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Chicago Tribune
22-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Three U-46 teachers on leave after district learns of Chicago Public Schools ‘grooming' probe
School District U-46 is conducting an internal review of three teachers hired while under investigation for grooming and misconduct by Chicago Public Schools. A months-long investigation by NBC Chicago into allegations involving seven teachers previously employed at Little Village Lawndale High School found that three of them are now working for Elgin-based U-46. 'We care very deeply for our students, and our fundamental commitment is to their well-being,' said Kristine Rogowski, director of communications and community relations. 'We believe that fostering a culture of safety is necessary for student learning and development so we have taken immediate action. 'The individuals (Charles Smith, Michael Abeja and Hans Krueger) identified in the report as being employed by our school district are on leave pending an internal review,' Rogowski said. Chicago Public Schools has been investigating allegations against the seven teachers for three years, with the final report expected to be done in June. The probe is looking at allegations made between 2009 and 2019 by former students in which it was alleged the teachers groomed teens and then started relationships with them after graduation, NBC Chicago reported. CPS was not required to disclose that information to U-46 or that the teachers were on their 'Do Not Hire' list, the news station reported. Rogowski said U-46 will reach out to CPS as well as state, county and law enforcement officials as part of their own review. Parents, guardians and students with information or concerns are asked to contact their building principal, she said. An internal records review showed that no formal complaints have been filed in regard to the three teachers during their time with the U-46, Rogowski said. 'When the Illinois State Board of Education takes action on a teacher's teaching license, the action is listed on the teacher's record in the licensing portal,' she said. 'We review all teaching licenses prior to hiring. As of today, there continues to be no notation on the licenses of the three teachers.' U-46 administrators learned about the investigation through the televised report, which aired this week. In response, the district sent letters to parents about its internal review and identified the teachers. Smith is an assistant principal at Abbott Middle School in Elgin. He was a principal at the Little Village Lawndale campus until being removed in February 2023, according to NBC Chicago. He resigned a few months later while being investigated, the TV news report said. He became assistant principal at Abbott Middle School in the 2022-23 school year, according to the school's website. Smith is a Loyola University Chicago graduate and earned a master's degree from National Louis University. His attorney told the TV station that Smith is confident he will be cleared of any alleged wrongdoing. NBC Chicago reported CPS's Office of Inspector General substantiated misconduct allegations against Abeja but did not go into further details. Abeja was born and raised in the Little Village neighborhood in Chicago. He received a bachelor's degree in art education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He taught eight years at CPS and two years at U-46, according to his bio. A third teacher, Hans Krueger, is part of CPS's ongoing investigation. He left the school system in 2017 and became a music teacher at U-46 in July 2020. Krueger works at the district's Dream Academy, an alternative education program in Elgin, as a music recording and production teacher.
New York Post
22-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
FBI raids Chicago home of DC Jewish Museum shooting suspect Elias Rodriguez
Armed FBI agents clad in tactical gear stormed a Chicago apartment building reportedly connected to suspected terrorist Elias Rodriguez, who allegedly gunned down two Israeli Embassy workers in Washington, DC, last night. Video posted by NBC Chicago shows at least eight agents wearing camouflage and armed with rifles entering the front gates of the apartment building on a leafy green street in Chicago's East Albany Park neighborhood. Advertisement Rodriguez, 31, had allegedly chanted 'Free, free Palestine' moments before he confessed to gunning down the couple, identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, as they left the American Jewish Committee's ACCESS Young Diplomats Reception just after 9 p.m. Investigators are looking into whether Rodriguez is behind a hateful 900-word manifesto dated a day before the slayings bearing his name that began circulating on social media after his arrest. The manifesto appeared to suggest the killings were an act of political protest inspired by Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pope Leo's Childhood Home Faces Eminent Domain as He Relocates to a More Eminent Domain
