The Chicago Reporter articles from September 2008

The Chicago Reporter archives from September 2008

In children's best interest.(EDITOR'S NOTE: Reporter News)
September 1, 2008... In many ways, children who have an incarcerated parent are like children involved in a messy divorce. Children in both situations may feel ashamed, blame themselves for their parents' situation, misbehave or struggle in school. When...

Reporter news.(EDITOR'S NOTE: Reporter News)
September 1, 2008... Reporter Fernando Diaz has been named the 2008 Emerging Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Diaz was honored at the association's 23rd annual Noche de Triunfos Journalism Awards Gala on Sept. 12 at the...

Children of the incarcerated.(EDITOR'S NOTE: Reporter News)
September 1, 2008... Across the nation, children of the incarcerated, as much as their parents, bear the consequences of misdeeds or mistakes. They are disproportionately poor, African American or Latino and, for many, their lives are shaped by the same cycle of...

Nailing a job.(SPINOFFS: Keeping Current)
September 1, 2008... The news: In July, the unemployment rate for Illinois rose for the third straight month to 7.3 percent, up 2.2 percent from July of last year, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The number of unemployed stood at...

Starbucks closings: grounds for concern.(SPINOFFS: Keeping Current)
September 1, 2008... The news: After weeks of rumors, Starbucks Coffee Company released an official statement this summer listing about 600 stores that the Seattle-based coffee giant will close. Behind the news: The departure of Starbucks in some...

Minority newsroom hires hit new low.(SPINOFFS: Keeping Current)
September 1, 2008... The news: More than 7,000 people affiliated with minority journalist associations gathered in Chicago this summer for the UNITY 08 Convention, the largest gathering of journalists nationwide. Behind the news: This year marks the...

Gun violence still high among blacks despite ban.(SPINOFFS: Keeping Current)
September 1, 2008... The news: The Illinois State Rifle Association sued the City of Chicago in June to end the city's gun ban after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a law forbidding handgun possession in Washington, D.C. Behind the news: African...

Sustaining life: a pioneering environmentalists fights a culture of watsefulness.(Q&A: Ken Dunn)(Company overview)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In 1975, long before people were familiar with the ozone hole or global warming, Ken Dunn founded the Resource Center of Chicago to introduce city dwellers to the simple values of conservation and respect for the...

Not a priority: Illinois law provides in some ways for children whose parents are incarcerated, but a survey of the agencies involved reveals that often children's needs are addressed on an individual basis.(Children of the Incarcerated)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Zero seconds. That's how much time Cynthia had to prepare before her father came home after more than four years in prison. Planning would have made things better, she thought later, after the year during...

Squabbles delay bills to help kids.(on Senate Bill 2879 and its expected impact on kids whose parents are incarcerated)
September 1, 2008... Maxine Johnson's first day in prison in 2005 remains seared in her memory. She remembers the shackles on her legs binding her to another prisoner and the guards barking commands at inmates during the intake process. But mostly she...

Bringing families together: a county jail in Pittsburgh works to alleviate trauma for children.(Best Practices)
September 1, 2008... A visit to the Allegheny County jail in Pittsburgh used to be stressful for inmates' loved ones and their children. The sounds of frustrated guards and harried parents yelling at children rebounded off the walls in the lobby of the 16-floor...

Buy organic: (some restrictions and limitations apply): organic food is healthier and environmentally friendly--and rarely found in Chicago's black neighborhoods.(CHICAGO MATTERS: Access to Organic)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On a one-acre vegetable farm in Chicago, a bearded, 6 foot, 3 inch-tall black man squats before a bed of green, leafy radishes. Unlike most produce, these have been grown without toxic chemicals. As he reaches...

Extending organics' reach: towns get creative to serve poor, urban areas.(Best Practices)
September 1, 2008... With the number of people suffering from obesity, diabetes and other chronic health conditions rising in the United States, awareness of the need to find ways to provide healthier foods, especially in communities where availability is sparse,...