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Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Afternoon Briefing: Auburn Gresham campus aims to redefine waste management
Good afternoon, Chicago. U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who represented a Far North Side and north and northwest suburban district in Congress for more than 2½, announced today that she will not seek a 15th term next year. The move marks the end of an era for a reliably Democratic district that Schakowsky, 80, of Evanston, has represented since 1999 after soundly defeating two opponents, including JB Pritzker, in an open-seat primary. Before her, Sidney Yates held the seat for 24 terms, almost 50 years. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History At a once-vacant brownfield on the South Side of Chicago, a semitruck backed into an unassuming warehouse and unloaded a colorful batch of food scraps and spoiled products. The discards soon ended up in a massive tank that mimics a cow's digestion — minus the release of gassy byproducts — where they were turned into compost and renewable energy. Read more here. More top news stories: Mayor Brandon Johnson taps former City Hall official to lead Department of Aviation Teen curfew vote delayed, alderman praises Mayor Brandon Johnson's listening efforts Homewood-Flossmoor High School student dies in post-prom crash on I-94 ramp Rivian, which is gearing up to launch its new midsize R2 electric SUV, is building a $120 million supplier park near its Normal plant to facilitate increased production. Read more here. More top business stories: Judge throws out case against Abbott Laboratories over its preterm baby formula, days before trial was set to begin in Chicago Former Chicago Blackhawks player Patrick Kane sells Trump Tower condo for $2.11M After the Hawks finished with the second-worst record in the NHL (25-46-11) for the second year in a row, several players shared some of their offseason plans. Read more here. More top sports stories: Column: The emergence of the Chicago Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong is drawing attention all around the game 'Opening day' for Josh Rojas, who returned to Chicago White Sox from IL in rain-shortened series win At a Chicago Symphony rehearsal this week open to the press and orchestra donors, music director designate Klaus Mäkelä halted the orchestra while working on Dvořák's Symphony No. 7. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: Column: Introducing the many, harmonious members of Family Junket Modern dance pioneer and Dance Center founder Shirley Mordine dies at 89 Pushing forward with its mass deportation agenda, President Donald Trump's administration said today that it would pay $1,000 to immigrants who are in the United States illegally and return to their home country voluntarily. Read more here. More top stories from around the world: Ahead of the conclave, Vatican staff must vow secrecy under threat of excommunication The Met Gala is tonight. Here's how to watch and follow along.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A couple started out renting a bedroom on Airbnb to pay the mortgage. Now their cabin village makes over $30,000 a month.
Darrel and Patrice Maxam started renting out bedrooms in their Atlanta home on Airbnb in 2015. They ended up building additional units — tiny homes and treehouses — on the property to rent out. Their latest project: a group of wooden cabins in upstate New York that make over $30,000 a month. When Darrel and Patrice Maxam moved from Connecticut to Georgia, they bought a 1956 bungalow for $249,400. Because they'd used most of their money to buy the home, they struggled to afford the $1,400 monthly mortgage payments. "When we moved to Atlanta, we were really broke," Darrel Maxam told Business Insider. "We literally spent all of our money on a down payment — we had $1,000 in our bank accounts." They decided to list a bedroom in the three-bedroom bungalow on Airbnb. Then they rented the entire house. Later, they began renting out a tiny house on the property. Eventually, the Maxams filled their two-and-a-half acres with nine different short-term-rental units: the main house, a tiny home, a converted barn, a triplex, and three "treehouses." Now, the Maxams build and operate short-term rentals full-time. They sold the Atlanta property in September of 2024; Fulton County property records show it sold for $655,000. Their focus is a village of 13 custom-built cabins and properties in upstate New York that brings in between $30,000 and $60,000 a month. Read on to see how the Maxams built their Airbnb empire. Renting out rooms brought in about $1,000 a month in profit, Maxam said, and renting out the entire home doubled that amount. Maxam recalled packing up every weekend during the summer and vacating the premises while Airbnb guests were staying in their Atlanta home. He said the couple would take 10% of his weekly paycheck, 10% of his wife's weekly paycheck, and 10% of the amount they were making from Airbnb and use it to find a hotel within 300 miles that worked within that budget. "If we only had $400, we were going to plan a trip for $400," he said. "We would go as far south as Destin, Florida, as far east as Mississippi, and as far north as the Carolinas and Tennessee area." Maxam figured the more units they put on the Atlanta property, the more