Video: Lil Wayne’s Last Night Before Jail (Live uStream)
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Uncategorized
THE CARTER (Lil Wayne Documentary) [FULL 75 MINUTES]
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Episodes, Fab Music
Former G-Unit Artist Olivia Interview + Dating Missy?!
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Entertainment, Fab Music
Bossip Interview Olivia from Transcendent Enterprise on Vimeo.
All in all it seems like Olivia may be off to a good start although we couldn’t help but ask for her to clear up the rumor that 50 Cent said he wasted 2 million on her and she said off camera:
I was on G-Unit over 4 years. Over that time, I had songs with all of G-Unit and especial with Fif. I was on and wrote 2 of his biggest songs, Candi Shop and Best Friend. So lets add it up, numerous years on a label, numerous videos, countless photo shoots, countless appearances, countless tv performances, and we toured the world a few times and I never dropped my own single or released an album how was he supposed to recoup. Everywhere Fif went, he wanted us there. I never asked to ring up a huge bill. Come on, if I had it my way, that $2 million would have been in my pocket.
She cleared up most of our questions, but we think she could’ve got a lot more burn if she stuck with her and Missy being a couple.
Fantasia For Real Ep2: Fantasia Evicts Teeny
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Episodes
Moderate snowfall disrupts morning rush
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
A messy and snowy morning rush period is shaping up across the area. Police are warning commuters to slow down and drive with caution.
Between 3 to 5 inches of snow is expected in the daylight hours–falling this morning at a relatively moderate rate of half an inch per hour or less. But heavier snowfall is expected this afternoon, and totals could reach 8 to 12 inches by late tonight, according to the National Weather Service.
WGN-Ch. 9 staff meteorologist Tom Skilling believes 14 inches is possible by Wednesday morning. The storm is expected to extend over–and disrupt–three rush periods.
Airlines already have canceled more than 200 flights at the city’s two airports. The city sent out its full contingent of snow-fighting trucks for only the second time this season. Only about two dozen schools across the metropolitan area closed.
While salt trucks have been out all morning, some minor spinouts have been reported on area expressways and toll roads, according to Illinois State Police.
“Right now we’re managing fairly well,” said Illinois State Trooper Ivan Bukaczyk. “The roads are in much better shape than a few weeks ago.”
But Bukaczyk described the roads as ”very slick,” and said police are bracing for the heavy snowfall predicted for the next 24 hours. ”It’s still early,” he cautioned.
By 5 a.m., travel times were already significantly higher than usual and were expected to get worse as the morning rush period wore on.
As of 5:30 a.m., about two dozen 20 schools, mostly private ones, across the area had closed their doors for the day. (Check the emergency school closings list here.)
A winter storm warning is in effect until 9 a.m. Wednesday for McHenry, Lake, Kane, Cook and DuPage counties including the cities of Woodstock, Waukegan, Aurora, Wheaton and Chicago. A blizzard watch also has been issued for Joilet, Kankakee, Morocco, Morris, Pontiac, Watseka, Paxton and Fowler until 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Snowfall is expected to continue into this evening, becoming heavy enough this afternoon that even major roads could become snow covered, officials said. Blowing and drifting snow is likely tonight, with up to an inch of new snow per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
Blizzard conditions may arise with northwest winds up to 35 mph tonight, making travel very dangerous, officials warned.
Because of the snow here and the storm passing through the eastern part of the country, airlines at O’Hare International Airport already have canceled more than 200 flights today. At Midway Airport, Southwest Airlines has canceled all flights from 10 a.m. on through 10 a.m. Wednesday.
In anticipation of this morning’s snowfall, the CTA implemented a winter action plan to ensure that bus motors start this morning and that fleet, downsized by almost 290 buses because of service cuts, can get out of the garages and storage yards. Snow-sweeper trains operated overnight to make sure tracks are plowed for trains operating during the morning rush.
About 175 city Snow Command trucks were sent out at 2:30 a.m., and at 4 a.m. another 100 trucks–the full fleet–was dispatched. They are expected to be out for the duration of the day. It was only the second time this winter season the city put all its trucks out on the roadways.
The Illinois Department of Transportation also has been out on the roadways all morning, working to clear the interstates, said spokeswoman Marisa Kollias. “It will be several hours before everything is cleared,” she said, adding, the rapid snow fall has made it difficult to keep the roadways clear.
Check WGN-Ch. 9’s Severe Weather Blog for updates throughout the day.
Moderate snowfall disrupts morning rush
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
A messy and snowy morning rush period is shaping up across the area. Police are warning commuters to slow down and drive with caution.
Between 3 to 5 inches of snow is expected in the daylight hours–falling this morning at a relatively moderate rate of half an inch per hour or less. But heavier snowfall is expected this afternoon, and totals could reach 8 to 12 inches by late tonight, according to the National Weather Service.
