Category: News
Waukegan keeps property taxes stable for 6th year in a row
Property taxpayers in Waukegan will not see an increase in the portion of their payment that goes to the city when they receive their tax bills from Lake County in the spring.
The Waukegan City Council unanimously approved a 2025 real estate tax levy of just under $37.3 million Monday at City Hall for taxes payable next year, making it the sixth consecutive year without a tax increase.
Mayor Sam Cunningham said after the meeting, the city developed its spending plan for the fiscal year, which started May 1, early enough last spring to be in a position by this fall to make the decision not to increase taxes.
“We identified these things early on, and it has helped us to achieve a zero-levy increase for six years,” Cunningham said. “We review our spending as we go through the rest of the year, so we will not need an increase in the city’s portion of the levy.”
When the city approved its record $292 million budget in May against projected revenue of $262.9 million — $29.3 million of cash reserves was budgeted to fill the gap — it anticipated a levy of just under $37.3 million. It is approximately 14,2% of total revenue.
With the average value of a three-bedroom home in Waukegan pegged at approximately $240,000, Finance Director Juan Garcia said before the meeting, taxes on a home of that value are around $4,469 annually.
Ald. Lynn Florian, 8th Ward, said while the city’s portion of real estate taxes will remain unchanged for next year, an individual tax bill may well increase because of other governmental entities that receive property tax dollars.
“Your tax bill may look different next year than it does this year,” Florian said. “That’s because you have taxes by the Park District, the school district, the county. I can go on and on. You have to look line by line when you get your tax bill to see where the amount changed.”
Though Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 also held property taxes flat for the past five years, in October it boosted its real estate tax levy by 4.99%. A majority of Board of Education members felt it was needed to assure the quality of the children’s education.
Cunningham said, depending on which part of the city taxpayers dwell, they could be paying real estate taxes to school districts other than District 60. Parts of Warren and Libertyville townships are within Waukegan’s city limits.
“A lot of times, the city of Waukegan has gotten blamed for every tax increase that you see on your bill,” Cunningham said. “Sometimes it’s unfair. It’s difficult to explain unless you see it.”
Remaining hopeful that the city can continue to keep the tax levy level, the mayor said there are some large expenses on the horizon, and some potential liabilities as well. It is the goal as the city enters the second half of its fiscal year ending April 30.
“We are looking at building a new police station and a new fire station,” Cunningham said. “We have two wrongful convictions that we’re going to have to settle. All of this will play a role in our future obligations.”
Expenses paid with property tax revenue have a specific purpose, according to a memo prepared by Don Schultz, the city’s retired interim finance director. Of the money, approximately $4.87 million funds the Waukegan Public Library, and $6.75 million is for garbage collection.
Approximately $22.5 million goes toward police, fire and Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund pensions, with most of the rest paying interest and principal on outstanding bonds.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/18/waukegan-council-tax-rate/
Texas Wants To Be Reimbursed For Biden Open-Border’s Cost
Texas Wants To Be Reimbursed For Biden Open-Border’s Cost
Authored by Luis Cornelio via Headline USA,
Members of the Texas Congressional delegation are demanding the federal government reimburse the state for the $11.1 billion it spent tackling the Biden administration’s “open-border abdication.”
The lawmakers, including both senators and House members, made the request Friday in a three-page letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, directly blaming the previous administration for saddling Texas with the bill.
The Republican lawmakers pointed to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which provides $13.5 billion in reimbursement funds to states that dealt with the massive influx of illegal aliens during former President Joe Biden’s tenure.
“President Biden’s open-border policies imposed a substantial cost on communities in Texas, through increased fentanyl trafficking, crime, and even stress on local emergency response services,” they wrote.
We must ensure Texas is reimbursed for the $11.1B we spent defending our state during the Biden Administration’s open-border abdication.
I signed a letter urging DOJ and DHS to repay Texas and finally confront the consequences of the border invasion unleashed on Biden’s watch. pic.twitter.com/651oL2vopY
— Congressman Brandon Gill (@RepBrandonGill) November 17, 2025
The lawmakers highlighted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, a statewide effort launched to secure the border “when the federal government would not.”
Through the operation, Abbott ordered the deployment of state police to arrest individuals accused of state crimes and led the construction of new miles of border barriers and buoy defenses.
Texas reported that at least 535,724 illegal aliens have been detained since the operation’s launch. Border crossings in Texas dropped 87 percent.