money they would make. First, the Maxams partnered with the HGTV show "Tiny House, Big Living" to build a tiny home on their property, which Maxam said earned them an extra $2,500 a month in profit. "I was hooked at that point," Maxam said. "We had a barn in the backyard. I converted that barn to another livable space. Then, another year after that, I ended up building three more units. After the fifth unit on the property, we were generating roughly $15,000 a month." At one point, the Maxams had their main house, a tiny home, a barn, a triplex with three rentable units, and three treehouses on the property. They took the tiny home with them when they left. Maxam resigned from his full-time job working for the Department of Aviation and made hospitality his career. In 2022, the Maxams' main project became Finger Lakes Treehouses in Sodus, New York, a small town 33 miles east of Rochester. They partnered with Red Falls Timber, a New York-based firm that sources its wood from Finland, to build five A-frame cabins. Each one has a kitchenette, a bathroom, air conditioning, and a private wood-fired hot tub. Nightly rates are around $250, according to the Maxam Hotels website. Each A-frame structure cost him about $65,000, Maxam said. Since launching in 2023, the five cabins have brought in anywhere from $30,000 to $60,000 a month, he added. "We don't touch a project unless we can be cash-flow positive within 18 months," he said. The Maxams are planning to build five non-A-frame cabins with Red Falls Timber on the Sodus land this year. Both cabin styles are prefabricated, which means they can be put together quickly, cutting down on both time and cost per unit. "It'll take about three days to get them erected," Maxam said. "You, right now, can come on site, look at my plans, and be able to put my building together," he added. "That's how easy they are — they're like Lego." The Maxams have other dreams for the Sodus development. "We have three Airstreams on the property right now, so by the start of the season, we'll have 13 units total," Maxam said. "Next year, we're going to go into phase three. We have these really luxury-style safari tents, and we'll build a bathhouse for them, also." The plan is to have 19 total units in Sodus by next year, he added. The couple has also purchased land in Belize with plans for a beach-centered venture in 2026 or 2027. The Maxams entered the short-term-rental world humbly, but now feel like they are thriving. Maxam said to get here, they took their time, using proceeds from one unit to build the next one. "Everyone wants to rush and rush and race to do the largest project — and they don't know what they're getting themselves into," Maxam said. "The only advice I have to someone starting out like me is to stay small enough, long enough, because soon enough you'll be big enough," he added. Read the original article on Business Insider Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Insider
28-04-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
A couple started out renting a bedroom on Airbnb to pay the mortgage. Now their cabin village makes over $30,000 a month.
When Darrel and Patrice Maxam moved from Connecticut to Georgia, they bought a 1956 bungalow for $249,400. Because they'd used most of their money to buy the home, they struggled to afford the $1,400 monthly mortgage payments. "When we moved to Atlanta, we were really broke," Darrel Maxam told Business Insider. "We literally spent all of our money on a down payment — we had $1,000 in our bank accounts." They decided to list a bedroom in the three-bedroom bungalow on Airbnb. Then they rented the entire house. Later, they began renting out a tiny house on the property. Eventually, the Maxams filled their two-and-a-half acres with nine different short-term-rental units: the main house, a tiny home, a converted barn, a triplex, and three "treehouses." Now, the Maxams build and operate short-term rentals full-time. They sold the Atlanta property in September of 2024; Fulton County property records show it sold for $655,000. Their focus is a village of 13 custom-built cabins and properties in upstate New York that brings in between $30,000 and $60,000 a month. Read on to see how the Maxams built their Airbnb empire. They evolved from renting a single room to renting out the entire house Renting out rooms brought in about $1,000 a month in profit, Maxam said, and renting out the entire home doubled that amount. Maxam recalled packing up every weekend during the summer and vacating the premises while Airbnb guests were staying in their Atlanta home. He said the couple would take 10% of his weekly paycheck, 10% of his wife's weekly paycheck, and 10% of the amount they were making from Airbnb and use it to find a hotel within 300 miles that worked within that budget. "If we only had $400, we were going to plan a trip for $400," he said. "We would go as far south as Destin, Florida, as far east as Mississippi, and as far north as the Carolinas and Tennessee area." Maxam figured the more units they put on the Atlanta property, the more money they would make. First, the Maxams partnered with the HGTV show "Tiny House, Big Living" to build a tiny home on their property, which Maxam said earned them an extra $2,500 a month in profit. "I was hooked at that point," Maxam said. "We had a barn in the backyard. I converted that barn to another livable