WGN-Ch. 9 staff meteorologist Tom Skilling believes 14 inches is possible by Wednesday morning. The storm is expected to extend over–and disrupt–three rush periods.
Airlines already have canceled more than 200 flights at the city’s two airports. The city sent out its full contingent of snow-fighting trucks for only the second time this season. Only about two dozen schools across the metropolitan area closed.
While salt trucks have been out all morning, some minor spinouts have been reported on area expressways and toll roads, according to Illinois State Police.
“Right now we’re managing fairly well,” said Illinois State Trooper Ivan Bukaczyk. “The roads are in much better shape than a few weeks ago.”
But Bukaczyk described the roads as ”very slick,” and said police are bracing for the heavy snowfall predicted for the next 24 hours. ”It’s still early,” he cautioned.
By 5 a.m., travel times were already significantly higher than usual and were expected to get worse as the morning rush period wore on.
As of 5:30 a.m., about two dozen 20 schools, mostly private ones, across the area had closed their doors for the day. (Check the emergency school closings list here.)
A winter storm warning is in effect until 9 a.m. Wednesday for McHenry, Lake, Kane, Cook and DuPage counties including the cities of Woodstock, Waukegan, Aurora, Wheaton and Chicago. A blizzard watch also has been issued for Joilet, Kankakee, Morocco, Morris, Pontiac, Watseka, Paxton and Fowler until 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Snowfall is expected to continue into this evening, becoming heavy enough this afternoon that even major roads could become snow covered, officials said. Blowing and drifting snow is likely tonight, with up to an inch of new snow per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
Blizzard conditions may arise with northwest winds up to 35 mph tonight, making travel very dangerous, officials warned.
Because of the snow here and the storm passing through the eastern part of the country, airlines at O’Hare International Airport already have canceled more than 200 flights today. At Midway Airport, Southwest Airlines has canceled all flights from 10 a.m. on through 10 a.m. Wednesday.
In anticipation of this morning’s snowfall, the CTA implemented a winter action plan to ensure that bus motors start this morning and that fleet, downsized by almost 290 buses because of service cuts, can get out of the garages and storage yards. Snow-sweeper trains operated overnight to make sure tracks are plowed for trains operating during the morning rush.
About 175 city Snow Command trucks were sent out at 2:30 a.m., and at 4 a.m. another 100 trucks–the full fleet–was dispatched. They are expected to be out for the duration of the day. It was only the second time this winter season the city put all its trucks out on the roadways.
The Illinois Department of Transportation also has been out on the roadways all morning, working to clear the interstates, said spokeswoman Marisa Kollias. “It will be several hours before everything is cleared,” she said, adding, the rapid snow fall has made it difficult to keep the roadways clear.
Check WGN-Ch. 9’s Severe Weather Blog for updates throughout the day.
Moderate snowfall disrupts morning rush
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
A messy and snowy morning rush period is shaping up across the area. Police are warning commuters to slow down and drive with caution.
Between 3 to 5 inches of snow is expected in the daylight hours–falling this morning at a relatively moderate rate of half an inch per hour or less. But heavier snowfall is expected this afternoon, and totals could reach 8 to 12 inches by late tonight, according to the National Weather Service.
WGN-Ch. 9 staff meteorologist Tom Skilling believes 14 inches is possible by Wednesday morning. The storm is expected to extend over–and disrupt–three rush periods.
Airlines already have canceled more than 200 flights at the city’s two airports. The city sent out its full contingent of snow-fighting trucks for only the second time this season. Only about two dozen schools across the metropolitan area closed.
While salt trucks have been out all morning, some minor spinouts have been reported on area expressways and toll roads, according to Illinois State Police.
“Right now we’re managing fairly well,” said Illinois State Trooper Ivan Bukaczyk. “The roads are in much better shape than a few weeks ago.”
But Bukaczyk described the roads as ”very slick,” and said police are bracing for the heavy snowfall predicted for the next 24 hours. ”It’s still early,” he cautioned.
By 5 a.m., travel times were already significantly higher than usual and were expected to get worse as the morning rush period wore on.
As of 5:30 a.m., about two dozen 20 schools, mostly private ones, across the area had closed their doors for the day. (Check the emergency school closings list here.)
A winter storm warning is in effect until 9 a.m. Wednesday for McHenry, Lake, Kane, Cook and DuPage counties including the cities of Woodstock, Waukegan, Aurora, Wheaton and Chicago. A blizzard watch also has been issued for Joilet, Kankakee, Morocco, Morris, Pontiac, Watseka, Paxton and Fowler until 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Snowfall is expected to continue into this evening, becoming heavy enough this afternoon that even major roads could become snow covered, officials said. Blowing and drifting snow is likely tonight, with up to an inch of new snow per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
Blizzard conditions may arise with northwest winds up to 35 mph tonight, making travel very dangerous, officials warned.
