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  • U. of I. Republicans club faces backlash for post supporting ICE: ‘Only traitors help invaders’

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    The Illini Republicans club at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is facing backlash after posting an illustration on social media of a masked gunman holding a weapon to a kneeling man’s head — alongside the caption, “Only traitors help invaders.”

    The Instagram post, published Friday, also says Alex Pretti and Renée Good — who were both fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis last month — had “voided their liberties the moment they decided they were above the law.”

    “Our nation has come under invasion from the masses of the third world and those incompatible with Western civilization,” the post says. “Now, the current administration, as duly elected by its people to do so, has taken a stand against this invasion.”

    The illustration was later deleted from the post, as first reported by the Daily Illini. But it prompted a complaint to the university’s Title VI Office, and drew a slew of criticism from U. of I. students online, who argue that it glorified the deaths of Pretti and Good as well as the unrest engulfing Minnesota.

    “My first initial reaction was just disgust, horror and nausea,” said sophomore Rylee Graves, 19, a member of Illini Democrats. “For them to say that that post was not violent or they weren’t condoning violence is a lie, and they know exactly what they’re doing.”

    The image, set against the backdrop of the American flag, depicts a bearded man with his back turned as the gunman looms above him. Some students said that both the man and the scene resembled the Jan. 24 killing of Pretti, who was shot multiple times in the back.

    An illustration, posted by Illini Republicans on Instagram, depicts what appears to be a federal agent pointing a gun at a man’s head. The group has said it stands with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (Illini Republicans)

    Illini Republicans wrote in an email to the Tribune that the image was removed “to prevent misinterpretation while we review concerns,” but it was “not an admission of wrongdoing.” They declined a request for an interview.

    “We take concerns raised by others seriously and are committed to engaging in good-faith dialogue while exercising our right to express political viewpoints as a registered student organization,” the club wrote.

    “The claim that the post glorifies or endorses violence is incorrect,” the club added. “At no point did it advocate harm, violence or extrajudicial action against any individual or group.”

    The post is under review by the university’s Title VI Office, which investigates civil rights complaints, according to a statement from a U. of I. spokesperson. As a registered student organization, Illini Republicans are required to follow the student code of conduct, but U. of I. “cannot discipline them for the viewpoint or content of protected speech,” the spokesperson added.

    “Hate and intolerance are not aligned with our university values,” the spokesperson said. “We strive to be a campus where every member of our community has a transformative and positive experience.”

    More than 1,600 people have commented on the post since Friday. It was posted the same day as “ICE Out” demonstrations across the U.S., including a walkout on the Urbana-Champaign campus.

    The intensified immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, dubbed Operation Metro Surge, began in December. Good was shot during an encounter with agents Jan. 7, and Pretti was shot Jan. 24. The Trump administration said the use of force was justified — but videos of both incidents contradict those claims.

    When Lillie Salas saw the Illini Republicans’ post, her emotions fluctuated from disbelief to outrage. It’s jarring knowing that some of her classmates felt comfortable using phrases such as “foreign invaders” to refer to immigrants, the 22-year-old senior said.

    Citizens who stand against Trump’s immigration aren’t “traitors” either, she added. She said that type of rhetoric is “racist” and shouldn’t be acceptable on campus.

    “I honestly felt very concerned and scared,” Salas said. “It kind of hits differently to see groups so close to you spewing hate so outspokenly. … I know a lot of immigrants who are the most dedicated, hardworking people I’ve ever met in my life.”

    It’s a feeling Salas, who is Mexican American, said she’s grown accustomed to during Trump’s immigration crackdown. She’s sensed anxiety on campus, particularly with her Hispanic friends who’ve told her about feeling “frozen in time “and “stuck.”

    Cat Lodico, a 20-year-old sophomore, likewise, said she’s seen the stress her friends who are international students have faced in recent months. They worry that if they do or say the wrong thing, their visa will get revoked, and they won’t be able to continue their studies.

    U. of I. has one of the largest international student populations in the country. The Illini Republicans post calls immigrants without legal status “enemies of the American people.”

    “Although the main focus is studying and getting good grades and the normal college life,  because of what’s going on in the country now, there is that anxiety and worriedness in the back of everyone’s mind,” Lodico said, adding that her mom also immigrated to the U.S. from China.

    Lodico said as an engineering major, she’s not the most politically involved, but she tries to stay informed. Even still, she said she was shocked and “genuinely concerned” that people her age could agree with Illini Republicans’ post.

    “Saying we stand with enforcement of the law, like is it really lawful for random (immigration agents) to be killing other people,” she said. “I just feel like it’s so backward.”

    College campuses have increasingly become flashpoints in national debates over free speech.

    In the wake of mass student protests over the war in Gaza in 2024, Republican lawmakers have criticized elite colleges and progressive campus culture. The Trump administration froze millions in federal research funding at universities, including at Northwestern University, accusing them of failing to address antisemitism.

    Meanwhile, in September, the killing of Charlie Kirk — a right-wing activist and founder of Turning Point USA — ignited a surge of conservative activism on campuses.

    Lodico said it seems hypocritical for Illini Republicans to seemingly make light of the deaths of Pretti and Good, given the outcry over Kirk’s killing.

    “When people die from ICE suddenly it doesn’t matter? Suddenly it’s valid to shoot people? The logic is not logic-ing, you know,” she said.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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    Kate Armanini, Rebecca Johnson

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  • Teen charged in connection to stabbing death of pregnant Downers Grove woman

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    A teenager has been accused of first-degree murder after a pregnant woman was found stabbed to death in an apartment fire in west suburban Downers Grove Monday night, local authorities said.

