dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-11--Prospect Heights native, Wheeling High grad lived 'American dream' in music industry

Ryan Brady could n't get enough of music during his years at Wheeling High School .
He performed in the marching band , jazz band and orchestra all four years , before graduating in 2004 and pursuing his passion at Northwestern University .
He ultimately landed a job with Atlantic Records , first in New York and then rising through the ranks to become vice president of marketing , working with some of the label 's biggest artists in Los Angeles .
The 34-year-old Prospect Heights native died in a single-vehicle accident Thanksgiving Day that also killed longtime friend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Ryan was not just a good musician , he was a great musician , '' said Brian Logan , former jazz band director at Wheeling High School .
`` He just had this unquenchable thirst for all things music . ''
`` Ryan started out on the electric bass , but he really wanted to learn to play the standup bass , '' Logan added , `` and he became a really important member to both the orchestra and jazz band . ''
Brady 's parents , Terry and Suzan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to play the piano as early as age 7 .
They were surprised , but eventually decided to buy a piano so he could practice .
`` I remember telling him that if we do this , we want to make sure he was going to play it , '' Terry Brady said .
`` Well , he took to it like a fish to water .
He was on it all the time , through high school and whenever he came home . ''
His love of music drew him to play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competing in the annual battle of the bands at Frontier Days , among other venues .
During college , he played with the band Real Lunch , which performed at Chicago-area venues , including Durty Nellie 's in Palatine .
At Northwestern , Brady majored in economics and minored in music technology and sound design .
His parents recall that within days of graduating he left to start his career in New York .
`` He lived the American dream in the music industry , '' Terry Brady said of his son .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ champion for artists , '' Atlantic Records Chairman Julie Greenwald said in a statement .
`` Being a musician in his own right , he truly understood their journey .
He was the eternal optimist , and bright light for all of us that got to work closely with him But Brady never forgot his roots .
In 2016 , upon learning of his former band director 's upcoming retirement , he called to thank him and to make a donation to the band program .
`` I told him it would go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids take private lessons and attend summer camps , '' Logan said .
`` Those kinds of donations really made a significant impact on our program . ''
As word of Brady 's passing spread , a classmate shared a favorite memory with Logan , of when the jazz band played `` Hey Jude '' at an all-school assembly .
It was Brady on the microphone , leading the student body in singing the closing chorus , `` Na na na na , Hey Jude . ''
Besides his parents , Brady is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the youngest daughter of former Monkees vocalist Davey Jones ; as well as his brothers , Brett and Tyler .
Funeral services will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with visitation , followed by a 10:30 a.m. Mass , both at St. Edna Catholic Church , 2525 N. Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights .
It will be livestreamed at https : //youtu.be/3MbC4lGi1UI .

Prospect Heights native, Wheeling High grad lived 'American dream' in music industry
Ryan Brady was a talented multi-instrumentalist at Wheeling High School before finding success in the music industry with Atlantic Records. The 34-year-old Prospect Heights native was killed Nov. 26 in an auto accident in Los Angeles. Courtesy of Terry Brady
Ryan Brady couldn't get enough of music during his years at Wheeling High School. He performed in the marching band, jazz band and orchestra all four years, before graduating in 2004 and pursuing his passion at Northwestern University.
He ultimately landed a job with Atlantic Records, first in New York and then rising through the ranks to become vice president of marketing, working with some of the label's biggest artists in Los Angeles.
The 34-year-old Prospect Heights native died in a single-vehicle accident Thanksgiving Day that also killed longtime friend, Chicago area musician Max Perenchio, 33.
"Ryan was not just a good musician, he was a great musician," said Brian Logan, former jazz band director at Wheeling High School. "He just had this unquenchable thirst for all things music."
"Ryan started out on the electric bass, but he really wanted to learn to play the standup bass," Logan added, "and he became a really important member to both the orchestra and jazz band."
Brady's parents, Terry and Suzan, remember that he approached them about learning to play the piano as early as age 7. They were surprised, but eventually decided to buy a piano so he could practice.
"I remember telling him that if we do this, we want to make sure he was going to play it," Terry Brady said. "Well, he took to it like a fish to water. He was on it all the time, through high school and whenever he came home."
His love of music drew him to play in multiple bands outside of school, competing in the annual battle of the bands at Frontier Days, among other venues. During college, he played with the band Real Lunch, which performed at Chicago-area venues, including Durty Nellie's in Palatine.
At Northwestern, Brady majored in economics and minored in music technology and sound design. His parents recall that within days of graduating he left to start his career in New York.
"He lived the American dream in the music industry," Terry Brady said of his son.
"He loved his role as a champion for artists," Atlantic Records Chairman Julie Greenwald said in a statement. "Being a musician in his own right, he truly understood their journey. He was the eternal optimist, and bright light for all of us that got to work closely with him
But Brady never forgot his roots. In 2016, upon learning of his former band director's upcoming retirement, he called to thank him and to make a donation to the band program.
"I told him it would go into our scholarship account, to help kids take private lessons and attend summer camps," Logan said. "Those kinds of donations really made a significant impact on our program."
As word of Brady's passing spread, a classmate shared a favorite memory with Logan, of when the jazz band played "Hey Jude" at an all-school assembly. It was Brady on the microphone, leading the student body in singing the closing chorus, "Na na na na, Hey Jude."
Besides his parents, Brady is survived by his wife, Annabel Jones, the youngest daughter of former Monkees vocalist Davey Jones; as well as his brothers, Brett and Tyler.
Funeral services will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with visitation, followed by a 10:30 a.m. Mass, both at St. Edna Catholic Church, 2525 N. Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights. It will be livestreamed at https://youtu.be/3MbC4lGi1UI.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-11--FDA authorizes Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use

