Daywatch: Piles of bones at an animal sanctuary, questions about weed enforcement and Trump’s case against impeachment

Chicago Tribune (IL)

Want Daywatch delivered to your inbox? Sign up here. | Get the top Tribune stories of the day on your smart speaker | Here’s how to get the most out of your Tribune subscription | Got something to say? Join the conversation on our Facebook page

Good morning, Chicago. Here are some of the top stories you need to know to start your day.

Piles of bones, a deadly fire, an animal cruelty arrest: What went wrong at this former animal sanctuary?

It was once a sanctuary for abandoned animals, many of them placed there by Chicago-area rescue groups. Pigs, goats, ducks, cats, dogs and more were housed in small sheds and barns at the site in Thawville, Illinois.

Now the sanctuary has been abandoned and the woman who ran it was indicted on an animal cruelty charge after two board members say they found the remains of at least 200 animals there.

Joliet officer faces drunk driving charge after Berwyn officer who was her passenger dies in I-55 crash

A Joliet police officer faces drunken driving charges after a Berwyn police officer who was a passenger in her car died in a crash Sunday morning on Interstate 55 in Plainfield Township, officials said.

Charles “Chuck” Schauer, 33, who died as a result of the crash around 6 a.m., had been a 10-year veteran of the Berwyn Police Department, according to a statement from the agency. Berwyn Mayor Robert Lovero announced Schauer’s death in a post on social media, referring to his death as a “tragic traffic accident.”

As trial nears, Trump lawyers call impeachment case ’flimsy’ in 110-page brief that offers the most detailed glimpse at defense they intend to use

President Donald Trump’s legal team asserted that he did “absolutely nothing wrong," calling the impeachment case against him “flimsy" and a “dangerous perversion of the Constitution." The lawyers decried the impeachment process as rigged and insisted that abuse of power was not a crime.

It was impossible to watch the opening of Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate without feeling a sense of patriotism, writes Tribune’s Dahleen Glanton.

Some police departments have ‘more questions than answers’ about marijuana enforcement

Just a few weeks into legal recreational marijuana in Illinois, some south suburban police departments are facing challenges of not just training officers but also educating the public about what is, and isn’t, allowed. Chiefs with local departments say the education is ongoing, with gray areas and unanswered questions making it difficult on how to proceed.

There is a presumption by the public "that it is a legal free-for-all,” said Christopher Mannino, Park Forest’s police chief. “A lot of people don’t understand all the restrictions.”

Jean Banchet Awards give top honors to Anna and David Posey, Smyth restaurant, Oriole group

The annual Jean Banchet Awards, held at Venue Six10, heaped praise on more than a dozen chefs, restaurants and beverage professionals.

It was a good night for husband-wife teams, writes Tribune critic Phil Vettel.

Oakbrook Terrace mayor resigns amid federal corruption investigation tied to red-light cameras

Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Tony Ragucci has resigned his office amid an ongoing federal corruption probe, according to a news release from his suburb. Ragucci submitted his resignation Friday, the same day the Tribune reported that he’d recently paid $30,000 from his campaign fund to a lawyer representing him.

The Tribune reported that he was among several elected officials and politically connected contractors embroiled in a federal investigation involving SafeSpeed LLC, a controversial company that operates lucrative red-light cameras at intersections in dozens of Chicago-area suburbs.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s hard exit from the royal family may be more severe than they expected

There is no such thing, it turns out, as being a part-time royal. The severance deal that Buckingham Palace announced for Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, is most remarkable for how clean a break the royal family is making with two of its most popular, if disaffected, members -- much more severe than the couple apparently expected.

The British news media, which has likened the couple’s split with the royal family to Brexit, lost no time in pronouncing the agreement the equivalent of a “hard Brexit.”

Mini golf concept Puttshack coming to Oakbrook Center, opening River North HQ

High tech mini golf concept Puttshack is coming to Oakbrook Center later this year, kicking off the company’s plans for a major U.S. rollout led from a new Chicago headquarters. The company also expects to finalize a lease for a space in or near downtown Chicago soon, and eventually plans to expand to other suburbs.

___

Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.