State rep charged with taking bribe

Feds say Derrick Smith took $7,000 in exchange for grant support

03/14/2012

State Rep. Derrick Smith (D-10th) was arrested Tuesday on bribery charges for allegedly taking $7,000 in cash in exchange for writing an official letter of support for a local business seeking a state grant, according to a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s office.
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Powering forward

What happens after Pilsen's Fisk power plant unplugs in December

03/14/2012

Pilsen’s longstanding coal-fired power plant, Fisk Generating Station at 1111 W. Cermak Road, is set to finally close this year after prolonged battle between the plant’s owners and local residents.
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Fulton Market's new dance

Latin dance school co-owned by alderman's daughter looking to expand

03/07/2012

A West Loop Latin dance school is hoping to make a big expansion, giving an old Fulton Market building a facelift and livening up the area. Latin Rhythms Dance Studio, currently located at 210 N. Racine Ave., is hoping to move around the corner to 1245 W. Fulton Market, a move that would double its overall space, allowing them to move from three dance studios to five, among other amenities.
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Ping Tom field house moving forward

Pool confirmed, city sets timeline for construction at 18th and Wentworth

03/07/2012

Ping Tom is Chicago’s park that just won’t stop growing. Just a few months after the new expansion of the park was completed north of 18th Street along the Chicago River, the city is officially moving forward on plans for a new field house, complete with a pool.
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Chiditarod ho!

A report back from Chicago's favorite slapdash charity fun-run

03/07/2012

A brief patch of sunlight split through the clouds and interrupted what would be an otherwise grey and chilly Saturday afternoon as Drew Kelly and his team surveyed their meticulously styled shopping cart.
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The other committeeman

Two candidates face off in 2nd Ward Republican Committeeman race

02/29/2012

On paper, being a ward committeeman isn’t particularly rewarding. A committeeman is responsible for registering voters, hosting community forums, distributing election materials, monitoring election proceedings and generally making sure their party has a good turnout at the polls — all without earning any kind of salary.
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South Loop shutdown

02/29/2012

A former alderman won’t get to pay himself a salary out of cash from his bankrupt South Loop condo building, a federal judge said this month. The building at 1555 S. Wabash, owned and developed by former 1st Ward Ald. Ted Mazola and his partner Gus Mauro, went into bankruptcy at the end of December and has been involved in a rather nasty bankruptcy fight since then.
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Get on the horse

02/29/2012

Au Cheval is not your average diner. That much is clear as soon as you walk up to the restaurant, at the northwest corner of Randolph and Halsted streets. What was once Downtown Gyros has undergone a drastic transformation to become the latest outpost in restaurateur Brendan Sodikoff’s burgeoning empire.
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Countdown to the G8 conference

Downtown residents brace for the summits

02/29/2012

Last Thursday, in a conference room tucked behind the lobby floor of the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Chicago, Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) spoke before a group of about 80 of his constituents to discuss the pressing issues of his ward.
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Pilsen power plant shutting down

Mayor brokers deal to close coal-fired polluter by end of 2012

02/29/2012

Pilsen’s controversial Fisk coal-fired power plant will shut down at the end of 2012 under a deal brokered by Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Wednesday afternoon.
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