According to law enforcement sources, Berg — real name Christian Ward — was at a house party at around 2:00 AM Monday morning when four suspects entered the home and brandished firearms. 

We’re told the suspects pistol-whipped two people inside the party — one of whom was Berg. Law enforcement sources say the suspects robbed eight people and made off with $10,000 in cash and jewelry.

Source

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Barbara Walters has been around the world, interviewed prime ministers, presidents and just about anyone who has been in the spotlight the last half-century.

She came to Peoria because: “I had never been here before,” Walters told the Journal Star. “When I got the opportunity I decided to come, and I’m so glad I did. It’s very delightful.”

Walters was the keynote speaker Monday night at the Creve Coeur Club’s 112th annual George Washington Banquet at the Embassy Suites.

Each year, the banquet features a nationally or internationally renowned figure. The keynote speaker last year was Mikhail Gorbachev.

Hundreds of the Tri-County Area’s more prominent residents, employees and dignitaries filed into the banquet hall Monday decked out in their finery to hear Walters speak at the $175- to $200-a-plate dinner event.

This George Washington Banquet was the 10th for Linda Martin, 61, of Morton.

“They have such wonderful speakers, each one of them is unique and interesting,” Martin said.

Walters was no exception. As the first woman ever to co-anchor network news, 25-year co-host of ABC’s “20/20,” star of “Barbara Walters Specials” and annual 10 most fascinating people broadcasts, and current co-owner, executive producer and co-host of “The View,” Walters has probably interviewed more political figures and entertainment stars than any other broadcast journalist in history.

That includes every U.S. president and first lady since President Richard M. Nixon, as well as celebrities such as Bing Crosby, Sir Laurence Olivier, Monica Lewinsky, Boris Yeltsin, Margaret Thatcher and Saddam Hussein.

Walters considers former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat her most important interview, in part because he changed history and had such a charismatic personality.

Walters also recalled two of her other favorite subjects, Katherine Hepburn and Christopher Reeve.

“I have never had a mentor, but if I had, it would be Katherine Hepburn,” Walters said, sharing her appreciation for the late actress’ strength and ability to be content in who she was.

Walters admired Reeve for facing challenges after becoming paralyzed and finding purpose and meaning in the remainder of his life.

“Christopher Reeve was one of the most extraordinary men I’ve ever met,” she said. “If I had to pick someone other than Anwar Sadat (as most important interview), it might very well be Christopher Reeve.”

With her busy schedule, Walters doesn’t often do speeches, but she was looking forward to her visit here and was glad to find out the winter storm didn’t cancel her trip, she said.

Walters, 78, promised the crowd she will mention her visit Wednesday morning on her next appearance on “The View.”

Ruth Longoria Kingsland can be reached at 686-3196 or rlongoria@pjstar.com.

Read the original article from Journal Star.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

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Cause of death for a man found facedown on a South Peoria street early Sunday may not be known for at least another week.

An autopsy conducted Monday on Kelvin Mosley, 44, of 1617 S. Stanley St. did not show any signs of trauma or determine a cause of death, Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll said.

“We believe cause of death may be revealed in toxicology testing,” Ingersoll said of results that will take 1 to 2 weeks to process.

Ingersoll said additional testing also will be done to determine if any underlying illness could have led to Mosley’s death.

Mosley was found lying in the street near his house by a group of teens about 1:45 a.m. Sunday. Mosley had no pulse, and he was pronounced dead at the scene about 45 minutes later.
 

Read the original article from Journal Star.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

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Tribune News Services

On the day he reported to the spring training, Manny Ramirez predicted this would be his last season with the Dodgers.

“I know I’m not going to be here next year,” Ramirez said Monday in Phoenix.

So you don’t think you will re-sign with Dodgers?

“I doubt it, I don’t know,” he said. “I’m happy to be here. I’m going to try to enjoy myself.”

Asked what made him think he wouldn’t be in Los Angeles in 2011,
Ramirez replied, “I don’t know. I just know that I’m not going to be
here.”
Did he see himself moving to the American League?

“I don’t know,” Ramirez said. “We’ll see. Let’s take it a day at a time.”