“Texas’s actions through Operation Lone Star were absolutely vital to ensuring the safety and security of Americans across our great country,” the lawmakers wrote. “However, our State should not have had to bear alone the costs of securing the border when former President Biden intentionally failed to do so.”
They continued, “We therefore respectfully ask that, as the Departments prepare to disburse the funds set aside in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the State of Texas be fully reimbursed for the costs incurred to protect Americans from illegal immigration and drug trafficking under former President Biden’s disastrous leadership.”
The letter was signed by the following lawmakers: Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, along with August Pfluger, Pete Sessions, John Carter, Michael McCaul, Randy K. Weber, Roger Williams, Brian Babin, Jodey C. Arrington, Michael Cloud, Dan Crenshaw, Lance Gooden, Chip Roy, Pat Fallon, Tony Gonzales, Ronny Jackson, Troy E. Nehls, Beth Van Duyne, Jake Ellzey, Monica De La Cruz, Wesley Hunt, Morgan Luttrell, Keith Self, Brandon Gill, Nathaniel Moran and Craig Goldman.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 11/18/2025 – 15:30
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/texas-wants-be-reimbursed-biden-open-borders-cost
District 300 Food Pantry is using $30,000 grant to fill gap in availability of nutritious food items
Thanks to a $30,000 grant from the Seigle Foundation, the D300 Food Pantry on Tuesday morning kicked off an initiative intended to fill a gap in its distribution model.
The Healthy Families Program will allow the 9-year-old organization to address what has been the limited and unpredictable availability of certain nutritious food items, particularly eggs, yogurt, cheese, and produce in the winter months, said Michele Clark, the pantry’s director of development.
“We feel everyone deserves to have healthy food,” Clark said.
D300 Food Pantry Director of Development Michele Clark talks Tuesday morning, Nov. 18, outside the organization’s space in Carpentersville Middle School about the Health Families Program, a new initiative being funded in part with a $30,000 grant from the Seigle Foundation. (Mike Danahey/ for the Elgin Courier-News)
With grocery prices remaining high and uncertainty lingering about SNAP benefits, D300 Food Pantry officials said the number of those seeking assistance from them has significantly grown in recent years.
Board President Nikki Kuhlman said that before July 2023 changes in SNAP benefits qualifications, the pantry was helping feed about 80 families a week. That has grown to currently assisting 200 families a week.
The D300 Food Pantry is based in a small, warehouse-like space on the southeast side of Carpentersville Middle School. But for several holiday weeks throughout the year, it is open for shopping every Wednesday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. by appointment and Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m., with appointments encouraged and walk-ups allowed.
Kuhlman said the number of walk-ups has grown in the last year or so from 15 or so to around 30.
Participating families must live within Community Unit School District 300 boundaries and have a family member 18 or younger. Those 18 or younger do not have to attend D300 schools. The pantry is also open to qualifying employees of District 300, Durham Bus Company, and OrganicLife Food Service, or those who attend Elgin Community College or McHenry Community College. Participants must also set up and have a Northern Illinois Food Bank Link2Feed account.
Kuhlman said that, but for Clark, the program is run by volunteers. About 400 people help, with a core of 35 or so consistently assisting, she said.
During a presentation on Tuesday, Kuhlman thanked the Seigle Foundation for its generosity. Related to the Healthy Food Program, she said that the D300 Food Pantry is planning to start a wellness program for its clients in the spring.
The Seigle Foundation was founded by Mark and Robin Seigle, who were born and raised in the Elgin and Dundee areas. Their foundation funds local nonprofit arts, education, housing, and food-related organizations.
“This is my third time here, and each time I’ve been more and more impressed,” Mark Seigle said of his Tuesday visit to the pantry.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/18/d300-food-pantry-30000-grant/
Afternoon Briefing: Illinois launching digital driver’s licenses and state IDs
Good afternoon, Chicago.
Starting tomorrow, Illinois residents will be able to use their iPhones to show their driver’s license at select airports, restaurants and bars.
Under a major digital shift that Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias cast today as a long-promised modernization of government services, Illinois residents will be able to add their state driver’s license or state ID to their Apple Wallets. Mobile IDs will expand to Android users within the next few months or sometime next year, he said.
Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.
