In the heart of downtown, a legendary tavern is embroiled in a fierce legal battle.

169 Bar, an iconic establishment, has filed a lawsuit accusing their landlord of attempting to capitalize unlawfully on its well-established trademark. The lawsuit alleges that the landlord plans to open a duplicate venue in the same location, leveraging the original owner’s reputation and branding.

According to the lawsuit, Maria Kolon, who has long overseen the family-owned property, supposedly registered the 169 Bar name and its distinctive martini logo with federal authorities without the bar owner’s consent. The suit claims Kolon is scheming to launch a replica bar at the original site.

The legal documents submitted to Manhattan Supreme Court assert, “Defendants have indicated their intention to provide bar services at the identical location using the 169 BAR trademarks,” despite lacking any rights to ownership or quality control, while also pursuing federal registrations for the Plaintiff’s marks.

Charles Hanson, the current proprietor, expressed his frustration, stating, “They’re trying to undermine everything I’ve worked for.”

Kolon did not respond to a request for comment.

The trademark lawsuit comes while a long-running and contentious eviction suit plays out in the background, where Hanson, 71, says the landlords strung him along over a new lease only to renege at the last minute.

“The trademark thing is like pouring salt on the wound,” Hanson told The Post.

The former bike messenger and DJ bought the bar in 2006 after he was run over by a limousine and got a six-figure payout, and says the only reason the iconic name and logo is valuable is because of how he transformed the bar into a dive hotspot.

The watering hole has attracted celebrities like actors Zoe Kravitz, Cillian Murphy, and Jason Momoa. Comedian Aziz Ansari has also been a patron, and his “Master of None” character, Dev Shah, partied there on the show.

Hanson explained that decades ago, the Podbielska family owned both the building and ran the bar — which was more of an eatery back then.

Jolanta Podbielska, Maria Kolon’s mother, allegedly designed the infamous martini-glass sign — and even tended bar back in the 1950s — but sold it in 1999 for just $30,000.

When Hanson bought the bar using his limo-injury cash, he said it had a blacked-out vibe of a scuzzy social club whose main attraction was oil-wrestling.

But he turned it into a bustling dive, and today enjoys mainstay status as a hyper-popular fixture of ultra-hip Dimes Square.

Hanson’s work is backed up by years of unsolicited media coverage by national and city publications, over many years,” the suit claims, cementing a reputation for cheap beer and drinks, its distinctive “NOLA vibes” and “truly weird and fun” details, like a leopard-print pool table, $5 tarot readings, an aquarium centerpiece and a “youthful regular crowd.”

Hanson actually had a federal trademark registered in 2014, but it lapsed without his knowledge during the height of the pandemic in 2020, when he notes he never missed a single rent payment.

He didn’t realize the mistake when he told Page 6 about his trademark back in March — and just days later, Kolon filed a new trademark application, claiming she and her newly-created LLC have continuously used the sign since 1977 when her mother allegedly created it.

“I think the trademark has value because of the work I put into it,” said Hanson, “because I don’t think it was this value before.”

“I don’t think that they’re compensating me for that,” he said of the sneaky move.

One possible issue for the longtime landlords is despite claiming that they first used the sign in 1977, they haven’t run the bar in nearly 30 years.

And a federal attorney for the trademark office just flagged Kolon’s application for that reason earlier this week, citing “possible non-use of the mark in commerce.”

But Kolon’s daughter, Kristal, has already been telling employees at the beloved dive “that she is the owner of the bar,” the suit alleges.

“They could have just been honest and say, look, our daughter wants to run the bar, and we don’t really want to renew the lease,” Hanson said. “It’s the fact that they lied about it.”

In a troubling incident, a sheriff’s deputy has been dismissed from his position after allegedly shooting an unarmed Texas State University freshman. The incident involved the firing of a gunshot into the student’s vehicle.

This week, Brazoria County Deputy Kevin Tippit faced termination following an investigation into the death of 18-year-old student John Mendoza Jr., which occurred on June 1.

The shooting ignited significant backlash and demonstrations at Texas State University, amid reports that Tippit discharged his firearm at Mendoza during a routine traffic stop.

Authorities reported that the event escalated after Tippit attempted to stop Mendoza near Lake Jackson. However, the freshman reportedly attempted to evade the stop, leading to a pursuit that extended over a mile.

The chase concluded with Mendoza reaching his home and parking in a garage. It was here that Tippit allegedly confronted the student and discharged his weapon, despite Mendoza being unarmed, according to police reports.

The student was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead, officials said. 

Following a two-week investigation into the shooting, Brazoria County Sheriff Bo Stallman said he fired Tippit, condemning his actions in a scathing video statement. 

