Melissa Berman

Recent Articles

  • Harvey mayor: Employees must prove they work for city to get paychecks

    HARVEY, Ill. — City workers in south suburban Harvey are having to prove they actually work for the city before they can get paid. Mayor Christopher Clark says since he’s taken office there’s been no protocols or procedures in place, resulting in shoddy record keeping. To address concerns of ghost payrolling, the new mayor is requiring workers show up at city hall between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Friday, to confirm they are city employees before they receive a paycheck. […]

  • Funeral services set for slain pregnant teen Marlen Ochoa-Lopez

    CHICAGO — Visitation and funeral arrangements have been set for Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, the 19-year-old Chicago woman lured to a home and murdered. Her son was cut from her womb. He is now on life support in grave condition with no brain activity. Public visitation is set for 3 to 9 p.m. May 23 and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. May 24 at Mount Auburn Funeral Home at 4101 S. Oak Park Ave. in Stickney, Ill. Ochoa-Lopez’s funeral will be held […]

  • Aurora mass shooting victim sues Illinois State Police

    AURORA, Ill. — A father of four who was seriously wounded in the Aurora mass shooting last month is suing Illinois State Police. Timothy Williams alleges police were negligent for not making sure shooter Gary Martin, 45, didn’t have a gun. In 2014, Martin procured a FOID card (firearm owner’s identification) and bought a Smith & Wesson handgun — despite a 1995 felony conviction in Mississippi for aggravated assault. Authorities said the conviction didn’t come up during an initial background […]

  • 1 injured, 6 displaced by South Side house fire

    CHICAGO — A man was hospitalized after jumping from a roof to escape a fire in the Gresham neighborhood. The fire broke out at a home in the 7800 block of  South May Street around 4 a.m. Saturday. When firefighters first arrived, there was already heavy fire, authorities said. Frigid temperatures were a challenge. Firefighters encountered frozen hydrants. There were three adults and four children in the home. Everyone was able to escape. The fire department said at least two […]

  • Dozens displaced in NW Indiana apartment fire

    HIGHLAND, Ind. — A building at a large apartment complex in Highland, Ind., was damaged in a fire Friday. The fire broke out around 3 p.m. in a three-story apartment building at the Hampton in Highland Apartments in the 9500 block of Hampton Drive. The fire spread between the second and third floor. The entire 24-unit building was evacuated. 75 to 100 residents were displaced. Firefighters worked for roughly five hours to put the blaze out and fought the fire […]

  • 1 killed, 1 injured in high-speed crash on North Side

    CHICAGO — A man was killed in a high-speed crash early Saturday morning. Police said a black sedan was traveling southbound in the 1900 block of North Ashland Avenue when the car slammed into a cement pillar. The 39-year-old driver was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he died. His 27-year-old passenger was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where the passenger’s condition had stabilized. Police are investigating.

  • Chicago’s winter parking ban in effect

    CHICAGO — Chicago’s winter parking ban went into effect early Saturday morning. Trucks were lined up and ready to tow when the clock struck 3 a.m. The winter ban restricts overnight parking between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. along 107 miles of main city roads. There is also a ban across the city any time there is at least two inches of snow on the ground. The purpose of the ban is to keep streets clear so that snow plows […]

  • Hoodie sparks Black Friday chaos at Victoria’s Secret in Tenn.

    CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – A deal at Victoria’s Secret had people at a mall in Tennessee pushing and shoving to get their hands on a hoodie. As soon as doors opened, shoppers started fighting over Sherpa hoodies. The item was advertised as a $79.95 value, marked down to $35 for Black Friday. An employee originally tried to tell shoppers to calm down. When that didn’t work, she sought higher ground, climbing onto the table to keep from getting trampled.

  • Fire at abandoned building on West Side

    CHICAGO – A fire broke out early Saturday morning at an abandoned building on the city’s West Side. The fire started around 4:00 a.m. in a three-story building in the 4900 block of W. Adams St. The flames spread to a building next door that was undergoing renovations. It was not occupied. No injuries were reported.

  • Man shot 6 times, walks to bus stop in critical condition

    CHICAGO — Chicago police found a man with multiple gunshot wounds near a bus stop in the South Shore neighborhood around 11:30 p.m. Friday. The 36-year-old man had been shot once in his face and five times in his chest, according to the Chicago Police Department. He was taken in critical condition to University of Chicago Hospital. The man told police he was shot inside a nearby apartment and was able to leave. He walked toward the bus stop at […]

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