Category: News
Southland crime: Drug arrests in Chicago Heights and Oak Lawn, and more
The following items were taken from police and court reports and news releases. An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.
Chicago Heights
GUNS, DRUG BUST: Deandre Phillips, 40, 1200 block of Park Avenue, Chicago Heights, is charged with felony counts of armed violence, manufacture/delivery of more than 500 grams of cannabis, manufacturing/delivering cocaine, manufacturing/delivering ecstasy and possessing a controlled substance with intent to deliver, and Vetaw Jasper, 35, 1200 block of Park Avenue, Chicago Heights, is charged with possessing a firearm/repeat felony offender in connection with a Jan. 22 parolee compliance check in the home, according to Cook County sheriff’s police and jail information online. During the search, Illinois Department of Corrections agents recovered a loaded firearm and an unloaded firearm, a safe containing suspected cannabis, psilocybin mushrooms, ammunition and thousands of dollars and a second safe containing an unloaded firearm as well as suspected morphine, ecstasy, crack cocaine, powder cocaine and additional cannabis, sheriff’s police said.
Homewood
DUI CRASH: Beth Preston, 58, 2300 block of 175th Street, Homewood, was arrested Dec. 6 and charged with drunken driving, failing to reduce speed to avoid a collision, failing to yield to an emergency vehicle and improper lane use during a crash investigation at 175th Street and Howe Avenue, police said.
DUI CRASH: Erran Elmore, 43, 16000 block of Lathrop Avenue, Harvey, was arrested Dec. 12 and charged with driving under the influence of intoxicating compounds, failing to reduce speed to avoid a collision, driving on a suspended license and failing to provide proof of insurance during a crash investigation at Maple Road and Harwood Avenue, police said.
Lansing
GUN POSSESSION: Antoine J. Allen, 55, Broadview, was charged with aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon after officers recovered a .380 pistol with a loaded magazine and determined he had no gun permits while responding to a Jan. 3 disturbance call at a motel in the 2200 block of Bernice Avenue, police said.
New Lenox
REVOKED LICENSE: Sean J. Maccani, 37, 1000 block of Shagbard Road, New Lenox, was arrested Jan. 20 and subsequently charged with driving on a revoked license following a crash investigation at Gougar Road and Haven Avenue, police said.
AGGRAVATED BATTERY: Anthony J. Francimore, 27, 200 block of Criswell Drive, Joliet, is scheduled to appear in Will County court Jan. 29, charged with aggravated battery in a public place, according to court records online. Francimore was arrested Jan. 11 after punching an acquaintance at a department store in the 500 block of East Lincoln Highway, police said.
Oak Lawn
AGGRAVATED BATTERY: Ahmad K. Shadi, 36, 9100 block of Meade Avenue, Oak Lawn, was charged Jan. 4 with aggravated battery to a police officer after kicking and scratching an officer serving him with an arrest warrant in the 9000 block of Cicero Avenue, police said.
DEALING ALLEGED: Two Chicago Ridge men face drug charges after a Jan. 6 stop at 87th Street and Central Avenue. Faraj A. Mohammad, 33, 5700 block of 108th Street, was charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance after officers recovered small amounts of suspected cocaine, suspected heroin, suspected fentanyl and suspected ecstasy as well as black market prescription opiate-based and amphetamine-based drugs, police said. Dana A. Elbeitoni, 28, 5700 block of 108th Street, was charged with possession of narcotics with intent to deliver after officers recovered small amounts of black market prescription opiate-based and amphetamine-based drugs, police said.
Orland Park
DUI CRASH: Jerry L. Anderson, 66, 14500 block of Emerald Avenue, Riverdale, was arrested Dec. 23 and subsequently charged with drunken driving and failing to provide proof of insurance during a two-vehicle personal-injury crash investigation at 151st Street and Harlem Avenue, police said.
GUN POSSESSION: Dreon A. Wordlaw, 28, 3400 block of Golfview Drive, Hazel Crest, was charged Dec. 24 with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon after officers recovered a loaded .40 caliber handgun with a loaded magazine and determined he lacked a state concealed carry license during a stop at 151st Street and Sunset Ridge Drive, police said.