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Megan Siegel wears a flag cape while holding the hand of her daughter, Matilda, while protesting outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Broadview, Nov. 14, 2025. The Siegel family lives in Shabbona, near DeKalb. Siegel said she has been protesting outside the Broadview facility up to five times per week. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Sharp drop in detainees at ICE facility in Broadview follows temporary restraining order
The number of detainees held at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in Broadview has dropped precipitously since a federal judge ordered the government to comply with requirements to improve conditions at the facility, with only four people held there as of this morning. Read more here.
More top news stories:
Death and bomb threats prompt Broadview mayor to declare civil emergency
Person being questioned after woman set on fire on CTA train, police said
A ‘Loop puncher’ sentenced to seven years in prison for aggravated battery, burglary
Construction continues on Nov. 17, 2025, as the Austin HOPE Center on West Chicago Avenue reaches its top height. The center, built with the Ann & Robert Lurie Children’s Hospital, will be the first permanent, stand-alone pediatric specialty and behavioral health facility on Chicago’s West Side. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
A $22 million pediatric health care facility taking shape in Austin neighborhood will address unmet needs
Austin community residents, civic leaders and developers celebrated yesterday at a beam-raising event for the Austin HOPE Center, a $22 million development that will provide pediatric health care services hard to find on the Chicago’s West Side. Read more here.
More top business stories:
Former Chicago Fire defender Rafael Czichos sells Indian Head Park home for $912,500
Number of sports bets have dropped — but amount of betting has increased following new Illinois per wager tax
Illinois’ David Mirković saves a ball from going out of bounds against Colgate’s Cooper Wright (23) during the second half, Nov. 14, 2025, in Champaign. (Paul Beaty/AP)
Chicago basketball report: Bulls add to their Ring of Honor — and an Illinois freshman is ‘wired different’
The Bulls are looking forward to celebrating their second Ring of Honor class, while an Illinois freshman is grabbing the spotlight in the first two weeks of the men’s college basketball season. Read more here.
More top sports stories:
3 takeaways as Chicago Bulls snap their 5-game losing streak with an improbable win they needed ‘super bad’
Column: Fox Sports announcer Gus Johnson doesn’t need to apologize for losing his mind on a call
Patti Smith at the Chicago Theatre on Nov. 17, 2025. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Review: Patti Smith’s ‘Horses,’ live and powerful at 50
At the Chicago Theatre, Patti Smith and her band tore into “Horses” from top to bottom, and 50 years on, it’s still alternately vivid and elliptical. Read more here.
More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:
Review: ‘Chess’ on Broadway is ridiculously fun ’80s entertainment
Salt Creek Ballet brings its 39th annual performance of ‘The Nutcracker’ to Hinsdale
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., center, is joined from left by House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., and Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., to talk to reporters about the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, at the Capitol in Washington, Oct. 21, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
House votes overwhelmingly to force release of Epstein files, sending bill to Senate
The House voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill today to force the Justice Department to publicly release its files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a remarkable display of approval for an effort that had struggled for months to overcome opposition from President Donald Trump and Republican leadership. Read more here.
More top stories from around the world:
Federal immigration agents will expand North Carolina action to Raleigh, mayor says
Cloudflare outage impacts thousands, disrupts transit systems, ChatGPT, X and more
House Passes Bill To Release Epstein Files; Comer Torches Hakeem Jeffries For Seeking Post-Prison Meeting
House Passes Bill To Release Epstein Files; Comer Torches Hakeem Jeffries For Seeking Post-Prison Meeting
The House has passed legislation to compel the Trump DOJ to release records related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after the bill gained enough bipartisan support to require a House floor vote – and of course, after President Trump reversed course and decided to support it.
My legislation with @RepRoKhanna to release the Epstein files just passed 427 to 1 ! pic.twitter.com/iI9VZ6WFLe
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) November 18, 2025
We also just learned, thanks to ‘Epstein Files’ releases by House Republicans, that Epstein was close with Larry Summers and Del. Stacey Plaskett.
Before debate concluded on the bill, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) read the names of some of Epstein’s victims on the House Floor; Haley Robson, Jena‑Lisa Jones, Michelle Licata, Ashley Rubright, Annie Farmer, Marina Lacerda and Rachel Benavidez. Oddly, the recently deceased Virginia Giuffre.
The bill now moves to the Senate after clearing the House 427-1, after which – assuming it passes, will go to President Trump’s desk to sign into law, and after which the files should then be released.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has repeatedly said that the legislation should be amended to protect the identities of innocent individuals – which we assume will take lots of time, perhaps forever.
