SouthtownStar

An Alsip man sought in a robbery was shot dead by Chicago police after the man allegedly pointed a weapon at officers during a foot chase Thursday on the city's South Side. Jonathan Jones, 33, was shot at 6231 S. Morgan St., the Cook County medical examiner's office said. Jones allegedly walked into a cell phone store at 1002 W. 63rd St. about 12:30 p.m., jumped over the counter, put a gun to ... Full Story »

Elliot Kolsto lived on Warren Drive before there was an interstate. Now, he can't carry on a conversation in his back yard — 1,000 feetfrom Interstate 80 — because traffic is so loud. And now there are twointerstates. Full Story »

A Midlothian man who refused medical treatment after a coughing attack when he temporarily lost consciousness has filed a lawsuit claiming police handcuffed him, tasered him and forced him to seek medical treatment. In a complaint filed Wednesday in Cook County district court, Stephen Kolasa, of 14430 S. Homan Ave., charged that police forced him to be taken to South Suburban Hospital though he ... Full Story »

Following the lead of another prominent Oak Lawn car dealership, company officials with the Napleton franchise are approaching Oak Lawn in hopes the village offers them a tax incentive that would pay for improvements to a planned new facility. The Napleton franchise, whose Oak Lawn Dodge dealership at 5800 W. 95th St. was a casualty of the Chrysler Corporation's nationwide cost-cutting this ... Full Story »

The office of U.S. Rep Dan Lipinski (D-3rd), of Western Springs, announced Thursday the congressman secured $3.65 million in federal funding for several area public projects, including some in the Southland. St. Xavier University will receive $750,000 for a digital overhaul of its Stump Library. Improvements include the addition of a new media center, a mobile computer lab and a new ... Full Story »

A Glenwood man died Thursday morning after a crash in the 17700 block of Halsted Street in Homewood, authorities said. Mark Lepke, 49, 360 Nugent St., was pronounced dead at 10:28 a.m. at South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. An autopsy is scheduled for today. Homewood police confirmed the accident but did not provide details on Thursday ... Full Story »

Holiday revelry takes a new turn this year, with more people looking for meaning than the latest cell phone or video game. After such a tough year, gratification is more likely to come from inside a person's heart, rather than his wallet. With tonight marking the beginning of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, Rabbi Paul Caplan said Jews need look no further than the holiday's origin to ... Full Story »

A vegetable normally associated with salad bars and borscht may end up on a street near you. That's because some Southland towns are using beet juice to combat ice on the roads. The beet juice works in conjunction with salt or salt water by lowering the effective temperature of those products. But it's not a sweet, sticky liquid. Instead, street departments use a gelatinous byproduct from beets ... Full Story »

Oak Forest's annual tree-lighting ceremony and parade will have a new attraction this year. A Santa Claus Fun Run and Toy Drive has been added with proceeds going to the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Oak Forest resident Colleen Kisel in 1996, after her then 7-year-old son Martin had been diagnosed with leukemia. The fun run will follow the ... Full Story »

Meet the Illinois Auxiliary Police, a volunteer organization whose uniformedmembers you may have seen handling crowd or traffic control at anynumber of parades, festivals and carnivals in the Chicago area. Full Story »

A grand jury added murder and other felony charges against a man accused of robbing a Midlothian VFW commander outside a bank last month. Jerry Brown, 27, 1140 W. 104th Place, Chicago, originally was charged with robbery following a Nov. 16 attack of a man in front of A.J. Smith Federal Bank, 14757 S. Cicero Ave. On Tuesday, the grand jury at Cook County district court in Chicago indicted Brown ... Full Story »

Weeks before Chicago parking meter rates rise again, motorists have another reason to complain about the 75-year, $1.15 billion lease that privatized the city's 36,000 meters: frozen pay-and-display boxes.Roughly 2 percent or 84 of the 4,200 boxes — touted as the solution to broken, mismarked and improperly calibrated meters — apparently couldn't hack the single-digit temperatures overnight.When ... Full Story »

A man remains barricaded in a Southeast Side home Thursday morning after shots were exchanged with police officers responding to a report of the man violating an order of protection. The incident happened about 9:20 a.m. on the 6800 block of South Clyde Avenue, according to police News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak. Police responded to a violation of an order of protections and when officers ... Full Story »