Willie L. Jones, 66, North Chicago, was charged Jan. 7 with failing to register as a sex offender after officers encountered him outside Village Hall, police said. Jones was convicted in Lake County, Illinois, of rape and deviate sexual assault when the victim was 23 and he was 24, according to the state sex offender registry online.
Palos Heights
DUI: John Crawford, 41, 400 block of Midlothian Turnpike, Robbins, was charged with aggravated drunken driving Jan. 18 after an officer found him asleep at the wheel in the 6300 block of 135th Street, police said.
Palos Hills
AGGRAVATED BATTERY: Ata A. Shnenah, 30, Plainfield, was charged with aggravated battery/police officer and resisting arrest Jan. 7 after kicking and headbutting an officer while he was being detained for obstructing an investigation in the 10400 block of Harlem Avenue, police said.
Park Forest
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT: Ashley Johnson, 29, 100 block of Arbor Trail, Park Forest, was charged Dec. 21 with aggravated assault after threatening another person in that block with a blade-less knife and pepper spray, police said.
DUI: Kreon J. Roberts, 48, 3000 block of Bending Creek Trail, Crete, is scheduled to appear in Cook County court at Markham Feb. 4, charged with drunken driving and illegal parking based on an officer finding him asleep at the wheel Dec. 21 at Western Avenue and Sauk Trail, police said.
AGGRAVATED DUI: An East Hazel Crest woman driving on a license suspended for drunken driving appeared in Cook County court at Markham Jan. 1, charged with aggravated drunken driving, police said. Janet A. Duncan-Davis, 69, 900 block of 174th Street, was charged Dec. 31 after a stop at Western Avenue and Main Street for disobeying a traffic control signal, improper lane use and failing to signal, police said.
Will County
TWO CHARGED: Robert W. Willison III, 43, and Megan Green, 32, both of Bourbonnais, are scheduled to appear in Will County court Feb. 9, charged with trespassing and possessing burglary tools stemming from their Jan. 24 arrest at the former Balmoral Park after deputies and Crete officers recovered a pry bar, wire cutters and a grinder, sheriff’s police said.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/28/southland-crime-drugs-chicago-heights-oak-lawn/
CPD officer facing bribery, official misconduct charges after allegedly selling radio access
A Chicago Police officer now faces more than a dozen felony charges for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for allowing a civilian to use his encrypted CPD radio.
Alain Dillon, 37, was charged by the Office of Illinois Attorney General with three counts of bribery and 15 counts of official misconduct, according to a statement from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office.
Cook County court records show Dillon made his first court appearance Tuesday and pleaded not guilty. The next hearing is scheduled for March. His attorney could not be reached for comment.
The charges allege Dillon accepted $500 on at least three occasions from a man who was then allowed access to Dillon’s police radio “for their personal use.”
In recent years, the city moved to digitally encrypt all CPD radio transmissions. While still accessible to the public, the radio communications are now broadcast on a 30-minute delay.
CPD staffing records show that, as of January, Dillon was assigned to the Alternate Response Section, the department’s non-emergency call center that’s staffed by scores of officers facing possible disciplinary action.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/28/cpd-officer-facing-bribery-official-misconduct-charges/
FBI Raids ‘Ground Zero’ Fulton County Election Office In 2020 Voter Fraud Probe
FBI Raids ‘Ground Zero’ Fulton County Election Office In 2020 Voter Fraud Probe
The FBI has raided a Fulton County, Georgia election hub that was ‘ground zero’ for voter fraud concerns in the 2020 election, Fox News reports.
Agents could be seen entering the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center, a new facility which opened in 2023 – and was designed to streamline their election process (we’re sure!).
According to the report, it was not immediately clear what the FBI agents were investigating, just that it’s related to the 2020 US election.
In December, news broke that tabulation tapes in Fulton County were not signed, affecting 315,000 votes. After Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger tried to reassure voters that “Georgia has the most secure elections in the country,” Republicans questioned him…
“If only Georgia had an official responsible for preventing clerical errors that undermine election integrity. Is there anyone in Georgia who has that job, Brad?” said Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is running for governor.
US Rep. Mike Collinns, who is running for Senate, said he was “tired of empty words from weak leaders,” adding “Turns out over 300,000 early votes in the 2020 election were illegally certified but still included in the final results.”
