Metra Cancels Meeting To Appoint Investigator
A special Metra board meeting to vote on whether to launch an independent investigation into accusations raised by the agency's former director has been canceled.
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A special Metra board meeting to vote on whether to launch an independent investigation into accusations raised by the agency's former director has been canceled.
Metra has asked former federal prosecutor Patrick Collins to conduct an independent investigation of former CEO Alex Clifford's patronage hiring allegations.
Former Metra CEO Alex Clifford said Wednesday he does not believe House Speaker Michael Madigan broke any laws by requesting a pay raise for a political supporter, but believes it was "an ethical and moral character flaw."
Ex-Metra CEO Alex Clifford will testify to the Regional Transportation Authority about how House Speaker Michael Madigan asked him to raise the pay of a Madigan campaign worker and to hire another friend of the powerful Southwest Side Democrat.
Governor Quinn and Lisa Madigan were together today at an event in Melrose Park, but the two had little to say to or about each other, reports WBBM's Regine Schlesinger.
Powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan said Thursday he asked senior staff at Metra to consider a pay raise for an associate who was employed at the commuter rail agency, but withdrew the recommendation after Metra's then-CEO expressed discomfort over it.
Metra Chairman Brad O'Halloran said that he would ask the Metra board at its next meeting, in August, to roll back the price of the ticket to pre-February levels, when the 10-ride ticket was sold for the price of nine rides.
Metra Chairman Brad O'Halloran defended an expensive severance settlement with former CEO Alex Clifford, explaining the deal was cheaper than a potential lawsuit if Clifford were fired without a parting deal.
Riders are about to get some answers about the big payday Alex Clifford received in exchange for walking away from his job as Metra CEO eight months early.
A Metra worker was struck and killed while working on some tracks on the South Side on Friday.
All 11 Metra Board members — as well as former Metra CEO Alex Clifford — are being asked to appear July 11 before a legislative committee delving into a hefty severance package that could reap Clifford nearly $750,000 over more than two years, lawmakers said Wednesday.
The Regional Transportation Authority board has called Metra's chairman to appear at a special meeting July 10 to discuss the decision by the commuter rail agency's board to approval a controversial severance agreement with CEO Alex Clifford.
Metra is hoping for a normal rush hour, one day after a series of problems led to delays for most homebound commuters.
There's plenty for Blackhawks fans to celebrate lately. Their second Stanley Cup in four years. Patrick Kane being named the playoff MVP. A victory parade through downtown and a rally at Grant Park on Friday.
A government watchdog group wants the Regional Transportation Authority to look into why former Metra executive director got a severance package worth up to $750,000 when he stepped down, even though he apparently wasn't legally entitled to any severance pay.
Severe weather blasted the Chicago area on Monday with winds as high at 70 mph toppling trees and causing some power outages.
A west suburban man and teenager have been charged with shooting a passing train conductor with an air rifle and striking the conductor on Sunday.
Several Metra trains on the Union Pacific/North Line and the BNSF Railway are not running Monday morning due to "manpower" issues.
Metra executive director Alex Clifford has resigned, taking a $442,000 buyout as he leaves the commuter rail agency.
Be a rider, not a driver. That's the message today from the Regional Transportation Authority on the annual "Dump the Pump Day, reports WBBM's Terry Keshner.
Metra and the BNSF Railway are apologizing to riders, because of a series of delays on the BNSF commuter line over the past few weeks.
Service on Metra's Southwest Service between downtown and southwest suburban Manhattan has been disrupted Thursday afternoon by the derailment of a freight train locomotive on the South Side.
Metra police said the move was an effort to raise officers' visibility as the summer season brings more casual riders on the trains, along with regular daily commuters.
Metra trains are running again on the Union Pacific West Line after a stalled freight train near Elmhurst cut off all rail travel Thursday morning.
Commuters should notice some improvement in air quality as they board Metra and Amtrak trains at Union Station.
A construction worker died on Thursday afternoon when he fell from the roof of a building under construction at Northwestern University in Evanston.
Funeral services for fallen Chicago police officer John Bartholomew, who was fatally shot at Swedish Hospital last weekend, have been set for next week at a church in the Edgewater neighborhood.
United Airlines will cut more than 100 daily departures out of O'Hare International Airport this summer to meet a federal mandate to avoid delays.
Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Company customers are likely to see minor credits on their bills for the next three years, thanks to a $125 million settlement agreement announced Thursday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
A 15-year-old boy has been charged with shooting and killing a man while the victim was driving last month in northwest suburban Palatine, causing him to crash into several parked cars and a dumpster.
The longest shutdown of a federal department in U.S. history came to an end on Thursday when President Trump signed a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security following a breakthrough on Capitol Hill.
The Coast Guard will run out of funding to pay personnel on May 1, with the first missed paychecks expected May 15.
Illinois lawmakers are not planning to pursue a constitutional amendment on redistricting after a key U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Wednesday.
Spirit Airlines only has enough available cash to continue operations for a matter of days, not weeks, and talks for a government-backed rescue of the no-frills carrier have stalled, sources say.
Illinois Democrats resoundingly decried the Supreme Court's decision Wednesday that significantly weakens the Voting Rights Act.
Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Company customers are likely to see minor credits on their bills for the next three years, thanks to a $125 million settlement agreement announced Thursday by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Chicago gas prices are spiking as the war with Iran drags on, with regular gas nearing $6 in some spots and premium already selling for more than $7 in some places.
In the legal venue of anti-trust enforcement, the state is not taking on the Trump administration, but rather filling a void that state officials say the Trump administration has vacated.
A passenger on an American Airlines flight from New York to Chicago has been charged with making a false bomb threat that forced an emergency landing at Detroit Metro Airport last month, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Skyrocketing property taxes continue to be a hot-button issue in Cook County — particularly since last fall, when many residents saw their tax bills increase by 100% or more.
The second-largest physicians' group in the U.S. has issued a surprising switch in breast cancer screening recommendations.
A new $48 million wellness center opened Thursday in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. The goal is to improve the health and quality of life for people on the West Side of Chicago.
La Rabida Children's Hospital went all out for Earth Day on Wednesday, with volunteer cleanup efforts by staffers and activities for patients and families.
It has been several weeks since West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Illinois, abruptly shut down — and then on Wednesday, it just as swiftly partially reopened, with some services available.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 80% of deaths related to pregnancy are preventable, and Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
A $170 million-plus plan announced this week will redevelop the Water Tower Place mall on the Magnificent Mile.
The Holiday Club in Chicago's Buena Park neighborhood will soon be going out of business, as the building that houses the popular bar is set to be torn down.
At a meeting on Tuesday, the Lincolnwood Village Board approved a pre-development agreement with the mall, providing a roadmap with the property owner for further preparations and government approvals for redevelopment.
The only remaining location of Pal Joey's pizzeria in Batavia, Illinois, will soon be going out of business, its owner announced this week.
Investment research firm Morningstar could move into the Thompson Center in downtown Chicago once Google is done renovating the former Illinois state government building.
David Allan Coe also had hits with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" and "The Ride" among others.
Some youngsters got a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of making opera Sunday at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Matt DeCaro, an actor who was a familiar face on the Chicago stage for many years, died this weekend.
Jake was at the funeral for one of his closest friends when he learned of his parents' deaths, he said.
Tickets for the 2026 Ravinia Festival season went on sale Thursday morning.
Pop star Britney Spears is facing a DUI charge after California Highway Patrol officers arrested her last month.
The feds are releasing new videos and photos involving Cole Allen, the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Trump during the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
Four students and a security guard were hurt in a stabbing attack at a high school in Tacoma, Washington. The suspect, who is a student, also was hurt.
A construction worker died on Thursday afternoon when he fell from the roof of a building under construction at Northwestern University in Evanston.
Funeral services for fallen Chicago police officer John Bartholomew, who was fatally shot at Swedish Hospital last weekend, have been set for next week at a church in the Edgewater neighborhood.
Funeral services for fallen Chicago police officer John Bartholomew, who was fatally shot at Swedish Hospital last weekend, have been set for next week at a church in the Edgewater neighborhood.
Prosecutors said 22 people were arrested in Northwest Indiana FBI raids for "Operation Porterhouse Parlay" targeting an illegal gambling ring.
Chicago gas prices are spiking as the war with Iran drags on, with regular gas nearing $6 in some spots and premium already selling for more than $7 in some places.
An Illinois commission investigating Chicago immigration crackdown Operation Midway Blitz recommended prosecuting some federal agents for alleged misconduct.
A construction worker died on Thursday afternoon when he fell from the roof of a building under construction at Northwestern University in Evanston.
Violent retail crime is on the rise in Illinois, according to a new report from the Illinois Organized Retail Crime Association.
A top administrator in the Libertyville school district has been placed on leave after a fiery school board meeting focused on how the district handled allegations of grooming leveled against a former teacher.
Potholes along one stretch of road in Chicago's Pullman neighborhood are so bad, people say they damage their cars just getting to work.
There are so many issues with the DNA evidence in the case that Payne's conviction has been overturned, and a retrial has been ordered.
A mother in southwest suburban Morris, Illinois, is fighting for stiffer penalties for adults charged with grooming children. Some local lawmakers agree, saying Illinois' current law is too weak and puts kids in danger.
Seven-time All-Star Skylar Diggins has only been with the Sky for about three weeks, but it's clear she's already one of the leaders of the team.
The Cubs have won 12 of their last 15 games.
Reese is all smiles as she returns to Chicago to face her former team, the Sky, in preseason action on Wednesday night.
Rookie Sam Antonnaci hit a tying triple with two outs in the ninth inning and Colson Montgomery had a winning single in the 10th, lifting the Chicago White Sox over Los Angeles 3-2 for a three-game sweep that extended the Angels' losing streak to six.
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a three-run homer and the Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night to stop their three-game slide.
A woman has been charged with shooting a 15-year-old boy outside an indoor track facility near Gately Park in Chicago in 2024, after getting into a fight with another woman during a back-to-school event in the Pullman neighborhood.
Sexual abuse charges were filed this week against a Park City, Illinois, police officer.
Attorneys for the man convicted of the murders of two girls in Delphi, Indiana, have filed a new brief with the Indiana Court of Appeals to overturn his case.
Attorneys for a woman convicted of killing her 69-year-old landlord in Chicago's Arcadia Terrace community have filed an appeal.
Police in Cicero, Illinois, were investigating after burglars targeted gaming machines at a slots and video poker business early Wednesday.