Because of the snow here and the storm passing through the eastern part of the country, airlines at O’Hare International Airport already have canceled more than 200 flights today. At Midway Airport, Southwest Airlines has canceled all flights from 10 a.m. on through 10 a.m. Wednesday.
In anticipation of this morning’s snowfall, the CTA implemented a winter action plan to ensure that bus motors start this morning and that fleet, downsized by almost 290 buses because of service cuts, can get out of the garages and storage yards. Snow-sweeper trains operated overnight to make sure tracks are plowed for trains operating during the morning rush.
About 175 city Snow Command trucks were sent out at 2:30 a.m., and at 4 a.m. another 100 trucks–the full fleet–was dispatched. They are expected to be out for the duration of the day. It was only the second time this winter season the city put all its trucks out on the roadways.
The Illinois Department of Transportation also has been out on the roadways all morning, working to clear the interstates, said spokeswoman Marisa Kollias. “It will be several hours before everything is cleared,” she said, adding, the rapid snow fall has made it difficult to keep the roadways clear.
Check WGN-Ch. 9’s Severe Weather Blog for updates throughout the day.
Moderate snowfall disrupts morning rush
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
A messy and snowy morning rush period is shaping up across the area. Police are warning commuters to slow down and drive with caution.
Between 3 to 5 inches of snow is expected in the daylight hours–falling this morning at a relatively moderate rate of half an inch per hour or less. But heavier snowfall is expected this afternoon, and totals could reach 8 to 12 inches by late tonight, according to the National Weather Service.
WGN-Ch. 9 staff meteorologist Tom Skilling believes 14 inches is possible by Wednesday morning. The storm is expected to extend over–and disrupt–three rush periods.
Airlines already have canceled more than 200 flights at the city’s two airports. The city sent out its full contingent of snow-fighting trucks for only the second time this season. Only about two dozen schools across the metropolitan area closed.
While salt trucks have been out all morning, some minor spinouts have been reported on area expressways and toll roads, according to Illinois State Police.
“Right now we’re managing fairly well,” said Illinois State Trooper Ivan Bukaczyk. “The roads are in much better shape than a few weeks ago.”
But Bukaczyk described the roads as ”very slick,” and said police are bracing for the heavy snowfall predicted for the next 24 hours. ”It’s still early,” he cautioned.
By 5 a.m., travel times were already significantly higher than usual and were expected to get worse as the morning rush period wore on.
As of 5:30 a.m., about two dozen 20 schools, mostly private ones, across the area had closed their doors for the day. (Check the emergency school closings list here.)
A winter storm warning is in effect until 9 a.m. Wednesday for McHenry, Lake, Kane, Cook and DuPage counties including the cities of Woodstock, Waukegan, Aurora, Wheaton and Chicago. A blizzard watch also has been issued for Joilet, Kankakee, Morocco, Morris, Pontiac, Watseka, Paxton and Fowler until 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Snowfall is expected to continue into this evening, becoming heavy enough this afternoon that even major roads could become snow covered, officials said. Blowing and drifting snow is likely tonight, with up to an inch of new snow per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
Blizzard conditions may arise with northwest winds up to 35 mph tonight, making travel very dangerous, officials warned.
Because of the snow here and the storm passing through the eastern part of the country, airlines at O’Hare International Airport already have canceled more than 200 flights today. At Midway Airport, Southwest Airlines has canceled all flights from 10 a.m. on through 10 a.m. Wednesday.
In anticipation of this morning’s snowfall, the CTA implemented a winter action plan to ensure that bus motors start this morning and that fleet, downsized by almost 290 buses because of service cuts, can get out of the garages and storage yards. Snow-sweeper trains operated overnight to make sure tracks are plowed for trains operating during the morning rush.
About 175 city Snow Command trucks were sent out at 2:30 a.m., and at 4 a.m. another 100 trucks–the full fleet–was dispatched. They are expected to be out for the duration of the day. It was only the second time this winter season the city put all its trucks out on the roadways.
The Illinois Department of Transportation also has been out on the roadways all morning, working to clear the interstates, said spokeswoman Marisa Kollias. “It will be several hours before everything is cleared,” she said, adding, the rapid snow fall has made it difficult to keep the roadways clear.
Check WGN-Ch. 9’s Severe Weather Blog for updates throughout the day.
Lil Wayne’s Daughter Remains Strong Despite Father’s Jail Sentence
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Music
On the eve of her father’s impending jail sentence, Lil Wayne’s daughter is keeping her head up.
