Happy New Year 2020

Usually I'd end the year with a round-up of stories political or neighborhood news just to show what happened during the course of the year in this case 2019. I let time fly on doing that this year and now this is just a post wishing you well in not only a new year and a new decade.

It's still hard to believe this blog is more than a decade old, however' I'm looking forward to the new adventures that we might see on this blog.

2019 brought a number of changes to our city and to the state, especially politically. 2020 is a pivotal year with a new census coming up, and that proved to be controversial once it was time to redraw the ward map. Indeed with Lori Lightfoot as mayor once we get census numbers in it's time to redraw the map yet again. However, we got time for that next year.

Meanwhile before you go party and bring in the new year we open up the floor. Perhaps there's something we failed to cover this year. Perhaps there's a story you want us to know about from the past year. Leave a comment for us or otherwise hit our social media handles.

Once again Happy New Year! 

New Year's Eve free CTA rides

Something you may have seen during the week.

The Chicago Transit Authority announced Thursday it will be offering free rides to passengers the evening of New Year's Eve, in an effort to promote a safe and responsible holiday celebration.

Between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. Dec. 31, customers will not need to touch their Ventra or personal bankcards at rail stations turnstiles or while boarding buses, according to a statement from CTA.

Signs will be posed reminding passengers of the free ride period, CTA said.

"It is my sincere hope the availability of safe, free rides on the CTA this New Year's Eve will mean a healthy, happy holiday for all Chicagoans," CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr said. "We wish all riders a safe and happy New Year and encourage them to allow CTA to take the wheel tonight."

As in previous years, no refunds will be issued to customers who elect to touch their fare cards or use other forms of payment during the period.

I saw an article last year about discounted rides from Uber or Lyft so feel free to check those out if you plan to party on New Years Eve 2019. 

ABC 7 Chicago: Motorcyclist killed in Bishop Ford hit-and-run on way home from watching Bears game, suspect charged with DUI

Very sad story:

A motorcyclist was killed in a hit-and-run crash on the Bishop Ford Freeway in Chicago Friday morning and a driver has been arrested and charged with DUI, Illinois State Police said.

The crash occurred in the inbound Bishop Ford at 111th Street just before 2 a.m. Police said the motorcyclist was struck and killed by a car and the driver of the car did not stop.

The motorcycle driver, a 42-year-old man, was transported to Roseland Hospital and later died. Friends identified him as Eric Smith.

The victim was watching the Bears game Thursday night according to friends and was heading home. His girlfriend was apparently trailing him in a car not far behind and witnessed him get hit as the other driver sped away.

"He was getting off there with his girlfriend trailing him so she's very distraught because she was able to witness the whole thing," said Percy Hope, the victim's friend.

The driver of the car was later taken into custody at 103rd Street and Stony Island Avenue and charged with DUI, police said. Police have not released the driver's name.

As always be careful out there! 

Chicago Police superintendent fired

Via Newsalert

I feel if this has been brewing anyway. With that incident of him slumped in his vehicle and news that he intends to retire at the end of the year. The situation seemed suspicious and orchestrated.

Either way we know there will be someone else at the top of the police department.