Jon Yates

Problem Solver: Van stolen, driver's license suspended

Tags: Theft

Problem Solver: Seller's merchandise, money disappear on Amazon.com

It's been more than two years since Elizabeth Guinea sold a percussion bell set through Amazon.com. The Frankfort native apparently will not receive her money, and is out the set as well. The botched transaction started in August 2010, when Guinea...

Tags: Credit and Debt, Amazon.com Inc., Guinea

Problem Solver: 2 Chicago police officers not guilty in Ticketgate

Someone wrote a series of bogus parking tickets to Mark Geinosky, but it was not Chicago police officers Paul Roque or Horst Hegewald, the Chicago Police Board has ruled. In a 25-page decision posted Tuesday afternoon, the board found the officers not...

Tags: Police Investigations, Garry McCarthy, Crime, Law and Justice, Chicago Police Department, Laws

Problem Solver: Motorcyclist received 38 tickets in legal parking spot

Parking along the 0-100 block of West Randolph Street isn't cheap. From 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., it costs $5.75 an hour; overnight parking costs about half that amount. At those rates, parking along the street for 24 hours would set you back a hefty $106.38....

Tags: Justice System, Crime, Law and Justice, Judges, Brendan Reilly

Problem Solver updates: Found money to aid animals

Tags: Justice System, Crime, Law and Justice, Human Interest, Judges, Social Issues

Problem Solver: Snowboard accident hurts spine; insurance error hurts pocketbook

It was Christmas Day 2010, and Mike Skogmo was making his last snowboard run of the morning at Big Bear ski resort in Southern California. The graduate student from Elgin started smoothly but quickly ran into trouble. "I was going too fast and I hit...

Tags: Insurance, Hospitals and Clinics, Snowboarding, Healthcare Provider, Medical Procedures and Tests

Problem Solver: Motorist has disconnect with emergency vehicle service

William Herman has always been loyal to General Motors. The Buffalo Grove resident worked 16 years at the old GM plant in Willow Springs, and over the years, he's bought four Chevrolets, four Buicks, three Pontiacs and three Oldsmobiles. He didn't...

Problem Solver: Passengers left holding the bag on airline luggage fees

The trip was to celebrate the Robertses' 20th wedding anniversary, and for the most part it was spectacular. It certainly started innocently enough. On Oct. 11, Paul Roberts and his wife, Judy, checked in online for their United Airlines flight to...

Tags: Transportation, Air Transportation, Air Transportation Industry, Arts and Culture, Ceremonies

Problem Solver: DuPont herbicide Imprelis kills tree, but restitution moves slowly

The herbicide was supposed to kill the weeds in Bill Tortorello's yard. It did, but the chemical applied by Lawn Doctor of McHenry County in April 2011 didn't stop there. In late May, the needles on Tortorello's 48-foot Norway spruce began turning...

Tags: Environmental Issues, Norway, McHenry, Aquaculture, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Problem Solver: Fire hydrant, handicapped parking at odds

A car accident stole Philomena Russum's mobility. The oncoming driver turned left and smacked into her car, breaking her hip. After hip replacement surgery, Russum found it difficult to walk on her own. She applied for, and received, a handicapped...

Tags: Aneurysm, Arthritis, Hip Replacement

Problem Solver: Computer monitor never arrives, gift card refund lost

Connor Loughlin's grandmother had nothing but the best intentions. For Connor's 16th birthday this year, she sent him a $50 Best Buy gift card to use however he wanted. On July 30, the Elk Grove Village teenager went online and used the card to...

Tags: U.S. Postal Service

Problem Solver: Months after air conditioner breaks, cooler heads prevail

With record-setting heat, this summer was one of the worst times in Chicago history for Patrick Maher's air conditioner to break. In early June, just as the area was heating up, Maher's 38-year-old Tappan central air unit abruptly stopped working. The...