Good afternoon! The reversible lanes of the Kennedy Expressway are finally set to reopen next month. Here’s what else you need to know today:
1. Chicago Loses Key Figure in Migrant Crisis Amidst Deportation Fears: Brandie Knazze, commissioner of the city’s Department of Family and Support Services, is stepping down on December 31st after four years. In a letter to social service providers, Knazze highlighted accomplishments such as establishing nearly 40 shelters for migrant arrivals from Texas and coordinating their medical care, food, school enrollment, and work permits. She emphasized her departure is not due to policy disagreements with Mayor Johnson, stating she’s handled every major city crisis since 2017, including the COVID recovery and civil unrest. [Chicago Sun-Times]
2. Sheriff Dart to Scrap Electronic Monitoring Program: Sheriff Tom Dart plans to discontinue the decades-old electronic monitoring program after April 1st due to safety concerns. While the program will continue for current detainees until their cases are resolved, Dart is negotiating with Chief Judge Timothy Evans to transfer responsibility to the Cook County court system’s GPS program. However, Evans cited budget, manpower, and legal authority limitations as obstacles to fully replicating the program. The EM program, launched in 1989, aimed to reduce jail overcrowding by releasing individuals charged with low-level crimes. [Chicago Sun-Times]
3. CTA Expands Bus Service to Pre-Pandemic Levels: The CTA’s winter schedule, starting Sunday, will increase weekday bus service on 19 lines and weekend service on six. This expansion follows efforts to increase train and bus frequency since the pandemic, despite challenges in hiring and retaining operators. CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. attributed the adjustments to changing ridership patterns, with increased off-peak and weekend travel. [Chicago Sun-Times]
4. Federal Prosecutors Rest Case Against Michael Madigan: The trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his confidant, Michael McClain, has entered the defense phase. Defense attorneys will now present their witnesses before closing arguments and jury deliberations, expected after the holidays. Madigan and McClain face racketeering charges outlined in a 117-page indictment alleging a criminal “Madigan Enterprise” designed to enhance political power and reward allies. [Chicago Sun-Times, WBEZ]
5. Demolition of Damen Silos Moves Forward: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approved the demolition of the Damen Silos, allowing owner Michael Tadin Jr. to proceed. The approval includes an agreement for the installation of historic markers using salvaged materials. Preservationists had sought to save the silos, but the structures have been unused for decades. [Chicago Sun-Times]
Here’s what else is happening:
Demolition has begun on the former E2 Nightclub building, where 21 people died in a 2003 stampede. This action follows an emergency order despite the Commission on Chicago Landmarks’ previous denial of a demolition request. [Chicago Sun-Times]
Tell me something good …
What’s your favorite Chicago-specific gift to give family and friends who don’t live in the area? Chad suggests the Chicago flag or Chicago flag-themed items.
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