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump sought a $6.26 million reimbursement for legal fees stemming from his now-dismissed election interference case.
Breaking news, check back for more updates…
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/28/2026 – 13:15
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defends Trump on Venezuela while trying to allay fears about Greenland and NATO
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave a full-throated defense Wednesday of President Donald Trump’s military operation to oust and arrest then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, while also using his wide-ranging congressional testimony to touch on Greenland, NATO, Iran and China.
As Republican and Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee offered starkly different readings of the administration’s foreign policy, Rubio addressed Trump’s intentions and his often bellicose rhetoric that have alarmed U.S. allies in Europe and elsewhere.
In the first public hearing since the Jan. 3 intervention to depose Maduro, Rubio said Trump had acted to take out a major U.S. national security threat in the Western Hemisphere. Trump’s top diplomat said America was safer and more secure as a result and that the Republican administration would work with interim authorities to stabilize the South American country.
“We’re not going to have this thing turn around overnight, but I think we’re making good and decent progress,” Rubio said. “We are certainly better off today in Venezuela than we were four weeks ago and I think and hope and expect that we’ll be better off in three months and six months and nine months than we would have been had Maduro still been there.”
The former Florida senator said that Venezuela’s current leaders are cooperating and would soon begin to see benefits. But he backed away from remarks prepared for the hearing that Washington would not hesitate to take further military action should those leaders not fully accept Trump’s demands.
“I can tell you right now with full certainty, we are not postured to nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time,” Rubio said. “I think it would require the emergence of an imminent threat of the kind that we do not anticipate at this time.”
He said Venezuela soon will be allowed to sell oil that is now subject to U.S. sanctions. The revenue would be set aside to pay for basic government services such as policing and health care. Oil sale money will be deposited in a U.S. Treasury-controlled account and released after the U.S. approves monthly budgets to be submitted by Venezuela, he said.
Pushback against skepticism from Democrats
Republican senators, with few exceptions, praised the Venezuelan operation. Among Democrats, there was deep skepticism.
They questioned Trump’s policies in Venezuela and their potential for encouraging moves by China against Taiwan and Russia even more so in Ukraine, as well as his threats to take Greenland from NATO ally Denmark and his insults about the alliance’s contributions to U.S. security.
Rubio played them all down.
He said the uproar over Greenland within NATO is calming and that talks are underway about how to deal with Trump’s demands. The Republican president insists the U.S. needs Greenland to counter threats from Russia and China, but he recently backed away from a pledge to impose tariffs on several European countries that sent troops to the semiautonomous Danish territory in a show of solidarity.
“I think we’re going to get something positive done,” Rubio said.
Rubio dismissed criticism that Trump was undermining the alliance, while repeating the long-running American complaint that member nations need to boost their defense budgets.
“NATO needs to be reimagined.” Rubio said. “I just think this president complains about it louder than other presidents.”
He said China’s stated goal to reunify Taiwan with the mainland would not be affected by any other world event, including the Maduro operation.
“The situation on Taiwan is a legacy project” that Chinese President Xi Jinping has made “very clear that that’s what he intends to do and that’s going to be irrespective anything that happens in the world,” Rubio said.
As Trump once more threatens Iran with military action, Rubio said there was no current plan to attack. Asked about the potential for a change of government in Tehran, Rubio said that would require “a lot of careful thinking” because it would be “far more complex” than ousting Maduro.
More details about the raid in Caracas
The committee chairman, Idaho Sen. Jim Risch, praised Trump’s decisions to remove Maduro, continue deadly military strikes on boats suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean and seize sanctioned tankers.
Risch also offered new details on the operation in the Venezuelan capital, saying it involved “only about 200 troops” and a “firefight that lasted less than 27 minutes.”
“This military action was incredibly brief, targeted and successful,” Risch said, adding that the U.S. and other nations may have to assist Venezuela when it seeks to restore democratic elections. ”Venezuela may require U.S. and international oversight to ensure these elections are indeed free and fair,” he said.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the committee’s top Democrat, questioned whether that operation was worth it, considering most of Maduro’s top aides and lieutenants still run the Venezuela and the economic situation there remains bleak.
