? Below: To protect immigrant students, a Chicago-area college told Flock to remove its cameras. The company refused.
?️ Plus: Details emerge about a shooting involving an off-duty police officer, a judge threatens to order Midway Blitz agents to hand over their phones and more.
? Keeping score: The Blackhawks lost to the Islanders, 4-1. The White Sox fell to the Guardians, 9-5, sending the series back to Cleveland for Game 5 on Saturday.
⛅ Today's weather: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and a high near 70.
? Heads up: The Chicago Marathon is Sunday. Head here for information on start times, street closures and the route. And for those running, we've got tips from Sun-Times readers here.
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⏱️: An 8-minute read
Flock flak: Although an Elgin Community College audit of Flock data found no evidence to suggest information had been accessed by federal immigration agents, college officials asked Flock to remove the surveillance cameras "out of an abundance of caution" for its Latino students, school president Peggy Heinrich said. The company initially refused. The school said it covered the cameras with trash bags, which workers in an unmarked vehicle repeatedly removed. The pattern continued until their contract expired and Flock uninstalled the cameras.
Key context: Flock's license plate readers use artificial intelligence to track passing vehicles. Public records show federal immigration authorities have accessed Flock data at Illinois colleges.
Reported abuse: Data captured by Flock cameras at Illinois public campuses, including Joliet Junior College, the University of Illinois Chicago and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was searched dozens of times last year in connection with immigration enforcement, records show. In some cases, federal immigration authorities directly accessed colleges' data. The state also found that U.S. Customs and Border Protection illegally searched Illinois Flock data last year.
Related news:
Details emerge: As community leaders call for criminal charges against a Chicago police officer accused of using two guns to fire down a Little Village street, new details have emerged about the cop and the circumstances of the off-duty shooting that left another man wounded last weekend.
Zooming in: The officer has been identified as Edgar Delgado-Arroyo, 30, according to a Civilian Office of Police Accountability report. No formal allegation had been made against him, the report states. A law enforcement source told the Sun-Times that police are investigating whether there was an exchange of gunfire.
East Side structure: St. Simeon Mirotočivi Serbian Orthodox Church, at 3737 E. 114th St., is a pile of Byzantine Revival architecture with its crucifix-topped towers and two-tone brickwork with an array of arches, horizontal stripes and checkerboard patterns. Built in the 1960s, the building is modeled after a 15th-century monastery in Serbia. Now, the church is nearing city landmark status.
Building backstory: The church and the hall were built on former swampland by its Serbian immigrant congregation, who worked in the mills that once dominated the neighborhood. Worshippers would reportedly attend meetings and sign over their paychecks to fund the building's construction.
Race to replace: Running to replace U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" García in the 4th Congressional District are Patty García, the outgoing incumbent's former chief of staff; Chris Getty, Lyons mayor and an independent candidate; Republican Lupe Castillo; and Working Class Party candidate Ed Hershey.
The controversy: Chuy García’s last-minute ballot switch — helping his then-chief of staff Patty García, no relation, get enough petitions to take his spot on the Democratic ballot — has nabbed a lot of attention. Chuy García’s move was widely panned as a maneuver that critics called a coronation and a Chicago machine play.
Go deeper: U.S. representatives vote on federal laws, advocate for their districts and work to secure federal funding and other resources for constituents. Head here to learn more about the candidates.
In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons, 9 a.m.
Weekly news recap: WBEZ's Dave McKinney, WTTW's Nick Blumberg and Block Club Chicago's Melody Mercado break down the week's top stories.
Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith, 10 a.m.
Today's clue: 8A: Venue like the United Center
Spooky season has arrived, and the apparent theme this year in Chicago theater is old-school horror.
Among the offerings: Otherworld Theatre's world premiere of "Midsummer Night Scream" is a new take on Shakespeare's most-produced play, giving it a 1980s, neon-and-synth-filled rework.
Relatedly, the Broadway in Chicago remount of Kokandy’s hit musical "Jekyll & Hyde" is a gothic horror story fueled by a 15-piece orchestra backing 1980s power ballads. The set feels like a haunted house.
Take a gander, if you dare, at our list of nine must-see shows this spooky season.
What's a Chicago ghost story or urban legend that you grew up hearing about?
Reply to this question via email (please include your first and last name). We may run your answer in a future newsletter or story.
On Thursday, we asked you: What’s the best Chicago-set book you’ve ever read?
Here’s some of what you said, edited for length and clarity:
"Without a doubt, 'Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago' by Mike Royko, the best Chicago columnist ever. This is a fact-based review of Daley from cradle to grave — outstanding! An explanation of the city during Daley's reign also, published in '71. A must-read for every Chicagoan." — Michael King
"'The Chicago Way' by Michael Harvey, author of the Michael Kelly series, is a gripping story. It's filled with familiar landmarks and institutions." — Jay Massey
"The Studs Lonigan trilogy; ('Young Lonigan,' 'The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan' and 'Judgement Day') by James T. Farrell, for many a forgotten but brilliant Chicago writer who provided readers with an honest portrait of the personal and professional lives of Chicago citizenry in the early 20th century." — Tom Knoff
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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Michael Lansu
Copy edited by: Satchel Price
