Category: News
Southland crime: Drug dealing arrests in Evergreen Park, Oak Lawn and Park Forest
The following items were taken from police and court reports and news releases. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.
Burbank
AGGRAVATED FLEEING: Deandre J. Fleming, 29, Chicago, was arrested Feb. 6 at his home and subsequently charged with aggravated fleeing/35 mph or more after leaving a traffic stop at 79th Street and Cicero Avenue at a high rate of speed, police said.
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT: The driver of a van fleeing with an LED sign taken from a smoke shop in the 4800 block of 79th Street Feb. 13 nearly hit a store employee photographing the license plate.
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT: Jordan D. Williams, 32, 17400 block of Eastgate Drive, Country Club Hills, is scheduled to appear in Cook County court at Bridgeview March 30, charged with aggravated assault, police said. Williams was arrested Feb. 13 at a grocery store in the 7900 block of Cicero Avenue after threatening to punch an employee when asked to leave, police said.
Evergreen Park
DEALING ALLEGED: Robert J. Reynolds, 82, 22900 block of Bruce Drive, Richton Park, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver after an officer recovered 5.7 grams of suspected heroin in 10 plastic sandwich bags during a Feb. 3 stop in the 9700 block of Kedzie Avenue, police said.
Homewood
STORE VANDALISM: Andrew Slaughter, 23, Chicago, kicked in a store window early Jan. 20 in the 2100 block of 183rd Street after being told the pizza delivery/carry-out business was closed.
THEFT: Deshaun Rhodes, 30, 13900 block of Michigan Avenue, Riverdale, was arrested Jan. 21 and accused of theft after using his position as a gas station employee to take $400 from the business, police said.
Joliet
WEAPON POSSESSION: A Cicero man convicted of killing a child in 2021 near Midway Airport while driving drunk and on drugs was indicted Feb. 19 and subsequently charged with possessing a weapon/tool in a prison facility and criminal damage to property, according to Will County court records online. Daniel Regalado, 32, pocketed part of a glass mirror he broke in August at a treatment facility in Joliet while in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections, the Will County state’s attorney’s office said.
Lansing
DISORDERLY CONDUCT: Tony D. Fults, 43, Knox, Indiana, was charged late Jan. 7 with drunken driving and disorderly conduct after driving to the 3500 block of Bernice Road and attempting to kick in the front door of a home he thought was his friend’s, police said.
Monee
AGGRAVATED BATTERY: Matthew J. Wehnland, 52, 26500 block of Winfield Road, Monee, was arrested Feb. 20 and charged with aggravated domestic battery, according to police and court records online.
Oak Lawn
DEALING ALLEGED: Vontrell D. Montgomery, 26, 600 block of 163rd Street, Calumet City, is scheduled to appear in Cook County court at Bridgeview March 3, charged with aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, possessing more than 30 grams of cannabis with intent to deliver, possessing more than 100 grams of cannabis and possessing a controlled substance, according to court records. Montgomery was arrested Jan. 31 in the 6400 block of 87th Street after officers recovered a 9 mm pistol with a loaded magazine, a jar containing 21 grams of suspected cannabis, 22 plastic sandwich bags containing 6.9 ounces of suspected cannabis, a 5-gram edible containing suspected cannabis, a 27-gram candy bar containing suspected psilocybin and two pills containing suspected MDMA, police said.
ROBBERY: Antonio Martinez, 32, and Felicia Rodriguez, 34, both of Chicago, were charged with robbery, felony retail theft and misdemeanor battery Feb. 9 after taking merchandise selling for $529 from a grocery store in the 9400 block of Pulaski Road and fighting with employees in the parking lot, police said. Martinez, convicted in Kane County of aggravated criminal sexual abuse/victim 13-16 when the victim was 14 and he was 23 according to Illinois sex offender records online, was also charged with failing to register as a sex offender.