    Downers Grove police and fire responded to reports of a structure fire in a local apartment building just after 6 p.m., according to village officials. Fire crews removed a 30-year-old pregnant woman from the building, who had suffered “apparent sharp force trauma,” officials said. The woman, identified as Eliza Morales of Downers Grove, was treated by paramedics but ultimately pronounced dead on scene.

    A second person was treated on scene for smoke inhalation and transported to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, officials said.

    On Tuesday, the village stated Nedas Revuckas, 19, of Westmont, had been arrested in connection to the stabbing death. Revuckas was charged with first-degree murder, intentional homicide of an unborn child, armed robbery, aggravated arson and aggravated cruelty to an animal.

    Officials released no further details on the matter.

    Revuckas will be transported to DuPage County Jail and is scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Wednesday.

    tkenny@chicagotribune.com

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  • Emmanuel Episcopal brings world class musicians to La Grange for ‘Messiah’ performance

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    About 250 people became the chorus last week as La Grange’s Emmanuel Episcopal Church brought to life George Frederic Handel’s “Messiah” at the church on Kensington Avenue, backing four soloists in the rendition of the Christmas classic.

    Mary Hopper, emeritus professor of Choral Music at Wheaton College, conducted the performance.

    “This is great and such a great experience,” Hopper said before the performance. “People really enjoyed singing last year and I enjoyed that.”

    Hopper described Handel’s most famous work as one that resonates with the American people.

    “It’s the story of Christmas and the story of the Gospel,” she said. “It’s got music that’s familiar, probably the most familiar piece of classical music that anybody has.”

    During her 43 years at Wheaton College, Hopper directed the Women’s Chorale and the Men’s Glee Club. She has toured nationally and internationally.

    Since 2018, Hopper has been director of the Hinsdale Chorale, several of whose members were dispersed through the crowd at Emmanuel Episcopal for the performance, singing along to the choruses.

    The oratorio, written in only 24 days by the German-born master, is considered among the most recognizable pieces of English language music.

    The Messiah was first performed in Ireland in 1741, and quickly became a favorite of music-lovers of the era. While it originally was considered appropriate for the Easter Holiday, over the years “Messiah” has become a Christmas staple.

    Oratorios are typically large-scale music works for orchestra and voices, focusing on religious themes; “Messiah” is no exception, with lyrics taken from scripture.

    Chicago-based soprano Olivia Doig, who has performed in venues throughout the Midwest, also returned after performing in last year’s rendition in La Grange.

    “Last year I was eight months pregnant and this year I’m not,” Doig said after the performance, “But my children are here this year.”

    Doig is a veteran of venues like the Chicago Opera Theater, Ohio Light Opera, and the Haymarket Opera. She is currently a guest lecturer in voice studies at Wheaton College.

    Other performers included mezzo soprano Janet Mensen Reynolds, who retired after 26 years in the chorus of the Chicago Lyric Opera, made her concert debut at Carnegie Hall, and currently has a private voice studio of 25 students. Baritone Ryan Cox has been a professional member of the Grant Park Chorus and the Chicago Symphony Chorus, and was the baritone soloist in the 2010 recording of Grant Park’s Pulitzer Project. Lyric Opera tenor Joseph Fosselman has been with the Opera since 1992 and has performed many solo roles in Lyric productions.

    The Kaia String Quartet, dedicated to bringing the music of Latin America to the public, provided the instrumentation for the performance. The group has performed at many Chicago-area venues, including the Chicago Jazz Fest, the Studebaker Theatre, the Morton Arboretum, the Chicago Latino Music Festival, and Chamber Music on the Fox.

    But some artists were first-timers for Emmanuel Episcopal Church’s new tradition.

    Harpsichordist Kathy Christian has served on the music faculty of North Central College in Naperville for 26 years. She is the organist and pianist for the First Congregational Church of Western Springs, as well as the accompanist for Hinsdale Chorale.

    Organist Bobby Nguyen, a native of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is the organist at the First United Church of Oak Park. He began his piano studies at Ho Chi Minh Conservatory of Music, continued his education at North Park University and ultimately studied organ at the Juilliard School.

    “At first when Mary contacted me a few months ago, I was a bit worried,” Nguyen said. “The Messiah is a pretty big piece and when I showed up here everything was very casual feeling, a friendly atmosphere, so I said, ‘oh, I can do this.’”

    Dan Mottl, junior warden at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, said bringing the performance back this year was an easy choice.

    “We were pretty confident because of the response from last year,” he said before the performance. “We had a good turnout, the excitement was building and people were saying ‘I hope you do this every year. It was planned to be an annual event and it looks like it’s catching on.”

    Mottl talked about bringing together different artists who normally didn’t work together.

    “We assembled them from all over the neighborhood, some were from La Grange, some from Wheaton, some from Chicago,” he said. “So we assembled the best singers and best musicians that we knew. The Kaia String Quartet was wonderful. So we brought all these people together.

    “Of course Mary Hopper was the key. She knew a lot of the people, but this is independent from anything she had worked on before.”

    After the show, Mottl said “everything was great. It’s probably better than last year.”

    Audience members came away impressed and inspired.

    La Grange resident Nanci Davidson, a member of Emmanuel Episcopal Choir, was also part of the effort to bring the Messiah to the church last year.

    “Oh my gosh this is the best community event this church could be doing,” Nanci said. “It brings everyone together at a very tumultuous time — depending on how you sit — and it sets you off in this wonderful, joyous mood in the holidays.”

    Western Springs resident Janet Helin agreed.

    “It’s just such a thrill,” she said. “Especially when you think of all those who would like to sing it, and especially the text that came up in our sermon this morning. Handel composed this in 24 days. It’s hard to even conceive of this whole thing.”

    Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. 

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  • Clarendon Hills police join Hinsdale and other departments for social worker services

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    Police departments from Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, Burr Ridge and Willowbrook have formed a team that will enable them to provide additional services by sharing a social worker from Northeast DuPage Family and Youth Services.

    The Hinsdale, Burr Ridge and Willowbrook departments put the Police Social Work Program in place for fiscal year 2025, said Clarendon Hills police Chief Ed Leinweber. He said he and acting village manager Paul Dalen were approached in September by Hinsdale police Chief Brian King about getting involved in the program.

    The cost now is just over $23,000 for a year for each of the four departments. Clarendon Hills becomes part of the local group Jan. 1.

    Leinweber said each department will have the social worker in-house one day per week for 10 hours.

    “The social worker also has the flexibility to respond to one of the other towns, should there be an active critical incident where their services could be utilized,” he said, adding that the social worker would provided services to children, adolescents, adults and families of all backgrounds.

    Leinweber said the social worker would focus on mental health incident follow-up, on-site response to mental health incidents, case management, short-term counseling to achieve crisis stabilization, suicide & mental health assessments, assistance with DCFS calls, homelessness, food insecurity and other basic needs, 24/7 on-call coverage for social service emergencies, ”walk-in” services for residents during designated office hours, domestic violence counseling, safety planning and resource assistance, outreach and training for residents and village officials and community meetings and events.

    “Many police departments are moving toward having a social worker on staff, either on a part-time or full-time capacity,” Leinweber said. “There has been a lot of interest nationwide to have social workers work with police departments in responding to calls involving mental health crisis and domestic violence.  Mental health crisis and domestic violence calls are two of the more common calls for service received by police departments.”

    Leinweber said police and village officials believe partnering with Northeast DuPage Family and Youth Services will further strengthen the commitment to promoting the mental health and social needs of the Clarendon Hills community.

    “We look forward to working with NEDFYS and our neighboring villages in an effort to provide the best police service possible,” he said.

    Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.

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  • Man charged with trying to sexually assault woman, grabbing three others in west and south suburbs

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    DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. (WLS) — A Willowbrook man has been charged with trying to sexually assault a woman and grabbing three others in the south and west suburbs, officials said.

    Kwame Koranteng, 31, is charged with one count of Attempt Criminal Sexual Assault, two counts of Aggravated Battery in a Public Place, two counts of Aggravated Battery – Person Over Sixty and one count of Criminal Sexual Abuse, the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office said.

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    Officials said the first call came in last Friday around 3 p.m.

    A woman was walking on Brookbank Road in Downers Grove when Koranteng allegedly got out of his parked vehicle, ran up from behind, and passed her. He then allegedly turned around, walked past the woman and grabbed her buttocks while asking if “she can have sex.” He then fled the scene in a Toyota Corola.

    The next call came in from Hinsdale on Monday around 2:45 p.m.

    The alleged victim was walking with a 6-month-old child on a path on 59th Street. When she briefly stopped, she allegedly felt Koranteng grab her buttocks from behind with both hands. When she turned around, Koranteng allegedly reached down and touched the victim’s genitals over her clothes. When the victim screamed for help, he fled the scene.

    The third report came in from Darien on Friday around 10:15 p.m. A woman reported that Koranteng followed her into the lobby of her apartment building and grabbed her buttocks before leaving.

    After authorities identified Koranteng as a suspect in these cases, officers witnessed another alleged assault while conducting surveillance on him.

    It happened on Friday in the 7300-block of Fairmount Avenue in Downers Grove.

    Koranteng allegedly got out of his vehicle and approached a woman who was with her grandchild. While the grandmother was bending over to pick the child up, Koranteng allegedly grabbed her buttocks from behind and tried to wrap his arms around her. When the woman pushed him away, Koranteng fled back to his vehicle, where officers arrested him.

    A judge ordered Koranteng, of the 400-block of Ridgemoor Drive, detained ahead of his trial on Saturday morning. He is due back in court on Dec. 8.

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  • Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills District 181 schools grade well on state report card

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    As has been the norm, Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills Elementary District 181 performed very well on the recent Illinois Report Card for schools in the state.

    “District 181 is proud of its nine outstanding schools,” said Karen O’Connor, District 181’s director of communications. “All of our schools across the district are scoring in the top academic tier of student achievement in the state.

    O’Connor said the Report Card reflects the district’s performance data from the 2024–2025 school year.

    “This is just one component in a larger system of data that provides us with information on how District 181 schools are progressing on a variety of educational goals,” she said.

    Elm, Madison, Prospect, The Lane, and Walker schools were designated as “Exemplary,” while Clarendon Hills Middle School, Hinsdale Middle School, Monroe and Oak schools were in the “Commendable” category.

    To be designated as an Exemplary, schools must have a performance in the top 10% of schools statewide, no underperforming student groups. Commendable schools have a performance that is not in the top 10% of schools statewide and also have no underperforming student groups.

    None of the District 181 schools fell into the other categories used by the ISBE: •Targeted: Schools, where at least one student group is performing at or below the level of the “all students” group in the lowest-performing 5% of schools. These schools receive targeted support and enter a four-year improvement cycle.

    • Comprehensive: Schools, which are in the lowest-performing 5% of Title I-eligible schools in Illinois, or any high school with a graduation rate of 67% or lower. These schools receive comprehensive support and funding through a four-year improvement cycle.

    • Intensive, which is a designation for schools that are in the lowest-performing category. These schools also enter a four-year cycle of continuous improvement and receive additional support and funding.

    “Our summative designations of Exemplary and Commendable provide us with opportunities to celebrate our strengths and reflect on our goals so every student can reach their fullest potential,” O’Connor said.

