CLTV Local News

Will cellphones become the next cigarette?

2008-07-24T23:08:58Z

Greta Garbo and Monroe, Dietrich and DiMaggio. Years ago, these icons of pop culture held influence over what did, said and thought. So much so that they're in Madonna's "Vogue". Take a close look at the pictures above. Notice something? They're all smoking. Thing is, everyone who was anyone smoked in the first half of the 20th Century. It was a status symbol. Right? Now, how about this: Allison Janney, Madonna, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. They're four of the millions of us who wander around every day with a cell phone pressed up against the sides of our skulls. Cell phones, for many, are status symbols. I own an iPhone, if you must know. Not the newest 3G version. Now, comes a warning from Dr. Ronald Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. He issued the warning to his faculty and staff on Wednesday this week to limit their cell phone use. Why? There's a possible increased risk of developing cancer--especially in children. He says children should use cell phones only in emergency situtations and that adults should be sure to utilize hands-free devices that keep the actual phone away from the head. Dr. Herberman is a lone voice is much of this debate. Study after study have shown that there is no greater risk of cancer from the use of cell phones. It doesn't take much to make a correlation between cigarettes and cell phones. Both can be addictive (albeit in different ways), both can be used for socialization purposes and both are used for keeping one's self busy while alone. I'm not saying that Dr. Herberman is correct. But what if the surgeon general's warning for cigarettes came out years before it did? Would it have saved more lives?

Video Timeline: Drew Peterson

2008-07-24T14:17:07Z

Drew Peterson is making the rounds today on national talk shows responding to yesterday's reports that conversations he had with friends proved his guilt. Friends wore wires and recorded conversations they had with the former Bolingbrook police office relating to the disappearance of his wife Stacy and the death of his ex-wife Kathleen Savio. Below is a video timeline dating back to last November when reports of Stacy's disappearance first appeared on CLTV.

An Inside Look: Chicago Fire Dept. Training

2008-07-23T21:04:29Z

I'm exhausted. Today, I put in an honest day's work at the Chicago Fire Department training facility. I'm not the newest recruit- trust me, I could never make their cut- but today the folks at the C.F.D. were kind enough to welcome members of the media in for a glimpse and a go at the kind of exercises they perform every day. Their regimen is certainly rigorous. We started our day at their scuba facility, where I decked out in a "dry suit" and dove right in. I can't tell you the last time I took a swim....but peer pressure proved powerful! I had to make it across the length of the pool to rescue a 150 lb. dummy, and when I had to swim him back across supporting him- I began to wonder who was the dumb one... he was bigger than me! Just as I finished- proud as a peacock, I'll admit- the dive coordinator darkened the pool as well as the room. Our swimming conditions were transformed into pitch black darkness- like many of the situations our city's rescue divers face. It was scary, but my solace came in knowing it was simulated. We then dried out quickly when we put on about 75 pounds of fire protective gear in the July heat. I climbed a five-story ladder, tried not to look down, all the while wondering why the StairMaster wasn't working as part of my workout routine. The most strenuous and stressful part of the day was entering a dark burning building, oxygen tank on my back, and crawling on my hands and knees. I had to feel my way through the hot hallway....all the while hoping these firefighters had the blaze under control. They did, and for that I am thankful. I'll stick to T.V.- exhausted and amazed by the work that goes into protecting this city and the folks that train daily, preparing to make a bad situation a little better. Right now for me, that work calls for an aspirin. Kevin Roy of ABC7 and I pulled a dummy into a rescue raft... it was a lot harder than it looks. I'm feeling thankful for my personal flotation device. My swimming skills fall short of spectacular. So I'm especially proud of this one. Randi to the rescue. No need for a net!

Will the Cook County sales tax hike go away?

2008-07-22T17:20:16Z

Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica is leading the charge to get rid of the one percent sales tax increase throughout the county. There are apparently seven commissioners on board in total, but nine are needed to repeal the hike. Do you think this will happen? And am I the only one wondering how in the world could this get voted for and then voted back down. Are taxpayers getting their message through to lawmakers? If so, should we all be paying attention to the power we have as agents of change? There has been outrage over the hike, but not a full taxpayer revolt. It seems some are listening, so this would be the time to have your voices heard by the people making the decisions for you.

