Category: News
One person hospitalized, pet dog not located after fire at Aurora home
One person was hospitalized and a pet dog was not located after a fire Sunday evening at a home on Aurora’s West Side, the Aurora Fire Department said on Monday.
At around 8:42 p.m. on Sunday, the fire department responded to a reported structure fire at a home in the first block of North May Street on the city’s West Side, a news release from the department said. The incident was ultimately upgraded to a second alarm as conditions developed, officials said.
Upon arrival, crews found light smoke conditions at a single-family residence, quickly encountering increasing smoke coming from a second-floor bedroom, the news release said. Crews advanced hose lines to the second floor and had difficulty gaining access because of obstructions behind the bedroom door, according to the release.
The fire was ultimately extinguished within 25 minutes of the first call, the department said. Crews conducted extensive overhaul operations, checking for fire extension into the attic and completing primary and secondary searches on all floors, according to the release.
A juvenile was taken to a local hospital for evaluation related to smoke inhalation, the release said, and no firefighter injuries were reported during the fire.
The home was deemed uninhabitable, and two adults and two children were displaced and are temporarily staying with family, officials said. Additionally, two cats were safely removed from the home, but a dog was reported missing and could not be located after multiple search attempts, according to the release.
Four engine companies, two truck companies, three medic units and two chief officers — for a total of 28 personnel in all — responded to the scene, the news release said. Additional assistance was provided by the Aurora Police Department and Illinois State Police District 2.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Aurora Fire Department’s fire investigators, the release said.
Tras coronarse en el Super Bowl, los Seahawks enfrentan desafíos para repetir como campeones
Por ANDREW DESTIN
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Menos de 24 horas después de levantar el Trofeo Lombardi por primera vez, el entrenador en jefe de los Seahawks Mike Macdonald era consciente de la nueva posición de su equipo en toda la liga.
Después de vencer 29-13 a los Patriots de Nueva Inglaterra para ganar el segundo Super Bowl del equipo, Seattle ahora tendrán que evitar cae en la complancencia si quieren unirse a otras franquicias de la NFL que han ganado campeonatos consecutivos.
No puedes estar copiando a nadie más. Queremos estar a la vanguardia de las cosas. Sabemos que ahora somos el objetivo número uno”, dijo Macdonald.
Antes de que los Chiefs de Kansas City ganaran Super Bowls consecutivos tras las temporadas 2022 y 2023, habían pasado casi dos décadas desde que una franquicia obtuviera campeonatos consecutivos. Los Seahawks no solo tendrán que esforzarse para lograrlo en una competitiva división Oeste de la NFC que cuenta con los 49ers de San Francisco y los Rams de Los Ángeles, ambos equipos de playoffs en 2025.
El cuerpo técnico de Seattle se verá un poco diferente la próxima temporada, ya que el coordinador ofensivo Klint Kubiak confirmó que será el próximo entrenador en jefe de los Raiders de Las Vegas durante una entrevista en el campo el domingo por la noche. Se cree que el próximo coordinador ofensivo de los Seahawks será una contratación interna.
También existe la posibilidad de que la aclamada defensa “Dark Side” de Seattle no sea tan sólida durante la temporada 2026.
Titulares defensivos como el safety Coby Bryant, los cornerbacks Josh Jobe y Riq Woolen y el cazamariscales Boye Mafe serán todos agentes libres sin restricciones esta temporada baja.
Y no se sabe si veteranos como Leonard Williams y DeMarcus Lawrence, ambos mayores de 30 años, serán tan dominantes en la línea defensiva el próximo otoño.
“Lo triste de esto es que después de esta noche, quién sabe dónde estarán otros muchachos”, dijo el domingo el defensor Derick Hall. “Esperamos poder mantener esto unido y seguir adelante”.
La ofensiva de los Seahawks, clasificada quinta en la NFL en anotaciones en la temporada regular, también podría tener un cambio significativo de jugadores. Kenneth Walker III se enfila a la agencia libre como MVP del Super Bowl.
Walker, quien fue seleccionado por los Seahawks en 2022, dijo que “definitivamente” le gustaría regresar a la franquicia cuando se le preguntó el lunes por la mañana sobre su inminente agencia libre. Sin embargo, si la actuación del domingo fue su última con el uniforme de Seattle, Walker estaba bastante satisfecho con ella.
