CBS Chicago: Carnival Set Up Near Dan Ryan Expressway Causes Safety Concerns

[VIDEO] While this carnival will be leaving on July 2nd, we see a local resident concerned enough about the closure of Lafayette Avenue and the clearance for traffic going onto the Dan Ryan Expressway. We also see some aspects of the measures made by the company Modern Midways to insure the safety of those who choose to patronize this carnival.

Sun-Times: New South Side charter school on hold due to FBI probe

Worlee talked about this school in the past, now there's a snafu:

A new charter school won’t open as planned next month in a South Side building owned by a politically connected pastor’s church because of a federal investigation involving charter operator Concept Schools, a consultant for the project said Thursday.

“The project is on hold,” Hermene Hartman said, citing the “legal difficulties.”

But in a statement, Concept officials they “are moving forward with our plan to open a new school and exploring which location at this point makes the most sense for the coming school year.”

In January, Chicago Public Schools officials approved the proposed Concept school at 8522 S. Lafayette Ave. in Chatham.

According to plans submitted by Concept, more than $528,000 in CPS funding for the school was to go toward rent for the 2014-15 school year to the landlord, an arm of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church. The Rev. Charles Jenkins, Fellowship’s pastor, gave the invocation at Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 2011 swearing-in and served on Emanuel’s transition team.

Last month, the FBI and two other federal agencies raided Concept’s Des Plaines headquarters and 19 of its charter schools in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, including Concept’s Chicago Math and Science Academy in Rogers Park.
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FBI officials have said the investigation involves an unspecified “ongoing white-collar criminal matter.”

Concerned Citizens of Chatham: Bridge to nowhere coming to Chatham?

Worlee opines on a proposed project - a one-way bridge at 85th Street - which was at first necessary for the expected traffic for the Walmart in West Chatham in order to ease the congestion on 87th Street. Now he's concerned there's more traffic coming from the new development from Rev. Charles Jenkins' Legacy Project.

In addition a charter high school - expected to be a Concept school - has been approved to be housed in the development located at 8522 S. Lafayette Ave. It was reported recently of course that Rev. Jenkins is to be a landlord to this school and also noted was his connections with Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Worlee also notes in light of this new development:

This application comes in light of the fact that 10 years ago taxpayers footed the $35 million bill for Simeon Vocational High School which will be less than a half mile away. Also within a two mile radius there are four high schools available. Harlan High School, which is a STEM school, Simeon Vocational. Robeson High School, and Perspectives Calumet High School, which is a charter high school. The only logical reason this school was approved was to reward one of the mayor's African American pastor buddies. His buddy Pastor Charles Jenkins has attempted to build a church campus on this site for several years and now that he has a source of revenue that  helps make this a bankable project.

In any case what say you?

Sun-Times: Landlords for 2 proposed Chicago charter schools have ties to Emanuel

One of those proposed charter schools will be nearby in the parcel hoped to be developed by a megachurch. Something we've talked about before on this blog:

Two people with ties to Mayor Rahm Emanuel could be among those to benefit from new, publicly financed charter schools up for approval next week by Chicago Public Schools officials.

A South Side minister allied with the mayor and a real estate broker who is an Emanuel friend could end up as landlords for new schools, collecting rent paid for by taxpayers.

The Chicago Board of Education is set to vote next week on 22 proposed schools being sought by nine charter operators. Those that are approved would come back before the school board in May for final approval.

One of two schools that Des Plaines-based Concept Schools chain hopes to open next school year — at 8522 S. Lafayette Ave. in Chatham — would be the first tenant in a building owned by an arm of the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

The Rev. Charles Jenkins, its pastor, touts on his church’s website how he “filled a key role” on Emanuel’s transition team when the mayor was elected in 2011. Jenkins gave the invocation at Emanuel’s swearing-in. He is an Emanuel appointee to the City Colleges of Chicago board and a board member of the private group New Schools for Chicago, which helps fund new charter schools.

If approved, the Concept school would pay nearly $529,000 in rent its first year, with annual lease payments going up to more than $961,000 by the fifth year, according to documents filed by Concept. It said the payments would go to the Fellowship Educational and Economic Development Corp., a not-for-profit headed by Jenkins.

And there's still more to discuss from this article. I suggest you read the whole thing.

RELATED: The Legacy Project is a GO!