dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-14--COVID-19 case counts per county, ZIP code as of Nov. 13

There have been 240,453 COVID-19 cases in the suburbs as of Friday .
That 's 43.6 % of the state 's total , according to the Illinois Department of Public Health .
There have been 4,713 deaths in the suburbs , which is 44.9 % of all COVID-19 deaths in Illinois .
Cook County • As of Friday , suburban Cook County had 113,077 cases and 2,551 deaths , according to the state .
In Chicago : 129,585 cases and 3,178 fatalities .
• Top suburb case counts as of Friday from Cook County 's health department and the medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 118 deaths in Des Plaines , 2,603 cases and 25 deaths in Palatine , 2,228 cases and 25 deaths in Schaumburg , 2,277 cases and 53 deaths in Arlington Heights , 1,948 cases and 30 deaths in Streamwood , 1,875 cases and 14 deaths in Mount Prospect , 1,723 cases and 81 deaths in Wheeling , 1,696 cases and 53 deaths in Glenview , 1,642 cases and 32 deaths in Hoffman Estates , 1,256 cases and 17 deaths in Hanover Park ( Cook County portion ) , 1,151 cases and 44 deaths in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 45 deaths in Northbrook , 1,074 cases and 25 deaths in Rolling Meadows , 661 cases and 11 deaths in Prospect Heights , 479 cases and 24 deaths in Buffalo Grove ( Cook County portion ) .
DuPage County • The county reported 31,873 cases and 649 deaths as of Friday .
The county health department has slowed its daily reporting , blaming a data processing issue on the state .
• Top counts : 2,588 cases and 53 deaths in Naperville ( DuPage County portion ) , 2,154 cases and 16 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths in West Chicago , 1,698 cases and 31 deaths in Carol Stream , 1,670 cases and 15 deaths in Glendale Heights , 1,581 cases and 48 deaths in Elmhurst , 1,556 cases and 32 deaths in Lombard , 1,617 cases and 28 deaths in Wheaton , 1,394 cases and 14 deaths in Aurora ( DuPage County portion ) , 1,189 cases and 6 deaths in Glen Ellyn , 1,141 cases and 19 deaths in Bensenville , 946 cases and 7 deaths in Villa Park , and 766 cases and 8 deaths in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lake County • Lake County reported 27,645 cases and 541 deaths as of Wednesday .
The county health department has slowed its daily reporting , blaming a data processing issue on the state .
• Most recent top counts : 5,785 to 5,789 in Waukegan , 1,610 to 1,614 in Round Lake Beach , 1,035 to 1,039 in Mundelein , 995 to 999 in Gurnee , 720 to 724 in Round Lake , 580 to 584 in Vernon Hills , 520 to 524 in Lake Zurich , 480 to 484 in Buffalo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 to 504 in Grayslake , 485 to 489 in Libertyville , 415 to 419 in Wauconda .
Kane County • 25,278 cases with 383 deaths as of Friday on the IDPH website .
The Kane County Health Department has ceased updating its website as of Oct. 28 , blaming a data processing issue on the state .
McHenry County • 10,301 cases and 120 deaths as of Friday , according to the IDPH website .
Will County • 26,532 cases and 466 deaths reported , according to the IDPH website Friday .

COVID-19 case counts per county, ZIP code as of Nov. 13
This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, depicts the coronavirus as viewed through a microscope. Courtesy of the CDC
Interactive mapSuburbs' portion
There have been 240,453 COVID-19 cases in the suburbs as of Friday. That's 43.6% of the state's total, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. There have been 4,713 deaths in the suburbs, which is 44.9% of all COVID-19 deaths in Illinois.
Cook County• As of Friday, suburban Cook County had 113,077 cases and 2,551 deaths, according to the state. In Chicago: 129,585 cases and 3,178 fatalities.
• Top suburb case counts as of Friday from Cook County's health department and the medical examiner's office: 3,918 cases and 118 deaths in Des Plaines, 2,603 cases and 25 deaths in Palatine, 2,228 cases and 25 deaths in Schaumburg, 2,277 cases and 53 deaths in Arlington Heights, 1,948 cases and 30 deaths in Streamwood, 1,875 cases and 14 deaths in Mount Prospect, 1,723 cases and 81 deaths in Wheeling, 1,696 cases and 53 deaths in Glenview, 1,642 cases and 32 deaths in Hoffman Estates, 1,256 cases and 17 deaths in Hanover Park (Cook County portion), 1,151 cases and 44 deaths in Elk Grove Village, 1,180 cases and 45 deaths in Northbrook, 1,074 cases and 25 deaths in Rolling Meadows, 661 cases and 11 deaths in Prospect Heights, 479 cases and 24 deaths in Buffalo Grove (Cook County portion).
DuPage County• The county reported 31,873 cases and 649 deaths as of Friday. The county health department has slowed its daily reporting, blaming a data processing issue on the state.
• Top counts: 2,588 cases and 53 deaths in Naperville (DuPage County portion), 2,154 cases and 16 deaths in Addison, 1,937 cases and 19 deaths in West Chicago, 1,698 cases and 31 deaths in Carol Stream, 1,670 cases and 15 deaths in Glendale Heights, 1,581 cases and 48 deaths in Elmhurst, 1,556 cases and 32 deaths in Lombard, 1,617 cases and 28 deaths in Wheaton, 1,394 cases and 14 deaths in Aurora (DuPage County portion), 1,189 cases and 6 deaths in Glen Ellyn, 1,141 cases and 19 deaths in Bensenville, 946 cases and 7 deaths in Villa Park, and 766 cases and 8 deaths in Hanover Park (DuPage County portion).
Lake County• Lake County reported 27,645 cases and 541 deaths as of Wednesday. The county health department has slowed its daily reporting, blaming a data processing issue on the state.
• Most recent top counts: 5,785 to 5,789 in Waukegan, 1,610 to 1,614 in Round Lake Beach, 1,035 to 1,039 in Mundelein, 995 to 999 in Gurnee, 720 to 724 in Round Lake, 580 to 584 in Vernon Hills, 520 to 524 in Lake Zurich, 480 to 484 in Buffalo Grove (Lake County portion), 500 to 504 in Grayslake, 485 to 489 in Libertyville, 415 to 419 in Wauconda.
Kane County• 25,278 cases with 383 deaths as of Friday on the IDPH website. The Kane County Health Department has ceased updating its website as of Oct. 28, blaming a data processing issue on the state.
McHenry County• 10,301 cases and 120 deaths as of Friday, according to the IDPH website.
Will County• 26,532 cases and 466 deaths reported, according to the IDPH website Friday.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-14--Two die Friday in Newport Township collision

A 79-year-old man from Zion and a 29-year-old man from Winthrop Harbor were killed Friday when the Zion man 's @ @ @ @ @ resulting in a head-on crash in unincorporated Newport Township , the Lake County sheriff 's @ @ @ @ @ release .
Preliminary investigation indicates a 2006 Chevrolet Express cargo van driven by the Zion @ @ @ @ @ Russell Road about 7:15 p.m. Friday when it struck a 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer sport utility @ @ @ @ @ Harbor man traveling west .
Both vehicles were occupied only by their drivers , who @ @ @ @ @ scene .
The Lake County Coroner 's Office responded to the scene and scheduled an @ @ @ @ @ said they do n't know why the driver crossed the centerline .
The crash remains @ @ @ @ @ County Sheriff 's Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit .

Two die Friday in Newport Township collision
Courtesy of Lake County Sheriff's OfficeA 79-year-old man from Zion driving this van was killed Friday night when his vehicle crossed the centerline, resulting in a head-on crash in unincorporated Newport Township.
Courtesy of Lake County Sheriff's OfficeA 29-year-old man from Winthrop Harbor was killed Friday when his sports utility vehicle was hit by a vehicle that crossed the centerline, resulting in a head-on crash in unincorporated Newport Township.
A 79-year-old man from Zion and a 29-year-old man from Winthrop Harbor were killed Friday when the Zion man's vehicle crossed the centerline, resulting in a head-on crash in unincorporated Newport Township, the Lake County sheriff's office said in a news release.
Preliminary investigation indicates a 2006 Chevrolet Express cargo van driven by the Zion man was traveling east on Russell Road about 7:15 p.m. Friday when it struck a 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer sport utility vehicle driven by the Winthrop Harbor man traveling west.
Both vehicles were occupied only by their drivers, who were pronounced dead at the scene. The Lake County Coroner's Office responded to the scene and scheduled an autopsy for Tuesday.
Police said they don't know why the driver crossed the centerline. The crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff's Office Technical Crash Investigations Unit.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-14--'We have to understand ... why people hate,' says former neo-Nazi leader from Chicago

