to treat in my case is that it’s surrounded by the brain and is encroaching upon the frontal lobe — which is what makes you, ‘you.’”
Collins said he and his family first realized something was wrong in August, when he missed a flight due to brain fog and scattered thoughts. He began receiving treatment shortly afterward, even flying to Singapore to receive targeted chemotherapy.
Jason Collins of the Nets warms up before a game against the Nuggets on Feb. 27, 2014, in Denver. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
On average, someone with Collins’ cancer will live for an additional 11 to 14 months, he wrote.
“If that’s all the time I have left, I’d rather spend it trying a course of treatment that might one day be a new standard of care for everyone,” he wrote. “So if what I’m doing doesn’t save me, I feel good thinking that it might help someone else who gets a diagnosis like this one day.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/11/jason-collins-brain-tumor-glioblastoma-brooklyn-nets/
Indiana redistricting bill fails in Senate, as lawmakers reject new Republican-favored congressional map
The Indiana Senate voted 31-19 to defeat a mid-census redistricting map Thursday, ending a monthslong effort by the Trump administration to shift Indiana’s congressional districts.
House Bill 1032, which addresses mid-census redistricting and gives Republicans an advantage in all nine congressional districts, was introduced and passed by the House last week. This week, the Senate heard from more than 100 people in committee and advanced the bill through Thursday without amending it.
The proposed map, which was released last week, would have split the 1st District, currently held by U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, into two, and the 7th District, currently held by U.S. Rep. André Carson, D-Indianapolis, into four districts.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun criticized the result on X/Twitter shortly after the vote.
“I am very disappointed that a small group of misguided State Senators have partnered with Democrats to reject this opportunity to protect Hoosiers with fair maps and to reject the leadership of President Trump,” Braun’s statement read. “Ultimately, decisions like this carry political consequences. I will be working with the President to challenge these people who do not represent the best interests of Hoosiers.
The debate was interrupted by protesters twice during Fort Wayne Sen. Liz Brown’s statement, and they were escorted out by a ruling from the chair, who threatened to clear out the public gallery.
The bill’s Senate sponsor, Sen. Mike Gaskill, R-Pendleton, used part of his closing statement to criticize the way Illinois draws its congressional districts.
“They want you to play by a different set of rules than what you play by,” Gaskill said forcefully.
Both last month and earlier this week, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said he and Democratic leaders who control the Illinois House and Senate were keeping an eye on what GOP leaders in Indiana were doing before deciding how to counter gerrymandering pushed by President Donald Trump in GOP-led states.
“An awful lot of people want us to consider redistricting and I have to say we’re watching what Indiana does,” Pritzker said last month after U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, leader of the Democratic minority in the House, unsuccessfully urged Illinois Democrats to act on redistricting during the fall legislative session.
State senators work during arguments about redrawing the state’s congressional map at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis, Dec. 11, 2025. (Jon Cherry/The New York Times)
Illinois Democrats hold 14 Democratic seats out of 17 districts under the post-2020 federal census map but many were worried they could endanger that success by trying to carve out a 15th district. A new redistricting plan for the 2026 midterm elections also would have faced several legal hurdles, particularly since candidates in the March 17 primary have already filed petitions to appear on the ballot.
HB 1032 passed the House Friday in a 57-41 vote, with 12 Republicans joining all Democrats present in voting against the bill. For the Northwest Indiana House delegation, all Democrats voted against the bill and all Republicans voted in favor of the bill.
The Senate has been a hurdle to Indiana’s mid-census redistricting efforts after Senate leadership stated in October that the chamber doesn’t have the votes to pass new maps.
Gov. Mike Braun called for a special session to address redistricting after months of overtures by Trump administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance. The Trump administration has asked Republican-led states to undertake mid-census redistricting to maintain the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In response to Trump’s request, Texas conducted mid-census redistricting to give Republicans five more seats, to which California responded with voter-approved redistricting to create five more Democratic-leaning seats.
Ahead of Organization Day, Nov. 18, Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, said the Senate didn’t have the votes to pass new maps and canceled the Senate’s December session.