space. Then, another year after that, I ended up building three more units. After the fifth unit on the property, we were generating roughly $15,000 a month." At one point, the Maxams had their main house, a tiny home, a barn, a triplex with three rentable units, and three treehouses on the property. They took the tiny home with them when they left. Maxam resigned from his full-time job working for the Department of Aviation and made hospitality his career. They've built a village of cabins in upstate New York In 2022, the Maxams' main project became Finger Lakes Treehouses in Sodus, New York, a small town 33 miles east of Rochester. They partnered with Red Falls Timber, a New York-based firm that sources its wood from Finland, to build five A-frame cabins. Each one has a kitchenette, a bathroom, air conditioning, and a private wood-fired hot tub. Nightly rates are around $250, according to the Maxam Hotels website. Each A-frame structure cost him about $65,000, Maxam said. Since launching in 2023, the five cabins have brought in anywhere from $30,000 to $60,000 a month, he added. "We don't touch a project unless we can be cash-flow positive within 18 months," he said. The Maxams are planning to build five non-A-frame cabins with Red Falls Timber on the Sodus land this year. Both cabin styles are prefabricated, which means they can be put together quickly, cutting down on both time and cost per unit. "It'll take about three days to get them erected," Maxam said. "You, right now, can come on site, look at my plans, and be able to put my building together," he added. "That's how easy they are — they're like Lego." The Maxams have other dreams for the Sodus development. "We have three Airstreams on the property right now, so by the start of the season, we'll have 13 units total," Maxam said. "Next year, we're going to go into phase three. We have these really luxury-style safari tents, and we'll build a bathhouse for them, also." The plan is to have 19 total units in Sodus by next year, he added. The couple has also purchased land in Belize with plans for a beach-centered venture in 2026 or 2027. They believe slow and steady is the best growth The Maxams entered the short-term-rental world humbly, but now feel like they are thriving. Maxam said to get here, they took their time, using proceeds from one unit to build the next one. "Everyone wants to rush and rush and race to do the largest project — and they don't know what they're getting themselves into," Maxam said. "The only advice I have to someone starting out like me is to stay small enough, long enough, because soon enough you'll be big enough," he added.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Two top city officials stepping down after Mayor Brandon Johnson's ominous firings message: ‘If you ain't with us, you just gotta go.'
Days after Mayor Brandon Johnson signaled he would fire top holdovers appointed by past mayors, he announced Thursday that two key city department leaders are stepping down from their jobs. The mayor's press office announced Department of Aviation Commissioner Jamie Rhee will retire in April. Moments later, the office released another statement announced Jose Tirado 'will be transitioning out of his position' as executive director of the Office of Emergency Management and Communication. Rhee, a Rahm Emanuel appointee, oversaw O'Hare and Midway airports, key drivers of the city's economy. More recently, she has helped lead an effort to overhaul large parts of O'Hare that has at times pitted Johnson against the Illinois Congressional delegation. In a statement, Johnson praised Rhee for leaving an 'indelible mark on our airports and our city.' He then thanked Tirado for helping to oversee reductions in crime and a 'successfully hosted' Democratic National Convention. But just days earlier, he hinted at leadership changes to come while telling a church crowd he wished he would have 'cleaned house faster' during his first two years in office. Asked Monday night during a 'Faith in Government Tour' conversation at New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church about what he regrets in his first term, Johnson told Pastor Stephen J. Thurston II that he kept on some staffers who did not 'agree with [him] 100%' when he became mayor in an effort to show 'godly presentation' and his ability to work with others. He then hinted he would soon make key staff changes. 'If you ain't with us, you just gotta go. So now, I'm in a position now where I'll be making some decisions in the days to come, because playing nice with other people who ain't about us, it's just a waste of exercise,' Johnson said. 'Everybody don't have that Joseph anointing,' Johnson quipped. 