Reginae Carter, the 11-year-old daughter of Wayne and his ex-wife Antonia Carter, took to Twitter to thank her well wishers and share her feelings. “Thank all of yall but Im staying strong because I got family and friends that care for me,” she wrote.
Although her father won’t be around over the next year, Reginae remains optimistic. “I’m just happy he didn’t get a longer time,” she said.
Like her dad, she shares a love for sports, witnessing the Saints defeat the Colts at Sunday’s Super Bowl in Miami. “But on the bright side who saw the saints beat the colts,” she asked. “I did.”
Reginae’s mother and Weezy’s high school sweetheart Toya Carter also chimed in with her thoughts. “Sad day for me and my fam,” she tweeted.
Lil Wayne is scheduled to be sentenced today in Manhattan Supreme Court to a year-long prison term for gun possession. It is likely he will start serving his time today too.
Via Rap-Up
: daughterFirst Daughter reviews
, jailJail reviews, last night, lil wayne, prisonPrison Song reviews, reginae carter, sad day, toya, twitterTwitter
, ustreamustream
Video: Lil Wayne Farewell Tour Comes To An End At Southaven, Mississippi
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Music
Watch The Bad Girls Club: Sex, Lies And Bigfoot
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Episodes
Chicagoland School Closing Center
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab America, Fab Local News
Chicago School closings return today. Chicago School closings come as weather conditions cause a Lake Effect in some regions.
A Flood Advisory is in effect for La Salle, Will, Kankakee, and Grundy. La Porte and Starke have Lake Effect Snow watch warnings.
For school closing status click here!
#Kells2U-Heres proof to yall that the Echo remix is on the way!
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Music
Free Denny’s Grand Slam Breakfast
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Events
Get a Free Grand Slam Breakfast from Denny’s on
Tuesday, 2/9/10 from 6 am to 2 pm. Two pancakes, two eggs made anyway you want, plus two pieces of bacon and sausage. Participating
locations only, call ahead. Beverages and gratuity not included.
The last time Denny’s had this special, there was a line out the door! Rightly so, who gives a free meal. Not buy one get one, flat
out FREE! Now that’s the way to start the day!
Celebrity Fit Club 7: Boot Camp – Episode 1
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Episodes
“Actress Shar Jackson & Kevin Federline are both stars in the most recent season of Celebrity Fit Club. What’s more interesting about that is the fact that the two share a relationship that goes far beyond television.”
For the Love of Ray J Reunion: Mz Berry -vs- Cocktail
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Episodes
: cocktailCocktail reviews
, for the love of ray j, for the love of ray j 2, for the love of ray j 2 reunion, for the love of ray j 2 reunion show, for the love of ray j reunion, for the love of ray j reunion full episode, mz berry, ray j and mz berry, ray j and mz berry together
Illinois plans reforms for processing DNA
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
Illinois is moving to reform the way DNA evidence from sexual assaults is processed after a Tribune review found that many rape kits were being placed in police storage untested, robbing the state of opportunities to solve crimes and exonerate the wrongfully convicted.
The changes – some put forward in proposed legislation, others crafted by a working group of state and local law enforcement officials – come as the scope of the problem widens.
After reporting that police were not submitting many of the kits to the Illinois State Police crime lab for testing, the Tribune found that even when kits are submitted, the lab sometimes refuses to analyze them. For example, since 2007 the crime lab has returned at least 88 kits to the ChicagoChicago reviews Police Department untested, according to the department.
The crime lab now has agreed to analyze DNA from sex crime cases that were previously rejected. Also, under legislation drafted by the attorney general’s office, police would be required to submit every rape kit for testing, including those that have been gathering dust in storage, a number that could total more than 4,000 by one count. A second bill would require that all kits be tested within six months.
“After the Tribune story, it became clear that we needed a state protocol for the handling of rape kits,” said Mike Hood, deputy attorney general for criminal justice and a member of the working group.
The stakes are high for victims, law enforcement and public safety. With rape kits, those alleging sexual assault or abuse allow a nurse to secure semen, saliva and other potential DNA samples from their bodies. The exam is invasive, and the process can take up to eight hours, but the results have proved to be a powerful investigative tool. DNA has provided links between crimes and revealed the identity of attackers.
Robert Rejda, of Oakbrook Terrace, for example, was swiftly arrested in 2007 when DNA taken after a felony DUI linked him to the Christmas rape and murder of a childhood friend and the sexual assault of an Aurora woman.
The Tribune review found that over the last two years large suburban police agencies have stored untested kits with potential DNA evidence from nearly 100 alleged victims of sexual assault or abuse. They include a woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted in Downers Grove by a stranger who dragged her to the ground and bit her; a 6-year-old Bolingbrook boy who told investigators an older child had forced him to perform oral sex; and an Aurora woman who reported being sexually assaulted by an acquaintance who later made a taped confession, according to police records.
