Rev. Dr. Clay Evans, County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Congressmen Danny K. Davis and Bobby Rush; State Senator Donne Trotter, Business Leader Everett Rand, Clergy for Quinn, and key African American Religious, Business, Elected and Community Leaders endorse Gov. Quinn for re-election. The endorsement session was held at the Parkway Ballroom, 4455 S. King Dr, in Chicago.

By Juanita Bratcher

Saying Quinn has “served us well against all opposition,” Rev. Dr. Clay Evans, surrounded by a prominent group of business, elected and community leaders, endorsed the governor yesterday, chanting “We can win with Quinn.”

“We know him…he has integrity, concern, and will continue to do us well,” said Evans.

Cook County Board President Preckwinkle said she was pleased to be there in support of Quinn, stating, “I’m a big supporter of Pat Quinn. She praised Quinn’s issues agenda for Illinois and emphasized he was for an increase in the minimum wage, “and ordinary people should get decent wages. I encourage everybody to go out to vote and vote early. (Voting) will keep our democracy strong.”

Davis said the godmothers and godfathers are the protectors of the community, and for those who think voting for the other candidate (Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner) is in Blacks’ best interest “it’s like a turkey voting for an early Thanksgiving. So be all in with Quinn.”

Rush said there are some who come in contact with a billionaire and all of a sudden lose their sense of direction. President Richard Nixon, Bush and Cheney (all Republicans), he said, have “been detrimental to the desires of our community – cutting many social programs and taking away the lifeline in our community, and how they have treated President Barack Obama.

“We know Pat Quinn. We understand Pat Quinn. Pat Quinn is not perfect, but no human being that walked this earth has been perfect. Our mind is made up. And when you make up your mind the whole universe is in order.

The powerful, prominent group of leaders also reaffirmed President Barack Obama’s call to action that every Illinoisan early vote and said they will push for unprecedented early voting efforts this weekend culminating on Sunday. A bus and van were stationed in front of the Parkway Ballroom to take people to the polls to vote.

Markham Mayor David Webb, Jr. said, “We have to make sure we get to the polls, get out now and vote early. We need to send a clear message of what’s at stake. We will win once again with Quinn. We need to take our souls to the polls. It’s not just a privilege, it’s not just a right, but it is our responsibility to do it in the spirit of our forefathers, our trailblazers who not only talked the talk but made these things happen.”

Said Businessman Everett Rand: “We are clearly behind Gov. Quinn. The room is packed with people who care. This is not about today, but about tomorrow and the future of our community.”

Juanita Bratcher is an Award-Winning Journalist, the Publisher of www.copylinemagazine.com and the author of several books, songwriter and poet. She has been a Journalist for more than 38 years covering politics, education and a wide-range of other topics.

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office vacated murder and voluntary manslaughter charges against a man currently serving a 37-year prison sentence following an extensive conviction integrity review of the three-decades-old Chicago murder case which involved allegations of wrongful convictions and coerced confessions, State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez announced.

The conviction and sentence of Alstory Simon was dismissed in court this morning during a brief hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building in Chicago.  In 1999, Simon pled guilty to the 1982 murders of Marilyn Green and Jerry Hillard, a young couple who were shot and killed in the early morning hours at Washington Park on Chicago’s South Side.  Simon, who is currently 62 years old, was sentenced to 37 years in prison where he has remained until today.

Last year Simon’s attorneys raised questions about the conviction and requested that the case be reviewed by the State’s Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit.  Alvarez formed the unit in 2012 to investigate cases involving questionable or wrongful convictions.

Alvarez said that her office conducted an extensive conviction integrity review of the case, interviewing more than 100 individuals and pouring over decades-old police reports, court transcripts and any other potential information that could be tracked down and made available.

“This case has undoubtedly been the most complicated and most challenging re-investigation that we have undertaken but justice compels that I take action today,” Alvarez said.

Anthony Porter, 59, of Chicago, was originally convicted of the murders but was released from prison in 1999 following an investigation into Porter’s conviction by a former journalism professor, a private investigator employed by the professor and a team of young journalism students.