“Soy el MVP del Super Bowl, así que estoy feliz”, señaló Walker.
Si Walker decide firmar en otro lugar, el presidente de operaciones de fútbol de Seattle, John Schneider, tendrá que determinar si puede contar con Zach Charbonnet como el corredor principal. Charbonnet se lesionó la rodilla en la ronda divisional, pero le dijo a The Associated Press el domingo que espera jugar durante la temporada 2026.
“Oh, sí”, dijo Charbonnet. “Volveré. Volveré”.
Queda por ver si los Seahawks volverán al Super Bowl, y mucho menos a los playoffs, en 2026. Después de la victoria del domingo, Schneider predicó humildad considerando el desafío de mantener el éxito en la NFL.
Pero, los Seahawks tienen algunas piedras angulares en su lugar para el futuro previsible.
El receptor Jaxon Smith-Njigba, el Jugador Ofensivo del Año de la NFL según la AP, está atado hasta la temporada 2026.
Sam Darnold se afianzó en Seattle y el quarterback es uno de los líderes de los Seahawks.
“Todos estamos apoyando a personas como esa, ¿verdad?” dijo Schneider. “Este tipo, fue la tercera selección en el draft por una razón. La resiliencia, es un tipo resiliente. Y creo que eso ha sido el reflejo de nuestro equipo también”.
Los Seahawks establecieron el récord de la franquicia de victorias en la temporada regular (14) y total (17) en esta temporada. Las probabilidades están en contra de los Seahawks para ganar el Super Bowl 61.
Pero, tal sentimiento no se encontraba entre los jugadores de Seattle tras la victoria del domingo que cimentó al equipo como uno de los más grandes en la historia de la franquicia.
“Por supuesto”, dijo Hall sobre repetir como campeones. “Ese es el objetivo final”.
___
Deportes NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
‘We’re fighting for what’s right’: Hammond Central students protest ICE in walkout
Once the clock struck 12:40 p.m., dozens of Hammond Central High School students walked out of school, holding signs protesting U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement or the flags of various Latin countries. Honking car horns, cheers and Bad Bunny’s song, “DtMF,” served as background music.
Edward Garcia, a 15-year-old sophomore at Hammond Central High School, looked around and felt proud to join his fellow students.
Hammond Central High School students participate in an anti-ICE walkout in front of the school on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
“We’re showing up, and we’re fighting for what’s right,” Garcia said. “In the Latino community, we’re being targeted by this current administration. It’s very refreshing, and it’s very heartwarming in a way to see the school coming up and speaking out against this administration. … We’re speaking up, and we’re fighting for what’s right.”
Students at Hammond Central High School, on Monday, joined a nationwide trend of walking out of school to protest ICE enforcement. The walkouts come after ICE involvement in Minneapolis has received national attention, especially following the deaths of two American citizens who were shot and killed by immigration officers.
“To see everybody coming together and uniting is nice because we don’t see a lot of that at Hammond Central, unfortunately,” Garcia said. “But seeing all of us unite and try to fight for something that’s right, that’s nice to see.”
High school students throughout Indiana have taken part in ICE walkout protests over the past few weeks. Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith has expressed opposition in an X/Twitter post.
Hammond Central High School students participate in an anti-ICE walkout in front of the school on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
“As some of our children in Indiana struggle to learn basic skills like math and reading, it’s unacceptable to see so many schools in our state, funded by BILLIONS of Hoosier tax dollars, openly allow their students walk out in protest of ICE,” Beckwith wrote in a Feb. 2 post following a walkout in Zionsville. “Hoosier parents and children deserve better.”
Anthony Salinas, acting superintendent of School City of Hammond, said the district knew about the intended walkout and praised the students.
“I think this is a really, really powerful movement,” Salinas said. “It’s peaceful, and it’s organized. It really gives students an opportunity to voice their feelings in a very peaceful and organized way. We don’t want anyone to feel like they don’t have a voice in this situation.”
Since the school was alerted of the walkout, Salinas said students were given about 20 minutes to participate after lunch, which ended at 12:40 p.m.
Hammond Central High School students participate in an anti-ICE walkout in front of the school on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
Hammond Central students got the word out via social media posts before Monday’s walkout.