Senate Majority Whip John Thune, meanwhile, has signaled caution on the legislation, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has pledged to bring the bill to a vote immediately.
Also interesting is that Rep. James Comer torched Hakeem Jeffries for soliciting a meeting and donations from Epstein after he was a convicted sex offender.
🚨 HOLY CRAP! House Oversight Chair @JamesComer just EXPOSED Hakeem Jeffries on the House floor for soliciting a MEETING and donations from Jeffrey Epstein — even AFTER Epstein was a convicted s*x predator
This Epstein thing going to backfire MASSIVELY on the Democrats.… pic.twitter.com/QPDFuSPOww
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) November 18, 2025
Developing…
Tyler Durden
Tue, 11/18/2025 – 14:56
Community news: Leyden school staffers honored, Infant Welfare Society fundraiser, more
Leyden honors employees during education week
Leyden High School District 212 recognized its more than 600 professionals, including bus drivers, food service staff, support staff, teachers, security, maintenance staff and administrators who help educate students at its two high schools.
The recognition was part of American Education Week, Nov. 17 to 21, created by the National Education Association “as a way to honor people who work in public schools.
The district serves River Grover, Schiller Park, Melrose Park, Northlake, Franklin Park and unincorporated Leyden Township.
Holiday soap drive set in Darien
Darien Woman’s Club hosts a holiday soap and paper goods collection Nov. 28 through Dec. 18 with several drop-off locations in Darien.
They are Indian Prairie Public Library, 401 Plainfield Road; Concord School, 1019 Concord Place; Mark DeLay School, 6801 Wilmette Ave.; Cass Junior High School, 8502 Bailey Road; and the Darien Park District, 7301 Fairview Ave.
Donations of hand soap, laundry detergent, bar soap, dishwashing soap, paper towels, toilet paper and napkins are needed.
Holiday event benefits Infant Welfare Society
The Oak Brook chapter of the Infant Welfare Society hosts Mistletoe Medley during the day Dec. 2 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.
This year’s theme is “Let It Snow,” and dancers from Salt Creek Ballet will perform.
The fundraising event draws more than 500 guests every year and features premium raffles, a fashion show featuring suburban and city chic, boutique shopping with more than 20 vendors and lunch. NBC 5 news anchor Allison Rosati will return as master of ceremonies.
Proceeds benefit the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago, which has been in existence for more than 110 years, providing community-based health care to families and children in the Chicago area who lack access to basic medical services.
Tickets cost $125 per person, and premiere tables cost $2,000 each. All tables seat 10 people. They are sold online at oakbrookchapterinfantwelfare.org.
Despite cancelation, walk raises money for lung association
Participants in the Lung Force Walk for the American Lung Association raised $137,000, despite it being canceled because of poor weather.
The money was raised by 650 supporters, teams and sponsors, including Northwestern Medicine, in the weeks before the walk, which was expected to happen last month at Cantigny Park in Wheaton.
“While we are disappointed that the weather prevented us from walking together, the generosity and dedication of our community truly shined,” Danielle Trojanek, executive director of the American Lung Association in Greater Chicago, shared via a news release.
Dog park permits sold through end of year in Will County
Two dogs explore at Whalon Lake in Naperville. Dog park permits are on sale at Forest Preserve District of Will County, including Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook. (Forest Preserve District of Will County)
Dog owners are invited to buy 2026 dog park permits for the Forest Preserve District of Will County, which are valid for the rest of 2025 and all of 2026.
The fee, which is $40 for county residents and $80 for nonresidents, includes all six off-leash dog parks, including Whalon Lake in Naperville. Each park has separate enclosures for small dogs weighing 35 pounds or less and larger dogs.
Permits are sold at Hidden Oaks Nature Center, 419 Trout Farm Road in Bolingbrook, which is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Online sales include a $2 service fee. Applications also can be mailed to Sugar Creek Administration Center, 17540 W. Laraway Road in Joliet. Find details at www.reconnectwithnature.org/activities/dog-exercising.
Send news to pioneerwest@tribpub.com.
A ‘Loop puncher’ sentenced to seven years in prison for aggravated battery, burglary
A Blue Island man featured in “Loop puncher” videos that went viral on social media has been sentenced to seven years in state prison for crimes related to the attacks, Cook County court records show.
Derek Rucker, 37, pleaded guilty last week to aggravated battery to a peace officer, aggravated battery in a public place, aggravated battery to a transit employee and two counts of burglary.