Back to Square One

2008-07-20T23:41:19Z

She loved to ride her bike. She loved to play with dolls. She loved the color pink. She was looking forward to going to Great America, and couldn't wait to turn 10. By all accounts, 9-year old Mya Lyons was a sweet and innocent girl, who was unexpectedly taken away from her family and friends. On Friday, there was some encouraging news in the case. Police were questioning a "person of interest" in Mya's murder. Her father found the girl dead in an alley near his home in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood. Relatives say police told them she had been sexually assaulted and stabbed to death. But now, nearly a week after this heinous crime, police are back to square one in their investigation. They released the "person of interest" from custody. No charges have been filed. It's disappointing news for anyone who's been following this tragedy. Mya was laid to rest on Saturday. The images of her grieving family saying goodbye were just heartbreaking. I know police officers are working this case to the best of their ability. I hope they can catch Mya's killer soon. Nothing can bring Mya back, but I think swift justice in this case will ease her family's pain and bring some relief to that entire community.

Should CPD buy SUVs?

2008-07-18T19:13:40Z

This story from the Sun Times caught our eye this morning: The Chicago Police Department will quadruple its fleet of gas-guzzling Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs this year -- to more than 200 -- under a contract in the works sure to please Supt. Jody Weis. Weis has argued that the Police Department's fleet -- 36 SUVs and 2,753 sedans -- is in "horrible" condition and that SUVs make more sense to get through Chicago's winters. Chicago Police will add more than 200 new Chevy Tahoe Police Vehicles this year. The average beat car is 2.6 years old and has 50,622 miles on it. The average unmarked vehicle is 2.9 years old with 41,285 miles. Buying 165 more SUVs this year may not seem like the wisest move at a time when gas prices have been going through the roof. What do you think?

Is it politics or practical purpose?

2008-07-17T20:18:39Z

Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis responded to the Governor's offer to bring in State Police officers to help curb violence in the city today. Though he said he's willing to take on more officers to assist in targeting higher crime areas, he added he's not sure why he and Mayor Daley weren't asked about the plan before an announcement was made at a press conference yesterday. The mayor yesterday and Weis today truly seemed to be blindsided by the offer. What's the true motivation behind it? Perhaps it'll become more clear in the next few days. As a taxpayer, it worries me that our leaders don't seem to be working together to solve this serious issue. What do you think? We'll be following reaction, including yours. Tune into Garrard McClendon Live tonight, he'll be taking your calls and asking for your opinion.

Tears for Mya

2008-07-15T17:14:06Z

I have covered a lot of crime stories in my news career. But the one I covered this morning has made my heart hurt like it never has before. Nine-year-old Mya Lyons was found as stabbed to death - and possibly sexually assaulted - early this morning in alley near her father's South Side home. Mya's father says the little girl was put to bed, but she somehow got out of the house. He told authorities that he later found her unresponsive in an alley and brought her to Jackson Park Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Mya's grieving grandfather was at the crime scene this morning. In between his sobbing, he showed me a picture of his precious Mya. She was with her mother and little brother. Mya was cute as a button. She had a pink ribbon in her hair and a matching pink shirt and a big, beaming bucktooth smile. She was a sweet, good girl her grandfather told me. I couldn't think during the interview. My hands were shaking, and I was sweating. I wanted to just drop that microphone and run back to our news truck and cry. But, I had to stay composed. Mya's grandfather says he forgives the person who did this to his granddaughter. He's a God-fearing man, and says forgiveness is the right thing to do. I wish I could be as big as Mya's grandfather. But the only thing I have is hate and disgust for the monster who did this to that innocent little girl. When I go home tonight, I'll cry for Mya and pray that police catch the person who took her precious life.

Watch Jody Weis LIVE on CLTV at 10am today

2008-07-15T14:26:17Z

CLTV will provide live coverage of the expected public grilling of Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis today by the Chicago City Council's Police and Fire Committee starting at 10am. You can share your thoughts here during and after his appearance. Here are some excerpts: How is he doing? How did he do? Do you think he's the right man for the job? We'll be airing your comments/questions/suggestions all day on CLTV. If you away from you TV, you can watch a live stream of the hearing here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/

Jody Weis hearing LIVE Tuesday at 10am

2008-07-14T20:12:51Z

CLTV will provide live coverage of the expected public grilling of Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis Tuesday by the Chicago City Council's Police and Fire Committee starting at 10am. You can share your thoughts here before, during and after his appearance. What questions do you think Weis should answer? How is he doing? How did he do? We'll be airing your comments/questions/suggestions all day on CLTV.