“We’ve traded one dictator for another, so it’s no wonder that so many of my constituents are asking, why is the president spending so much time focused on Venezuela instead of the cost of living and their kitchen table economic concerns?” she asked. “From Venezuela to Europe, the United States is spending more, risking more and achieving less.”
Congress hasn’t curtailed Trump on Venezuela
Congressional Democrats have condemned Trump’s moves as exceeding the authority of the executive branch, while most Republicans have supported them as a legitimate exercise of presidential power.
The GOP-led House narrowly defeated a war powers act resolution that would have directed Trump to remove U.S. troops from Venezuela. As Rubio argued, the administration says there are no U.S. troops on the ground in Venezuela despite a large military buildup in the region.
Democrats contended the resolution was necessary after the U.S. raid to capture Maduro and because Trump has stated plans to control the country’s oil industry for years to come.
Families of two Trinidadian nationals killed in an administration boat strike filed what is thought to be the first wrongful-death case arising from that campaign. Three dozen strikes on boats in the region have killed at least 126 people since September.
US acts to normalize ties while issuing warnings
While keeping pressure on those the U.S. calls “narcotraffickers” without providing evidence, officials also are working to normalize ties with Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez.
The administration has said its demands for Rodriguez include opening Venezuela’s energy sector to U.S. companies, providing preferential access to production, using oil revenue to purchase American goods, and ending subsidized oil exports to Cuba.
Rodríguez, who was Maduro’s vice president, said Tuesday that her government and the U.S. “have established respectful and courteous channels of communication.” And so far, she has appeared to acquiesce to Trump’s demands and to release prisoners jailed by the government under Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez.
In a key step to the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the State Department notified Congress this week that it intends to begin sending additional diplomatic and support personnel to Caracas to prepare for the possible reopening of the U.S. Embassy, which shuttered in 2019. Fully normalizing ties, however, would require the U.S. to revoke its decision recognizing the Venezuelan parliament elected in 2015 as the country’s legitimate government.
Later Wednesday, Rubio was to meet Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado at the State Department.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/28/rubio-trump-venezuela-greenland/
Another East Coast Storm Brewing After Widespread Power Outages
Another East Coast Storm Brewing After Widespread Power Outages
Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Another winter storm system may hit the East Coast this weekend, just days after a major storm brought widespread power outages due to ice and snow across a broad swath of the eastern United States.
A street during a winter storm in New York City on Jan. 25, 2026. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times
“Forecasts are being monitored for increasing potential of another significant winter storm to impact the eastern United States this coming weekend,” the National Weather Service (NWS) said on Jan. 27.
The NWS added that “well below normal temperatures” will continue for the eastern part of the United States for this week, predicting yet “another blast of arctic air” that will spread from the Plains states to the East Coast, including the South, on Friday and Saturday. Record low temperatures are to be expected, including in Florida.
At least 30 people have died due to the storm and cold, authorities in multiple states confirmed as of Monday evening. In New York City, at least five people were found dead outside amid freezing temperatures, with causes under investigation but possibly attributed to hypothermia, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
Louisiana officials said two men died of hypothermia in Caddo Parish, while two teenagers perished in sledding accidents in Arkansas and Texas. In Emporia, Kansas, a K-9 police team found a schoolteacher dead, covered in snow.
More than 500,000 people were without power, mostly across the southern United States, according to a Tuesday morning update from tracking website Poweroutage.us.
Tennessee had 170,000 outages, while Mississippi reported 140,000 and Louisiana 99,000 due to an icy snowstorm that hit the region this past weekend, the site shows.
Other states with thousands of outages include Texas, Kentucky, Georgia, and South Carolina.
The United States had more than 12,000 flight delays or cancellations nationwide on Monday, according to flight tracker Flightaware.com. As of Tuesday morning, roughly 1,700 cancellations across the country and another 2,600 delays were reported.
New York City had its snowiest day in years, with 8 to 15 inches of snow. Although public schools shut down, roughly 500,000 students were told to log in for online lessons on Monday. The nation’s largest public school system stripped away snow days after remote learning gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Northern Mississippi and parts of Tennessee suffered widespread damage to power infrastructure, with areas such as New Albany, Mississippi, facing one week without power. Mississippi deployed 200,000 gallons of ice-melting chemicals on roads, a state record.
