Por MIKE SCHNEIDER

ORLANDO, Florida, EE.UU. (AP) — Abogados de los detenidos en un centro de detención de inmigrantes administrado por el estado en los Everglades de Florida, conocido como “Alcatraz de los caimanes”, afirmaron el jueves que todavía enfrentan obstáculos para acceder a sus clientes, pese a que las autoridades estatales afirman que esas barreras han sido eliminadas.

Dos abogados presentaron declaraciones ante una corte federal en Fort Myers, Florida, en las que indicaron que sus clientes no pudieron llamarlos usando los celulares del personal, y que los abogados no pudieron realizar visitas sin previo aviso al centro.

Durante una audiencia sobre si los detenidos en el centro estaban recibiendo un acceso adecuado a sus representantes legales, un contratista del estado testificó a finales del mes pasado que ambas opciones estaban disponibles para los detenidos y los abogados.

La jueza federal de distrito Sheri Polster Chappell aún no ha resuelto si conceder la solicitud de los detenidos para que tengan el mismo acceso a sus abogados que el que tienen los presos en centros de detención administrados por el gobierno federal.

El Departamento de Gestión de Emergencias de Florida, la agencia estatal que supervisa el centro de detención, no respondió a una consulta enviada por correo electrónico el jueves. La administración del gobernador republicano Ron DeSantis construyó el centro de los Everglades el verano pasado en una pista de aterrizaje remota para respaldar las políticas migratorias del presidente Donald Trump. Florida también ha construido un segundo centro de detención de inmigración en el norte del estado.

La demanda de los exdetenidos de los Everglades sostiene que se violaron sus derechos amparados por la Primera Enmienda. Señalan que sus abogados deben pedir una cita con tres días de anticipación para visitarlos, a diferencia de otros centros de detención de inmigración donde los abogados pueden simplemente presentarse durante el horario de visitas; que con frecuencia los detenidos son trasladados a otros centros antes de las citas programadas por sus abogados para verlos; y que los retrasos en la programación han sido tan prolongados que los detenidos no pudieron reunirse con abogados antes de plazos clave.

Funcionarios estatales que figuran como demandados en la demanda han negado que se haya restringido el acceso de los detenidos a sus abogados y citaron razones de seguridad y de personal para explicar cualquier dificultad. Funcionarios federales, que también son demandados, negaron que se hayan vulnerado los derechos de los detenidos bajo la Primera Enmienda.

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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.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/12/abogados-denuncian-difcil-acceso-al-alcatraz-de-los-caimanes-al-tiempo-que-jueza-evala-caso/ 

A group of six Chicago Public Schools board members blasted Mayor Brandon Johnson on Thursday, accusing City Hall of sabotaging a professional search for a new head of the school district.

The board members announced in a statement on Thursday that the contract between the Alma Advisory Group, the firm leading the search for a new CEO, was terminated.

“We are extremely disappointed that the mayor and his appointees on the Board have chosen to sabotage the process to find a permanent leader for CPS,” the statement read. “This blatant political interference is harmful to the entire District — to schools, staff, families, and most importantly, the students. Every problem becomes more difficult to solve when there is leadership instability.”

In the statement, the six board members urged their colleagues to “retain Interim Superintendent/CEO Dr. Macquline King until a fully-elected board can restart the search in 2027.”

The termination is the latest setback in a long-suffering search for the next leader of the nation’s fourth-largest school district, and threatens to add further turmoil and uncertainty for families.

The 11-month national search reached the brink of finalist interviews with Mayor Brandon Johnson last fall, until the mayor and his allies “started running political interference,” board members said.

Thus, the fate of the position that’s been filled on an interim basis since June and proven a lightning rod of controversy for the first-term mayor remains uncertain.

Alma Advisory Group was hired last spring after the school board terminated ex-CPS CEO Pedro Martinez’s contract without cause in December 2024. The firm was responsible for recruiting, screening and facilitating interviews with applicants.

In November, the superintendent search had been narrowed down to two out-of-state finalists, from New York City and Denver. After the candidates’ names were leaked to WBEZ/Sun-Times and Chalkbeat, the process effectively ground to a halt and one of them withdrew his name.