Professor David Protess and the students claimed that their investigation proved that Alstory Simon had committed the murders.  The private investigator, Paul Ciolino, then went on to obtain a videotaped confession from Simon and to make arrangements for Simon’s legal counsel as well.

Alvarez said the review by her administration has raised serious questions about the integrity of the original Protess reinvestigation as well as ethical questions about Simon’s legal representation.

“At the end of the day and in the best interests of justice, we could reach no other conclusion but that the investigation of this case has been so deeply corroded and corrupted that we can no longer maintain the legitimacy of this conviction,” Alvarez said.

Since the creation of the Conviction Integrity Unit in 2012, Alvarez said her office has received more than 300 requests for the re-investigation of cases where an offender has been convicted of a crime and is seeking a review of their conviction.  The dismissal of Simon’s conviction today brings the total number of convictions that have been vacated by the State’s Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit to 10.

BALTIMORE, M.D. — The NAACP is excited to announce their return to “Charm City” to host the 108th Annual National Convention in Baltimore, Maryland, from July 22nd- July 26th. The NAACP last hosted its national convention in Baltimore in 2000. The Association looks forward to bringing this distinguished event to their home city.

From Roslyn M. Brock, Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors:
“We are indeed coming Home to Baltimore in 2017.  We intend to make the 108th Convention a showcase for the progress initiated by the NAACP. We will bring delegates, thought leaders and policy makers together in Charm City to insure that we continue to insure the civil and human rights of all people.  We will tackle the tough issues and work to insure that our membership leaves the city prepared to advocate for educational, economic, healthcare, criminal justice and voting rights equality across the nation.  We look forward to providing further evidence that courage has not skipped this generation.”

From Leon W. Russell, Vice Chairman of NAACP National Board of Directors and Chairman of the NAACP Convention Planning Committee:
“The Convention Planning Committee is pleased to award the 2017 Annual NAACP Convention to the City of Baltimore. Our hosts will be the Baltimore Branch and Visit Baltimore. The Convention is a perfect fit for Baltimore and true to the theme the Branch and Visit Baltimore used in their bid, we look forward to “Coming Home” for the 108th Annual Convention. We will work hard to make the 108th Convention an outstanding event for all our members, as well as a stellar event for the City.”

From Hazel Dukes, Member of the National Board of Directors and Vice Chairman of the NAACP Convention Planning Committee:
“As a three time host of the NAACP Annual Convention, I am delighted that Baltimore has been awarded the 108th Annual convention in July 2017.  Hosting a convention is a monumental task, but I am sure that the Baltimore Branch and Visit Baltimore are more than capable of providing the support and infrastructure necessary to make this effort successful. The Convention Planning Committee will work closely with the Branch and the City to make the effort a true learning experience for our delegates and a bully pulpit for equality and justice throughout the nation.”

From Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO of the NAACP:
“The award of the NAACP National Convention to the City of Baltimore is a win/win for all of us. Baltimore offers an outstanding civil rights history upon which we can build.  Having been the hometown of Thurgood Marshall, Clarence Mitchell, Juanita Jackson Mitchell, Parren Mitchell, Enolia Pettigen McMillan and Kweisi Mfume; there is no doubt that we will bring the movement back to its roots.  Our 108th Annual Convention will offer many opportunities to highlight the advocacy that our Association demonstrates on a daily basis across the United States.”

From Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake:
“We are honored that the NAACP has named Baltimore as the host for its 2017 Annual Convention.  Events like this showcase that Baltimore is truly a world-class convention and tourist destination. Baltimore’s rich African American heritage and culture are closely intertwined with the NAACP’s proud legacy, and we are delighted to bring the NAACP Convention back home.”

From Tom Noonan, President & CEO of Visit Baltimore:
“We are honored by the selection and eagerly anticipate the opportunity to welcome the NAACP and its stakeholders home to Baltimore in 2017 when the city will open its doors as hosts to the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization’s biggest meeting. We consider this booking to be among the most important, prestigious and relevant meetings, not only within the multicultural market, but the entire national meetings market.”

