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CBC
19 hours ago
- General
- CBC
First standalone Islamic school in south Edmonton breaks ground
An Edmonton community is one step closer to achieving its dream after breaking ground Wednesday at the city's first standalone Islamic school on the south side. The Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Academy's future facility, spanning nearly 40 acres at 8615 41st Ave., surrounded by canola fields and farmland, is slated to open its doors in September 2026. "The need is huge," said Dr. Osama Namaruish, president of the Omar Ibn Al Khattab Centre, as cranes and bulldozers rumbled behind him. "There are other Islamic schools, mostly in the north side. The waiting time is in the thousands." With 120 students, the academy's current independent K-9 school operates out of the Omar Ibn Al Khattab Centre (OIAC) on Parson's Road. Other Islamic schools in south Edmonton operate out of leased spaces, warehouses and mosques, but this will be the first purpose-built school in the area, an OIAC spokesperson told CBC. Plans for the future $30 million academy include 22 classrooms, sports fields, a prayer hall for 300 worshippers, a commercial kitchen and a community centre. The money to build the new facility is being raised through a fundraising campaign and private donations. "We want to see a proper school that has proper sport fields that is welcoming to the community, Muslims and non-Muslims," Namaruish said. "It's a place where people will socialize, people will meet, some interfaith dialogue will happen and people will talk to each other and understand each other." According to OIAC, more than 5,000 Muslim students live south of 23rd Avenue. Among them is Daniyaal Saeed, 13, whose commute time to the Parsons Road location in heavy traffic can take as long as 30 minutes each way. But for Saeed, it's worth it. "We got to learn about our religion, our history, everything," Saeed told CBC News. "Everybody knows each other. Everybody's kind to each other. They don't hate on religions, because we all have the same religion." Coun. Keren Tang said the new school will also help to alleviate the pressures of population growth in Ward Karhiio. "It responds to a bit of the growth pressure here. It responds to some of the school challenges that we're talking about and I think it's going to add to the overall community," Teng said.
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
French bulldog Milo stolen in violent armed robbery in West Roseland, Chicago police say
Chicago police said a French bulldog was stolen at gunpoint in a violent armed robbery on the city's South Side Tuesday. Polcie said the 2-year-old male French bulldog, named Milo, was on a walk with his owner in the 11200-block of South Union Avenue in the city's West Roseland neighborhood when two men armed with guns and wearing ski masks came up to them. They hit the owner several times as they tried to take the dog, and eventually threw him to the ground. Then they were able to grab Milo and run away. An investigation by Area Two detectives is ongoing. Anyone with information about the stolen dog should call 312-747-8273.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Chicago Homeowner Says Squatters Took Over His Property And Demanded $8,000 So He Moved in Too — 'I Knew They Were Not Going to Like That'
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Marco Velazquez never expected to need backup just to enter his own Chicago home. But after a routine showing turned into a standoff with strangers living inside, he made a decision most homeowners wouldn't even consider: he moved in with them. According to WLS-TV, Velazquez had listed his South Side property for sale. When his realtor arrived with a prospective buyer, the house was already occupied. A woman and a man claimed they had just purchased the home and even showed police what looked like mortgage documents. But Cook County records showed no such mortgage existed. Don't Miss: Accredited investors can —with up to 120% bonus shares—before this Uber-style disruption hits the public markets This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to . Velazquez says officers told him that due to current state law, they couldn't intervene. The matter would have to be handled in civil court. "I said, 'I'm not going to leave.' Called a couple friends, stayed overnight and I knew they were not going to like that," Velazquez told WLS-TV. He, his wife, and a few friends stayed in the living room. The alleged squatters — identified as Shermaine Powell-Gillard and her boyfriend, Codarro — stayed in one of the bedrooms. Rather than leave, the pair made a demand: $8,000 to vacate the property. Velazquez ended up paying $4,300 in a signed cash-for-keys agreement to get them out — a move common with holdover tenants after an eviction or with former owners in foreclosure. "We didn't want to give them money, but we heard really bad stories about squatters taking over properties for six, eight, 10 months, even a year," Velazquez said. Trending: With Point, you can He says a Chicago detective later informed him that Powell-Gillard was also accused in a similar situation involving another home in the city. In that case, she was arrested and charged with burglary, forgery, obstructing identification, and criminal trespassing. Velazquez is now working with investigators and hopes