Noe Martinez called out to his 43-year-old brother, asleep on a mattress on the floor, as smoke filled the attic apartment of a Logan Square two-flat that had been illegally converted into nine rental units.

Four months earlier, a Cook County judge had ordered the building's owner, Adolfo Lopez, to stop renting the attic and basement units after months of failing to address a host of building code violations.

Jaime Martinez, a Mexican national who worked construction jobs, died in the early morning fire in October 2012. Authorities determined later that an electric space heater had been placed too close to bedding.

Last week county prosecutors charged Lopez with criminal contempt, a rare charge in connection with building code violations but one that has been brought in recent years against other allegedly negligent building owners after a death.

The two owners of the E2 nightclub, the scene of a stampede that saw 21 patrons killed in 2003, were cleared of involuntary manslaughter charges but convicted of criminal contempt for violating a housing court order to close a second floor because of building code violations in the months before the tragedy. Calvin Hollins Jr. and Dwain Kyles were sentenced to two years in prison, but that sentence was overturned on appeal. The two are awaiting resentencing.

In addition, the owner of an abandoned South Side building that collapsed during a 2010 fire, killing two firefighters, pleaded guilty in May to criminal contempt for failing to fix numerous building code violations, including securing the vacant building and repairing its roof. Chuck Dai was sentenced to six months in jail.

According to the criminal complaint against Lopez, the city first took him to court almost five years before the fatal fire, suing him over 17 separate building code violations, including illegally converting the basement and attic into apartments without adequate exits or working smoke detectors.

Lopez agreed to bring the basement and attic into compliance in August 2009 but failed to follow through, according to the complaint.

The case slowly wound its way through court. In June 2012 a judge ordered Lopez not to rent, use or lease the basement or attic of the building at 1645 N. Central Park Ave.

Lopez last appeared in court 11 days before the fatal fire. Lopez had obtained a permit to return the attic and basement areas back into storage spaces, but a building inspector told the judge that Lopez had failed to schedule an inspection as ordered, according to the complaint.

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Building owner charged in 2012 fatal Logan Square fire

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Jefferson-Morgan School Board announced last month its building and grounds committee came up with a scaled-down list of building improvements it will consider for the middle-senior high school.

The work would include the replacement of the roof, replacement of windows with new energy-efficient windows and installation of a heating and air-conditioning system.

The board initially considered a full renovation of the building, which was constructed in 1955 and last renovated about 28 years ago.

It asked its architect to prepare a feasibility study on needed improvements. However, when estimates for the project were prepared, the board realized its plans were beyond the districts means.

The district would have to come up with an additional $500,000 to $750,000 a year just to make payments on the debt incurred to fund the project, said board member Cindy Jento, chairman of the budget committee.

The board then decided to look at a pared-down project that would address the buildings most pressing needs while staying within its budget. Jento compared it to a family buying a home. You get what you can afford, she said.

We believe the improvements now being considered are fairly essential to the proper maintenance of the building and are not luxuries.

Replacement of windows and the heating system make sense in long-term savings. Installing air-conditioning will be new; however, it seems to us the best and least expensive time to do this will be while work is being done to replace the heating system.

The roof has problems. Earlier this year, the board replaced a portion of it over the auditorium and gymnasium that was plagued by leaks. The maintenance supervisor reported last month the remaining section is reaching the point at which the roofing material is starting to break down.

Though not having information on the entire list of improvements cited by the feasibility report, we would bet there are other essential improvements that should be made, and probably would be, if money were available.

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J-M taking prudent approach to renovations

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Replacing windows with more efficient ones doesnt have an immediate payoff for homeowners, from an energy-cost savings standpoint. Yet, come resale time, updated windows can be a plus.

Thats why one reader recently sent an email, explaining his dilemma:

New windows would make no sense from an energy-saving payback, (30-year payback at best) but I am starting to come around to the view that there are fewer and fewer DIY types in the market and that green is an increasingly pertinent selling catch phrase, regardless of costs. But, then, if I do take the plunge is it stupid to install the new windows 10 years before I move? he wrote.

The short answer: Its not a stupid idea, according to the contractors, real-estate agents and energy-efficiency experts to whom I posed this question. Still, pays to pinpoint why youre doing it.

Most people buy windows because their old ones are shot and drafty, and they know theyre losing energy, said Paul Vosen, president of Degenhardt Home Improvement, in Madison, Wis.