The U.S. gave the final go-ahead Friday to the nation 's first COVID-19 vaccine , marking what could be the beginning of the end of an outbreak that has killed nearly 300,000 Americans , according to a person familiar with the decision but not authorized to discuss it publicly .
Shots for health workers and nursing home residents are expected to begin in the coming days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized an emergency rollout of what promises to be a strongly protective vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech .
Initial doses are scarce and rationed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other countries in scrambling to vaccinate as many people as possible ahead of a long , grim winter .
It will take months of work to tamp down the coronavirus that has surged to catastrophic levels in recent weeks and already claimed 1.5 million lives globally .
While the FDA decision came only after public review of data from a huge ongoing study , it has also been dogged by intense political pressure from the Trump administration , which has accused the agency of being too slow and even threatened to remove FDA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not come Friday .
The move sets off what will be the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history -- but it also has global ramifications because it 's a role model to many other countries facing the same decision .
The world desperately needs multiple vaccines for enough to go around , and the Pfizer-BioNTech shot is the first based on rigorous scientific testing to emerge from that worldwide race -- a record-setting scientific achievement that shaved years off the usual process .
`` I do n't think you would have found a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predicted this 11 months ago , '' said Dr. Paul Offit , a vaccine expert at Children 's Hospital of Philadelphia who advises the FDA .
The U.S. is considering a second vaccine , made by Moderna Inc. , that could roll out in another week .
In early January , Johnson & Johnson expects to learn if its vaccine is working in final testing .
Europe is set to make its own decision on the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots later this month , an important step as some other candidates that multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Friday , Sanofi and GSK announced a months-long delay after early tests showed their vaccine did n't work well enough in older adults .
And China and Russia did n't wait for final-stage tests before beginning vaccinations with some homegrown shots .
About 3 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are expected in the first shipments around the country , according to officials with Operation Warp Speed , the Trump administration 's vaccine development program .
A similar amount is to be held in reserve for those recipients ' second dose .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ advisory committee is poised to recommend who 's first in line .
Expected to follow health workers and nursing homes are other essential workers , older adults and people at high risk because of other health problems .
U.S. authorities do n't expect enough for the general population before spring , and that 's assuming there are no manufacturing glitches .
In a still unfinished study of nearly 44,000 people , the FDA found the vaccine was safe and more than 90 % effective across recipients of different ages , including older adults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that put them at high risk from the coronavirus .
Emergency use means the vaccine still is experimental .
Most important for would-be recipients to know : -- Some protection begins after the first dose , but it takes a second dose three weeks later for full protection .
It 's unclear how long protection lasts .
-- The vaccine protects against COVID-19 illness , but no one yet knows if it can stop the silent , symptomless spread that accounts for roughly half of all cases .
The ongoing study will attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccinated still will need to wear a mask and keep their distance .
-- Expect a sore arm and some flu-like symptoms such as fever , fatigue , headache and chills after the second dose .
While uncomfortable , those reactions only last about a day .
`` That 's just your immune system working .
It 's a good thing , '' Offit said .
-- Authorities are investigating several allergic reactions reported in Britain by people with a history of severe allergies .
Offit said it is routine in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a half-hour so they could get prompt treatment if such reactions appear .
If emergency use of Moderna 's vaccine also is authorized , the U.S. expects to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of December .
They hope to have enough for another 30 million people in January and 50 million in February .
Getting shots into arms is the big challenge , especially as a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found only half of Americans want the vaccine when it 's their turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't get it and the rest are n't sure .
Political interference has complicated health authorities ' message that the testing was rigorous and cut no corners .
President Donald Trump bashed the FDA , again , Friday for taking too long , complaining that the agency `` is still a big , old slow turtle . ''
One of his deputies even pressed Hahn to clear the shots by the end of the day or face possible firing , two administration officials said .
The FDA is unique in analyzing drugmakers ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer than many other countries ' regulatory reviews .
In addition , the FDA insisted that large COVID-19 vaccine studies track at least half the participants for two months to look for side effects , a time period when historically any vaccine problems appear .