Park Forest
DEALING ALLEGED: David S. Evans, 27, 100 block of 16th Place, Chicago Heights, was arrested Feb. 7 and accused of possessing more than 100 grams of cannabis with intent to deliver after officers recovered 4.8 ounces of cannabis in 18 packages during a stop near Lakewood and Forest boulevards, police said.
DUI CRASH: Ellanah D. Patterson, 24, Chicago, was arrested Feb. 8 and accused of drunken driving, leaving a collision scene, illegally transporting alcohol and failing to provide proof of insurance stemming from a car-tree collision in the 400 block of Indiana Avenue, police said.
Tinley Park
AGGRAVATED BATTERY: A Bartlett man is scheduled to appear in Will County court March 12, charged with aggravated domestic battery and aggravated battery/child younger than 13, according to court records online. Michael A. Miceli, 30, was arrested Feb. 21 at a motel in the 7200 block of 183rd Street, police said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/04/southland-crime-drug-dealing-oak-lawn/
Hombre acusado de asesinato en Arkansas gana la nominación republicana para jefe policial
Por SEAN MURPHY
Un hombre de Arkansas acusado de matar al presunto abusador de su hija ganó la nominación republicana para jefe de la policía local mientras esperaba a ser juzgado por asesinato en su condado rural, donde hizo campaña con el mensaje de que ha visto los fracasos de las fuerzas del orden.
Aaron Spencer derrotó a John Staley, jefe policial del condado de Lonoke, en las elecciones primarias del martes, al obtener más del 53% de los votos con todos los distritos electorales reportados, según resultados no oficiales publicados por el secretario de Estado de Arkansas.
Staley, cuyo departamento arrestó a Spencer en 2024, reconoció la derrota.
“Felicidades al señor Spencer. Esta noche los votantes tomaron su decisión en las primarias republicanas, y respeto esa decisión”, expresó Staley en un comunicado publicado en Facebook.
Spencer se enfrentará en noviembre al demócrata Brian Mitchell Sr. en el condado, de fuerte tendencia republicana. No podría ejercer el cargo si es declarado culpable de matar a Michael Fosler, quien estaba en libertad bajo fianza tras ser acusado de numerosos delitos sexuales contra la hija de Spencer, que entonces tenía 13 años. Los abogados de Spencer no niegan que él le disparó y mató a Fosler, de 67 años, pero sostienen que actuó dentro de la ley para proteger a su hija de un depredador.
Hasta el miércoles, ni el equipo de campaña de Spencer ni sus abogados habían respondido a los mensajes en los que se solicitaban comentarios.
Spencer está en libertad bajo fianza mientras espera el juicio, cuyo inicio estaba programado originalmente para enero. El proceso se retrasó cuando el juez a cargo fue apartado del caso. No se ha fijado una nueva fecha. Spencer se ha declarado inocente.
Documentos judiciales muestran que, la noche del tiroteo, ocurrido en octubre de 2024, Spencer se despertó y descubrió que su hija no estaba en su habitación y salió a buscarla en su camioneta. Encontró a la niña en el asiento del pasajero de un vehículo que conducía Fosler. Spencer obligó a la camioneta de Fosler a salirse de la autopista y, tras un altercado, llamó al 911 para informar que le había disparado al hombre, según muestran los registros.
Spencer prometió el mes pasado, en una publicación de Facebook, que, si resultaba elegido, establecería un equipo dedicado a combatir los delitos sexuales contra menores.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Cook County prosecutors dismiss 21 cases against ICE protesters, including suburban moms arrested in sit-in
Cook County prosecutors on Wednesday dismissed 21 cases that were filed against protesters at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in Broadview, including charges for 15 moms who hopped concrete barricades in a highly-publicized act of civil disobedience.
During a short court appearance at a branch courthouse in Maywood, prosecutors referenced extenuating circumstances when dropping the misdemeanor cases, according to an attorney for the women, Nick Albukerk. The decision was lauded by the women, who gathered with coffee and donuts outside the courthouse after the proceedings.
“Their job is not just to prosecute blindly, the job is to do what’s right,” Albukerk said.
