Results tagged “death”

A tragic story from Philadelphia where a Chicago-based boxer, Francisco Rodriguez, has died just two days after a fight. According to ESPN, Rodriguez's fight on Friday night with Teon Kennedy - for the vacant USBA super bantamweight championship - was stopped by technical knock-out in the 10th round after which Rodriguez collapsed; he was rushed to Hahnemann University Hospital where he underwent emergency brain surgery. Dominic Pesoli, his promoter, released a statement, saying, "Francisco was family to us and we all loved him very much. He was very popular with fight fans in Chicago and will be deeply missed." Rodriguez was 25. The Philadelphia Daily News has more on the fight and the fallout.

Media outlets around the city are reporting that a body pulled from the Chicago River near Merchandise Mart early this morning is that of CPS Board of Education President Michael Scott. As of 9:00 a.m. this morning, police have yet to confirm the news but outlets such as the Tribune, Sun-Times, and ABC 7 (where Scott's wife, Diana Palomar, was vice president of community affairs) have reported the body as being Scott's. The body was discovered around 3:15 a.m. and Scott's car was found parked in a lot near the river; the body was pulled from the river around 4:30 a.m. Scott had last been seen yesterday evening around 6 p.m. after visiting his sister in a South Loop care facility, something family members said he did every Sunday. Scott's family later reported him missing. Neither police or the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office have confirmed the body was Scotts, though ABC 7 reports the CCME confirmed the body is an unidentified man, black, in his 50s.

Jayla Ray, a two-year-old of the 1100 block of San Francisco Avenue, died of smoke inhalation after a fire on Friday night in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side, officials reported to the Chicago Tribune.

Derrion Albert, 16, was beaten to death in the midst of violent brawl yesterday afternoon. The brawl occurred yesterday afternoon around 3 p.m. near 111th and Wallace in Roseland. According to the Tribune:

Two days after his death, while pieces of what happened are falling into place, plenty of questions still swirl around Christopher Kelly. An autopsy of former Blagojevich adviser Christopher Kelly proved inconclusive and the Cook County medical examiner's office claims they'll need more tests and investigations before they can rule on an official cause of death. Kelly was found by his girlfriend in his SUV late Friday night, parked in a lumber yard, and having swallowed a large number of pills - the Trib reports, "Tylenol wrappers and a large container of pills were found in Kelly's SUV."

The Chicago Tribune is reporting two sources as saying that Christopher Kelly, a key player in the Rod Blagojevich investigation, is dead.

Jesse Fortune, known the "Fortune Tellin' Man" and a contemporary of many Chicago's most famous blues legends has died. Fortune, 79, collapsed on stage during his first performance at Gene's Playmate Lounge (4239 W. Cermak). Fortune was pronounced dead at Mt. Sinai Hospital at 12:51 a.m. According to his biography, he performed with many of Chicago's all-stars, including Otis Rush and Buddy Guy. Fortune is one of several notable blues deaths this year including Koko Taylor on the eve of Bluesfest.

U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) has passed away at the age of 77 from brain cancer. Our mother site Gothamist has more on the passing of the legendary (and occasionally embattled) Senator and the Sun-Times has some great photos of Kennedy on visits to Chicago.

• The tragic story of a 9-year-old boy who died while visiting a South Side construction site with his father today.
• Chicago Public Schools are pushing for a $43 million property tax increase; that breaks down to about $18 more a year for property owners.
• That fuel surcharge on city cabs goes back into effect on Thursday.

A DuPage County woman has been accused of attempting to defraud her employer of $25,000 by claiming her daughter and husband had died, the Daily Herald reports.

An Irish student died Saturday evening, days after suffering injuries from jumping off the North Avenue pier, according to Chicago Breaking News. While walking on the pier with his girlfriend and friends, Keith O’Reilly, 22, dove off the pier and into the shallow water below early Thursday morning. O’Reilly struck his head on the rocks at the lake bottom. According to Chicago Breaking News, there are “unconfirmed reports” that O’Reilly had been drinking. [Chicago Breaking News]

A soldier was killed Thursday evening after getting food at a restaurant with his cousin, the Sun-Times reports. Simeon Sanders, 21, was shot while crossing the street to avoid men arguing on the sidewalk in the south suburb of Harvey. Sanders was visiting his family during his furlough. Harvey police are currently investigating the incident, according to the Sun-Times. Funeral arrangements are to be determined.