FDA authorizes Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has pressed Food and Drug Administration chief Stephen Hahn, shown here at a hearing in September, to grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine by the end of the day on Dec. 11. Associated Press/Sept. 23, 2020
A nurse prepares a shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Guy's Hospital in London, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, as the U.K. health authorities rolled out a national mass vaccination program. Associated press
The U.S. gave the final go-ahead Friday to the nation's first COVID-19 vaccine, marking what could be the beginning of the end of an outbreak that has killed nearly 300,000 Americans, according to a person familiar with the decision but not authorized to discuss it publicly.
Shots for health workers and nursing home residents are expected to begin in the coming days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized an emergency rollout of what promises to be a strongly protective vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech.
Initial doses are scarce and rationed as the U.S. joins Britain and several other countries in scrambling to vaccinate as many people as possible ahead of a long, grim winter. It will take months of work to tamp down the coronavirus that has surged to catastrophic levels in recent weeks and already claimed 1.5 million lives globally.
While the FDA decision came only after public review of data from a huge ongoing study, it has also been dogged by intense political pressure from the Trump administration, which has accused the agency of being too slow and even threatened to remove FDA chief Stephen Hahn if a ruling did not come Friday.
The move sets off what will be the largest vaccination campaign in U.S. history -- but it also has global ramifications because it's a role model to many other countries facing the same decision.
The world desperately needs multiple vaccines for enough to go around, and the Pfizer-BioNTech shot is the first based on rigorous scientific testing to emerge from that worldwide race -- a record-setting scientific achievement that shaved years off the usual process.
"I don't think you would have found a scientist on this planet that would have predicted this 11 months ago," said Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia who advises the FDA.
The U.S. is considering a second vaccine, made by Moderna Inc., that could roll out in another week. In early January, Johnson & Johnson expects to learn if its vaccine is working in final testing.
Europe is set to make its own decision on the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots later this month, an important step as some other candidates that multiple countries were anxiously awaiting have hit roadblocks. Friday, Sanofi and GSK announced a months-long delay after early tests showed their vaccine didn't work well enough in older adults.
And China and Russia didn't wait for final-stage tests before beginning vaccinations with some homegrown shots.
About 3 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are expected in the first shipments around the country, according to officials with Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration's vaccine development program. A similar amount is to be held in reserve for those recipients' second dose.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee is poised to recommend who's first in line. Expected to follow health workers and nursing homes are other essential workers, older adults and people at high risk because of other health problems. U.S. authorities don't expect enough for the general population before spring, and that's assuming there are no manufacturing glitches.
In a still unfinished study of nearly 44,000 people, the FDA found the vaccine was safe and more than 90% effective across recipients of different ages, including older adults, races and those with health problems that put them at high risk from the coronavirus.
Emergency use means the vaccine still is experimental. Most important for would-be recipients to know:
--Some protection begins after the first dose, but it takes a second dose three weeks later for full protection. It's unclear how long protection lasts.
--The vaccine protects against COVID-19 illness, but no one yet knows if it can stop the silent, symptomless spread that accounts for roughly half of all cases. The ongoing study will attempt to answer that but for now, the vaccinated still will need to wear a mask and keep their distance.
--Expect a sore arm and some flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, headache and chills after the second dose. While uncomfortable, those reactions only last about a day. "That's just your immune system working. It's a good thing," Offit said.
--Authorities are investigating several allergic reactions reported in Britain by people with a history of severe allergies. Offit said it is routine in the U.S. for the vaccinated to stick around for a half-hour so they could get prompt treatment if such reactions appear.
If emergency use of Moderna's vaccine also is authorized, the U.S. expects to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of December. They hope to have enough for another 30 million people in January and 50 million in February.
Getting shots into arms is the big challenge, especially as a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found only half of Americans want the vaccine when it's their turn. About a quarter say they won't get it and the rest aren't sure.
Political interference has complicated health authorities' message that the testing was rigorous and cut no corners.
President Donald Trump bashed the FDA, again, Friday for taking too long, complaining that the agency "is still a big, old slow turtle." One of his deputies even pressed Hahn to clear the shots by the end of the day or face possible firing, two administration officials said.
The FDA is unique in analyzing drugmakers' raw data, a process that takes longer than many other countries' regulatory reviews. In addition, the FDA insisted that large COVID-19 vaccine studies track at least half the participants for two months to look for side effects, a time period when historically any vaccine problems appear.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-11--Jim Burns, state inspector general, dies at 75