In a statement, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office said it supports people’s right to peacefully protest and is “committed to exercising prosecutorial discretion to ensure just outcomes at every stage of a criminal proceeding, based on the law, the evidence and the responsible use of the office’s resources.”
Just after 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 7, the women, mostly moms from Oak Park and River Forest who know each other through their children’s schools, jumped over a concrete barrier, sat down in the middle of the street and held hands.
The facility in west suburban Broadview became a focus of resistance to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement efforts during “Operation Midway Blitz” in the fall.
Disturbed by the tactics of federal immigration agents in the Chicago area, the self-identified “soccer moms” said they planned the act of civil disobedience and sought to use their white privilege to make a statement.
“We wanted to bring attention to what was happening in Chicago,” said Sarah Slackert, one of the protesters whose cases was dismissed. “We were in crisis mode here in Chicago, and our family and friends from out of town were like, ‘what’s going on there.’”
Nikki Kidd, 44, talked to her third grader ahead of time, letting her know that she would likely be arrested. She sought to find an age-appropriate way to talk about the resistance, describing it in terms of standing up to bullies.
Nikki Kidd with other women in their group after charges were dismissed, March 4, 2026, outside the Maywood Courthouse following their arrest during a protest last year outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
“She understood that as a third grader,” Kidd said.
After violent encounters between protesters and federal agents who used tear gas on the crowds, the state stepped in to secure the protest scene with personnel from the Illinois State Police, Cook County sheriff’s office and Broadview Police Department.
Though the local agencies said they set up a unified command to promote safe First Amendment activity, their tactics have also been criticized by protesters.
Throughout October and November, local authorities arrested more than 100 people outside the immigration facility, most on misdemeanor offenses involving allegations of disobeying police officers or obstructing or resisting, raising questions about how the state’s attorney’s office would handle the cases once they go up before a judge.
The office has a policy that sets out guidelines for prosecutors when making decisions in cases that result from First Amendment activity, requiring them to consider factors such as whether a civilian or law enforcement officer was injured, whether a weapon was used and other aggravating or mitigating circumstances, among other issues.
Local prosecutors “must also recognize that the First Amendment right to free speech is a fundamental right that prohibits government from hindering expression based on subject matter content,” the policy says. “The law is clear that criminal statutes cannot criminalize speech. However, the right to freedom of speech is not absolute and does not protect against prosecution for criminal conduct.”
Most of the cases are still pending, though prosecutors have also dismissed charges against a batch of around 19 other protesters. At least two cases have been resolved through guilty pleas.
Some of the pending charges involve low-level felonies and include allegations of battery against police officers, including a University of Chicago professor who is accused of spitting at a trooper.
The attorney for the women whose cases were dismissed on Wednesday, though, noted that these cases didn’t involve any allegations of violence or resisting.
“All the cases they dismissed were people clearly exercising their right to peacefully protest,” Albukerk said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/04/cook-county-ice-broadview-protesters-cases/
Robert De Niro delivers Abraham Lincoln’s civility warning at a Carnegie Hall benefit
NEW YORK — Robert De Niro walked onto Carnegie Hall’s stage Tuesday night, unannounced and to loud applause. He didn’t make any speeches, at least none of his own. After a career defined by playing gangsters, an avenging taxi driver and a paranoid prize fighter, the Oscar-winning actor recited a call for civility, as first spoken by Abraham Lincoln.
“Reason, cold, calculating, unimpassioned reason, must furnish all the materials for our future support and defense,” De Niro said in an even voice, halting at first, but becoming firmer as he became caught up in words Lincoln delivered in 1838, early in his public life. “Let those materials be molded into general intelligence, sound morality, and in particular, a reverence for the constitution and laws.”
De Niro was a featured performer at the 39th annual benefit concert for the nonprofit cultural and educational organization Tibet House US, where others appearing ranged from Laurie Anderson and Elvis Costello to Maya Hawke and Allison Russell. He didn’t dwell on current events, or on President Donald Trump, whom he has denounced often fiercely over the past decade. But his reason for giving that particular speech had everything to do with the country today.
