Chicago, IL

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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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

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

The city of Chicago has announced that The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, will be this fall’s selection in the One Book, One Chicago program (“OBOC”). The program attempts to encourage reading in Chicago by having everyone read the same book and attend panels, discussions, and other events pertaining to the book.

The Crucible, which was performed as a play for decades and then made into a movie by the same name in the 1990s, is about the Salem witch hunt and witchcraft trials in the 1600s.

In honor of the book,’s selection, the Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble will be performing the play from September 13-Novemeber 11th.

This season’s OBOC will also featuring screening of the film, in addition to the lectures, discussions, and panels. As usual there are also special discussions for teenagers. The programs are available throughout the city at various library branches and other locations, so there should be an event near you.

For more information on the program, including speakers and book discussions, check out this official library pamphlet about the program. (PDF)

One book One Chicago, Chicago, OBOC, The Crucible, Arthur Miller, Steppenwolf Theatre, book clubs, reading

The filming of the lastest Batman film, The Dark Knight is ongoing here in Chicago. On Wednesday, the old Brach’s Candy building, at the corner of Cicero Avenue and Ferdinand Street, was blown up during the filming. The building will serve as “Gothman General Hospital” in the film. The movie is the biggest movie project that Chicago has ever hosted.

Below are some stunning photographs of the explosion, which will be coming soon to a theater near you.

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Chicago and the surrounding suburbs were hit with very severe thunderstorms yesterday, in addition to reported tornado sightings. There is widespread tree damage, power outages, and flash flooding.

Here is a photo of a tree in my front yard that was damaged during the storm.

Chicago, thunderstorms, tree damage

Elvira Arellano, an undocumented immigrant who has been living the past year in a Chicago church, has been deported. Arellano traveled to Los Angeles over this past weekend, the first time that she left the Chicago church since August 15, 2006. She was facing deportation after she was charged with using an false social security number to obtain employment, but did not want to be separated from her eight-year-old son, who is an American citizen. As a result, she had not left the church, fearing arrest and deporation.

According to reports, she was arrested yesterday afternoon outside of a church in Los Angeles and taken to Mexico. Arellano had championed immigration issues in an effort to convince Congress to allow undocumented immigrants to stay in the United States, rather than breaking up families. Her son is reportedly still in the United States.

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Chicago, immigration, Elvira Arellano, deportation

The fire that claimed the lives of a Naperville mother and her two young children has been ruled a double murder-suicide. Police revealed that video surveillance at a nearby store showed Nimisha Tiwari purchasing a can of gasoline.

She was also seen purchasing toys at another store the same day. It is believed that the children may have been playing with the toys at the time that the fire began, as the Dora the Explorer and Thomas the Tank Engine toys were found near the bodies of 18-month-old Anaya, 4-year-old Vakadham. Although it is not believed that the mother poured gasoline onto the children, the police have not ruled out the possibility that the children were drugged prior to the fire.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Nimisha Tiwari and her husband, Anand Tiwari, had a troubled marriage, which included accusations of abuse and bad parenting from both parents. She previously alleged that he was controlling and abusive and he alleged that she acted erratically as a result of her multiple sclerosis. Police have said that the husband has been cleared as a suspect.

On Saturday, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and all of their children were treated to an after hours visit at the Field Museum here in Chicago. The Field Museum is always a big hit with kids because it features dinosaurs and other fun natural history exhibits.

Here are several photos of the clan leaving the museum. You can see that Pax has a couple of temporary dinosaur tattoos on his arm.

Angelina Jolie, in town to film Wanted, visited the Borders on Michigan Avenue over the weekend. The photos below are her leaving the store with her son Maddox.

Angelina Jolie, Maddox Jolie-Pitt, Chicago, Borders