In response to Bray’s announcement, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, calling out Bray and Goode “for not wanting to redistrict their state, allowing the United States Congress to perhaps gain two more Republican seats.”
Hours after Trump posted his comment, Goode received a false swatting call. After Organization Day, when the Senate voted to reconvene in January, at least nine more state senators — Dan Dernulc, Spencer Deery, Rick Niemeyer, Kyle Walker, Greg Walker, Linda Rogers, Andy Zay, Ron Alting, Mike Bohacek — received swatting calls and threats.
The threats moved Bray to call the Senate into session on Dec. 8, following the Dec. 1 start of the House session.
HB 1032, authored by State Rep. Ben Smaltz, would allow the legislature to amend congressional districts “at a time other than the first regular session of the general assembly convening immediately following the United States decennial census.”
The bill states that the current congressional Districts won’t expire before Nov. 3, 2026.
During a House committee hearing last week, Smaltz, R-Auburn, said Indiana is taking up mid-census redistricting because of that action across the country. The map was drawn by the National Republican Redistricting Trust using data from the last three presidential elections and the last two Indiana U.S. Senator, Secretary of State and attorney general elections, Smaltz said.
“These maps were drawn for political purposes and advantage,” Smaltz said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/11/indiana-redistricting-bill-fails-senate-vote/
Vintage Chicago Tribune: Do you remember when 90 inches of snow fell almost 50 years ago?
For those who love winter, Chicago’s snowfalls have been disappointing in recent years. The fluffy white stuff showed up late in the season and barely enough of it fell to give sledders and snowman-builders time to enjoy it.
This one, however, is shaping up differently. Though the winter solstice is still 10 days away, the official accumulation in Chicago has already reached 17.3 inches (through Dec. 10). To put that into perspective, the city received a total of 17.6 inches last season.
The early snowfall shoveling might remind some of a relentless winter from almost 50 years ago when the city experienced its most snow ever — almost 90 inches (or 7½ feet) of it. There was no relief from the snow during the winter of 1978-79. It was also the second-coldest winter on record in Chicago with an average temperature of 18.4 degrees. (The worst was 1903-04, one-tenth of a degree colder.)
The winters of 1976-77, 1977-78 and 1978-79 were three of the area’s six coldest ever, according to the National Weather Service. Three consecutive severe winters hadn’t happened since modern weather recording began, according to a 1980 report by the Illinois State Water Survey.
“In Chicago, the winters of the 1970s were collectively our coldest and snowiest on record — and we have records that go back to 1871 and the Great Chicago Fire,” former WGN-TV chief meteorologist Tom Skilling told the Tribune in 2023.
Here’s a look back at what effect all that snow and cold had on Chicago and the suburbs during the most wintry season ever.
Nov. 20-21, 1978
The first snowfall of the 1978-79 season was below half an inch in total, but looked festive when highlighted by holiday lights along Michigan Avenue in Chicago on Nov. 20, 1978. (Chicago Tribune)
Snowfall total: 0.6 inches
Chicago’s first snowfall of the season dropped just 3/10 of an inch at Midway Airport (the city’s official recording site until Jan. 17, 1980). But it arrived just in time for the festive switching on of lights on Michigan Avenue to usher in the holiday season. An additional 0.3 fell the next day.
Yet the occasion wasn’t front-page news. The deaths of 900 people at Jonestown in Guyana was.
Nov. 26-27, 1978
“If only I didn’t have to go to work,” might be the thought of some of the commuters who had to wait for buses at Archer Avenue and Pulaski Road in Chicago on Nov. 27, 1978. (Frank Hanes/Chicago Tribune)
Almost 6 inches (6.6 inches for the season)
The first “big, wind-whipped snowstorm” of the season arrived just after Thanksgiving, the Tribune reported, creating slick driving conditions and flight delays at O’Hare International Airport on what was supposed to be the busiest day in the facility’s history.
Eight people were killed on Chicago-area roads and 23 died on roads throughout the state.