Chicago native Christian Picciolini , 47 , is an award-winning television producer , public speaker , author , peace advocate and former neo-Nazi leader .
He is the founder of the Free Radicals Project , which helps people disengage from hate- and violence-based extremism .
His latest book is `` Breaking Hate : Confronting the New Culture of Extremism . ''
Q .
You grew up in a loving home that did not pass down hate and racist views .
Can you talk about how you ended up radicalized at 14 years old and part of a violent white-supremacist hate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old I was standing one day in an alley , smoking a joint -- already starting to become this delinquent looking for attention .
But this guy walked up to me .
He pulled that joint out of my mouth .
He looked me in the eyes , and he said , `` That 's what the Communists and the Jews want you to do to keep you docile . ''
I did n't want to tell him I did n't know what a Jew was or a Communist or even what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did n't want to seem stupid .
Because it was the first time in my life somebody paid attention to me .
I was this Italian American kid growing up on the South Side of Chicago .
My parents were n't around very much .
They had to work really hard .
They kind of had no choice .
But I felt abandoned .
I felt invisible .
I did n't know if I had a purpose .
I felt like I did n't belong .
I was searching for family .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act cool .
He saw me as prey .
He reeled me in , and he offered me that sense of identity , community and purpose , and instantly I did n't have any confusion about who I was .
I was a white man .
This was my new family .
And my purpose was something of great importance , and that was saving the white race from destruction .
Now , to somebody who felt invisible , it 's pretty intoxicating to suddenly go from nobody to somebody -- and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told they were great and a warrior .
It was like a drug .
I questioned it , of course .
I was n't raised that way .
But I got reward from it , and I kept chasing that reward .
Q .
Much of the work you do these days is with people who have joined hate groups and are now trying to get out .
What 's the key to helping people disengage , as you did ?
A. I wish there were a simple answer to it , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understanding that hatred of other people often comes from hatred of one 's self being projected .
You can scream and use facts against somebody who 's not thinking rationally , and you 'll never change their mind , no matter what you say .
We have to understand the motivation for why people hate , and that 's typically because they hate themselves .
So it 's about repairing ( people 's ) potholes , right ?
About making sure they find the help that they need to get stable ground so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backward or sideways .
Finding therapists or psychologists , or a job trainer or a life coach or a mentor .
Or , in some cases , immersion , where , once they 're far enough along , putting them in touch with the people that they think that they hate so that they can understand that that was unfounded .
For me , receiving the compassion from the people I thought I hated was a really , really powerful thing to get me to that place where I could understand how wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , what was your turning point ?
A. I lost everything .
It was late 1995 .
I was 22 -- I had married at 19 and had two children at that point .
I had opened a record store to sell racist music .
I was in a racist band .
My wife was not a sympathizer of what I was involved in .
And I was really torn with the fact that I did n't want my family involved in the movement .
But I also did n't want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was the only thing I found any kind of respect in .
My wife left me when I did n't leave fast enough , and I became ashamed of selling the white-power music .
I had started to meet people who challenged how I believed : people of color , gay people , Jewish people who came in the store .
And I started to have real doubts .
And that 's when I pulled the racist music .
Sales tanked , and I closed the store .
Over the next five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 1999 , I ran from who I was .
I left the movement .
I moved .
I tried to find a new job .
I tried to make new friends .
I basically ran from my old group .
I used the excuse that I was just trying to repair my family .
But I never wanted to go back .
And I ran .
I did n't talk about who I was until 1999 .
A friend of mine -- one of the few friends that I had made after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything about me -- encouraged me to apply for a job at IBM where she had started to work .
I was , like , you 're crazy .
I got kicked out of five high schools .
I did n't go to college , did n't even have a computer .
Like , why would IBM even consider me ?
But it was an entry-level job installing computers , and I got the job .
The first place they put me was at my old high school , the place I 'd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism .
So on my first day of work I was slinking around the hallways , terrified somebody was going to recognize me and I was going to lose my job -- the first bit of hope I had had after leaving the movement , the first glimpse at a normal life .
Of course , in the first 15 minutes , who sees me but the Black security guard whose life I had made hell while I had gone there eight years prior .
He did n't really recognize me at first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eye and said , `` Hi , Mr .
Holmes . ''
And I put out my hand and I said , `` I 'm sorry . ''
When it clicked , he took a step back .
I was still , in his eyes , that same guy .
Right ?
I said , `` I 'm so sorry . ''
I did n't know what else to say -- I get choked up talking about it now -- but he put his hand out and shook mine .
Eventually , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was n't that person anymore .
That I had a family and I felt so ashamed of what I had done .
It was the first time that those words had ever left my lips .
I was so scared .
He listened .
And he embraced me .
He said , `` Hey , it 's OK , we 'll figure it out . ''
And he 's been there for me ever since .
Q .
What did that do to you ?
A. I felt like the clouds opened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million pounds .
It just gave me the courage to figure it out and self-reflect .
So that 's when I started on this mission of talking about who I was , before anybody cared .
Before people thought white supremacy was a problem .
Before Charlottesville , before Charleston , before the Sikh temple shooting in Wisconsin .
I put a target on my back , saying , `` Hey , I 'm a former white supremacist , you should hear my story . ''
Nobody wanted to hear it .
Until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in now .
And I 'm so glad people are finally , finally starting to have this conversation .
Q .
Do you think that had we had the conversation earlier , we might have rooted out some of today 's hate ?
A .
It 's hard to say .
I mean , we still do n't ( admit ) we have a problem , so I do n't know that we would have seen it then .
But I think we could at least have been saying : This is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they just changed their M.O .
They 're going to come back .
Watch law enforcement , watch the military .
Now we 're starting to see reports of all that .
Q. I was going to ask you about white supremacy in law enforcement and military and politics .
How true have you found that to be ?
A : There were people in my crew who became cops .
Some became prison guards .
Others ran for office .
So yeah , I hate to say it , and I certainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but from firsthand accounts , I can tell you that there were people who were not very good people who ended up entrusted with everybody 's safety .
And I do n't think that they were capable of that .
Q .
The white-supremacist neo-Nazi group you led , Hammerskin Nation , dressed to intimidate .
Maybe the Proud Boys are like that , but generally there seems to be a more buttoned-up , sanitized version of white supremacy today .
A .
Absolutely .
The Proud Boys are , in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the closest thing to a white power gang .
But you 're absolutely right .
Most people in the movement these days are not interested in being called a white supremacist .
There was a strategy in the '80s and '90s to really move away from that visible stuff .
That 's how they were able to infiltrate the mainstream then : Republicans , law enforcement , the military and all those things .
Because they were able to hide it .
Boots to suits , I call it .
We used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suits .
It was all a ploy to attract more white , racist people .
Because we were too extreme .
Like , even now , white racist people do n't like the Proud Boys .
They 're too out there .
They 're too easily identified .
They 're denouncing the Proud Boys , but they wo n't denounce white supremacy .
And it was the same for us .
But now it 's gotten to the point where the Proud Boys feel like their guy is in the White House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hair down a little bit .
They 're not afraid to hide that they 're part of that .
Never in our history have we had political leaders with the ear of the whole world mimic the things that we used to say when I was part of a hate group .
To use the words .
To even embolden the groups by name .
Q .
Do you think President Donald Trump understands fully what he is signaling when he says `` ( very fine ) people on both sides '' or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Proud Boys ?
A .
To me , it seems very intentional .
I mean , it has n't just happened once or twice .
And if he 's not doing it intentionally , it does n't matter , because it 's still having the same effect .
It 's still activating them .
It is still emboldening and empowering them to commit acts of violence .
When he called out the Proud Boys , they heard him loud and clear .
And not just the Proud Boys .
Not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know , wear Fred Perry .
Every white supremacist heard him and knew , at that point , that they had a friendly person in the White House .
We should be very scared of that .
Because there are a lot of really unstable people who are hearing these messages who are not able to really logically think them through and are acting on them .
I used to know those people .
And that terrifies me .
I mean , that little world that I was in from 14 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living in that now .
It 's everywhere .
It 's on the news .
It 's on regular TV .
You know : Democrats being pedophiles and secret conspiracies -- it 's insane .
As somebody who came from my world , to see the mainstream having these same conversations that I had in dark rooms with neo-Nazis is surreal .
There are still things that I put out into the world -- ideas , music I recorded -- that despite my attempts to get removed , taken down , find their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out all the weeds from the seeds I planted 30 years ago .
So my job is not over ; I do n't want it to be over .
I was a part of this nightmare , and it 's my job , knowing that I helped build that monster , to destroy it now .
I work with people at various stages of disengagement to disengage ( from hate ) .
And I hope that at some point I will put more good into the world than bad .

