A month-old female giant anteater pup hitches a ride on the back of her mom, Tulum, at Brookfield Zoo. Anteater pups ride on the back of their moms for about their first four months of life. The two can be seen Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays in the zoo’s Tropic World: South America exhibit. (Photo by Jim Schulz/Chicago Zoological Society)

Brookfield

Subhead – Zoo welcomes baby anteater

The Chicago Zoological Society, which operates Brookfield Zoo, has announced the birth of a giant anteater, the first giant anteater born at the zoo.

The 1-month-old female pup and her mom, Tulum, may be seen in Tropic World: South America on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.

Tulum and her mate, Lupito, arrived at Brookfield Zoo in 2014; and animal care staff hoped that they would breed. In anticipation of an impending pregnancy, one of the zoo’s animal care staff traveled to the Nashville Zoo, where the staff has experience with anteater care and management. He worked with staff to learn breeding techniques, training a pregnant anteater to “station” while an ultrasound is being performed, managing the animals’ diet and monitoring a pup’s developmental progress.

“The collaborative efforts and sharing of information among Association of Zoos and Aquariums member institutions benefits all the species we care for in the zoo profession,” said Billy Zeigler, senior vice president of animal programs for the Zoological Society. “Among our staff here at Brookfield Zoo, we have experts on particular species; and it is valuable to be able to exchange knowledge and husbandry practices among zoos to ensure we are providing the best medical, environmental and nutritional needs for the animals in our care.”

Head – Chicago

Subhead – Former U.S. House member charged with tax evasion

Melvin Reynolds, 63, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, has been arrested on federal charges alleging that he failed to file income tax returns for four consecutive years.

Reynolds will appear for arraignment in U.S. District Court at a date yet to be determined.

According to the indictment, Reynolds received gross income in each year in excess of the minimum amount required to file a tax return. As a result, he was required by law to file an income tax return by April 15 of the following year. Prosecutors said Reynolds willfully failed to file income tax returns for 2009-12.

Each count of failing to file a federal income tax return carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Head- Chicago

Subhead – Man sentenced in officers’ murders

A Chicago man has been sentenced to life in prison for the double murder of a Chicago police officer and a retired Chicago Housing Authority police officer.

Timothy Herring Jr., 24, had been convicted of first-degree murder for the November 2010 murders of Chicago police evidence technician Michael Flisk, 46, and retired Housing Authority officer Stephen Peters, 44, during the investigation of a burglary on Chicago’s South Side.

“There are too many guns in the hands of violent criminals on the streets of Chicago; and two outstanding Chicago families have paid the price yet again in the senseless murders of these two honorable men,” said Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez. “A sentence of life in prison is the most appropriate for these outrageous crimes and while no measure of justice will bring back their lives, it is our hope that this sentence will provide some measure of solace and closure for the families of officer Michael Flisk and Stephen Peters.”

Head – Cook County

Subhead – Tax bills dip in southern suburbs

Homeowners in the southern suburbs of Cook County will likely see a slight decrease in their tax bill, while residents in the northern suburbs and Chicago will likely see a slight hike in their taxes.

In the southern suburbs, Cook County Clerk David Orr said, tax bills will, on average, be 1 percent lower while tax bills for homeowners in the northern suburbs will raise an average of 2.4 percent. Chicago homeowners, on average, will see the biggest percentage increase, with their bills rising 2.8 percent.

For the average homeowner, the south suburban decrease will drop taxes $51.33. The average homeowner in the northern suburbs will see his tax bill rise $155.49, while Chicago residents, on average, will see their bills increase $89.44 over last year.

Orr said the expiration of Chicago’s Near South Tax Increment Financing District freed up $1 billion in assessed valuation for taxing bodies.

“The nearly $1 billion in equalized assessed value that has been returned to the tax base with the expiration of Chicago’s second-largest TIF district shows that taxpayers benefit when TIFs are allowed to expire and their revenue shared,” Orr said. “It illustrates how we need to keep taking a hard look at TIF districts and work to pare down the number of TIFs or at least the number of properties in each TIF district.”

Head – Lemont

Subhead –Barge captain sentenced for fatal explosion

The captain of a petroleum barge that exploded in 2005, resulting in the death of a crew member, has been sentenced to six months in federal prison after being convicted of felony maritime negligence and causing thousands of gallons of oil to pollute the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

Dennis Michael Egan, formerly of Lemont, now of Topeka, Ill., was convicted of negligent manslaughter of a seaman and negligently discharging oil pollution to a navigable waterway.

Evidence revealed that crew member Alex Oliva was using a propane-fueled torch to heat the barge’s cargo pump in preparation for offloading in January 2005 when an explosion occurred.  Oliva was killed in the explosion. The use of any open flame on a loaded petroleum barge is a violation of U.S. Coast Guard regulations. Prosecutors said the barge did have an onboard heating system, but it was disconnected.

“This case provides a tragic example of what happens when a vessel captain and his employer violate their special duty of care to their crew and the public by disregarding basic safety requirements,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon. “The ultimate tragedy of their crimes is that Alex Oliva would not have lost his life if the defendants valued basic safety higher than expediency.”

Egan’s company, Egan Marine Corp., was ordered, in an earlier conviction, to pay $5.3 million to the National Pollution Funds Center for spill clean-up.

Head – Lincolnwood

Subhead – Mosque to be established

Lincolnwood officials have given their approval for a mosque to be built in the community.

The proposed use of the new building, to be located at 3900 W. Devon Ave., includes a mosque for five daily prayers, classrooms, after-school programs, evening and weekend lectures, and office space. Sacred Learning NFP plans to operate seven days a week with the first daily prayer beginning at dawn and final prayers occurring about 1 ½ hours after sunset. Classes also are planned in the evenings between 7 and 9 p.m. and on weekends.

Head – Palos Heights

Subhead – Smoking squashed in parks

The city has adopted a tobacco-free policy for all Department of Parks and Recreation facilities, which are owned or leased by the city.

The ban is effective immediately.