Dec. 1, 1978
The snow swept in on Chicago on Dec. 1, 1978, taking the city and many weather forecasters by surprise. “It’s just lasting longer than we expected,” one weatherman said. Thomas Hartje helped keep the feet of his wife, Hazel, dry by a gallant gesture at Michigan and Chicago avenues. (Earl Gustie/Chicago Tribune)
7.8 inches (Almost 15 inches for the season)
A surprise band of heavy snow dumped as much as 13 inches on some parts of the city and suburbs.
“It was the heavy, wet, sometimes slushy snow — the worst kind for getting your car stuck, and the hardest to shovel away,” Tribune reporter Joseph Sjostrom wrote.
Jack Villmow, professor of meteorology at Northern Illinois, said the storm was caused by a collision of a warm front and a cold front that brought heavy snow to Waukegan from northern Will County and extended from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to southern Michigan.
An unexpected snowfall of up to 13 inches in some areas surprised the Chicago area on Dec. 1, 1978. (Chicago Tribune)
Flights were again grounded at O’Hare, with one Trans World Airlines employee announcing, “If you live in Chicago, please go home.” But a group of 40-some 4-H club members from North Carolina, who were in town for the club’s annual convention, didn’t have that luxury.
“I spent four hours standing in line just to get plane reservations for 8 a.m. Saturday,” said chaperone William Clayton, as the kids sang “Nothing Could Be Finer Than To Be in Carolina in the Morning.”
Dec. 7, 1978
Chicagoans pitched in to help push cars from slick parking places on Dec. 7, 1978, after more snowfall in Chicago. (Frank Hanes/Chicago Tribune)
6.9 inches (24.1 inches for the season)
The morning snowfall brought a “commuter’s catastrophe” that caused traffic to crawl, but was mostly cleaned up by the evening rush hour.
More than 2 feet of snow had already fallen during the season, compared with about a foot by the same time in 1977. The Tribune’s Robert Davis wrote that despite 82.3 inches of snow during the 1977-78 season, “this could be the one for the record book.”
With school canceled, children were free to “expend their energy by pelting passing cars with snowballs,” Tribune reporters Edward Baumann and Sjostrom wrote.
After enduring yet another snowstorm in early December 1978, Chicagoans were weary but relieved when National Weather Service forecasters announced another expected blizzard shifted eastward to Ohio and Kentucky. (Chicago Tribune)
“Boy, are there a lot of people mad at us today,” an airline spokesperson said. “And it’s not over yet. No, we’ve got all kinds of airplanes in places where they’re not supposed to be.”
There was, however, some good news. Another storm veered away from the area, which gave Chicago a small reprieve and time to dig out.
Dec. 31, 1978-Jan. 1, 1979
Mayor Michael Bilandic, right, watches snow removal on LaSalle Street on Dec. 31, 1978, in Chicago. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)
8.5 inches (39.4 inches for the season)
1978 ended much as it had begun — under a blanket of white snow. A New Year’s Eve snowstorm dumped 8-11 inches around the area, “giving New Year’s holiday travelers hangover-like headaches,” the Tribune reported.
As bodies were discovered inside the unincorporated Norwood Park Township home of John Wayne Gacy, Chicagoans endured bitter cold temperatures, which had hovered over the area since Christmas.
Chicago Mayor Michael Bilandic said 410 pieces of snow removal equipment, including 13 new snowblowers, were working to clear the streets. Winter officially began just 10 days prior, but crews had been busy with limited rest since freezing rain made roads slick on Dec. 30.
More than 3 feet total of snow — or the amount the city expected to receive during a normal season — had fallen in November and December combined at Midway Airport. Nerves were frayed.
“I can take one — either snow or cold — but not both,” National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Dickey said.
Jan. 12-15, 1979
22.7 inches (62.4 inches for the season)
The attempt to dig out began at 2 a.m. on Jan. 14, 1979, when the main storm concluded. Another 2 inches of snow fell on Jan. 15. The snow depth at Midway Airport reached 29 inches — a new record.
“The aftermath was a nearly paralyzed city,” the Tribune reported. “And the snow was followed by a plunge in temperature well below zero.”
O’Hare and Midway airports remained closed and public transportation service was spotty. Most commuter railroads operated with significant delays.
