Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • 1-6

6 Chicago Tribune Section 1 Wednesday, February 8, 2017 State, CPS send dueling letters Parents drawn into battle over Illinois schools' funding formula tinued its efforts Tuesday to link Democrats to the governor's chief political nemesis, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, by sending out a missive criticizing Mayor Rahm Emanuel as "Madi-gan's mayor" and "junior partner." The state GOP statement labeled Claypool as Emanuel's "handpicked political fixer" and "hatchet man" and accused Claypool of ordering $46 million in "avoidable new cuts to Chicago schools." The statement criticized Emanuel for not pushing for comprehensive changes in public pensions: "Madigan and the mayor are playing from the same divisive playbook, trying to create a crisis and hurt people instead of working to find common ground. It's time for Mayor Emanuel to stop playing the part of Madigan's junior partner and actually work to get results for his city." Chicago Tribune's Rick Pearson contributed. jjpereztribpub.com Twitter PerezJr four furlough days announced earlier this year would close only half of a budget gap CPS faces after Rauner in December vetoed a measure to send $215 million to the cash-strapped school district. Rauner said Democrats went back on a deal that tied the aid to broader changes to the state's employee retirement system. CPS officials had assumed the state aid would arrive in time to help balance this school year's operating budget, and said without it cuts would be necessary.

With the spending freeze, CPS principals have to re-engineer their budgets in the middle of the school year and give up as much as half of unspent money sitting in accounts for nonpersonnel costs. Lawmakers were poised to take on changes to the state's complex education funding formula as part of a sweeping attempt to break a protracted budget stalemate. A Rauner-commis-sioned panel last week recommended boosting state education funding by at least $3.5 billion over the next decade. "Why would CPS arbitrarily create a crisis and hurt its students and teachers rather than work to pass the Senate's balanced budget reform package?" Purvis wrote in her letter to district parents. "Rather than cutting services and creating a crisis to help justify a campaign to raise taxes in Springfield, it would be helpful to everyone if CPS would work with all parties to enact a balanced budget package that includes comprehensive pension reform and a new and equitable school funding formula," she said.

Asked to respond to Purvis' letter, Claypool again attacked Rauner and state legislators. "In the absence of state funding, CPS must take emergency actions now to meet its legal obligation to keep revenues and expenses balanced, and cannot blithely and irresponsibly fail to do so as the governor and Springfield have done for two consecutive years," Claypool said in a statement. The Rauner-funded Illinois Republican Party con nual special block grant from the state, declining enrollment within the district and increased property taxes. CPS parents also received a letter from district CEO Forrest Claypool, who wrote that "Governor Rauner, just like President Trump, has decided to attack those who need the most help." "If we are not able to win the political battles in Springfield, we will have to make more cuts," Clay-pool's letter said. "Those cuts will be even more painful.

We need not just the $215 million first step that the Governor has stolen from your children. We need real change that is fair to your children." In addition to a $46 million spending freeze to schools, the district on Monday laid out a potential $18 million cut to independently operated schools and the elimination of $5 million in training programs. Monday's cuts and the By Juan Perez Jr. Chicago Tribune The battle between Gov. Bruce Rauner and Chicago Public Schools over education funding played out in dueling letters delivered this week to parents of students at the financially troubled district In one letter, state Education Secretary Beth Purvis accused CPS of trying to "arbitrarily create a crisis" with "a curiously timed and unfortunate announcement" on Monday that outlined a $46 million spending freeze for schools.

The district says the budget trims are necessary because of a Rauner veto that cost CPS $215 million in state aid, but Purvis said the cuts are being laid out even as lawmakers work on proposals that include more money for the system. Purvis told parents that "continued mismanagement left (CPS) with a $215 million hole in the current fiscal year," despite an an Rally to GOFUNDME Aaren O'Connor, 25, was fatally shot last year as she sat in her car in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood. Cops seek help to solve fatal shooting Woman was killed by stray bullet in possible gang attack By Jeremy Gorner Chicago Tribune It's been almost exactly a year since Aaren O'Connor was killed by a stray bullet as she sat in her car in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood on her phone, talking to her family back in her native Southern California No arrests have been made in the months since, and on Tuesday, Chicago police held a news conference to make a plea for help to the public to bring her killer to justice. Lt. Osvaldo Valdez, who is supervising the investigation, said detectives believe a reputed gang member killed O'Connor while aiming at rivals in another vehicle.

The suspect was interviewed by investigators, but authorities lack enough evidence to bring murder charges, he said. "Unfortunately, as how the criminal justice system is set up, it's not what we think or what we theorize or what we believe, it's what we can prove," Valdez told reporters at Area Central police headquarters on the South Side. "We need witnesses." O'Connor was fatally shot Feb. 5, 2016, a year that ended for Chicago with more than 760 homicides, the most in two decades. The 25-year-old was found struck in the head around 7:30 p.m.

as she sat in her car in the 2000 block of 21st Street, a few doors down from where she lived. She was talking on the phone with her sister in San Diego when O'Connor suddenly started sounding incoherent, according to Valdez. Her sister then passed the phone to their father, David O'Connor. "She was having trouble speaking," he told the Tribune last year. "She didn't know where she was.

She kept saying her head hurts, her head hurts. I thought maybe she was having a stroke or something." The family got in touch with O'Connor's boyfriend, who called her roommate. She went outside and found O'Connor in the car. O'Connor was later pronounced dead at a hospital. On Tuesday, Valdez said the gunman fired at least three gunshots at rival gang members he believed were in a vehicle.