'We have to understand ... why people hate,' says former neo-Nazi leader from Chicago
Chicago native Christian Picciolini, 47, is an award-winning television producer, public speaker, author, peace advocate and former neo-Nazi leader.
He is the founder of the Free Radicals Project, which helps people disengage from hate- and violence-based extremism. His latest book is "Breaking Hate: Confronting the New Culture of Extremism."
Q. You grew up in a loving home that did not pass down hate and racist views. Can you talk about how you ended up radicalized at 14 years old and part of a violent white-supremacist hate group?
A. At 14 years old I was standing one day in an alley, smoking a joint -- already starting to become this delinquent looking for attention. But this guy walked up to me. He pulled that joint out of my mouth. He looked me in the eyes, and he said, "That's what the Communists and the Jews want you to do to keep you docile." I didn't want to tell him I didn't know what a Jew was or a Communist or even what the word "docile" meant. I didn't want to seem stupid. Because it was the first time in my life somebody paid attention to me. I was this Italian American kid growing up on the South Side of Chicago. My parents weren't around very much. They had to work really hard. They kind of had no choice. But I felt abandoned. I felt invisible. I didn't know if I had a purpose. I felt like I didn't belong. I was searching for family.
So I listened. And I tried to act cool. He saw me as prey. He reeled me in, and he offered me that sense of identity, community and purpose, and instantly I didn't have any confusion about who I was. I was a white man. This was my new family. And my purpose was something of great importance, and that was saving the white race from destruction. Now, to somebody who felt invisible, it's pretty intoxicating to suddenly go from nobody to somebody -- and not just somebody, but somebody respected and told they were great and a warrior. It was like a drug. I questioned it, of course. I wasn't raised that way. But I got reward from it, and I kept chasing that reward.
Q. Much of the work you do these days is with people who have joined hate groups and are now trying to get out. What's the key to helping people disengage, as you did?
A. I wish there were a simple answer to it, but I think the most important insight is understanding that hatred of other people often comes from hatred of one's self being projected. You can scream and use facts against somebody who's not thinking rationally, and you'll never change their mind, no matter what you say. We have to understand the motivation for why people hate, and that's typically because they hate themselves. So it's about repairing (people's) potholes, right? About making sure they find the help that they need to get stable ground so that they can move forward instead of backward or sideways. Finding therapists or psychologists, or a job trainer or a life coach or a mentor. Or, in some cases, immersion, where, once they're far enough along, putting them in touch with the people that they think that they hate so that they can understand that that was unfounded. For me, receiving the compassion from the people I thought I hated was a really, really powerful thing to get me to that place where I could understand how wrong it was.
Q. So for you, what was your turning point?
A. I lost everything. It was late 1995. I was 22 -- I had married at 19 and had two children at that point. I had opened a record store to sell racist music. I was in a racist band. My wife was not a sympathizer of what I was involved in. And I was really torn with the fact that I didn't want my family involved in the movement. But I also didn't want to leave it because until that point, it was the only thing I found any kind of respect in.
My wife left me when I didn't leave fast enough, and I became ashamed of selling the white-power music. I had started to meet people who challenged how I believed: people of color, gay people, Jewish people who came in the store. And I started to have real doubts. And that's when I pulled the racist music. Sales tanked, and I closed the store. Over the next five years, from January 1996 to November of 1999, I ran from who I was. I left the movement. I moved. I tried to find a new job. I tried to make new friends. I basically ran from my old group. I used the excuse that I was just trying to repair my family. But I never wanted to go back. And I ran.
I didn't talk about who I was until 1999. A friend of mine -- one of the few friends that I had made after the movement, who didn't know anything about me -- encouraged me to apply for a job at IBM where she had started to work. I was, like, you're crazy. I got kicked out of five high schools. I didn't go to college, didn't even have a computer. Like, why would IBM even consider me? But it was an entry-level job installing computers, and I got the job.
The first place they put me was at my old high school, the place I'd been kicked out of twice for my racism. So on my first day of work I was slinking around the hallways, terrified somebody was going to recognize me and I was going to lose my job -- the first bit of hope I had had after leaving the movement, the first glimpse at a normal life. Of course, in the first 15 minutes, who sees me but the Black security guard whose life I had made hell while I had gone there eight years prior. He didn't really recognize me at first. But I looked him in the eye and said, "Hi, Mr. Holmes." And I put out my hand and I said, "I'm sorry." When it clicked, he took a step back. I was still, in his eyes, that same guy. Right? I said, "I'm so sorry." I didn't know what else to say -- I get choked up talking about it now -- but he put his hand out and shook mine. Eventually, I found the words to tell him that I wasn't that person anymore. That I had a family and I felt so ashamed of what I had done. It was the first time that those words had ever left my lips. I was so scared. He listened. And he embraced me. He said, "Hey, it's OK, we'll figure it out." And he's been there for me ever since.
Q. What did that do to you?
A. I felt like the clouds opened up, like I had shed a million pounds. It just gave me the courage to figure it out and self-reflect. So that's when I started on this mission of talking about who I was, before anybody cared. Before people thought white supremacy was a problem. Before Charlottesville, before Charleston, before the Sikh temple shooting in Wisconsin. I put a target on my back, saying, "Hey, I'm a former white supremacist, you should hear my story." Nobody wanted to hear it. Until we were in the position we're in now. And I'm so glad people are finally, finally starting to have this conversation.
Q. Do you think that had we had the conversation earlier, we might have rooted out some of today's hate?
A. It's hard to say. I mean, we still don't (admit) we have a problem, so I don't know that we would have seen it then. But I think we could at least have been saying: This is not over. They're just hiding; they just changed their M.O. They're going to come back. Watch law enforcement, watch the military. Now we're starting to see reports of all that.
Q. I was going to ask you about white supremacy in law enforcement and military and politics. How true have you found that to be?
A: There were people in my crew who became cops. Some became prison guards. Others ran for office. So yeah, I hate to say it, and I certainly don't have any statistics or figures, but from firsthand accounts, I can tell you that there were people who were not very good people who ended up entrusted with everybody's safety. And I don't think that they were capable of that.
Q. The white-supremacist neo-Nazi group you led, Hammerskin Nation, dressed to intimidate. Maybe the Proud Boys are like that, but generally there seems to be a more buttoned-up, sanitized version of white supremacy today.
A. Absolutely. The Proud Boys are, in my opinion, Hammerskins 2.0. They're the closest thing to a white power gang. But you're absolutely right. Most people in the movement these days are not interested in being called a white supremacist. There was a strategy in the '80s and '90s to really move away from that visible stuff. That's how they were able to infiltrate the mainstream then: Republicans, law enforcement, the military and all those things. Because they were able to hide it. Boots to suits, I call it. We used to wear boots, and now they wear suits. It was all a ploy to attract more white, racist people. Because we were too extreme. Like, even now, white racist people don't like the Proud Boys. They're too out there. They're too easily identified. They're denouncing the Proud Boys, but they won't denounce white supremacy. And it was the same for us. But now it's gotten to the point where the Proud Boys feel like their guy is in the White House, and they can kind of let their hair down a little bit. They're not afraid to hide that they're part of that.
Never in our history have we had political leaders with the ear of the whole world mimic the things that we used to say when I was part of a hate group. To use the words. To even embolden the groups by name.
Q. Do you think President Donald Trump understands fully what he is signaling when he says "(very fine) people on both sides" or "stand back and stand by" to the Proud Boys?
A. To me, it seems very intentional. I mean, it hasn't just happened once or twice. And if he's not doing it intentionally, it doesn't matter, because it's still having the same effect. It's still activating them. It is still emboldening and empowering them to commit acts of violence.
When he called out the Proud Boys, they heard him loud and clear. And not just the Proud Boys. Not just a couple of hundred idiots who, you know, wear Fred Perry. Every white supremacist heard him and knew, at that point, that they had a friendly person in the White House. We should be very scared of that. Because there are a lot of really unstable people who are hearing these messages who are not able to really logically think them through and are acting on them. I used to know those people. And that terrifies me.
I mean, that little world that I was in from 14 to 22 years old, we're all living in that now. It's everywhere. It's on the news. It's on regular TV. You know: Democrats being pedophiles and secret conspiracies -- it's insane. As somebody who came from my world, to see the mainstream having these same conversations that I had in dark rooms with neo-Nazis is surreal.
There are still things that I put out into the world -- ideas, music I recorded -- that despite my attempts to get removed, taken down, find their way online. I'm still pulling out all the weeds from the seeds I planted 30 years ago. So my job is not over; I don't want it to be over. I was a part of this nightmare, and it's my job, knowing that I helped build that monster, to destroy it now. I work with people at various stages of disengagement to disengage (from hate). And I hope that at some point I will put more good into the world than bad.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-14--Itasca bank marks 20 years of helping women businesses thrive

The Women 's Initiative at Itasca Bank & Trust Co. has supported hundreds of businesses throughout the suburbs in the past two decades .
It started with a few seminars on financial matters and other topics and since has grown to include monthly roundtables that serve as advisory boards for small business owners , said Diane Middlebrooks , program coordinator .
The monthly roundtable gatherings , typically held at the bank 's branches in Itasca and Roselle , have gone virtual due to the pandemic .
They provide a platform for noncompeting women 's businesses to exchange ideas and strategies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , provide realistic feedback and solutions , and monitor progress toward goals .
Middlebrooks plans to launch a third roundtable this year .
Conversations lately have focused on how to survive the challenges of COVID-19 .
`` Female-owned businesses statistically are harder hit , '' said Middlebrooks , past president of the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners .
`` They are a positive group who are looking for solutions all the time . ''
Elgin Area School District U-46 's African American Advisory Council will host the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 6 p.m. Tuesday .
Educational consultant Robert Jackson , an author , former teacher and NFL player , will talk about how parents can more comfortably discuss racism and racial injustices with their children .
The program is open to community members .
To register for the webinar , visit https : //us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rJ8CzOrrS8S0TUsrVUARFg .
An interpreter will be present for Spanish-speaking families .
A recording of the first session is available on the district 's website at u-46.org .
U-46 also held a forum Saturday for high school students to share their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district 's increased focus on equity .
In January , the district will kick off another four-part series of conversations about race for families .
Teresa Lance , U-46 assistant superintendent of equity and innovation , said she hopes these community conversations will help create change and address systemic inequities exacerbated by the pandemic .
`` The more people who are informed , the more allies and co conspirators that we have doing this work , the better we are for it , '' Lance said .
`` We have to build that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every layer of the organization , and every aspect of the 11 communities that feed into U-46 . ''
The Gene Siskel Film Center 's 26th annual Black Harvest Film Festival will be held virtually through Nov. 30 .
It 's the largest Black film festival in the Midwest and will showcase 10 feature films and 30 short films .
Closing night on Nov. 30 will honor the career of the late Chadwick Boseman , who played Marvel superhero `` Black Panther . ''
The tribute includes Mischa Webley 's `` The Kill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premiered at the 2012 festival and was Boseman 's first starring role .
Webley will make an online appearance to discuss his working relationship with Boseman .
Chicago-based film archivist Jacqueline Stewart will receive the Black Harvest Film Festival Legacy Award that night .
Stewart is an author , Turner Classic Movies host , and recently was named chief artistic and programming officer of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures .
Dr. Zaher Sahloul , a Syrian American pulmonary specialist from Burr Ridge , will receive the 2020 Gandhi Peace Award during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among notable laureates of the award -- given since 1960 by Promoting Enduring Peace -- are Eleanor Roosevelt , Benjamin Spock and César Chávez .
The Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. , also was chosen but passed after being awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace a few months later , according to the nonprofit 's website .
The award comes with a $ 5,000 prize and a medallion fashioned from metals extracted from retired nuclear weapons systems .
Sahloul is the first Muslim American to receive the award , which he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed while serving in Syria .
Sahloul , 55 , is president of MedGlobal , a group of medical volunteers providing free health care to refugees and displaced people in disaster areas .
He works in a COVID-19 unit at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn .
He was past president of the Syrian American Medical Society Foundation from 2011 to 2015 and led volunteer medical missions to care for Syrian refugees in Turkey , Jordan and Lebanon .
The group sponsors field hospitals and ambulances in Syria , trains and hires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid and medical equipment .
It operates in Syria , Jordan , Lebanon , Turkey , Bangladesh and Egypt .
To register for the Zoom event , visit pepeace.org .
• Share stories , news and happenings from the suburban mosaic with Madhu Krishnamurthy at mkrishnamurthy @ dailyherald.com .