Two men were fatally shot during a reported drug-related home invasion last night on Chicago's South Side.Police responded to a residence in the 11300 block of South Aberdeen Street at 9:53 p.m. and found two men unresponsive inside the home, police officer Ronald Gaines said.Anthony Watts, 26, was shot at his home and dead on the scene. Robert Watson, 29, of the 100 block of West 112th Place ... Full Story »

An ambulance driver was seriously injured and was ticketed after the ambulance he was driving flipped over in Elwood.The driver lost control of the ambulance, which struck a signpost and rolled onto its passenger side about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday on U.S. 53, just north of Manhattan Road, Illinois State Police Sgt. Bill Fuentes said.The ambulance was taking a patient to Wilmington Healthcare Center ... Full Story »

A Chicago police officer was hit by a car and a person was critically wounded by police late Wednesday in an incident on Chicago's Northwest Side.The incident happened about 11:15 p.m. in the 1700 block of North Moody Avenue, fire spokesman Larry Langford said.A vehicle hit a Chicago police officer, who was taken to Resurrection Medical Center in good condition for minor injuries, Langford said ... Full Story »

Firefighters are assisting residents out of the top floorsof a Streeterville high rise after an extra-alarm fire started on the upperfloors early Thursday.The fire started about 12:50 a.m. at a high rise at 260 E. ChestnutSt., Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said.The fire was elevated to a second alarm by 1 a.m. and a thirdalarm by 1:15 a.m., Langford said. Langford said flames are ... Full Story »

Illinois American Water and Homer Glen plan to explore the possibility of a franchise agreement, a move that could potentially lower rates for residents. In meetings Tuesday, Illinois American officials indicated they were willing to consider a franchise agreement, Mayor Jim Daley announced at Tuesday night's village board meeting. Illinois American confirmed on Wednesday that the two sides ... Full Story »

Less revenue coming in and more expenses going out have the village of Flossmoor predicting it will need an additional $208,000 from savings to meet expenses during this fiscal year. That would bring the total the village is taking from its reserves this year to $897,000, an amount Trustee Jim Crum said he was flabbergasted to learn. "Seeing it in black and white caught me off guard," Crum said ... Full Story »

Fence deployed to Middle East Army Reserve Sgt. Mark M. Fence, of Chicago, has been mobilized and activated for deployment overseas to a forward operating base in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . Mission objectives focus on force protection, peacekeeping, stabilization, security and counter-insurgency operations as the Iraqi transitional governing bodies assume full sovereign powers to ... Full Story »

A budget deadlock on the Homewood Village Board is coming down to how much of the projected property tax revenue next year will be used for pensions vs. how much will be used for day-to-day operations. Property tax revenue is projected to increase only $88,000 next year, yet the village's pension obligations are expected to greatly increase. To fully meet those obligations next year - to the ... Full Story »

HOW IT WORKSIn September , the Chicago Heights City Council approved a program that gives people between $5,000 and $10,000 to buy a house in the city. The city set aside up to $500,000 to fund the program, which began Nov. 11. Applications will be taken from Chicago Heights residents only until Friday, and it will open to the public after that. To get the incentive, applicants will have to live ... Full Story »

A mobile home was left uninhabitable after fire swept through it Wednesday afternoon, a Steger Estates Fire Department official said. Capt. Pete Fajman said the resident, a 45-year-old woman, was not injured and does have a place to stay. The woman called 911 after she noticed flames in the utility room of her home in the 2000 block of West Exchange Street in Crete Township at 12:20 p.m., Fajman ... Full Story »

LEMONTNolan makes dean's list Kaleign Nolan, of Lemont, has been named to the spring 2009 semester dean's list in the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing at Loyola University Chicago in Maywood. NEW LENOXToastmasters charter celebration The New Lenox Toastmasters Club will become a chartered club during a ceremony from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday at United Methodist Church, 339 W. Haven Ave.,New ... Full Story »

Chicago Heights is offering from $5,000 to $10,000 for residents who are buying a home in the city. Though only four have applied for the incentive since the program started Nov. 11, one first-time homebuyer said it helped him buy the home of his dreams. Full Story »