Veronica Garcia, a teacher at Hammond Central and mother of Edward Garcia, said she was proud to see students from various grades showing their opposition to ICE in a peaceful manner.
“I’m very impressed by the students’ compassion for one another,” Veronica Garcia said. “People are quick to critique this young generation, when they don’t realize that they’re having a totally different experience than what we had. The compassion they have for each other is to be admired.”
Veronica Garcia also said she was proud of her son, who has multiple grandparents who were immigrants to the U.S.
Hammond Central High School students make their way around the school parking lot as they participate in an anti-ICE walkout on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
“It’s a personal issue for us,” Veronica Garcia said. “Yes, we’re citizens, but our neighbors deserve advocacy. They should be able to live in peace, and we need a pathway to citizenship and to not deport hardworking individuals without cause. … It’s a violation of everyone’s civil rights.”
Aleks Lexow, support department lead for Northwest Indiana Community Response Team, watched Hammond Central students protest from afar on Monday. The Northwest Indiana Community Response Team, which formed in November, helps with rapid response to ICE activity in the region and educates people on their rights.
Organization members watched students protest and handed out information on what to do if someone is in danger of ICE, including understanding their constitutional rights and a phone number to call or text for help. The informational sheets were in both English and Spanish.
Watching the students made her hopeful for the next generation, Lexow said.
Hammond Central High School students participate in an anti-ICE walkout in front of the school on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)
“Seeing these kids come out, it’s made me feel so much better about the world that my kids are growing into,” he said. “All of these kids have so much strength, and it just makes me hopeful.”
Lexow believes there are misconceptions and misunderstandings about school walkouts, she said, with some people believing that students want an excuse out of class. However, Lexow said students are seeing their friends and loved ones in danger, and it makes them scared and angry.
“They’re seeing their friends who are terrified for their loved ones, for their families and for their neighbors,” Lexow said. “I definitely think that these students having the courage to go out and speak up and against what they’re seeing happening in their communities, whether they’re directly impacted or not, is awe-inspiring.”
Who’s Next… What’s Next…?
Who’s Next… What’s Next…?
Authored by James Howard Kunstler,
It’s all backstage now. This fraught moment, the power-centers locked in the coldest cold of the year, the Spanish language lessons of Bad Bunny behind us, all the real action in the battle to save the country is out of sight, moiling and churning in the deep background. Everybody’s on edge waiting for shoes to drop, praying they don’t drop on their heads.
Bad Bunny’s Superbowl House Party. . . So Long, Been Good to Know Ya!
You should have seen Senator Mark Warner (D-VA; Vice-chair of the Senate Intel Committee) on Face the Nation Sunday, frothing at the mouth over Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence (DNI).
He cannot believe she turned up at the Fulton County, GA, election warehouse last month, where the FBI extracted 700 boxes of ballots and other evidence for what happened there in the 2020 election.
Senator Warner doesn’t want you to find out.
Senator Warner, you understand, is one of the darkest creatures slithering through the cypress knobs of the DC swamp, and his lair, the Senate Intel Committee, is a fetid backwater of seditious intrigue. Senator Warner is setting the stage for yet another hoax against the country. He’s got a “whistleblower,” ID unknown, who supposedly imputes that last spring “an individual associated with foreign intelligence” made a phone call to “a person close to President Trump” and DNI Gabbard failed to report it to his committee.
DNI Gabbard simply called Sen. Warner a liar, which is exactly and succinctly correct.
Senator Warner is wetting his pants because the Georgia 2020 election tally looks sketchy to an extreme and he knows the case is beyond his control now.
Pulling on that thread will unravel the whole fake tapestry of “Joe Biden’s” election and will reveal the Democratic Party to be a criminal enterprise.
The nation itself has to face some unappetizing reality. Four years were stolen from the people and political devices were aligned to destroy the nation. They almost succeeded.
Over in Minnesota the major players are laying low now.
Governor Tim Walz, a creep of the thirty-second degree, surrendered his career weeks ago but nervously awaits indictment for presiding over massive social service fraud. ICE is still extracting psychopathic alien mutts out of Minneapolis, while the Cluster-B ladies and their mentally-ill Antifa spear-carriers remain out in the streets banging on sauce-pans. But somewhere in an office, away from the deafening whistles, the money trails are getting tracked from taxpayers to the Learing Centers to the state’s politicians and the DNC and then off forever into the Horn of Africa. You just can’t see it now.