De Niro was reading excerpts from Lincoln’s “Lyceum Address,” a warning against mob violence that Lincoln delivered to a young man’s debating society in Springfield, Illinois. Philip Glass, a co-director of Tuesday night’s benefit, used the address as inspiration for his Symphony No. 15, “Lincoln.” He was supposed to premiere his symphony at the Kennedy Center in June, but announced earlier this year that he was calling off the performance, citing Trump’s ouster of the center’s leadership. The president has made the venue a flashpoint for his battle against so-called “woke” culture.
“The values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony,” Glass said in a statement at the time.
Last month, Trump announced that the center would shut down in July for construction he expects to last two years. Numerous artists in addition to Glass had withdrawn from planned appearances, including Renée Fleming, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Bela Fleck.
Trump’s name was rarely spoken by anyone during the nearly three-hour show Tuesday night. But the president was clearly on the minds of numerous performers who denounced the war against Iran, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and what they saw as a general spirit of violence and indifference. Costello, who had the crowd clapping along to “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding,” hardly needed to point out the relevance of a song written by Nick Lowe more than 50 years ago.
Costello appeared toward the end of the night, and spoke of listening backstage and marveling at the “millions” of meanings of what he had been hearing. Tuesday night was a tribute to experimentation and to the universality of music, a world’s tour of sounds and rhythms. It began with an invocation by the Drepung Gomang Monks, continued through the avant-garde compositions of Glass and Anderson, and stopped along the way for folk, gospel, protest songs, Beat poetry, Broadway and such pillars of modern Western music as the Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses,” performed as a duet by Russell and Toro y Moi, and Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed,” sung by Toro y Moi, the stage name for Chaz Bear.
Tuesday night also featured an unfinished song by Christian Lee Hutson, who promised he would work on it some more, and a duet between Hutson and Hawke, daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. Her grandfather, the Buddhist scholar and Tibet House co-founder Robert Thurman, began the night with praise for the artists and a sermon on the right of everyone to be happy. He did not seem to doubt the current joy of his granddaughter; she married Hutson last month, on Valentine’s Day.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/04/robert-de-niro-lincoln-civility-warning/
Two States, Two Visions: California Wants To Add A Wealth Tax; Florida Wants To Remove One
Two States, Two Visions: California Wants To Add A Wealth Tax; Florida Wants To Remove One
Authored by Siri Terjesen & Michael Ryall via The Epoch Times,
While Sacramento legislators debate how to extract more money from residents who are already leaving, Tallahassee legislators are moving in the opposite direction. The fiscal philosophies now playing out in California and Florida represent the starkest tax policy divergence in modern American history—and the numbers tell the story.
In California, there is a $12 billion budget deficit, the product of spending commitments that expanded faster than the revenue base meant to fund them. The legislative response, rather than spending restraint, has been a parade of wealth tax proposals. The latest—Initiative 25-0024, the 2026 Billionaire Tax Act—would impose a one-time 5 percent excise tax on the net worth of California residents exceeding $1 billion as of Jan. 1, 2026. Applied to the state’s approximately 200 billionaires, the measure is projected to raise roughly $100 billion, with 90 percent directed to Medi-Cal.
The details deserve scrutiny. The tax is retroactive: Liability attaches as of Jan. 1, 2026, but the measure cannot be enacted until after a November 2026 election, meaning the law would penalize conduct before the law formally exists. Legal analysts have identified constitutional vulnerabilities on due process, the Dormant Commerce Clause, and uniformity—making the measure’s survival uncertain. More practically, the California Legislative Analyst’s Office has warned that if even a fraction of targeted billionaires depart, the income tax revenue they currently pay disappears with them. The top 1 percent of California taxpayers already account for more than 40 percent of state personal income tax receipts. The margin for error is thin.
This is not California’s first attempt. Assembly Bills 259, 2289, 310, and 2088—all wealth tax proposals—have been introduced and abandoned in the past five years. One proposed exit provision would have continued taxing departing residents for up to 10 years after leaving. The structure prompted one legal commentator to invoke the lyric from “Hotel California”: you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave—fiscally speaking.