He was arrested downtown Oct. 9 after striking a 44-year-old woman in the face in the 500 block of North State Street and causing her to fall to the ground, according to Chicago police.
He was also charged in connection with a string of other battery incidents that took place in September and October, including one involving a 40-year-old woman in the 4600 block of North Broadway, a 23-year-old woman in the 1200 block of West Loyola Avenue, a 27-year old woman in the 900 block of West Belmont Avenue and an on-duty police officer in Evanston.
The 23-year-old woman, Yara Afaneh, told the Tribune last month that she was scrolling through her phone at the Loyola CTA Red Line station on Sept. 30 when Rucker “out of nowhere” punched her in the back of the head.
Rucker was arrested that day. But Afaneh said police informed her he would be released until an upcoming court date once he got out of the hospital. It was an update that Afaneh said made her “uncomfortable.”
“It kind of sucks because it’s like multiple people have said they went up to the police when he got arrested, and they told him I’ve seen him around Loyola, I’ve seen him around this neighborhood,” she said at the time. “I stay around there, and I take the train every day to go to work, and now I just feel really uncomfortable.”
Rucker was at least the second man in recent months to have been accused of randomly punching people in Chicago. Numerous people claimed to have been victims of a “Loop puncher” in posts across social media, including Instagram, Reddit and TikTok, though it’s unclear exactly how many perpetrators there are.
William Livingston, 32, was also arrested last week and charged with two felony counts of aggravated battery in a public place for allegedly striking a 40-year-old woman and 29-year-old woman in the Lakeview neighborhood in June.
Rucker’s mother told the Sun-Times that her son has schizophrenia and needs “dire help” to treat his mental illness. She said she hopes he gets treatment in prison.
Cook County court records show Rucker has been arrested more than two dozen times in the last 20 years. Several judges have ordered mental health evaluations.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/18/chicago-loop-puncher-sentenced/
Tie vote, trustee resignation prevent Evanston D65 from closing schools; new vote Thursday
After months of public meetings in which Evanston/Skokie School District 65 administrators braced the community to prepare for up to four school closures at the end of the school year, the Board of Education found itself at an impasse at its meeting on Monday.
The resignation of Board Member Omar Salem earlier in November left the Board with six members, resulting in 3-3 tied votes and no action on closing schools.
After the Board committed to closing two schools at a previous meeting, its Monday meeting agenda listed options to close Kingsley and Willard Schools or Kingsley and Lincolnwood Schools, The Board also considered closing Kingsley solely, but did not obtain a majority to pursue that either.
The board voted 3-3 to close both Lincolnwood and Kingsley, and 3-3 to close Kingsley, but because neither vote had a majority, both were considered impasses.
The district is accepting applications to fill Salem’s vacancy, but whomever the board selects is slated to be appointed on Dec. 16, after the Board makes a binding decision on which school to close.
The Board of Education scheduled a special Board meeting for Thursday to vote on closing Lincolnwood. If the board decides to move forward with plans to close Lincolnwood, the district is required by state law to hold three public meetings to discuss the school closure and receive input from the community. As of Monday, the district has three tentatively scheduled public meetings for the evenings of Dec. 3, 8 and 10.
It is anticipated that the Board will make a final decision at its Dec. 15, 2025 regular board meeting, Superintendent Angel Turner wrote to D65 families on Nov. 14.
Board members Patricia Anderson, Nichole Pinkard and Maria Opdycke voted no to close Lincolnwood and Kingsley, but supported closing Kingsley. Sergio Hernandez, Mya Wilkins and Andrew Wymer voted in favor of closing Lincolnwood and Kingsley, but opposed closing Kingsley solely.
Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Board members deliberate potential school closures at their Nov. 17 Board of Education meeting. (Richard Requena/Pioneer Press)
For weeks leading up to the Board’s vote, D65 families, specifically those affected by the proposed school closures, have protested the closures and raised concerns about the Board’s and district’s credibility after former Superintendent Devon Horton was indicted on federal charges for wire fraud, tax fraud and embezzlement for actions that prosecutors say he did while serving as the school’s chief.
Within a week of the announced indictment, then-Board President Hernandez stepped down from his cabinet position, but did not resign from the Board. Anderson was nominated to serve as the Board’s president, which she accepted.
