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Illinois Police Departments Show Troubling Patterns in Use of Traffic Stops
Investigation Finds Chicago Police Officers Routinely Fail to Report Traffic Stops. A recent investigation by a watchdog organization found that Chicago Police officers have routinely failed to document instances of traffic stops that do not end in arrest or charges, as many as 20,000 a month last year, in violation of a 2003 law which mandates that every traffic stop must be documented. This information stands in stark contrast to CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling reporting this past June that traffic stops in Chicago were down by approximately 87,000 stops from last year. What is particularly troubling about these numbers is that rates of traffic stops increased just as the department announced it would move away from the controversial “stop-and-frisk” tactic of patrolling, with some believing the practice is just a replacement to the policy that advocates say violated individuals Fourth Amendment rights. “It is quite concerning, especially if CPD is intentionally not recording traffic stops so they can claim they’re fixing the problem, when all they’re doing is hiding it behind an absence of data,” said Alexandra Block, director of the Criminal Legal System & Policing Project at the ACLU of Illinois. Many advocates believe that officers use minor traffic stops as a pretext to search for drugs and weapons in minority neighborhoods. CPD leadership seems to know that traffic stops present an issue, with Snelling asking that traffic stops be brought under the supervision of the federal courts under the federal consent decree that CPD has been under since 2019. However, advocacy groups remain skeptical about the effectiveness of the consent degree and what change it can bring to drivers who feel they are being profiled and the routine traffic stops are an infringement on their rights.
Illini football season kicks off Thursday night
CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – Illinois kicks off the football season Thursday night at 8 p.m. for the 100th season of Memorial Stadium. The Illini squad will host Eastern Illinois University. Illinois; head coach Bret Bielema seeks his fourth straight season-opening win with the Fighting Illini. The team won...
Danville School District looking for parent input on phone usage
DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — As schools across Central Illinois have begun with new cell phone policies, Danville’s school district wants some insight on phones. The district posted on Facebook there’s a short survey open to parents looking for input about the devices. It asks if phones should be banned in from schools, allowed in the […]
Institute of Aviation at Parkland College | Community College Connections
Meteorologist Jacob Dickey heads to Parkland College to learn more about the Institute of Aviation and how they’ve been training pilots for the last 10 years. Learn more here: Parkland Aviation | Facebook10 Year Reunion: September 28thContact Wendy Evans, Director at wevans@parkland.edu or call 217/353-2173 See all of Jacob’s segments on WCIA.com/communitycollegeconnections
Can't Wait For Saturday | NCAA committee considering football portal change
Aug. 28—*** College football fans who are frustrated with the massive changes in rosters might be about to get some relief. The NCAA Division Council is looking into eliminating the spring transfer portal session. That would cut the amount of time for transfers to 30 days, down from the current 45. And it would make the entire block after the conclusion of the season, allowing teams to have a ...
Meet the Illinois athletes competing in the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris
The Paralympic games kick off Wednesday in Paris, and Illinois athletes will be well represented.The big picture: Except for California, Illinois boasts the most athletes on the Team USA roster. Fourteen Illinois athletes will compete, with nine of them hailing from the University of Illinois.Also, the university's head coach of the wheelchair track and road racing team, Adam Bleakney, will helm Team USA.Yes, but: Some athletes went to UIUC and aren't actually from the state. Zoom in: The university is the national training center for wheelchair racing, as well as the birthplace for wheelchair basketball.The local Paralympians will compete in...
Good Morning, Illini Nation: A few interesting data points
Aug. 28—If you're a regular reader (or podcast listener), you know my appreciation for Bart Torvik and devoted to all things college basketball analytics. Seriously, just click around for a while. There's plenty to see. As the 2024-25 season has yet to begin, there's no game data to sort through. But there are projections for the season to come. Projections that have Illinois slotted in at No. ...
Illinois Teacher Goes Viral Asking Parents Not To Bring Kid’s Birthday Cupcakes
One teacher in Illinois has a back-to-school ask of parents. Ann Brackemyer, a kindergarten teacher in Morrison, is going viral as kiddos are going back to school with what she says is an "unpopular opinion". Parents love to bring cupcakes to school on the kid's birthday for the class. It's...
Free Museum Days In Illinois During September
If you're looking for some family fun but are on a tight budget, there are opportunities available for free days at some Illinois museums. During September Some Illinois Museums Offer Free Days. I was pretty lucky growing up. My parents liked to do activities as a family so I got...
Federal pandemic relief funding for schools is ending. How has it impacted Illinois schools?
Superintendent Brian DeBernardi walks along the outside of Northwest Elementary School in LaSalle. “You can see where this kind of juts out. None of this was here,” he says, pointing to a 15,000 square-foot addition to the school. It’s brand-new — kids just stepped in the doors last week.
Heat indices up to 119 degrees followed by severe storms in Northern Illinois
Areas in Northern Illinois experienced heat indices of up to 119 degrees on Tuesday, followed by severe storms at night. The National Weather Service in Chicago says that Dixon recorded a high temperature of 97 degrees with a heat index of 119 degrees. O'Hare Airport in Chicago had a temperature reading of 99 degrees with a heat index of 115 degrees.
Temperatures drop slightly, thunderstorms expected this week
Illinoisans are catching a little break from the extreme heat seen earlier this week with temperatures soaring to the 100’s. An Excessive Heat Warning was in effect Tuesday 11am-8pm causing the Danville Consolidated School District to transition to an E-learning day and all outdoor programming sponsored by the Champaign Park District was cancelled.
‘I love my career path’: Meet the woman behind IDOT’s cement testing across Central IL
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — In Central Illinois, summertime also means construction season. Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) workers know that all too well. One civil engineer in particular plays an important part in the process before concrete is poured at job sites. Spending the day outside and on the side of the road isn’t everyone’s […]
High Arsenic Levels: Walmart Recalls Apple Juice Sold In Illinois
Just think about all the different food product recalls we've been hearing about and dealing with over the last few months alone. We've been warned of the dangers of a certain brand of deli meat being possible contaminated with listeria. The recall involving those meat products covered over 7 million pounds of various meats that were produced at a single location. Several deaths have potentially resulted from ingestion of the recalled products.
Soccer Game Preview: Warrensburg-Latham/Maroa-Forsyth on Home-Turf
The Warrensburg-Latham/Maroa-Forsyth Cardinals will challenge the Decatur Eisenhower Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Warrensburg-Latham/Maroa-Forsyth is looking to give their home crowd another W after opening their season at home on Monday. They never let Monticello onto the board and left with a 3-0 victory. Warrensburg-Latham/Maroa-Forsyth's win bumped their record...
Arcola volleyball earns first win with road sweep over Judah Christian
Aug. 28—CHAMPAIGN — Arcola volleyball fell one win shy of winning a Class 1A regional championship last season, and the Purple Riders set out to make it back to that stage and bring home a plaque. Step one in that quest is now complete after taking a 25-22, 25-18 road win over Judah Christian in their season opener on Tuesday. "The girls really want to get to the conference championship game ...
Illinois vs Eastern Illinois predictions, picks, odds: Who wins Week 1 college football game?
The Illinois Fighting Illiniface the Eastern Illinois Panthers in Week 1 of the college football season. Kickoff from Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois, is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Big Ten Network. Illinois finished 5-7 last season, including 3-6 in the Big Ten. The Illini entered the final game of the season against Northwestern with...
Local Sports Schedule for Wednesday
Brownstown / St. Elmo at Cowden Herrick Beecher City. Charleston Red & Gold Tournament games have been restructured due to the projected heat on Wednesday & Thursday. Each team will now play two games Saturday morning. Taylorville at Hillsboro. Eisenhower at Warrensburg Latham. Carlinville at Pleasant Plains. North Mac at...
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