Ramirez said he wasn’t even certain if he wanted to play next season.

“I don’t know about tomorrow, but I know about today, so … ” he
said. “When the season is over, I want to see where I’m at. If I play,
I play. If they let me play, I play.”

Ramirez said the game was still fun to play.

“All the time,” he said.

Of his struggles last season, Ramirez said: “For me, it was great.
I was telling myself, ‘Thank you, God.’ At least I was playing. That’s
how I look at things. We didn’t make the World Series, but at least we
were there.

“I think I did a great job. It was good what I did, coming back”
from a 50-game drug suspension. “What happened last year, that’s in the
past. This year’s a new year, so we’ll see.”

Ramirez refused to talk in detail about problems at the plate last
season, but he acknowledged that they made him change his off-season
training regimen.

“My whole career, I never hit,” he said. “But after this year, I
felt I needed to figure out a couple of (things). That’s what I did.”

Did he figure out the cause of his problems?

“We’re going to see in September,” he said. “If I’m still here.”

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By Chris Kuc
 

VANCOUVER — The United States’ women’s hockey team will be playing for the gold medal.

The U.S. team hammered Sweden 9-1 on Monday in the semifinals of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

Monique LaMoureux scored three goals and six other Americans scored, while Jessie Vetter made 11 saves to pick up the win in goal.

The U.S. team, which has outscored its first four opponents by a combined 40-2, will play the winner of the other semifinal between Canada and Finland for the gold medal Thursday.

Photo: Caitlin Catow (8) celebrates her goal with Angelo Ruggiero (4) during the U.S. team’s 9-1 victory Monday over Sweden. (Alex Livesey/Getty)

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By Paul Sullivan

MESA, Ariz.- Ryan Dempster, who hails from Canada but lives in the U.S., was seen walking around the Cubs clubhouse Monday morning handing out money to players.

If one didn’t know better, it appeared as though he was paying off bets from Canada’s loss to the U.S. in Sunday night’s Olympic hockey showdown in Vancouver.

Didn’t Dempster guarantee a win by Canada?

“Me, guarantee something?” he said. “That would never happen. No, not at all. I never guarantee anything I have no input in whatsoever. I just bet peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches on the game. That’s all I did.”

Dempster, of course, guaranteed a World Series title for the Cubs in 2008.

Just how many bets did Dempster make?

“I don’t know,” he said. “That’s a lot of peanut butter. Trying to figure out who wants crunchy and who wants smooth, that’s going to be the tough part.”

Dempster enjoyed the game with teammates and friends at a barbeque at his rented house in the Valley. He grew up as a Vancouver Canucks fan, but has gradually morphed into a Blackhawks fan since signing with the Cubs.

While some believe the NHL shouldn’t shut down the season for the Olympics, Dempster is all for it.

“You’ve got to make sure you’re staying ready if (you’re not on an Olympic team),” he said. “I’m sure that’s the tough part, getting through that. But if you catch guys playing at their best, you’re going to get the best hockey, which is kind of fun.”

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Associated Press | Toyota said Monday it received a subpoena
from a federal grand jury seeking documents related to unintended
acceleration in its vehicles and the braking system of its Prius hybrid.

The Japanese automaker also said it received a subpoena from the Los
Angeles office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
requesting documents related to unintended acceleration as well as to
its disclosure policies and practices. The subpoenas are the latest demand for documentation from Toyota Motor Corp. Over the weekend, Toyota turned over documents to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, with some indicating it saved money by obtaining a limited recall from regulators in 2007.

Two House committees are holding hearings this week on the Japanese automaker’s recall of 8.5 million vehicles since last fall to deal with safety problems involving gas pedals, floor mats and brakes.

Toyota said it received the grand jury request from the Southern District of New York on Feb. 8. It disclosed the latest requests in a filing with the SEC on Monday and said it intends to comply with the requests.

A spokeswoman with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.

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OMG, y’all! Monday’s special hour-long episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians was so outrageous and insane that I don’t even need to insert my own snark. I could just transcribe it directly, and it would still be crazy for you guys to read. Seriously, it was nutso. And if you didn’t think Scott was a narcissistic douchebag before, then be prepared to see the light.

