southtownstar.suntimes.com

State targets doctors’ licenses

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:20:00 -0500

It was shocking news in January when a woman sued a Frankfort doctor, accusing him of fondling her in an exam room. Kishor Nathmal Jain had provided medical care for children and adults in Frankfort, starting in 1980 at Hedges Clinic. Jain, 59, graduated from Grant Medical College in Bombay, India, in 1976 and was licensed to practice in Illinois in 1978. He completed a residency in pediatrics in 1980 at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago and was board certified in pediatrics in 1981. Then, more than 20 years later, came a series of lawsuits and criminal charges. In 2002, …

Newest SD 170 board member is sister of Chicago Heights mayor

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:20:18 -0500

Chicago Heights Mayor Dave Gonzalez’s sister is the newest member of the Chicago Heights School District 170 Board. The board voted May 13 to appoint Elizabeth Nevarez to the board, according to Supt. Tom Amadio. She replaced Norma Caratachea, who resigned from the seat, which is not up for election until April 2015. Amadio said he was not aware Nevarez was Gonzalez’s sister until the SouthtownStar inquired about the matter. Caratachea, who could not be reached for comment, submitted a resignation letter to the board prior to its April meeting, Amadio said. In a written statement, Gonzalez praised Nevarez for …

EP firefighter, storm chaser recounts Oklahoma devastation

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:46:01 -0500

When Danny Neal was a kid, thunderstorms and other severe weather terrified him. But for the past 15 years, the Evergreen Park man has sought out storms, taking impromptu trips in his spare time to areas of the country where tornadoes are likely to develop. He was just south of Moore, Okla., on Monday when a massive tornado ripped through the Oklahoma City suburb, and although he’s seen nearly 100 tornadoes, Neal said this one stood out in dramatic fashion. “It’s not so much the sight of a tornado, it’s the sound,” Neal said Tuesday as he and two fellow …

Black Illinois House members split on gay marriage bill, Sun-Times survey finds

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:54:05 -0500

SPRINGFIELD — Less than half of Illinois House Black Caucus members say they back the push to legalize same-sex marriage or are likely to support it, a Chicago Sun-Times survey of the pivotal voting bloc has found. Four members of the 20-member caucus have told the Sun-Times they will vote for same-sex marriage while five others indicated they are leaning toward a ‘yes’ vote. Seven remain undecided, and four are opposed.

Ex-University Golf Club employee charged with theft

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:46:01 -0500

A former University Golf Club and Conference Center restaurant manager is facing charges for allegedly stealing from the University Park-owned club, authorities said. Pamela Jackson, 46, of the 700 block of Burr Oak Lane, University Park, was charged with misdemeanor theft after the Will County Sheriff’s police arrested her on a warrant May 10, according to police. University Park police Sgt. Dan Murphy said Jackson was stealing from the golf course by putting money on a golf course gift card. He refused to say how much money Jackson stole or when she stole it, citing a pending investigation. The 18-hole …

NIU administrator to retire after FBI probe

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:02:48 -0500

A Northern Illinois University administrator who went on leave after an FBI investigation will retire at the end of the month.

Gunshots, brawl disrupt Park Forest graduation party

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:36:52 -0500

A graduation party Sunday in the 300 block of Winnebago Street turned violent when uninvited guests arrived and one fired a shotgun several times during a street brawl, according to Park Forest police. The 46-year-old woman hosting the party said multiple people arrived at her home without permission and she was unable to make them leave. Large groups of people then gathered in the middle of the street and began to fight, but everyone scattered when three shots were fired. Police found three spent .40-caliber shell casings on the sidewalk and parkway in front of the home. Witnesses told police …

3 Brookfield Zoo dolphins expecting

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:48:20 -0500

Chicago Zoological Society officials say three Brookfield Zoo bottlenose dolphins are pregnant. Officials say Allie, 26, Tapeko, 31, and Spree, 10, are due to give birth this summer and fall.