Johnson, at the time, told reporters the search was far from complete and encouraged others to apply. In the months since, Alma Advisory has gathered a shortlist of other final contenders, but the “progress has been stalled, and major decisions have been put on hold,” board members said.

“By making it impossible for a professional firm to see this through, Mayor Johnson and his appointed board members have shown that they are either unwilling, unable, or uninterested in finding a qualified CEO/Superintendent to lead CPS into the future,” the statement read.

The statement was signed by board members Carlos Rivas Jr., District 3B; Ellen Rosenfeld, District 4B; Jessica Biggs, District 6B; Angel Gutierrez, District 8A; Therese Boyle, District 9B; and Che “Rhymefest” Smith, District 10A.

The school board, currently a hybrid mix of elected and mayoral-appointed seats, is in charge of hiring for the high-profile role after decades of full mayoral control over CPS. Johnson retains some influence over the board before it transitions to a fully independent body in 2027, but he’s faced challenges with even allies in the board resisting pressure from his team to borrow money to cover district costs.

All those who signed the letter are elected members, representing newly drawn constituencies across the city — an extraordinary display of division within the newly empowered governing body. Board members have also signed non-disclosure agreements, previously shielding almost all of the process from public view.

Now, as Johnson approaches his three-year mark in office and all 21 school board seats are up for election in November, he and his handpicked board president, Sean Harden, find themselves without a clear path forward.

Harden and Johnson’s spokesperson, Cassio Mendoza, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In theory, the process could move forward with the finalists already identified. But without the guidance of an outside firm, it could continue to sputter.

Other board members, however, pushed back against the characterization. Appointed member Michilla Blaise, District 5B, said that the process has been slow-moving because it is deliberate and thorough.

“I wish the contingency of board members who wrote this letter could be more focused on gathering unanimity instead of sowing division and lobbing media bombs,” Blaise said.

Elected member Jenny Custer, District 1B, typically votes in alignment with the board members who signed the letter. But she said it was preemptive to call off the search.  Custer noted that the board could still move forward with the identified finalists.

Both Custer and Blaise said they have not seen evidence that Johnson is interfering with the search.

“I think we’re jumping the gun,” Custer said. “I think we need to exhaust all our options before we call it a failure … I think we have a lot of great potential leaders in the district.”

The next superintendent will play an outsized role in shaping the district’s priorities, amid a period of declining enrollment, federal pressures and deep fiscal instability. The cash-strapped district is facing a projected $520 million deficit for the upcoming budget season.

After former-CEO Martinez refused to take out a short-term loan in 2024, all seven members of Johnson’s first handpicked school board opted to resign rather than be caught up in a war of wills between Johnson and Martinez. The mayor appointed a second school board that fired Martinez in December.

The lame-duck CEO stayed on for six months, until his contract ended, before the appointment of interim CEO King. King also resisted pressure from the mayor and CTU to borrow, a decision that led to her not making the cut as a finalist for the permanent superintendent job.

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In the statement, board members praised King for her “laudable work under impossible circumstances,” saying that the district should retain her until a fully elected board can weigh in next year.

“She is someone who understands CPS inside and out — as a student, a teacher, a principal, a policy leader, and now as Interim CEO/Superintendent,” the statement read.

Despite the “sad development,” the board members also thanked Alma Advisory for their “competency-based process that was rigorous, thoughtful and thorough.”

A former CTU organizer, Johnson vowed bold investments for Chicago’s disinvested neighborhood schools, but a perfect storm of budget shortfalls and pension obligations on both the city and CPS’s side complicates that goal. So does a political climate in Springfield wary of new taxes or more spending.

Though CPS’s beleaguered finances predate Johnson’s time, how education leaders should fix that problem has been one of the most politically radioactive debates during the freshman mayor’s term.

In May, Harden spearheaded an effort to appoint the mayor’s chief of staff, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, to serve in the role in the interim. But the effort ultimately failed to gain enough traction, in part because Pacione-Zayas lacked a superintendent endorsement — a new requirement for the role approved unanimously by the school board last year.

As of December, Pacione-Zayas was not in the process of obtaining a superintendent license, Johnson’s office confirmed.