The giant poisonous amoeba that Jeffrey Epstein became has not yielded all of its secrets.
Everybody knows that there are darker scenes lurking behind the curtain. The rumors are outlandishly horrifying, worse than anything out of Hollywood’s scare factory, a slaughter of the innocents. Who knows if they are true — well, possibly somebody knows, but these would be things you cannot want to know. One thing I’d like to know: why don’t the dozens of so-called “Epstein Survivors,” grown women supposedly raped and abused by celebrities years ago as children, name their abusers publicly? What’s stopping them as they grandstand around the country? Or is it just another grift?
It’s seven o’clock in the morning as I write (and fifteen-below zero), and World War Three has not started yet, though it seems like the whole US Navy and half the Air Force has deployed in the vicinity of Iran: the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, accompanied by guided-missile destroyers USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy. . . destroyers USS McFaul and USS Mitscher in the Straits of Hormuz. . . littoral combat ships USS Canberra, USS Tulsa, and USS Santa Barbara in the Persian Gulf. . . at least a dozen F-15E Strike Eagles relocated to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan (from RAF base Lakenheath, UK). Additional aircraft like A-10C Thunderbolts noted at regional bases. . . support aircraft, KC-135 Stratotankers for refueling (active at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar), P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol, MQ-9 Reaper drones, and transport/refueling planes (C-17s, etc.), deployed around the region.
You have to wonder whether the regime running Iran has already selected martyrdom rather than yielding anything to forces who are sick of them, including many Iranians.
Iranian missiles are targeted for Tel Aviv, US bases in the Emirates, and possibly even Saudi Arabia. Could be all bluff. The truth of the situation remains hidden, like everything else right now in the global arena.
Down in Fort Pierce, Florida, today, a grand jury will hear more witnesses in the sedition and treason conspiracy carried out by our own government officials since 2016. And being a grand jury, it is all secret, you will not be hearing about it in the news. Like so much else now, the action there is behind the curtain. Too many cynics believe that nothing will come of it. Yet, the blast zone from it, when it comes, will blow at us like a second American Revolution in the 250thanniversary year of the first one.
Different dynamics are aligning now, forces better structured to the survival of our nation. The only thing we know for sure: Bad Bunny has had his fifteen minutes of fame.
Who’s next and what’s next?
Patience, please.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 02/09/2026 – 16:20
Aurora to host open house on data centers amid moratorium
As Aurora’s moratorium on data centers nears its end, the city is planning an open house to give residents the chance to voice concerns and ask questions about the topic.
The Data Center Open House is planned to take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at the city’s Public Works building, 2185 Liberty St. Not only will Aurora residents and businesses have the chance to ask questions and provide feedback, but they will also get to learn about some of the considerations going into the development of potential requirements on future data center development in the city.
That’s according to the city’s webpage on the data center and warehouse moratorium, where those interested in attending the open house can find a link to register: aurora.il.us/Property-and-Business/Zoning-and-Planning/Data-Center-and-Warehouse-Moratorium
A survey about data centers, which says it will be used to help inform city staff when developing policy around data center development, is also included on that city webpage.
The Aurora City Council on Sept. 25 temporarily paused the approval of data center and warehouse proposals to give staff the chance to create new guidelines around these types of developments. The temporary moratorium is planned to be in effect for a total of 180 days, so until late March, but it could be extended an additional 30 days.
Citing an increased number of applications and residents’ concerns with existing facilities, city staff asked for the moratorium to give them time to research ways to mitigate the various impacts of data centers, which are currently classified as warehouses under the city’s code, then report recommendations back to City Council. Alison Lindburg, Aurora’s director of sustainability, said recently that those recommendations are set to be released within the next few weeks.
Aurora is not against data centers as a whole, Aurora Mayor John Laesch said when the moratorium was put in place, but the city does need guardrails to protect residents and to make sure facilities aren’t “contributing to the climate crisis.”
