NEWSBREAK ORIGINAL

I spent a lot of my formative years growing up outside of Chicago. We were poor and I was an only child, so I spent a lot of time watching TV. WGN in particular. From 1956–95 WGN was an independent station, providing an alternative to the three networks programming during my youth. It was a really cool station, carrying much of my favorite programing.

Chicago Heights, IL (March 16, 2023) – Comcast joined Illinois Second Congressional District Representative Robin Kelly (front center), Chicago Heights, IL, Mayor David Gonzalez (far right) and others to announce a $13,500 donation to the Harold Colbert Jones Memorial Community Center to support digital skills and workforce development training. The grant also was used to purchase new furniture and additional technology at the organization’s “Lift Zone,” which Comcast opened onsite in January 2021. Lift Zones are WiFi-connected safe spaces where students can get online to do schoolwork and adults can get online to build digital skills, search for jobs and access an array of services.

The Gray family is in turmoil as the search for Séamus Gray, a 21-year-old Navy sailor and South Florida man, ends. Gray was last seen leaving a St. Patrick's Day celebration near Chicago one week ago. The search for Gray has been called off after authorities "exhausted every effort" to find him. Gray texted a photo of himself, green beer in hand, to his mother on March 17, and she FaceTimed him from Jupiter to say "cheers." Five days later, Kerry Rodier Gray shared the same photo of him to Facebook, begging for information.

With just days to go before the final vote for Chicago mayor, Vallas's support comes largely from white ethnic areas and residents on the northwest side, while momentum in the Chicago's black community is building momentum behind Johnson.

A Lexus was wedged under a semi during a fatal crash in Aurora, Colorado, according to the Aurora Police Department. “The Aurora Police Department Traffic Investigations Unit is investigating a fatal crash that occurred late Saturday night, March 25, on Interstate 225,” police wrote in the news release, which they posted to their Facebook page.

There are reports that Leury Garcia won't be on the White Sox opening day roster. The possibility has White Sox fans positively giddy. And that's understandable. Garcia was arguably one of the least effective players in baseball last season. Last season Garcia put up a miniscule OPS of .500 and a WAR of -1.0. Honestly, I thought his WAR would have been lower. His defensive WAR was actually positive, though I wouldn't let him anywhere near the infield.

Spring has arrived in Chicago, and with it comes the annual deployment of the city's street sweepers. Starting from April 1, the city is all set to begin its street sweeping season, which is expected to continue through November. However, due to April 1 falling on a Saturday, the sweepers will start hitting the streets on Monday, April 3.

A Lyft driver warning is being put out as many drivers are being attacked. Most recently 32-year-old Marvin Enrique Bardales Valle picked up 19-year-old passenger Tarius Tully on March 9, in Louisiana but his ride ended in a fatal shooting. Another attack occurred when 75 year old Lyft driver James Evans was stabbed in the neck by his 26 year old Steffon Mitchell.

As a kid growing up in Chicago, I discovered firsthand the city’s reputation. Chicago is a nice place to visit, but you don’t want to live there. At least on the near Southside.

The US Commodity Futures and Trading Commission (CFTC) filed a lawsuit against crytpo exchange Binance in a federal court in Chicago on Monday. The claim is that the cryptocurrency exchange along with Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao and former chief compliance officer Samuel Lim did not abide by US regulations.

When Mayor Joseph Roudez took office in University Park in 2019, the financial picture for the village was dismal at best. The village’s credit rating was poor. It was so poor in fact, that the village was locked out of the Illinois Grant Accountability and Transparency Act Grantee Portal. In a sentence, the finances were so bad that the village could not apply for grant funds from the state of Illinois. This was due in part to the back log of audits that had not been completed. Mayor Roudez inherited this situation. It did not end there. Motor Fuel Tax dollars needed to repair roads could not be trusted to the village. That money was critical to getting roads repaired.

Rich Township School Board District 227 candidates Randy Alexander, and Andrea Bonds have made it known to their community that educating children is their prime objective. It is not just through word of mouth that most voters believe this statement. It is simply this, they have served on the board and there has been amazing progress made under their leadership.

Last week leading democrats endorsed a letter sent to President Biden and Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison arguing that Chicago be named the site of the 2024 Democratic National Convention to reassure and engage democrats in several critical states.

Orland Park is about to get a taste of Chicago's history with the upcoming arrival of The Original Rainbow Cone. This iconic ice cream shop has been serving up delicious treats to Chicagoans since 1926, and now they are expanding to the suburbs.

Have you received some money from the state of Illinois or the city of Chicago during 2022? There were several different programs available that sent out one-time payments to residents. For example, the Chicago Resiliency Fund sent out payments of $500 to some individuals in Chicago.

The search for 21-year-old Navy sailor Séamus Gray, who went missing after leaving a St. Patrick's Day celebration near Chicago a week ago, has been called off by officials. Grey, a resident of South Florida, sent a photo of himself holding a green beer to his mother on March 17th, while on a FaceTime call from Jupiter. Kerry Rodier Gray, his mother, later shared the same photo on Facebook, pleading for information about her son's whereabouts.

Grappling Industries will be in the Chicagoland area on April 8, 2023. Today is the last day to register for the normal price. After that the late registration time period will take effect. The last day to register for the tournament is April 4 2023. The location is the Oaklawn Park Pavilion, 9401 Oak Park Ave, Oaklawn, IL 60453. The normal price is 80 dollars for both GI and No Gi divisions in all age categories. 25 dollars for both Gi and No Gi Absolutes divisions. Which is also for all age categories.

It's not difficult to find a great Italian Beef Sandwich in Chicago. But why settle for just one? Read on to discover three Chicago Italian Beef sandwiches that you simply cannot miss.

I started watching Chicago sports when I was about seven or eight years old in the early 60s. Just to clarify, that’s the 1960s, not the 1860s. I remember the Bears’ 1963 championship and the 1963 Loyola Ramblers winning the NCAA basketball title. After that, I remember I lot of futility. Eventually, things got better. It’s against this backdrop I’ve put together this list of the most influential Chicago athletes in the last 50 years. By influential, I mean the ones that have had the most effect on the sports culture of Chicago. Frankly, for a bunch of years, Chicago was a loser when it came to sports. These guys helped overcome that. Once again, this list is a list of the most influential, not the greatest, though these guys were all pretty much great players. Let’s get started.

Squatter regulations in Illinois are making it difficult for a family from Chicago to reclaim ownership of a house bequeathed by their mom from a "skilled squatter" who replaced the locks while refusing to leave for the past six months.