"Every man has by nature the right to possess property as his own," wrote Pope Leo XIII, in his famous 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, laying down the basics of Catholic social teaching. The plans of contemporary socialists to seize private property, Leo XIII denounced as "emphatically unjust, for they would rob the lawful possessor, distort the functions of the State, and create utter confusion in the community." The last Pope Leo's defense of private property adds no small amount of irony to the small Chicago suburb of Dolton, Illinois' plan to honor the new American-born Pope Leo XIV by seizing his childhood home from its private owners. Yesterday, Chicago-area media reported that Dolton officials plan to use eminent domain to take the home where Leo XIV, formerly Robert Francis Prevost, was raised from its current private owners to create a publicly accessible historic site. At present, the owners are auctioning off the small, 1949-built home for a reserve price of $250,000. In a Tuesday letter to the auction house running the sale, Dolton attorney Burton Odelson cautioned buyers against purchasing the house. "Please inform any prospective buyers that their 'purchase' may only be temporary since the Village intends to begin the eminent domain process very shortly," reads Odelson's letter, per NBC Chicago. Odelson told Chicago's ABC7 that the village had initially tried to voluntarily purchase the home but had snagged on the sale price. "We've tried to negotiate with the owner. [He] wants too much money, so we will either negotiate with the auction house or, as the letter stated that I sent to the auction house, we will take it through eminent domain, which is our right as a village," Odelson said. One wonders how outrageous the owners' offered sale price was given its current auction price of $250,000. The fact that the home was once lived in by the current pope surely doesn't enable the owners to command that much of a sale premium on what is undeniably a quite modest dwelling. While a papal museum is certainly a lovely idea for the property, there's no reason the village can't pursue a voluntary sale. That would seem to be more in line with Leo XIII's defense of private property. It would also seem to be more in line with the current Leo XIV's view of the Church as an institution characterized by voluntarism and love. "The Church of Rome presides in charity and its true authority is the charity of Christ. It is never a question of capturing others by force, by religious propaganda, or by means of power. Instead, it is always and only a question of loving as Jesus did," said Leo XIV in his first Sunday homily as pope. "[Saint] Peter must shepherd the flock without ever yielding to the temptation to be an autocrat," he added. Autocracy is certainly a powerful temptation. It's one that not even the Village of Dolton seems able to resist. The post Pope Leo's Childhood Home Faces Eminent Domain as He Relocates to a More Eminent Domain appeared first on
Eater
20-05-2025
- Business
- Eater
Food Guy Steve Dolinsky's Final NBC Chicago Segment Will Air on May 29
Steve Dolinsky is leaving Chicago television for good after nearly three decades of highlighting various restaurants around the city. His last segment is scheduled for 10 p.m. on Thursday, May 29, on NBC Chicago. He's accepted a new gig working for Levy Restaurants, one that will involve traveling across the country. The new role doesn't involve producing content or sharing food recommendations. As Dolinsky describes, Levy is intrigued by his ability to dive into a city's restaurant scene and quickly make connections with major players. Levy sees value in how a journalist can quickly identify trends, like the current infatuation with Dubai chocolate. Levy hopes Dolinsky can bolster the culinary experiences at Levy's various sporting venues and events. 'They want somebody who's immersed in food, and so that's what I do,' Dolinsky says. 'It really — it's just a perfect fit.' For example, Dolinsky could use the journalism skills he honed as NBC Chicago's Food Guy and ABC Chicago's Hungry Hound to dive into the LA food scene and bring fresh ideas to the Intuit Dome, home of the NBA's Clippers, one of many stadiums where Levy handles food service. Dolinsky says he feels lucky for the opportunity. Levy is the Chicago-born company behind names like Spiaggia and River Roast. The company is also a stadium food vendor for Soldier Field, United Center, Rate Field, and Wrigley Field. Dolinsky has known Levy CEO Andy Lansing for three decades, and they've been talking about how they could work together for years. 'Not every company is going to create a job for somebody, but I give those guys a lot of credit,' he says. 