'There's a whole bunch of people who are like, 'Oh, shoot, who's about to get fired?' Well, you're about to find out, stay tuned.' Asked whether Johnson's comments forecast Rhee's departure, the mayor's press office did not immediately respond Thursday. In a statement shared alongside Johnson's, Rhee thanked her staff and said she is 'eternally grateful for the opportunities that have been afforded to me and am extremely proud of the work that's been accomplished.' The seven-year veteran commissioner oversaw Chicago's airports as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, marking some of the most challenging moments in recent memory for air travel. As activity began to rebound from pandemic lows, the recovery at O'Hare, long a linchpin in the nation's air system, remained sluggish, as business travel was slow to return and one of the airport's major airlines began to shift focus elsewhere. By November 2024, the most recent month of data available, the number of travelers at O'Hare for the year was closer to pre-pandemic levels, reaching 95% of 2019 numbers. Passenger traffic at Midway had surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Rhee also oversaw major construction projects at the two airports, including the completion of a redesign of O'Hare's runways to reduce delays at the congested airport nearly 20 years after the project was announced. Another major O'Hare construction project during Rhee's tenure has yet to take off. Work to replace Terminal 2 with a new Global Terminal and add two satellite concourses is set to be the centerpiece of an overhaul of the airport's terminals. Already behind schedule, the effort became mired in months of contentious negotiations and drew the attention of Illinois' Congressional delegation when Chicago's two main airlines pushed back against rising construction costs. The city and airlines ultimately agreed to change the order of construction, a move that initially raised fears outside of City Hall that a second satellite concourse could be cut from the project.
Chicago Tribune
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Three top city officials stepping down after Mayor Brandon Johnson's ominous firings message: ‘If you ain't with us, you just gotta go.'
Three members of Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration announced their exits Thursday, days after the mayor delivered a warning about purging city officials who lacked loyalty to him. Departing his cabinet are Jamie Rhee, Commissioner of the Department of Aviation; and Jose Tirado, director of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications. Separately, Joe Calvello, the mayor's chief strategy officer, stepped down this week less than a year after being hired to shore up his administration's then-struggling communications effort and build out the freshman mayor's long-term vision. And Andrea Kersten, head of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, also announced her resignation on the heels of an apparent bid by the Chicago police's civilian oversight committee to oust her. The high-profile exits came the same week Johnson warned of a potential incoming firing spree apparently focused on holdovers from past mayoral administrations, though Calvello's and Kersten's resignations did not appear to be part of any purge given that the former was tapped after Johnson took office, and the latter's position isn't under the mayor's control. At a Monday night 'Faith in Government Tour' panel at New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church — which was not included in the mayor's public schedule — Johnson responded to a question by Pastor Stephen J. Thurston II on what he would have done differently in his first two years in office with: 'I would have cleaned house faster.' On Thursday, Rhee and Tirado's departures — which were rumored for weeks — dropped, though they were framed as 'retirement' and a 'transition,' respectively. Johnson in his Monday remarks said he kept on some staffers who did not 'agree with (him) 100%' when he became mayor in an effort to show 'godly presentation' and his ability to work with others. 'If you ain't with us, you just gotta go. So now, I'm in a position now where I'll be making some decisions in the days to come, because playing nice with other people who ain't about us, it's just a waste of exercise,' Johnson said. New mayors have the discretion to fire and hire most officials in their administration as they see fit, but Johnson has struggled with executing high-profile personnel decisions in his first two years as mayor. His team from the start mistrusted staffers they viewed as loyal to his predecessor, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and sought to drive out holdovers despite not always having a replacement plan ready. Johnson's transition team fired the city's deputy mayor of intergovernmental affairs Beth Beatty before he took office in May 2023, only to swiftly rehire her. Later that August, the mayor fired public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady in a manner she told NBC 5 was 'really disturbing,' similar to the quick dismissal in March 2024 of Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Commissioner Erin Harkey. And the employment status of lame duck Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez, whom Johnson opted to keep on until the teachers union contract dragged on too long, has triggered a monthslong political and legal saga that continues today. COPA shakeup Kersten, chief administrator of COPA, announced Thursday her resignation as head of the agency that investigates use of force incidents by Chicago Police Officers. The mayor does not have hiring or firing power over that appointment, the city's police civilian commission does. 'Over the last four years, it has been a privilege to lead this agency in the service of all Chicagoans and I am incredibly proud of the transformative work that has been accomplished during my tenure,' Kersten said in a statement. 