Satire or Sick Humor

2008-07-14T13:09:56Z

The cover of this week's New Yorker Magazine has really pissed off the Obama Camp. Check it out! It's called "The Politics of Fear." It's a caricature of Sen. Barack Obama as Muslim, standing in the Oval Office with a flag burning in the fireplace and a painting of Osama bin Laden hanging on the wall. He gives a fist bump to his wife, Michelle Obama, who is pictured wearing military fatigues and an automatic rifle slung over her shoulder. The New Yorker says the cover is meant to satirize "the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the Presidential election to derail Barack Obama's campaign." The Obama Campaign released this statement:

"The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create. But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."

A joke is only funny when people get it. But can the same be said when it comes to political humor? Is the point lost if the joke, or in this case cartoon invokes anger instead of an "amen" or at least a chuckle? What do you think, does this piece of political satire go too far?

Lovers and Friends

2008-07-11T18:57:57Z

Here’s a question: what do you do when you have a close friend that you want to be more than friends with? If you tell the person you like them you risk losing your friend if they don’t feel the same way – plus you also have to face the mega embarrassment of being rejected. They (the experts) always say your significant other should be your best friend and I couldn’t agree more. But what happens if the relationship fizzles – can you really go back to being just friends? Let’s look at Ross and Rachel from NBC’s hit sitcom Friends. Ross had a crush in high school on his younger sister’s best friend Rachel. Unbeknownst to Rachel, of course, its not until years later when they reconnect and Ross goes to China and comes back with a new girlfriend that Rachel realizes that she has a crush on him. So they risk it all and get together and life couldn’t be any better until they break up… now because this a TV show we never really see just how awkward it must have been for the rest of the gang to hang around each other after the break up. But if this was a real life situation – each of the friends would have had to coordinate schedules to make sure Ross and Rachel weren’t in the same room at the same time. So I would like to take the time to look at the pros and cons of dating a friend. Pros: You get to skip the whole awkward getting to know you phase They know all your likes and dislikes You have the same group of friends They know your flaws Cons: If the relationship fails – your friendship can too Family and Mutual friends can become divided Having to watch them re-enter the dating world I may be missing some crucial pros or cons … but these are what some of my co-workers could come up with on the fly when I posed the question to them. So what are your thoughts… can your best friend be your best girl or boy friend? These are just the thoughts of a 20-somethinger ... please feel free to leave a comment Afua (Uh-fee-yah) News Producer