Those at home couldn’t get to work — unless they hitched a ride with a Sun-Times circulation truck like one Tribune reporter. And those at work couldn’t get home, said one meteorologist at the National Weather Service who was contacted by the Tribune during his 16-hour shift.
“My mind is going crazy here. I don’t know how much longer I can handle this,” Richard Ryrholm said. “I’m the only meteorologist on duty now, and I have no idea when my relief will arrive so I can go home.”
The storm of Jan. 12-14, 1979, dropped more than 20 inches of snow on the city. This was the worst storm of a winter in which almost 90 inches of snow, the all-time season record, fell on the city and was also remembered as the second-coldest in Chicago’s recorded history. (Chicago Tribune)
Four fishermen whose boat was stuck in ice a mile off Oak Street Beach had to be rescued by U.S. Coast Guard helicopters when their boat began taking on water. Loren Drain was born in her family’s home on the North Side, thanks to help from a passerby who was a doctor.
Bilandic attended Mass and called on all Chicagoans to follow his example: “Pray for no more snow.”
Jan. 23-24, 1979
As a blanket of snow swelled ever deeper, Snow Command trucks got rid of a little of it in the Chicago River on Jan. 24, 1979. (Charles Osgood/Chicago Tribune)
8.3 inches (73.6 inches for the season)
Yes, it was still bitterly cold, but public and Catholic elementary schools had a new concern — the possibility of roof collapse. High winds combined with the weight of almost a new foot of snow in some places prompted the urgency of snow removal and inspection of those structures.
After months of snow and bitterly cold temperatures, the threat of roofs collapsing in late January 1979 caused some schools to close. (Chicago Tribune)
Part of the roof at Arlington Park racetrack collapsed, as did that of a Carson Pirie Scott & Co. store at Randhurst Shopping Center in Mount Prospect. No one was injured in either incident, the Tribune reported.
The snow caused one beloved Chicago institution to be postponed for just the third time in 17 years: “Bozo’s Circus.” Although the show’s wait list for tickets stretched into 1985, a WGN-TV spokesperson said the audience for the canceled show would be invited back in the spring.
Feb. 11-12, 1979
Chicago used the parking area at Montrose Avenue and the lakefront to dump snow during the January blizzard and cars that were parked there on Feb. 6, 1979, were nearly completely buried. According to the 46th Ward Superintendent Thomas Frole, the truckers who haul the snow are not supposed to dump their cargos on cars. “If cars happen to be there, I would expect them (truckers) to dump the snow away from the cars,” he said. A few days later, more snow would fall. (William Yates/Chicago Tribune)
4.7 inches (84 inches for the season)
It was official: The most snow ever had fallen on the city as the previous year’s record was shattered. It was the distinction no one really wanted.
By mid-February 1979, 7 feet of snow had fallen on the Chicago area. Not only were people fatigued, but so were the city’s garbage removers and public transportation infrastructure. (Chicago Tribune)
Despite assurances from city officials that the city’s six-week backlog of garbage pickup would be remedied, Tribune reporters George de Lama and Frederick Lowe still spotted trash stacked garage-roof high in many parts of Chicago.
The unusual amount of snow and ice also caused a record number of accidents and derailments (five) on CTA rapid transit lines. Thankfully, no serious injuries had resulted from these events.
Feb. 18, 1979
Another day of above-freezing temperatures turned snow to water, which sometimes turned back to ice on Feb. 21, 1979, creating tough going for pedestrian and motorist alike. This man regained his balance at St. Clair and Erie, but that’s no sign things were going to get better. For one thing, maintenance crews were running out of salt. (Carl Hugare/Chicago Tribune)
3.4 inches (87.4 inches for the season)
With just one month left on the calendar before the season’s conclusion, Chicagoans began to fear winter might never end.
A weather service forecaster said Midway’s 23-inch snow cover limited any potential thaw and kept temperatures down.
The city’s Streets and Sanitation workers continued to tow cars that hampered snow removal efforts. That January, Bilandic lashed out by saying police would be ticketing vehicles and ordering them towed if not removed from Chicago’s streets — instead of taking responsibility for the mishandling of the snow removal.
