PROSECUTORS: SON ATTACKED MOM WITH AX ON MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND
Bond was set at $ 500,000 Friday for a west suburban man who allegedly attacked his 80- year- old mother with an ax on Mother’s Day weekend.
On Saturday evening, 57- year- old John Flick went to the home he shared with his mom and allegedly hit her repeatedly in the face and head with an ax, according to the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office.
The next day, the woman’s daughter went to visit her for Mother’s Day and noticed deep cuts on her face and head, prosecutors said.
The daughter took her mom to the hospital for treatment, where hospital authorities contacted police after seeing the woman’s injuries, prosecutors said. An investigation by Downers Grove police led to her son. Francesca Gattuso
40,000AT& Tworkers strike, forcing store closures
Almost 40,000 AT& T employees are striking this weekend after failing to reach an agreement with the No. 2 U. S. wireless carrier on a new contract, according to the Communications Workers of America ( CWA) union.
On Friday, workers who are members of CWA walked off the job, the union said. The strike, expected to last until Monday, has already forced retail stores to close, including in Chicago.
Dennis Trainor, vice president of CWA District 1, said AT& T is preventing the “American Dream they once promised.”
A statement by AT& T Friday called the company a family, adding, “Like any family we have our disagreements, but we’ll sort them out.” Nader Issa
Charter school teachers threaten to strike on May 25
Teachers at yet another Chicago charter school— Passages Charter School in Edgewater— have set a strike date for May 25, setting themselves up to potentially be the first in the country to go on strike.
The decision to strike was taken on May 4with a unanimous vote; the date for the 47 members of Chi ACTS Local 4343 to walk out was announced Friday before a scheduled bargaining session.
Union members have been in contract talks for a year at the school that’s home to about 470 elementary students, including a large population of immigrant and refugee students.
Teachers say they are paid “rock- bottom” salaries in the $ 30,000 to $ 40,000 range.
On itswebsite, Passages noted that agreement has been reached on employee discipline, health and safety, grade entry, and after- school events, and that negotiations continue in good faith on economic issues. Lauren Fitzpatrick
Police: Man accidentally shoots himself in Sandwich
A southwest suburban man is facing felony charges after he accidentally shot himself Tuesday evening inwest suburban Sandwich.
Just before 5 p. m., 24- yearold Parish Riley was sitting in a parked vehicle in Knights Park in the 1000 block of North Latham Street in Sandwich when he shot himself in the “lower extremities,” according to Sandwich police. Nader Issa
Police: Rollover caused by drunk driver going 90 mph
Chargeswere pending Friday against an alleged drunk driver who caused a rollover crash late Wednesday inwest suburban Riverside, injuring himself and a 66- year- old woman.
A black 2016 Kia was speeding south on First Avenue at 90 mph shortly before 10: 30 p. m. when it blew through the red lights at 31st and Ridgewood before crashing into an SUV thatwas backing out of a driveway in the 3500 block of South First, according to Riverside police.
The crash sent the SUV into a tailspin and caused it to flip onto its side.
The 66- year- old Riverside woman driving the SUV had to be extricated from her vehicle. She was treated for head and leg injuries and released.
The driver of the Kia, a 24- year- old La Grange man, was ejected from the car, police said. When emergency crews arrived, hewas “screaming profanities at the officers and extremely belligerent with the paramedics aswell,” a statement from police said.
An officer had to accompany the man in an ambulance because he continued to be combative, police said. He “displayed obvious signs of intoxication” and officers could smell alcohol on his breath, but he refused to submit to a breath, blood or urine test. Luke Wilusz