The suburban departments said they do not send kits to the lab if a prosecutor has declined to press charges; the accused has acknowledged the sex but claimed it was consensual; or the victim has recanted the allegations, doesn’t want to sign a complaint or is found not to be credible.
Arlene Hall, commander of the state police crime lab, said the lab had a practice of returning kits untested for many of the same reasons given by the suburban departments.
But in recent months the agency has re-examined its views, Hall said. Since October, state police have been working with the offices of the attorney general and the Cook County state’s attorney and Chicago police on ways to change the handling of DNA from sexual assault and abuse cases.
Its work is not yet complete, but the group is reaching agreement on important points, participants said. While the proposals face legal questions and financial concerns, key players agree change is necessary – and imminent.
“We are getting really close,” Hall said.
The group agrees that DNA analysis is required even when the accused admits to the sexual encounter but claims it was consensual, participants said. Such analysis is required for any sex crime case to move forward in court, according to prosecutors. And it may reveal details that help confirm one person’s side of events.
Also, by not uploading genetic profiles from acquaintance rapes into state and federal DNA databases, law enforcement loses the opportunity to link offenders to unsolved crimes.
The group also sees missed opportunity in cases in which authorities believe sexual assault or abuse likely occurred but that it would be impossible to prove because of the victim’s questionable lifestyle, a lack of witnesses or other challenges common in rape cases.
Many untested kits fall into this category, such as the case of the Aurora woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted by an acquaintance who later made a taped confession. Joe Birkett, the DuPage County state’s attorney, said his office declined to press charges because the victim had initially expressed interest in having sex with the accused.
“I’m not suggesting the victim wasn’t a victim of sexual assault, but what her versions of events are and what we can prove in court are two different things,” Birkett told the Tribune.
In the case of the Bolingbrook boy, the alleged offender left the state so authorities didn’t pursue charges. The woman in the Downers Grove case did not want to pursue charges.
Police, prosecutors and the crime lab had taken the position that DNA in such cases can’t be analyzed and uploaded because federal law requires DNA profiles in databases come from a “crime.” Their view has been: no charges, no crime.
But that interpretation is overly narrow, the FBI says.
“If a prosecutor declines to press charges but determines that a crime has been committed, the sample is eligible to be uploaded,” said Ann Todd, a spokeswoman for the FBI.
Members of the working group now agree that analyzing DNA in these types of cases and comparing it to DNA taken from convicted felons and other crime scenes could help produce valuable findings, such as the work of a serial rapist.
“If a prostitute makes a report of rape and then disappears, a prosecutor may say I’m not going forward with a case because I can’t win it,” said Lisa Friel, a chief sex crimes prosecutor in New York County, N.Y., where she said rape-kit testing is a top priority. “But if you move forward with the DNA gathered from the prostitute’s rape kit and it links to another attack, then you have a totally different scenario on your hands. You know you need to catch this person before they attack again.”
Under the new protocol taking shape, the state crime lab would analyze all rape kits unless the victim recants or law enforcement concludes a crime did not occur, said Cara Smith, deputy chief of staff to Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
In an effort to ensure change, the attorney general’s office has crafted legislation that would require police agencies to submit sexual assault evidence to the state’s crime lab within 10 days of picking it up from the hospital.
The bill, to be introduced this week, also would require police to submit all untested kits in their storage within 30 days of the bill becoming law.
Such mandates could flood the crime lab with work, especially if another bill requiring that every rape kit be tested within six months passes.
There are more than 4,000 untested rape kits in police storage statewide, according to a nine-month investigation by the international Human Rights Watch. And that tally only includes 82 jurisdictions that have reported so far. (The Peoria Police Department, for example, confirmed that only 52 the 253 rape kits it has collected since 2000 have been sent to the crime lab.)
For years, the crime lab has grappled with a backlog of DNA evidence, not just from sexual assaults but also from homicides and burglaries. In some cases, it has taken more than a year for the lab to analyze DNA. Last year, the Blagojevich administration came under fire for falsely claiming the backlog had been cleared at one point.
The lab, which in 2009 received 5,758 forensic biology cases, one-third of them involving sex crimes, has reduced its backlog in recent months with the help of a $2.5 million federal grant and advances in DNA technology, Hall said.
But if the lab is flooded with more rape kits, a six-month mandate and no additional resources, it could be forced to delay testing DNA from other violent crimes, including ones with impending court dates, Hall said.
Shauna Boliker, chief of the criminal division at the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, said those concerns need to be addressed.
