Chicago Sun-Times back issues from July 2009:
Sears Tower puts you on top of the world
Jul 01, 2009 ... Color Photo: Al Podgorski, Sun-Times / Tower's ...
Quinn plans to ax 2,600 jobs as huge cuts loom
Jul 01, 2009; ... Aiming to show lawmakers he's serious about cutting state-government fat, Gov. Quinn on Tuesday announced plans to eliminate 2,600 government jobs and require the majority of state workers to take 12 furlough days apiece. But the Democratic governor's decision to slash $1 billion from ...
On top of the world
Jul 01, 2009; ... The Sears Tower Skydeck opens its lure for thrill-seekers Thursday. It's called the Ledge and it gives the illusion of standing on air a few feet outside the building, 103 stories off the ground. It could put the Skydeck on the must-see list for tourists, right up there with the museums ...
Ticket service agrees not to use Web sites that mislead customers
Jul 01, 2009 ... A ticket service has agreed to a deal to end an investigation by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office into complaints of excessively priced tickets to "Hannah Montana" and Bruce Springsteen concerts and other entertainment events. Madigan's office discovered Rolling ...
This Fourth of July, boom goes bust
Jul 01, 2009 ... Fireworks shows are being canceled or scaled back in some small and midsize cities, as municipalities' tax revenue dries up. Funding from corporate sponsorships also has fizzled. Last week, west suburban Berwyn joined North Riverside, Elgin and Gurnee, among others, in canceling ...
'Historic' tax assessment drop
Jul 01, 2009; ... As real estate values shrink, so, too, have property tax assessments on the city's far North Side -- but whether that leaves a few extra dollars in your wallet remains to be seen. Notices sent Tuesday to some 20,000 homeowners, excluding condominium owners, in and around Rogers Park show ...
New direction
Jul 01, 2009; ... Odd Todd out! It's already begun: Sneed hears Mayor Daley has not only pulled the plug on supporting embattled Cook County Board President Todd Stroger for re-election, but he has hatched plans to back Ald. Toni Preckwinkle for the Cook County Board presidency. Bet on ...
Cub fan's hunger strike
Jul 01, 2009; ... If you're at the Taste of Chicago Friday, and you see a guy cramming slabs of deep dish pizza into his mouth like there's no tomorrow, stay out of his way. It may well be Daniel Kamen, a Buffalo Grove chiropractor who is vowing to go on a 500-calorie-a-day diet until his beloved Cubs put ...
More security getting aboard on Metra trains
Jul 01, 2009; ... Remember how a Secret Service agent boarded a Metra train this past winter while wearing his gun, which freaked out a ticket agent, who alerted police, who called in a SWAT team, which freaked out the rest of the passengers as the heavily armed officers swooped down on the unsuspecting Secret ...
Judge: I'm sick of bad cops
Jul 01, 2009; ... An ex-Chicago cop was sentenced Tuesday to almost 11 years in prison for robbing drug dealers -- a case that prompted the judge to declare he's tired of the growing pace of wrongdoing by police officers. "In this city, it seems to me we are bombarded by stories and cases and prosecutions ...
Cops: Driver so drunk he didn't know he had lost wheel
Jul 01, 2009 ... A Cedar Lake man was allegedly so intoxicated, he did not realize he struck a pole and lost his truck wheel as he was traveling in Lowell, police said. A Lowell police officer was following the truck about 12:25 a.m. Saturday when he noticed the vehicle moving erratically, police said ....
Woman, 30, arrested for bringing gun into courthouse
Jul 01, 2009; ... A 30-year-old woman was arrested for trying to bring a loaded handgun into a Cook County courthouse Tuesday, authorities said. Tammy Dobbin, of far south suburban Beecher, was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, a felony, after a sheriff's ...
Too many Wrigley street vendors?
Jul 01, 2009; ... Street vendors who hawk peanuts and souvenirs on the streets and sidewalks outside Wrigley Field are as much a part of the ballpark's charm as the rooftops across the street. Not for long, if Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) has his way. At Tuesday's City Council meeting, Tunney introduced ...