Robyn Tannehill, mayor of Oxford, Mississippi, described a catastrophic situation in her city in a social media post.
“It looks like a tornado went down every street,” she wrote on Facebook on Jan. 25. “There is no safe means of travel on the roads right now.”
The mayor added that the city is unable to transport students at the University of Mississippi, known as Ole Miss, who live off-campus or reside in shelters.
“We begged people to prepare and I am so sorry for those who didn’t but it is impossible for us to get to everyone in these conditions as much as we wish we could,” Tannehill wrote. “We’re going to wake up and do it again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day.”
The Associated Press and Kimberly Hayek contributed to this report.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/28/2026 – 12:45
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/another-east-coast-storm-brewing-after-widespread-power-outages
Fiscalía Ecuador allana casa de excandidata opositora por supuesto financiamiento ilegal de campaña
Associates Press
QUITO (AP) — La Fiscalía de Ecuador allanó el miércoles la residencia de la excandidata presidencial opositora Luisa González, a quien investiga por supuestamente recibir financiamiento irregular desde Venezuela para la campaña electoral de dos años atrás.
Según indicó el Ministerio Público en X, “se presume que ingresaban dinero ilícito (en efectivo) desde Venezuela para financiar la campaña presidencial de 2023”.
Las pesquisas se realizaron desde la madrugada en tres domicilios en las provincias de Pichincha —cuya capital es Quito— y la costera Guayas. González no fue detenida al igual que otros investigados cuyos nombres no fueron revelados.
González, una abogada de 48 años que se autodefine como una progresista de izquierda, dijo después en una rueda de prensa que es “víctima de una persecución política”. Calificó a la diligencia de “show” y reclamó a la Fiscalía por haber difundido en redes sociales fotografías del allanamiento cuando se le informó que el procedimiento sería reservado.
“No hemos recibido ni un solo centavo ni de Venezuela ni de ningún cártel (de narcotráfico) ni de nadie”, puntualizó y aseguró que su organización presentó a tiempo los informes financieros requeridos por ley.
González representó a la organización política Revolución Ciudadana (RC) liderada por el expresidente Rafael Correa —sentenciado por corrupción— en el balotaje presidencial de noviembre de 2023 en el que fue superada por el actual presidente Daniel Noboa, un joven millonario conservador que sorpresivamente golpeó el tablero electoral en el país andino.
Actualmente Noboa cumple su segundo mandato desde mayo tras haber superado a González por segunda ocasión en la lid presidencial de abril de 2025.
Una fotografía publicada por la Fiscalía en X deja ver el momento en que la política —vestida con ropa para dormir— lee un documento mientras la acompañan agentes policiales.
El asambleísta de la misma fuerza política Patricio Chávez reveló en la rueda de prensa que su vivienda fue allanada y dijo que su inmunidad legislativa fue vulnerada.
Durante la pesquisa se decomisaron teléfonos celulares, pasaportes, memorias USB, documentos y otros, añadió el reporte de la Fiscalía.
Renovation projects proposed at West Aurora schools
The West Aurora School District board is eyeing $1.2 million in proposed interior renovations to be done at several schools in the district this summer, including work to modernize the West Aurora High School Blue Fieldhouse.
The district’s architectural firm Studio GC of Chicago analyzed seven bids and qualifications of bidders for the proposed projects. The firm recommended the board award the work to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, Construction Solutions of Illinois, Inc. based in Oak Lawn.
A vote is set to be taken on the proposed work at the board’s next meeting.
The work proposed at the West High Blue Fieldhouse, one of three fieldhouses on the high school’s campus, would include removing the existing floor and replacing it with a combination of turf and indoor track flooring, district officials said.
“We are excited about this improvement because it will provide us with additional flexibility for both physical education classes and our athletic teams,” West Aurora School District Associate Superintendent of Operations Angie Smith said.
Smith said the interior renovations at the fieldhouse would provide opportunities for athletes, including members of dance and cheer teams, to practice on a turf surface for football games. The track lanes would allow high school track teams to get practice in with their spikes whenever weather conditions prevent students from practicing on the outdoor track, officials said.