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A ZionZion reviews high school official is accused of trying to destroy evidence that marijuana was growing in the basement of a home where she rents an apartment, authorities said Tuesday.

Candace Blanton, 38, was charged with felony obstruction of justice and misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, said Zion Police Chief Larry Booth.

Blanton, a dean of students at Zion-Benton Township High School, is alleged to have tried to destroy up to 20 marijuana plants in the basement of the home before police executed a search warrant last week.

There was no evidence that Blanton was selling marijuana, Booth said.

Police found broken or empty pots for plants, lighting equipment, potting soil and other evidence of cultivation in the basement, he said. The home is in the 2700 block of Emmaus Avenue near downtown Zion.

Blanton, who was released on $150,000 bail last week, has been placed on paid administrative leave “pending further investigation,” the high school said in a statement. The statement said police had notified school officials of the charges.

Superintendent Christine Clark declined to discuss the charges.

Blanton, who could not be reached for comment, is scheduled to appear March 1 in Lake County Circuit Court in Waukegan.

Three employees of the high school said school officials informed them of Blanton’s arrest at a staff meeting Monday.

Loren Karner, a Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 school board member, declined comment Monday evening and referred questions to district administrators.

– Ralph Zahorik

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A 51-year-old man was charged with shooting another man to death in the Woodlawn neighborhood Sunday after the two had an altercation, officials announced this morning.

Elliot G. Mayfield, of the 600 block of South Calumet Avenue, was charged with first-degree murder Monday and was ordered held today by a Cook County criminal court judge on $800,000 bond.

Mayfield is charged with fatally shooting Samuel Fullilove, of the 300 block of East 60th Street, on Sunday.

The shooting occurred at about 9:07 p.m. Sunday on the 6100 block of South King Drive.  Fullilove was pronounced dead at 9:47 p.m., officials said. An autopsy on Monday determined that Fullilove was shot in the chest and ruled his death a homicide.

 Carlos Sadovi

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An Algonquin teenager has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a family member, authorities said.

Bond was set at $2.5 million today for David W. Szalonek, 16, of the 1400 block of Westbourne Parkway.
Algonquin police would not disclose the identity of the victim, his
specific relationship to the teen, or the cause of his death. They
described the victim only as a man in his early 50s.

Deputy Chief Steve Kuzynowski said police responded to the family home
around 7:45 p.m. Monday after receiving a report of a suspicious
incident and found the body of the man inside.

The Kane County state’s attorney’s office confirmed Szalonek’s identity and said he had been charged as an adult.

He was taken to the juvenile jail facility in St. Charles after
appearing in Elgin branch court. Szalonek is next due back in court
Feb. 18.

Allison Strupeck, spokeswoman for Dundee School District 300, said Szalonek is a freshman at Jacobs High School in Algonquin, and that he has attended district schools since 7th grade.

Police notified school officials late Monday, Strupeck said, and district officials briefed teachers and staff at a meeting before Tuesday classes. School officials were planning to send a mass-distribution telephone message to parents this afternoon, alerting them to the situation and the availability of counseling.

The message will also emphasize that Szalonek was in custody and the matter was not school-related, Strupeck said.

–Clifford Ward

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A woman who abandoned her alleged 3-year-old nephew at a firehouse Monday night, told firefighters there she was in the military and on her way to catch a flight to Virginia.   

The woman dropped the boy off at a firehouse at 1440 E. 67th St at about 9:15 p.m. Monday, said Police News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak.

She told firefighters the boy was her nephew and his mother–the woman’s sister–left the child with her three days ago and failed to pick him up, said Kubiak, citing a preliminary police report. The woman said her flight to Virginia was scheduled to leave at 11:30 p.m. Monday and she could no longer care for him, Kubiak said.

Under Illinois’ “safe haven” law, parents or guardians can legally leave a child up to 1 month old at a designated place such as a hospital, fire or police station–well under the age of the abandoned boy. Charges could be brought against the person who abandoned him.

The child was described as in good condition. No further information was available.

–Deanese Williams-Harris

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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

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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

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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.”

– Staff report

Click HERE for a WGN-TV report on this story.