The city has said it would generally not be accepting or approving applications for new data center or warehouse developments, or the expansion of existing facilities, under the moratorium. However, there were several exemptions included within the moratorium, through which some developments have been approved.
When the moratorium was put in place, there were five data center developments that were attempting to get approval, Aurora Chief Development Services Officer John Curley previously said. At the same time, city staff were working to address residents’ concerns around noise, traffic and environmental impacts of existing facilities.
The Beacon-News has previously reported on noise concerns raised by those living near the CyrusOne data center, located at the corner of Eola and Diehl roads on Aurora’s far East Side near Interstate 88.
Repairs made to that data center in April required the use of backup generators for many days straight, which caused consistently loud noise in the surrounding area that residents called “unlivable” and “horrible.” Since then, CyrusOne has been regularly meeting with residents and working toward mitigating the noise from those generators and from rooftop cooling units that residents say are also an issue.
Permanent measures have been put in place to block the sound from the backup diesel generators, which are tested regularly and used during power outages. Temporary measures are also in place for the rooftop chillers, with permanent solutions planned to be completed later this year, company officials said at a community meeting in mid-January.
And, in October, the city of Aurora signed an agreement with CyrusOne that set a timeline for the company to continue addressing residents’ noise concerns.
In addition to concerns about noise, city staff have also pointed out potential issues around the amount of energy and water data centers often take to operate, air quality due to diesel backup generators and greenhouse gas emissions.
rsmith@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/09/aurora-to-host-open-house-on-data-centers-amid-moratorium/
Lake Forest City Council members mull water and sewer rate increases to cover rising costs
Lake Forest residents are set to face higher water and sewer costs later this year after the City Council took the first step toward a rate increase.
The council unanimously approved the first reading of an across-the-board 6.75 % increase in water and sewer rates at its Feb. 2 meeting.
“Average residential homeowners should expect to see an annual increase ranging from $34 to $110 per year, or $8.50 to $27.50 per quarterly bill, depending on the volume of water consumption,” Finance Director Katie Skibbe explained in an e-mail.
City officials estimate the increase will generate just over $620,000 in additional revenue in fiscal year 2027.
Skibbe noted that about 95 % of city residents have small water meters, though the exact impact of the increase will depend on how much water a household uses. The city uses small-, medium-, and high-usage tiers for residential customers.
Officials said rising costs for water treatment chemicals, daily operations, and staffing — combined with largely flat water sales — have put pressure on the system. The city is also preparing to begin a water rate and financial planning study to examine long-term system needs.
“This increase is not a one-year solution or a final answer,” Skibbe said at the council meeting. “It allows us to maintain the system today while completing the technical and financial work that we need to do to have a meaningful long-term conversation about infrastructure replacement, rate design and how the water fund is structured.”
The proposal did not face opposition from the council members.
“As a council member, we don’t always want to see increased charges to residents,” Alderwoman Eileen Looby Weber (4th) said. “However, I am very proud of the fact that the city takes a proactive approach in looking at our infrastructure and being able to fund this in a very meaningful way.”
A final vote is scheduled for the council’s Feb. 17 meeting. If approved, the new rates would take effect May 1.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/09/lake-forest-city-council-water-sewer-rates/
Maestros de escuelas públicas de San Francisco van a huelga por disputa salarial
Por OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alrededor de 6.000 maestros de escuelas públicas de San Francisco se declararon en huelga el lunes, el primer paro de labores de este tipo en la ciudad en casi 50 años.
La huelga se produce después de que los maestros y el distrito escolar no lograron llegar a un acuerdo sobre un aumento salarial, mejores beneficios de salud y recursos adicionales para estudiantes con necesidades especiales. El Distrito Escolar Unificado de San Francisco se vio obligado a cerrar sus 120 escuelas y anunció que ofrecería estudio independiente a algunos de sus 50.000 estudiantes.
“Nos mantendremos unidos hasta que obtengamos las escuelas que nuestros estudiantes merecen y los contratos que nuestros miembros merecen”, declaró el lunes Cassondra Curiel, presidenta del sindicato United Educators of San Francisco, en una conferencia de prensa.
Los maestros que pertenecen al sindicato se sumaron a la línea de piquete después de que las negociaciones del fin de semana no condujeron a un nuevo contrato. El alcalde Daniel Lurie y la representante federal demócrata Nancy Pelosi hicieron un llamado a ambas partes para mantener las negociaciones en vez de cerrar escuelas.