West Aurora High School Associate Principal David Sally said the “multi-surface concept” planned for the fieldhouse is ideal for the campus.
“We are fortunate to have multiple large spaces available to house practices and events. One of our top priorities is ensuring that all student-athletes are able to practice at 3 p.m. We are also very mindful of transportation barriers, as some students would have difficulty getting a ride home and then returning for a later practice time. Having three fieldhouses and a competition gym allows us to explore different surface options while still ensuring all teams can still practice in the afternoon,” Sally said.
The improvements and modernization of the Blue Fieldhouse would expand options for high school physical education units and provide additional training and practice opportunities for athletic teams, according to Sally.
“The track surface will serve a similar purpose, by offering a dedicated training space while also allowing our track athletes to wear spikes as they prepare for a full indoor IHSA season. Currently, our athletes do not have an indoor area where they can train in spikes,” Sally said.
The improvements would open up opportunities to host other events in the fieldhouse as well, he said.
“Through site visits this past summer, we learned that the turf surface can accommodate chairs and tables, making it a highly versatile space. This flexibility will allow us to continue hosting fairs, testing and other large-scale events that require a spacious indoor setting,” Sally said.
Renovation projects on a smaller scale are also proposed at Smith, Schneider and Nicholson elementary schools as well as Jefferson Middle School, district officials said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/28/renovation-projects-proposed-at-west-aurora-schools/
Three-point ace Joe DeCort delivers season high in scoring for illness-stymied Aurora Christian. ‘Next man up.’
Junior forward Joe DeCort knew it was going to be one of those nights for Aurora Christian.
The Eagles were definitely shorthanded Tuesday night, with junior guard Preston Morel sidelined by strep throat and senior guard Jacob Baumann being likely limited by the flu bug.
They knew someone would have to step up.
Why not the 6-foot-3 DeCort?
“We’ve gotta try to win, so it’s next man up,” he said. “We expected it and knew we could do it. I’ve started this season and most of the games last season after being called up.
“I knew I had to just go out there and play my hardest.”
Aurora Christian’s Joe DeCort (4) launches a 3-point shot against Chicago Hope during a Chicagoland Christian Conference game in Aurora on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (Jeremy Toney / The Beacon-News)
And DeCort did just that.
He hit 5 of 10 shots from beyond the 3-point line in scoring a season-high 15 points for host Aurora Christian in a 63-60 Chicagoland Christian Conference loss to Chicago Hope in overtime.
The ailing Baumann stepped up to score a team-high 20 points for Aurora Christian (15-4, 4-2). Senior forward Asa Johnson, the Northern Illinois football recruit at quarterback, added 18.
Senior point guard TyJuan Hunter, a two-time first team all-state pick, scored a game-high 33 points for visiting Hope (17-6, 7-1). He attacked the basket for layups, hit floaters and pull-up jumpers or drew fouls. He made 10 of 13 free throws.
Aurora Christian’s Joe DeCort (4) passes the ball across the court against Chicago Hope during a Chicagoland Christian Conference game in Aurora on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (Jeremy Toney / The Beacon-News)
“Our goal was to not let No. 3 shoot it because he can shoot it from anywhere,” DeCort said of Hunter.
Aurora Christian kept things close throughout as each team’s biggest lead was six points.
Without Morel and with Baumann limited, Aurora Christian coach Dan Beebe threw Hope a curve with a 1-2-2 zone on defense.
“I think the kids just battled,” Beebe said. “We’re not a zone team. We don’t play a lot of zone but we played it exclusively, just because from a personnel standpoint, it was a hard matchup for us.”
Aurora Christian’s Joe DeCort (4) ignores the defense and fires a deep 3-pointer against Chicago Hope during a Chicagoland Christian Conference game in Aurora on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (Jeremy Toney / The Beacon-News)
Two weeks earlier, the Eagles defeated Newark 57-41, giving Beebe his 200th career win at the school in his 10th season. His teams have won seven regionals and three sectionals and twice made it downstate. He has a .719 winning percentage with a 202-79 overall record.
On this night, the slender, long-armed DeCort had an impact out front at the top of the zone.
“Kid has been with us all three years and has been a hard worker,” Johnson said of DeCort. “He wasn’t exactly the most physical, but coach worked with him and he’s learned a lot about defense and rebounding.