Discovering a buried car that seems to have been parked on Stockton Drive in Lincoln Park for a long time, a policeman writes out a parking ticket on Jan. 23, 1979. The officer had to clear the snow away from the license plate to read the number. (Ernie Cox Jr./Chicago Tribune)
Bilandic also said there would be “no exceptions” for sick, elderly or poor people who couldn’t move their cars. “If there are hardship cases, they can tell that to a judge. That’s what a judge is for,” he told reporters. Bilandic later apologized for his mishandling of the snow removal, but Chicago residents — voters — weren’t satisfied.
March 9, 1979
Kevin Higgins, 8, of Alcott Elementary School on the North Side opens wide for the on-again, off-again light powdery snowfall on March 9, 1979. Luckily the flakes melted as quickly on the street as they did on Kevin’s tongue. (Sally Good/Chicago Tribune)
1 inch (89.4 inches for the season)
The city had a new Democratic candidate for mayor — Jane Byrne — and a new emergency developing near Kankakee.
Paralyzing blizzards set up Chicago Mayor Michael Bilandic for defeat, but it was bright sunshine on Feb. 27, 1979, that did him in. The fair weather on the day of the mayoral primary election brought out the voters in the second-biggest turnout for a primary election in 40 years and the memory of the city’s inept handling of record January storms drove them to overturn the Democratic machine. Maverick candidate Jane Byrne won the Democratic nomination. (Chicago Tribune)
Melting snow triggered a dramatic rise in the Kankakee River, which struck some homeowners’ property with up to 4 feet of water. Illinois Gov. Jim Thompson declared the entire state a disaster area, paving the way for federal assistance for flood victims.
March 25, 1979
The camera catches two frozen forms in Lincoln Park — a thinly clad jogger in mid-stride and an icy monument to the past winter, which dumped nearly 90 inches of snow on the Windy City. Despite spring temperatures on April 20, 1979, densely packed snow remained in some areas. (Carl Hugare/Chicago Tribune)
0.2 inches (89.7 inches for the season)
The final snow of the season capped the official seasonal snowfall at 7½ feet — a new record.
A Tribune investigation found that 13 firms — many with political connections — were paid $6.4 million (or about $29 million in today’s dollars) to clear snow at Chicago’s airports during the season.
Want more vintage Chicago?
Become a Tribune subscriber: It’s just $1 for a 1-year digital subscription.
Thanks for reading!
Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago’s past.
Have an idea for Vintage Chicago Tribune? Share it with Kori Rumore at krumore@chicagotribune.com.
Santa has arrived for the season, greeting kids in the north suburbs and spreading holiday cheer
Amid cold temperatures and rounds of snowfalls, Santa and Mrs. Claus made their way to town in several north suburban towns in recent days, frolicking with families, kicking off holiday cheer over cups of hot chocolate and helping to illuminate holiday trees.
Norridge
Families gathered just days after Thanksgiving and welcomed Santa to Norridge. The town held a tree lighting, and families visited with Santa — kids making their holiday wishes known and checking in the St. Nick to ensure they were on the right list.
Santa helps light holiday trees outside Norridge Village Hall during the town’s annual holiday tree lighting event Nov 29, 2025 in Norridge. (James C. Svehla/for Pioneer Press)
Santa arrives in town just after the Thanksgiving holiday Nov. 29, 2025 in Norridge. (James C. Svehla/for Pioneer Press)
Morton Grove
Amid the bang of drums and other festive sounds, Santa arrived in Morton Grove Saturday morning during a parade that stepped off from Greenwood Street and Milwaukee Avenue and ended at the Prairie View Community Center. Along the way, families were able to track jolly old St. Nick as he traveled the parade route.
Santa and his helpers passed out specially marked candy at the parade that was redeemable at the community center for other prizes. Following the parade, families were able to visit with Santa at the community center, and also able to give him and Mrs. Claus special letters. They gave early gifts to the visiting children, passing out coloring books and crayons.