Itasca bank marks 20 years of helping women businesses thrive
A networking program helping DuPage County women-owned businesses succeed marks its 20th anniversary this year.
The Women's Initiative at Itasca Bank & Trust Co. has supported hundreds of businesses throughout the suburbs in the past two decades. It started with a few seminars on financial matters and other topics and since has grown to include monthly roundtables that serve as advisory boards for small business owners, said Diane Middlebrooks, program coordinator.
The monthly roundtable gatherings, typically held at the bank's branches in Itasca and Roselle, have gone virtual due to the pandemic. They provide a platform for noncompeting women's businesses to exchange ideas and strategies for growth, address real-life business problems, provide realistic feedback and solutions, and monitor progress toward goals.
Middlebrooks plans to launch a third roundtable this year. Conversations lately have focused on how to survive the challenges of COVID-19.
"Female-owned businesses statistically are harder hit," said Middlebrooks, past president of the Chicago chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. "They are a positive group who are looking for solutions all the time."
To join a roundtable, contact Middlebrooks at (630) 773-0350.
Talking about racism
Elgin Area School District U-46's African American Advisory Council will host the second of a two-part virtual series on racism at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Educational consultant Robert Jackson, an author, former teacher and NFL player, will talk about how parents can more comfortably discuss racism and racial injustices with their children.
The program is open to community members. To register for the webinar, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rJ8CzOrrS8S0TUsrVUARFg. An interpreter will be present for Spanish-speaking families. A recording of the first session is available on the district's website at u-46.org.
U-46 also held a forum Saturday for high school students to share their experiences with racism as part of the district's increased focus on equity.
In January, the district will kick off another four-part series of conversations about race for families.
Teresa Lance, U-46 assistant superintendent of equity and innovation, said she hopes these community conversations will help create change and address systemic inequities exacerbated by the pandemic.
"The more people who are informed, the more allies and co conspirators that we have doing this work, the better we are for it," Lance said. "We have to build that awareness and cultural competency and proficiency across every layer of the organization, and every aspect of the 11 communities that feed into U-46."
Black film festival
The Gene Siskel Film Center's 26th annual Black Harvest Film Festival will be held virtually through Nov. 30.
It's the largest Black film festival in the Midwest and will showcase 10 feature films and 30 short films. Closing night on Nov. 30 will honor the career of the late Chadwick Boseman, who played Marvel superhero "Black Panther." The tribute includes Mischa Webley's "The Kill Hole," an independent film that premiered at the 2012 festival and was Boseman's first starring role. Webley will make an online appearance to discuss his working relationship with Boseman.
Chicago-based film archivist Jacqueline Stewart will receive the Black Harvest Film Festival Legacy Award that night. Stewart is an author, Turner Classic Movies host, and recently was named chief artistic and programming officer of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
For tickets, visit siskelfilmcenter.org/bhff2020.
Peace award
Zaher Sahloul
Dr. Zaher Sahloul, a Syrian American pulmonary specialist from Burr Ridge, will receive the 2020 Gandhi Peace Award during a virtual ceremony at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Among notable laureates of the award -- given since 1960 by Promoting Enduring Peace -- are Eleanor Roosevelt, Benjamin Spock and César Chávez. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., also was chosen but passed after being awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace a few months later, according to the nonprofit's website.
The award comes with a $5,000 prize and a medallion fashioned from metals extracted from retired nuclear weapons systems.
Sahloul is the first Muslim American to receive the award, which he is dedicating to front-line medical and rescue workers killed while serving in Syria.
Sahloul, 55, is president of MedGlobal, a group of medical volunteers providing free health care to refugees and displaced people in disaster areas. He works in a COVID-19 unit at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
He was past president of the Syrian American Medical Society Foundation from 2011 to 2015 and led volunteer medical missions to care for Syrian refugees in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. The group sponsors field hospitals and ambulances in Syria, trains and hires Syrian medical personnel and sends lifesaving humanitarian aid and medical equipment. It operates in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Bangladesh and Egypt.
To register for the Zoom event, visit pepeace.org.
• Share stories, news and happenings from the suburban mosaic with Madhu Krishnamurthy at mkrishnamurthy@dailyherald.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-14--'Voter fraud' video is from 2018 Russian election

Fact checkers were busy after the Nov. 3 election and the announcement last Saturday that Democrat Joe Biden had enough Electoral College votes to win the presidency .
Challenges to the results and claims of voter fraud flooded social media .
One video , shared nearly 2,000 times , shows a group of poll workers , behind two voting booths , placing ballots in a white box .
`` Here we have staffers stuffing ballots in flint mi , '' read the caption on a Facebook post that began circulating days after the votes were cast .
But the video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , nor was it shot anywhere near Flint , Michigan , according to The Associated Press .
The clip is from a 2018 Washington Post report about ballot stuffing in Russia .
The original video was posted online March 19 , 2018 , following reports of ballot stuffing during the Russian election , which had taken place the previous day .
In the video , the Russian coat of arms can be seen on the ballot box and the polling booths , a clue it was n't shot in the U.S. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were being tallied , a data glitch caused false information to be broadcast .
Before the error could be corrected , screenshots of the misinformation were posted on social media and retweeted by President Donald Trump .
The original tweet shared by the president , which was later deleted , included updated vote totals in Michigan , with Biden receiving 138,339 new votes while Trump did n't receive any , according to Vox Media .
The update showed side-by-side maps issued by election reporting website Decision Desk HQ that had Biden receiving all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was liked more than 129,000 times and shared 59,000 times .
Decision Desk told Vox that the misinformation was the result of a `` simple error from a file created by the state that we ingested . ''
When the mistake was identified , the state issued a new update , Decision Desk said in a statement .
`` This happens quite a bit on election night , and we expect other vote tabulators in MI experienced this error and corrected in real-time like we did , '' the company said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graph going around that alleges Biden 'found ' 138,000+ votes overnight to overtake Trump in Michigan , with people claiming it 's evidence of an election being 'stolen , ' '' the Free Press said .
`` That 's false .
Here are the facts .
And a correct graph . ''
Among allegations of voter fraud making the rounds on the internet , a manipulated video appears to show President-elect Biden saying the Democrats created a voter fraud operation .
The video uses a select segment of a clip in which Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter fraud , according to The Washington Post .
`` Republicans are doing everything they can to make it harder for people to vote -- particularly people of color -- to vote , '' Biden said during an interview last month .
`` So go to IWILLVOTE.com .
Secondly , we 're in a situation where we have put together , and you guys did it for our administration -- President Obama 's administration before this -- we have put together I think the most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a section of this quote is a form of `` isolation '' according to the Post 's guide on manipulated videos , described as `` sharing a brief clip from a longer video that creates a false narrative that does not reflect the event as it occurred . ''
Newly elected Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted the misleading video along with the comment , `` Joe Biden Said On Video That Democrats Built the Biggest 'Voter Fraud ' Operation in History .
We 're seeing it on full display right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eric Trump , the president 's son , and White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany .
It was , however , blocked by Facebook and labeled `` misleading '' by Twitter .
Fox News host Laura Ingraham recently interviewed an anonymous poll worker from Nevada who claimed to have witnessed rampant voter fraud .
Shortly after Ingraham 's show aired , a version of the interview was posted on Twitter insisting the poll worker `` is definitely Trump . ''
But the anonymous worker is definitely not Trump , according to Snopes.com .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Tennessee comedian Nick Lutsko .
During the actual interview , Ingraham refers to the poll worker as a woman .
The guest 's face is not shown and her voice is altered , making it sound high pitched and cartoonish .
In the manipulated section of the video posted by Lutsko , the voice appears to be an altered version of the president .
Twitter user Jared Holt shared the altered clip along with the comment , `` Nick is a very funny comedian and any self-serious person who shared this as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably be on your unfollow list . ''
• Bob Oswald is a veteran Chicago-area journalist and former news editor of the Elgin Courier-News .
Contact him at boboswald33 @ gmail.com .