The market is responding. Google co-founder Larry Page has reportedly registered Florida LLCs and many other billionaire tech founder CEOs are exploring a move outside California, including Peter Thiel, Sergey Brin, and Mark Zuckerberg. These are rational responses to a state signaling that accumulated wealth is a resource to be liquidated before its owners can move it elsewhere.
Now consider Florida, in which the policy signals are vastly different. The state already has no income tax—a structural advantage that has driven a decade of net migration from high-tax states. Governor Ron DeSantis is now pushing further: a constitutional amendment on the November 2026 ballot that would eliminate property taxes on homesteaded primary residences. The Florida House passed HJR 203 on Feb. 19, 2025, by an 80–30 party-line vote. If the Senate concurs and 60 percent of voters approve, Florida would become the first state in American history with neither an income tax nor property taxes on primary residences.
The fiscal challenge is real. Property taxes generate roughly $55 billion annually in Florida, funding significant county and municipal services. Critics argue that eliminating them would necessitate either dramatic service cuts or offsetting revenue increases—potentially raising the state sales tax from 6 percent toward 12 percent. Governor DeSantis disputes this, pointing to budget surpluses and government waste that can be redirected. That debate will play out in Tallahassee and at the ballot box.
But the directional signal is unmistakable. California responds to budget pressure by widening the net it casts on wealth. Florida responds by asking whether the net needs to exist at all.
The migration data confirm which model high earners find more credible—and reveal the fiscal irony California is engineering for itself. IRS data show that over the past decade, California has lost $14.5 billion in tax revenue to interstate migration, while Florida has gained $4.1 billion. Goldman Sachs Research, analyzing IRS filings from 2017 to 2023, found that 4 percent of households with more than $1 million in adjusted gross income changed states during that period, with large outflows from California and substantial inflows to Florida—a trend that was still accelerating in 2022 and 2023. Goldman Sachs estimates that tax-driven emigration has already reduced California’s tax revenue by up to 3 percent. U-Haul’s 2025 Growth Index ranked California the top outbound state for the second consecutive year and Florida the second-best inbound (behind Texas).
Every high-income household that relocates from Sacramento to South Florida takes its future income tax payments—and its business payroll—with it. California’s proposed billionaire tax may be designed to prevent that exit; the evidence suggests it will accelerate it instead.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 03/04/2026 – 12:20
Investigan a representante republicano de Texas por acusaciones de amorío
Por KEVIN FREKING
WASHINGTON (AP) — El Comité de Ética de la Cámara de Representantes ha abierto una investigación sobre el representante Tony Gonzales, republicano por Texas, por acusaciones que incluyen haber tenido un amorío con una asesora.
Los principales integrantes republicano y demócrata del comité señalaron en un comunicado conjunto el miércoles que un panel investigador examinará si Gonzales incurrió en conducta sexual indebida hacia una empleada de su oficina y si discriminó de manera injusta al conceder favores o privilegios especiales.
La oficina de Gonzales de momento no respondió a una solicitud de comentarios de The Associated Press.
El congresista, que ahora cumple su tercer mandato, ha manifestado que no renunciará en respuesta a las acusaciones. Hace poco, les comentó a reporteros en el Capitolio que habrá oportunidades para que salgan a la luz todos los detalles y los hechos.
“Lo que han visto no son todos los hechos”, afirmó Gonzales.
Gonzales, padre de seis hijos, ganó por primera vez su escaño en 2020 tras retirarse de una carrera de 20 años en la Marina que incluyó tiempo en Irak y Afganistán. Se vio obligado a ir a una segunda vuelta en mayo contra Brandon Herrera el martes, un fabricante de armas e influencer de YouTube a favor de los derechos de las armas, que perdió por poco ante Gonzales en las primarias de 2024.