The Chicago Transit Authority and the Chicago Housing Authority have also gone more than a year without permanent leaders, roles traditionally appointed by the mayor. It has been several mayoral administrations since all three posts were vacant simultaneously, raising internal and external concerns over the direction of the city’s most influential public agencies.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/12/cps-board-ceo-search/ 

Good afternoon, Chicago.

A group of six Chicago Public Schools board members blasted Mayor Brandon Johnson today, accusing City Hall of sabotaging a professional search for a new head of the school district.

The board members announced today that the contract between the Alma Advisory Group, the firm leading the search for a new CEO, was terminated.

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.

Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History

WeCreate Media CEO Wade Breitzke speaks as renderings are displayed behind him during a news conference in Portage concerning the proposed Chicago Bears stadium and development in the city on Feb. 11, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

‘Same roar, new shore’: Portage makes a pitch to host the Bears

Not to be outdone by competitors in Arlington Heights, Hammond, Gary and even Iowa, Portage officials made their pitch to lure the Chicago Bears away from Soldier Field with a $5 billion stadium. Read more here.

More top news stories:

Illinois sues Trump administration over more than $100 million in planned cuts to health care grants
Dolton sues Fifth Third Bank over $1.9 million in alleged misappropriations by former Mayor Tiffany Henyard
‘Ripped away from us by a gunshot’: Man gets life sentence in Chinatown double homicide

McDonald’s global headquarters in Chicago’s West Loop on Dec. 19, 2019.

McDonald’s says focus on value is bringing back customers

The fast-food giant said that its global same-store sales — or sales at locations open at least a year — jumped 5.7% in the October-December period. Read more here.

More top business stories:

Oak Brook eyes proposal to replace office buildings with Amazon, Ashley Furniture stores
BP, United Steelworkers negotiations continue after strike preparations at BP Whiting refinery

Cubs reliever Daniel Palencia beats a cowbell after the Game 3 win over the Padres in an NL wild-card series Oct. 2, 2025, at Wrigley Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

What we learned from the Chicago Cubs, including Daniel Palencia named closer and Marquee’s spring schedule

Cubs manager Craig Counsell tends to be coy when it comes to publicly declaring specific bullpen roles. Counsell, though, did not hesitate after being asked whether Daniel Palencia would get the ninth inning in a save situation if the season started tomorrow. Read more here.

More top sports stories:

Chicago Bulls limp into All-Star break with 6th straight loss as Nikola Vučević scores 19 vs. former team
A conversation with the UIC professor who heads up sports sciences for US Figure Skating

Leah Morrow, Luke Nowakowski, Michael Mahler and Emily Goldberg in “The Irish … and How They Got That Way” by Porchlight Music Theatre at Ruth Page Center for the Arts. (Anthony Robert La Penna)

Review: ‘The Irish … and How They Got That Way’ is an old favorite that hasn’t changed a wit

Chicago actor David Girolmo knows exactly what the show needs, and there is a musically adroit and highly personable cast in the not-entirely-Irish persons of Emily Goldberg, the singer-musician Michael Mahler, the fine tenor Luke Nowakowski and Leah Morrow. Read more here.

More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:

Review: ‘Wuthering Heights’ is a playful, messy, unsatisfying adaptation
Review: Los Angeles heist film ‘Crime 101’ is an unsubtle nod to ‘Heat’

White House border czar Tom Homan holds a news conference at the Bishop Whipple Federal Building on Feb. 12, 2026, in Minneapolis. (Scott McFetridge/AP)

Border czar hails a ‘safer’ Minnesota as he says the state’s immigration crackdown is over

The Trump administration is ending the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, border czar Tom Homan said today of the two-month operation that led to thousands of arrests, angry mass protests and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens. Read more here.

More top stories from around the world:

Trump’s EPA revokes scientific finding that underpinned US fight against climate change
Investigators ask for surveillance video from specific dates in Nancy Guthrie disappearance

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/12/afternoon-briefing-portage-makes-a-pitch-to-host-the-bears/ 

The Numbers Don’t Lie… Yet Again

Tyler Durden
Thu, 02/12/2026 – 15:05

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/numbers-dont-lie-yet-again 

Hilary Duff is finally coming back to town for her lucky me tour, which is her first full-scale global headlining run in almost two decades.

Duff tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 am Feb. 20, www.hilaryduff.com/live (also see that website for details on the abundance of presale opportunities — Citi, Verizon, etc.).