‘The authority that is entrusted to law enforcement officers is extraordinary, and with that authority comes a responsibility to exercise sound judgment, follow policy and uphold the standards that are expected by this profession,’ he said. 

Texas State University freshman John Mendoza Jr., 18, was killed on June 1 near Lake Jackson, Texas when he was allegedly shot dead by a Brazoria County Sheriff’s Deputy

Brazoria County Sheriff Bo Stallman (pictured) said this week that he fired Deputy Kevin Tippit over the shooting 

The move to fire Tippit within two weeks of the shooting marks a significant punishment from the sheriff’s department, with law enforcement officers typically placed on paid administrative leave following an officer-involved shooting. 

In his video announcing Tippit’s firing, Stallman described Mendoza’s shooting death as a ‘tragedy’ and said ‘regardless of any investigation, he will not be forgotten.’ 

He said Texas Rangers were conducting an independent investigation into the shooting, and said the District Attorney’s office would determine whether Tippit will face charges.

The sheriff said that while he does not control whether Tippit will be prosecuted, he decided ‘based on the ongoing investigations and the information available to me’ that he would fire Tippit. 

Stallman said his decision was ‘due to the policy violations’ and ‘the handling and discharging of his firearm’ during the traffic stop. 

Brazoria County District Attorney Tom Selleck said on June 3 that his office was conducting a ‘thorough and comprehensive investigation’, and said the case would be presented to a grand jury to consider charges. 

Selleck’s office said the process could take several months before evidence is gathered and presented to a grand jury. 

Mendoza’s family said they were left heartbroken by the shooting, and called for justice for the Texas State freshman. 

Surveillance footage outside Mendoza’s home, where he was allegedly shot dead by the sheriff’s deputy following a short pursuit 

Mendoza’s family said they have been left devastated by his death, accusing the deputy of shooting the unarmed 18-year-old ‘without warning or direction’

Protests erupted following Mendoza’s death 

Mendoza’s sister, Allyson, said in a GoFundMe that they were fundraising ‘to help raise awareness, seek accountability, and honor the life of my little brother.’ 

Allyson alleged that Tippit had targeted her brother and followed him home from a park before shooting him ‘without warning or direction’. 

She said paramedics took over 20 minutes to get to the scene, accusing emergency services of failing to arrive in time to save Mendoza.

‘Those lost minutes mattered. Where was the sense of urgency?? From the unjustified and aggressive use of force by the officer who shot John, to the delayed emergency response,’ she wrote.

‘John was failed at every stage. Our family is left with heartbreaking questions.’ 

Stallman also directly addressed Mendoza’s family in his video message, telling them: ‘John Gabriel Mendoza Jr. lost his life, your family lost a son, friends lost someone they loved. 

‘Regardless of any outcome of any investigation, your family’s loss is permanent and your grief is real.

‘I can not begin to understand the pain that your family is experiencing, but I wanted you to know that your loss is seen and that John Mendoza Jr. will not be forgotten.’ 

The step-grandmother of Timothy Hudson, a 16-year-old accused of sexually assaulting and murdering his stepsister Anna Kepner, is calling for charges against the teens’ father. She blames him for permitting the siblings to drink and share a room during the ill-fated cruise.

Sonya Ziske, speaking with CBS News, staunchly defended Hudson. She expressed her belief that the tragedy was largely influenced by “alcohol” and “missing meds,” factors she claims played a significant role in the incident that Hudson says he cannot recall.

Ziske is urging that both Christopher Kepner, the father of the teens, and Shauntel Kepner, Hudson’s mother, be held accountable. She criticized them for what she described as a “lack of parental supervision on a cruise ship, which is often akin to a floating Sin City.”

In her comments to CBS News, she highlighted the dangers of “not ensuring medication is taken or available before departure, along with allowing drinking and placing three teenagers—two boys and a girl who were not raised together—in the same room.”

“It’s just a recipe for disaster,” she concluded.

Kepner, a bubbly, 18-year-old high school cheerleader, was found dead wrapped in a blanket and life jackets under her bed while on a Caribbean Carnival Cruise with family members in November in a cabin where she and Hudson had been rooming together on the six-day vacation. 

Officials determined that Kepner was strangled and had been sexually assaulted. Hudson was charged with her murder — first as a juvenile and then as an adult.

Ziske — Shauntel Kepner’s stepmom — helped raise the accused killer, and denied reports that he was “raised to think of [Anna Kepner] as a sister.”

Hudson told his family that he has no memory of what happened, and Ziske “absolutely” believes it was due to a mixture of his medication — or lack of it — and booze. She said his story has remained consistent.

“He truly does not remember,” Ziske said. “Timothy has said that they were drinking. I believe 100% those kids were drinking on the ship.”