Kadner: Chico pleads for more school funds

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:55:57 -0500

I laughed out loud when Gery Chico, chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education, told me he wants the Legislature to restore about $860 million cut from public school funding since 2009. Chico quickly responded to my outburst by explaining why he believes this is possible — despite the governor’s proposal to cut $310 million more from the state education budget this year. If a gambling expansion bill is passed, Chico wants the new revenue generated allocated to education. If teacher pension reform is approved, he wants some of the savings targeted for schools. And he wants new state …

Sky’s the limit — and the norm — for Frankfort company

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:10:00 -0500

Every time the White Sox hit a home run, every time the Bears or Bulls are introduced at a home game, or whenever the city of Chicago has a special event, they are on the scene sparking the celebration. “They” are the team of technicians, musicians and programmers at Melrose Pyrotechnics, who also light up the skies every Fourth of July. Melrose Pyrotechnics is based in Frankfort and has been in the family of Mike Cartolano, of Frankfort, for four generations. And it has become part of the family for many clients, including the White Sox: The pyrotechnic team created …

Reavis grad a finalist for business award in N.J.

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:52:00 -0500

Judie Jensen, a Reavis High School graduate and former area resident, has been selected as a finalist as one of New Jersey’s Leading Women Entrepreneurs and Business Owners for 2013, according to a news release from Expressions and Reflections, the business Jensen owns in Howell, N.J. The business, which Jensen created because of her passion for music, performing and teaching, celebrated its Tenth Anniversary Recital in January. It is involved in the development and manufacture of aids which allow students with significant physical challenges to play the piano. The company has also developed an ensemble class, which allows musicians of …

Dude, where’s my (friend’s) car?

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:17:26 -0500

A Manhattan couple leaving a Brad Paisley concert at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre in Tinley Park earlier this month headed to a Denny’s Restaurant for a late-night snack, as was their little tradition after country music concerts. But the evening took an odd twist when they realized they had an unwitting — and allegedly drunk — stowaway in the back of their truck. After they pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot, a 20-year-old Naperville man, who had mistaken their truck for a friend’s, hopped out of their pickup truck bed. “We had no idea he was there,” Ann Sundberg said …

Alleged purse snatcher crashed into semi on I-80

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:08:26 -0500

Police say a Joliet man mugged two elderly women in different grocery stores before crashing a stolen car into a semi-truck on Saturday. Joliet Cmdr. Al Roechner said Matthew J. Boban’s crime spree began at 11:55 a.m. when he arrived at Jewel, 1401 W. Jefferson St. Boban allegedly had asked a 32-year-old friend to bring him and his girlfriend to an ATM so he could get cash to purchase heroin for all three of them. “Boban couldn’t get any money from the ATM card so he went inside and approached an 84-year-old woman pushing her shopping cart,” Roechner said. “He …

Alderman: Man wanted in Beverly shooting caught in Arkansas

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:55:06 -0500

A Matteson man wanted in connection with a shooting Wednesday in Chicago’s Beverly community was arrested over the weekend in Arkansas, according to a news release from Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th). David Twine, 31, was charged with aggravated battery and was being held Monday in the Clark County (Ark.) Detention Center on $100,000 bail, according to a story by the Siftings Herald of Arkadelphia, Ark. Twine was apprehended Friday evening during a traffic stop at 18th and Pine streets by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Arkadelphia Police Department, the Siftings Herald reported. Police said Twine and a 34-year-old friend …

Search and rescue continues after devastating Moore tornado leaves at least 24 dead

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:30:58 -0500

MOORE, Okla. — A monstrous tornado at least a half-mile wide roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds up to 200 mph. At least seven children were among 24 killed, and officials said the death toll was expected to rise. Hospitals were treating more than 120 patients, including about 50 children. The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office said there could be as many as 40 more fatalities from the tornado.

‘Pollen tsunami’ makes allergy season even worse

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:27:12 -0500

In what’s being called a “pollen tsunami,” this allergy season is now expected to be even rougher than last year for allergy sufferers, Chicago’s longtime allergen measurer said Monday.