Daywatch: Battling a 200-foot wall of farm soil on I-55
Good morning, Chicago.
The busy I-55 stretch between St. Louis and Springfield had seemed normal on May 1. But then a wall of dirt 200 feet high engulfed the interstate.
“All of a sudden it got thick and dark,” remembered Jim Dawson, a 67-year-old who had been driving to make funeral arrangements for his brother. “And boom, it was over.”
The 84-vehicle pileup that followed killed eight and injured at least 36 others. As a clearer understanding of the devastating crash emerges, survivors recount the dense dust, burning cars and repeated collisions that filled the “hellish episode.”
And family members remember the loved ones killed in the crash — a couple who led a campground, a veteran trucker, a barbershop quartet singer and others.
— Jonathan Bullington and Jake Sheridan
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Heather Mack to plead guilty in Chicago murder conspiracy case stemming from mother’s 2014 slaying in Bali
Heather Mack has already spent nearly every day behind bars since her mother’s bludgeoned body was found stuffed in a suitcase in the Bali resort where they’d been vacationing nine years ago, sparking international headlines and leading police on a trail that began in suburban Chicago.
On Friday, Mack will undoubtedly be facing many years more in prison, as she is set to plead guilty in the federal murder conspiracy case against her in Chicago rather than go to trial in August.
Chicago Police Board fires sergeant for actions in Anjanette Young raid
The Chicago Police Board voted to fire a police sergeant for his role in the botched 2019 raid at the home of social worker Anjanette Young.
Acting on bad information, 13 CPD tactical officers used a no-knock warrant to enter Young’s Near West Side home on Feb. 21, 2019, in search of a man believed to have an illegal gun. Police body-camera footage of the raid showed officers handcuffed Young, who was naked when police arrived, as she repeatedly told them that they were in the wrong place.
Politically connected businessman convicted of attempting to bribe legislators in a brief trial that packed a Chicago punch
In the annals of Chicago public corruption prosecutions, the federal bribery case against businessman James Weiss didn’t have the high profile of a Rod Blagojevich or George Ryan, and certainly not Michael Madigan.
But in just over a week, Weiss’ trial at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse managed to pack in a veritable corruption cornucopia, one that seemed at times to be ripped from a bad political thriller.
Bally’s Chicago gets preliminary OK from Illinois Gaming Board, setting the table for August opening at Medinah Temple
Let the casino games begin, Chicago.
Medinah Temple will serve as a temporary casino for up to three years while the permanent facility is built on the site of the Freedom Center printing plant. The ornate 111-year-old amphitheater is being retrofitted to accommodate more than 800 gaming positions, restaurants and a bar.
Aurora committee recommends preliminary plans for Hollywood Casino resort
The new casino resort will include new restaurants, including a casual steakhouse and an Asian noodle bar, 220 hotel rooms, 1,200 gaming positions, a Barstool sports book, an events center and an outdoor entertainment area.
With doodles as her signature, a Chicago pediatric surgeon makes surgery and casts a little less scary
If you need a surgeon, and you’re a kid, chances are, afterward, you’ll need a cast. Your friends and family will doodle their well-wishes, goofy faces and smiling suns on it.
But Dr. Felicity Fishman will send you home from the hospital with a little art, writes Christopher Borrelli.
Why the Chicago Bears defense is confident last season’s struggles are a thing of the past
A new year will officially begin in less than six weeks when the Bears report to training camp in Lake Forest. Count defensive tackle Justin Jones among those eager to get that preseason buildup started. Through organized team activities and minicamp, Jones felt a new energy within the defense and a bond beginning to strengthen. This, he promised, won’t be 2022.
“We’ve got a lot more pieces, a lot more depth, a lot more talent,” Jones said. “I’m really excited for the season.”
53 farmers markets in Chicago and the suburbs, including one saved by neighborhood moms
Our map of 2023 Chicagoland farmers markets has all the details you need for finding one near you.