Hilary Duff: the lucky me tour 2026-2027

JUNE

22 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

23 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

25 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

27 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Sponsored by Huntsman

28 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater

30 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

JULY

3 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre

8 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum

11 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre

12 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre

14 – Ridgefield, WA – Cascades Amphitheater

15 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre

17 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre

20 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre

22 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater

23 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center

25 – Shakopee, MN – Mystic Lake Amphitheater

26 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre

28 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center

30 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater

AUGUST

1 – Charlotte, NC – Truliant Amphitheater

2 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live

5 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

8 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center

9 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at Highmark Mann

12 – Toronto, ON – RBC Amphitheatre

15 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre

16 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater

SEPTEMBER

6 – Dublin, IE – 3Arena

8 – Cardiff, UK – Utilita Arena Cardiff

10 – London, UK – The O2

12 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena

13 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro

OCTOBER

20 – Auckland, NZ – Spark Arena

22 – Brisbane, AU – Brisbane Entertainment Centre

24 – Sydney, AU – Qudos Bank Arena

26 – Melbourne, AU – Rod Laver Arena

29 – Perth, AU – RAC Arena

JANUARY 2027

22 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

26 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome

27 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place

30 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre

FEBRUARY 2027

2 – Hamilton, ON – TD Coliseum

4 – Ottawa, ON – Canadian Tire Centre

5 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre

7 – Halifax, NS – Scotiabank Centre

12 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/12/hilary-duff-concert-tour-tickets-shoreline/ 

No injuries have been reported and a 23-year-old man is under active investigation following a gunfire incident on Aurora’s East Side Wednesday afternoon, the Aurora Police Department said.

On Wednesday at around 3:25 p.m., a police officer in the area of High Street and Superior Street in Aurora heard gunshots and began investigating, a news release from the police department said.

Officers secured the area and found a 23-year-old man nearby, whose involvement is currently under active investigation, the news release said. The man was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, but no one was struck by gunfire and no injuries were reported, police said.

During a search of the area, officers said they recovered a firearm and other items of evidentiary value, according to the release.

Nearby schools were advised to move to “secure and teach” status while officers conducted a search to ensure there was no ongoing threat, the department said, which was lifted once officers confirmed the area was secure.

The investigation into the incident remains active, according to the police department. The department is asking anyone with information to call the Aurora Police Department Investigations Division at 630-256-5500. Individuals can also submit tips anonymously to Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at 630-892-1000 or via its website at www.p3tips.com/135.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/12/no-injuries-in-gunfire-incident-in-aurora-wednesday-police-say/ 

X Money ‘External Beta’ Will Go Live In 1-2 Months, Musk Says

Tyler Durden
Thu, 02/12/2026 – 14:40

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/x-money-external-beta-will-go-live-1-2-months-musk-says 

In a 2024 season when Broadway musicals opened and closed with dizzying rapidity, “The Outsiders” was almost the sole profitable survivor.

How did it avoid the carnage? Reason No. 1: It was an adaptation of a coming-of-age story by S.E. Hinton that has long been part of the educational curriculum. Many Americans have real affection for “The Outsiders,” which tells the story of the working-class Greasers of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who fight with the snarky, preppy Socs from the other side of the metaphorical tracks. It’s all akin to the Jets and the Sharks in “West Side Story.”

Reason No. 2: The 1983 Francis Ford Coppola movie, also a source, established the story, written by Hinton when she was just 16 years old and had a teenager’s sympathies for these characters, as a kind of swoon-over-the-handsome-young-dudes experience. The astonishingly talented cast of that proto-Brat Pack film included Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez and Tom Cruise, all still early in their careers. The Broadway musical certainly continued that legacy in its casting, and so does the national tour.

All of this goes to explain why, eating my toasted sub at a neighboring Potbelly’s before the show, I saw table after table of excited teenage girls with one parent or another. That is the show’s core demographic. It’s in the “Newsies” lane, you might reasonably say. I’d have thought it could have supported a lot longer than a two-week run here; the New York bookers should have more confidence in our city.