“We have to figure out how to prioritize these DNA cases in a way that balances the rights of victims with broader community safety,” Boliker said. “You have to come up with a hierarchy, like stranger rapes before acquaintance rapes.”
There’s also the question of what to do when a DNA profile is uploaded into the database and officials later determine the person is innocent. Federal law requires such information should be removed, but the working group wants the state to address that.
“That’s the last piece, figuring out how to expunge those profiles,” Smith said.
Drew Brees David Letterman Interview
February 09, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
Lawyer: Stacy Peterson asked about blackmailing Drew
February 08, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
Shortly before she vanished in October 2007, Stacy Peterson told a divorce attorney that she thought her husband was mad at her because he believed she told his son he had killed his ex-wife, the attorney testified Monday.
She also wondered if she’d be able to extort money from Drew Peterson if she threatened to go to police, the attorney said.
Harry C. Smith, who had represented Drew Peterson’s ex-wife, Kathleen Savio, in their divorce, said Stacy did not seem afraid of the former Bolingbrook police sergeant during their two conversations, saying she told him she had “so much (expletive) on him at the police department, he couldn’t do anything to her.”
Smith’s testimony came on the 14th day of a pretrial hearing to determine whether 15 hearsay statements will be admitted into trial against Peterson, who has been charged with Savio’s 2004 drowning death.
Smith said Stacy Peterson had called him because she was seeking a divorce from Drew Peterson.
“She told me that Drew was (upset) at her because” Drew thought she had told his and Savio’s son Tom that Drew killed Savio, Smith testified. “She said, ‘Could we get more money out of Drew if we threatened to tell the police department that Drew killed Kathy?’”
Smith said he told Stacy Peterson he could not represent her because of the conflict of interest.
Smith represented Savio beginning in January 2002. She was found dead March 1, 2004, in an empty bathtub at her Bolingbrook home. Authorities at the time concluded her death was an accident, but after Stacy Peterson vanished they reopened the Savio case as a homicide. Drew Peterson is the sole suspect in Stacy’s disappearance, but has not been charged.
Smith said that right before Savio died, a divorce judge had recommended Savio be awarded the home, custody of the children, her share of Peterson’s police pension, child support and the proceeds from a bar the couple had owned.
“He was angry,” Smith said of Peterson.
Smith said Savio frequently faxed and called him with complaints about Peterson, including custody matters and alleged threats. Smith said Savio told him Peterson had threatened to kill her and make it look like an accident, but he had believed she may have been “paranoid.”
After she was found dead, Smith said, “I thought I’d done a poor job of listening to my client.”
Savio had told him that if she died, “to let people know that Drew did it,” Smith testified. So Smith said he called Illinois State Police but the officer he spoke with was “not prepared for that kind of conversation.” Smith said he was told someone would get back to him, but no one ever did.
Illinois State Police have already admitted shortcomings in the investigation.
Smith became at least the eighth witness to testify that Savio said Peterson broke into her home, put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her.
The Bolingbrook police sergeant who took Savio’s report said Savio refused to include in her written statement the detail about Peterson using a knife. Teresa Kernc, who retired as a lieutenant in 2005 and is now mayor of DiamondBlood Diamond reviews, Ill., said Savio was worried that detail could cost Peterson his job.
When interviewed by Kernc, Peterson denied attacking Savio, said she had invited him over and alleged that Savio exposed herself to him and asked if he “missed this.”
Former Peterson friend Ric Mims testified Monday that he helped Peterson follow Savio around, once sitting in a parked vehicle outside her office while Peterson told him he was removing papers from Savio’s house. Mims testified the National Enquirer paid him $17,500 for his story.
Prosecutors, who have called 60 witnesses, said they have six more to call. Defense attorneys said they plan to call about 20 witnesses.
–Erika Slife and Steve Schmadeke
Jamie Foxx on Lopez Tonight
February 08, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
Joliet cell phone store worker shot during holdup
February 08, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Uncategorized
An employee at a Joliet cell phone store was shot and wounded Monday night during an armed robbery by three masked men, authorities said.
The employee, described as a man in his 20s, wasn’t seriously injured at the shooting that occurred at about 9 p.m. in the 2500 block of West Jefferson Street, Joliet police said. The victim was taken to an area hospital and treated for his wound, police said.
At about the time the business was supposed to close, the three masked gunmen entered and demanded merchandise, Joliet police Lt. Dennis McWherter said. The robbers were able to flee with some merchandise and money, though police weren’t sure exactly how much.
Joliet police detectives remained on the scene late Monday, McWherter said. Police didn’t immediately have a description of the robbers.
Daley: Let inspector general probe City Council
February 08, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
As yet another ChicagoChicago reviews alderman admitted to being a crook, Mayor Richard Daley dusted off a 20-year-old idea on Monday and proposed giving the city’s inspector general the power to investigate City Council members.
