By Steve Rhodes

“Chicago Public Schools has spent at least $1 million on testing for lead in the water at more than half of its schools, and on fixing some of the problems that turned up, officials said Wednesday,” the Sun-Times reports.
“Remediation work continues on the 327 public elementary schools that were tested before summer break. Of the 184 fixtures and faucets that had a problematic sample, at least 120 have been fixed or replaced and put back into service, facilities chief Jason Kierna told the City Council’s Education Committee.”
Good job!
“But so far, the city’s Department of Public Health won’t say exactly how many children tested for elevated levels of lead in their blood were among those who attend any of the 113 schools that were found to have at least one problematic fixture.”
Oh.

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Posted on September 1, 2016

By Steve Rhodes

Mark Brown has another column for the Sun-Times today on the law clerk fired for pretending to be a judge who is just months ahead of actually becoming a judge, which I wrote about Tuesday. I just want to show you one part and remind you that it’s 2016:

Northwestern law professor Stephen Lubet, a judicial ethics expert who offered a fairly harsh assessment of the two women’s conduct in my initial column on this subject, has since softened a bit.
Lubet now says this matter shouldn’t cost them their judicial careers.

Now let me tweak that a bit:

Northwestern law professor Stephen Lubet, a judicial ethics expert who offered a fairly harsh assessment of the two women’s conduct in my initial column on this subject, has since softened a bit.
Lubet now says this matter shouldn’t cost them their judicial careers.

See the difference? I mean, readers might be wondering.
*
Also, maybe a phone call to Lubet to ask about his change of heart.

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Posted on August 31, 2016

By Steve Rhodes

“A law clerk running for judge who was allowed to make rulings from the bench earlier this month has been fired, according to a statement from the Office of the Chief Judge of Cook County,” the Sun-Times reports.

That should free her up for campaigning. https://t.co/kP2TwtzAbU

— Daniel Schell (@thedanielschell) August 30, 2016

If only . . .

Law clerk accused of pretending to be judge is fired (but she is running unopposed for election to become a judge) https://t.co/ILCmExbHEX

— Robert Loerzel (@robertloerzel) August 30, 2016

Goodnight, everybody!

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Posted on August 30, 2016

By Steve Rhodes

“A bus company the Chicago Public Schools fired more than two years ago, accusing it of overbilling taxpayers at least $1.5 million, has since gotten deals worth more than $500,000 from another city agency, records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times show,” Dan Mihalopoulos reports.
“Chicago Park District officials signed two contracts with Jewel’s Bus Co. totaling more than $541,000 to bus students to and from camps at dozens of parks this summer.”
Maybe they thought it was a Mariano’s now.

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Posted on August 29, 2016

By Steve Rhodes

“From the time that Mr. Montgomery arrived in Chicago, two months ago, with a few corn pictures, Chicago art circles have been thrilled as they never were thrilled before.”
That’s your weekend read, from the downstate Bloomington Pantagraph.

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Posted on August 28, 2016

By Steve Rhodes

“Police Board President Lori Lightfoot argued Wednesday for increased training and changes to both the police contract and to the way police supervisors are chosen to restore public trust in the Chicago Police Department shattered by the police shooting of Laquan McDonald,” the Sun-Times reports.
Let’s be clear: What Lightfoot said made eminent sense, but it wasn’t anything she hasn’t said before. So a better lead would say “Lightfoot reiterated . . . ”
Also, the shooting of Laquan McDonald wasn’t what “shattered” public trust in the CPD; it was the tipping point (some would say the straw that broke the camel’s back) of a series of incidents that no longer could be ignored by City Hall.

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Posted on August 25, 2016

By Steve Rhodes

My laptop is back. I’m readjusting.
*
Here’s some reporting from today’s Board of Ed meeting. Read it and weep.

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Posted on August 24, 2016

By Steve Rhodes

“At an administrative hearing Monday morning, a Cook County official doubled down on a controversial position that the Reader first reported on last week: she explained to attorneys for two Chicago venues that live performances of rock, country, rap, and electronic music do not constitute ‘music’ or ‘culture’ by the county’s standards,” the Reader reports.
“This is more than a cultural debate, though, because these definitions affect which small Chicago venues are entitled to an exemption from the county’s 3 percent amusement tax on cover and ticket charges. Anita Richardson, a hearing officer appointed by the county’s Department of Administrative Hearings, seemed to be arguing this morning that only small venues that book chamber orchestras, symphony orchestras, or operas should be entitled to the tax break – those relying instead on ‘rap music, country music, and rock ‘n’ roll’ in addition to electronic music and DJ performances should have to pay.

“Rap music, country music, and rock ‘n’ roll” do not fall under the purview of “fine art,” she explained.

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Posted on August 23, 2016

By Steve Rhodes

“The Chicago Police Board has fired 12 officers in the year that Lori Lightfoot has headed it,” the Sun-Times reports. “Only twice in any year between 2006 and 2015 has the board fired more officers than that.”
The Sun-Times says this is evidence that the police board under Lightfoot is “tougher” than it has been in the past – something Lightfoot also argues. And perhaps that’s true – without examining the nature of the cases that have come before her this year and those that have come before the board in the past, I can’t be sure. After all, the two years between 2006 and 2015 were also anomalies.
But what I really find odd is this:

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Posted on August 22, 2016

By Steve Rhodes

The hard drive has been saved. The rest of the unit is still in the ICU. FEMA has not yet arrived. Here is your abbreviated Weekend Desk Report.

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Posted on August 20, 2016