Where is Kierra Coles?

 

[VIDEO] Ms. Coles is a Chicago area postal worker who went missing in 2018. She was last seen outside of her home at 81st & Vernon and authorities are offering a reward for information on her whereabouts.

In this story from WGN her family is in Pilsen celebrating her 29th birthday on Sept. 24. Sad that she's not around to celebrate her birthday and also bear in mind Coles was also three months pregnant. The family hopes that Coles will be around for her 30th birthday.

Chatham hit hard by the storm

So we had a strong, though brief, storm last night (Sunday July 24).

As I was going through the neighborhood, I noticed that Chatham got hit pretty hard. In particular for the streets of Indiana, Wabash, and along 80th, 81st, and 82nd.

Some of it seems to be due to termites and other bugs, which have rotted away several branches (see the photos).

The damage has been so severe in some places that roads have been closed.

Do you have any stories or photos? Please share!

Or any thoughts on how we can minimize damage for the next time?

Indiana and Wabash streets closed south of 80th

We wanted to let you know ASAP that streets such as Indiana and Wabash are closed, starting at 80th and going south.

We'll write more about some the details, how last nights storm "tore up" some of our streets.

Water Main down just West of King Drive!

A couple of Tweets from the Alderman's office, at 3:30pm this afternoon:

A Water Main was hit in #Chatham, water service will be interrupted from 79th - 81st west of King Dr until Wed, call 311 for info

Reports are that the outage should not extend past Prairie but please let me know if your service is affected. service@6thwardchicago.com


More info when available.

You can also check the Alderman's Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Update (after talking with someone from the Dept. of Environment): The homes affected are on the 8000block of King Drive (possible 7900 & 8100 blocks). 200,000 gallons of water filled an excavation hole where 6 gas tanks had been removed.  The owner of the property wanted to make sure the extra possible contaminated dirt was removed, but miscommunication resulted in the water main being destroyed.

Residents can get emergency water today.  Call 311, or, if crews are still there, check in with them at the SW corner of 80th & King.  The plan is re-route the lines from other water mains, so that residents water will not be affected.  If you are able to run your water, then everything is fine (no worries about contaminated water). If it is not, then they are still working on it. Water won't be released into residents homes until safe.

For the actual repair, they have to drain the water from the pit, and only then can Department of Water crews fix the problem. The owner of the property will have to pay for that drainage (the crew at 5pm would take a week with their equipment).  That drainage will haul the water away, as it is unknown if it is contaminated. (Normal leaks would be drained into local sewage systems)

It's been a crazy 24 hours with this damage as well as yesterday's mishap with the dump truck, which took out power lines on the other side of King Drive.

From Tribune: Police Hunt for Girl Missing From East Chatham

A girl from East Chatham, Sapphire Redman, has been reported missing. Here is the story from Chicago Breaking News:



Police hunt for girl missing from East Chatham (Tribune illustration / October 20, 2012)

Police are searching for a missing 14-year-old girl who was last seen Sept. 10 in the East Chatham neighborhood on the South Side.

The last time anyone saw Sapphire Redman she was in the 8100 block of South Ingleside Avenue on Sept. 10, according to an alert from Area South detectives.

She frequents the 7600 block of South Evans Avenue and the 7500 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue, the alert said.

Redman is African-American, 5-foot-11, and has brown eyes and brown hair. She weighs 138 pounds and has a medium complexion.

Anyone with information should contact police, 312-747-8274

In the comments of this section, a reader pointed out that she has been missing for OVER a month,

How did the rain affect you?

Look for a post soon detailing the progress of the sewer we have been following...

But with last night's rain, our basement received the worst flooding in the 4 years we have lived here. Did that happen to anyone else? Or could this problem have been prevented if the sewer work was completed? Or was it just a bad rainstorm?

EDIT: my wife informed me of power outages at 87th Street (including manual traffic control) and at stores such as the strip mall at 83rd & State Street. How have you been affected?

Sewers - repairs are under way.

I posted an entry on Sunday (but written on Friday) about the sewer problem on the 80th block of Calumet. 

Between Friday and Saturday, someone came out and spray painted information for an imminent repair, as well as laying planks to cover the hole.

Also, I drove by Tuesday morning, and regarding the problem at Calumet & 83rd, serious repairs are now under way.  Hopefully, their next stop is 8012 S. Calumet and the 7900 block of Calumet.

83rd & Calumet getting SERIOUS repair

Alderman Sawyer at CAPS clean up

From Alderman Sawyer's 6th Ward  Facebook page...

Join Alderman Roderick T. Sawyer at CAPS Clean up day. Tomorrow June 16th, 9:15 a.m. located at the Midas on 81st and Cottage Grove. There will be a few speakers and a police roll call. Join us as we work to take back our neighborhood.

Clean up on Aisle 81!

 

It's been only a day since the election, so i should give the campaigns time to recover from their parties.

But there is a lot to clean up. These photos were taken on 81st ST. and St. Lawrence, and signs form both were put up all along 81st (as well as throughout the ward). This was Wednesday at noon.

The Sawyer campaign certainly can recycle these for next season, and Lyle's campaign could perhaps also find a use for their signs as well.

Now it's time for us to unite as a ward....

A nice sign of the neighborhood

We've read about signs in the community some people really hate.