When Daley created the inspector general’s office in 1989, aldermen overwhelmingly voted to exclude themselves from being investigated by the new office. The inspector general can investigate any part of city government, aldermen said, except aldermen.
Daley said Monday he decided to act now after his council ally, Ald. Isaac “Ike” Carothers, pleaded guilty in federal court last week to accepting bribes for aiding a developer, becoming the 29th alderman convicted of crimes since 1972.
“I think after the Carothers issue, people are losing confidence in government,” Daley said. “It broke the camel’s back.”
Daley’s proposed ordinance is sure to rankle many aldermen — concerned over an incursion by an already powerful mayor and worried about political witch hunts.
Daley’s actions Monday also could help the mayor move closer to ending federal court oversight of the scandal-plagued system for hiring city workers. The proposal, which Daley plans to introduce at Wednesday’s council meeting, would dramatically shift power between City Hall watchdogs.
The mayor conceded he made a mistake by giving oversight of city hiring to the Office of Compliance he created in 2007. In an about-face, Daley is proposing moving those duties to the inspector general.
Ald. Bernard Stone, 50th, said Daley can give hiring oversight to whomever he wants but Stone said he’s against the inspector general investigating aldermen. Stone had accused the previous inspector general of overstepping his bounds when an investigation led to the prosecution of Stone’s ward superintendent.
“The executive branch should not be able to oversee the legislative branch because the executive branch can use it to blackmail the legislative branch,” Stone said. “That’s the same thing J. Edgar Hoover did to Congress.”
Stone said the fact that 29 aldermen have been convicted shows there’s no need for more scrutiny. “Law enforcement is doing an excellent job in sending crooked aldermen to jail,” he said. “Why do we need someone to duplicate that?”
Ald. Howard Brookins, 21st, said he doesn’t know yet if he’ll support Daley’s proposal.
Brookins echoed Stone. “It seems like everyone is doing a great job,” Brookins said. “A friend of mine in the FBI says they have our seating chart and all 50 of our pictures.”
Many aldermen have long opposed the notion of the inspector general peeking into their affairs. Similar efforts last year by aldermen didn’t have the mayor’s backing and died in committee.
Ald. Joe Moore, 49th, who got 11 aldermen to join his failed proposal last year, predicted Daley would succeed where he had failed. “His winning percentage is close to one thousand,” Moore said.
Moore said voters are fed up and angry over government scandals. “The mayor continues to struggle with abuses in hiring,” he said. “And we have another alderman going off to jail.”
Daley’s proposal would punish city workers and contractors who fail to report corrupt activity. It also calls for the office’s investigative reports — which are currently secret — to be posted on the Internet, minus the names of those involved.
Inspector General Joseph Ferguson, who though he is appointed by the mayor is considered more independent than the compliance office, supported the expansion of his powers.
“The proposal announced by the mayor … constitutes a watershed moment in the history of the city,” Ferguson said. “This proposal comes to grips with core structural reforms necessary to root out patronage and corruption in the city of Chicago.”
In a January report, Ferguson said “the dangers of political hiring remain real and constant” and complained that a city ordinance barred him from investigating aldermen. He said that has prevented him from looking into a November Tribune article detailing how aldermen had put family members, campaign operatives and others with political connections on a stealth taxpayer-funded payroll.
City Hall is operating under a decades-long consent decree aimed at keeping politics out of most personnel decisions. A federal judge appointed a monitor in 2005 to oversee hiring after federal authorities accused Daley’s patronage chief and others of circumventing that decree by rigging hiring to reward the mayor’s political allies with jobs, promotions and overtime.
Daley has said he plans to ask the court this year to end oversight, arguing that the city was in “substantial compliance,” a legal threshold for ending court involvement.
Michael Shakman, the lawyer whose lawsuit 40 years ago resulted in the Shakman decree governing city hiring and firing, said Daley had taken a step in the right direction but more needs to be done.
The city still needs to complete its hiring plan, which would set in place the process by which new employees get hired, based on merit or by lottery and not based on whom they know politically. Shakman said the Daley administration also needs to tackle the issue of contract workers who function as city employees in apparent violation of hiring rules.
Shakman also called for Daley to get rid of Anthony Boswell, the head of the compliance office. “No one has any confidence in Boswell,” he said. “I don’t, the monitor doesn’t, and it’s clear the mayor doesn’t. He’s got to go.”
Boswell could not be reached for comment Monday, and his lawyer declined to comment. Daley refused Monday to answer questions about Boswell’s future.