Santa arrived in Morton Grove Dec. 6, 2025, riding in a morning parade where specially marked candy was passed out to kids. The treats were redeemable later that day for other prizes as the kids visited with Santa at the Prairie View Community Center. (Nate Swanson/for Pioneer Press)
Lincolnwood
Families were all aglow in Lincolnwood as the village Parks and Recreation Department hosted the annual “Lincolnwood Lights” event on Dec. 4. With temperatures a bit chilly, the crowd was in Village Hall to hear live performances, sit for storytime and sip on hot chocolate before heading outside to light the town holiday tree.
Members of the Lincolnwood Village Board sit with Santa Dec. 4, 2025 at Village Hall during the annual “Lincolnwood Lights” holiday event in Lincolnwood. (Courtesy village of Lincolnwood)
Park Ridge
The hallway at Maine Park in Park Ridge was transformed to a magical North Pole corridor as children walked down to greet Santa Claus. The Santa Trail event earlier this month also included craft activities and treats.
Santa visited with kids and families at the Santa Trail event in December 2025 at Maine Park in Park Ridge. (Courtesy Park Ridge Park District)
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/11/santa-arrives-in-niles-and-maine-townships/
North Chicago D187 Superintendent John Price resigning in June: ‘His leadership brought the school district back’
North Chicago School District 187 Superintendent John Price plans to leave his current position at the end of June after nine years, but will continue his career as an educator helping youngsters in underserved areas.
“This is my passion,” Price said in an interview on Thursday. “This is my joy. My mom was a teacher. My dad was a pastor. Service is the family business. Serving communities that are often underserved is where I will focus my service and my career.”
Price, 53, announced Thursday his decision to resign as superintendent effective June 30 in a letter to the school community.
“The district has come a long way and now it is time to find the next leader to continue and build upon the successes we have achieved together and like me, this new leader will need your help,” Price wrote in the letter.
He said he has “no firm plans yet.”
Price said announcing his resignation plans now gives the Independent Authority — the de facto school board of three elected members and four appointed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) — time to begin a search for his successor.
“We have stability and a great leadership team to help with the transition to the next leader to move the district forward,” Price said. “Six months is sufficient time to conduct a search for a new leader.”
North Chicago School District 187 Superintendent John Price in a file photo. (Mark Ukena/Lake County News-Sun)
Sylvia Johnnson Jones, the president of the Independent Authority since November and a 10-year board member, said Thursday the board’s goal is to begin a search with a new superintendent in place before Price leaves so they have time to work together during the transition. She said she will also miss Price.
“I have a sense of sadness, but I do have deep appreciation for the extraordinary leadership, dedication and service he provided to the students, families and the broader community of District 187,” she said.
Dora King, who was the president of the Independent Authority from the time it was formed 13 years ago — when ISBE took control of the district because of its unstable financial condition — until last month, said Price will be missed.
“He met all of our requirements,” she said on Thursday. “His leadership brought the school district back, and gave it back to the community. He took the District 187 family to the next level. He was all about forming relationships.”
North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham, who has worked with Price on a variety of projects, also echoed King’s comments. His strong relationships with community groups and officials at Naval Station Great Lakes have also made a difference, the mayor said.
“His leadership has been very beneficial in regard to the children and their education,” Rockingham said. “All of our students have been able to excel. He increased the quality of their education, and the quality of the school buildings.”
During Price’s tenure, AbbVie donated $40 million to build the state-of-the-art Neal Math and Science Academy middle school. At Price’s urging and the help of U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, the U.S. Department of Defense is providing $57 million of the needed $72 million to build the new Forrestal Elementary School.
Price considers the new buildings highlights of his tenure.
“Neal and Forrestal will benefit the community for a couple of generations,” he said.
Along with the new buildings, Price said he is proud of the academic improvement of the students. When he arrived, the graduation rate at North Chicago Community High School was hovering around 50%. It is now 84%. The percentage of freshmen on track to graduate in four years has climbed to 94%.
In his letter to the community, Price thanked teachers, staff, administrators, parents and the students for their help in the district’s academic and financial growth. They helped “each child write their own success story.”