    She said that according to the state’s targets, the district is one of the highest-performing elementary districts, exceeding all of the state’s academic targets for student proficiency on state-mandated assessments.

    During the 2024-2025 school year 88.6% of District 181 students were proficient in English Language Arts (the state average was 52.4%); 83.9% were proficient in Math (the state average was 38.4%; and 78.4% were proficient in Science, above the state average of 44.6%.

    “These indicators, designations, and associated index scores confirm D181 schools’ status as among the state’s top elementary and middle schools,” O’Connor said.

    She said It’s essential to recognize that attendance is a factor in the ISBE rating system, which can negatively impact a school’s score, even if a student is performing exceptionally well academically.

    The ISBE is in the midst of a redesign of the accountability system.

    “Designations and indicators will change, starting next year, and we will continue to respond to the shifting expectations to best meet the needs of our learners and community,” O’Connor said.

    “As with any rating system, we remain committed to reviewing the information and looking for opportunities to enhance our efforts.”

    Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. 

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  • As his two sons watch and cry, ‘Pa, te amo,’ federal agents arrest man outside of Naperville apartments

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    A Naperville man was hauled away by federal immigration agents Thursday morning as his two sons watched, the older boy begging them not to hurt his father and tearfully asking for a chance to speak to him before they left.

    The incident, which took place outside the Views of Naperville apartment complex off Ogden Avenue, was video recorded and has been circulating on social media.

    In it, three men wearing vests marked “police” can be seen pinning the man to the ground while taking him into custody. (He has been identified by the Naperville Sun as 47-year-old Carlos; his last name is being withheld at the request of his family, who fear retaliation.)

    Carlos’ 17 and 7-year-old sons can be heard in the background loudly crying.

    “Stop, you’re hurting him,” the 17-year-old says. Then, as they’re taking Carlos to a truck, his son asks, “Can I talk to him? Can I talk to him please before he leaves? Let me — that’s my dad.”

    At one point, one of the agents yells out to the crowd, “Get (the boys) away. Get them away.”

    As Carlos is placed in the vehicle and they get ready to leave, both boys cry out, “Pa, te amo. (Pa, I love you).”

    Such arrests have been taking place in Naperville and all over Chicago and the suburbs as part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” which began in early September. Some of the arrests in Naperville have been witnessed or caught on video, including one in which three people were detained outside a Menards store and another in which a group of men working on a roof were targeted. All of the roofers detained in that incident were documented, according to a report by ABC7.

    Carlos’ wife, Elena, speaking in Spanish, said she was at work and her husband taking their children to school when a group of federal immigration agents showed up shortly before 7:30 a.m.

    Carlos had gone to get the car and the boys were waiting for him to pick them up, she said. A friend of one of the boys was waiting with them, she said.

    “The kids were ready to get in the car and then they saw the truck, and the officers wouldn’t let them (go),” Elena said. “My husband thought they were just going to park. Then my son started telling him not to open the window, that he had rights — ‘Don’t open the door.’”

    Carlos rolled down his window and the agents asked him for his documents, she said.

    “When they opened my husband’s car door, my son says that one of the men was forcing him out of the car. And then another truck came and they threw (Carlos) to the ground,” Elena said.

    In another video of the incident viewed by the Naperville Sun, authorities can be seen pulling Carlos out of a white vehicle. It appears that another agent is inside the vehicle pushing him out. When Carlos and the agent pulling him out fall to the ground, three agents apprehend him.

    “My husband was telling them that they were hurting him,” Elena said. “They were choking him, and then they took him away.”

    She rushed home from work as soon as one of her sons called her, but by the time she got there at 7:32 a.m., it was too late.

    “My kids were crying uncontrollably. My oldest son was crying, saying they had taken his dad and treated him very badly,” Elena said. “They were yelling that they love him and that they care about him.”

    Elena said she was able to speak with Carlos following his arrest. Her husband, who is from Honduras, told her he was going to be transferred to another state for deportation. Because he has an active deportation order for previously entering the country illegally, she now has to wait for him to be deported before the family can reunite with him.

    “I have to wait for them to send him back to the country, if it’s possible for us to reunite in Honduras with my kids,” Elena said. “I have support from his family, but he’s gone now — he’s the head of our household.”

    Carlos, whom she met in Honduras, has been in the U.S. for nearly a decade and recently opened his own tire business, she said. He is afraid to go back to his native country because he has brothers and other family members who have been killed there, she said. Both of their sons are U.S. citizens.

    “What hurts me most is seeing my kids, what they went through in that moment when they were arresting their father,” Elena said.

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Tribune staff writer Laura Rodríguez Presa contributed to this report. 

    cstein@chicagotribune.com

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  • Naperville D203 board member Kelley Black censured again for ‘unprofessional’ actions

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    For the second time this year, Naperville District 203 School Board member Melissa Kelley Black has been censured by fellow board members for conduct deemed unprofessional and detrimental to the district.

    The District 203 board voted 6-1 Monday to censure Kelley Black, with Kelley Black casting the only vote against the resolution. Board members said they were taking a “highly unusual step a second time” because Kelley Black has not corrected her behavior since the first censure resolution was approved in January.

    The censure resolution is posted on the district’s website at as part of the board’s agenda.

    It states that Kelley Black made social media posts that divulged and misrepresented confidential closed session information and disparaged the superintendent and board members.

    In August and September, she posted multiple times about the district’s negotiations during the teacher contract discussions, the resolution said. The teacher’s union used her statements to insinuate the district was not being honest and open, undermining the district’s position in negotiations and harming its reputation, the resolution said.