From Tessa Hill-Aston, President Baltimore City Branch of the NAACP:
“I am looking forward and very excited to welcoming the delegates of the National NAACP to Baltimore in 2017 as we showcase our first class city to the country! This convention will be an incredible economic development opportunity for the Baltimore City branch to engage local minority businesses and all citizens of Baltimore.”

CHICAGO, IL — As Halloween approaches, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan reminded parents to check the state’s sex offender registry and with their local law enforcement agency before determining trick-or-treat routes for their children.

“I encourage families to check the registry before they head out on Halloween to help them plan safe trick-or-treating routes for their children,” Madigan said.

This week, Madigan’s office will be conducting compliance checks on sexually violent persons as part of her Illinois Sex Offender Registry Team (I-SORT). The compliance checks verify that offenders actually live where they claim to so that the sex offender registry continues to serve as a useful tool for parents. As of October 2014, there were more than 27,600 registered sex offenders in Illinois.

Madigan noted that Illinois law prohibits sex offenders on parole, mandatory supervised release or probation from distributing candy or other items to children on Halloween.

Madigan created the Illinois Sex Offender Registry Team (I-SORT) in 2003 and launched a statewide public awareness campaign to educate Illinoisans about the registry and the information available on the site. Madigan’s office also established a toll-free hotline – 1-888-41-ISORT – which the public and law enforcement can call with questions and with tips about non-compliant sex offenders.

Ways You Can Help

Please consider making an investment in the TIF Illumination Project. Everything we’ve done so far has been volunteer powered. We now need to ramp up this work and hire some folks to make this work scalable, accessible and easy to use. This series of videos will help us start the next level of this work.

You can get further details about the project and the five videos we are seeking to make at our home site at www.tifreports.com.

People can help spread the word by using their own social media networks and telling your friends and colleagues about what we are trying to do. The short URL for the campaign is http://tinyurl.com/TIF-Crowdfunding-Project.

Let’s get Illuminated!

Next time you’re looking around in a crowd, there is something you won’t see that will be there – Type 2 diabetes. Most Americans have heard of the condition, but very few understand just how prevalent it has become across the nation. In fact, Type 2 diabetes affects at least one in every 10 Americans. That’s about 9.3 percent of the population or 29.1 million people and a dramatic increase from 2010 when 25.8 million people, or 8.3 percent, were living with diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If this growing health problem isn’t addressed, the CDC estimates it will affect one in every three Americans by 2050.

Diabetes also affects loved ones and places an unsustainable burden on the health care system. With current medical costs at $176 billion annually as reported by the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes have, on average, 2.3 times higher medical expenditures. Factor in the $69 billion in indirect costs – disability, work loss, premature death – and you can understand the substantial burden diabetes represents in this country. Diabetes remains the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Many of those who die are vulnerable because they are low-income, uninsured or under-insured individuals with limited access to quality health care.

The Alliance is delivering hope to people with diabetes across the country with program sites in Camden, NJ; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Memphis, TN; and the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. People with diabetes who are enrolled in the Camden program have already seen a substantial reduction in the number of preventable hospital and emergency room visits. Patients enrolled across all five sites have also shown a decrease in blood sugar – an important step in preventing complications from diabetes. If similar programs were established across the country, cost savings could be considerable.

* Eat healthy foods and limit excess sugar and processed meats

Photo Caption: Pictured from left:  Monica Peek, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor, Section of General Internal Medicine, Associate Director, Chicago Center for Diabetes Translation Research, University of Chicago, Principal Investigator of the Improving Diabetes Care and Outcomes on the South Side of Chicago Project; Torrey L. Barrett, Executive Director, KLEO Community Family Life Center; Tonya Roberson, BA, DT, Project Manager of the Improving Diabetes Care and Outcomes on the South Side of Chicago Project; Marshall Chin, MD, MPH, FACP, Richard Parrillo Family Professor of Healthcare Ethics, Director, Chicago Center for Diabetes Translation Research, University of Chicago, Principal Investigator of the Improving Diabetes Care and Outcomes on the South Side of Chicago Project.

