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/

We've all heard about Lisa Stebic and Stacy Peterson but what about a missing 16-year-old named Yasmin Acree? Have you heard much about her? This African American teenager disappeared in January and hasn't been seen since.

Mary Mitchell wrote about it in yesterday's Chicago Sun Times http://www.suntimes.com/news/mitchell/1043755,CST-NWS-mitch08.article

What do you think? Does the news media pay enough attention to missing minorities?

From http://www.chicagotribune.com

Four people were shot, one fatally, in the Loop late Thursday as thousands of people streamed out of downtown after the city's Fourth of July fireworks display and the Taste of the Chicago.

Two of the shootings occurred about 10:40 p.m. roughly a block apart, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.

Courtney Thomas, 19, of the 500 block of South Wood Street, was fatally shot in the head near Dearborn and Van Buren Streets, police said. He was taken in critical condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:22 p.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.

A second victim, a 17-year-old male, was shot near Clark and Van Buren Streets, Langford said. Police Officer Laura Kubiak said he suffered a gunshot wound to the arm. He was treated and released from an area hospital.

Nearby, a 15-year-old male suffered a graze bullet wound to the head, and another male was shot in the buttocks. Both were treated at area hospitals and released, Kubiak said.

Police had one person in custody and recovered a weapon Thursday night in connection with the shootings near Dearborn and Van Buren, said Officer Amanda Greer. The shootings appeared to be gang-related, she said.

According to the Mayor's Office, more than a million people crowded the lakefront for the annual fireworks display, which ended shortly after 10 p.m. The Taste of Chicago in Grant Park closed for the night at 9 p.m.

Here's Regina Waldroup's story:

Does this make you think twice if your plans tonight include Grant Park?

CLTV plan extensive coverage today of the first police officer fatality since 2002.

From the Chicago Tribune:

A 27-year veteran Chicago police officer was shot and killed by a woman who grabbed his gun during a struggle outside a police headquarters on the North Side early Wednesday morning, Supt. Jody Weis said.

Officers who responded to the scene at Belmont and Western Avenues around 2 a.m., then shot the woman several times, critically wounding her, authorities said.

Belmont District Officer Richard Francis, 60, was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center and pronounced dead just before 3 a.m., the Cook County medical examiner's office said. The unidentified woman was being treated at the same hospital.

"Our focus right now is on his family. It's a tragic loss for his family. It's a terrible loss for the Chicago Police Department," Weis said in a brief statement outside the hospital. "It's a stark reminder of what the dangers this department and its officers face everyday."

CLTV reporter Regina Waldroup's report from Illinois Masonic Hospital where the woman is under armed guard:

Stay with CLTV as we follow this story throughout the day. We plan to carry live any news conferences or events related to this story.

If you would like to express your condolences, please post them here and we'll read some of them on the air.

Starting on July 1st, Chicago will hold the crown for having the highest sales tax in the country. It's a title most shoppers would be glad to give back in a heartbeat. The sales tax will be 10.25%, much higher than the 7% sales tax in neighboring counties like Lake County and Will County. Shoppers will definitely head to cheaper places to shop. But my question is, What would be the other option? I'm not saying I agree with the increase, but the other alternative is cutting government programs and services. I guess what I am asking is, Would you rather pay more for goods or lose valuable services? It's a tough question to answer for some. No matter what outcome you pick, people are going to rally and be upset. Of course, you could boycott and stop shopping in Cook County, but that will hurt the honest business person working to support his or her family. Something needs to change, but what? Just cutting so-called patronage jobs and things like that won't bring in enough money to balance the budget. Hard cuts need to be made. Where would you start?

Form chicagotribune.com:

An angry Mayor Richard Daley on Thursday called the Supreme Court's overturning of the Washington D.C. gun ban "a very frightening decision" and vowed to fight vigorously any challenges to Chicago's ban.

The mayor, speaking at a Navy Pier event, said he was sure mayors nationwide, who carry the burden of keeping cities safe, will be outraged by the decision.

Chicago's handgun ban, which has lasted for more than a quarter-century, came under threat earlier in the day when the Supreme Court decided that Washington D.C.'s law against handgun ownership is unconstitutional.