Blind dog rescued from lake after 2 hours
Jul 01, 2009 ... Lake County sheriff's marine patrol rescued a blind Labrador retriever from Bluff Lake near Antioch after it was found swimming in circles for two hours, officials said. "I was so thrilled when [officials] called," said owner Marjorie Krutsch of Lake Villa. "He's 13 1/2 and can't ...
Unpaid days off for nonunion city workers
Jul 01, 2009; ... Chicago aldermen agreed Tuesday to swallow a bitter pill and force it down the throats of all 3,700 non-union city employees: 15 unpaid days off by Dec. 31 to ease the city's budget crisis. The 42-to-6 vote was designed to pressure organized labor to agree to similar concessions to avert ...
Michael Jackson lip-synched in 1983 concert
Jul 01, 2009; ... It's nearly impossible to keep up with the tornado of stories swirling about in the days since Michael Jackson's death -- everything from conflicting statements about the biological parents of his children to reports his finances were a mess to stories saying he was so frail, the idea of doing ...
More Olympic scrutiny sought
Jul 01, 2009; ... Chicago 2016 must open its books to an "objective" third-party -- possibly the Civic Federation -- for an analysis of the city's Olympic bid, under a resolution approved by the City Council on Tuesday. Burned by the parking meter fiasco, aldermen want to make certain that taxpayers don't ...
Bank forecloses on home of indicted Blagojevich pal
Jul 01, 2009; ... The man unlucky enough to get indicted three times because of his dealings with Rod Blagojevich just got unluckier. A bank on Tuesday moved to foreclose on the home of Christopher G. Kelly, a longtime Blagojevich buddy, adviser and fund-raiser. Old Second National Bank filed a ...
1 killed, 1 injured by train
Jul 01, 2009 ... Color Photo: Brian Jackson, Sun-Times / A man was killed and another critically injured when they were hit by a Metra train at ...
Man accused of soaking for smoking
Jul 01, 2009 ... Authorities said a man was charged with domestic battery after he drenched his wife ...
Jet crash leaves 1 survivor: teen girl
Jul 01, 2009 ... A jetliner carrying 153 people crashed into the Indian Ocean on Tuesday as it attempted to land amid severe turbulence and howling winds. Officials said a teenage girl was plucked from the sea, the only known survivor. The crash in waters off this island nation came two years ...
Coach guilty of groping girls
Jul 01, 2009; ... A former Walter Payton College Prep boys basketball coach was found guilty Tuesday of groping a pair of 15-year-old female students. George Turner, however, was acquitted on more serious charges that he forced a girl to perform oral sex and used sex toys on her in an attack at Belmont ...
Man accused of throwing neighbor off balcony fit for trial
Jul 01, 2009; ... Former Proviso West High School football star Hubert "Boo Boo" Thompson allegedly told police he threw 66-year-old James Malone off a third-floor balcony to his death because he believed Malone was secretly poisoning him. After reviewing two new psychological reports, a DuPage County ...
Boost for Will County
Jul 01, 2009; ... Honeywell is bringing manufacturing jobs and a division headquarters to Will County. Honeywell is consolidating two smaller sites, one in Chicago and another in Skokie, into the larger Bolingbrook headquarters. Most of the jobs will be filled with workers who transfer from those ...
Wal-Mart sees value in Obama health plan
Jul 01, 2009 ... Wal-Mart is the latest in a line of traditionally Republican-leaning businesses to embrace key portions of President Obama's bid to overhaul health care, a trend that could complicate opponents' efforts when Congress works on the issue this summer. Wal-Mart, the ...
Clarius Partners gets OK for two McCook buildings
Jul 01, 2009; ... MCCOOK DISH: Developers Clarius Partners LLC has secured approvals in McCook to build two industrial buildings at 9200 W. 55th St. The $28 million project will total 368,000 square feet sitting on 20 acres. Plans call for the first building, at 201,000 square feet, to be done by year ...
