Chicago, IL

The family of Nailah Franklin has turned from the task of searching for their missing relative to mourning her death. Police confirmed today that a body found in Calumet City is indeed that of Franklin, who last contacted her family on September 18th.

The badly decomposed body was identified through dental records. The cause of death has not been determined and forensic evidence is still was being processed. I will post any updates regarding the investigation when they become available.

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Chicago, Nailah Franklin, Chicago, Calumet city

The police are awaiting testing on a body found in Calumet City yesterday to determine if it is that of missing Chicago woman Nailah Franklin who has been missing since September 18th.

The body, which was found in a field, is so badly decomposed that the police were unable to make an identification of the body, or even determine the race of the victim. The results of the identification process may come sometime today.

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Nailah Franklin, 28, a pharmaceutical sales representative was last heard from on September 18th when she sent a text message to a family member. Police have confirmed that she went to an Outback Steakhouse that night. Police found her car in Hammond, Indiana last Friday night near an abandoned building.

Before her disappearance, Nailah had told police that she was being threatened by a man. The police have questioned that man about her disappearance, but have not named him a suspect.

Nailah’s family has offered a $10,000 reward for information about her disappearance. They have also set up a website about her, which you can see here. The website has additional photos of Nailah, as well as biographical information, and how you can help.

Anyone will information on the disappearance of Nailah Franklin is asked to call Chicago police at 312-746-9259.

Chicago, missing persons, Nailah Franklin

After Mayor Daley announced plans to move the Children’s Museum to Grant Park, and away from Navy Pier, people have speculated that he did so in preparation for a casino to be placed at Navy Pier. Daley denied those rumors on Monday.

This will never be a gaming facility (at Navy Pier)… Navy Pier is for families….Gaming is not going to be around McCormick Place because you have conventions.

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I suppose that saying that Olney, Illinois is a suburb of Chicago is a bit of a stretch, as it is approximately 250 miles southeast of the city. However, Olney is worth mentioning for what I imagine is their number one tourist attraction: White Squirrels!

Albino squirrels are unheard of here in the city, but Olney apparently has quite the population of the cute critters, dating back to 1899. The city prides themselves in the squirrels so much that they even changed the leash law to include cats so that the squirrels would not be harmed by free-roaming felines.

Every year volunteers from the town spend several Saturdays counting the white creatures to determine whether or not the population is thriving or decreasing. This year’s count will take place October 13th, 20th, and 27th. If you are interesting in participating, you can call the Olney city hall at 618-395-7302.
For more information on the town of Olney, visit their official website.

Olney, White Squirrels, Illinois, Chicagoland

In addition to doing his part to try to ensure that the Chicago Cubs have a place in the post-season, Chicago Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee is also trying his hand at acting.

The slugger filmed a cameo for the television show ER last Thursday in Chicago. He will play himself and reportedly appears on the camera for less than a minute as he signs an autograph for a fan.

Lee agreed to do the cameo after learning that ER will have an episode later this season which features a story about a young girl stricken with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, the rare eye disease Derrek’s daughter Jada also struggles with. The disease causes blindness and Jada is blind in one eye.

Derrek has founded Project 3000, an organization which helps to bring awareness to Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis and help find a cure.

The Derrek Lee episode of ER is scheduled to air on October 18th on NBC.

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Chicago Cubs, Derrek Lee, ER, Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis, Project 3000

If you are a runner and would like to see the sights of Chicago, you may want to consider signing up for City Running Tours. Whether you are a Chicago resident or a tourist, you can benefit from participating in one of the company’s tours.

City Running Tours has an assortment of routes available, at different distances, including Wrigleyville, the Lakefront, and the Great Chicago Fire. In addition to the running workout, your tour guide will give your interesting information about the area that you are running through.

The pace is determined by the customer, so if you are a slower runner, don’t worry about being left behind. Your guide will provide water for the run and you are permitted to stop along the way to take photos or catch a breather if necessary.

City Running Tours are also available in Washington, DC, New York City, and San Diego. For more information or to make reservations online, visit City Running Tours.

City Running Tours, Chicago, running

Yesterday the city of Chicago unveiled its new logo for its bid to host the 2016 summer Olympic games. They were forced to change the previous logo, which included a flame designed to look like the city skyline, because it looked too much like the Olympic torch. Applicant cities are not permitted to use the Olympic logo until they are selected as the host city.

The new logo, called “the star” reflects “the unique design of the four stars on the Chicago flag” and “represents the importance of the Games to the city’s future and literally symbolizes the athletes at the center of the Games.”

For more information on the meaning by the logo or how you can help the city of Chicago secure the Olympic games, visit Chicago 2016.

Chicago, Chicago 2016, Olympics, Olympic logo

Now that it appears that fall has arrived to the Chicago area, it is great weather for apple picking. Here are five apple orchards in the area where you can pick apples, as well as participate in other fun fall activities.