El San Antonio Express-News informó que obtuvo mensajes de texto en los que Regina Ann Santos-Aviles, una empleada de Gonzales, le escribió a un colega que ella había tenido una aventura con el congresista.
La AP no ha obtenido de manera independiente copias de los mensajes. Un abogado de Adrian Aviles, esposo de Santos-Aviles, ha dicho que él se enteró del affair antes de la muerte de su esposa.
Santos-Aviles, de 35 años, murió en septiembre de 2025 después de prenderse fuego en el patio trasero de su casa en Uvalde, Texas. Posteriormente, la Oficina del Médico Forense del condado de Bexar determinó que su muerte fue un suicidio.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Tribunal griego ratifica condenas penales contra el partido ultraderechista Amanecer Dorado
Por DEREK GATOPOULOS
ATENAS (AP) — Un tribunal griego de apelaciones ratificó el miércoles las condenas de la cúpula y de miembros de alto rango del partido ultraderechista Amanecer Dorado, así como su designación como organización criminal.
Amanecer Dorado, fundado como un grupo neonazi en la década de 1980, ocupó escaños en el Parlamento de 2012 a 2019 durante una convulsión política y social desencadenada por una grave crisis de deuda.
En una decisión unánime, un panel de cinco jueces del Tribunal Penal de Apelación de Atenas confirmó las condenas dictadas en 2020 contra 42 miembros y asociados de Amanecer Dorado que habían apelado sus sentencias.
Entre ellos está el líder del partido, Nikos Michaloliakos, de 68 años, quien fue condenado a 13 años de prisión, pero el año pasado quedó en libertad condicional por motivos de salud.
El primer ministro conservador de Grecia, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, celebró la decisión.
“Esto concierne a un capítulo traumático de nuestra vida parlamentaria, el cual espero y deseo que podamos dejar definitivamente atrás”, afirmó Mitsotakis, hablando en el Parlamento.
Amanecer Dorado ganó popularidad durante la crisis financiera, al combinar la retórica antisistema y el ultranacionalismo con duras posturas antiinmigración. Obtuvo el 7% de los votos en las elecciones nacionales de septiembre de 2015, quedando en tercer lugar y obteniendo 18 escaños en el Parlamento de 300 miembros.
Al partido se le culpó de organizar múltiples ataques contra inmigrantes y activistas de izquierda, así como de la muerte por apuñalamiento del rapero y activista Pavlos Fyssas en 2013.
La condena de un asociado del partido por asesinato también fue ratificada el miércoles, para alivio de la madre del cantante, Magda Fyssa.
“Agradezco a todos por estar aquí”, les dijo Fyssa a varios cientos de simpatizantes fuera del tribunal. “Es un día histórico: una victoria para la solidaridad y una victoria para el amor y la paz”.
Solo dos de los acusados estuvieron en el tribunal el miércoles: los exlegisladores Ilias Kasidiaris e Ioannis Lagos.
Kasidiaris afirmó que el fallo tiene motivaciones políticas y prometió continuar su batalla legal.
“Reto a cualquiera a encontrar algo —aunque sea la mitad de algo— que haya sido ilegal”, señaló. “Este caso no terminará en los tribunales griegos, sino en un tribunal internacional, donde buscaré mi reivindicación definitiva”.
Está previsto que el tribunal de apelaciones comience a escuchar los alegatos sobre las sentencias el jueves.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
‘It’s a good eye-opener’: Junior Achievement teaches eighth graders about financial literacy
With the cost of living rising, it’s timely to start teaching budgeting skills young.
Hebron Middle School student Jake Cox might feel the sting of financial limitations a little less when it’s just a dress rehearsal, versus the live performance.
“I’ll do the $400 car,” he tells the volunteer at the transportation booth at Junior Achievement Town set up in the ballroom of Harre Hall at Valparaiso University Tuesday morning.
“What’s your job?” asked VU finance major Cici Wilson.
“Mailman,” he replied.
“I would recommend getting a less expensive car,” she said, basing her opinion on his mock $45,000 salary and monthly net income of $2,812.50.