Your Wallet
Jul 01, 2009 ... BANK OF AMERICA DENIES HIGH-PRESSURE SALES TACTICS Bank of America Corp. denied accusations that its retail practices pressure consumers into needlessly costly products that contributed to the credit crisis. "Bank of America is committed to ensuring our fees are transparent and ...
Business In Brief
Jul 01, 2009 ... 10 MORE MADOFF CHARGES? Did Bernie Madoff act alone? The day after he was given a 150-year term, a person close to the investigation said Tuesday the sentencing marked "the end of the beginning" of a far-reaching investigation expected to answer lingering questions about how he pulled ...
A milestone in Iraq, but tough task ahead
Jul 01, 2009 ... Six years and three months after the United States invaded Iraq, the first chapter of our military's withdrawal has finally begun. U.S. combat troops pulled out of cities and towns Tuesday, turning over most combat duties to Iraqi security forces. By next summer, all combat troops are ...
Diabetic athletes inspiring
Jul 01, 2009 ... What do you think of when you hear the word "diabetic"? Overweight? Sluggish? Bedraggled couch potatoes? How about first-place, record-breaking, cross-country cyclists? They called themselves Team Type 1, a group of eight athletes with Type 1 diabetes who ...
We don't yet know ending of Jackson story
Jul 01, 2009; ... Whether you saw Michael Jackson as freak or fairy tale, he is a marker in history. And we'd be crazy to deny it. "Ben, most people would turn you away I don't listen to a word they say They don't see you as I do I wish they would try to . . . " -- "Ben," ...
Same old drill?
Jul 01, 2009; ... When Bush was in office and the price of gas increased, it was because he was an oil man and taking care of his friends. So we now have a new president and the price of gas is again going up. Does that mean ...
Thank you, conservatives
Jul 01, 2009; ... I would like to personally extend a sincere thank you to every conservative in the country. Why? Because South Carolina Gov. Mark ...
Don't revise history of 'police riot'
Jul 01, 2009; ... On Sunday, you ran two touching police stories several pages apart, but kind of related. In the second story, you permitted Chicago Police Officer Robert J. Foss to "be horrified but not surprised" to see the judge give a mere wrist-slap probation to Anthony Abbate, the police officer ...
Want to retain teachers? Ask them for advice
Jul 01, 2009; ... The Chicago Public School system does not retain new teachers, nor does the administration value its veteran teachers ["CPS needs solutions to teacher turnover," June 29]. We waste a lot of money recruiting teachers only to become a training ground for teachers who leave due to lack of ...
Why Sanford can make a comeback
Jul 01, 2009; ... Mark Sanford only looks washed up. True, as governor of South Carolina, he recently walked off his job to secretly visit his mistress in Argentina. And true, he was forced to admit his affair in a news conference that made him look stressed out at best and unbalanced at worst. And true, ...
He was a bank robber
Jul 01, 2009; ... 'PUBLIC ENEMIES' Rating 3 1/2 John Dillinger: Johnny Depp Melvin Purvis: Christian Bale Billie Frechette: Marion Cotillard J. Edgar Hoover: Billy Crudup Homer Van Meter: Stephen Dorff Charles Winstead: Stephen Lang Alvin Karpis: ...
Doubt over Michael's kids
Jul 01, 2009; ... Just when you think the Michael Jackson case couldn't get any stranger: It does. - Various outlets, including tmz.com and Us Weekly, claimed that Jackson's sperm was not used in the in vitro pregnancies leading to the birth of his two oldest children and that Jackson's ex-wife Debbie ...
New fiance for jilted 'Bachelor' winner
Jul 01, 2009 ... When "The Bachelor" winner Melissa Rycroft got jilted for the runner-up, she returned the engagement ring -- and walked off the set. That was so five months ago. Now, Rycroft has another sparkler -- and a new fiance, Tye Strickland, to go with it. Her spokeswoman says Strickland ...
Fit those babies for Manolos
Jul 01, 2009 ... Photo: In the first public photo of their new twins, Sarah Jessica Parker clutches little Marion and Matthew Broderick ...
