Afternoon Briefing: School district agrees to reform disciplinary practices

Good afternoon, Chicago.

An Illinois school district that had the nation’s highest student arrest rate has agreed to change its disciplinary practices and provide help to those who missed class time while being punished.

The agreement with the U.S. Department of Education will end a federal civil rights investigation into the Four Rivers Special Education District that was launched following a 2022 ProPublica and Chicago Tribune investigation that found the district turned to police with stunning frequency to discipline students with disabilities.

Here’s what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit chicagotribune.com/latest-headlines and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices.

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Convicted serial killer known as ‘Hollywood Ripper’ appearing in court for 1993 Pacaccio murder

A convicted serial killer dubbed the “Hollywood ripper” is appearing in court in Skokie today after authorities long sought to bring him to trial in the 1993 slaying of 18-year-old Tricia Pacaccio. Read more here.

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MetroSouth developers pay outstanding bills as Blue Island awaits other conditions for conversion to senior living complex

Plans to convert the former MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island into a senior living complex are underway as developers work to pay off debts, and meet other conditions outlined in a preliminary agreement with the city. Read more here.

More top business stories:

• WGN-Ch. 9 entertainment reporter and critic Dean Richards lists home for just over $900,000
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Matt Eberflus enters a defining 3rd season as Chicago Bears coach with optimism and skepticism locked in a tug of war

After the offseason grind, after months of team-building initiatives, after seven weeks of training camp, the Bears will slip between the ropes into a season that feels like it could become transformative. Read more here.

More top sports stories:

• Crystal Lake native Valerie Tarazi reflects on ‘biggest honor’ of representing Palestine in Paris Olympics
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Our guides to 2024 fall arts in Chicago: Top picks for movies, music, theater and more

From the writers, columnists and critics of A+E, here are all of the Tribune’s fall 2024 guides for arts and entertainment, from music and museums to dance and art. Read more here.

More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories:

• Review: ‘The Audience’ at Drury Lane Theatre has new resonance after the death of Queen Elizabeth II
• Column: Proposed Aurora theater seen as hitting ‘sweet spot’ that would attract variety of entertainers

Teen charged in Georgia school shooting and his father to stay in custody after hearings

The 14-year-old suspect in a shooting that killed four people at a Georgia high school and his father will stay in custody after back-to-back court hearings Friday morning where their lawyers declined to seek bail. Read more here.

More top stories from around the world:

• Judge delays Donald Trump’s sentencing in hush money case until after November election
• Israeli soldiers shoot and kill an American woman during a West Bank protest, witness says