“I feel like that’s what got him on the court and he can shoot it as well, too.”
DeCort grabbed five rebounds and made big shots late. His 3-pointer with 2:21 in regulation cut the deficit to 49-48. He then forced OT and a 53-53 deadlock on another 3-pointer with 1:03 left.
On top of that, DeCort’s final 3-pointer cut Hope’s lead in OT to 61-58.
Aurora Christian’s Joe DeCort (4) goes up to block a shot against Chicago Hope during a Chicagoland Christian Conference game in Aurora on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. (Jeremy Toney / The Beacon-News)
“Coming into it, you could tell from the mood in the room everyone was thinking about who we were missing,” Johnson said. “We knew someone had to step up and I’d say Joe did.
“He not only hit a bunch of threes, but threes in prime time when we needed them most. I feel like this game was really big for him. Hopefully, going forward, he keeps carrying that on.”
Beebe has faith in DeCort’s ability to shoot the ball.
“He’s always been a really good shooter,” Beebe said. “To see him step up and shoot with confidence. That’s what we see in practices. To see that in a game is really nice.
“I think the thing we’ve always had when we have men down, somebody always steps up and Joe DeCort stepped up (Tuesday night). He’s always had it in him but stepped up in a big way for us.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/28/joe-decort-aurora-christian-basketball/
Cleveland Browns are hiring Todd Monken, the ex-Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator, as their head coach
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns are naming Todd Monken as their head coach, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced Monken’s hiring.
Monken, who turns 60 on Feb. 5, was the Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator the last three seasons. He first interviewed Jan. 10 and had a second interview Jan. 20. He also interviewed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator opening and was tied to the New York Giants coordinator job after former Ravens coach John Harbaugh was named Giants coach.
Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase were also finalists.
Monken is the seventh coach hired by owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam since they bought the franchise in 2012. The previous six compiled a 73-139-1 regular-season record, the second-worst mark in the NFL in that span.
The Browns were 5-12 this season and 8-26 the last two years. They interviewed 10 people for the opening after firing Kevin Stefanski on Jan. 5.
Stefanski — whom the Atlanta Falcons hired as head coach — had a 46-58 record. He was a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year and led the Browns to the playoffs in 2020 and ’23.
Stefanski was also the first Cleveland coach to last at least six seasons since Sam Rutigliano (1978 through the midway point of the 1984 season).
The Browns also talked to former offensive coordinator Tommy Rees (who has joined Stefanski in Atlanta), Mike McDaniel, Aden Durde, Dan Pitcher, Jesse Minter, Grant Udinski and Anthony Lynn.
Monken, Schwartz, Udinski and Scheelhaase received second interviews.
After announcing Stefanski’s firing, Jimmy Haslam bristled over the narrative that the Browns are a dysfunctional organization. However, the coaching search ended up having more people withdraw their names from consideration than finalists during the three-week search.
Udinski withdrew his name from consideration Monday to remain the Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator.
The Browns had second interviews scheduled with McDaniel and Minter before both canceled. McDaniel, the Miami Dolphins head coach for four seasons, will be the Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator, while Minter was named Ravens head coach after two seasons directing the Chargers defense.
Monken has previous history with the Browns, serving as offensive coordinator on Freddie Kitchens’ staff in 2019. He went to the University of Georgia from 2020-22 and was the offensive coordinator when the Bulldogs won the national title in 2021 and ’22.
The Ravens were second in the league this season in rushing (156.6 yards per game) and 11th in scoring, averaging 24.9 points. Baltimore had the league’s top-ranked offense in 2024, when it became the first team in NFL history to have at least 4,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards in the same season.
Monken also has worked for the Jaguars (2007-10) and Buccaneers (2016-17). He was the head coach at Southern Mississippi from 2011-13 and had a 13-26 record.
Monken’s first priority will be trying to keep Schwartz as defensive coordinator. Schwartz has been the architect of one of the league’s top defenses the last three seasons.
Cleveland led the league in total defense in 2023 and ranked fourth this season as Myles Garrett had 23 sacks to break the NFL single-season record.
Schwartz is under contract to the Browns for one more season, but it remains to be seen what his response will be after being passed over for the head coaching position.