Apples on Oak
16146 Oak Avenue
Joliet, IL
Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
U-Pick apples $1.25/pound

Curtis Orchard
3902 S. Duncan
Champaign, IL
Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Sunday 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
$8 per half peck bag (approx. six pounds)
Other activities: bakery, petting zoo, corn maze, pony rides

Garden Patch Farms
14154 W 159th Street
Homer Glen, IL
Everyday 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Other activities: Halloween castle, bunnies, chickens

Honey Hill Orchard
11747 Waterman Road
Waterman, IL
Open daily 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Other activities: Petting zoo, wagon rides

Kuiper Family Farm
1N318 Watson Road
Maple Park, IL
$6 admission fee includes 1/4 peck bag of apple and wagon ride
Other activities: corn maze, pony rides

Source: Family Fun Time Magazine, September 2007

Chicago apple picking, Chicagoland, apple orchards, corn maze, fall in Chicago

If you are expecting a new baby, or all have one or more youngters in your house, you may want to check out the Baby Expo at the Tinley Park Convention Center on September 29th.

There will be a wide variety of vendors there, will all of the latest products for babies and toddlers. Other booths include doctors, child care centers, and park districts.

There will also be fun for the kids, including a dino jump, pony rides, a booth from Radio Disney, and an acting stage for storytelling.

For more information on the event, visit the Baby Expo website.

Chicagoland, Tinley Park, Baby Expo

This Sunday, September 23rd, suburban Palos Heights will host the Lake Katherine Monarch Butterfly Festival. The event will feature a butterfly tent, a traveling science center, and a live insect museum. Children are encouraged to wear butterfly or other insect costumes.

Other events include:

Children’s games
Arts and crafts fair
Canoe Rentals
Face Painting
Hayrides
Scarecrow making

This sounds like a great fall event, with all of the fun things that I love about fall. Just add some cider and it sounds like a great fall day!

The event runs from 11:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and will be $6 for adults, $4 for kids ages three to twelve. The location of the event is 7402 W. Lake Katherine Drive in Palos Heights. For more information, you can call the Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens at (708) 361-1873.

Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens, Lake Katherine, Palo Heights, Monarch, butterfly

Want a delicious activity for you and the family this weekend? You should check out Eli’s Cheesecake Festival which runs September 15th and 16th.

Admission to the event is free and includes musical acts, a car show, cooking demonstrations, and best of all, free samples of cheesecake! There is also a “family stage” which will include such events as a cheesecake eating contest and hula hoop contests.

Money raised from the event will benefit the New Horizon Center for the Developmentally Disabled and The Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Details:
Saturday September 15th: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Sunday September 16th: 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Location:
6701 W. Forest Preserve Drive in Chicago

For more information on the event, including the schedule, visit Eli’s Cheesecake.

Chicago, Eli’s Cheesecake, cheesecake, cheesecake festival

The “doomsday” plan threatened by the Chicago Transit Authority over the past few weeks may not come into fruition after all. On Wednesday, Governor Blagojevich offered a $24 million bailout to the CTA’s parent organization, the Regional Transportation Authority.

With the State budget not allowing any additional funding for the Chicago transit, the CTA had threatened lay-offs, fare increases, and drastic route cuts starting this Sunday.

The $24 million, however, would only provide temporary relief to allow time for the State to come up with a funding plan. It would ensure that there would be no fare increases or route cuts until November 4th.

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CTA, RTA, chicago transit

This weekend, September 15th and 16th, is the 11th annual Celtic Fest Chicago. The free event takes place in Grant Park and runs from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. both days.

This 2-day festival in Chicago’s Grant Park celebrates the music, dance and traditions of the 7 original Celtic Nations: Ireland; Scotland; Wales; Isle of Man; Cornwall; Galicia, Spain and Brittany, France.

Saturday at 4:50 p.m., at the Celtic Crossroads stage, they will hold a “men in kilts” contest, with an award going to the man with the best legs in a kilt.

For more information, including the schedule of performers, visit the website here.

Chicago, Celtic Fest, Men in kilts, kilts, festival

A federal jury in Chicago returned guilty verdicts yesterday on all counts against all five defendants in the historic “Family Secrets” mob trial. Those convicted were defendants Joseph “Joey the Clown” Lombard, James “Little Jimmy” Marcello, Frank Calabrese Sr., Paul Schiro, and retired Chicago Police Officer Anthony “Twan” Doyle.

The jury had deliberated for four days and now much continue to deliberate to decide which murders Calabrese Sr., Lombardo, Marcello and Schiro are responsible for.

Photos and information from Chicago Sun-Times.

Mob trial, Chicago, Joseph “Joey the Clown” Lombard, James “Little Jimmy” Marcello, Frank Calabrese Sr., Paul Schiro, Anthony Doyle