'COPA has established itself as a truly independent and transparent voice in Chicago's broader community safety system, which is imperative in building trust in police accountability.' Kersten was appointed to lead COPA in February 2022 after joining the agency the year before and has been a lightning rod for scrutiny for most of her tenure, despite the agency's noted increase in case closures. Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling delivered a blistering assessment of the agency's investigative practices during the police board meeting in 2024, and the Fraternal Order of Police has remained a staunch critic, as well. FOP President John Catanzara told the Tribune Thursday that the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability was set to recommend to the City Council that Kersten be fired. 'We had it on very reliable information they voted to make a recommendation for termination,' Catanzara said. Anthony Driver, president of the CCPSA, declined to comment Thursday. Johnson administration exits In a move that appeared to be unrelated to Johnson's forewarned plan to oust holdovers, one of the mayor's handpicked top advisers announced he is leaving the city after less than a year on the team. Calvello, the mayor's chief strategy officer, said Thursday he is leaving his Chicago role to work for Sports Solidarity, an organization advancing organized labor in professional sports. Johnson hired Calvello to the brand new strategy role last March in an apparent effort to shore up his administration's then-struggling communications effort and build out the freshman mayor's long-term vision. Calvello, 32, was tapped after a stint as communications director for U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and before that worked on Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. He said in a statement he was 'especially proud' of his team's work around the Democratic National Convention. 'It has been an honor to go to City Hall every day and fight for Chicago's working class,' Calvello said. Meanwhile, Johnson in a Thursday statement praised Rhee for leaving an 'indelible mark on our airports and our city.' He then thanked Tirado for helping to oversee reductions in crime and a 'successfully hosted' Democratic National Convention. Rhee, a Rahm Emanuel appointee, oversaw O'Hare and Midway airports, key drivers of the city's economy. More recently, she has helped lead an effort to overhaul large parts of O'Hare that has at times pitted Johnson against the Illinois Congressional delegation. Rhee thanked her staff in a statement and said she is 'eternally grateful for the opportunities that have been afforded to me and am extremely proud of the work that's been accomplished.' The seven-year veteran commissioner oversaw Chicago's airports as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, marking some of the most challenging moments in recent memory for air travel. As activity began to rebound from pandemic lows, the recovery at O'Hare, long a linchpin in the nation's air system, remained sluggish, as business travel was slow to return and one of the airport's major airlines began to shift focus elsewhere. By November 2024, the most recent month of data available, the number of travelers at O'Hare for the year was closer to pre-pandemic levels, reaching 95% of 2019 numbers. Passenger traffic at Midway had surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Rhee also oversaw major construction projects at the two airports, including the completion of a redesign of O'Hare's runways to reduce delays at the congested airport nearly 20 years after the project was announced. Another major O'Hare construction project during Rhee's tenure has yet to take off. Work to replace Terminal 2 with a new Global Terminal and add two satellite concourses is set to be the centerpiece of an overhaul of the airport's terminals. Tirado first served as acting OEMC director at the end of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot's tenure before Johnson permanently appointed him to the role in December 2023. His office has helped secure federal funding for West Side flooding and planned the city's handling of major events like Lollapalooza and the first two NASCAR street races. The OEMC also receives the city's emergency calls and dispatches police, fire fighters and ambulances, putting it in a key position to oversee Johnson's plans to change the way first responders react to mental health-related calls. A source close to Tirado said he submitted his resignation to the city earlier this year to take a position in the Investigations Bureau of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. The recent departures follow the retirement of CTA President Dorval Carter, announced last month. Carter, appointed to lead city's sister agency by then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2015, had in recent years faced criticism and mounting pressure to resign, but Johnson had publicly pushed back on his detractors. Leaders first appointed by previous mayors still head the city's Park District, Streets and Sanitation, Fire Department and other key city agencies. But based on the mayor's Monday warning, there could be more heads rolling soon. 'Everybody don't have that Joseph anointing,' Johnson quipped to the audience. 'There's a whole bunch of people who are like, 'Oh, shoot, who's about to get fired?' Well, you're about to find out, stay tuned.'