Reason No. 3: The organic quality of director Danya Taymor’s staging, a very arresting, movement-focused experience that does not rely too much on technology but mostly uses the bodies of the very athletic young cast to build its stage pictures and move from moment to moment as it tells the story of the three parentless Curtis brothers who start out with all kinds of disadvantages but who come to see that their mutual love is their collective strength.

Reason No. 4: The show, which was originally scheduled to try out at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago before COVID put paid to that, uses a highly emotive and rootsy score penned by the Austin, Texas-based band Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance), who worked here with Justin Levine, also the orchestrator and original musical director.  The score was, you might say, written by outsiders, at least in terms of Broadway. For me, although it feels more like an album than a score and does not have the internal variety and lyrical sophistication you’ll find in truly great musicals, it certainly matches the desired milieu. There is only one true standout song, but it is a real blockbuster, theatrically: “Great Expectations.”

Watching this piece for a second time, I was struck by how much it relies on its ensemble. The show has a Theater for Young Audiences sensibility in many ways, which is hardly surprising since it was based on the imaginative work of one so young. The characters are mostly idealized, the action is predictable, and its core conflicts derivative of those in the minds of most American teenagers in the middle of the 20th century. It’s a sentimental piece, no question, and while Emma Hearn, who plays Cherry, is a fine singer and actor, it takes a bit of swallowing to believe her as a high school kid. But that’s really a given with how this material is approached; the staging and choreography would, frankly, be too much for those without training.

But both the musicalization, and this very skilled director whose career first blossomed in Chicago, throw the material in the hands of actors who mostly read as in their 20s and say, in essence, that you are the storytellers here, find the inner-kid inside. And so they do.

The touring cast certainly lives up to all the requirements of the piece, from their macho good looks to their inner sensitivity (or so it seems) to the quality of their voices. I suspect many in the audience will have different favorites, but Nolan White is an especially fine Ponyboy Curtis and Bonale Fambrini a most appealing Johnny Cade. If you know the book, you’ll know that Sodapop Curtis, as selfless as the day is long, is the moral conscience of the story, the one who tells the others what actions matter the most and although Corbin Drew Ross does not get to throw himself around the stage as vividly and dramatic as many of his colleagues, he captures what I think mattered most to Hinton when she wrote this story, and also what matters most to this show.

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

Review: “The Outsiders” (3 stars)

When: Through Feb. 22

Where: Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St.

Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Tickets: $69-$200 at broadwayinchicago.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/12/review-outsiders-cadillac-palace/ 

In advance of the March 17 primary, the Naperville Sun asked the Democratic candidates running for the four-year seat representing Naperville’s District 5 on the DuPage County Board to answer a series of questions on the issues. This is the second article in a series. The first one, which covers biographical information and what each candidate views as the biggest county issue, is available online.

What specific actions do you support to address housing affordability in DuPage County and to help residents struggling with rising living costs? (Answers edited lightly for clarity.)

DuPage County Board member Sadia Covert is seeking reelection to her District 5 seat, which includes a large portion of Naperville. She faces two challengers in the Democratic primary on March 17. (Sadia Covert)

Sadia Covert: What I have supported is down payment assistance for new homebuyers and also a program for the property tax deferment for retired seniors, if they qualify.

I supported (the passage of an ordinance) allowing accessory dwelling units to be built. … And just working with our state legislature to see what else we can do to make homes affordable. What I brought up was the overbidding issue that creates an artificial imbalance in the market. … A lot of constituents came to me and said, “We were going to buy a house, we sold our house and we wanted to buy another house, but people were outbidding us by significant amounts of money,” and it became unaffordable for them.

The problem with that is that when there’s a corporation or a buyer or whoever it is who comes in that significantly overbids on a property, it creates this artificial imbalance in the market and it causes the prices of houses to soar, making it harder for people to buy houses.

Now, we can’t do anything at the county board level because we can’t affect that. We don’t have home rule. There are limitations that we have. However, we can work with our state legislature. We always have a partnership with them to come up with solutions and laws that we could work together on.

Naperville City Councilman Ian Holzhauer, who was re-elected to the Naperville City Council in April 2025, is a candidate in the 2026 Democratic primary election for DuPage County Board District 5. (Ian Holzhauer)

Ian Holzhauer: I’m actually a big subscriber to Ezra Klein and his abundance philosophy. There’s this book (called) “Abundance” (that’s) being discussed on a lot of podcasts right now. The basic idea is … that sometimes we’ve gotten in our own way in just having too much red tape for the creation of affordable housing to a point where it gets very cumbersome, slow and expensive to build.