Longtime Illinois Secretary of State Inspector General Jim Burns , who served four years as Chicago 's U.S. attorney , @ @ @ @ @ .
Secretary of State Jesse White announced the death of Burns , who also once @ @ @ @ @ for the Chicago Bulls , in a news release Friday .
`` Burns was a @ @ @ @ @ inspector general , and I am grateful for all he accomplished , '' White said @ @ @ @ @ public trust and changed the culture of the office .
His legacy of honesty , @ @ @ @ @ indelible mark on the Secretary of State 's office and the state of Illinois .
@ @ @ @ @ a corruption-buster led White to tap the former top fed as his inspector general in @ @ @ @ @ U.S. attorney 's office during the Operation Silver Shovel corruption investigation and the Operation Haunted @ @ @ @ @ office also took on the Gangster Disciples street gang .

Jim Burns, state inspector general, dies at 75
Longtime Illinois Secretary of State Inspector General Jim Burns, who served four years as Chicago's U.S. attorney, died this week at 75.
Secretary of State Jesse White announced the death of Burns, who also once ran for governor and played for the Chicago Bulls, in a news release Friday.
"Burns was a strong, visible and independent inspector general, and I am grateful for all he accomplished," White said. "Burns restored the public trust and changed the culture of the office. His legacy of honesty, fairness and transparency leaves an indelible mark on the Secretary of State's office and the state of Illinois."
Burns' reputation as a corruption-buster led White to tap the former top fed as his inspector general in 2000. Burns led the U.S. attorney's office during the Operation Silver Shovel corruption investigation and the Operation Haunted Hall ghost-payroll prosecution. His office also took on the Gangster Disciples street gang.
• For the full story, visit chicago.suntimes.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-12--$100 to help friend mourning the loss of her husband

Today 's winner of a $ 100 bill through the Believe Project is Maureen DeFilippo of Mount Prospect .
DeFilippo @ @ @ @ @ to her friend .
Here is an excerpt of her story : '' My dear @ @ @ @ @ lost her husband a few weeks ago after having cared for him with Parkinson 's @ @ @ @ @ Now she is alone as her kids live in other states and one is in @ @ @ @ @ 100 bill would be such a thrill after this devastating year ending with the loss @ @ @ @ @ 'd like to think this would perk her up enough for a new shot emotionally @ @ @ @ @ ! ''
• The Believe Project is awarding $ 100 each day in December to @ @ @ @ @ great idea for how to use the money to do a good deed for someone @ @ @ @ @ like the chance to help someone , submit your idea for consideration in 150 words @ @ @ @ @

$100 to help friend mourning the loss of her husband
Today's winner of a $100 bill through the Believe Project is Maureen DeFilippo of Mount Prospect.
DeFilippo wants to give the money to her friend. Here is an excerpt of her story:
"My dear friend of about 60 years lost her husband a few weeks ago after having cared for him with Parkinson's disease for several years. Now she is alone as her kids live in other states and one is in Europe.
"The $100 bill would be such a thrill after this devastating year ending with the loss of her husband. I'd like to think this would perk her up enough for a new shot emotionally to make next year better!"
• The Believe Project is awarding $100 each day in December to a different person with a great idea for how to use the money to do a good deed for someone else. If you'd like the chance to help someone, submit your idea for consideration in 150 words or fewer at events.dailyherald.com/believe/.


US-Pres-Sum,100

Needed to win : 270 of the 538 electoral votes ( ev ) from the 50 states and the District @ @ @

US-Pres-Sum,100
Trump 74,223,755 - 47 percent
Has won 25 states with 232 ev.
Leads in 0 states with 0 ev.
Others 2,704,848 - 2 percent
Has won 0 states with 0 ev.
Leads in 0 states with 0 ev.
Needed to win: 270 of the 538 electoral votes (ev) from
the 50 states and the District of Columbia.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-12--Mother, son hurt in Ingleside fire improving