“He did not change from all the interviews that he has had. He has not changed what he has said at all. If there was any type of memory there, he wouldn’t be able to say the same exact thing,” Ziske insisted.

Shauntel and Chris Kepner have previously denied the children were drinking through their attorney during a family court hearing related to a custody battle, according to CBS News.

Shauntel Kepner’s attorney, Millicent Athanason, told a previous hearing that “there are videotapes on the ship that confirmed that there was absolutely no drinking.

Hudson has pleaded not guilty to the charges and, despite being charged as an adult, a federal judge has allowed him to stay with maternal uncle ahead of his trial.

Ziske claimed Christopher and Shauntel Kepner are unfit to have custody of the remaining children after Anna’s death on the cruise ship.

Shauntel “kept them isolated from everybody over here. From their dad, from their grandparents. From all of us,” Ziske said. “So, I don’t know the past two years. Like, if he was angry, or his mental state, I don’t know any of that.”

CBS News said an attorney for Chris and Shauntel Kepner did not respond to a request for comment.

In the wake of a powerful storm system that swept through areas south of Chicago, both authorities and residents were engaged in evaluating the destruction left behind. The fierce weather, which struck on Thursday, left approximately 380,000 households without electricity across Illinois and Indiana, while also causing significant disruptions to air travel.

Remarkably, there have been no immediate reports of fatalities or severe injuries resulting from the storms.

Merrillville, Indiana, situated about 33 miles southeast of Chicago, bore the brunt of the tempest. The town faced extensive destruction, with homes and other structures severely damaged, trees and power lines felled, and a portion of a high school’s roof torn away.

Local officials, supported by multiple regional agencies, took to social media to announce their collaborative efforts with first responders in searching and assessing the affected areas. Through the night, crews diligently worked to clear blocked roads.

The National Weather Service confirmed that at least two other tornadoes struck areas around Streator, Illinois, and Hebron, Indiana. Images and videos shared on social media depicted scenes of devastation akin to those in Merrillville. In the coming days, the Weather Service plans to conduct thorough surveys to determine the exact number of tornadoes that touched down in the region.

In Streator, a manufacturing and farm city about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Chicago, emergency crews were also inspecting the damage. A reunification center for displaced residents was set up in its city hall and the Red Cross opened a shelter.

Streator Mayor Tara Bedei said there were no reported deaths. “We are incredibly grateful for the safety of our residents and the quick action of emergency personnel,” she said in a statement.

First responders also worked through the night in Hebron, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Chicago, officials said in a Facebook post.

Jennifer Hall was in her garage in Elkhart, Indiana, as the winds and rain picked up Thursday evening. Suddenly, she said, she heard a loud crash and discovered a tree limb had gone through the roof of her rental home. She used buckets to catch the rain coming in from the hole.

“I’m just nervous because it’s just been one thing after another,” said Hall, explaining she just had surgery and her husband is out of town.

About 235,000 homes and businesses were without power in Illinois, including 144,000 in Cook County, home to Chicago, according to poweroutage.us. Another 144,000 customers were in the dark in Indiana.

The storms delayed or halted flights at airports in some cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia and New York on Thursday. Parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic also strained under high heat and humidity. On Friday morning, 15 flights were canceled and about two dozen delayed at Chicago’s O’Hare International and Midway International airports, a small percentage of total flights, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website.

The tornadoes came after severe storms swept through the Midwest on Wednesday, knocking out power, damaging buildings and canceling flights.

In Des Moines, Iowa, a 54-year-old man died at a homeless encampment in a park Wednesday after being hit by a tree that “broke apart and fell during strong storms,” police said in a statement. There were no immediate reports of other deaths or injuries from those storms.

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Further complicating the geopolitical landscape, reports have surfaced about the United States potentially reducing its fighter jet presence in Europe. Heinrichs questions the prudence of this move, especially amid rising tensions with Russia, suggesting that the timing is less than ideal.

In response to escalating threats, the U.S. has taken action against new provocations in the Middle East. The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have recently threatened to block another crucial waterway, the Red Sea, declaring a ban on Israeli-owned vessels and labeling them as “legitimate targets.”

The significance of the Red Sea has grown, particularly its narrow Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, as it serves as the primary route for oil transported from the Middle East to Asia. This shift has occurred due to the reduced functionality of the Strait of Hormuz, which was formerly the main channel for shipping navigation.

Meanwhile, amid Houthi strikes on shipping routes near Sana’a, Yemen, demonstrators at a rally supporting Palestinians were seen trampling over British and U.S. flags on February 4, 2024, highlighting the region’s ongoing tensions. (Image: Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)