'Ice Age': third time's the charm
Jul 01, 2009; ... 'ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS' Rating 3 1/2 out of 4 With the voices of: Manny Ray Romano Sid John Leguizamo Scrat Chris Wedge Diego Denis Leary Buck Simon Pegg Crash Seann William Scott Gazelle Bill Hader 20th ...
Entertainment in Brief
Jul 01, 2009 ... DREA DE MATTEO'S NEW JOB: WACKED MOLL MOVES TO WISTERIA Drea de Matteo is headed to Wisteria Lane. An ABC spokeswoman confirmed the former "Sopranos" actress will join the "Desperate Housewives" cast for the sixth season. EW.com quoted sources as saying that De Matteo will portray an ...
No kidding: New Heart album
Jul 01, 2009; ... HEART When: 8:30 p.m. Thursday Where: Naperville Ribfest, Knoch Park, 724 S. West St., Naperville Festival admission: $8 advance (ribfest.net; 877-725-8849), $10 at the gate - - - A new album and a children's book based on an old album are on Heart's ...
The mother of all road trips
Jul 01, 2009; ... The Coote family of Lockport planned on taking a family road trip out West this year. They just didn't plan on television crews tagging along. The Cootes are one of seven families chosen to star in the new reality TV program "Great American Road Trip," premiering at 7 p.m. Tuesday on ...
Get your kicks here in Illinois
Jul 01, 2009 ... Take your own Route 66 road trip through Illinois, where 436 miles of America's Main Street stretch from Chicago's lakefront to St. Louis. "Most of the road is still driveable in Illinois," said Patty Ambrose, executive director of the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway in ...
Paige Wiser's TV highlightS
Jul 01, 2009; ... "MANHATTAN MELODRAMA" (7 p.m., Turner Classic Movies): What was the movie John Dillinger saw just before he was gunned down near the Biograph Theater in 1934? This one! Clark Gable and William Powell play pals on opposite sides of the law who both fall in love with Myrna Loy. Watch for ...
Talk Shows Today
Jul 01, 2009 ... "The View" (10 a.m., Channel 7) "Cherie" stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Rupert Friend. (R) "The Bonnie Hunt Show" (2 p.m., Channel 5): Actress Kyra Sedgwick. (R) "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" (3 p.m., Channel 5) Author Wayne Dyer; actress Queen Latifah; musician Rob Thomas ....
Live-in boyfriend demonstrates he can't be trusted
Jul 01, 2009; ... DEAR ABBY His list of partners is off limits; he claims he keeps it in case he gets disease Dear ABBY: My boyfriend "Beau" and I moved in together and already we have trust issues. He doesn't trust me around his computer. He said he has things on it that are part of his past, and ...
Architect's work enriched city
Jul 01, 2009; ... Ezra Gordon's hands were never far from a pen and paper. As a child, a combat soldier and an architect, he was putting down ideas and capturing images on paper. But he was more than a doodler. He was a natural artist and draftsman, said his daughter. "He had an enormous gift," ...
Memories serve well on tournament trail
Jul 01, 2009; ... The wind at our back propelled us on a drift across the weed flats of Duck Lake about 11:30a.m. Sunday. ''We're fishing memories and old waypoints now,'' Joe McCartin said. When I write my first song or The Great American Novel, ''Fishing Memories and Old Waypoints'' would make a ...
Midwest fishing report
Jul 01, 2009; ... FISH OF THE WEEK: Caleb Svoboda took Erin O'Neill fishing on Lake Galena in late June. They rented a small flat-bottom boat to fish for crappie and bass. As they were walking away, the marina guy said, ''We got tiger muskie in here, too.'' That made Svoboda laugh since it was only O'Neill's ...
Beltran gets second opinion
Jul 01, 2009 ... Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran's second examination on his ailing right knee also indicates surgery is not required. The opinion from Dr. Richard Steadman in Vail, Colo., was the same as that of the Mets' staff. Beltran likely will be out through the All-Star break while waiting for ...
