South Side

16 Stories

Stolen Car Triggers Fatal Pileup in Chicago

Fire Department rep says crash involving 8 vehicles is 'among the worst' he's seen

(Newser) - A car speeding the wrong way down a Chicago street smashed into numerous vehicles at an intersection on Wednesday, bursting into flames and leaving the two occupants dead inside. Outside, there was chaos with several people injured across seven vehicles, including children. "This is a really bad crash,"...

Why Obama's Library Won't Have Original Documents

His library will be the first to forgo National Archives funding

(Newser) - President Obama's Chicago-based presidential library will differ in one big way from the 13 other presidential libraries that exist around the country. The Chicago Sun-Times reports the Obama Foundation plans to foot the $675 million startup bill for the center through fundraising, forgoing financial support from the National Archives...

Judge Shot Dead Outside Chicago Home

Police believe Raymond Myles' killing was botched robbery

(Newser) - A judge known for being fair, kind, and tough was killed in front of his Chicago home in an act of violence as senseless as anything that passed through his courtroom. Police say Raymond Myles, a 66-year-old judge in Cook County's criminal division, was shot dead outside his South...

6 Injured by Gun Violence at Vigil for Victim of Gun Violence

Among those shot at Chicago memorial: a 12-year-old girl

(Newser) - A crowd gathered on Chicago's South Side at a vigil for a young man killed by gun violence were confronted with their own chaos when suspects said to be rival gang members started shooting Wednesday evening, NBC Chicago and CBS Chicago report. Six people were injured, including a 12-year-old...

Here's Where the Obama Presidential Center Will be Built

President Obama is coming back to Chicago's South Side

(Newser) - The Obama Presidential Center will be built in Jackson Park on Chicago's South Side, according to sources cited by the Chicago Tribune and AP . The center will include Obama's presidential library, a museum dedicated to his presidency, and the headquarters of the Obama Foundation. It's expected to...

Open Letter to Chicago Men: Nix Gun Violence or No Sex

South Side woman was inspired by Spike Lee's new movie

(Newser) - Life in Chicago's violence-plagued South Side is far from normal. So when April Lawson recently spotted a whole bunch of guys hanging out, casually waiting for a new shoe store to open, she lost it. "You're watching these guys just ... buying gym shoes and carrying on like...

'Army of Moms' Patrols Chicago to Stop Shootings

But they say they need more adult involvement to keep their neighborhood safe

(Newser) - When 34-year-old Lucille Barnes was gunned down June 23 on the 7500 block of Chicago's Stewart Avenue, a group of local mothers wearing neon-pink shirts that said "Moms on Patrol" set up chairs on street corners to prevent retaliatory violence. The Mothers Against Senseless Killings volunteers organized by...

Phony Cop, 14, Fakes Out Police 'Co-Workers'

Fooled even partner on patrol

(Newser) - A 14-year-old boy posing as a Chicago traffic cop rode in a patrol car with a partner and completed five hours of a shift before anyone realized something was wrong. The teen turned up at a South Side police precinct in full uniform and fooled everyone except a single sergeant,...

5 Shot Outside Chicago High School

Attackers opened fire as South Side students exited basketball game

(Newser) - Chicago cops are hunting gunmen who shot five people outside a South Side high school, reports the Chicago Tribune. The attackers opened fire from an SUV last night as a basketball game at Dunbar High School was ending. Witnesses say the gunmen pretended to fire before shooting into a crowd...

Test Confirms Hudson Murder Weapon
Test Confirms Hudson Murder Weapon

Test Confirms Hudson Murder Weapon

Handgun was reported stolen by owner in Michigan

(Newser) - Police have confirmed that a gun found in a vacant lot was used to kill Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and nephew, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Investigators are now working to tie the .45 caliber handgun and other evidence to suspect William Balfour and to trace how the gun, reported stolen...

Hudson Launches Victims' Fund
 Hudson Launches Victims' Fund

Hudson Launches Victims' Fund

Creates foundation in honor of slain family

(Newser) - Singer Jennifer Hudson, whose mother, brother and nephew were brutally murdered last weekend, has set up a foundation in honor of her three slain family members. The Hudson-King foundation will offer food, shelter, and clothing, as well as counseling for families who have lost relatives to a violent crime, People...

Cops Find Gun Linked to Hudson Murders

Discovery could be major break in case

(Newser) - A .45 caliber handgun, which could be the murder weapon used to kill Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and nephew, has been found by police, reports the Chicago Tribune. The gun was discovered in an alley close to the spot where the body of 7-year-old Julian King was discovered in the...

SC Justice, 88, May Break Term Record Under Obama

Liberal Stevens still going full steam

(Newser) - The longest-serving Supreme Court justice may defy expectations and stay on the bench even if fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama is elected, the Chicago Tribune writes. Many observers believe that liberal-leaning John Paul Stevens, 88, would choose to step down and let Obama choose his successor. But others think he may...

Obama Found His Identity in Chicago's Gritty South Side

Political journey began in years as organizer

(Newser) - Between graduating college and starting Harvard Law School, Barack Obama spent three years working as a community organizer on Chicago's South Side. As he learned how to rally and mobilize people to progressive causes, he also developed a greater understanding of his identity as an African American. The New York ...

Chicago Train Derails
 Chicago Train Derails 

Chicago Train Derails

No deaths, 14 injuries in elevated train mishap on South Side

(Newser) - A Chicago Transit Authority elevated train derailed this morning, the Chicago Tribune reports. Although the train came off the elevated tracks, it did not fall all the way to the ground. Using ladders and baskets, firefighters rescued 39 people from the Green Line train on Chicago’s south side, but...

Chicago Gets Olympic Makeover
Chicago Gets Olympic Makeover

Chicago Gets Olympic Makeover

Critics ponder price as plans for bid move forward

(Newser) - Chicago is serious about hosting the 2016 Olympics, and the city is doing everything possible to land the event, the Washington Post reports. The buzzword is "global": Chicago is entertaining foreign dignities, teaching new languages in its schools, and erecting public sculptures and buildings. But for the Windy City’...

16 Stories