Good Tuesday morning, Evanston.
Dozens of parents demonstrated at Monday night’s meeting of the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 Board of Education, demanding a more comprehensive safety protocol in schools and better communication from the district after student fights at Haven Middle School have sent two staff members to the hospital in recent weeks.
Many parents held signs with phrases such as “The teachers and staff of District 65 deserve respect,” “Trust the teachers and staff of D65” and “Our faculty, staff and students deserve a safe Haven.”
At the end of Monday’s board meeting, members elected Sergio Hernandez as the next president. Hernandez will succeed Anya Tanyavutti, who served a two-year term as the first Black woman in that role.
Hernandez will be the school board’s first Latino president. Board members also voted to make current representative Marquise Weatherspoon the new vice president. She will replace Vice President Biz Lindsay-Ryan.
On Monday the Evanston Police Department announced that the brother of stabbing victim Karen Aphour has been charged with the Evanston resident’s murder.
Aphour, 30, was stabbed Saturday evening inside a residence in the 100 block of Callan Avenue, the police said in a news release. Officers responded at about 9:20 p.m. The victim, who had suffered several stab wounds, was transported to St. Francis Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Police said Andy Aphour, 26, was in the residence when officers arrived and was taken into custody. Aphour admitted stabbing his sister, police said, adding that the stabbing occurred after a disagreement over household chores. Witness statements confirmed Aphour’s admission, police said.
COVID-19 by the numbers: 13 new cases were reported Sunday, April 17, the last day the city updated totals. The seven-day average is 32.1 cases per day.
Elsewhere on the RoundTable website
Small kitchen fire breaks out at Koi on Easter morning. The Evanston Fire Department quickly extinguished a small kitchen fire at Koi Fine Asian Cuisine and Lounge on Sunday morning, according to Fire Department officials. No civilians or firefighters were hurt, the department said.
Children’s author, former Evanston teen librarian, finds fun in real life. Evanston-born author Jarrett Dapier says he thinks he has always been a children’s book writer. For high school creative-writing prompts, for example, Dapier said he tended toward “absurdist, Shel Silverstein sort of poems.”
Skokie Alliance responds to mayor’s comments on proposed electoral changes. Last week, Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen issued a lengthy statement in reaction to initiatives by the Skokie Alliance for Electoral Reform. The nonpartisan group has replied to his statement.
The Art of Making Art: Cie Bond. Evanston artist Cie Bond has a history of making things with fabric, color and lines. After deciding to no longer produce to sell, she pivoted to making collages of paper, paint and ink which are meant to be hung on a wall for viewing.
Album review: Eve’s Twin Lover’s alluring music is accessible, welcoming. Evanston songwriter Tim Flood and his band, Eve’s Twin Lover, released a new album on April 1. If you were lucky enough to have had a ticket to their near-sold-out show, you already know how awesome their sound is.
The week in photos: April 11-18. We hope you had a wonderful Easter, Passover or Ramadan, and our fingers are crossed that the weather finally gets the memo that spring has, in fact, sprung. Here are photos of holiday celebrations and other scenes from around Evanston.
Celebrate Earth Day with community events. You can celebrate Earth Day with Downtown Evanston by volunteering at its Spring Clean Up this Friday morning. Downtown Evanston will provide gloves, bags and trash pickers. Other Earth Day events taking place this week are listed as well.
ETHS baseball: Lortie leads Wildkits to sixth straight victory. Evanston junior Jared Lortie turned in his best performance of the spring Monday at Northwestern University, limiting Maine West to just one earned run in five-plus innings as the Wildkits scored a 10-2 triumph over the Warriors.
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Around the web
U.S. will no longer enforce mask mandate on airplanes, trains after court ruling. U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, an appointee of President Donald Trump, ruled the transportation mask directive was unlawful, overturning a key White House effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Stress and substances: The supports in place for students in Evanston. As young people find themselves increasingly derailed by stress, some may resort to substance use. At Evanston Township High School, this fact is not unknown.
Evanston students uplifted by community members through Books & Breakfast. Northwestern students and other volunteers assist students with physical, emotional and academic support on an individual basis.
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