The conditions of a woman and her teenage son , injured in an Ingleside house fire Thursday night that killed two young girls , have improved .
Katie Evans was upgraded to serious but stable condition , according to Sgt .
Christopher Covelli , the public information officer for the Lake County sheriff 's department .
She remains at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood .
The two were injured in the fire that killed Katie Evans ' daughters , 8-year-old Elizabeth Evans and 5-year-old Autumn Evans .
Katie Evans ' parents , Scott and Dori Evans , remain in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her husband , Scott Prickett , was not home at the time .
A message from Prickett was posted late Friday on a Gofundme.com page started for the family .
`` Katie , Scott , and Dori are on breathing tubes because of the internal damage on their lungs from the smoke and heat , '' he wrote .
`` The tubes are in place to help clear out their lungs as well as keeping the air passage from possibly swelling shut .
They are all stable , but not completely out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a bit more severe and will require a bit longer to heal .
Katie is moderate .
We are hopeful for everyone to heal . ''
Fox Lake Fire Protection District had no new information Saturday about what caused the fire .
It was reported around 10:45 p.m. at a house on the 35700 block of North Hunt Avenue .
Katie Evans and her father were found outside .
Cory Evans escaped on his own , according to Covelli .
The grandmother was found inside , about 10 to 15 feet away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevented firefighters from reaching the girls , who died of smoke inhalation .
One girl was found upstairs in a hallway , the other in a bedroom .
`` I am not ready to talk about my precious girls because it hurts too much and I am trying to keep it together for my family , '' Prickett wrote .
`` I will truly grieve soon , but for now I must stay strong . ''
A Gofundme.com account started by a friend of the family had raised about $ 145,000 by Saturday @ @

Mother, son hurt in Ingleside fire improving
The Evans family celebrate Thanksgiving this year: Teig (last name Prickett), Scott, Jess, Randy, Dori, Autumn, Cory and Elizabeth. Elizabeth Evans, 8, and Autumn Evans, 5, were killed by a fire in their Ingleside house Thursday. Cory was released from the hospital Saturday. Scott and Dori remain hospitalized, along with the girls' mom Katie, not shown. Courtesy of Bridget Lavelle
This story has been upated to correct the name of Teig Prickett.
The conditions of a woman and her teenage son, injured in an Ingleside house fire Thursday night that killed two young girls, have improved.
Katie Evans was upgraded to serious but stable condition, according to Sgt. Christopher Covelli, the public information officer for the Lake County sheriff's department. She remains at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.
Cory Evans, 17, was released Saturday morning from Advocate Condell Medical Center.
The two were injured in the fire that killed Katie Evans' daughters, 8-year-old Elizabeth and 5-year-old Autumn.
Katie Evans' parents, Scott and Dori Evans, remain in critical but stable condition at Loyola.
Her husband, Teig Prickett, was not home at the time. A message from Prickett was posted late Friday on a GoFundMe.com page started for the family.
"Katie, Scott, and Dori are on breathing tubes because of the internal damage on their lungs from the smoke and heat," he wrote. "The tubes are in place to help clear out their lungs as well as keeping the air passage from possibly swelling shut. They are all stable, but not completely out of the woods.
"Scott and Dori are a bit more severe and will require a bit longer to heal. Katie is moderate. We are hopeful for everyone to heal."
An online fundraiser has been set up for the Evans family of Ingleside after the two girls, Autumn and Elizabeth Evans, were killed and their mother, Katie Evans, was seriously hurt and hospitalized. "I must stay strong," said a message posted from father Scott Prickett on the web page late Friday. -
Fox Lake Fire Protection District had no new information Saturday about what caused the fire. It was reported around 10:45 p.m. at the house on the 35700 block of North Hunt Avenue.
Katie Evans and her father were found outside. Cory Evans escaped on his own, according to Covelli.
The girls' grandmother was found inside, about 10 to 15 feet away from a door. Smoke and flames prevented firefighters from reaching the girls, who died of smoke inhalation.
One girl was found upstairs in a hallway, the other in a bedroom.
"I am not ready to talk about my precious girls because it hurts too much and I am trying to keep it together for my family," Prickett wrote. "I will truly grieve soon, but for now I must stay strong."
A GoFundMe page started by a friend of the family had raised about $145,000 by Saturday evening.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-12--COVID-19 cases, deaths continue to decline slightly in Illinois

The Illinois Department of Public Health Saturday reported 8,737 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease , including 127 @ @ @ @ @ were down a bit from the averages for the last week .
The deaths included @ @ @ @ @ , four from DuPage County , three from Kane County , three from Lake County @ @ @ @ @ .
IDPH is reporting a total of 841,688 cases , including 14,176 deaths .
Within @ @ @ @ @ laboratories have reported 126,888 specimens for a total of 11,713,184 .
As of Friday night @ @ @ @ @ reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19 , down 93 from Thursday .
Of @ @ @ @ @ in the ICU , down nine , and 627 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators @ @ @ @ @ preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total tests from Dec. 5-11 @ @ @ @ @ reflecting a continued decline .