'Voter fraud' video is from 2018 Russian election
President Donald Trump, shown here on Nov. 5, retweeted misinformation about Michigan ballot-counting. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. Associated Press
Fact checkers were busy after the Nov. 3 election and the announcement last Saturday that Democrat Joe Biden had enough Electoral College votes to win the presidency. Challenges to the results and claims of voter fraud flooded social media.
One video, shared nearly 2,000 times, shows a group of poll workers, behind two voting booths, placing ballots in a white box.
"Here we have staffers stuffing ballots in flint mi," read the caption on a Facebook post that began circulating days after the votes were cast.
But the video wasn't taken during the recent presidential election, nor was it shot anywhere near Flint, Michigan, according to The Associated Press.
The clip is from a 2018 Washington Post report about ballot stuffing in Russia.
The original video was posted online March 19, 2018, following reports of ballot stuffing during the Russian election, which had taken place the previous day.
In the video, the Russian coat of arms can be seen on the ballot box and the polling booths, a clue it wasn't shot in the U.S., the AP said.
Data error retweeted by Trump
While the votes were being tallied, a data glitch caused false information to be broadcast. Before the error could be corrected, screenshots of the misinformation were posted on social media and retweeted by President Donald Trump.
The original tweet shared by the president, which was later deleted, included updated vote totals in Michigan, with Biden receiving 138,339 new votes while Trump didn't receive any, according to Vox Media.
The update showed side-by-side maps issued by election reporting website Decision Desk HQ that had Biden receiving all those votes. The president's retweet was liked more than 129,000 times and shared 59,000 times.
Decision Desk told Vox that the misinformation was the result of a "simple error from a file created by the state that we ingested."
When the mistake was identified, the state issued a new update, Decision Desk said in a statement.
"This happens quite a bit on election night, and we expect other vote tabulators in MI experienced this error and corrected in real-time like we did," the company said.
The Detroit Free Press tweeted a graph showing the actual totals.
"You may have seen a map or graph going around that alleges Biden 'found' 138,000+ votes overnight to overtake Trump in Michigan, with people claiming it's evidence of an election being 'stolen,'" the Free Press said. "That's false. Here are the facts. And a correct graph."
Biden comment out of context
President-elect Joe Biden speaks Tuesday at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Delaware A video circulating on the internet was manipulated to take Biden's comments last months on combating voter fraud out of context. - Associated Press
Among allegations of voter fraud making the rounds on the internet, a manipulated video appears to show President-elect Biden saying the Democrats created a voter fraud operation.
The video uses a select segment of a clip in which Biden was actually speaking about ways to combat voter fraud, according to The Washington Post.
"Republicans are doing everything they can to make it harder for people to vote -- particularly people of color -- to vote," Biden said during an interview last month.
"So go to IWILLVOTE.com. Secondly, we're in a situation where we have put together, and you guys did it for our administration -- President Obama's administration before this -- we have put together I think the most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics."
Using just a section of this quote is a form of "isolation" according to the Post's guide on manipulated videos, described as "sharing a brief clip from a longer video that creates a false narrative that does not reflect the event as it occurred."
Newly elected Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted the misleading video along with the comment, "Joe Biden Said On Video That Democrats Built the Biggest 'Voter Fraud' Operation in History. We're seeing it on full display right now!"
Her post was shared by Eric Trump, the president's son, and White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. It was, however, blocked by Facebook and labeled "misleading" by Twitter.
Trump not Fox informant
Laura Ingraham
Fox News host Laura Ingraham recently interviewed an anonymous poll worker from Nevada who claimed to have witnessed rampant voter fraud. Shortly after Ingraham's show aired, a version of the interview was posted on Twitter insisting the poll worker "is definitely Trump."
But the anonymous worker is definitely not Trump, according to Snopes.com.
The retweeted video was altered and overdubbed by Tennessee comedian Nick Lutsko.
During the actual interview, Ingraham refers to the poll worker as a woman. The guest's face is not shown and her voice is altered, making it sound high pitched and cartoonish.
In the manipulated section of the video posted by Lutsko, the voice appears to be an altered version of the president.
Twitter user Jared Holt shared the altered clip along with the comment, "Nick is a very funny comedian and any self-serious person who shared this as if (it) was real should probably be on your unfollow list."
• Bob Oswald is a veteran Chicago-area journalist and former news editor of the Elgin Courier-News. Contact him at boboswald33@gmail.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-14--Grammar Moses: Z is always first in my heart

While wearing one of my other columnist hats recently , I wrote about our policy for handling election mug shots in the newspaper .
It was n't the idea that we run them with an eye toward fairness -- ensuring that the candidates for a given race have similar , suitable expressions or that we always run them the same size -- that got reader Stan Zegel 's goat .
Zegel expressed what I now surmise ( from our follow-up conversation ) was feigned outrage over the ORDER in which we run them .
Remember the name of the guy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The Daily Herald 's institutional alphabetist bias is revealed in an admission in today 's issue confessing that the newspaper sequences opposing candidates in the same story by the spelling of their surnames .
`` Alphabetism invidiously and permanently discriminates against persons whose last names start with a letter in the latter part of the Latin alphabet .
The A-B-Cs ( the `` Abees '' ) of this world always come first , us X-Y-Zs ( the `` Whyzees '' ) people always come last .
We are treated as 26th-class citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at me for me having explained our policy because I 'm one of the Abees .
`` Do you know what it is like growing up what a ' Z ' surname ? ''
he said .
`` Sempre Finalis !
We are an oppressed minority . ''
Stan continued with a list of protestations that would have left Martin Luther shaking his head .
He finished his faux rant with : `` We Whyzees are ignored and skipped over , in favor of those Abees who get first crack at everything , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alphabet have to settle for any leftovers . ''
Listen up , Stan .
None of us is ever satisfied with his station in life .
Nobody I know , anyway .
Even though I 've always been an Abee , during high school I was envious of Benjamin Ahrens , because he always came before me .
Always .
I am more attuned to the inequities of poor alphabetic placement than you might think .
I married a Zucker girl , you see .
Yes , Stan , she would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ class .
And not only was she a Zucker , but she also was the most disadvantaged Zucker , on the 26-letter scale , of all nine members of her family : Bill , Gini , Kathy , Larry , Leo , Louise , Marty , Mike and ... Patt .
I asked Patt whether she was bothered by our policy .
`` No .
What would you replace it with ? ''
Exactly .
We ca n't very well put Democrats on the left and Republicans on the right .
What about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greens , the Socialists ?
Reordering mugs to reflect ballot order would require too much rework .
How would we handle it in the primaries -- Bernie on the far left , Hillary somewhere in the middle ?
As my wife and I discussed this , she revealed something that I never suspected in our 30 years together .
`` I have to tell you , the BA- thing was the most appealing thing about you , '' she said .
I 'll just assume that was tongue in cheek as well .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Daily Herald .
Write him at jbaumann @ dailyherald.com .
Put Grammar Moses in the subject line .
You also can friend or follow Jim at facebook.com/baumannjim .

Grammar Moses: Z is always first in my heart
The "Z" easily can stand out on the football field at Lake Zurich High School, but if it begins a last name on a long alphabetized list, it can take a while to be noticed. Paul Valade/pvalade.com, 2009
While wearing one of my other columnist hats recently, I wrote about our policy for handling election mug shots in the newspaper.
It wasn't the idea that we run them with an eye toward fairness -- ensuring that the candidates for a given race have similar, suitable expressions or that we always run them the same size -- that got reader Stan Zegel's goat.
Zegel expressed what I now surmise (from our follow-up conversation) was feigned outrage over the ORDER in which we run them.
Remember the name of the guy who lodged the complaint, folks.
"The Daily Herald's institutional alphabetist bias is revealed in an admission in today's issue confessing that the newspaper sequences opposing candidates in the same story by the spelling of their surnames.
"Alphabetism invidiously and permanently discriminates against persons whose last names start with a letter in the latter part of the Latin alphabet. The A-B-Cs (the "Abees") of this world always come first, us X-Y-Zs (the "Whyzees") people always come last. We are treated as 26th-class citizens."
Stan even took a swipe at me for me having explained our policy because I'm one of the Abees.
"Do you know what it is like growing up what a 'Z' surname?" he said. "Sempre Finalis! We are an oppressed minority."
Stan continued with a list of protestations that would have left Martin Luther shaking his head. He finished his faux rant with: "We Whyzees are ignored and skipped over, in favor of those Abees who get first crack at everything, while those at the tail end of the alphabet have to settle for any leftovers."
Listen up, Stan. None of us is ever satisfied with his station in life. Nobody I know, anyway.
Even though I've always been an Abee, during high school I was envious of Benjamin Ahrens, because he always came before me. Always.
I am more attuned to the inequities of poor alphabetic placement than you might think. I married a Zucker girl, you see.
Yes, Stan, she would have been the girl sitting behind you in class.
And not only was she a Zucker, but she also was the most disadvantaged Zucker, on the 26-letter scale, of all nine members of her family: Bill, Gini, Kathy, Larry, Leo, Louise, Marty, Mike and ... Patt.
I asked Patt whether she was bothered by our policy. "No. What would you replace it with?"
Exactly. We can't very well put Democrats on the left and Republicans on the right. What about the Independents, the Libertarians, the Greens, the Socialists?
Reordering mugs to reflect ballot order would require too much rework.
How would we handle it in the primaries -- Bernie on the far left, Hillary somewhere in the middle?
As my wife and I discussed this, she revealed something that I never suspected in our 30 years together.
"I have to tell you, the BA- thing was the most appealing thing about you," she said.
I'll just assume that was tongue in cheek as well.
Write carefully!
• Jim Baumann is vice president/managing editor of the Daily Herald. Write him at jbaumann@dailyherald.com. Put Grammar Moses in the subject line. You also can friend or follow Jim at facebook.com/baumannjim.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-16--As Illinois sees COVID-19 hospitalizations surge 30% in a week, leaders say please no Thanksgiving g

