W E D N E S D A Y
May 24, 2017 Vol. 35, No. 40 ONE DOLLAR
JOURNAL
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of Oak Park and River Forest
Oak Park considers TIF district shuffle
Move aims to prevent conflict lawsuit for future high-rise vote By TIMOTHY INKLEBARGER Staff Reporter
What started as a routine overview of the business connections of newly elected Oak Park trustees, has turned into a proposed reworking of the boundaries of Oak Park’s Downtown Tax Increment Finance District. The village board was scheduled to debate the proposal, and one that would amend the ethics code, at its board meeting scheduled for May 22, but the item was tabled until the June 5 meeting. The request to table the agenda item was brought by Trustee Bob Tucker. “There’s a lot of information here and I think a lot of things to consider,” he said. “I think I’ll need more information on this, and I think we need to present a real clear idea of what’s going on with these so we can all be informed and vote accordingly.” Earlier this month, the village began reviewing business ownership and connections of See TIF SHUFFLE on page 15
WILLIAM CAMARGO/Staff Photographer
UNRESOLVED QUESTIONS: Rainbow Bridge, located in unincorporated Cook County directly behind Lincoln College of Technology, is where Cameron Sanders, pictured left, apparently jumped into the river and drowned.
County launches probes into teen’s Des Plaines River death Sheriff ’s Office investigation follows Boykin urging probe of recovery effort By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
County officials are investigating the May 13 death of a Villa Park teenager from multiple angles. On May 22, the Cook County Sheriff ’s Office confirmed that it has launched a criminal investigation into the death of
Cameron Sanders, 16, who jumped into the Des Plaines River last Saturday and never resurfaced. In addition, Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin (1st) said Cook County Inspector General Patrick Blanchard has agreed to launch an investigation into why it took authorities five days to recover Sanders’ body, which they found about
150 yards away from the railroad bridge the teenager reportedly jumped from. On Monday, a spokesperson for the Sheriff ’s Office, which took over the recovery effort on May 16, said the criminal probe is standard protocol. Cara Smith, the chief policy officer for the sheriff ’s department, told reporters last week that See SANDERS on page 18
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