Police union vies for power on oversight councils, UIC faculty union strikes and more in your Chicago news roundup

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a five-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be cloudy with a high near 41 degrees. Tonight will also be cloudy with a low near 34. Similar weather is expected tomorrow with a chance of rain and snow with a high near 40.

Top story

Chicago’s biggest police union is spending money to win power on new oversight councils

The union representing Chicago’s rank-and-file cops is throwing money into races for seats on newly formed police district councils in an attempt to extend the union’s power into a domain created specifically to oversee the officers who make up the union’s membership.

The councils were created in 2021 after years of lobbying by activists seeking to give Chicago residents greater control over the police department. The first-ever candidates will be on the ballot in next month’s municipal election.

The Fraternal Order of Police Chicago Lodge 7 paid $25,000 to two election attorneys, according to filings with the Illinois State Board of Elections. The lawyers, Frank Avila and Pericles Abbasi, appeared for the union downtown at a Friday hearing attempting to kick candidates off the ballot in races in at least three police districts.

“It just shows that they don’t see the councils as a way to improve safety,” said Veronica Arreola, a candidate in the 24th police district in Rogers Park on the city’s North Side. “They’re just trying to throw longtime community organizers off the ballot.”

Arreola’s nomination was challenged by Mitchell Rose, another candidate running in the 24th police district who is supported by the police union, said Abbasi, Rose’s attorney. At the hearing, Abbasi said he was representing eight people in district council races. State records show he received a $10,000 payment from the police union in early December.

Abbasi is also running as a candidate in the 25th police district in Grand Central on the Northwest Side and said the union helped him collect signatures to get on the ballot.

Avila, the other FOP attorney at the hearing, received a $15,000 payment from the union in early November. He did not say how many candidates he was representing but said the FOP is trying to push forward candidates it believes “will be fair rather than have an agenda that’s anti-police.”

John Catanzara, the president of Chicago’s FOP Lodge 7, did not return messages seeking comment.

The city ordinance establishing the district councils was signed into law in the summer of 2021 following decades of police violence, from torture under notorious Cmdr. Jon Burge to the deaths of Rekia Boyd and Laquan McDonald at the hands of police officers.

WBEZ’s Anna Savchenko has more on the FOP’s play for power here.

More news you need

1. A gay-owned restaurant in Rogers Park was targeted yesterday evening in an alleged homophobic attack that left the front door glass shattered and sent some customers ducking for cover. The owners of R Public House say a hammer-wielding man yelled gay slurs at patrons before shattering the door. “We’re not afraid,” co-owner Sandra Carter says.
2. Hundreds of faculty at the University of Illinois Chicago hit picket lines across their Near West Side campus today on the first day of an indefinite strike after nine months of contract negotiations. The UIC Faculty United union announced late last night that it would proceed with its walkout after a 12-hour bargaining session still didn’t yield enough movement to land a deal.
3. Chicago-area households could see their electric bills bump up by $6.72 per month next year — and that would only be the first of three straight annual hikes under a record-high $1.5 billion rate increase request filed by ComEd today. Our Mitchell Armentrout has more on the hikes here.
4. A sweeping bill signed into law last Friday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker aims to bolster Illinois’ status as “an island of reproductive justice” following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. The legislation is designed to increase abortion access as an influx of patients flock to Illinois for the procedure.
5. Eight of the nine candidates running for mayor met Saturday at a forum that focused on issues important to Chicago women. The event saw Mayor Lori Lightfoot go on the offensive, taking the opportunity to attack one of her most vocal critics, Paul Vallas. Our Kaitlin Washburn has more from the forum here.
6. A former payroll manager for the Art Institute of Chicago has been indicted for allegedly stealing more than $2 million in museum funds over the course of about 13 years. The indictment announced last Friday accuses Michael Maurello of depositing money from the Institute’s payroll into his own bank account from 2007 to 2020.
7. A new “social bond” program from the city lets Chicagoans invest in neighborhood improvements for as little as $1,000. But there are caveats, enough to raise questions about whether this populist approach to public finance will draw much of a response. Our David Roeder has more here.
8. A Chicagoan was recently awarded high honors from France for her efforts to help rebuild the fire-damaged Notre Dame Cathedral. Carla Knorowski organized a global virtual fundraising event with big-name participants, raising about $500,000.
9. And, months after a devastating crash that injured 16 players, the St. Ignatius JV hockey team got back on the ice for a game against Aurora’s Marmion Academy Sunday. Even better, St. Ignatius secured a 5-0 win.

A bright one

Obama Foundation volunteerism on MLK Day makes comeback after COVID hiatus

It may have been cold and drizzly outside yesterday, but it was warm and colorful inside the South Side YMCA, where dozens of volunteers came together for a day of service on the holiday honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Music pumped through the gym as members of the community got to work preparing meals, making birthday cards for seniors, planting seeds and packaging self-care kits for people in need. It was an event that made a comeback after years on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But it’s also expected to become routine with the completion of the Obama Presidential Center, which is being built just down the road.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

Joining the Obama Foundation at the event was the Honeycomb Project, Nourishing Hope, Growing Home, Connections for Abused Women & their Children, and the Love Fridge.

Volunteers filled the South Side gym. On one end, they packed meal boxes decorated with messages like, “Joy,” “Be Happy” and “You are the Gift.” On the other, they painted rocks, sprinkled seeds into soil and carefully watered them. Others tucked stickers and candy into pouches decorated with messages like, “You are beautiful.”

Our Jon Seidel has more on yesterday’s action here.

From the press box

• The Bears today introduced new president and CEO Kevin Warren, who immediately set his goals to establish “an incredible culture,” build a new world-class stadium and win championships.
• Warren needs to lead the Bears out of Soldier Field and into a fresh start at the site in Arlington Heights, Rick Telander writes.
• Playing just one game in six days would usually disrupt the season flow for DeMar DeRozan, but in the case of this week, it’s given the Bulls guard time to heal up and spend time with family in Paris, Joe Cowley writes from France.

Your daily question☕

What’s something that can only be found in your neighborhood — and nowhere else in the city?

Send us an email at newsletters@suntimes.com and we might feature your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

On Friday, we asked you: What’s something you think your alderperson could do to improve your neighborhood?

Here’s what some of you said...

“Do all that he can to NOT bring the NASCAR race here next Summer! It’s going to be a nightmare for us folks who live downtown! And I can even see part of the race from my balcony!” — Bill Linden

“Transportation accessibility.” — Valentin Galvan

“Rat control. He tries but it is so out of control.” — Kristen Kira Ortiz

“Improve zoning to drive dense development as well as advocate further for infrastructure that favors people, bikes and public transportation over cars.” — David Brown

“Clean the city streets and alleys and hold building owners responsible to clean their yards. There is SO MUCH garbage everywhere in East Woodlawn.” — Amanda Burke

“Start by encouraging businesses to move into any vacancies to bring people and jobs back in so the neighborhoods can thrive again. Keep parking affordable clean the streets also everyone is responsible for cleaning up in front of their homes and storefronts.” — Barb Massey

“Repave the streets — pothole patching DOES NOT work.” — Stacy J. Litherland

“Support investments in access to education and living wage jobs for residents of surrounding needier communities.” — Shirlee Berman

“Behave like a Papa or Mama Bear, constantly canvass your Neighborhood and look for things that can be done, for example, consistently keep the sewer crates clear from garbage and fallen leaves” — Carey Ward

“Walk the ward daily — not drive. What are you afraid of? We live here. You only show up for photo opportunities.” — Jerome Jackson

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