Newspaper USA

13/10/2025

13/10/2025

Chicago ICE crackdown's first casualty, a father of two, had built a quiet life in the US

CHICAGO/MEXICO CITY, Oct 11 (Reuters) - When Silverio Villegas Gonzalez was 12 minutes late for his shift at Tom & Jerry's Gyros, a diner on Chicago's northwest side, his manager knew something was wrong. The short order cook always let someone know if he was running late, even by just 5 minutes.
Earlier that morning, Villegas Gonzalez, 38, had been fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shortly after dropping his children off at a school and daycare in the suburb of Franklin Park. The agents were attempting to arrest him as part of a massive immigration sweep launched by U.S. President Donald Trump. Villegas Gonzalez was the Chicago crackdown's first casualty.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement after the Sept. 12 incident that Villegas Gonzalez was “a criminal illegal alien” with “a history of reckless driving” who steered his car at agents, causing one to fear for his life and fire his weapon, killing Villegas Gonzalez.
DHS told Reuters on Friday that they would conduct their own investigation into the incident after the first agency that responded had finished its review. Both Franklin Park police and the FBI responded to the shooting incident, but it wasn't clear which agency was investigating.
The FBI declined to comment citing a lack of staff to respond to media inquiries due to the government shutdown. Franklin Park police did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.
Reuters interviews with family and coworkers, and a review of public records, present a more nuanced picture of a man who left his quiet village years ago for economic opportunity and worked long hours to support his children. A man who had gotten sober after heavy drinking resulted in liver disease, and who had become one woman's steadfast partner.
"He was so soft-spoken," said Ashley Alekna, manager of the diner, describing him as a kind, dependable presence during his 11-hour shifts in a kitchen full of boisterous personalities, making food for the crowds that spilled in from the community college across the street.
Villegas Gonzalez made a similar impression on Blanca Mora, his partner, when they were growing up in Irimbo, a small town in Michoacán, Mexico.
Mora says they were in their early teens when they started greeting each other around town, meeting to chat on the corner near her grandparents' house.
People often leave Irimbo for opportunities beyond the tiny town, including Villegas Gonzalez's older brother, Jorge.
Jorge, who first went to the U.S. in 1998, remembers his little brother watching him walk away.
“He was a kid,” said Jorge. “He hid so I wouldn’t see him crying.”
FATHER OF TWO
In 2007, Silverio followed his brother north, part of a wave of more than 348,000 Mexican emigrants to the U.S. that year, U.S. Census data showed, as President Felipe Calderon's violent war against drug cartels deepened.
Villegas Gonzalez found employment in the restaurant kitchens where, according to recent National Restaurant Association data, 46% of the nation's chefs and 31% of its cooks are foreign-born.
He met a woman, and they had two sons. Jorge Villegas Gonzalez said his younger brother often struggled to cover the bills.

20/07/2025

LIGHTNING STRIKE: Stunning photo captured this evening near County Line Road and the Suncoast Parkway.
📷 Mary Rosasco

10/07/2025

Durham Fire Department crews were hard at work last night, responding to multiple water-related emergencies as storms moved through the region.

The department's Water Rescue Team successfully rescued three people and a dog who became stranded on an island at Falls Lake during the storm. The group used a flashlight to signal for help, allowing rescuers to quickly locate and bring them safely to shore by boat.

In another incident, firefighters assisted a stalled tractor trailer that had tried to cross a flooded roadway.

⚠️ A reminder from DFD: Turn around, don’t drown. Never attempt to drive through floodwaters.

10/07/2025

🚨 FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY – DURHAM, NC | JULY 9, 2025
Shocking scenes are emerging tonight from downtown Durham, North Carolina, where flash floods have overwhelmed the area, submerging vehicles and turning streets into rivers. Emergency crews are conducting multiple water rescues, particularly near Madison Street in the Central Park District.
First responders are putting in relentless effort to reach those in danger.
Please keep Durham in your thoughts and prayers.

08/07/2025

Imagine sending your daughter off to Christian summer camp—
believing she’d be safe,
expecting her to return with laughter and stories...

Then, without warning, a deadly flood strikes.
Twenty-three girls swept away.
Two confirmed lost forever.
Twenty-one still missing—
including yours.

You remember her last words—
“Bye, Mommy...”
“See you when I get back...”
Now they echo like a farewell you didn’t know was final.

No parent should endure that kind of silence—
the waiting, the pleading, the breaking.

Hold your children close.
Because sometimes, tomorrow never comes.

07/07/2025

These images show a washed-out road in Orange County, North Carolina — covering the west side of Durham and parts of Chapel Hill — where nearly 12 inches of rain fell from the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal.

According to the sheriff:
"Wave Road off 15-501 has completely washed out. The ground beneath the pavement is gone, leaving it shattered and impassable. Several power poles and lines are down, and large drainage pipes that once ran beneath the road have been blown out and swept downstream."

📸: Orange County Sheriff's Office

07/07/2025

Before & After: Heartbreak in Chapel Hill, North Carolina 💔
What was once a home is now submerged underwater. In just one day, the area was hit with nearly a month's worth of rain 😢.

Roads have become raging streams. Vehicles — even mail trucks — are trapped beneath the floodwaters. Families are stranded, helplessly watching as the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal bring devastation.

🙏🏾 Prayers up for everyone affected.
📸: Ashlee

07/07/2025

‼️🇺🇸 BREAKING: A Texas National Guard truck was seen carrying a full load of rescued girls from Camp Mystic, which was devastated by recent flooding.

At the time of the flood, 750 girls were at the camp. The ones shown in the photos appear to be from cabins at higher elevations—they are safe. The search continues for those still unaccounted for, and our prayers remain with them and their families. ❤️❤️❤️🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

📸 Photo credit: Texas Military Department.

Truly heartwarming to see these girls safe. 🩶🙏🏻🇺🇸

21/04/2025

Pope Francis 1936 -2025.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, with his father and grandfather, pictured in Buenos Aires in 1937, the year after his birth. Courtesy Maria Elena Bergoglio/Reuters.

21/04/2025

Pope Francis has died at 88.

The first Latin American pope, a reformer who shook the Vatican to its core, passed away on Easter Monday at his residence in Casa Santa Marta.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he spent his papacy rattling the cages of tradition, fighting for the poor, slamming climate denial, and pushing the Church into the 21st century whether it liked it or not.

Love him or loathe him, Francis didn’t tiptoe. He led with conviction. And now, the Vatican faces a power vacuum it hasn’t seen in over a decade.

The conclave is coming. The world’s largest religion is about to choose its next leader. And the stakes? Eternal.

04/04/2025

Happy birthday to Elisabeth Shue! She's 60 today. Oh, I loved her in The Karate Kid where she played Ali (with an I). She was also in great movies like Cocktail, Back To The Future Part II and III, Adventures In Babysitting, Soapdish and Leaving Las Vegas. Happy birthday!