Here's a sign i think most agree is a good one. I snapped this photo at 81st & Vernon on Saturday (I saw another on at 81st neat St. Lawrence, across the street from Chatham Fields Lutheran Church).

There is a bible reference to James 2:8 (from the New International Version)

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself,"[a] you are doing right.

Anyone know who posted the signs, and where we could get more?

Scam alert - update

My "neighbor", Dick Wilson was back today. He apparently forgot where i lived, and immediately changed his story to looking for somebody. unfortunately, couldn't find my keys in time to follow him, so i missed where he went.

The summary is that he claims to be a neighborhor, and need ssome money because somebody dtole his car battery, and need sot travel or fix his car. He asks for approximately $13, which usually winds up being $20 being scammed.

For details of his scam, please refer to this previous entry.

So let everyone know.. don't give money to anyone claiming to be a neighbor, especially one you do not know FOR SURE if he or she is a neighbor.

Man shot in head and killed in Chatham!

Chicago Breaking News:

A 38-year-old man was killed this morning after he was shot several times in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood.

Maurice Stone, of the 6500 block of South Paulina Street, was pronounced dead at 3:10 a.m. at the Stein Institute, according to a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Slightly after midnight, Stone was leaving a friend's home in the 900 block of East 81st Street when he was gunned down, police said. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his head.

The motive behind the shooting is unknown at this time, but police said Stone was gang-affiliated.

Check out the lone comment in this post!

What a surprise another shooting on the south side last nite.

It reeks of a certain amount of ignorance doesn't it?


The Suntimes also reported on it:

Man fatally shot in head multiple times :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Chicago Crime

A man is dead after being shot multiple times in the head in what appears to have been a set-up early Saturday on the South Side.

Maurice Stone, 38, of 6528 S Paulina St., was shot at 937 E. 81st St, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office, who said Stone was dead on arrival.

A 38-year-old man was at a friend's residence in the 900 block of East 81st Street when he received a phone call at 12:01 a.m. telling him to meet the caller outside, police said.

When he went outside, someone was waiting for him and the man was met with gunfire, according to police, who said the shooting was a set-up.

The man’s friend heard shots fired and went outside to discover the man lying on the sidewalk, police said.

When officers arrived, they found the man “unresponsive” on the scene with multiple gunshot wounds to his head, police said.
The man is believed to have gang affiliation, police said.
The man had a lengthy arrest record and had recently been released from prison, police said.

Calumet Area detectives are investigating, but no one was in custody early Saturday.

We need to know our neighbors! Whether it's murder or scamming, knowing our neighbors can help us stem these crimes.

Scam alert

Hey Neighbors...wanted to let you know about a man who is allegedly scamming people for money.

A quick summary...

He came to my door, and said "Hi, it's your neighbor, Mr. Wilson,"claiming to be a neighbor across the street, and needed $20 to get his car fixed.

(Someone had supposedly broken into his car, stole his battery).

I had fallen for this type of scam before (by a man, also claiming to be a neighbor and had his car burglarized and damaged; who had a CTA uniform, and "needed to get to work", and would repay the money), and told "Mr. Wilson" about my suspicions about him.

He left, and said he would ask another neighbor for the money.

I followed him, going down the 7900-8000 block of South Calumet, and saw that he did stop by one house, but then left and went down the block, away from his alleged home. He walked around the corner.

I tried to cut him off by going down an alley and walking around, and saw him on the 8100 S. Prairie, talking with a neighbor and his wife.

i was unfortunately too late. He took their money.

His story was that he worked for Crerar Presbyterian Church, and that his car was broken into, and needed some money for repairs. They thought it was the actual custodian, but "Dick" wasn't.

So let everyone know.. don't give money to anyone claiming to be a neighbor, especially one you do not know FOR SURE if he or she is a neighbor.

8000 & 8100 South Calumet block club meeting on March 25

The 8000 & 8100 blocks of Calumet are meeting on Thursday, March 25th at 6:30 pm at Crerar Memorial Presbyterian Church, 8100 S. Calumet (corner of Calumet and 81st).

We will cast a new vision for the block club, as well as share new information.

If you are just coming from work, please feel free to bring your dinner.

An RSVP is requested.

Contact JP Paulus at 312 (area code), 282- 2809 or e-mail jp ((at)) paulus ((dot)) com to RSVP.

8000 & 8100 S. Calumet Block club meeting Dec. 10

The 8000 & 8100 S. Calumet Block club has a meeting on Dec. 10 at 6:30pm. Meet at Crerar Memorial Presbyterian Church, at 81st & Calumet.

This is a very important meetings as not only officers will be elected, but a new vision for the club will be cast.

If you are interested, please contact JP at

Leave a comment as well..

p.s. Note that this is the same time as Alderman Lyle's monthly 6th Ward meeting

CRIME ALERT 4 of 4 = from Greater Chatham Alliance

Last alert on a recent e-mail for Greater Chatham Alliance.

There is a suspicious African-American man lurking in the area from 81st to 84th Street recently in the last week and a half. He seems to be carrying some sort of package. He is dark, medium built and about 6 feet tall. He was last seen wearing all grey.

People, the probability is that he is pretending to be a delivery person. If you see him, call the police. If he rings your doorbell, don't answer it.