Hebron Middle School eighth grader Zooey White, center, reacts to her proposed food budget as friends Corinna Sanders, on right, and Colleen Dearing stand nearby as they participate in a simulation exercise at Valparaiso University on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
While the simulated salaries appear realistic, the pretend costs of living are low, such as the $70 students are told to budget for electricity and natural gas, admits Roz Malouhos, director of the Northwest Indiana Division of Junior Achievement, a not-for-profit that aims to foster entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work readiness for young people. The organization sponsored the free event, held for the first time at VU.
Known as Junior Achievement Town, the events are offered all over Northwest Indiana. “It’s getting them used to the idea of budgeting,” Malouhos said.
Dozens of VU students staffed the stations to guide the 80 Hebron middle schoolers through the process. “I’m going to have to stay home,” said eighth grader Kayden Umfleet, who was assigned the career of landscape tech at an annual salary of $30,000.
“You are, big time,” agreed VU business management and human resources major Adrian Huizar, a junior, helping the kids decide what kind of housing they can afford.
Hebron Middle School student Jake Cox decides on his transporation budget with help from Valparaiso University student Cici Wilson during a simulation exercise run by Junior Achievement of Northwest Indiana at Valparaiso University on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
“I never got to experience this when I was a middle schooler,” he said. “It’s a good eye-opener. A lot of them seemed like they didn’t know what to do with the money stuff. They say their parents handle everything.”
Eighth grader Corinna Sanders found deciding on how she would spend her food dollars easier than choosing housing. She was worried about whether she would rent or buy. At the transportation booth, Wilson helped her keep her spending in check.
“I would recommend a used ride because I see you have some higher prices here,” she said, looking over Sanders’ budget sheet. “Do you have any questions about cars? I can answer them.”
When grilled about what an oil change would cost her, Sanders replied, “Like $100.”
Hebron Middle School students calculate their contribution to savings and retirement as they participate in a simulation exercise run by Junior Achievement of Northwest Indiana at Valparaiso University on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
“I don’t want to be dining out every single day,” said her classmate Zooey White at the food booth. “Understandable,” replied VU sports management major Alexa Stefanovich.
The senior commuter did want White to consider her lifestyle when planning her food budget.
“There are a lot of things I’m driving to. I eat out, I’ll admit. I do not cook,” she said.”
Hebron Middle School’s College and Careers Class teacher Dan Pastrick said they’ll be going over the budget sheets in class in the coming days.
Hebron Middle School students determine a budget for their housing with help from Valparaiso University junior Adrian Huizar during a simulation exercise run by Junior Achievement of Northwest Indiana at Valparaiso University on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
“Some of the kids understand, have a good grasp at their age, what it’s going to be like,” running a household, he said. “Some of them have no idea what taxes is going to do to their income.”
They’ll have lots to talk about. Like the cost of a real NIPSCO bill.
“Would you have made different decisions?” Malouhos wanted to know at the end of the session. “A lot of you who came to the Accomplishment Center had quite a bit of money left over, which means you did a good job.”
Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/04/junior-achievement-teaches-financial-literacy/
Costco Beats Out Walmart As Cheapest Grocery Store In The U.S.
Costco Beats Out Walmart As Cheapest Grocery Store In The U.S.
A new pricing analysis from Consumer Reports suggests shoppers may find better deals than expected—sometimes well below Walmart’s prices.
The February study, carried out by the New York–based Strategic Resource Group, compared grocery baskets in six major metro areas across the U.S. Walmart, the nation’s largest and most widespread grocer, served as the pricing benchmark. Researchers ranked major supermarket chains—along with several warehouse clubs and specialty stores—based on how their total basket costs stacked up against Walmart’s.
The baskets included a mix of packaged goods, produce, and meat. However, basket sizes varied depending on what each store carried. Comparisons were most comprehensive among mainstream grocers that stock a broad range of identical national brands. Stores that emphasize private-label products or specialty items had fewer overlapping products with Walmart, resulting in smaller comparison baskets.
