Chicago - A message from the station manager

Kay Kay & Von Von

By Kay Kay & Von Von

“The Pulitzer Crew produced a mockumentary promoting their documentary, Fighting with Music.”

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Posted on October 27, 2015

50 Years Ago, St. Louis Gateway Arch Monument Built On Rigged Votes, Protests

By Greg Bailey/Reuters

When the last section of St. Louis’s Gateway Arch, an American landmark as iconic as the Statue of Liberty, was hoisted into place on Oct 28, 1965, it was the concluding act of a story that began more than 30 years earlier.
From rigged votes in a bond election to fund the project, to a famous father-son mix-up when the winning architect was alerted, to a civil rights protest high above ground, some of the Arch’s rich, complicated history during those three decades has largely been forgotten as the 630-foot-tall, stainless steel structure nears its 50th anniversary.

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Posted on October 26, 2015

I Am A Retail Warrior: Throw The Dog A Birthday Bone!

By Jane Harper

Remember the customer who wouldn’t stop texting my personal cell phone? Well she texted me at 7 a.m. on my day off a couple of weeks ago. Seems she just felt the need to reach out and wake someone. Actually, she was checking on a pending special order, because, like 95 percent of customers who order things from us, she decided to stop listening when we got to the part of the transaction when I tell them specials can take up to six weeks. I got the last laugh, though. I waited until the next day when I was in, called her to update her, then politely let her know she’d been texting my personal phone and would perhaps get a timelier and more accurate response if she called the store directly. She seemed only mildly miffed, and I haven’t heard from her since, so I guess that’s good news, though I have the feeling it’s not over yet.
Since then, I’ve had several customers who just seem completely off the rails. Take, for instance, the woman who brought in a toy she’d been given as a “new puppy” gift and wanted to exchange it because she was sure her puppy would just destroy it. It was a sweet little toy, perfect for small breed puppies, and very popular among customers and gift-givers alike. And there’s no stuffing in it, so who cares if the puppy destroys it? Puppies destroy stuff – better their own toys than your shoes or furniture. But she insisted she wouldn’t have a toy that his tiny teeth could rip up, and asked for advice on something better and more durable.

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Posted on October 19, 2015

Chicagoetry: Longshadow

By J.J. Tindall

Longshadow
Every fall
I pretend I’m tall,
Lingering in the garden
Just after dawn where
Every long shadow is
A partial eclipse
Of the lawn.

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Posted on October 14, 2015

Exclusive: U.S. Probes Allegations AB InBev Seeking To Curb Craft Beer Distribution

By Diane Bartz/Reuters

The U.S. Justice Department is probing allegations that Anheuser-Busch InBev is seeking to curb competition in the beer market by buying distributors, making it harder for fast-growing craft brewers to get their products on store shelves, according to three people familiar with the matter.
In the past few months, the world’s largest brewer has rattled the craft beer world by striking deals for five distributors in three states. Many states require brewers to use distributors to sell their product, and once AB InBev buys a distributor, craft companies say they find that they can’t distribute their beer as easily and sales growth stalls.

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Posted on October 13, 2015

Exclusive! Inside The USS Illinois

Another Beachwood Special Report

First Lady Michelle Obama and Gov. Bruce Rauner were on hand in Connecticut over the weekend for the christening of the USS Illinois.
“The $2.7 billion vessel is the 13th in the Virginia class of submarines, which can carry out a range of missions including anti-submarine warfare, delivery of special forces and surveillance. The 377-foot submarine will carry a crew of more than 130 and a payload of weapons including torpedoes and Tomahawk missiles,” AP reports.
“The crest of the submarine features an outline of the state of Illinois, a white-tailed deer in honor of the state animal and foliage representing Illinois forest and prairie life. It also has a banner with the Latin words ‘Nemo Magis Fortiter,’ or ‘none more brave,’ a line from the Illinois state song.”
Those aren’t the only Illinois touches. A Beachwood investigation has found the sub has a few other features particular to its Illinois lineage:

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Posted on October 12, 2015

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