The number of COVID-19 patients in Illinois hospitals surged by 30 % in a week , reaching a high of 5,581 , as medical workers warned of burnout and state leaders implored residents to celebrate Thanksgiving at home without guests Monday .
New COVID-19 cases numbered 11,632 and additional deaths from the respiratory disease came to 37 , the Illinois Department of Public Health reported .
`` Hospitals are on their way to being overwhelmed , '' IDPH Director Ngozi Ezike said .
The latest number of patients , current as of Sunday night , surpassed a peak of 5,037 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus surge .
The seven-day average is 5,268 compared to 4,043 hospitalizations Nov. 2-8 .
`` The numbers are devastating right now , '' Advocate Aurora Health physician Robert Citronberg said .
`` Our health care system can not absorb doubling or tripling of those numbers as might happen if we have many super-spreader events arising out of Thanksgiving , '' added Citronberg , executive medical director of infectious disease and prevention .
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said the state is `` keeping in close touch with hospitals ... to monitor who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or ICU beds in the next three weeks .
But I want to be clear -- we ca n't create new staff for a hospital that 's filled to the brim . ''
The governor , who owns a vacation property in Florida , did not answer a question about whether he would stay in Illinois for Thanksgiving .
`` That is my hope , but I will let you know , '' Pritzker said .
The state 's virus test positivity rate is 12.5 % based on a seven-day average .
Total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are 10,779 .
The seven-day average of Illinoisans dying from COVID-19 is 81 compared to 57 people a day Nov. 3-9 , or a nearly 42 % increase .
For now , Ezike urged Illinoisans to not watch the COVID-19 `` movie '' unfold but `` write a script that gets us to the end of this pandemic sooner rather than later .
We want to see less cases , less hospitalizations , less deaths .
We can do that by wearing a mask and washing our hands . ''
She asked people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and visit others online .
`` Let 's not gamble with a virus that 's already stolen from us nearly 11 million people in just eight months . ''
State labs processed 90,612 tests in the last 24 hours .
Pritzker has said there are no plans to resurrect a field hospital created this spring at McCormick Place and closed after minimal use .
There 's one potential overflow site at the former MetroSouth Hospital in Blue Island , he said .
Asked if the state would order all schools to return to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has no plans to intervene currently .
`` The school districts are doing the best they can , '' he said , noting about 60 % of students are remote .
Amid the gloom , Pritzker pointed to announcements from Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. about successful vaccine results .
`` We have real hope for possible widespread distribution by early spring , '' he said .
The state is well-stocked with ventilators , with about 91 % open as medical experts have improved treatment for COVID-19 since the pandemic began .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially in the suburbs .
In Will and Kankakee counties ( Region 7 ) , 20 % of ICU beds were available ; in DuPage and Kane counties ( Region 8 ) , 35 % of ICU beds were unoccupied ; in Lake and McHenry ( Region 9 ) and suburban Cook ( Region 10 ) , that number was 30 % .
Ruth Colby , CEO of Silver Cross Hospital in Will County , noted the region 's virus positivity rate is more than 18 % , and more than 60 employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Every time someone in the community does not wear a mask or observe other safety precautions , that creates the potential for a health care worker to develop COVID-19 , '' Colby said .
Meanwhile , drivers seeking to renew licenses and vehicle registrations will need to postpone in-person visits to the secretary of state facilities as of Tuesday .
Secretary of State Jesse White announced offices will close through Dec. 7 because of the spike in cases .
Driver 's license and state ID card expiration dates will be extended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ commercial driver 's license facilities will stay open , including two in Elk Grove Village and West Chicago .

As Illinois sees COVID-19 hospitalizations surge 30% in a week, leaders say please no Thanksgiving gatherings
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused school districts to take diverging strategies on remote or in-class learning. Elgin Area School District U-46 began in-person classes last week for students through second grade. Courtesy of Elgin Area School District U-46
The number of COVID-19 patients in Illinois hospitals surged by 30% in a week, reaching a high of 5,581, as medical workers warned of burnout and state leaders implored residents to celebrate Thanksgiving at home without guests Monday.
New COVID-19 cases numbered 11,632 and additional deaths from the respiratory disease came to 37, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported.
"Hospitals are on their way to being overwhelmed," IDPH Director Ngozi Ezike said.
The latest number of patients, current as of Sunday night, surpassed a peak of 5,037 in late April during Illinois' initial virus surge. The seven-day average is 5,268 compared to 4,043 hospitalizations Nov. 2-8.
"The numbers are devastating right now," Advocate Aurora Health physician Robert Citronberg said.
"Our health care system cannot absorb doubling or tripling of those numbers as might happen if we have many super-spreader events arising out of Thanksgiving," added Citronberg, executive medical director of infectious disease and prevention.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the state is "keeping in close touch with hospitals ... to monitor who is at risk or running out of staff or ICU beds in the next three weeks. But I want to be clear -- we can't create new staff for a hospital that's filled to the brim."
The governor, who owns a vacation property in Florida, did not answer a question about whether he would stay in Illinois for Thanksgiving.
"That is my hope, but I will let you know," Pritzker said.
The state's virus test positivity rate is 12.5% based on a seven-day average.
Total infections statewide are 585,248 statewide and fatalities are 10,779. The seven-day average of Illinoisans dying from COVID-19 is 81 compared to 57 people a day Nov. 3-9, or a nearly 42% increase.
For now, Ezike urged Illinoisans to not watch the COVID-19 "movie" unfold but "write a script that gets us to the end of this pandemic sooner rather than later. We want to see less cases, less hospitalizations, less deaths. We can do that by wearing a mask and washing our hands."
She asked people to celebrate Thanksgiving with their immediate families and visit others online. "Let's not gamble with a virus that's already stolen from us nearly 11 million people in just eight months."
State labs processed 90,612 tests in the last 24 hours.
Pritzker has said there are no plans to resurrect a field hospital created this spring at McCormick Place and closed after minimal use. There's one potential overflow site at the former MetroSouth Hospital in Blue Island, he said.
Asked if the state would order all schools to return to remote learning, Pritzker said the government has no plans to intervene currently. "The school districts are doing the best they can," he said, noting about 60% of students are remote.
Amid the gloom, Pritzker pointed to announcements from Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. about successful vaccine results.
"We have real hope for possible widespread distribution by early spring," he said.
The state is well-stocked with ventilators, with about 91% open as medical experts have improved treatment for COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
There's fewer ICU beds, however, especially in the suburbs.
In Will and Kankakee counties (Region 7), 20% of ICU beds were available; in DuPage and Kane counties (Region 8), 35% of ICU beds were unoccupied; in Lake and McHenry (Region 9) and suburban Cook (Region 10), that number was 30%.
Ruth Colby, CEO of Silver Cross Hospital in Will County, noted the region's virus positivity rate is more than 18%, and more than 60 employees have contracted COVID-19 out in the community.
"Every time someone in the community does not wear a mask or observe other safety precautions, that creates the potential for a health care worker to develop COVID-19," Colby said.
Meanwhile, drivers seeking to renew licenses and vehicle registrations will need to postpone in-person visits to the secretary of state facilities as of Tuesday. Secretary of State Jesse White announced offices will close through Dec. 7 because of the spike in cases.
Driver's license and state ID card expiration dates will be extended through June 21, 2021.
Eighteen commercial driver's license facilities will stay open, including two in Elk Grove Village and West Chicago.
• Daily Herald staff writer Katlyn Smith contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-16--'A dark and long winter': Suburban health leaders say worst is yet to come with COVID-19