I think first and foremost, there’s a supply problem, and the first priority has to be just increasing the stock of housing. In Naperville, I can say increasing the stock of housing is something that I’ve pretty consistently pushed for. We’ve had creative solutions like approving micro-units in Naperville, which … the basic idea is you can have very, very small apartments, like 350, 400 square feet apartments, which may be for a single, young professional a really good option that’s much more affordable than the other stock in the county, which has become unaffordable.

Another thing we looked at in Naperville is fast-tracking permitting approvals for developers that are willing to set aside a certain percentage of their housing to be affordable. And that’s something I hope to be discussing further this year while I’m still on the Naperville City Council. But also I think it would be great within the county.

So I’d say, first and foremost, I think increased supply is the answer, and less red tape. I would also add that to an extent policy can can help incentivize the creation of more affordable housing. So, for example, in Naperville, we are looking at an an inclusionary zoning ordinance right now, which would mandate that a portion of any development that is built from now going forward contain a portion of housing that is affordable. So I think there are a variety of policy tools to help supply catch up with demand in DuPage County.

Marylee Leu is a candidate in the 2026 Democratic primary election for the DuPage County Board District 5 seat. (Marylee Leu)

Marylee Leu: One of the ideas I have is something that is kind of a passion project. It is the concept that we could take some of the blighted lands that are not appropriately utilized and zone them for kind of an in-between. But the concept is instead of, let’s say, building an apartment structure, just utilize shipping containers, partner with our local colleges and have their architecture programs like North Central or Benedictine, or even College of DuPage … any of the local schools, and have one of their class projects be to design tiny living spaces that would be suitable for different pockets of our population.

For example, as a former first responder — firefighters, police — you run into the face of danger (yet they) are not paid that well. So housing affordability after they do that training in school is really challenging (when they first get hired). So these tiny houses would maybe serve that population, let’s say, for a year or maybe longer, depending on what the program was. There could be a section that’s (set aside) for teachers that are planning to then live and work in the district or someplace locally.

We could also zone different areas that would address transitional housing, people who are in-between or at-risk of losing housing type-thing. So it wouldn’t be housing that was meant for everybody, but it would kind of serve different populations for different reasons based on the different zoning. So, it’s a lofty, big project. It’s not something that would happen right away, but it’s a concept that I think we could fish out.

Do I think that addresses the long-term solution of making overall affordability? I do not. It’s just kind of an example. I’m open to creativity and creative ideas.

cstein@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/12/democrat-candidates-dupage-board-affordable-housing/ 

Fire Science students get a boost at Moraine Valley

Students in the Fire Science program at Moraine Valley Community College have a new tool for their studies: an updated residential sprinkler demonstration unit, which was donated by the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board.

Former firefighter Greg Monnet made the unit to replace the college’s outdated model. It features several types of sprinklers, pipes, vales, bells, smoke alarms and HVAC installations firefighters may run across in homes.

When thanking board President Erik Hoffer for the donation, Andrew Hufnagl, coordinator and instructor of the program called the new equipment “critical” for having well-prepared students. “These systems are becoming more commonplace, and we want to prepare the students for every possibility when they’re out working in the field,” he said via a news release. “Should they encounter this system, we will have all the confidence in the world that they’ll know how to operate them and to shut them off and protect the property.”

Flossmoor ordinance paves way for Chipotle, 7 Brew

The Flossmoor Board of Trustees passed an ordinance Feb. 2 that approves an amendment to a final place that allows 3900 Vollmer Road to be subdivided. That means a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant, drive-through and patio can be built, as well as a double drive-through 7 Brew, in an outlet near Meijer Superstore.

Chipotle restaurants serve Mexican-themed dishes, while 7Brew offers iced and hot drinks.

Joseph Development Flossmoor Outlet B LLC is expected to start construction on the restaurants in the spring with the hopes that they can be open in the fall.

Hospital hosts suicide prevention courses in Olympia Fields

Free suicide prevention classes will be happening this month and next at Franciscan Health Olympia Fields.