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Democratic Party leaders began the delicate dance of picking a new running mate for Gov. Pat Quinn today, while emphasizing there was no horse-trading involved to get a scandal-ridden ChicagoChicago reviews pawnbroker to abandon the primary nomination for lieutenant governor.

Quinn said Scott Lee Cohen should not be reimbursed for the roughly $2 million in personal funds he poured into his campaign. A spokesman for Michael Madigan, the House speaker and state Democratic chairman, agreed and said the topic of raising money for Cohen never surfaced in Madigan’s two conversations with the beleaguered nominee leading up to his teary-eyed withdrawal Sunday night.

Already, all five of the rivals whom Cohen bested in the primary election a week ago said they want to be considered to fill the vacancy and would present their credentials to Democratic Party leaders from around the state who will make the decision.

But sources said Quinn has discussed with top Democrats the possibility of selecting Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who lost a 2006 run for Congress in the western suburbs before becoming an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Duckworth could not be reached for comment.

The unusual selection process is fraught with peril for Democrats. They are essentially substituting their judgment for those of the voters, while also raising the potential for infighting and bruised egos as they consider candidates on issues ranging from hometown to sex to race.

Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, noted prior to a Monday meeting of Senate Democrats in Springfield that “half the people here want to be lieutenant governor.”

Veteran state Rep. Art Turner, of Chicago, who is black, finished second to Cohen. But some leading Democrats, including other black state lawmakers, said they could support a downstate white contender to balance the ticket. As a result of last week’s primary, all six major Democratic nominees for the U.S. Senate and statewide offices are from the Chicago area and half of them are African-American.

“I’m not saying downstaters are racist … they are regionally focused,” said state Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, one of the lawmakers. “They want somebody that can articulate their concerns in state government.”

A formal decision on filling the vacancy may be weeks away.

The Democratic State Central Committee is expected to wait until after the State Board of Elections certifies the results of the primary balloting on March 5 to take any final action, a party spokesman said. The 38 committee members, elected last week from the state’s 19 congressional districts, will vote on the replacement. Their votes will be weighted based on the voter turnout in their congressional district for the Feb. 2 primary.

Cohen has yet to formally quit the race, a simple procedure that involves filing a notice with the elections board, said Executive Director Dan White.

Cohen could not be reached for comment. But during an interview Monday on WLS-AM 890, Cohen said Madigan never offered to help raise money to repay the former candidate’s debt.

“I went to him for advice, and he gave me reasons why I could possibly damage the party come the general (election),” Cohen said of his meeting with Madigan. “I hope that there’ll come a time that I try to fundraise to get some of the money back. But there were no promises. (Madigan) never said that he was going to fundraise for me.”

Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said covering Cohen’s financial losses “wasn’t discussed, and no way would (Madigan) be involved in fundraising for Mr. Cohen or direct others to do so.”

For his part, Quinn said he never met or reached out to Cohen after the primary. Quinn said he was unaware of any efforts to help Cohen get his $2 million back for dropping out.

“I don’t believe that would be the way to go,” Quinn said. “Offerings. The answer is no.”

Cohen used his money for a blitz of broadcast campaign ads touting his job fairs, which helped him overcome a crowded field that included veteran state lawmakers. It was only after his nomination win that details of domestic abuse allegations, his relationship with a prostitute and his troubled financial history were uncovered by the media, creating a potential disaster for Democrats.

Monique Garcia, Michelle Manchir and John Chase contributed to this report.

–Rick Pearson and Ray Long

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ZionZion reviews police announced today that a local woman was arrested last week after authorities said they found “evidence of a marijuana grow operation” in her basement.

The woman, Candace Blanton, 38, is a dean at Zion-Benton Township High School, three school employees confirmed today.

Zion police said Blanton, 38, of the 2700 block of Emmaus Avenue, was charged Feb. 1 with unlawful possession of a marijuana plant, unlawful possession of cannabis and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, along with felony obstruction of justice.

A woman by the same name is listed on the Zion school’s staff directory as a dean, and three employees of the high school said school officials informed them of Blanton’s arrest at a staff meeting Monday.

Reached late Monday, Loren Karner, a Zion-Benton High School District 126 school board member, declined comment and referred questions to district administrators, who could not be reached.