COVID-19 cases, deaths continue to decline slightly in Illinois
The Illinois Department of Public Health Saturday reported 8,737 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease, including 127 additional deaths, numbers that were down a bit from the averages for the last week.
The deaths included 31 people from Cook County, four from DuPage County, three from Kane County, three from Lake County and eight from Will County.
IDPH is reporting a total of 841,688 cases, including 14,176 deaths. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 126,888 specimens for a total of 11,713,184. As of Friday night, 5,048 in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19, down 93 from Thursday. Of those, 1,072 patients were in the ICU, down nine, and 627 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators, down eight.
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total tests from Dec. 5-11 is 8.9%, also reflecting a continued decline.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-12--How some of suburbs' oldest cemeteries are seeing a renewal

Pioneer history is being revived in a busy area along Lake-Cook Road in Highland Park .
Just east of the Braeside train station and not far from Ravinia Festival where family sheep once grazed , dozens of gravestones in the pioneer Daggitt Cemetery have been righted , repaired and cleaned to look almost like new .
Previously illegible inscriptions can now be read .
Margaretha Rudolph 's stone , which had been broken into four pieces , was reassembled and positioned with her family .
The recently completed work has made a dramatic change at the 175-year-old final resting place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perspective on area history .
`` I think we really owe it to the people who come before us to honor their contributions , '' said Cindy Wolfson , a Moraine Township trustee who is overseeing the multiyear project .
Be it a renewed sense of place , the popularity of genealogical research at sites like findagrave.com or even cemetery walks , Daggitt is n't the only old burial ground benefiting from extra attention these days .
`` It is becoming apparent to so many that this history will be lost if something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Helen Wildermuth of Stonehugger Cemetery Restoration Inc .
The Nashville , Indiana-based firm has performed restoration work at Daggitt and other suburban cemeteries , including Hillside Cemetery in Palatine .
`` It 's history , '' explained Terry Kelly , Palatine Township assessor and chair of the township cemetery committee .
`` The founding fathers of Palatine are buried there .
It 's important . ''
Robert Daggitt was a carpenter and cabinet maker who came to the area from England with his family in 1837 .
He received a 160-acre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The country was a perfect wilderness , wild game of all kinds was abundant but the comforts of civilization were few and not easily accessible , '' according to a historical account of Lake County in 1891 .
Daggitt created a family cemetery on a half acre near his home after his 13-year old daughter , Ann , died of `` quick consumption '' or tuberculosis in 1845 .
`` He had nine children , '' Wolfson said .
`` Three of them died close together .
He buried them on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Neighbors asked to bury their loved ones nearby and Daggitt created family plots .
He donated grave sites for his neighbors ' use during an epidemic in the 1850s , which increased the number of burials .
`` I learned a lot about the people and the lifestyle and the hardships they faced , like the cholera epidemic , '' Wolfson said .
Daggitt 's holdings grew to as many as 3,000 acres , according to various accounts , including grounds of the present-day Ravinia Festival , where his sheep grazed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the people , '' Wolfson said .
`` Can you imagine , there was a stagecoach from Chicago to Milwaukee that ran right by here . ''
Today , the Green Bay Trail parallels the nearby railroad tracks .
Adjacent to the cemetery on St. Johns Avenue , Founders ' Park merges `` the many layers of history concentrated at this unique location , '' reads an inscription .
The stories of early settlers here and in other small cemeteries throughout the suburbs provide a sense of place and community .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in preserving our burial grounds , '' said John Heider , of Gravestone Repair in downstate Monticello .
`` They are outdoor museums that display the last physical symbols of people who lived in the area . ''
Heider previously worked on Fort Hill Cemetery near Round Lake , and in 2021 he plans on restoring more than 350 gravestones in Illinois , about 100 of them in the suburbs .
Last year , another certified professional who works primarily in the suburbs repaired between 350 and 400 grave markers , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daggitt Cemetery became unclear .
Like many other original family cemeteries , it became neglected , fell into disrepair and essentially was abandoned .
The city and park district maintained what had been known as Grace Cemetery until Deerfield ( now Moraine ) Township in 1996 replaced the fence , cleaned the property and rededicated it as Daggitt Cemetery .
When the renewal project began , the township instructed Stonehugger to `` do the worst ones first , '' Wolfson said .
The plan is to continue the work next summer .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take responsibility for abandoned cemeteries .
In Illinois , the Human Skeletal Remains Protection Act protects from disturbance all graves , grave markers and grave artifacts that are 100 years old and not in a cemetery registered with the Illinois Office of the Comptroller or the Illinois department of Financial & Professional Regulation .
Anyone who wants to probe or uncover , clean , repair or reset graves in unregistered cemeteries must secure a permit from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and people are strongly encouraged to take a cemetery preservation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permits have been issued for preservation projects in unregistered cemeteries in the past five years .