“We have stabilized the finances and management of the district while focusing on and expanding our efforts to support each of our students – their wellbeing and success, now and in the future,” Price wrote. “The climate of the district has changed and we have dramatically increased expectations for ourselves and our students.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/11/north-chicago-district-superintendent/
2.5 Million Illegal Immigrants Deported Under Trump Admin: DHS
2.5 Million Illegal Immigrants Deported Under Trump Admin: DHS
Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
More than 2.5 million illegal immigrants have left the United States under the Trump administration, a “record-breaking achievement” in a year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a Dec. 10 statement.
The 2.5 million figure includes more than 605,000 individuals deported as part of DHS enforcement operations and around 1.9 million illegal immigrants who have voluntarily self-deported since January.
“Since January 20, DHS has arrested more than 595,000 illegal aliens,” DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said. “Illegal aliens are hearing our message to leave now. They know if they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return,” the department said.
DHS encouraged illegal immigrants to use the CBP Home app, which allows them to notify the federal government of their intent to depart the United States willingly. Those who self-deport via the app get $1,000 and a free flight home.
According to DHS, it has prioritized the removal of the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal immigrants as part of the administration’s push to ensure law and order in the country.
The rapid decline in the illegal immigrant population is showing effects nationwide, such as a “resurgence in local job markets,” DHS said. In October, 12,000 jobs were added to the U.S. economy, which followed 431,000 additions in September.
President Donald Trump recently commended DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for a closed, secure border.
“We have a border that is the best border in the history of our country,” he said.
In a Dec. 10 post on X, Noem said that DHS’s accomplishments this year under Trump have been “historic.”
“None of it would be possible without the Homeland Security Advisory Council,” she said. “The men and women of this council provide their experience and insights to help deliver seven consecutive months of zero illegal entries, a revitalized Coast Guard, and more than 2.4 million deportations.”
The council provides the DHS secretary with advice and recommendations on homeland security issues and comprises leaders from state and local governments, academia, the private sector, and first responder communities.
However, the Trump administration’s enforcement against illegal immigrants has faced pushback from lawmakers.
Earlier this month, a group of lawmakers introduced the Dream Act of 2025, seeking to allow noncitizens who do not have lawful status and were brought to the United States as children to potentially qualify for lawful permanent residence and citizenship provided they meet certain work, military, or education requirements, according to a Dec. 4 statement from the office of Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).
These individuals, referred to as Dreamers, must pass security and law enforcement background checks while proving proficiency in the English language and possessing knowledge of American history.
They must not have committed a felony or other serious crimes and should not pose a threat to the United States, the statement said.
“For decades, gridlock and partisan politics have forced Dreamers to live in limbo. And under the Trump Administration, they now have to fear being swept up in Trump’s cruel mass deportation campaign at any moment,” Padilla said.
Nearly 2 million “Dreamers” are estimated to live in the United States.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s policies are continuing to be a robust barrier against the uncontrolled influx of illegal immigrants.
In October and November, there were 60,940 total encounters with illegal immigrants by border patrol agents nationwide, which is the “lowest start to a fiscal year ever,” Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a Dec. 4 statement.
Since Trump took office, nationwide apprehensions have averaged less than 10,000 per month, which is a “level of deterrence unmatched in modern border history,” CBP said.
“For the seventh consecutive month, U.S. Border Patrol released zero illegal aliens into the United States. Every individual apprehended was processed according to law—a milestone unmatched in modern border history,” it said.
On Dec. 8, DHS announced the launch of a new “Worst of the Worst” webpage on its website that details information on criminal illegal immigrants arrested by the department under the Trump administration.
Americans can search through data of criminal illegal immigrants who have been arrested from all 50 states with criminal histories including homicide, rape, assault, child molestation, drug trafficking, armed robbery, and battery.
According to DHS, 70 percent of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests are of criminal illegal immigrants who have been charged or convicted of a crime in the United States.
“As the media whitewashes the facts, day in and day out, our brave men and women of ICE risk their lives for the American people. Americans don’t have to rely on the press for this information—with this transparent tool, they can see for themselves what public safety threats were lurking in their neighborhoods and communities,” McLaughlin said.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 12/11/2025 – 16:20
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/25-million-illegal-immigrants-deported-under-trump-admin-dhs