In a statement, Zion police said they found evidence of marijuana cultivation while executing a search warrant at Blanton’s home. She appeared in bond court Feb. 2 and was released on a $150,000 recognizance bond, police said.

–Staff report

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Bus and train riders who encountered the CTA at far less than its best on the first weekday of major service cuts should prepare themselves to slog through snow during Tuesday’s commute.

The CTA implemented a winter action plan Monday to ensure that bus motors start in the morning and that the fleet — downsized by almost 290 buses because of the service cuts — can get out of garages and storage yards and onto streets.

Snow-sweeper trains were to have operated through the night to make sure tracks are plowed for the approximately 130,000 CTA passengers who travel by train from 6 to 9 each morning, officials said.

Riders voiced frustration after putting up today with longer waits at bus stops and at rail station platforms, as well as enduring crowded conditions and longer travel times.

Carolyn Ephraim, who is financially supporting five grandchildren, said she worries that the CTA cuts will make her late for work at the Daley Center downtown.

“That jeopardizes my job,” said Ephraim, 55, who on Monday left home in ChicagoChicago reviews’s Marquette Park neighborhood 20 minutes earlier than usual to offset any delays. Ephraim said she arrived barely on time.

She used to take the No. X49 Western Express bus, but it stopped operating Monday, and she now has to wait for the local Western Avenue bus, Ephraim said. “It’s slower than ever,” she said.

Lynneé Spencer, a South Sider who commutes to downtown Mondays and Wednesdays for college, said the No. 26 bus was crowded this morning, more so than usual.

Usually, when Spencer leaves home at 6:45 a.m., the bus is not crowded. That was not the case today. The Red Line this morning, which she takes to get her kids to school, was also unusually crowded, she said.

“I don’t know about the wait, just the capacity was an issue,” Spencer said.

It didn’t help that the number of CTA employees who failed to report for work Monday was twice the normal rate, officials said, declining to provide specific numbers.

Employees on standby filled in as much as possible. But on top of the reduced service, the CTA was forced to cancel 33 bus runs in the morning rush, officials said, out of a total of almost 1,500 runs.

Overall ridership on Monday appeared to be slightly lower than normal in response to the widely reported warnings of an 18 percent reduction in CTA bus service and a 9 percent cutback in train operations.

All Gloria Fleming, a social worker, wanted when she got off work Monday evening was a seat on the bus.

But when she saw there were no empty seats on the southbound No. 26 South Shore Express bus just after 5 p.m., she let the bus pass her by. Fleming let another packed bus pass, before resigning herself to stand on a third bus.

“I’ve been working all day. I just want a seat,” Fleming said.

Meanwhile, CTA President Richard Rodriguez called on union officials representing bus and rail employees to meet with him this week to try to negotiate a quick end to the service cuts, which resulted in the layoffs of about 1,100 employees.

UnionThe Union reviews officials agreed to meet, but no date was immediately set. They said they wanted to confer with their memberships before starting negotiations.

Rodriguez said he has a menu of ideas to chisel away at a $95.6 million budget deficit. CTA officials in late January offered the Amalgamated Transit Union a list of proposed union concessions totaling more than $76 million.

The unions have not agreed to any of those terms. But union leaders said they will gauge their membership’s support for $90.6 million in savings that the union chiefs recently proposed on their own to the CTA.

Darrell Jefferson, president of the bus drivers union, said he remains hopeful that the 903 members who were laid off from Local 241 will return to work once an agreement is reached.

“I just want the CTA to meet us in the middle of the road,” Jefferson said.

Robert Kelly, president of the rail workers union, said he will conduct a membership meeting Tuesday. But he said his rank and file in Local 308, which lost 112 members to the layoffs, has up until now opposed making any contract concessions.

Although it won’t be enough to cancel the service cuts, the CTA reached a tentative agreement with its trade unions to save 38 jobs, officials announced. The trade unionists, who perform maintenance and construction at CTA facilities, accepted proposals to take unpaid days and defer some wage increases in exchange for flexibility from the CTA side on issues important to them, CTA spokeswoman Noelle Gaffney said.