A father filed a lawsuit today after his son fell seven stories to his death down an elevator shaft in an Ames, Iowa apartment building. Ronald Pawlak filed the suit in Cook County Circuit Court, alleging the elevator wasn't "properly inspected or maintained," according to a Chicago Breaking News report. The suit "seeks damages from the elevator company and building management for wrongful death as well as funeral and burial expenses," the report said.

A 4-year-old girl who was in critical condition after choking at Calumet Beach on Tuesday died Saturday night. The child, Marianna Carabez, was knocked into the water by a wave while sitting on the beach, according to a police report. Carabez was pulled from the water by her father and bystanders and received CPR from lifeguards, but was "in cardiac arrest after choking" when the Chicago Fire Department emergency personnel found her, the Tribune reports.

The babysitter of Jada Justice has been charged in the death of the toddler as has the babysitter's boyfriend. Engelica Castillo, 18, and Tim Tkachik, 23, both of Hobart, were charged with Jada's death. Jada's body was allegedly found encased in concrete and placed in a plastic bin, according to CBS 2.

       

As the world reels from the unexpected death of pop star Michael Jackson, fans in his hometown of Gary are flocking to his childhood home to pay homage to the fallen singer. Jackson was born in Gary in 1958 and first started performing with his brothers at nightclub Mr. Lucky's in 1964. Jackson left Gary in 1969. According to the Tribune:

Sad news to report from overnight: John Callaway, broadcast journalism legend and founding host of WTTW's "Chicago Tonight" has passed away at the age of 72. According to his wife, Callaway died from a heart attack yesterday evening in Racine. Callaway began his career in Chicago with the City News Bureau of Chicago and in the mid-60's went to WBBM where he helped oversee the station's switch to an all-news format in 1968. Later that same year, he was named Vice President of CBS Radio in New York where he helped stations all over the country make similar switches. In 1974, he returned to Chicago at WTTW where he took over as news director and in 1975 began hosting "Public Newscenter." Callaway than started and hosted "Chicago Tonight" in 1984 and remained host until 1999. Most recently, Callaway was the host of WTTW's "Chicago Stories" and in February appeared at the Chicago Journalism Town Hall. Among his numerous awards were seven Emmies and one Peabody award.

Police negotiators tried to resolve a barricade situation in Chicago’s Northside yesterday, but their 12 hour efforts were to no avail. Police were originally called to a home in the 3600 block of North Tripp Avenue shortly after 7 a.m. responding to a report that a man was threatening to kill himself.

Two teenagers are held in the horrific murder of 15-year-old Alex Arellano earlier this month on the Southwest Side.

While no useful information about the patient was released - i.e., age, gender, preexisting conditions - officials have confirmed that a Chicago patient became the state's first H1N1 flue (a.k.a. "swine flu") death. There are nearly 900 confirmed cases of the flu here in Illinois right now - 896 to be exact - and it underlies the danger that remains, according to Illinois Dept. of Public Health Director Dr. Damon T. Arnold. In a statement, he said, "With as many cases of H1N1 influenza that have been reported in Illinois, we have been concerned that there would be fatalities. We know the virus is still circulating in the state and I would like to remind everyone, especially those with chronic medical conditions, to continue taking steps to keep from getting the flu." The death was the nation's 12th as a result of the disease and Arnold did say there were preexisting conditions for the patient, but no details were released.

"The effect of the Machine's systematic repression [of the urban poor] is the muting of protest, incalcuable stagnation of the general citizenry, and the loss of progress in Chicago," former 5th Ward Ald. Leon Despres told political scientist Milton Rakove in Don't Make No Waves... Don't Back No Losers., published in 1975. Rakove, went on to say, "Despres lead a band that made a valiant, often futile, but occasionally successful fight against the leaders of the [Richard J.] Daley organization."