At Monday’s Board meeting, parents and educators crammed into the Board room, which has a maximum occupancy of 116. The district also set up an overflow room at the Joseph E. Hill Early Childhood Center, which at its peak held another 50 people. Over 70 people signed up to give public comment, according to Board Secretary Adeela Qureshi.
Audience members listen on Nov. 17, 2025 to Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Board of Education members reject an option to close Kingsley and Willard schools at the end of the school year. (Richard Requena/Pioneer Press)
Opdycke, a critic of the school closure process, called for the Board to slow the process. “I believe closing schools should be a last resort, and I don’t believe that we’ve gotten to a place where we can say… we’ve uncovered every drop.”
District-wide, enrollment has shrunk nearly 24% since 2018, according to data from the Illinois Report Card. For Lincolnwood, the school had 405 students enrolled in 2018, but now has 286 students, for a 29.3% decrease in enrollment.
Under the district’s scenario to close only Lincolnwood, the Structured Teaching Education Program, a program meant to support students who present with an autism spectrum disorder, will be relocated to Willard. Willard would lose its Two Way Immersion program, which teaches students in English and Spanish.
The pros of that option are that schools will continue to be walkable and students will be minimally impacted. The cons are that only closing one school will have a minimal impact on bringing forward financial stability, and selling the property does not have a strong income potential, according to D65 information on its website.
Administrators have also previously cited experts who say that a school’s optimal utilization rate should hover between 80% and 90%. If only Lincolnwood were to close, the average overall utilization rate district-wide would be below 70%, according to district documents.
The Board of Education for Evanston/Skokie School District 65 voted on Nov. 17 to keep Kingsley Elementary School open, after considering to close it at the end of the year. (Richard Requena/Pioneer Press)
To combat the district’s financial and under-enrollment issues, the district implemented a Structural Deficit Reduction Plan in 2023 to cut millions of dollars in expenses, including laying off dozens of employees and to also close Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies at the end of the school year.
Before the start of the school year, the district’s administration held public meetings to discuss what metrics it is considering using to make a decision on which schools to close. With approval from the Board, the district made scorecards for eligible schools to close and ranked them with equity, walkability, geography, building function and financial impact at top of mind.
Initially, the Board was open to consider closing four schools at the end of the school year, which would have been Kingsley, Lincolnwood, Washington and to convert magnet Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Literary and Fine Arts School into a neighborhood school. Over time, the Board narrowed its scope to closing three schools, then later to two schools. By the time the district posted the agenda for the Board’s Monday meeting, however, there was only an option for the Board to close Kingsley.
After an oversight that mistakenly gave the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Board of Education an option to vote on closing one school, instead of two, the Board and administration called for a recess at its meeting on Nov. 17 to consider its options. From left, Board Vice President Nichole Pinkard, President Patricia Anderson and Superintendent Angel Turner. (Richard Requena/Pioneer Press)
Turner called that one-school option an “oversight” between the school’s administration and the district’s legal counsel. Turner said the district anticipated for the Board to make a decision on which two schools to close, therefore the option to close Kingsley solely would be redundant and not needed.
Previously at the meeting, Turner strongly cautioned against closing just one school because it is likely that the Board will need to close another school next year, potentially creating a pathway where a D65 student would attend three different schools across three years.
Turner vigorously defended the work of her administration and Student Centered Services, the consultant group hired by the Board to help the district manage its Structural Deficit Reduction Plan.
“The work presented tonight is the culmination of years of tireless effort, strategic planning and, yes, profound struggle. I want the community to know that this decision is agonizing. It has been incredibly difficult, and the struggle to arrive at this point is deeply felt by every member of my cabinet and me,” Turner said.
“This is not a process we entered lightly, but one necessitated by our commitment to fiscal responsibility and continued academic excellence.”
Jueza de Paraguay aprueba la extradición de líder del crimen organizado de Lima
Associated Press
ASUNCIÓN (AP) — La justicia de Paraguay dio el martes el primer paso para concretar la extradición de un importante líder de una banda del crimen organizado que actúa en Perú, quien se encuentra detenido desde fines de septiembre.
La jueza Clara Ruiz Díaz autorizó el regreso a Perú de Erick Moreno, alias “el Monstruo” y apuntado como uno de los criminales más buscados de Sudamérica, aunque la defensa tiene un plazo de cinco días para apelar el fallo.
Moreno fue detenido el 25 de septiembre en la localidad paraguaya de San Lorenzo durante un operativo conjunto llevado a cabo por la policía paraguaya e investigadores peruanos. Moreno es señalado como el líder del crimen organizado en la capital del país andino.