Ferguson and Boswell also have tangled. Ferguson last month concluded that Boswell and his top deputy mishandled a 2008 sexual harassment complaint from an intern at the 911 center. Ferguson said the two men repeatedly disregarded city policies and showed favoritism toward the 911 supervisor by trying to find him another city job and a new intern.
He recommended to Daley that the men be suspended for at least 30 days. The top deputy resigned his post.
Boswell’s lawyer, Jamie Wareham, has said the inspector general’s investigation was politically motivated by the desire to take over many of Boswell’s duties. Wareham said it was a “classic Chicago power grab.”
–Hal Dardick and Todd Lighty
Latest snow prediction: Up to 14 inches
February 08, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
An area winter storm warning has been issued for late Monday through early Wednesday with up to 10 inches of snow expected to blanket the area by late Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
WGN-TV’s Tom Skilling thinks there’s a possibility the final totals could be closer to 14 inches, making this storm the worst of the winter for ChicagoChicago reviews. According to the WGN Severe Weather Blog, the storm could last 35-40 hours, affect three rush hours, and generally make life unpleasant until at least Wednesday.
The warning took effect at 9 p.m. Monday and will continue until 9 a.m. Wednesday.
Snow will continue across the region this morning and increase in intensity. The snow will continue through night. Blowing and drifting snow with near blizzard conditions in open areas can be expected tonight into early Wednesday, the weather service said..
Snowfall rates will generally be light to moderate. However, the very long period that the snow will be falling over will allow storm total snowfalls of 8 to 10 inches to accumulate by late Tuesday night, the weather service said.
Christopher Nendick, 3, pauses to catch a snowflake on his tongue while walking in the parking lot of a Jewel food store as the snow begins to fall in Yorkville on Monday (Tribune / Scott Strazzante)
In addition to the falling snow, northwest winds will increase to 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph late today and will continue through Wednesday morning, resulting in significant blowing and drifting snow.
The potential exists for ground blizzard and near white-out conditions to develop in rural areas late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
Travel is likely to be significantly hampered during the snow storm overnight through Wednesday morning. Due to the long duration of light to moderate snowfall major roads and highways might become snow covered. Blowing and drifting snow Tuesday night into early Wednesday will result in near ground blizzard conditions in outlying areas making travel extremely dangerous.
Over 200 flights have been canceled today at O’Hare International Airport due to the winter storm passing through the eastern portion of the nation and in anticipation of the storm expected for the Chicago area, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. As of 8:30 p.m. Monday, flights were delayed 25 to 35 minutes to Minneapolis and the East Coast because of snow conditions.
Southwest Airlines canceled all flights at Midway Airport from 10 a.m. today to 10 a.m. Wednesday in anticipation of the winter storm expected for the Chicago area. More than 30 flights were delayed one hour or more Monday night due to the winter storm conditions on the East Coast.
Forecasters said a strong surface low is expected to develop over the Mississippi Valley Monday and make its way into Kentucky by Tuesday and then into Ohio by Wednesday. That low is the culprit behind the heavy snow warning for north central Illinois Tuesday.
The warning covers all of the areas in the north central part of the state, including Chicago and Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.
Meteorologists earlier issued a hazardous weather outlook covering Monday through Saturday and officials cautioned that the area can expect strong northerly winds to develop late Tuesday into Wednesday. Portions of the lower Fox River will remain flooded because of ice jams.
Illinois State Police will have a few extra officers on duty in the Chicago area over the next couple of days in anticipation of hazardous driving conditions. They expect there to be an accumulation of 11 to 15 inches of snow between Monday night and Wednesday afternoon. State Trooper James Gawel urged drivers to be cautious throughout the storm.
“Visibility is probably going to be down, so I would caution everybody to drive with what the weather conditions require,” said Gawel.
City of Chicago officials said today that they are approaching the storm the same way they have the other storms this winter, with salting, sanding, plowing, and social service programs for at-risk groups like seniors and the homeless. All of the cities’ snow-fighting trucks are expected to be on the streets.
But Rich Rodriguez, the president of the CTA, acknowledged that this storm will likely make things a “little more difficult” for mass transit users because of the recent service cutbacks caused by budget problems.
“Buses are going to be at capacity throughout the entire day,” he said, cautioning riders to build an extra 30-45 minutes into their commute time. “Individuals may not necessarily be sitting any more on a bus, but the goal is to try to get them on the bus.”
Click HERE for a WGN-TV report on this story.
Pic of the Day – From the Fog…
February 08, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
Pic of the Day – From the Fog…
February 08, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
Pic of the Day – From the Fog…
February 08, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
Pic of the Day – From the Fog…
February 08, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
Pic of the Day – From the Fog…
February 08, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
Pic of the Day – From the Fog…
February 08, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
Pic of the Day – From the Fog…
February 08, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Fab Local News