More comments from CTA riders on Twitter

–Jon Hilkevitch, Serena Daniels and Angie Leventis Lourgos

Click HERE for a WGN-TV report on this story.

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A man was found fatally beaten Sunday morning in an alley in the city’s Little Village neighborhood.

The unidentified victim was discovered at about 6:45 a.m. Sunday in the 3000 block of South Christiana Avenue, ChicagoChicago reviews police said.

The victim, described as a man between 20 and 30 years old, appeared to have suffered trauma to his head and upper body, police said in a news release.

No arrests had been made, police said.

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday morning, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

–Staff report

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Facing stalled negotiations with union officials on how to resolve a major budget deficit, the ChicagoChicago reviews Transit Authority began implementing major service cuts today for the first time in more than a decade.

Joe Ramos, 65, said the delays already impacted him when he left his job on the south side at 3:30 a.m. He said he had to wait two hours for his bus near 44th and Wallace St., doubling the normal time.

The delay meant he didn’t get to his home at Cottage Grove and 72nd Street until 6 a.m.

“It’s ridiculous,” said Ramos.

Jamika Bivens, 14, said the delays will really impact her school schedule as well as daily life. Bivens, of the South SideSouth Side reviews, was waiting for the No. 29 bus on 69th and State Street.

“You’re going to be out too long and then it’s going to make you late for your destination,” said Bivens.

On the eve of service cuts today, Mayor Richard Daley voiced concern on Saturday that union members would rather accept 1,100 layoffs than agree to pay cuts, unpaid days off or other concessions.

“They said most of their members would agree that people be laid off, unfortunately,” said Daley, after he brought CTA and union officials to City Hall on Friday to try and restart negotiations.

On the North Side, Erin Bell, 28, was waiting with her daughter Emma, 6, on their way to a childrens’ birthday party and they were already delayed.

“We’re already late,” said Bell, adding they had been waiting 20 minutes for the No. 77 Belmont bus.

Bell, of Roscoe Village, said she had heard about the cutbacks but forgot they were to take effect today.

“I hope we don’t miss cake time,” said Emma.

The greatest impact of the service cuts will be felt Monday, the first work day since 119 bus routes and seven of the eight rail lines began operating less frequently, CTA President Richard Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez urged riders to plan their Monday commutes in advance to ensure they have enough time to reach their destinations.

As a general guideline, rail customers can expect an additional minute or two for trains to arrive during rush hour, while bus riders should expect an additional two to five minutes between buses, CTA said.

“Although the increments seem minor, there will be a significant difference in the length of a customer’s commute,” Rodriguez said. “Both buses and trains will fill up faster as a result of the service decrease, particularly during peak service hours, and riders may be forced to wait for multiple vehicles to pass before being able to board.”

CTA closely monitored routes from its control center Sunday and said there were “no serious problems related to service reduction,” according to CTA Chairman Terry Peterson.

Robert Kelly, president of the CTA’s rail union, said over the weekend that members historically have taken a hard line against concessions. He plans to met with members this week to present them with the CTA’s position and hopes an agreement can be reached within the next seven to 10 days.

“In the past the membership has said, ‘Don’t give up nothing,’ ” Kelly said. “I can tell you we don’t give up nothing without getting something. That’s negotiating.”

Even if the union agrees, the changes won’t come in time to push back the changes which commuters already had to grapple with today. Rodriguez warned riders to expect longer wait times and more crowded buses and trains.

CTA buses and trains will not run as often and some buses will not run as late into the night. Passengers should plan for longer waits between buses on 119 of 150 CTA bus routes, as well as on seven rail lines. Forty-one bus routes will have shorter hours and nine express routes will be eliminated.

CTA riders are advised to check transitchicago.com when making travel plans.

In addition, two dozen Pace suburban bus routes will be eliminated or operate with reduced service starting Monday to save money.

– Georgia Garvey , Kristen Mack and staff

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The parents of a 13-month-old boy killed in a traffic collision this week cried in outrage today when they learned the driver responsible for the fatal crash had been released from police custody a day earlier.

“How could they just let the guy go?” asked Joshua Molina of the motorist who rammed his vehicle Monday night, killing his toddler son and two of his friends, Aldo Maldonado, 21, and Orlando Rodriguez, 20. “What more could they want? This guy took three lives away.”