    The teacher’s union started the school year without a contract in place and had set a strike date if an agreement couldn’t be reached.

    Board member Holly Blastic said the beginning of the school year was a stressful time for staff and families during the ongoing negotiations. A board member cannot act in such a way that might compromise the board or administration and must respect privileged information, she said.

    “The confidentiality is so extremely serious and so important to our fiduciary responsibility when we are negotiating a contract with our largest union group, and most of our budget is in labor expenses,” Blastic said. “To put out publicly at that time of heightened emotions for everyone information that as a board we cannot respond to, to acknowledge or correct because that kind of commentary is either confirming or denying confidential information, puts us in a difficult place.”

    She was one of two board members who were not on the board when the first censure resolution was approved in January.

    Board member Marc Willensky, also elected in April, said board members need to uphold standards and expectations the public can trust.

    “When those standards are repeatedly disregarded, the board has a responsibility to act,” he said. “This censure is not about differences in opinion or perspective. It’s about conduct that undermines the board’s ability to function and erodes trust in our work.”

    Kelley Black, elected to the board in April 2023 for a four-year term, has denied any wrongdoing.

    She said she did not find out about the resolution until the agenda was released and did not expect to be censured when she ran for school board.

    “I acted within my constitutional rights,” Kelley Black said. “Most of the allegations related to my public statements, which I shared concerns about transparency, finances and collective bargaining. Those are matters of public concern protected under the First Amendment and the Illinois Constitution. The Supreme Court has been clear: elected officials cannot be punished for expressing dissent or speaking out on public issues. Transparency and oversight are not misconduct. They are my sworn duty to the taxpayers who elected me.”

    She said the public has a legitimate interest in the transparency around teacher contracts.

    Kelley Black said she believes she is being silenced for speaking out and has requested an independent investigation be done by the DuPage County Regional Office of Education or the Illinois State Board Of Education on whether the board is weaponizing censures to silence an elected official.

    Board member Joseph Kozminski said he was disappointed the board was put back in the position.

    “The public voted us in and trusts us to be a voice for the community and to use our judgment in making decisions behind closed doors when needed,” Kozminski said. “So it was really disappointing and concerning to me this behavior has persisted. I hope that we can move forward and find a more positive place to go from here.”

    Shortly after the censure vote, the board asked Kelley Black to be a delegate for the Illinois Association of School Boards. She questioned why they wanted her to represent them if she “were so horrible.”

    Kelley Black said she would like to be treated with respect.

    “Don’t talk about building unity with me when you lie and throw me under the bus,” she said. “That’s ridiculous. And you know what? My message for those students out there is to stand up for your legal rights. If people accuse you of something, make them prove it.”

    Several board members said they want her to contribute positively as a member of the board, build relationships and move forward.

    In January, the previous District 203 board voted to censure Kelley Black for conduct that violated the board’s principles and ethics. Among the charges listed on the censure resolution were actions that compromised the board and administration by divulging confidential information learned in closed session and making false and disparaging comments about the board on public and private forums.

    Board members have also publicly called Kelley Black out on multiple occasions for failing to review bills and claims with district finance staff. The monthly responsibility is rotated among board members, but others have been forced to step in and do the task when Kelley Black did not during her assigned month.

    Over the summer, Kelley Black publicly alluded to recording a private citizens’ committee meeting without the members’ knowledge or consent, a violation of Illinois law. The district forwarded an eavesdropping complaint to the Naperville Police Department and the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office to investigate, but police determined that no charges would be filed and the investigation was closed.

    Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.

     

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  • Federal immigration agents accuse women of battery, Bolingbrook police say

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    Federal immigration agents reported being battered while attempting to make an arrest Sunday morning in the southwest Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook, according to village officials.

    Bolingbrook police responded to the 100 block of Williamsburg Lane shortly before 10 a.m., where they encountered two federal agents who said they had been in the process of arresting a 46-year-old man in a parking lot when two women “approached and began striking them both in the head,” police said.

    The man and the two women then fled the area on foot, officials said, and entered a nearby residence. The federal agents declined medical attention, and the Bolingbrook Police Department made no arrests.

    A local rapid response team with the South Suburban Immigrant Project confirmed the presence of federal immigration agents in “several locations” around Bolingbrook on Sunday morning, including Beaconridge Drive — which is near the 100 block of Williamsburg Lane — and on Schmidt Road and Remington Boulevard, with at least two people from the community being detained.

    The Trump administration has cracked down on immigration in the Chicago area with its “Operation Midway Blitz” since early September, during which 1,500 arrests have been made in the city and its suburbs, the Department of Homeland Security has reported.

    The agency could not be immediately reached for comment Sunday.

    Earlier this month, Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta said in a statement shared to social media, “Whether someone supports or opposes ICE, it’s important to understand that the Village must operate within the limits of the law — we cannot interfere with federal actions, nor can we participate in them.”

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  • Elmhurst University’s new $30 million Health Sciences building offers ‘hands-on’ clinic, community services

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    The new 45,000-square-foot Health Sciences Building at Elmhurst University opened Oct. 3 amid ribbon-cutting pomp. The state-of-the-art facility now houses the Departments of Nursing, Public Health, Occupational Therapy, and Communication Sciences and Disorders.

    The $30 million building was financed through existing funds from philanthropic gifts, grants and reserve funds, officials said.

    “The institution needed it, the community needed it,” said Heather Hall, dean of the School of Health Sciences and professor in the Department of Kinesiology. “It is allowing our various health professions across campus to come together into one space.”

    The Nursing Department alone has 436 students. There are 166 in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program and 54 in the Masters of Occupational Therapy program.