The bigger task for Monken will be trying to find a quarterback and a sustainable offense. Stefanski started a league-high 13 quarterbacks during his tenure, including seven over the last two seasons.
The Browns thought they had their quarterback in 2022 when they released Baker Mayfield and acquired Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans for five draft picks, including three in the first round.
Instead, the trade for Watson has set the Browns back.
Watson has played in only 19 games. He has gone 9-10 as Cleveland’s starter with 19 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and an 80.7 passer rating. He didn’t play this season while rehabbing from a torn Achilles tendon. Watson practiced for three weeks last month but was not activated to the roster.
Watson played seven games in 2023 before a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 10. The Browns brought in Joe Flacco, who went 4-1 as a starter and averaged more than 300 passing yards per game, helping Cleveland reach the playoffs for only the third time since 1999.
Jimmy Haslam said during the league meetings last March that the Browns “took a big swing and miss” with the Watson trade and that “we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole.”
Shedeur Sanders started the final seven games this season, going 3-4. He faced growing pains, including a makeshift line and missing the leading rusher and receiver for the last two games.
Whether Sanders convinced the Browns he can start next season will be debated in the coming months.
This season’s Browns joined the 1968 Buffalo Bills as the only teams in the Super Bowl era to have rookies lead the team in passing, rushing and receiving yards.
Cleveland has the sixth and 24th selections in the NFL draft.
“Let me just say this: The next 120 days are crucial for the organization,” Haslam said on Jan. 5. “We’ve got to find the right head coach. We’ve got to be efficient again in free agency. We have 10 draft picks, including two (first-rounders). We have four picks in the top three rounds.
“And we’ve got to get really good players who are really good people again. We’ve got to be opportunistic if trade opportunities come along. We are solely focused on having a great 120 days so we can start winning games around here.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/28/cleveland-browns-hiring-todd-monken/
Virginia Judge Halts Democratic Plans To Redistrict State Before Midterm Elections
Virginia Judge Halts Democratic Plans To Redistrict State Before Midterm Elections
A Virginia circuit court judge has ruled that state Democratic leaders have violated constitutional procedures in attempting to engage in retaliatory redistricting efforts before the midterm elections.
Virginia Democrats had sought to create a constitutional amendment allowing them to redraw congressional district maps in order to gerrymander the state to flip 5 current Republican seats to Democrats.
Tazewell County Circuit Judge Jack S. Hurley Jr. ruled on Tuesday that Democrats had made procedural mistakes including missing notice requirements, nullifying related legislative moves and the improper expansion of a budgetary special session.
This means that Democratic lawmakers will not be allowed to put the measure before Virginia voters until after this year’s midterm elections.
🚨 BREAKING: A Virginia Judge just issued an injunction against the Democratic effort to redistrict the state and ruled that it isn’t valid for a referendum until after the 2027 election. pic.twitter.com/eZsbkGMn61
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 27, 2026
NBC reports that amendments to the Virginia state constitution must be passed by the legislature twice, with a general elections between them.
Judge Hurley ruled that the lawmakers’ first passage of their redistricting amendment took place during early voting for the 2025 election, which nullified their first approval of the measure.
Virginia voters had previously amended the state’s constitution to put a redistricting commission in charge of the state’s congressional district maps, meaning that redrawing those maps would require more than just passing a new law.
The attempt to redistrict the commonwealth, mid-decade, could have shifted enough congressional seats in Virginia to give Democrats a 10-1 advantage over the GOP.
The now-blocked redistricting effort was part of a plan to push through 4 constitutional amendments in Virginia by way of an April 21, 2026 election that, in addition to congressional redistricting, also sought to restore voting rights for felons, to uphold abortion rights and to remove outdated language regarding same-sex marriage from the state constitution.
Virginia Democrats have vowed to appeal the judge’s ruling to the state supreme court.
Virginians for Fair Elections spokesperson Keren Charles Dongo said:
“This is a clear attempt to confuse voters and block them from having a say. Republicans court-shopped for a ruling because litigation and misinformation are the only tools they have left.”
Redistricting efforts are also underway in other states, including Texas, Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina with Florida also considering drawing new maps.
Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/28/2026 – 12:05