something will come of his case as well. "I heard stories before about squatters. I never thought it would happen to me," he said. Powell-Gillard, for her part, denied the squatter claims, telling WLS-TV the accusations are "false and unfounded." The station reported that attempts to reach her alleged boyfriend were unsuccessful at the time of publication. While "cash for keys" is more commonly used to encourage tenants to leave after foreclosure or lease disputes, some property owners have turned to it as a faster way to resolve squatter situations without waiting for a court order. In Velazquez's case, the $4,300 payout was a practical move to retake possession of the home he legally owned—without risking months of legal delays. Read Next: Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here's , starting today. This AI-Powered Trading Platform Has 5,000+ Users, 27 Pending Patents, and a $43.97M Valuation — Image: Shutterstock This article Chicago Homeowner Says Squatters Took Over His Property And Demanded $8,000 So He Moved in Too — 'I Knew They Were Not Going to Like That' originally appeared on
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Chicago Homeowner Says Squatters Took Over His Property And Demanded $8,000 So He Moved in Too — 'I Knew They Were Not Going to Like That'
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Marco Velazquez never expected to need backup just to enter his own Chicago home. But after a routine showing turned into a standoff with strangers living inside, he made a decision most homeowners wouldn't even consider: he moved in with them. According to WLS-TV, Velazquez had listed his South Side property for sale. When his realtor arrived with a prospective buyer, the house was already occupied. A woman and a man claimed they had just purchased the home and even showed police what looked like mortgage documents. But Cook County records showed no such mortgage existed. Don't Miss: Accredited investors can —with up to 120% bonus shares—before this Uber-style disruption hits the public markets This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to . Velazquez says officers told him that due to current state law, they couldn't intervene. The matter would have to be handled in civil court. "I said, 'I'm not going to leave.' Called a couple friends, stayed overnight and I knew they were not going to like that," Velazquez told WLS-TV. He, his wife, and a few friends stayed in the living room. The alleged squatters — identified as Shermaine Powell-Gillard and her boyfriend, Codarro — stayed in one of the bedrooms. Rather than leave, the pair made a demand: $8,000 to vacate the property. Velazquez ended up paying $4,300 in a signed cash-for-keys agreement to get them out — a move common with holdover tenants after an eviction or with former owners in foreclosure. "We didn't want to give them money, but we heard really bad stories about squatters taking over properties for six, eight, 10 months, even a year," Velazquez said. Trending: With Point, you can He says a Chicago detective later informed him that Powell-Gillard was also accused in a similar situation involving another home in the city. In that case, she was arrested and charged with burglary, forgery, obstructing identification, and criminal trespassing. Velazquez is now working with investigators and hopes something will come of his case as well. "I heard stories before about squatters. I never thought it would happen to me," he said. Powell-Gillard, for her part, denied the squatter claims, telling WLS-TV the accusations are "false and unfounded." The station reported that attempts to reach her alleged boyfriend were unsuccessful at the time of publication. While "cash for keys" is more commonly used to encourage tenants to leave after foreclosure or lease disputes, some property owners have turned to it as a faster way to resolve squatter situations without waiting for a court order. In Velazquez's case, the $4,300 payout was a practical move to retake possession of the home he legally owned—without risking months of legal delays. Read Next: Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here's , starting today. This AI-Powered Trading Platform Has 5,000+ Users, 27 Pending Patents, and a $43.97M Valuation — Image: Shutterstock This article Chicago Homeowner Says Squatters Took Over His Property And Demanded $8,000 So He Moved in Too — 'I Knew They Were Not Going to Like That' originally appeared on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
Thieves steal cellphones from waiting passengers at CTA Sox–35th station, police warns
Chicago police are warning riders to be aware of their surroundings after two reported cellphone thefts at a CTA station on the city's South Side The robberies happened last month at the Sox-35th Red Line station in the Armour Square neighborhood. Police said on June 24 and 25, during the 11 a.m. hour, two suspects approached the victims and took their cellphones from their hands as they were waiting for the train to arrive. Police released photos of the alleged suspects, who are described as Black men. One wore a dark Chicago Bulls hooded sweater and blue jeans, and the other wore a black knit hat and a white T-shirt. Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to contact Public Transportation Detectives at 312-745-4447 or submit an anonymous tip at using reference numbers JJ307247 and JJ308247.