    Hall said the building makes it possible for the university to foster Interprofessional Practice and Education methods, and it also means the school no longer has to use Elmhurst Memorial Hospital.

    “We were able to bring all of that learning to campus,” Hall said.

    Bringing all of the departments under the same roof has been “transformational and game-changing for us,” said Becky Hulett, chair of the Department of Nursing and Public Health, and associate professor of Nursing. “Our faculties now collaborate every day.”

    The new building’s facilities also enable some specialization in teaching, Hall said, while expanding services available to the community.

    “Increased space has tremendously assisted us in separating some of the underclassmen from the upperclassmen in their learning environment,” she said. “We’ve been able to expand our Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic which serves the community. We have more treatment rooms, a larger waiting room, additional reserved parking.”

    Consequently, they are able to treat more clients, Hall noted. That includes school age children in the afternoons.

    Elmhurst University nursing students, from left, Diana Ferrer of Northlake, Gianna Imperatrice of Bartlett, America Magana of Elgin, and Krystina Gaytan of Bartlett, perform a respiratory and cardiac assessment on a simulated patient in the university’s new Health Sciences Building. (Elmhurst University)

    Hall was excited about the state-of-the-art equipment in the new building, as well as its new Activities of Daily Living Lab for occupational therapy.

    “It’s an actual apartment that is set up with a bathroom, bathtub, shower, living room, bed, kitchen,” Hall said. “The students have an opportunity to practice what it will be like simulating real life experiences working with clients.”

    Hall said community members are invited to come on certain days, free of charge, to be evaluated by second-year master’s degree students, who will offer tips about improving their daily living activities.

    “We have a much bigger low-fidelity lab where we have new low-fidelity mannequins,” Hulett said. Curtains separating beds make each space look like a hospital room, she noted. There is classroom space in the middle of the lab.

    “Our students can learn how to take blood pressure, learn how to do things, and then immediately go to the bed and practice those skills on low-fidelity mannequins,” Hulett said.

    Simulation labs are equipped with high-fidelity mannequins that can breathe, sweat, have seizures, and respond to treatment.

    There are baby and adult mannequins, and mannequins of different skin colors.

    “We are the only school in the Midwest that has a 360-degree immersive virtual reality room,” Hulett said. “This room is going to allow our students to experience patient rooms, patient conditions before they’re stepping into a situation in a hospital with real patients.”

    Hall said that immersive experience will benefit Elmhurst students as well as their patients down the road.

    “The bottom line is that we want to have a hands-on learning environment — one that mirrors the complexity of the demands of a real-world clinical setting,” she said.

    Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.

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  • Flag football offers female athletes another outlet for sports, and scholarships

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    Very few female athletes could have seen this coming when they entered high school in 2022.

    Flag football scholarships? Really?

    It would have been almost impossible for athletes in Illinois to think about back then because schools were not offering the sport on a varsity level. But two years ago, it was a club sport sponsored in part by the Chicago Bears.

    Last year, the Illinois High School Association sanctioned flag football and Fremd High School in Palatine became the sport’s first state champion. This year, 216 teams have entered the postseason, which starts Oct. 6.

    Colleges have taken notice and Triton College in River Grove is one of the first in the Chicago area that will offer scholarships for flag football starting in 2026.

    “This is exciting news for Triton Athletics,” Garrick Abezetian, associate vice president of Triton College Athletics said in a news release. “Flag football has seen immense popularity recently, and this is an opportunity for us to contribute to that movement and offer more for Triton students and our community. I can’t wait to see everyone out on the field.”

    According to womenscollegeflagfootball.com, there are 29 members of the National Junior College Athletic Association  that have either announced teams or have active varsity squads. Triton joins the College of DuPage as community college teams planning on starting up programs in the Chicago area for the 2026 season.

    The website said there are hundreds of college club teams.

    There are also only two NCAA Division I varsity teams with three on the way, and 14 Division II teams with 10 more coming. There are 21 Division III schools with 24 coming including Aurora and North Park. There are 32 NAIA teams with 12 more announced.

    Oak Park River and Forest High School senior Elianna Brucato already has locked in Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington as her college choice for academics and flag football, but she is happy a school close to home is offering opportunities.

    Oak Park and River Forest quarterback Julia Henderson prepares to pass the ball during a Sept. 22 game against against St. Laurence in Burbank. (Jeff Vorva/Daily Southtown)

    “I think it would be great if the colleges around us would have teams,” Brucato said after a recent game against St. Laurence in Burbank. “It would be cool to see the sport grow even more.”

    St. Laurence’s Sara Burzycki is weighing her options and seeing what’s out there.

    “I’ve been doing a little bit of research,” she said. “There are not a lot of colleges that offer scholarships for flag football but there are a lot who offer it as a club team.

    “Expanding flag football in colleges is a good thing. It’s a really good sport.”

    OPRF’s Tabia Allen, who is also considering Illinois Wesleyan, said she is glad Triton is offering flag football and hopes that the many small colleges in the area follow suit.

    “Any schools like Triton or Concordia who would offer flag football would be amazing regardless of what level it is,” she said.

    St. Laurence senior Ciyah Thomas, who has played basketball at Bolingbrook and Hammond Central high schools, is looking at colleges for both basketball and flag football.

    St. Laurence High School athlete Sara Burzycki hauls down a touchdown pass against Oak Park and River Forest High School during a Sept. 22 flag football game in Burbank. (Jeff Vorva/Daily Southtown)
    St. Laurence High School athlete Sara Burzycki hauls down a touchdown pass against Oak Park and River Forest High School during a Sept. 22 flag football game in Burbank. (Jeff Vorva/Daily Southtown)

    “My mind is still open. I’m definitely looking to play both sports in college because I have a passion for it,” she said. “I’ve played football my whole life. I never thought about getting a scholarship for it.”