Los miembros del sindicato tienen planeado llevar a cabo una manifestación la tarde del lunes en el Ayuntamiento de San Francisco. Las negociaciones estaban programadas a reanudarse alrededor del mediodía.
“Esperamos con ansias la contraoferta del sindicato”, señaló la superintendente del Distrito Escolar Unificado de San Francisco, Maria Su. Añadió que el distrito había presentado un paquete integral a pesar de las arraigadas dificultades financieras.
“Esta es una oferta viable. Es una oferta que podemos permitirnos”, subrayó Su. “Estaremos en la mesa y nos quedaremos el tiempo que sea necesario para llegar a un acuerdo integral. No quiero una huelga prolongada”.
Lily Perales, profesora de historia en la Escuela Secundaria Mission, dijo que muchos de los miembros del sindicato ya no pueden permitirse vivir en San Francisco.
“Hay demasiados de mis colegas que se han visto expulsados de la ciudad debido al alto costo de vida, y con nuestro contrato actual no es suficiente”, dijo desde una línea de piquete. “Estamos dispuestos a mantenernos en huelga hasta que se cumplan todas nuestras demandas”.
Su colega Aaron Hart, profesor de fotografía y artes en Mission High, comentó que hay poco personal en las escuelas. “Por eso estamos aquí. Realmente queremos estabilidad para nuestros estudiantes”, subrayó.
El sindicato y el distrito han estado en negociaciones durante casi un año. Los maestros exigen financiamiento completo para atención médica familiar, aumentos salariales y la cobertura de vacantes que afectan la educación especial y servicios.
Los maestros también quieren que el distrito implemente políticas para apoyar a los estudiantes inmigrantes y familias sin hogar.
El sindicato pide un aumento salarial del 9% en dos años, lo que para el distrito significaría un gasto de 92 millones de dólares adicionales al año. Aseguran que ese dinero podría provenir de fondos de reserva que podrían canalizarse hacia las aulas e instalaciones escolares.
El distrito, que enfrenta un déficit de $100 millones y está bajo supervisión estatal debido a una añeja crisis financiera, rechazó la propuesta. Las autoridades presentaron una oferta de un aumento salarial del 6% pagado en tres años. Su dijo que la oferta también incluye bonificaciones para todos los empleados en caso de que haya un excedente para el año escolar 2027-28.
Un panel neutral de investigación publicó un reporte la semana pasada en el que recomendó un aumento del 6% en dos años, en gran medida apoyando los argumentos del distrito de que pasa apuros financieros.
El sindicato dijo que los maestros de San Francisco reciben algunas de las contribuciones más bajas a sus costos de atención médica en el Área de la Bahía, lo que lleva a muchos a irse de la zona. Su destacó que el distrito ofreció dos opciones: que el distrito pague el 75% de la cobertura de salud familiar al proveedor de seguros Kaiser o que ofrezca una asignación anual de 24.000 dólares para que los maestros elijan su plan de atención médica.
Lurie, quien ayudó a negociar un acuerdo que puso fin a una huelga del sindicato de trabajadores hoteleros , dijo que las agencias de la ciudad estaban en coordinación con el distrito sobre el apoyo a alumnos y familiares.
“Sé que todos los participantes en estas negociaciones están comprometidos con escuelas en donde los estudiantes prosperen y nuestros educadores se sientan apoyados en verdad, y seguiré trabajando para asegurar eso”, señaló Lurie el domingo en redes sociales.
Maestros en otras ciudades de California también se preparaban para ir a huelga. Maestros de San Diego indicaron que están dispuestos a abandonar sus puestos de trabajo el mes entrante por primera vez en 30 años debido a un estancamiento en la disputa con el distrito escolar sobre la dotación de personal y servicios de educación especial. Además, los miembros de United Teachers Los Angeles votaron el mes pasado para autorizar a sus líderes a convocar a huelga si las negociaciones con el Distrito Escolar Unificado de Los Ángeles se vienen abajo.
Otro de los principales sindicatos del sistema escolar, Local 99 of Service Employees International Union tiene programada una votación similar a partir de la próxima semana.