When I Grow Up

2008-07-11T14:05:07Z

“I want to be famous” … those were the words this 12-year-old girl I used to mentor said to me when I asked her what do you want to be when you grow up. These are also the words of a song by the Pussycat Dolls. What I have noticed as of late is that our teens and tweens have no common sense. I mean when it comes to being tech savvy I am sure these kids could knock me off my rocker. But when it comes to the everyday basic knowledge… they got nothing. And it bothers me. These kids today are so busy trying to be grown that they are literally missing out on the best years of their lives. What I wouldn’t give to be 13 again– free of debt and stress. When I was 12, I was still secretly playing with my Barbies and reading The Baby-Sitters Club books and trying to convince my mom that I was old enough to read the Sweet Valley High series. So forgive me for being thrown by the fact that kids to day are preparing to or are having sex by the age of 12. I was sitting in my car yesterday outside of a beauty salon waiting for one of my friends to show up so we could get our eyebrows threaded (that’s a whole nother blog), when this little girl – she had to be like 11 -- walked out of the salon with her mother in the shortest shorts I have ever see on a child. She had make-up on and it appeared as if her eyebrows had been freshly arched. I sat in the car with my mouth wide open – thinking-- am I the only person that sees an issue here. And she’s not the only one. You can’t go to the movies or the mall without running into these children obsessed with trying to look and act older. Which brings me to Jamie Lynn Spears… omg, I was really upset to hear that Britney Spears’ little sister was expecting a child. You would think having witnessed your sister suffer a mental breakdown from living such an accelerated pace of life --- you would do all that you could not to go down that road. But, I digress… so here she is 16 and pregnant on the covers of magazines and a role model to millions. ABC Family just launched a series “The Secret Life of an American Teenager” about a 16-year-old girl who gets pregnant and tries to hide it from her friends and family. Okay, so I get that the big wigs in programming are trying to find topics that relate to teens – but since when did teenage pregnancy become cool? I can’t help but wonder what happened? Its been 15 years since I was in the 5th grade, but I can tell you that I was not thinking about boyfriends and sex when I was 10. I was trying to convince my mom to let me paint my nails and busy doing my summer reading. I am not a parent yet, but I have a niece -6 and a nephew -8 and I am so scared for them because if the generation after me is already hell bent on “living la vida loca “ – what is it going to be like for my niece and nephew when they are 15. I went to this mom and pop store the other day to get some stuff for my mother and the store owner's 13 year old son was behind the register – struggling to add each of the items correctly. He had to re-ring the person in front of me because he added all the items incorrectly. When he got to me I had some items that were 4 for 18 dollars. I gave him a 20-dollar bill. He proceeded to add up each item on the calculator. I wanted to scream back at him – $2 -- you owe me two freaking dollars! You don’t need a calculator for that. I think its time we stepped up and snatched our children back from the world of reality TV and video games. So the next time we ask them what do you want to be when you grow up – we just might get a real profession like a doctor or a journalist… not Ali Lohan’s best friend. These are just the thoughts of a 20-somethinger ... please feel free to leave a comment Afua (Uh-fee-yah) News Producer

Order of Protection?

2008-07-11T03:44:46Z

I went on for two minutes Thursday night about the tragic circumstances surrounding the stabbing death of 31 year-old Adelina Weber, but had the constraints of television news allowed, my piece could have stretched much longer. There's just so much to say. My story centered on her family's lawsuit against the Waukegan Police Department, which alleges law enforcement showed a "conscious disregard for her safety" in the weeks after Adelina obtained an order of protection against her husband of six years, 58 year-old Clarence Weber. Let's go over the facts- He writes a threat on the wall, they say police brushed it off as the ravings of a drunk. Their home burns down, and Clarence-a convicted arsonist- remained free. She files for a divorce, and he asked her to meet him to talk. She did. And she died. "Had the Waukegan Police Department done what they were legally bound to do on May 5th (the day they found Clarence's threat), it's our contention that the murder never would have occured," says John Karnezis, who represents Adelina's family. Perhaps not. But Adelina had a job to do too, says Linda Healy, the executive director of Mutual Ground, Inc., a domestic violence shelter in Aurora. "When he said let's meet, the answer should have been no," Healy contends. "Let the lawyers handle the divorce- just don't get into it. And knowing his record.....my God, she was just a sitting duck." A sitting duck in a dangerous time, Healy adds. She says the period immediately following an at-risk woman's petition for a divorce is the time when "she is in the most danger." Healy and I questioned the reasons behind Adelina's decision to meet with this man. Healy said her cultural backgound could have played a role- Adelina is Hispanic, and Healy believed her to be most likely trained to submit to whatever her husband desires. I noted the age difference- 27 years, by my count, which could have cast Clarence in a role more suited to father than husband. Whatever the reason, Adelina felt obliged to meet him on Saturday, the day police say he stabbed her to death. Whether there was an order of protection or not, Adelina didn't say no, and now her family has to speak for her. As for police, their education on domestic violence has a long way to go should the allegations in the lawsuit prove true. But Healy says in her 22 years in the field, cops have certainly come a long way. When police used to respond to domestic violence calls, she says they would take the man involved to the local bar to cool off- like adding kerosene to the fire. What women may learn from this could be that the best way to extinguish rage.. is to remain far from it. Adelina can no longer speak, but her tale cries... order of protection or not, women have to protect themselves. What do you think? How could this have been prevented?

Jesse and Barack

2008-07-10T15:51:00Z

By now you have heard about Jesse Jackson's crude comments about Barack Obama, whispered off-camera during an appearance on Fox News. Here's Regina Waldroup's report from this morning: Regina went down to Hyde Park this morning to get reaction there. What do you think? Text us at CLTV24. Or, you can leave a comment below.