'They see there's a great opportunity to have someone like me on their team.' Dolinsky departed ABC in 2021 as the pandemic's dining restrictions altered consumer habits and local news was deprioritizing food or eliminating coverage altogether. A few months later, he inked a new deal with NBC, but wasn't able to bring his Hungry Hound title with him, rebranding as the Food Guy. There are no restrictions on the name at Levy, where he'll retain the Food Guy title. His contract ended with NBC this summer. As newsrooms all over the country shrank, it took a toll on Dolinsky's segments. He no longer had the same staff support to help put together his piece. Dolinsky compensated by recording and editing his own video. But the job became somewhat cumbersome without the aid of regular collaborators, folks to help brainstorm and fine-tune ideas. Having a team behind him at Levy is one of the reasons he's taking the job. Flashing back to his start with CLTV, a local cable news network run by Tribune Media in the '90s, Dolinsky recalls meeting Levy's chief creative officer Alison Weber, while working on a story as a general assignment news reporter. The topic: Spiaggia and white truffles. Dolinsky knew nothing about truffles, thinking they were chocolate bonbons, but he remembers talking to Weber about yearning to cover food full time. They've remained in touch through the years: 'This is one of those lessons about never burning bridges,' Dolinsky says. Beyond NBC, Dolinsky was already working as a consultant and is behind Pizza City USA, which holds tours and festivals in select cities to bring together different pizzerias. The annual event stumbled in Chicago in 2022 and 2023. It skipped 2024, but will return to Chicago this summer on Sunday, August 24. Look for more information next month. Dolinsky calls the LA version of the event a success. It was held at L.A. Live, a venue where Levy holds a contract. 'It just makes so much sense to keep working with them on that kind of stuff,' Dolinsky says. The media world has been shifting in recent years with the growth of social media and the emergence of generative AI. Some writers are pursuing platforms like Substack, hoping they can build an audience. So what does Dolinsky's departure mean? 'I think journalists have to look at the future — I've been doing this for 30 years, and you can sort of see where the trends are in terms of viewership,' Dolinsky says. 'I feel like I have a lot of specific skills that are going to be more valuable in the corporate world. So what does it say about food journalism or journalism in general? I think it says that people have to look for other options all the time.' 'You know, there's nothing that's guaranteed forever.' For the record, Dolinsky's final NBC segment will feature West Town Korean American restaurant Mister Tiger to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Sign up for our newsletter.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Lesbian teen brutally beaten at Illinois McDonald's
Two teenagers, one a juvenile, brutally beat a 19-year-old woman inside a suburban McDonald's after making derogatory comments about her sexual orientation, according to local police. The May 13 incident occurred at the fast food chain's location in Carpentersville, Illinois, about 40 miles from Chicago, with officers responding to a report of a fight in progress, according to news release from the Carpentersville Police Department. The victim, who was later identified as Kady Grass, sustained severe injuries and was transported to a local hospital, where she was treated and has since been released. Following an investigation, the Kane County State's Attorney's Office approved multiple felony charges against the suspects, according to police. John Kammrad, 19, was charged with aggravated battery, great bodily harm, aggravated battery in a public place, mob action and more. Kammrad was taken into custody on Saturday, while the juvenile suspect turned himself in on Friday. Photos posted to a GoFundMe account for Grass show the extent of her injuries, which span her face and her legs. In an interview with NBC Chicago, Grass said the attack happened while she was in town to see her 13-year-old cousin's choir concert. 'One hit me in the jaw and one was hitting me in the front, and then I didn't realize that I was getting hit behind until a little bit later, like it took me a while to realize,' Grass said. 'I was unconscious when they were stomping on my head, so I don't remember that part, but my 13-year-old cousin does.' Carpentersville Police Deputy Chief Kevin Stankowitz said the incident 'underscores the importance of addressing violence and discrimination' within the community, according to the news release. In an email to NBC Chicago, Stankowitz said the department collaborated with the Kane County State's Attorney's Office on whether or not to file hate crime charges. After a review of the case, Stankowitz said, the office declined to file them. This story first appeared on NBC Chicago This article was originally published on