The first, QPR Suicide Prevention, is based on curriculum from the QPR Institute, or “question, persuade and refer,” according to a news release. It’s set for 10 to 11 a.m. Feb. 19 in GME 1, 20201 S. Crawford Ave., with a second QPR class from 11 a.m. to noon March 26 in The Learning Center 1 Classroom at the hospital.

A safeTALK course 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 9 in Learning Center Classroom 1 requires registration by March 5. The half-day session focuses on heping recognize a person with suicidal thoughts and how to connect them with resources. Anyone 15 and older is welcome.

A two-part Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, or ASIST, takes place 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 30-31 in GME 1 and 2 at the hospital. Registration is required by March 26. It’s aimed at caregivers, friends and relatives with little or no training but also professionals who need professional development related to preventing suicide.

Register for any of the courses by calling 219-228-1037 or emailing Shelby.Beasley@franciscanalliance.org.

Palos South cheerleaders win competition

The cheerleading team at Palos South Middle School in Palos Park earned first place at last month’s 2026 Middle School Matchup at Old Quarry Middle School in Lemont. (Palos 118)

The Palos South Middle School Cardinal cheer team came out on top at the 2026 Middle School Matchup cheerleading competition last month at Old Quarry Middle School in Lemont, earning first place of eight teams in the small junior high division.

The team is made up of Aliyana Acosta, Evelyn York, Avery Hansel, Sydney Dore, Emma Walkowicz, Alexa OwensMorgan Frankiewicz, Abigail Kjeldsen, Penelope Brackin, Devin Curran, Layla Coriell, Ava Mendoza, Mallory Coriell and Bianca Kapusciarz, and is coached by teachers Brittney Kmiecik and Ashley Partin.

“Seeing the girls’ excitement brought tears to my eyes,” Partin shared via a news release, Kmiecik added that the win “reflects their commitment and perseverance,” showcasing technical strength and skill but also camaraderie and positive energy.

Bunco event aids kidney dialysis patients

Feb. 16 is the last day to register for the King’s Daughters Silver Belles Circle bunco fundraiser, planned for 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 22 in Lower-Level Pavilion A at the Silver Cross Hospital Conference Center, 1890 Silver Cross Blvd. in New Lenox.

Bunco play, light refreshments and a chance to win prizes are included in the admission fee, which is $15 per person with cash payment at the door. Space is limited; call 815-693-1999.

Proceeds will be used for the inpatient dialysis program at the hospital. The International Order of King’s Daughters and Sons founded the hospital in 1895.

Evergreen Park Mustangs reunite this month

An all-school reunion is planned for alums of Evergreen Park Community High School as part of its 70th anniversary, and the event is 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at 115 Bourbon Street, 3359 W. 115th St. in Merrionette Park.

Mustangs from every era are invited. Graduates from 1958 are expected to attend, and thousands of photographs will be on display that showcase the school’s history. A free tour of the school takes place earlier in the day; sign up by emailing jolieburnscasey@gmail.com.

Pre-tickets will be sold for $60 through Feb. 12 and can be bought online. Tickets at the door cost $90 per person. Admission includes an open bar and four-hour buffet. Photos printed that night will be sold for $20 cash or $22 credit.

Park Forest student earns scholarship for study abroad

Avaion Viverett, a junior at Elmhurst University from Park Forest, won a Gilman Scholarship to finance international business study in Australia and New Zealand.

The scholarships are part of a U.S. Department of State program that helps students with limited means study or intern abroad. He and others left early last month for the three-week Global Business in Australia and New Zealand course taught by Elmhurst University business and economics faculty members Lawrence Brown and Vania Adams.

Viverette, a sociology and psychology major, plans to enter industrial/organization psychology after he graduates.

Caregivers learn how to ease anxiety with dementia

Alleviating anxiety in people with dementia will be the focus of the next meeting of the Smith Village Caregiver Support Group at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at 23230 W. 113th Place in Chicago.

Routine and structure are two tools to help ease so-called “anticipation anxiety” as those with dementia can lose the ability to plan. The session will be led by Smith Village life enrichment director Bridget Murphy and Alicia Keane, a Smith Village resident, who both have accreditation from the national Alzheimer’s Association.

RSVP by calling 773-474-7302. The group meets the third Tuesday each month.

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