___
El periodista de Associated Press Christopher Weber, en Los Ángeles, contribuyó con este despacho.
___
Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Aldermen to vote on $29.2 million to settle four Det. Reynaldo Guevara suits
City attorneys are recommending aldermen spend $29.2 million to settle four wrongful conviction lawsuits tied to disgraced former Chicago police Detective Reynaldo Guevara.
That hefty sum puts Chicago once again on track to far outspend its budget for police-related lawsuits this year. Aldermen earmarked $82.6 million for such cases in 2026, even after spending over three times that amount in 2025.
If the deals win final approval in a full City Council vote later this month, which such settlements usually do, the city will have spent over $58 million through February on police-related suits.
Topping the city’s latest batch of settlements set to face an initial Finance Committee vote Wednesday is a $16.6 million deal for Demetrius Johnson.
Johnson, who was 15 when he was charged with murder, alleged Guevara framed him by burying a lineup report identifying someone else as the gunman in a 1991 Humboldt Park shooting, then lied about it at trial. Johnson was convicted and spent 12 years in prison before being released on parole in 2004.
Aldermen will also consider a $4.85 million deal for Ariel Gomez, who alleged Guevara beat him to extract a false confession. Gomez, arrested at 17, spent almost 20 years incarcerated. He was exonerated in 2018.
Former Chicago police Detective Reynaldo Guevara hides his face as he leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, June 8, 2018. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
Angel Diaz could win $6.95 million in another proposed deal. His lawsuit claims Guevara manipulated witnesses and falsified evidence to secure a wrongful conviction. And William Negron, who alleged Guevara framed him for a 1994 Hermosa double murder, would receive $800,000 in another settlement.
The city faces over 40 lawsuits alleging Guevara falsified evidence, extracted confessions through torture and lied to wrongfully put dozens of Chicagoans behind bars. Altogether, the lawsuits pose a daunting threat to the city’s ledger and could cost well over $100 million.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration settled another mountain of lawsuits last year in one novel swoop. Johnson’s Law Department settled 176 wrongful conviction cases involving disgraced former police Sgt. Ronald Watts in a $90 million “global settlement.”
Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry praised the Watts deal she organized as a massive cost savings for the city that shrank legal fees as it wiped away risk. At Johnson’s recommendation, the City Council voted to borrow money to pay the plaintiffs in this year’s budget.
But it remains unclear whether Johnson’s administration will reach another global settlement to resolve the dozens of remaining Guevara cases. Law Department spokesperson Kristen Cabanban defended the department’s decision to not use the tactic to settle the four cases now working through the City Council.
“Although the cases share a common defendant, they stem from separate events, date as far back as 35 years ago, and involve a wide range of fact patterns,” Cabanban wrote. “Each had its own unique considerations.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/09/aldermen-29-million-four-det-reynaldo-guevara-suits/
Court briefs: Charges filed in child molesting and apartment shooting
Illinois man charged with child molesting
An Illinois man was charged Saturday with sexually assaulting a preteen girl.
Isiah Gonzalez, 23, is charged with four counts of child molesting.
At maximum, he would face 112 years in prison. A hearing was scheduled Monday.
The victim told Gary Police investigators that Gonzalez started having sex with her from November until January. He also had her perform sex acts repeatedly.
The mother told police she took the daughter’s phone away for something unrelated. Days later, she discovered explicit pictures and videos on the girl’s Snapchat account.
East Chicago man charged with shooting into apartment
An East Chicago man is accused of shooting up an apartment, charges state.
Elias Thomas, 25, is charged with criminal recklessness and unlawful carrying of a handgun. A hearing was scheduled Monday.
East Chicago Police responded Feb. 5 to the 4400 block of Olcott Avenue.
The victim told officers that her two kids were home when the shooting happened. No one was hurt.
Thomas later admitted he opened fire, stating a woman was “implying” that she would threaten his grandmother and he snapped, charges state.
Southern Indiana man charged with threatening Lake judge
A southern Indiana man was charged last month with sending a threatening email to Lake Superior Judge Julie Cantrell.
Joshua Culver, 44, of Newburgh, is charged with felony intimidation and misdemeanor harassment.
In a lengthy email, Culver accused her of “all of the fraud he placed on her as a teenager.”