ChicagoChicago reviews police released the 55-year-old Skokie man Wednesday night after tests came back negative for alcohol or drug use. He also had a previously spotless driving record. Investigators had questioned him for more than a day.

On Monday night, the motorist, driving an older-model Toyota Camry, rear-ended a Ford Expedition at Cicero and Belmont avenues, police said. He sped off despite front-body damage and broken headlights, witnesses said.

Just a few blocks later, at Cicero and Parker avenues, the Camry smashed into Molina’s Honda, killing the three occupants. Molina and his fiancee, Amy Alanis, suffered minor injuries.

The driver — whose identity isn’t being released by the Tribune because he hasn’t been charged with criminal wrongdoing — was issued only driving citations for the crash.

Police and prosecutors say the investigation is continuing.

Relatives and friends gathered at the Molina family’s East Garfield Park neighborhood home Thursday morning, many wearing T-shirts with photos of the victims, before attending funerals for Maldonado and 13-month-old Joshua Molina Jr.

In the afternoon, at the crowded funeral home, Molina and Alanis cupped their toddler’s face and brushed his hair to the side as they said their goodbyes to the boy, who lay in a tiny white casket. Alanis used crutches to help her get around because of bruising to her lower body.

“I can’t even cry anymore,” Molina said. “He just looks so peaceful.”

–Serena Maria Daniels and Annie Sweeney

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The son of music icon George Clinton was found dead earlier this week. BET.com is reporting that the body of George Clinton Jr. was
discovered in his Tallahassee, Florida apartment on Monday. A maintenance worker at the complex entered Clinton’s residence after
not seeing him for a few days. The Leon County Sheriff’s Office was notified, and Clinton’s body was identified and taken to
the morgue. The medical examiner’s office says the funk legend’s son died of natural causes, adding that he had been dead for
a couple days before his body was discovered. George Clinton Sr. was notified of his son’s passing by friends. He has yet to
comment on the incident.

George Clinton rose to prominence as the founder of legendary funk group Parliament-Funkadelic. He was inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

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A serial bank robber dubbed the “TCF Bandit” has hit his twelfth bank in three years, the FBI said today.

His latest target was a TCF branch at 5545 South Brainard in southwest suburban Countryside, which was robbed Monday of an undisclosed sum.

As in past robberies, the bandit approached a teller, handed her a note announcing the robbery and demanding money from the cash drawer. He claimed to be armed and threatened the teller with harm, but displayed no weapon, the FBI said.

The TCF Bandit began his string of robberies in February 2007.

–Staff report

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Mycol French was excited to move into a new apartment in Gurnee with his mother Monday afternoon — one he would share with his five daughters when they came to visit, she said.

Instead, the 29-year-old French, whose last known address was in ZionZion reviews, was shot and killed by an officer from the Lake County Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Group in North ChicagoChicago reviews after authorities said he drove his vehicle into law enforcement officials, striking two.

Master Sgt. Isaiah Vega of the Illinois State Police, which is probing the shooting, said French had been stopped by MEG officers at about 1 p.m., near the intersection of Green Bay Road and 24th Street in North Chicago.

As officers attempted to “take enforcement action,” French began to flee, striking the two officers. They and a third officer who was also injured, possibly while trying to avoid French’s car, were treated for their injuries and released.

At least one officer fired his weapon into the vehicle striking French, Vega said. French continued to drive northbound on Green Bay Road until he crashed his vehicle in the 1500 block of Green Bay Road, where he was apprehended, Vega said.

French was taken to Vista East Medical Center in Waukegan, where he was pronounced dead at about 1:30 p.m., Lake County Coroner Richard Keller said. An autopsy Tuesday afternoon confirmed that he died from a single gunshot wound to the chest, Keller said.

French’s mother, Germaine Nixon, said she’s “baffled” by what happened to her son, whom she said was not a violent man. Now planning his funeral, she had been anticipating coming home from work Monday afternoon to move into a new apartment with her son.

“He was so happy and looking forward to it,” she said. “I’ll never understand.”