Some also swap windows for those that are easier to maintain or clean. Vinyl windows, for example, need less maintenance, and some windows can be cleaned from inside the house, Vosen said. New windows can reduce the amount of noise that can enter the home, as well as lessen the amount of ultraviolet light that comes in which will reduce fading on flooring and furnishings, said Kathy Ziprik, spokeswoman for Simonton Windows, a manufacturer of windows and doors.

Its not out the question for windows to last 30 years, if theyre taken care of, Vosen said. Buy them about a decade before you move (as the reader contemplated doing), and youll both enjoy them while you live in the home and still have windows new enough to appeal to an eventual buyer.

On a national average, you can recover 78.7% of the price of a mid-cost vinyl window replacement and 76.6% of an upscale vinyl window replacement at resale, according to Remodeling magazines 2014 Cost vs. Value Report. Meanwhile, you can recover 79.3% of the cost of a mid-cost wood window replacement and 74% of an upscale wood window replacement at resale.

That potential return on investment is one reason why John C. Kmiecik, a Chicago-area real-estate agent, recently spent $18,000 on new windows for his 3,000-square-foot suburban Chicago home.

We are probably going to stay in the house about five to seven years, and when we do sell, will be able to market that property with newer windows, he said.

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Amy Hoak's Home Economics: A not-so-sexy home improvement project with real benefits

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CHRISTMAS is coming and I swear to you, anybody that opens a window cleaning company can make a million dollars for the season alone! Window cleaning is one of those tasks that beg to be hired out - all that spraying and reaching and wiping, and in the end you have a mess of streaks which catch the light just so.

Construction matters are what I deal with normally, but as I was caught home this weekend just trying to relax, the wife set a chore for me (The wife finds work for idle husbands to do). So, to clean the windows were my task, and thus prompted the following article:

Cleaning glass, whether its a window or a mirror or a coffee table, is more about the tools than the elbow grease. With the right stuff in your bucket, you can get your glass streak-free.

Here are five tips that can get you to that sweet spot, the first of which is as basic as it gets: If youre diluting your cleaner, dilute it with something clean.

Go with distilled water Most of us dont consider whats in the water we use to clean. In truth, it usually doesnt matter. But with glass, you see absolutely everything, so water content can make a difference - especially if you have hard water.

If youre diluting your glass cleaner, consider using distilled water. It doesnt have all the minerals in it that can be present in the water from your tap, so it wont leave behind any streaky deposits on your bathroom mirror.

Of course, the cleaner youre diluting matters too. Up next: Its the cheap route to streak-free.

The power of vinegar Vinegar is one of those all-purpose ingredients thats tough to live without. Its as great on a salad as it is on your mirror, and it costs practically nothing. Whether youre out of your usual glass cleaner or youre just looking for a cheaper option, vinegar can do wonders for your windows and mirrors. Vinegar-water solutions (50/50) works great - just spray on and then wipe like you would any other cleaner. The smell will stick around for a bit, so if you gag at the scent of vinegar, you might save this streak-free cleaner for outdoor glass.

Minimise suds Theres nothing like a bunch of suds to leave your glass full of streaks. This isnt a problem if youre using vinegar or straight glass cleaner - no soap there. But, if your coffee table is truly dirty and youre adding soap to the solution, remember: Go easy. It doesnt take much soap to get rid of that dirt, and using too much will result in an overly dense cleaner that can leave a streaky residue on the glass.

And speaking of residue: Its perhaps the biggest glass-cleaning mistake so many of us make.

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How to clean your window without streaks

CINCINNATI -- As weather in the Tri-State took its first dip to near freezing temperatures over the weekend, Cincinnati crews responded to their first home emergency involving carbon monoxide (CO) gas.

Shortly after midnight Monday, firefighters and medical technicians responded to the scene of possible CO poisoning.

A woman coming home to her apartment complex in the 2000 block of Stratford Avenue said she her downstairs neighbor calling out for help.

The woman called 911. When crews arrived they found a woman and child inside with high levels of the poisonous gas that is a byproduct of burning fossil fuels such as natural gas.

Though firefighters could not confirm the cause until their investigation into the incident was completely, they initially believed a faulty heating unit turned on during the night created the dangerous situation.

Duke Energy workers arrived on the scene and turned the gas lines off to the building.

The mother and child were transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for treatment. Their condition was not immediately available.

The incident stands as a reminder for anyone with gas heat in their home to take extra precautions as they turn on furnaces for the first time.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas usually given a faint odor by energy providers like Duke Energy for easier detection. If you turn on your heater and there is an odd smell in your home, turn the unit off.

The Center for Disease Control recommends having gas heating, water heaters and other gas, oil or coal burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.

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Crews respond to possible CO poisoning