Nurse Nicole Kinberg can sense the tension , the exhaustion , the high levels of stress on her COVID-19 floor at Northwest Community Hospital .
A surge in patients has hit the Arlington Heights medical center in recent weeks , she said , adding to the toll on her fellow front-line workers nine months into the pandemic .
Even on her days off , Kinberg is asked to come into work , where she helps care for the influx of patients and communicates frequently with families .
`` I 'll do that til kingdom come ... but it 's very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I probably cry at work every day . ''
Northwest Community Hospital reported 85 virus patients as of Friday , up from 70 just three days earlier , climbing closer to its spring peak .
As hospitalizations soar around the state , other local health care systems already are seeing a record-breaking number of COVID-19 patients -- and they warn the worst is yet to come .
One group of physicians is projecting Illinois will surpass its intensive-care bed capacity around Thanksgiving .
Some hospitals are now evaluating elective procedures on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imploring families to cancel holiday gatherings outside their bubble .
But hospital leaders say staffing levels remain a top concern as the pervasive spread of the virus forces employees into quarantine or leaves them vulnerable to exposure in the community .
Nearly 3 % of staff members across Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora were staying home with either COVID-19 or for other reasons at one point last week .
`` That 's a stressor that did not emerge in the first wave of the pandemic to this degree , '' Chief Operating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surges struck different parts of the country at different times , the new wave is straining hospitals in many states , limiting the availability of traveling nurses or other personnel to help with a flood of patients .
`` You can put people in beds , but if you do n't have the staff to take care of them , it does n't matter , '' said Dr. Sanjeeb Khatua , chief physician executive and COVID-19 incident commander for Edward-Elmhurst Health .
In mid-April , Edward-Elmhurst Health was treating as many as 124 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gradual decline in cases after that , with hospitalizations dipping below the 100-patient threshold a month later and dropping into the teens by late summer .
Admissions rose exponentially in October and topped previous highs this month .
As of Friday , the system reported 175 total patients with confirmed COVID-19 cases -- 78 at Elmhurst Hospital and 97 at Edward Hospital in Naperville .
Edward-Elmhurst has been preparing for a fall surge , Khatua said , hoping to eliminate the need for another operational shutdown of elective procedures .
But as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , hospital leaders are evaluating staffing levels and surgical schedules on a daily basis , ready to redeploy employees from other units if needed .
`` We have to prioritize what we ( can ) care for and what we ca n't , '' Khatua said .
`` I think we 're going to start hitting that point fairly soon where we 're going to have to start making those difficult decisions . ''
In Winfield , Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital has been recruiting additional employees through external agencies , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shifts , said Sue McCoy , chief nursing executive .
Some physicians or nurses who recently transferred outside the hospital environment have offered to return .
`` They are resilient , but I 'd be lying if I told you it 's not taking a toll , '' McCoy said of front-line staff .
`` They see the patients , and they see the struggle , and no matter what , this is what nurses do .
This is what we train for . ''
NorthShore University HealthSystem had about 160 hospitalized COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the system 's COVID-designated facility , was treating a majority of them .
The remaining patients were at Evanston Hospital and Swedish Hospital in Chicago .
The system is evaluating elective surgical cases and interventional procedures on a case-by-case basis .
All urgent procedures will continue as planned , according to a spokesman .
Rush Copley in Aurora reached a peak volume of 82 COVID-19-positive patients this past week .
The hospital has been assessing what procedures are critical and what can be postponed if needed .
`` I think hospitals have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients in a very skilled way at this point , '' Shilkaitis said .
`` So we are taking control of that if you will and regulating the surgical flow so that we can always have the staffing levels to meet the demand . ''
Northwest Community Hospital has n't curtailed elective procedures and does n't anticipate hiring traveling nurses , said Dr. Susan Nelson , vice president of physician operations .
Patient numbers in the spring peak at Advocate Aurora Health reached the mid-800s .
Advocate on Friday had 1,041 COVID-19 inpatients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 Illinois hospitals , spokesman Adam Mesirow said .
`` We are managing but are facing staffing and capacity challenges , and unfortunately there are no signs of a slowdown , '' Mesirow said .
`` That is why we are imploring people in our communities to help stem the spread . ''
In a letter to Gov .
J.B. Pritzker , a group of health care workers said Illinois is heading `` into a dark and long winter . ''
Models show the state is on track to run out of ICU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Professionals Action Collaborative Team wrote .
A data analyst for the group , formed in part to amplify physician voices during the pandemic , based the forecast on the current growth rate of cases in Illinois and the tight correlation between cases and hospitalizations , IMPACT co-founder Dr. Shikha Jain said .
Admissions tend to lag behind new infections by about two weeks .
The projections do n't take into account college students who are heading home or Thanksgiving travel that could push caseloads even higher , Jain said .
The projections also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay-at-home advisory that experts hope will prevent ICU bed shortages if people follow it .
`` When we reach Thanksgiving , I 'm sure our numbers are going to be significantly higher unless people start taking this seriously and wearing a mask and following the restrictions that have been recommended , '' Jain said .
`` After Thanksgiving , I think that we 're going to see a huge , huge surge again . ''
As of Saturday night , Illinois hospitals reported 5,474 people were receiving treatment for COVID-19 , 1,045 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said the state has no plans to reconvert McCormick Place to a field hospital .
Construction to turn the former Sherman Hospital campus in Elgin into an overflow site finished in April , but the facility never opened and the property was surrendered to its owner at the end of September , an Illinois Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman said .
Jain and the Illinois Hospital Association cautioned that setting up makeshift facilities this time around would run into the same staffing issues facing health care systems .
`` There is a finite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing outbreaks in health care workers across the country , '' Jain said .
IMPACT is making an urgent plea for people to double down on public health measures to get control of the surge .
And the hospital association has launched a `` mask up '' campaign .
`` We 're very concerned that hospitals could become overwhelmed in the very near future , '' spokesman Danny Chun said .

'A dark and long winter': Suburban health leaders say worst is yet to come with COVID-19
Nurse Nicole Kinberg can sense the tension, the exhaustion, the high levels of stress on her COVID-19 floor at Northwest Community Hospital.
A surge in patients has hit the Arlington Heights medical center in recent weeks, she said, adding to the toll on her fellow front-line workers nine months into the pandemic.
Even on her days off, Kinberg is asked to come into work, where she helps care for the influx of patients and communicates frequently with families.
"I'll do that til kingdom come ... but it's very emotionally exhausting," Kinberg said. "I probably cry at work every day."
Tensions are high and stress levels are through the roof on the COVID-19 floor where nurse Nicole Kinberg has been treating patients at Northwest Community Hospital. The Arlington Heights facility and other hospitals throughout the suburbs have been hit with a surge of new positive cases in recent weeks. "It's very emotionally draining," she said. - Courtesy of Nicole Kinberg
Northwest Community Hospital reported 85 virus patients as of Friday, up from 70 just three days earlier, climbing closer to its spring peak.
As hospitalizations soar around the state, other local health care systems already are seeing a record-breaking number of COVID-19 patients -- and they warn the worst is yet to come. One group of physicians is projecting Illinois will surpass its intensive-care bed capacity around Thanksgiving.
Some hospitals are now evaluating elective procedures on a case-by-case basis, expanding bed capacity and imploring families to cancel holiday gatherings outside their bubble.
But hospital leaders say staffing levels remain a top concern as the pervasive spread of the virus forces employees into quarantine or leaves them vulnerable to exposure in the community.
Nearly 3% of staff members across Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora were staying home with either COVID-19 or for other reasons at one point last week.
"That's a stressor that did not emerge in the first wave of the pandemic to this degree," Chief Operating Officer Mary Shilkaitis said.
While earlier surges struck different parts of the country at different times, the new wave is straining hospitals in many states, limiting the availability of traveling nurses or other personnel to help with a flood of patients.
"You can put people in beds, but if you don't have the staff to take care of them, it doesn't matter," said Dr. Sanjeeb Khatua, chief physician executive and COVID-19 incident commander for Edward-Elmhurst Health.
Record highs
In mid-April, Edward-Elmhurst Health was treating as many as 124 patients with COVID-19.
The system saw a gradual decline in cases after that, with hospitalizations dipping below the 100-patient threshold a month later and dropping into the teens by late summer.
Admissions rose exponentially in October and topped previous highs this month. As of Friday, the system reported 175 total patients with confirmed COVID-19 cases -- 78 at Elmhurst Hospital and 97 at Edward Hospital in Naperville.
Edward-Elmhurst has been preparing for a fall surge, Khatua said, hoping to eliminate the need for another operational shutdown of elective procedures. But as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, he said, hospital leaders are evaluating staffing levels and surgical schedules on a daily basis, ready to redeploy employees from other units if needed.
"We have to prioritize what we (can) care for and what we can't," Khatua said. "I think we're going to start hitting that point fairly soon where we're going to have to start making those difficult decisions."
- Paul Valade | Staff Photographer Sue McCoy is the vice president and chief nursing executive at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield.
In Winfield, Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital has been recruiting additional employees through external agencies, and many workers have been taking on additional shifts, said Sue McCoy, chief nursing executive. Some physicians or nurses who recently transferred outside the hospital environment have offered to return.
"They are resilient, but I'd be lying if I told you it's not taking a toll," McCoy said of front-line staff.
"They see the patients, and they see the struggle, and no matter what, this is what nurses do. This is what we train for."
NorthShore University HealthSystem had about 160 hospitalized COVID-19 patients as of Friday. Glenbrook Hospital, the system's COVID-designated facility, was treating a majority of them. The remaining patients were at Evanston Hospital and Swedish Hospital in Chicago.
NorthShore University Health System was treating about 160 COVID-19 patients as of Friday. - Courtesy of Jon Hillenbrand
The system is evaluating elective surgical cases and interventional procedures on a case-by-case basis. All urgent procedures will continue as planned, according to a spokesman.
Rush Copley in Aurora reached a peak volume of 82 COVID-19-positive patients this past week. The hospital has been assessing what procedures are critical and what can be postponed if needed.
"I think hospitals have learned to manage both COVID and non-COVID patients in a very skilled way at this point," Shilkaitis said.
"So we are taking control of that if you will and regulating the surgical flow so that we can always have the staffing levels to meet the demand."
Northwest Community Hospital hasn't curtailed elective procedures and doesn't anticipate hiring traveling nurses, said Dr. Susan Nelson, vice president of physician operations.
Patient numbers in the spring peak at Advocate Aurora Health reached the mid-800s. Advocate on Friday had 1,041 COVID-19 inpatients throughout the system, including 593 across 10 Illinois hospitals, spokesman Adam Mesirow said.
"We are managing but are facing staffing and capacity challenges, and unfortunately there are no signs of a slowdown," Mesirow said. "That is why we are imploring people in our communities to help stem the spread."
'Huge surge'
In a letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a group of health care workers said Illinois is heading "into a dark and long winter."
Models show the state is on track to run out of ICU beds around Thanksgiving, the Illinois Medical Professionals Action Collaborative Team wrote.
A data analyst for the group, formed in part to amplify physician voices during the pandemic, based the forecast on the current growth rate of cases in Illinois and the tight correlation between cases and hospitalizations, IMPACT co-founder Dr. Shikha Jain said. Admissions tend to lag behind new infections by about two weeks.
The projections don't take into account college students who are heading home or Thanksgiving travel that could push caseloads even higher, Jain said. The projections also do not account for the state's stay-at-home advisory that experts hope will prevent ICU bed shortages if people follow it.
"When we reach Thanksgiving, I'm sure our numbers are going to be significantly higher unless people start taking this seriously and wearing a mask and following the restrictions that have been recommended," Jain said. "After Thanksgiving, I think that we're going to see a huge, huge surge again."
As of Saturday night, Illinois hospitals reported 5,474 people were receiving treatment for COVID-19, 1,045 of them in an intensive-care unit.
Pritzker has said the state has no plans to reconvert McCormick Place to a field hospital.
Construction to turn the former Sherman Hospital campus in Elgin into an overflow site finished in April, but the facility never opened and the property was surrendered to its owner at the end of September, an Illinois Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman said.
Jain and the Illinois Hospital Association cautioned that setting up makeshift facilities this time around would run into the same staffing issues facing health care systems.
"There is a finite amount of us, and we are seeing outbreaks in health care workers across the country," Jain said.
IMPACT is making an urgent plea for people to double down on public health measures to get control of the surge. And the hospital association has launched a "mask up" campaign.
"We're very concerned that hospitals could become overwhelmed in the very near future," spokesman Danny Chun said.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-16--Palatine Dist. 15 moving to remote learning through end of year