Pistons' first-round playoff exit costs Curry his job
Jul 01, 2009 ... First-year coach Michael Curry became the latest Pistons coach to get the ax, as Joe Dumars, the team's president for basketball operations, fired him Tuesday after watching the Pistons stumble to a sub-.500 record and an embarrassing first-round playoff exit. ''This was a difficult ...
Hawks are on the clock
Jul 01, 2009; ... The Blackhawks could lose forward Martin Havlat and No. 1 goalie Nikolai Khabibulin today. The NHL's free-agent signing period begins at 11 a.m., and Hawks general manager Dale Tallon spent Tuesday negotiating with the agents of both players via phone. According to various sources, ...
Olympic camp calls 2 Hawks
Jul 01, 2009; ... Patrick Kane termed it ''pretty exciting'' that he and Blackhawks teammate Dustin Byfuglien were among the 34 players invited Tuesday to the U.S. Olympic orientation camp. The camp, which will be held Aug. 17-19 at Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge, will give U.S. coach Ron Wilson his ...
Late rally keeps Sky unbeaten at home
Jul 01, 2009; ... The Sky moved three games above .500 for the first time in franchise history by defeating the Sacramento Monarchs 74-72 in front of 2,721 fans Tuesday at the UIC Pavilion. The Sky had three players score in double figures, led by Jia Perkins' 17 points. Candice Dupree added 16 points and ...
A Gordon balancing act
Jul 01, 2009; ... After months of positioning and planning, teams will begin to find out today whether their hopes can be turned into reality, and players will discover exactly what their worth is on the open market. The NBA's free-agent period started at midnight, and now teams can begin negotiating with ...
Miss Illinois USA trying new pitch
Jul 01, 2009 ... So what was a Luvabull like Ashley Bond doing at the recent premiere of ''We Believe,'' the Cubs documentary -- and not in her Luvabulls outfit but in a chic dress? ''I'm here attending the movie,'' said Bond, who also is Miss Illinois USA 2009. Not to mention a Cubs ...
Anna caught in the bump
Jul 01, 2009 ... You go to Las Vegas to play a little table tennis. How dangerous could that be? Rough enough that Anna Kournikova wound up with cuts on her neck after becoming involved in a shoving match -- though not as part of the HardBat Classic celebrity table tennis tournament. People ...
Raise alarm: cubs dozing
Jul 01, 2009; ... If Cubs players need a wakeup call, maybe the new owner will buy each of them an alarm clock -- unless the protracted purchase takes so long that alarm clocks no longer exist. - As far as Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics goes, Mayor Daley merits a gold medal -- in verbal ...
Vegas hockey no mirage
Jul 01, 2009 ... It's difficult to envision Las Vegas as a hockey hot spot. Then again, illusions are big in Vegas, where the NHL last month held its annual awards show. ''I think Las Vegas is a great market,'' Palms owner George Maloof, whose family owns the NBA's Sacramento Kings, recently told ...
Sox swingin' in the rain
Jul 01, 2009; ... Lost in the profanity, the pleas for the ''governor of Chicago'' to wreck Wrigley Field and build a new stadium and the requirement that those who play for him ''have some [guts]'' was an important fact that always seems to get lost when it comes to White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen: At the end ...
A double-edged sword
Jul 01, 2009; ... White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen isn't one to get caught up in popularity contests. Good thing. According to a Sports Illustrated survey of major-league players, Guillen finished second to the Cubs' Lou Piniella among the managers players least would want to play for. Piniella led ...
Ozzie continues attack on Wrigley
Jul 01, 2009; ... CLEVELAND -- There's a scenario in place in which Ozzie Guillen would become the manager of the Cubs. All it would take is White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf dying, a lot of zeros in the contract and Mayor Daley wrecking Wrigley Field and building a new ballpark where the Friendly ...
Bradley says he's in it for long haul
Jul 01, 2009; ... For all the rough at-bats and rough spots with umpires, reporters and even his manager during his first three months in Chicago, Cubs right fielder Milton Bradley has no regrets and no qualms about spending another 2 1/2 years in the fishbowl of Cub Culture. ''It's a beautiful thing,'' ...