In a 5-4 decision, the high court determined that Americans have the right to own guns for self-defense as well as hunting. The decision, which had been expected, is a win for gun-rights advocates and provides a better definition of the rights of Americans to own firearms.

Illinois gun-rights activists have said they expect to mount a quick legal challenge to the Chicago Weapons Ordinance.

Your thoughts? Post them here.

Potential jurors in the R Kelly kiddie porn trial should prepare for some uncomfortable questions today, as the first round of jury selection begins.

They'll likely be prodded about their views on pornography, and whether they've been or if they know victims of a sex crime.

Judge Vincent Gaughan hopes to get through the 150 possibles at a rate of 20 per day until 12 are seated and four are picked as alternates.

Simply put, this may take awhile........as has seemingly every aspect of the six-year old case.

Experts say prosecutors are looking for "law and order" types, those who believe in the rules and that everyone should follow them. As for the defense, they may be seeking a diverse bunch, folks of various personalities who can't agree enough to render a guilty verdict.

During this part of the proceedings, Judge Gaughan is keeping the media as minimal a presence as possible. Two pool reporters are allowed to observe- one local, one national. Yours truly will be alternating with others, sharing notes and observations.

Randi Belisomo, CLTV reporter

***Update: CLTV will carry an OEMC news conference live momentarily (11am) where the city will talk about the quake***

Were you jolted awake shortly after 4:30 this morning, wondering what the heck was going on? You're not alone.

Tremors from a moderate earthquake centered in southeast Illinois rattled people awake across the Chicago area Friday morning, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage, authorities said.

The earthquake, which measured 5.2 on the Richter Scale, struck at 4:36 a.m. near the town of West Salem, Ill., about 60 miles northwest of Evansville, Ind., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. An initial estimate of the magnitude put it at 5.4, which would have matched the strongest earthquake recorded in the region.

Here's what some of our viewers said about their experience:

Name: Helen Kalantzis

Comments: Just wanted to let you know that my husband and I were awakened by the earthquake in Inverness, IL this morning. Our headboard was rattling for about 15-20 seconds and our dogs immediately wanted to jump into our bed! Before the quake, our dogs were awake and seemed very scared which was very strange.

Name: Diana Huff

Comments: I felt the earthquake this morning. It woke me up by hearing my perfume bottles on my bedroom dresser rattling crazily and my bed start shaking. Wow! I thought I was expericing the movie "The Exorcist".

Gail Okrie

(Live in Lisle) I was watching television news and thought my dog was having a seizure of some sort. Felt the tremor (odd shaking of the bed) for what I thought was approximately a minute. Another one of our dogs was up and about wanting to get out of the house. "Puppy" hid under a bed and still is acting too quiet.

Yondi Morris

I woke up this morning because my bed (in Chicago) was shaking, almost violently. I thought I was dreaming, so I went to use the bathroom and walked around my apartment just to make sure all was well. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, so I got back in the bed. I was shocked when I woke up this morning to the news story of an earthquake!!! I mean, we live in the Midwest. I never hear of earthquakes in the Midwest!!!

Tim Schmeling (Orland Park)
My wife and I both woke up from the earthquake. When we got up this morning we noticed five cracks in our walls mostly in the living room and dining room area. I have attached a couple of photos of the two worst cracks. So far, I have not noticed any other damage.

Tell us your story in the comments section below. Send us your picture at cltvdesk@tribune.com. Upload your video at http://chicagolive.com.

More bad economic news today. One in seven mortgage holders worry they may soon fail to make their monthly payments and even more fret that their home's value is shrinking, according to a new Associated Press poll showing widespread stress from the nation's housing crisis. Are you one of them?

CLTV is planning a series of live call-in shows about the economy in Chicagoland and we want to hear from you.

What issues would you like to see us cover? What issues are you facing? Let us know.

Chicagoans once again woke up to the the news that a school-aged youth had been shot and killed. 18-year-old James Bush was shot once in the chest about 6:35 p.m. near West 110th Place and South Racine Avenue.

A Chicago Public Schools spokesperson says Bush was a student at Morgan Park High School until February.

More than 20 CPS students have been killed violently this school year.

Starting Monday, April 7th, CLTV will air special programs examining school violence issues.