For instance, in the Chicago-area portion of the study, baskets at chains such as Food4Less, Jewel-Osco, Mariano’s, Meijer, Target, and Walmart each included 56 items. By contrast, Trader Joe’s basket there included just 23 comparable products.
Price differences were significant. Among warehouse clubs, Costco Wholesale and BJ’s Wholesale Club offered the steepest discounts—both averaging 21% less than Walmart. Alabama shoppers can access both chains, with Costco planning a new Irondale location and BJ’s expanding in Foley.
Discount grocers Aldi and Lidl were also cheaper, coming in a little over 8% below Walmart. Aldi continues to expand in Alabama, including converting former Winn-Dixie stores, while Lidl does not operate in the state.
On the higher end, Target averaged 5.9% more than Walmart, followed by Kroger (14.8%), Publix (20.3%), Piggly Wiggly (22.6%), and Trader Joe’s (24.6%). Whole Foods Market was the priciest, at nearly 40% above Walmart.
Overall, the gap between the least and most expensive mainstream supermarkets reached 33%, widening further when warehouse clubs were included. One notable omission from the rankings was Sam’s Club, which was not included in the survey without explanation.
Consumer Reports acknowledged that stores with limited assortments were harder to compare directly. Whole Foods also pushed back, arguing the analysis did not account for its quality standards, recent price reductions, or member perks.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 03/04/2026 – 12:00
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/costco-beats-out-walmart-cheapest-grocery-store-us
Dolton works on plans to pay $33.5 million judgment; hires new village administrator
As Dolton works toward developing a strategy to pay a $33.5 million judgment, Mayor Jason House said Monday he hopes the village’s plan will result in a “zero or very minimal increase” in property taxes.
“We are hard at work, keeping in mind that this is still a fluid discussion or negotiation,” House said.
He said some details will not be shared until after April 23, the deadline for the village to submit a plan to pay the judgment to Cook County Judge William Sullivan.
Dolton has three options to pay the $33.5 million judgment and accrued interest from a police chase lawsuit filed in 2022, Sullivan said during a court hearing Feb. 20. The village can issue a bond, issue a tax levy increase or increase costs of services.
House said Monday the village hopes to pay it through “identifying a separate revenue source,” though he didn’t specify what that source could be.
Last month, village attorney Michael McGrath presented possible ways the village could seek help through its financial crisis, including petitioning Gov. JB Pritzker to establish a financial planning and supervision commission, freezing all debts for up to two years and recovering funds through a lawsuit brought against the village’s former insurer.
The village said the American Alternative Insurance Corporation refused to settle before and during the police chase lawsuit’s trial, leading to the $33.5 million judgment.
McGrath said Monday Dolton’s lawsuit against the insurance company is progressing, as the insurance company’s motion to dismiss the case was recently denied.
McGrath previously said the village and plaintiffs in the police chase lawsuit together hope to recover as much as $100 million from the insurance company, though the federal case is expected to continue for at least five years.
“The timing on both the (county) case and federal case is very pivotal on how this gets resolved and resolved with minimal impact to the residents of our town,” House said.
As of Feb. 20, the village owed $40.6 million to the families of John Kyles, who died following a 2016 Dolton police chase, and Duane Dunlap, who was left severely injured. Through interest, the debt has accrued 6% per year, or about $2 million per year, since it was issued.
The village has yet to make payments on the judgment.
McGrath said following the Feb. 20 court hearing, the village offered two settlement options to attorneys for the families of Kyles and Dunlap that were refused.
New administrator
The Dolton Village Board also voted to hire Bill Manousopoulos as village administrator to replace Charles Walls, who was appointed in May, shortly after House took office.
House said when the board hired Walls, the village had received three resumes from interested people. Walls, a Dolton resident, had an extensive history in banking and a master’s degree in public administration, the mayor said.
“I have known him personally for 30 years,” House said.
Manousopoulos is still listed as town manager for St. John, Indiana, according to the town’s website.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/04/dolton-plans-33-5-million-judgment/