How some of suburbs' oldest cemeteries are seeing a renewal
Pioneer history is being revived in a busy area along Lake-Cook Road in Highland Park.
Just east of the Braeside train station and not far from Ravinia Festival where family sheep once grazed, dozens of gravestones in the pioneer Daggitt Cemetery have been righted, repaired and cleaned to look almost like new.
Previously illegible inscriptions can now be read. Margaretha Rudolph's stone, which had been broken into four pieces, was reassembled and positioned with her family.
The recently completed work has made a dramatic change at the 175-year-old final resting place for early settlers, providing a fresh perspective on area history.
"I think we really owe it to the people who come before us to honor their contributions," said Cindy Wolfson, a Moraine Township trustee who is overseeing the multiyear project.
Be it a renewed sense of place, the popularity of genealogical research at sites like findagrave.com or even cemetery walks, Daggitt isn't the only old burial ground benefiting from extra attention these days.
"It is becoming apparent to so many that this history will be lost if something isn't done to preserve it," said Helen Wildermuth of Stonehugger Cemetery Restoration Inc.
- Mark Welsh | Staff Photographer The headstone of a Civil War veteran who was a musician is among several that were cleaned and repaired as part of a multiyear plan to restore Daggitt Cemetery in Highland Park.
The Nashville, Indiana-based firm has performed restoration work at Daggitt and other suburban cemeteries, including Hillside Cemetery in Palatine.
"It's history," explained Terry Kelly, Palatine Township assessor and chair of the township cemetery committee. "The founding fathers of Palatine are buried there. It's important."
Robert Daggitt was a carpenter and cabinet maker who came to the area from England with his family in 1837. He received a 160-acre land grant in 1843, Wolfson said.
"The country was a perfect wilderness, wild game of all kinds was abundant but the comforts of civilization were few and not easily accessible," according to a historical account of Lake County in 1891.
Daggitt created a family cemetery on a half acre near his home after his 13-year old daughter, Ann, died of "quick consumption" or tuberculosis in 1845.
- Mark Welsh | Staff Photographer Daggitt Cemetery on Lake-Cook Road at St. Johns Avenue in Highland Park was established by Robert Daggitt as a family burial ground in 1845. The first phase of a project to clean, repair and reset markers has been completed.
"He had nine children," Wolfson said. "Three of them died close together. He buried them on a little knoll on his property."
Neighbors asked to bury their loved ones nearby and Daggitt created family plots. He donated grave sites for his neighbors' use during an epidemic in the 1850s, which increased the number of burials.
"I learned a lot about the people and the lifestyle and the hardships they faced, like the cholera epidemic," Wolfson said.
Daggitt's holdings grew to as many as 3,000 acres, according to various accounts, including grounds of the present-day Ravinia Festival, where his sheep grazed.
"You start thinking about the lives of the people," Wolfson said. "Can you imagine, there was a stagecoach from Chicago to Milwaukee that ran right by here."
Today, the Green Bay Trail parallels the nearby railroad tracks. Adjacent to the cemetery on St. Johns Avenue, Founders' Park merges "the many layers of history concentrated at this unique location," reads an inscription.
Dozens of grave markers at Daggitt Cemetery in Highland Park recently were righted, cleaned and repaired as part of a multiyear project to restore the pioneer cemetery established in 1845. The cemetery was established by Robert Daggitt, who came to this area from England in 1838 with his wife. They had nine children. - Courtesy of Moraine Township
The stories of early settlers here and in other small cemeteries throughout the suburbs provide a sense of place and community.
"Yes, there is a definite interest in preserving our burial grounds," said John Heider, of Gravestone Repair in downstate Monticello. "They are outdoor museums that display the last physical symbols of people who lived in the area."
Heider previously worked on Fort Hill Cemetery near Round Lake, and in 2021 he plans on restoring more than 350 gravestones in Illinois, about 100 of them in the suburbs. Last year, another certified professional who works primarily in the suburbs repaired between 350 and 400 grave markers, he said.
Over time, ownership of the Daggitt Cemetery became unclear. Like many other original family cemeteries, it became neglected, fell into disrepair and essentially was abandoned. The city and park district maintained what had been known as Grace Cemetery until Deerfield (now Moraine) Township in 1996 replaced the fence, cleaned the property and rededicated it as Daggitt Cemetery.
- Mark Welsh | Staff Photographer The grave marker for Margaretha Rudolph had been in several pieces before it was cleaned and repaired as part of a renewal project at Daggitt Cemetery in Highland Park.
When the renewal project began, the township instructed Stonehugger to "do the worst ones first," Wolfson said. The plan is to continue the work next summer.
A state law passed in 1986 requires townships to take responsibility for abandoned cemeteries.
In Illinois, the Human Skeletal Remains Protection Act protects from disturbance all graves, grave markers and grave artifacts that are 100 years old and not in a cemetery registered with the Illinois Office of the Comptroller or the Illinois department of Financial & Professional Regulation.
Anyone who wants to probe or uncover, clean, repair or reset graves in unregistered cemeteries must secure a permit from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and people are strongly encouraged to take a cemetery preservation workshop.
According to IDNR, 15 permits have been issued for preservation projects in unregistered cemeteries in the past five years.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-12--Constable: Pandemic brings us 'Honey, I shrunk the Holiday Housewalk'