Citing growing health concerns among students ' families and school staff , Palatine Township Elementary District 15 will switch to exclusively remote learning beginning Wednesday and lasting through at least winter break .
The announcement Sunday night by Superintendent Laurie Heinz also noted the Cook County Department of Public Health 's stay-at-home advisory issued Friday due to rising COVID-19 cases in the region .
The advisory recommends suburban residents remain home as much as possible , limit travel and avoid gatherings .
The decision comes less than a week after the officials announced they would move to virtual learning for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ return to in-person classes until winter break .
Under the new plan , in-person classes will not resume until Jan. 5 at the earliest .
`` In light of this advisory going into effect , we have heard from many staff members and parents that do not feel safe remaining in school during this stay at home advisory period , '' Heinz wrote .
`` Although we have worked hard on our ongoing mitigation efforts , sharply rising community numbers and the county 's attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 are what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for us to reconsider our plan . ''
Heinz wrote that district officials surveyed staff over the weekend to ask if they believe students should learn remotely in light of the Cook County advisory .
Nearly 80 % responded `` yes , '' she wrote .
`` Our staff has worked hard during this trying time , and they are becoming increasingly concerned for their own safety due to the recent surge in positivity rates and health department advisory , '' she added .
Heinz wrote that materials will be sent home with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remote learning .
Most staff also will work from home unless they choose to teach or work from their classroom or office spaces .
`` I know this decision will come with mixed feedback from our parents , staff and the larger community , with some in support of the plan and others against it , '' Heinz wrote .
`` I certainly understand the challenges that working parents will face who rely on our schools for child care and the overall stressors of fully remote learning .
Navigating educational plans during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come with no 'right ' answers or perfect solutions .
In the end , I have to make decisions based upon the health and safety of everyone in our buildings , both students and adults . ''
District 15 educates nearly 12,000 students from all or parts of Palatine , Rolling Meadows , Hoffman Estates , Inverness , South Barrington , Arlington Heights and Schaumburg , at 15 elementary schools , four junior highs , a preschool early childhood center and an alternative public day school .

Palatine Dist. 15 moving to remote learning through end of year
Citing growing health concerns among students' families and school staff, Palatine Township Elementary District 15 will switch to exclusively remote learning beginning Wednesday and lasting through at least winter break.
The announcement Sunday night by Superintendent Laurie Heinz also noted the Cook County Department of Public Health's stay-at-home advisory issued Friday due to rising COVID-19 cases in the region. The advisory recommends suburban residents remain home as much as possible, limit travel and avoid gatherings.
The decision comes less than a week after the officials announced they would move to virtual learning for the week after Thanksgiving break and then return to in-person classes until winter break. Under the new plan, in-person classes will not resume until Jan. 5 at the earliest.
"In light of this advisory going into effect, we have heard from many staff members and parents that do not feel safe remaining in school during this stay at home advisory period," Heinz wrote. "Although we have worked hard on our ongoing mitigation efforts, sharply rising community numbers and the county's attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 are what prompted this advisory to be implemented and for us to reconsider our plan."
Heinz wrote that district officials surveyed staff over the weekend to ask if they believe students should learn remotely in light of the Cook County advisory. Nearly 80% responded "yes," she wrote.
"Our staff has worked hard during this trying time, and they are becoming increasingly concerned for their own safety due to the recent surge in positivity rates and health department advisory," she added.
Heinz wrote that materials will be sent home with students Monday and/or Tuesday to prepare for remote learning. Most staff also will work from home unless they choose to teach or work from their classroom or office spaces.
"I know this decision will come with mixed feedback from our parents, staff and the larger community, with some in support of the plan and others against it," Heinz wrote. "I certainly understand the challenges that working parents will face who rely on our schools for child care and the overall stressors of fully remote learning. Navigating educational plans during the ups and downs of this pandemic has come with no 'right' answers or perfect solutions. In the end, I have to make decisions based upon the health and safety of everyone in our buildings, both students and adults."
District 15 educates nearly 12,000 students from all or parts of Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, South Barrington, Arlington Heights and Schaumburg, at 15 elementary schools, four junior highs, a preschool early childhood center and an alternative public day school.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-15--Cascade Drive-in could clear a hurdle tonight on reopening

The owner of the Cascade Drive-In movie theater in West Chicago is making progress on plans to reopen , but several hurdles stand in the way of a revival .
West Chicago 's city council will vote tonight on a zoning code text amendment that would help pave the way for the theater 's second act .
The council 's development committee and the plan commission both unanimously recommended approval of the proposed ordinance .
The single-screen drive-in has been inching closer to a comeback more than a year after going dark .
The theater had operated since 1961 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many as 1,200 cars on a retro trip to the movies .
But before audiences can relive those summer nights , there are still utility issues to resolve , said Russell Whitaker , an attorney for the owner of the landmark site at North Avenue and Prince Crossing Road .
The owner is looking to continue operating with well water instead of connecting the 28-acre property to the city 's water system .
`` We do know that there 's an issue with bringing water a very long distance to the site @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a request from them to waive that requirement and stay with the well that 's on site , '' said Tom Dabareiner , West Chicago 's community development director .
Such a request also would require city council approval .
In addition , representatives of the property owner have indicated plans to build a sanitary sewer lift station , which would need a city permit and staff review .
`` They 're waiting for this text amendment to pass , and then I believe they want to get started right way with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Dabareiner said .
The property currently is zoned for residential development .
In 2003 , the drive-in site was part of 58 acres forcibly annexed into West Chicago by the city council .
Properties brought into West Chicago by forced annexation are zoned by default under the city 's most restrictive residential classification .
The text amendment would change how the city treats grandfathered projects , allowing `` the resumption of a legal nonconforming use that has been discontinued for a period of 12 consecutive months or longer , '' city documents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chicago area is in McHenry , though pop-up screenings have grown in popularity during the pandemic .
Fewer than a dozen drive-in screens were still operational in Illinois as of October 2019 , according to the United Drive-in Theatre Owners Association .
For 30 years , Jeff Kohlberg operated the Cascade until the property 's previous owner declined to renew the lease in late 2018 .
Kohlberg would run the theater again if the Cascade reopens .

Cascade Drive-in could clear a hurdle tonight on reopening
The owner of the Cascade Drive-In movie theater in West Chicago is making progress on plans to reopen, but several hurdles stand in the way of a revival.
West Chicago's city council will vote tonight on a zoning code text amendment that would help pave the way for the theater's second act. The council's development committee and the plan commission both unanimously recommended approval of the proposed ordinance.
The single-screen drive-in has been inching closer to a comeback more than a year after going dark. The theater had operated since 1961, its gravel parking lot once brimming with as many as 1,200 cars on a retro trip to the movies.
But before audiences can relive those summer nights, there are still utility issues to resolve, said Russell Whitaker, an attorney for the owner of the landmark site at North Avenue and Prince Crossing Road.
The owner is looking to continue operating with well water instead of connecting the 28-acre property to the city's water system.
"We do know that there's an issue with bringing water a very long distance to the site, so we assume we'll get a request from them to waive that requirement and stay with the well that's on site," said Tom Dabareiner, West Chicago's community development director.
Such a request also would require city council approval. In addition, representatives of the property owner have indicated plans to build a sanitary sewer lift station, which would need a city permit and staff review.
"They're waiting for this text amendment to pass, and then I believe they want to get started right way with the process that leads to them reopening," Dabareiner said.
The property currently is zoned for residential development. In 2003, the drive-in site was part of 58 acres forcibly annexed into West Chicago by the city council. Properties brought into West Chicago by forced annexation are zoned by default under the city's most restrictive residential classification.
The text amendment would change how the city treats grandfathered projects, allowing "the resumption of a legal nonconforming use that has been discontinued for a period of 12 consecutive months or longer," city documents state.
The only other drive-in in the Chicago area is in McHenry, though pop-up screenings have grown in popularity during the pandemic.
Fewer than a dozen drive-in screens were still operational in Illinois as of October 2019, according to the United Drive-in Theatre Owners Association.
For 30 years, Jeff Kohlberg operated the Cascade until the property's previous owner declined to renew the lease in late 2018. Kohlberg would run the theater again if the Cascade reopens.