A suburban motorcyclist died Saturday night when another driver, painting her fingernails behind the wheel, slammed into her stopped bike at a yellow light in Lake Zurich. According to Lake County Coroner Richard Keller, the biker, Anita Zaffke, died of chest and abdominal injuries sustained in the incident at the intersection of Route 12 and Old McHenry Road (pictured right) when a Chevrolet Impala rear ended her bike around 5:30 p.m. Zaffke was wearing a helmet, and was taken to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, where she was pronounced dead an hour later.

The death of a tenth-grade Chicago Public School student on the Southwest Side Saturday afternoon raises the number of students killed this school year to 35, surpassing the 26 students who died last year.

Qannik, the first successful male beluga whale born through the Shedd Aquarium's captive beluga breeding program, died from a bacterial blood infection according to a report released by the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington three weeks after his death on March 28 . He was 8-years-old.

A man’s body was discovered inside a CTA Blue Line train early Sunday at 711 Des Plaines Avenue in West suburban Forest Park, authorities said. The man was identified as Hassan Sebazamy Damulira, 24, of Bellwood. According to a Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office spokesman, the man appeared to have suffered a drug overdose. The man was pronounced dead @ 2:52 a.m., the spokesman said. An autopsy is pending toxicological results. The CTA has referred questions to the police. [Sun-Times]

A single-engine plane crashed at the Sandwich Airport in DeKalb County yesterday afternoon, killing two. According to the Chicago Tribune, Randy Hougham was taking friends for rides in his vintage 1946 Ercoupe 415-C. Two flights went well, but the third ended in disaster. The plane crashed and caught fire shortly before 2 p.m., killing Houghham, 53, and his passenger, recent Bradley University graduate Lauren Hamilton, 22. Hougham's brother-in-law, Bruce Burlingame, said, "He was a great guy, a good family man, a good dad. He was just a normal guy who did construction work and had a plane."

It's a sad end of the week for area zoos. First came yesterday's news about the death of a chimp and the sickness of six others at the Lincoln Park Zoo and today comes news that the Brookfield Zoo's oldest gorilla was euthanized yesterday. Staff made the decision after discovering that Alpha, one of the oldest female gorillas in captivity at the time of her death (48 years old), had end-stage kidney failure. Kim Smith, vice president for animal care at Brookfield, said, "This is a very sad event for us. We are bolstered by the fact that she had so many surviving offspring. We know that Alpha lives on in future generations." Smith also described Alpha as the leader of the group: "She was the one that set the rules, kept everyone in line, made sure everyone was OK." Alpha gave birth seven offspring and a grandchild and great-grandchild are still at Brookfield. [Sun-Times]

After we lost two Chicago Bulls legends in the same day, we thought it couldn't get any sadder for us, but another local luminary has shuffled off this mortal coil: Chicago radio legend Paul Harvey passed away yesterday at the age of 90. While the cause of death was not immediately available, it is known he died in a Phoenix hospital with his family present. Harvey did news and comment each day but was best known for his short daily radio show, "The Rest of the Story."

Aquan Lewis, a 10-year-old student at Evanston's Oakton Elementary School, was pronounced dead early this morning at Children's Memorial Hospital. Lewis, of Skokie, had been found yesterday afternoon, unresponsive and hanging from a hook in a bathroom at the school. While it's not clear who found him, attempts were made by the principal to revive the boy. According to Elliot Lieteau, the school's janitor, "The principal was on the left side, and he's on the floor, they had just pulled him off the hook, and they were saying that he's been up there, so I immediately get on my knees and start giving him CPR, and I'm checking his pulse when I'm doing it." For now, authorities are calling the death an accident and claiming no foul play is suspected.

       

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the tragic fire at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic school that ultimately claimed the lives of 92 children and three nuns. Over the past weekend, several vigils were held to remember the victims of the fire, including yesterday's public mass at Holy Family Church. Della Maffiola remembered her son Joseph, who was 10 when he was killed in the fire. "It feels like yesterday," she said. "It was like going back 50 years. I went back in time. You wait for your child's name. I couldn't light the candle. My hands were shaking." The ceremony also honored the survivors, firefighters, and other first responders involved in the tragedy.