“Deadly Lessons” is a live interactive program airing each weeknight evening the week of April 7. CLTV anchor/reporter Gaynor Hall is the program host. CLTV anchor/reporter Monica Schneider is a contributing reporter.

“I am a product of the Chicago Public Schools. That education helped me to get where I am today,” said Hall, a graduate of Whitney Young High School. “But too many kids are not getting the chance live their dreams, because of violence. We need to start a dialogue to address the tough questions. What is going wrong in our communities? What needs to be done to fix these deadly problems?” Hall said.

Parents, students, gang experts, school administrators and education experts are among those scheduled to appear on the programs. Viewers will be able to participate through telephone calls and through commentary on the cltv.com news blog. You can also send us an email at cltvdesk@tribune.com.

Invited guests include Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan, the father of slain Julian High School student Blair Holt and, Father Michael Pfleger.

The Illinois Associated Press Broadcasters Association, recently honored a prior “Deadly Lessons” special hosted by Tonya Francisco in the spring of 2007, in the Best Series/Documentary category.

CLTV is available on Comcast cable throughout the Chicago area. The 24-hour news channel recently celebrated its 15th anniversary.

Air schedule:
Monday, April 7 5 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Live)
Tuesday, April 8 5 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Live)
Wednesday, April 9 5 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Live)
Thursday, April 10 5 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Live)
Friday, April 11 5 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Live)

This weekend, two more Chicago Public School students died because they were shot to death. Here's the Chicago Tribune:

Two teens have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the weekend slaying of a student outside Simeon Career Academy, Chicago police said Monday morning. Two others who were with them in a car when they were arrested were released without charges.

As this week gets started and people begin to get back to a normal routine, I wanted to take a moment and share my condolences with all the family and friends of the NIU shooting victims. The first of 5 funerals was held today. Hundreds paid tributes to Catalina Garcia as she was laid to rest in a pink coffin inside a Cicero church. The soft color such a shocking reminder of the very young life cut way to short. You can find details on services for Gayle Dubowski, Julianna Gehant, Ryanne Mace, and Dan Parmenter at www.chicagotribune.com.

For weeks, months, and likely even years to come many will be asking what led Steven Kazmierczak to this senseless shooting. Was it a mental health issue? Could stronger gun control legislation have changed the outcome? Did he slip through the cracks? I realize his family has lost and are in pain as well, but in this time and place he had some 'choice' in what happened on Thursday February 14th, the five victims did not. So for the time being, lets concentrate on remembering the victims, and what was taken away so tragically.

Please feel free to leave your thoughts about the victims here, whether you knew them or not.

Hello readers, my name is Matt Knutson I produce CLTV's entertainment show "metromix." I graduated from NIU in '05 with a B.A. in Media Studies and a minor in Journalism. I also worked at the student newspaper, the Northern Star and television station, Northern Television Center.

Four members of our metromix staff are all NIU alumns, and the events that transpired yesterday have hit all of us with heavy hearts. At the same time I haven't been more proud to be affiliated with the school and its media program. The compassion in which the administration & students handled the situation makes the shooting easier to deal with at least from my perspective.
CLTV interviewed my former advisor at the newspaper Jim Killam who said his student reporters were anxious and willing to put themselves in harms way as the events unfolded around 3:00 p.m. Thursday. Watching those same reporters last night do interviews with local and national media outlets you would never have known they were amateurs, they carried themselves as professionals. It's that kind of determination that was engrained in me during my time in DeKalb.
Yeah, it may be dubbed a "suitcase school" but there is a community there that's showing everyone of its colors before the world.

For more information and perspective from the students I would reccommend reading their special edition on the shooting.

Thanks for your time,

Matt Knutson
metromix Producer
NIU Alum

Hello CLTV News readers. This is Marcus Leshock - host of the "metromix" entertainment show here on CLTV. I attended NIU from the fall of '99 until the winter of '05, earning both a B.A. and M.A. in Communication.

As a communication major at NIU, I spent a lot of time in Cole Hall. Everything from Math courses, to Geology lectures, to my very first NIU class - COMS 356 - a lecture on the history of film taught by Dr. Jeffrey Chown. Cole Hall was once looked at as an old, stale lecture hall. Yesterday it became a building of worldwide significance. I've been reading a lot of media reports about the building that seem to differ from my memory. Here's a description of the Cole Hall that I remember.

