Follow-Up Email Strings Show City Officials Warned of Health Risks Before Little Village Demolition Fiasco Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration has blown deadlines to disclose internal communications, violating state public records laws. City Hall’s decision-making process prior to the implosion remains shrouded. May 22, 2020 9:15 AM
Follow-Up Attorney General Sues Hilco After Botched Little Village Smokestack Demolition The state’s top prosecutor says the company did not take steps “to protect the community from air pollution and compromised air quality” after the implosion covered the neighborhood in dust. May 5, 2020 3:54 PM
Follow-Up Developer in Little Village Demolition Gone Wrong Cited By State EPA With Violating Pollution Laws Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office is reviewing the incident that covered the Chicago neighborhood in dust. Apr 22, 2020 6:30 PM
Follow-Up Student Protesters Demand Lightfoot Live Up To Campaign Promises on Environmental Protection Members of several youth groups protested outside the mayor’s City Hall offices to call for Lightfoot to reinstate a city department of environment to fight pollution and address climate change. Feb 28, 2020 3:57 PM
Follow-Up Chicago Aldermen Call for Hearings Into Failing City Recycling Programs Citing an investigation by the BGA that revealed systemic failures in Chicago’s Blue Cart recycling program, aldermen demand public examination aimed at improving the city’s worst-in-the-nation programs. Updated: Feb 19, 2020 @ 6:57 PM
Follow-Up CDC To Review Air Pollution Near East St. Louis, Duckworth Says Illinois senator asked for assessment of toxic releases from Veolia plant, a site profiled in a recent BGA story about President Trump’s diminished EPA. Nov 20, 2019 4:00 PM
Follow-Up Federal Probe in Lyons Includes Businesses Intertwined with Mayor The list of businesses whose records were seized last month include video gambling machine operator Rick Heidner with a potentially lucrative deal from Lyons to fix up a vacant strip mall. Nov 4, 2019 1:49 PM
Follow-Up Search Warrant Shows Feds Focused on Lyons Mayor, Developer Who Built His House Sweeping document — released after the village was sued — sought records highlighted in previous BGA investigation, nearby quarry and even the mayor's home security system. Oct 15, 2019 10:54 PM
Follow-Up Feds Subpoena ComEd for ‘Communications’ With Embattled State Sen. Sandoval This is the second subpoena the utility giant has received connected to a wide-ranging federal probe. It arrived 10 days after investigators searched Sandoval's offices in Springfield and Cicero. Oct 10, 2019 11:01 AM
Follow-Up Former Alderman's Lobbying Deal Is Latest Target in Widening Federal Investigation Federal investigators are looking into ex-Ald. Michael Zalewski's contract with the village of Schiller Park. The subpoena followed reporting by the BGA and WBEZ detailing a previous search on Zalewski's home. Oct 8, 2019 4:51 PM
