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'It's really odd': Family pleads for information about missing Logan Square woman

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:57 GMT

CHICAGO — The family of a missing Logan Square woman is anxious to learn her whereabouts after she hasn't been seen or heard from since Friday. AJ Battaglia says his life was turned upside down when he got a late-night call from his sister's roommate. Brittany Battaglia (Photo provided by AJ Battaglia )"You see this stuff on the news all the time and once it happens to you, your mind is everywhere. It's really odd," Battaglia said. The roommate informed Battaglia that she hadn't seen nor heard from his sister, 33-year-old Brittany Battaglia, since Friday, June 2. Battaglia told WGN News that the news was alarming. SEE ALSO: Missing 12-year-old girl last seen in Oakland, Chicago police say"We noticed Friday that her location was stopped sharing with us," he said. "My parents and I, and my sister, we all share our location, so we thought that was a little funny."Brittany Battaglia resides in the 1900 block of N Kimball Ave., near Armitage Avenue. According to her brother, a man Britta...

Lakeside Pride Marching Band helps Buffalo Grove celebrate love, respect for all

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:57 GMT

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. — Molly Pinta organized Buffalo Grove's first Pride Parade back in 2019.  After attending Aurora's Pride Parade, the 13-year-old middle schooler asked her parents why her hometown didn't have one. On Sunday, the northwest suburb celebrated its third Pride Parade with the help of the Lakeside Pride Marching Band.  WGN photojournalist Kevin Doellman captured the sights and sounds.  Mayor Brandon Johnson, political leaders help kickoff Pride Month in West Town Watch the full story in the video player above.

Chance of showers, thunderstorms before sunny Tuesday afternoon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:57 GMT

Monday NightIncreasing clouds Low: 62TuesdayA 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 73. North wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.Tuesday NightMostly cloudy, with a low around 57. North wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 15 mph.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog WednesdayPartly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 73. North northeast wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.Wednesday NightMostly clear, with a low around 57. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

CPD interim Supt. Waller talks short-term, long-term plan to address violence, offers condolences

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:57 GMT

Over the weekend, 46 people were shot, and at least nine killed across the city.Among the incidents was a shooting early Sunday morning, when gunfire erupted in the 4800 block of West Iowa. Nearly 100 people were gathered for a celebration of life when, according to police, an argument broke out around 1 a.m. and unknown offenders began firing shots. 25-year-old Terry’a Adams was killed and six others wounded. Woman killed, 6 injured in shooting at memorial gathering on West Side The Chicago Police Department held a news conference Monday asking the public's help for information.The CPD’s own numbers show that while murders are down slightly so far this year compared to last and in 2021, other crime is up. Robberies are up 16 percent from the same time last year and up 37 percent from 2021. Related: Mayor Johnson promises “more sophisticated, sharper response” after weekend violence in Chicago By far the biggest jump is in vehicle thefts. More tha...

Dean Richards on the James Beard Awards red carpet

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:57 GMT

CHICAGO -- WGN's Dean Richards stopped by the 2023 James Beard Awards at the Lyric Opera of Chicago downtown Monday.The James Beard Foundation hosted their 2023 Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 5. The James Beard Foundation honored the nation’s top food authors, broadcast producers, hosts, journalists, podcasters, and social media content creators on Saturday, June 3. The full list of winners, which includes Book, Broadcast Media, and Journalism can be found here.The James Beard Foundation also honored the nominees for their Leadership Award on Sunday, June 4.To watch the 2023 Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony LIVE, click here.

Can a teacher lose their license for quitting a job?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:57 GMT

DALLAS (NewsNation) — As another school year gradually comes to an end, the nationwide teacher shortage has forced some states to ramp up efforts to find ways to retain teachers for the next school year.More teachers are breaking their contracts and quitting, and officials with state education boards don't want to be left in a bind to hire teachers next school year, so some districts are fining, suspending and revoking teaching certificates of those who quit on what they've said is short notice.In Texas, the number of requests to consider suspending or revoking teaching certificates for job abandonment is the highest the state has seen in the past few years. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the Texas State Board for Educator Certification suspended more than 300 teaching certificates statewide for job abandonment. These are the most and least educated states: Census Meanwhile, in Missouri, the number of teachers breaking contracts has increased, and teachers who quit are fac...

City of Austin could reopen downtown Salvation Army homeless shelter

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:57 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- After the Salvation Army announced it was permanently closing its homeless shelter downtown, which dedicated beds to women and children, the City of Austin is working to lease the space from the nonprofit and make the beds available again. This week, Austin City Council will vote on a one-year agreement with the Salvation Army to lease the space starting July 1. It would cost the city roughly $1.2 million, a large chunk of which will come from the Austin Public Health budget, according to council documents. Another resolution could expand the city's contract with Urban Alchemy, the group that runs the ARCH shelter nearby, to include operating and providing social services at the Salvation Army shelter. PREVIOUS: Salvation Army downtown shelter to close doors The currently empty shelter sits in District 9 near the Austin Police headquarters in Council Member Zohaib Qadri's district. "The city needs more shelter capacity. We have about 4,000-5,000 unhoused folks i...

Travis County Constable urges Gov. Abbott to veto vehicle inspection bill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:57 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Travis County Constable Stacy Suits on Monday urged Gov. Greg Abbott to veto a bill that would end the annual vehicle inspection requirement in Texas, citing concerns over road safety and air quality."This is a dangerous bill that does not ensure safety for all Texans," Precinct 3 Constable Suits said in a formal letter to the governor. "Law enforcement needs every available tool to help detect and combat fraudulent activity to ensure the safety of ALL Texans, and a valid motor vehicle safety inspection is one of those tools." Texas passes bill eliminating mandatory vehicle inspections Suits joined other law enforcement officials who testified against the bill during the legislative session. Opponents outnumbered supporters 16 to 5 when House Bill 3297 was up for public testimony in the Texas Senate last month. Travis County Constable's Office Sgt. Joe Escribano joined Suits to testify against it.“The first line of defense for the safety of our fellow Texans is...

FDA to require prescriptions for livestock antibiotics, aiming to stop drug-resistant bacteria

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:57 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- Texas farmers and ranchers will soon need to obtain a veterinarian's prescription before treating their livestock with common medications.The Food and Drug Administration's latest rule goes into effect June 11 and aims to stop the spread of antimicrobial resistance between animals and humans. The FDA called that "a serious threat to animal and public health" in a detailed explanation of their guidance for farmers and ranchers.The concern, put simply, is that bacterial resistance to antibiotics could spread from livestock to humans through the meat humans consume."Over the last decade or so, the Food and Drug Administration has really been concerned about the transfer of antibiotic-resistant bacteria out of the food chain and food-producing animals back into the human medical side," Dr. Ron Gill said, a livestock specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. "There's really not any real evidence that that's occurring. But this is just an abundance of c...

MN Attorney General sues St. Paul’s largest downtown property owner for worker overtime pay

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:36:57 GMT

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed a lawsuit against Madison Equities, downtown St. Paul’s largest property owner, alleging that the company deprived security officers of mandatory overtime wages by having them punch in and out of separate subsidiary companies associated with its buildings.The 31-page lawsuit, filed Monday in Ramsey County District Court, also maintains that the property management company retaliated against one of six workers who raised whistleblower concerns about the practice.The attorney general office’s efforts to obtain payroll data and other documentation were stymied by rounds of legal objections from Madison Equities, which rose to the Minnesota Supreme Court. The state’s highest court sided with the attorney general’s office in December 2021, sending the case back to the district court for supplemental data requests.“We initially announced an investigation in the fall of 2019. Instead of complying with the civi...