Las autoridades peruanas ofrecían más de 142.000 dólares por su captura. En 2023, Moreno, de 33 años, fue condenado en ausencia por un tribunal de Lima a 32 años de prisión por secuestro, homicidio y sicariato.
En su resolución la magistrada paraguaya advirtió al gobierno de Perú que la extradición de Moreno fue autorizada bajo el “principio de especialidad” que establece que “el extraditable no podrá ser juzgado por otros hechos punibles distintos a los establecidos en el proceso de extradición” sin el “previo consentimiento de las autoridades” de Paraguay.
Moreno estaría detrás de una ola de extorsiones, que han aumentado exponencialmente en los últimos años en Perú. Según datos oficiales, las denuncias por extorsión entre enero y agosto sumaron 18.385, un incremento de 29,3% respecto del mismo periodo de 2024.
Draymond Green recibe advertencia de la NBA tras confrontación con fan, según fuente de AP
Por BRETT MARTEL
NUEVA ORLEANS (AP) — El delantero de Golden State, Draymond Green, recibió una advertencia de la NBA después de casi enfrentarse con un aficionado durante la victoria de los Warriors por 124-106 sobre los Pelicans de Nueva Orleans, dijo el martes una persona con conocimiento de la situación.
La persona habló con The Associated Press bajo condición de anonimato porque la NBA no ha anunciado la advertencia.
El aficionado, que se identificó como Sam Green, de 35 años, de Nueva Orleans, llevaba una camisa tipo polo negra con el logo de los Pelicans. Estaba de pie y animando después de que Draymond Green fuera sancionado por una falta de tiro mientras defendía al delantero de los Pelicans, Herb Jones, durante el partido del domingo.
Mientras los jugadores comenzaban a tomar sus posiciones para los tiros libres de Jones, Draymond Green se acercó al aficionado y se paró a solo unos centímetros de él mientras hablaban, con el aficionado extendiendo los brazos a cada lado.
Los oficiales rápidamente se interpusieron entre ellos y alejaron a Draymond Green mientras los acomodadores se reunían y hablaban con el aficionado.
“Simplemente seguía llamándome mujer. Fue un buen chiste al principio, pero no puedes seguir llamándome mujer”, dijo Green aclarando más tarde que el aficionado lo llamaba “con un nombre de mujer”.
“Tengo cuatro hijos y uno en camino”, agregó Green. “Simplemente no seas irrespetuoso”.
Draymond Green dijo que el oficial del partido, Courtney Kirkland, le dijo: “Lo tengo. Lo he escuchado una y otra vez. Lo has manejado bien. No te metas en problemas. Yo me encargaré de ello. Courtney fue genial”.
Sam Green dijo que estaba molestando a Draymond Green con cánticos de “Angel Reese”, porque varios de los primeros rebotes de la estrella de los Warriors resultaron de sus fallos a corta distancia, comenzando con una posesión de Golden State en la que Green falló cinco tiros seguidos y recuperó los primeros cuatro. Draymond Green terminó con ocho puntos y diez rebotes.
Sam Green dijo que la estrella de la NBA le gritó obscenidades y amenazó con golpearlo si continuaba con las burlas de “Angel Reese”, una referencia a la estrella de la WNBA y exjugadora de LSU que estableció varios récords de rebotes en LSU y la SEC.
“No estaba usando obscenidades y que él caminara fuera de la cancha para venir y ponerse en mi cara de esa manera, fue un poco inquietante”, dijo Sam Green, quien recibió una advertencia por parte de los acomodadores pero se le permitió permanecer en su asiento de primera fila.
Draymond Green, conocido por recibir faltas técnicas, multas y expulsiones por su personalidad confrontacional y emocionalmente volátil en la cancha, ha sido multado en el pasado por interactuar con aficionados.
En 2022, fue multado con 25.000 dólares por lo que la NBA describió como “dirigir lenguaje obsceno hacia un aficionado”.
Green ha sido crítico con el comportamiento de los aficionados, diciendo que enfrentan relativamente pocas consecuencias por decir cosas inapropiadas, y de hecho están motivados a hacerlo por el hecho de que los jugadores pueden ser multados por interactuar con ellos.
Green dijo el domingo por la noche que está acostumbrado a las burlas en los partidos fuera de casa y que generalmente no le molestan.
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Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes











