Local search for Chicagoans

8+ min ago (948+ words) Big Muddy River Correctional Center, located in downstate Ina, about 300 miles south of Chicago, is one of nearly 30 correctional facilities operated by the Illinois Department of Corrections. Manuel Martinez / WBEZ After 13 years in prison, Maria Garza needed a place to live. But finding housing was not easy for Garza, who left Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln in June 2021. While living in homes of friends and family, as well as hotel rooms and her car, Garza also struggled to continue at Northwestern University's prison education program, which she started while incarcerated. "While I'm sitting there trying to take my class and learn, I'm trying to figure out where I'm gonna sleep," Garza said. "It was depressing. Things got to a point where I sometimes wished I was back in prison." Garza's experiences were not unusual. A significant portion of more than…...

33+ min ago (582+ words) El Molino Mexican Restaurant in Carpentersville may have a new look, but the new owners plan is to keep its traditions alive while adding touches of their own. "This place is too special for me. We've been hearing stories from returning customers about how much El Molino has meant to them," co-owner Lorena Zepeda said. Zepeda's husband Miguel Diaz, who owns the restaurant with her, said those stories include tales of first dates, marriage proposals, post-funeral Mass meals and other significant life events that took place there over the last 41 years. Gustavo Soto opened El Molino ("The Mill" in Spanish) at 2112 Elgin Road in March 1984, converting what had been a Dog N Suds into what most likely was Carpentersville's first Mexican restaurant. Zepeda and Diaz have been in the restaurant business for a long time too. They and Zepeda's parents,…...

41+ min ago (971+ words) WASHINGTON " A Navy admiral commanding the U.S. military strikes on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean told lawmakers Thursday that there was no "kill them all" order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but a stark video of the attack left grave questions as Congress scrutinizes the campaign that killed two survivors. Adm. Frank "Mitch" Bradley appeared for a series of closed-door classified briefings at the Capitol as lawmakers conduct an investigation after a report that he ordered the follow-on attack that killed the survivors to comply with Hegesth's demands. Legal experts have said such a strike could be a violation of the laws of military warfare. "Bradley was very clear that he was given no such order, to give no quarter or to kill them all," said Sen. Tom Cotton, who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee, as he exited a…...

58+ min ago (683+ words) Dear Eric: How does one politely suggest to an in-law's relative that we don't need to exchange Christmas gifts? My significant other and I are at the stage in life where we really do not need more "stuff" and would rather not deal with gifts that are generic at best and usually are re-gifted promptly via donation or gift-economy communities. Perhaps I should suggest we only exchange consumables (gifts of homemade baked goods or gourmet food items), but that seems rather controlling. This person has been nothing but kind to us in all our years of knowing them, but the awkward gift exchange is getting tiresome. I'm at a loss for how to deal with this and am hoping you have a delightful solution to this first-world problem. Try making a suggestion to your in-law about a different way of…...

1+ hour ago (299+ words) LOS ANGELES " Connor Bedard scored for the third straight games, Spencer Knight made 26 saves and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 on Thursday night to open a two-game set. The teams will meet again Saturday night in Los Angeles. Wyatt Kaiser had his first goal of the season to help the Hawks win for the second time in three games after losing five in a row. Frank Nazar had two assists. Trevor Moore scored and Darcy Kuemper made 34 saves for the Kings, who were held to two goals or fewer for the seventh time in nine games. The Hawks scored twice in the second period. Bedard got his fifth power-play goal to open the scoring, attacking the crease and putting in Nazar's centering pass. Bedard has four goals and two assists in the last three games and 18 goals…...

1+ hour, 2+ min ago (143+ words) Por The Associated Press Honduras celebr" elecciones presidenciales, con dos candidatos conservadores muy igualados a la espera de que finalice el conteo de los votos, que comenz" tras los comicios del domingo. El presidente de Venezuela, Nicol's Maduro, continu" con su agenda p'blica, mientras Estados Unidos refuerza su presencia militar en la regi"n, la m's [] Honduras celebr" elecciones presidenciales, con dos candidatos conservadores muy igualados a la espera de que finalice el conteo de los votos, que comenz" tras los comicios del domingo. El presidente de Venezuela, Nicol's Maduro, continu" con su agenda p'blica, mientras Estados Unidos refuerza su presencia militar en la regi"n, la m's numerosa en generaciones, una medida vista por muchos como una t'ctica para presionar al mandatario para que renuncie. El Flamengo de Brasil gan" la Copa Libertadores en Lima, Per', y Shakira actu…...