Cantrell told a detective she prosecuted Culver’s relative’s criminal case in the mid-1990s. The man has recently died.
She reported this incident, concerned after a Lafayette judge and his wife were shot in their home. Investigators were not able to find Culver.
Court records appear to show Culver may have made new filings in his case.
Former Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy bribery, theft case dismissed
A former Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy’s criminal case was dismissed after he was “terminated” from the department in November, court filings show.
Louis Vasquez, 45, of East Chicago, was charged with bribery, official misconduct, theft and perjury charges in 2019 when police accused him of running VIN checks in 2017 and 2018 to get “fast and easy money,” according to court documents.
He was “terminated” from the department during a Lake County Sheriff’s Department Merit Board meeting on Nov. 24, court filings show.
Deputy Prosecutor Judy Massa wrote Dec. 4 she was OK with the case essentially getting decided that way, since the merit board had a “lesser burden” to prove.
The state police determined that Vasquez accepted cash for completing at least 42 salvage vehicle inspection forms for Fast Import Cars LLC, in Knox, records show.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Vasquez would use the sheriff’s department computer system to run VIN checks while he was on and off duty. He received $20 in cash for each vehicle he checked, the affidavit states.
Vasquez told a witness “that it was fast and easy money for him” to run the VIN checks at a rate lower than what the state charges, according to the affidavit.
Charges were also filed against the owner and operators of Fast Import Cars, Pavel Rohatinovici, of Munster, and Andrii Iakymenko, of Knox, in the case, officials said. Rohatinovici and Iakymenko were charged with perjury, court records show. Their cases were also dismissed in December.
Vasquez was put on administrative leave in 2019. He filed a lawsuit contesting the administrative trial that led to his dismissal, saying the police union told him they wouldn’t cover his lawyer days earlier and he didn’t get a chance to hire a new one.
A second lawsuit is seeking backpay, records show.
Post-Tribune archives contributed.
mcolias-pete@post-trib.com
Clásico Mundial definirá dos plazas de las Américas para el béisbol y sóftbol de Los Ángeles 2028
NUEVA YORK (AP) — Estados Unidos tendrá un lugar automático en los torneos de béisbol y sóftbol de los Juegos Olímpicos de Los Ángeles 2028, y las dos mejores naciones de la zona de las Américas en el Clásico Mundial del próximo mes obtendrán plazas.
Las Grandes Ligas esperan que los jugadores de las mayores puedan participar en el torneo de seis naciones, que se escenificará en el Dodger Stadium del 13 al 19 de julio durante lo que podría ser un descanso ampliado del Juego de Estrellas. Se necesita un acuerdo con la Asociación de Jugadores de las Grandes Ligas.
La Confederación Mundial de Béisbol y Sóftbol anunció el lunes que las dos mejores naciones del Clásico Mundial —aún no clasificados— en la tabla final del Clásico Mundial avanzarán a Los Ángeles 28.
Brasil, Colombia, Cuba, República Dominicana, México, Panamá, Puerto Rico y Venezuela competirán en el Clásico.
Un equipo de Asia y un equipo de Europa/Oceanía podrán clasificarse mediante el torneo Premier 12 de la WBSC este noviembre.
Se jugará un último torneo de clasificación a más tardar en marzo de 2028 que incluirá a los dos mejores equipos no clasificados del último Campeonato de Asia, los dos mejores equipos no clasificados del último Campeonato Europeo, el mejor equipo no clasificado del último Campeonato de África y el mejor equipo no clasificado del último Campeonato de Oceanía.
El torneo olímpico de sóftbol de seis equipos se jugará del 23 al 29 de julio en el OKC Softball Park en Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Una nación se clasificará en las finales de la Copa Mundial de Sóftbol Femenino en abril de 2027, tres en eventos de clasificación continental en 2027 y una en un evento de clasificación final a más tardar el 28 de marzo.
Las plantillas de sóftbol tendrán 15 jugadoras, que deben tener al menos 16 años para el año calendario 2028.
Japón, país anfitrión, ganó el oro en béisbol y sóftbol en los Juegos Olímpicos de 2020 que fueron retrasados un año por el COVID. Ambos deportes fueron eliminados para los Juegos Olímpicos de París 2024.
___
Deportes AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