    St. Laurence coach Steve Vodicka said that last year two Vikings players committed to Graceland University and thinks there will be more college interest to come.

    “The Graceland coach came out to meet the players and showed the opportunity they had for them,” Vodicka said. “Two of them ran with it and I feel a lot more are going to continue to see what that opportunity is like, especially when it comes to scholarships and getting financial aid.

    “I can see that growing, especially in the state of Illinois and Chicago area.”

    St. Laurence High School defensive back Evalin Campos-Cuellar intercepts an Oak Park pass in the endzone during a Sept. 22 flag football game in Burbank. (Jeff Vorva/Daily Southtown)
    St. Laurence High School defensive back Evalin Campos-Cuellar intercepts an Oak Park pass in the endzone during a Sept. 22 flag football game in Burbank. (Jeff Vorva/Daily Southtown)

    Triton is getting some financial support for its new venture, including a $5,000 grant from the NJCAA Foundation, NFL FLAG, and Reigning Champs Experiences.

    “The decision supports strategic enrollment and athletic program growth for our institution,” Triton President Mary-Rita Moore said in a news release. “Equally important is that this investment supports our community’s passion for Trojan athletics and the growing interest nationwide in flag football as an emerging sport for women. This is how a public community college can make a positive difference in the lives of our students.”

    Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter. 

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  • Senate candidates Robin Kelly, Juliana Stratton make their pitches at Oak Park forum

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    Contrasting styles were on display Saturday morning when two of the three Democratic candidates running to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin appeared before approximately 100 people at the Oak Park Public Library in an event organized by the Democratic Party of Oak Park.

    Congresswoman Robin Kelly and Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton spoke, but the third major candidate, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, who was also invited, called to cancel the night before the event. Krishnamoorthi, a prodigious fundraiser, has raised the most money in the campaign thus far and is the only candidate who has run extensive television advertising.

    Both candidates appeared separately before the crowd. They first spoke for a little less than 10 minutes and then answered questions for about 20 minutes.

    Kelly, who some have said is too nice for politics, spoke first and was calm and thoughtful. She stressed her experience as an experienced congresswoman while Stratton was much more animated and fiery, pitching herself as a fighter.

    “We need fighters in Washington who will stand and go to the mat fighting for the people in Illinois,” Stratton said. “I want to be that fighter for you.”

    Stratton suggested that times demand more than normal politics

    “People have told me I’m not looking for someone to go along just to get along, nobody wants to see that,” Stratton said. “But I’m not looking for the same old, same old. People are looking for bold, courageous leadership and they’re looking for people to not only tell us what we’re fighting against but what we’re fighting for.”

    While Kelly stressed her experience in Congress and her role in passing legislation, Stratton said that the current situation demands much more than that.

    “I don’t see my role as your next United States senator just to pass legislation, although that’s a big part of the role,” Stratton said. “I do not see my role as your next United States senator to just have a bully pulpit and to speak with moral clarity although I believe that that is my role, I also see my role to push our party to be courageous and bold.”

    While Kelly stressed the need to work with Republicans and craft legislation that can pass, Stratton said she doesn’t want Democrats to compromise in the upcoming showdown and advocated shutting down the government if Republicans refuse to budge.

    Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton discusses her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Dick Durbin during a forum Sept. 13 at the Oak Park Public Library. (Bob Skolnik/Pioneer Press)

    “This is not a normal budget showdown because we don’t have a normal president,” Stratton said. “And if the president and congressional Republicans are not going to come to the table in good faith and as far as I’m concerned if they’re going to strip away health care and they’re going to strip away funding for critical federal services and think we’re going to compromise I say shut it down.”

    Kelly, who since 2013 has represented the 2nd Congressional District, which runs from the south side of Chicago all the way to Danville, stressed her experience not only in Congress but as a state legislator, along with stints in administrative positions in state, county and municipal government.

    “I know the job, I’m enjoying the job, I know how to build relationships. I know you have to resist now. I know how to work across the aisle,” Kelly said. “I’ve been in Congress 12 ½ years, I’ve only been in the majority for four years of those 12 ½ years so if you can’t work with people that are different than you, you’re not going to get things done. And I think the public wants us to get things done.”

    Kelly said she is ready for the job.

    “When Dick Durbin leaves we need someone that can hit the ground running and ladies and gentlemen I am that person,” Kelly said. “I have built relationships in the House of course but also in the Senate. I have worked with Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to get things done.”

    Kelly also noted that people want Democrats to resist and said that she is ready to do that, but said that she will remain true to her moral compass.

    “They resist us to resist,” Kelly said. “I don’t give up my values for anyone and I don’t give up my joy for anyone. I love my job.”

    Both candidates spoke mostly in generalities, as most candidates do.

    Although Stratton pitched herself as a fighter she also said that she has worked as a mediator and said during her short stint as a state representative she made it a point to get to know her Republican colleagues and worked with them to get 10 bills passed.

    Both candidates seemed to impress the audience but in different ways.

    “Of these two I thought that Juliana looked like she would be the stronger fighter,” said Oak Parker Gene Armstrong. “Robin might be the stronger legislator but I’m kind of the view that right now we need a stronger fighter.”

    Gail Ginsberg, of Oak Park, thought the event was eye opening. Going in, she knew the most about Krishnamoorthi due to his extensive television advertising but said both Stratton and Kelly impressed her.

    “I thought it was a terrific, terrific event today. Very sorry that Raja Krishnamoorthi wasn’t here,” Ginsberg said. “It would have been so important to see him in contrast to the two candidates that we heard from, but I thought they were both terrific. They both impressed me in different ways.”