1+ hour, 9+ min ago (452+ words) El veterano de las Grandes Ligas Gary S'nchez brind" una s"lida actuaci"n ofensiva para guiar el jueves a los Gigantes del Cibao a una victoria por 7-5 sobre los Toros del Este en la Liga Dominicana de B'isbol. S'nchez, con 11 temporadas de experiencia en las mayores y quien jug" para Baltimore en 2025, actualmente es agente libre. El jueves bate" de 4-2, con un doble y dos carreras remolcadas. Deyvison De Los Santos a'adi" otro doble productor de dos anotaciones. En Santiago de los Caballeros, Jerar Encarnaci"n bate" de 4-2 con una carrera anotada y otra producida, mientras que Aderlin Rodr'guez se fue de 4-1 con una empujada, en la victoria de las "guilas Cibae'as por 4-1 sobre los Leones del Escogido. Los Cangrejeros de Santurce derrotaron 8-4 a los Indios de Mayag'ez para ratificar su liderato, justo cuando el calendario de la campa'a…...

1+ hour, 19+ min ago (235+ words) Los Lions (8-5) evitaron lo que hubiera sido su primera racha de derrotas en m's de tres a'os mientras buscan posicionarse para un boleto de playoffs con un mes restante en la temporada regular. Los Cowboys (6-6-1) hab'an entrado en la contienda de postemporada con una racha de tres victorias consecutivas. Pero contra los Lions, la ofensiva mejor clasificada de la NFL tuvo que depender demasiado del poderoso pateador Brandon Aubrey. Y la revitalizada defensa de Dallas fue humillada. Jared Goff complet" 25 de 34 pases para 309 yardas con un pase de touchdown de 12 yardas al receptor novato Isaac TeSlaa que puso a Detroit adelante por 27-9. Dallas se acerc" a tres puntos en dos ocasiones en el "ltimo cuarto, incluyendo con 3:42 restantes cuando Aubrey igual" un r'cord personal con su quinto gol de campo. Tom Kennedy devolvi" la patada siguiente hasta el medio campo…...

1+ hour, 22+ min ago (518+ words) La abogada Kristen Santillo dijo que el indulto a Hern'ndez hac'a que fuera injusto obligar a su cliente de 65 a'os, Midence Oqueli Mart'nez Turcios, a pasar pr'cticamente el resto de su vida en prisi'n mientras otros que "son los m's poderosos, que tienen m's dinero" van a ir a casa. El juez Lewis A. Kaplan, quien alguna vez presidi' un caso civil de abuso sexual contra Trump, sentenci' a Mart'nez a 21 a'os y 10 meses en prisi'n. Si bien reconoci' que las disparidades en las sentencias son un factor que los jueces deben considerar, tambi'n dej' en claro que Mart'nez estaba siendo sentenciado principalmente por sus cr'menes. "Es mi trabajo aplicar la ley, declar' el juez. "Hago mi trabajo. Se'al' que la autoridad para emitir indultos se estableci' en la Convenci'n Constitucional de 1787 a 1789, la cual le otorg' poderes de indulto a…...

1+ hour, 29+ min ago (444+ words) DETROIT " Jahmyr Gibbs ran for three touchdowns, the last a 13-yarder with 2:19 left that sealed the Detroit Lions" much-needed 44-30 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night. The Lions (8-5) avoided losing consecutive games for the first time in more than three years as they seek to move into position for a playoff berth with a month remaining in the regular season. "They don"t get panicked," Lions coach Dan Campbell said. "We played our best game that we played all year." The Cowboys (6-6-1) had surged into postseason contention with a three-game winning streak. But against the Lions, the NFL"s top-ranked offense had to lean on powerful kicker Brandon Aubrey too much, and the Cowboys" revitalized defense was humbled. "It seemed like every time we got some momentum, they hit another explosive play," Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. "They have…...