It's a big building which is most often entered from the rear. You're looking at the rear section in the photo above. Once inside students have the option to enter two seperate, large lecture halls, each with roughly 200 seats. Each set of lecture hall doors lead to an aisle that goes directly down to the stage, creating three seating sections in each lecture hall. This is where other news outlets are getting it wrong with their 3D animations. There is no long center aisle, rather two side aisles leaving a large chunk of seating in the center and two smaller sections of seating on the sides.

The chairs are older and a mustard yellow color - bucket seats made of plastic material. Each chair has a small flip-up desk for writing notes. When sitting in the chairs you face the stage where professors or graduate assistants lecture students. Courses taught in Cole Hall include mathematics, sciences, communication, and more. Backstage there is another door - the door 27 year-old Stephen Kazmierczak burst through to come on stage.

By entering from backstage, Kazmierczak appeared in full view of the class. This also gave students the ability to run up the exit aisles and disperse through the rear of the building. Had Kazmierczak entered through the rear doors he would have encountered students facing a different direction, forcing them to rush towards the stage. Given that many students are probably unaware of the exit door behind the stage, this could have led to even more hysteria and carnage.

Outside in the center lobby of Cole Hall there is a large corridor that was recently remodeled to include an elevator. Near the front of the hall there is a door that leads to a small screening room that seats 20 people or so.

While earning my M.A. in Communication from NIU I worked as a graduate assistant, teaching a lab section of a field production course. I spent a lot of time with my students in the basement of Cole Hall - home to the COMS department's photojournalism lab. This is where students would check out still photography cameras, learn how to use them, or utilize their dark rooms to develop film. I cannot imagine the feelings of confusion going on in the Cole Hall basement as this incident was occuring.

More thoughts to come....

CLTV will be the place for the most updated information on the Northern Illinois Shootings in Dekalb. We will catch you completely up to date on the investigation, the victims, the shooter Stephen P. Kazmierczak and reaction.

This morning, we took two news conferences live -- here's the one with Northern Illinois and law enforcement officials:

NIU President statement from morning press conference


NIU Police Chief statement

We are now waiting on a news conference with Governor Blagojevich after he meets with NIU officals. This is expected to happen around 1:30pm. We will also have a fresh report from Regina Waldroup on the investigation and Judy Wang who attended a news conference by Kishwaukee Community Hospital officials.

It's here. Pothole season. The conditions are perfect for them to spring up on roads all over Chicagoland. Mayor Daley says crews are working as fast as they can. Businesses that sell tires and rims are over the moon, flush with customers wanting their services.

CLTV Regina Waldroup takes a look:

One of the big surpises from Tuesday night was the victory of Anita Alvarez over her Democratic rivals. She earned the right to go up against Republican Tony Peracia in November for the Cook County State's Attorney top job.

CLTV's Political Reporter Carlos Hernandez spoke to both candidates:

Update from the Daily Southtown this afternoon:

Woman's 911 call enraged Tinley Park gunman

The killer of five women last week inside the Lane Bryant store became enraged when he overheard the store's manager on her cell phone with a police dispatcher, a source said.
The gunman, still at large, shot the manager Rhoda McFarland twice and shot five other women with a .40-caliber semi automatic handgun, according to a law enforcement source.

From today's Tribune:

Mourners filling the pews at the first funeral for victims of the Tinley Park store slayings were grief-stricken Thursday as they dealt with the loss of a counselor whose office was known as a haven for troubled students.

Carrie Hudek Chiuso would guide students at Homewood-Flossmoor High School through their problems with a mix of patient understanding and tough love. Her warm smile was known across the school where she coached the golf team and became a certified bus driver to take students to volunteer projects.

Her violent death Saturday left the community in shock and looking for answers.

Gaynor Hall's story from Thursday:

We are still waiting for a sketch of the suspect. There is a media briefing each day at 11am so we should know soon if this will be released. Police are apparently taking it easy with the survivor who is obviously very traumatized by her experience last Saturday.

CLTV is providing continuous coverage of the winter storm which is expected to attack Chicagoland with a vengeance this afternoon, making for a tough evening commute.