CHICAGO, IL – Alarming horror movies and frightening costumes aren’t the only spooky things going on during Halloween. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning consumers about popular scams during this time of year.

Viral Villans- Ebola Scams. Scammers always follow current events in the news and this time, scammers are taking advantage of people as they are panicking about the Ebola outbreak. Con artists will solicit for donations to fake charities or try to sell all-in-one products that will supposedly kill the illness and as a result, these solicitors can steal your personal information. Remember, experimental Ebola vaccines and treatments are in the very early stages so don’t be pressured by someone’s high-pressure tactics to make a donation.

Alarming Intruders- Bogus Break-Ins. Home security or alarm companies hire traveling sales agents to go door-to-door, making unsolicited “cold calls” on homeowners. Sometimes, the salespeople use high-pressure or deceptive sales tactics to get potential customers to buy expensive systems or equipment they don’t need. They may even claim that break-ins are going on in the neighborhood, even if that’s not true. Always check out home security companies with the BBB to make sure they are legitimate.

Pay or Die- The Hit Man Scam. This type of scam has been around for years. An email arrives to you out of the blue and the message says that the sender has been paid to kill you. In order for this to not happen, you must pay a certain amount of money and ask for personal details. It is important to NEVER respond to these emails and if you feel concerned about your personal safety, contact the police.

Chilling Threats- Shutoff Shakedown. Since temperatures are getting colder, it’s a popular time for scammers to give consumers false claims that their utility bills are delinquent and their service is in danger of being disconnected. Whether the payment demand is allegedly for ComEd or Nicor, the callers ask that the consumers purchase a gift card or a Green Dot card and then call back with the card information to make a payment.If you receive one of these calls don’t provide any personal or financial information to the caller. Instead, contact your utility company’s customer service department and verify that a call was made.

Dead Ringers- Identity Theft of the Deadly Departed. It can take up to six months for financial institutions, credit report bureaus and the Social Security Administration to share, receive or register death records. With a name, address and birth date in hand, they can illicitly purchase the person’s Social Security number on the Internet for as little as $10. To protect yourself against a loved one’s death, don’t list things such as birth date in the obituary, report the death to social security by calling 800-772-1213 and monitor the person’s credit report for any suspicious activity.

To view BBB’s Halloween’s 2014’s Scariest Scams Infographic online, click here.

Find out more about scams and sign up for scam alerts at BBB Scam Stopper (bbb.org/scam). For tips you can trust, visit bbb.org and like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Letters to Editors

Ferrara Candy Company is a well-known candy maker. They make such historic brands as Red-Hot’s, Boston Baked Beans, and Lemon Heads. Ferrara is also a leading marketer in the African-American community, especially during the Halloween season. Yet, until recently, Ferrara in Forest Park refused to hire blacks. Now it treats many as second-class workers. Ferrara also locks up hundreds of jobs in temp agencies that pay poverty wages , continually delay checks, and refuse weekly schedules. This despite the fact that African-Americans buy Ferrara Candy at stores all over the Westside.

On Tuesday October 28th scores of angry black workers and their community allies descended on Ferrara Candy Company to hold a Halloween Street Action to demand jobs and the dismantling of the pervasive segregationist-sweatshop employment model of discriminating in hiring against blacks and other U.S. born workers-while preying on Mexican immigrant workers to do degraded jobs in abusive working conditions.

“We are building an alliance of workers whose immediate task would be to fight systemic discrimination that exists both in hiring and on the job . We need to challenge the system that has given rise to the epidemic of joblessness in our community, but the jobs we want must pay living wages! said, Theresa Welch, of the South Austin Coalition.

This alliance will also struggle to end wage theft and unsafe working conditions for west side workers, and would cooperate with groups focused on economic development.

For more information, contact: Elce Redmond, 312-213-3989, elce@sbcglobaI.net