According to county records, French had been charged or cited in Lake County at least 11 times since May 2007 – charges included possession of heroin and marijuana, driving with a revoked license, and battery — though it’s unclear how many of those cases ended in convictions.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing and further details are not available, Vega said.

Calls to MEG, a multijurisdictional unit that specializes in drug, gang and weapons offenses, for comment were not returned.

– Ruth Fuller

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Crash victims, from left, Orlando Rodriguez, Joshua Molina Jr., Aldo Moldinado (Family photos)

Amy Alanis barely saw the car speeding at them with its lights off.

“He just came at us,” she said through tears from her hospital bed this morning. “It was coming too fast.”

The car was fleeing another accident blocks away, police said, when it rammed their Honda, killing her 13-month-old son Joshua Jr. and two of her friends all in the back seat.

“Aldo (Maldonado) flew out the window and died, and my son flew out the back window and died instantly,” she said, breaking down. “Orlando (Rodriguez) just died slowly in the car.”

Her boyfriend Joshua Molina was behind the wheel and was not seriously hurt. Alanis, 20, said she pulled herself from the wreckage. “I was dragging out of the car because the air bag hit me pretty hard,” she said.

Alanis said they were headed north on Cicero about 9:30 p.m. Monday and were about to make a left turn onto Parker to drop Maldonado off at his home on Parker and Laverne after having gone out for dinner. That’s when she saw a Toyota Camry speeding south on Cicero, heading straight for them.

ChicagoChicago reviews police at the scene of a two-car accident at Cicero and Parker avenues Monday night that killed three people, including a 13-month-old boy. (WGN-TV)

She said the car appeared to have front-end damage and its headlights were not on.

“My [fiancé] couldn’t swerve or anything, he had nowhere to go,” said Alanis.”He just came at us and wrecked our car.”

Witnesses told police the Toyota had been going “extremely fast,” according to Police News Affairs.

The Toyota had just been involved in a hit-and-run accident at the intersection of Belmont and Cicero where he rear-ended a Ford Expedition, said Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Robert Perez. No one was hurt in that accident, Perez said.

Before anyone could notify police about that accident, the Toyota fled the scene, Perez said.

The driver of the Toyota — a 55-year-old Skokie man — was ticketed for leaving the scene of an accident and driving too fast for conditions in connection with the first accident.

In the second accident, he was ticketed for negligent driving. A police source said toxicology tests are pending for the driver and police were continuing to question him.

Alanis said her son was in a car seat flanked by Maldonado and Rodriguez in the back seat.

“He just turned 1, he was a funny baby, he always smiled, he was just alert and he was just learning how to give kisses and hugs.” The family called him J.J.

Little Joshua was a Christmas baby. Alanis was rushed to the hospital on Christmas Eve a year ago and Joshua arrived the next day.

His uncle said Joshua had just learned to walk by his birthday and had recently learned to run. “He was full of life, he just loved running around,” said Jose Alanis. “He was still trying to catch his balance.”

Joshua was taken to Children’s Memorial Hospital, where he died at 11:39 p.m.

Rodriguez, 20, whose address was not available, was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 11:43 p.m. Maldonado, 21, was pronounced dead at the Cook County medical examiner’s office at 1:05 a.m. today.

The driver of the Toyota — who is not being identified because he has not been criminally charged — was on his way to pick up his girlfriend from her job, said a relative.  The relative said she was surprised to hear about the crash. She said the man “no smoke, no drink.”

The man’s driving record has been spotless since receiving his license in 1999, officials said.

– Carlos Sadovi, Deanese Williams-Harris, William Lee

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Two masked men tied up a couple and their 5-year-old child and robbed their house Monday evening in Carpentersville.

Authorities said two men wearing ski masks entered the home on the 4000 block of Stratford Lane through an open garage door about 9:15 p.m., just after the family had arrived home. After tying up the victims, the men, one of whom had a handgun, removed several items from the house and drove away in a red, two-door sedan. No more detailed information was available regarding the items that were stolen.

Cmdr. Tim Bosshart said police are investigating and are unaware of any similar incidents in the area.

It’s not clear how family members escaped their bonds and contacted police.

– Andrea L. Brown

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