The National Weather Service earlier upgraded the amount of snow it expects the storm to bring, forecasting more than a foot in areas north of the city and up to 8 to 9 inches in Chicago, meteorologist Rich Brumer said. A winter storm warning was expanded to include southern parts of the metropolitan area, including Will County and Lake and Porter Counties in northwest Indiana.

From the Chicago Tribune:

The killer of five women at a Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park made sexual advances on at least one of the victims before the slayings and may have targeted a women's shop to avoid confrontation with men, a source said Monday.

The gunman entered the store after 10 a.m. Saturday and chatted briefly with some of the victims before announcing a holdup, and may have initially feigned that he was making a delivery, sources said.

He then took the women to a back room and bound them with duct tape he had brought with him, a law-enforcement source said. He said that before the shooting began, the man made advances toward one or more of the women.

On Tuesday, Tinley Park police finally acknowledged after two days that there was a sixth victim of the shooting who survived:

Here's the Tinley Park news conference from yesterday:

Press conference from Monday

Stay tuned to CLTV for the very latest on this story.

+++UPDATE+++
TINLEY PARK POLICE ARE HAVING A 4PM NEWS CONFERENCE TO UPDATE THE MEDIA ON THIS CASE. CLTV WILL HAVE LIVE COVERAGE.

This weekend, CLTV was the only station to provide continuous coverage of the terrible shootings in Tinley Park that killed five women as the story unfolded.

Today, we are closely following developments including the search for the gunman, family reaction and village reaction.

We spoke this morning with the family of Rhoda McFarland, the Lane Bryant store manager. We are also checking to see if Tinley Park police will have another news conference, and answer questions about a sixth victim who is assisting in finding the suspect.

Here is Sunday's news conference:

Stay with CLTV as we bring you all the very latest developments.

CLTV is the place to be for Illinois primary tomorrow night. We've got a great list of guests including Andy McKenna, Roland Burris, Danny Davis, Jim Edgar, Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Senator Dick Durbin. Dick Simpson and reporters from the Chicago Tribune including Clarence Page will be providing commentary and analysis all night.

You can find primary preview stories on cltv.com including a profile of the six democratic candidates for State's Attorney, a look at how county and city officials think they'll handle a record turn-out and profiles of Clinton's days in Park Ridge and Obama's stint as a community organizer in Chicago.

Here are some of the primary stories we've been running:

Join CLTV for live coverage of the Illinois primary starting at 6pm on Tuesday, February 5th. We'll have all the latest national primary results and keep the focus on local races important to you.

There is an unprecedented amount of interest in this year's presidential race, and the Chicago area is lucky enough to have ties to the two Democratic candidates.

CLTV's coverage will be anchored by Amy Rutledge and Tonya Francisco with UIC's Dick Simpson providing commentary. We will be live from several locations including Barack Obama's headquarters (we hear he will be there), and the Cook County Board of Elections where they will be handling an estimated record turnout for a primary.

We will also provide extensive coverage of the Cook County State's Attorney race (there are 6 Democrats!) and the 14th Congressional District race to fill the seat held by Dennis Hastert. Our camera crews will also capture Hillary Clinton and John McCain supporters as they watch the evening unfold.

Guests joining us throughout the evening include former Governor Jim Edgar, Senator Dick Durbin and Roland Burris. And, we'll hear from reporters at the Chicago Tribune about the races they're covering.

CLTV will have the results on our screen for all the local races just as soon as they are available. We will be the only television source for extensive coverage of local races early in the evening.

So please join us. We will want to hear from you during the broadcast about what's on your mind as you watch the returns come in. You can send an email to cltvdesk@tribune.com if you have questions.

CLTV's got you covered today with the latest on the big snow storm moving through Chicagoland. Even though it's expected to move out this afternoon, the storm will dump close to a foot in some places when all is said and done.

So turn to CLTV whenever you need information about the storm. We've got weather reports every ten minutes, all your school closings, reports and video from the city and suburbs and your photos and video. We'll tell you when the sides streets get cleared and if there's more on the way. And, we'll have it for you 24 hours a day.

To post a video of what it looks like in your neighborhood, go to chicagolive.com . To send us a photo, email it to cltv.desk@tribune.com.

If there's a major situation in your area, call our news tip line at 630-368-2588.