    Bob Skolnik is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.

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  • Naperville District 203 teachers say they’re going on strike Tuesday

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    After three bargaining sessions this week failed to produce a new contract, union officials announced Thursday night that Naperville School District 203 teachers will go on strike Tuesday.

    The Naperville Unit Education Association said in a news release that the school board’s most recent proposal represented a major step backward.

    “We have always said a strike is our last resort,” union President Ross Berkley said in a statement. “However, after months of bargaining, overwhelming community support and the board’s refusal to make meaningful progress, we have reached a point where we may have no other choice. As a result, we have set our official strike date.”

    The union’s decision to send its members to the picket line came after its third bargaining session of the week ended Thursday night without an agreement.

    Berkley said the union wanted to make sure the community had as much time as possible to make arrangements for their children. The union represents more than 1,500 teachers and licensed staff and has been working without a contract since June 30. Contract negotiations began in February.

    The union’s statement said teachers will strike Tuesday unless the board reverses course and offers a fair agreement that “values educators, supports our students and provides the stability our community deserves.”

    Berkley said the board’s latest proposal is significantly lower than its previous base salary proposals.

    Union members voted to authorize a strike on Aug. 13 — the legal step necessary in advance of a walkout — and rallied at two school board meetings this month to drum up support for a fair contract. At the meeting Monday, teachers, parents and students spoke for more than two hours in support a new contract for the teachers.

    Union representatives said negotiations are continuing in an effort to reach an agreement and avert a strike. The two sides have been talking with the assistance of a federal mediator and are to meet again Friday.

    District officials have said the board is committed to bargaining in good faith and reaching an agreement that is fair to both educators and taxpayers.

    Board President Charles Cush previously released a video message in which he said the union’s requests are not financially feasible and that the offer being made by the board would ensure the district’s teachers would be among the highest compensated in the region.

    Thursday night, District 203 officials said the board is committed to reaching a fair, fiscally responsible solution that focuses on keeping students in school.

    “Our top priority remains our students and keeping them in classrooms,” Cush said in a district news release.  “We are committed to moving forward together. The strength of our district has always come from the unity between our educators and our community, and we are dedicated to preserving that.”

    Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.

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  • Oak Park District 97 enacts leadership plan after abrupt resignation of superintendent Ushma Shah

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    The Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Board of Education quickly turned to familiar faces to fill the superintendent’s role in the district after superintendent Ushma Shah suddenly resigned, effectively immediately, on Aug. 15.

    At a special meeting on Aug. 18 the School Board voted 6-0 to appoint current assistant superintendent Patrick Robinson to be acting superintendent until Sept. 15. At that time retired superintendents Griff Powell and Patricia Wernet will take over as co-interim superintendents for the remainder of the 2025-26 school while the board searches for a new leader.

    Powell and Wernet are familiar with District 97 having served as co-interim superintendents in District 97 in the 2021-2022 school year before Shah was hired in 2022.

    “We are excited to welcome back Dr. Powell and Dr. Wernet, who bring both deep experience and a strong connection to Oak Park,” said Cheree Moore, president of the District 97 Board of Education in a news release issued by the district after the special meeting. “Alongside our dedicated administrative team, they will help guide the district with stability and care. We are also grateful for Mr. Robinson’s steady leadership during this transition. With this team in place, we are confident District 97 will continue moving forward for our students, staff, and families.”

    Powell and Wernet have also worked together as interim superintendents in Glenview School District 34 and both have served as interim superintendents and superintendents in a number of school districts. Because they are both retired and receiving pensions from the Illinois Teacher Retirement System, they can only work a certain number of days to continue receiving their pension benefits so they will share the superintendent job in District 97 and neither will work full time. Their pay from District 97 was not disclosed because their contracts still must be negotiated.

    Powell, 79, has been a permanent superintendent in five school districts. This will be his 14th interim superintendent assignment since he retired from his last permanent superintendent position at Niles Township High School District 219 in 2002.

    I know I’m the most experienced interim (superintendent) in the state,” Powell told Pioneer Press. “I’m probably the most experienced superintendent in the state.”

    When a school district calls him and asks him to fill in, Powell can’t resist answering the call.

    “I love the work and I’m not a person that has a lot of hobbies,” Powell said. “I don’t play golf, I don’t fish, I don’t play a musical instrument and I really do love working and I love the field of education. I’ve spent my whole life dedicated to it.”

    Wernet has been superintendent in Berwyn South School District 100 and Lisle Community Unit School District 202 as well as serving as an interim superintendent in a number of districts.

    “Our job as co-interim superintendents is to provide the teaching staff, most importantly, and the support staff all the resources and support necessary to give maximum services to our students,” Powell said. “We want to allow the board to focus on hiring their new leader on a more permanent basis.”

    Robinson has been assistant superintendent for elementary schools in District 97 since 2023. Prior to that he was the principal of Whittier School in Oak Park for five years.

    At the Aug. 18 board meeting, members also, without any discussion, voted 6-0 to accept Shah’s resignation. After the meeting they shed little light on why Shah resigned, referring to a joint statement the school board and Shah released announcing Shah’s immediate resignation. That statement did not give a reason for Shah’s resignation and did not include a comment from Shah. In response to a specific question Moore did say that Shah was not asked to resign.

    Ushma Shah resigned Friday as superintendent of Oak Park Elementary School District 97. (School District 97)

    “She voluntarily resigned,” Moore said.

    Shah was at the Aug. 12 School Board meeting, just three days before she resigned, and gave no hint in open session that she was going to be resigning.

    Moore declined to say when she learned that Shah was resigning.

    Bob Skolnik is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. 

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