Valdez said three or four gang members were hanging out on a nearby corner around the time of the shooting. Valdez described O'Connor as "a talented and bright, beautiful young lady" who graduated from college and traveled abroad to Japan. Valdez said she also learned a couple of different languages, including Korean. "As a father myself, it touched my heart to go out and investigate and canvass and work with the detectives," Valdez said. "I couldn't help but think this is just another life that is taken, an innocent life that is taken, because of gang crime activity." Valdez urged anyone with any information about the case to call Area Central homicide detectives at 312-747-8380.

"To put it in sports terms, we're in the red zone with this case," he said. "We just need a little bit more help from the community." jgornerchicagotribune.com Twitter JeremyGorner ALYSSA retain Obamacare Protesters crowd Dearborn Street in Chicago's Loop during a march Tuesday in support of the Affordable Care Donald Trump has threatened to repeal. Republicans have yet to unveil a replacement plan. Fitness tests sought for ex-cop in wife's killing POINTERCHICAGO TRIBUNE Act, which President the hearing as a show of support. Kelly said he's known the defendant for more than 30 years and that the Volberdings would often host summer parties at their large, "beautiful" home, which has a swimming pool.

"They had a nice life," he said, adding he never saw any tension between them, including when he last saw them about six months ago. Authorities said Volberd-ing's firearm owner's identification card was revoked in 2015 after, according to Spring Grove police, he barricaded himself and his wife in the house and threatened to ANTONIO PEREZCHICAGO TRIBUNE Antwon Golatte, with help from attorney Chris Stewart, shows bullet scars from a police shooting in 2015. Man shot by police in 2015 sues city By Grace Wong Chicago Tribune A man who was shot by police in 2015 filed a lawsuit against the city of Chicago and a number of police officers, saying they not only used excessive force but falsely arrested and prosecuted him and conspired to deprive him of his constitutional rights. At a news conference Tuesday, Antwon Golatte, 35, took off his black jacket and lifted up his cream-colored silk shirt to show the scars left from bullets that had pierced his abdomen. "I think I have a purpose to tell my story for those who can't tell it right now because the officers, they got too much power when they can do whatever they want to do to people," Golatte said.

"But they forget they are human just like we are human. Everybody is the same, we all are human, you can't just keep abusing your power and doing things to people." The lawsuit filed Friday accuses the city of Chicago and five police officers of excessive force, false arrest, failure to intervene, conspiracy to deprive Golatte of his constitutional rights, continuing practices and policies that would lead to misconduct, Volberding ldllher. Police said Eliza By Amanda Marrazzo Chicago Tribune A former Chicago police officer accused of killing his wife appeared frail and somewhat disoriented in court Tuesday, as a longtime friend of the couple said he "couldn't believe it" when he learned of the allegations. Authorities said Elizabeth Volberding, also a former officer with the Chicago Police Department, was found shot to death Friday, her 68th birthday, in the kitchen of her home in Spring Grove, not far from the Wisconsin state line. Her husband, Lorin Volberding, 71, was lying on the floor nearby when police arrived, they said, and is being held in McHenry County Jail on a murder charge with a $1 million bond.

At his court hearing Tuesday, Volberding appeared disheveled and shaky and needed assistance to stand before Judge Sharon Prather. She appointed a public defender for Volberding and ordered him to undergo physical and mental evaluations. Prosecutors requested a higher bond for Volberding, which could be decided later this week. A man who identified himself as another former Chicago officer and a longtime friend of the couple, Ed Kelly, said he attended what it takes to fix future problems. But what about the past victims?" Stewart said.

"What about the people like Mr. Golatte who were victims of that broken system beforehand? What are they doing to resolve those issues? We already had to fight the criminal case, now we're going to have to fight a civil case that everybody knows what the officers did was wrong, both in court and out of court." Stewart said Golatte is a rare case involving a victim of police brutality who lived through the experience and could speak out about the incident. Golatte has permanent nerve damage and still has bullet fragments in his body. "He wasn't supposed to live. End of story," Stewart said.

"There would be nobody to speak out for him. We would be representing a body, and not a talking human being who has a permanent impairment for the rest of his life." gwongchicagotribune.com Twitter GraceWong630 and malicious prosecution. The officers named in the lawsuit are Jaime Gaeta, Harry Matheos, Matt Dercola, James Whigham and Kathleen Schmidt Golatte's lawyers said they would potentially add more defendants as the case moves along. Golatte was shot Feb. 7, 2015, by Matheos and Gaeta, according to the lawsuit and city records.

The Independent Police Review Authority in July ruled the shooting unjustified. Golatte was jailed for 44 days and charged with five felonies, all of which he was acquitted of Jan. 20, said Chris Stewart, one of Golatte's lawyers. Stewart also has represented the family of Alton Sterling, who was killed by police in Louisiana, and Walter Scott, who was killed by police in South Carolina Stewart said they have not received a response from the city. "We understand that the city and the police department are doing beth Volberding told them at the time that her husband had been diagnosed with dementia; he was not charged in that incident, authorities said.

Family members said the Volberdings met on a blind date in 1993 and had been married two different times, most recently in 2000. Elizabeth Volberding, who went by Betty and whose maiden name was Oetjens, worked for the telephone company before becoming a Chicago police officer in the 1970s, her family said. Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter. Chicago Tribune's Tony Briscoe.