With the 2020 pandemic scuttling the Mount Prospect Historical Society 's 33rd Annual Holiday Housewalk , the group is using a new idea and toys from the past to save its biggest fundraiser of the year .
`` It was my first idea , right out of the gate , '' says Emily Dattilo , 27 , a Mount Prospect native hired in July as the society 's new director .
Forced to scrap the idea of hordes of strangers paying $ 28 to take a December walking tour through historically significant homes in the village , she turned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` What if we did a tour of the dollhouses ? ''
she thought .
`` Virtual tours have become the norm for now , '' says Ed Johnson , 42 , a 14-year board member who happens to be a professional videographer .
His DroNation production company does virtual tours of houses for real estate agents .
But how do you do a `` walk-through '' of a dollhouse ?
`` I have this tiny little camera , '' Johnson says of his OSMO Pocket video camera .
`` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dollhouses .
I can get different angles other than what a human can see .
It 's as if you shrunk yourself and little you was taking a tour . ''
Placing the camera in any room of a dollhouse , Johnson can use his cellphone to control the camera 's gimbal and change the view as if he were turning his head .
`` It feels like you 're stepping into the dollhouse .
You can see their Christmas trees .
You can see the pictures on the wall , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The view of the only private dollhouse among the six in this year 's tour is one original owner Judy Henjaeger never envisioned when she caught the dollhouse bug as a 10-year-old girl during a 1945 trip to Chicago with her parents , Joe and Alice Connelly .
The elaborate Fairy Castle dollhouse , created by actress Colleen Moore and now a permanent attraction at the Museum of Science and Industry , was on display in the windows of Marshall Field 's , and led to a dollhouse under the family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , '' says Henjaeger , who was an only child .
`` Then it stayed packed up for a long time until my girls were 10 and played with it . ''
She and her husband , Bob , let daughters Julie and Nancy play with the dollhouse , and sometimes repel assaults from their brother John 's G.I .
Joe , until they outgrew it and packed it away .
When Julie and Joel Michalik 's daughter Magen turned 10 , the house came out of wraps again until Magen grew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , Magen Pignataro 's daughters Holly , 12 , and Leah , 9 , can occupy the dollhouse .
`` Each time it comes out , it 's pretty cool , '' says Henjaeger , now 85 .
`` I really never thought I 'd be seeing it again . ''
As is the case for many full-size houses in Mount Prospect , every generation made changes , such as painting the walls a different color , adding carpeting or updating the furniture , Julie Michalik says .
The 1924 English @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live was part of the Holiday Housewalk in 2018 and retains its original look .
The couple worked to restore the dollhouse to the way it looked 75 years ago .
`` I learned more than I thought I would about miniaturists , '' Julie Michalik says .
She made tiny copies of photographs of her grandparents and parents to hang above the dollhouse 's fireplace .
There is a plate of tiny cookies waiting for Santa , a 1940s-era desk with an old telephone and elaborate Christmas decorations , including a Christmas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took Michalik eight hours to make .
Another dollhouse on the virtual tour is the Atwood Manor built by the late Margie Atwood as a replica of the Mount Prospect house where she had lived since 1942 .
It includes an elaborate staircase , wood molding , wallpaper , electric lighting , and a hand-sewn , pink silk bedspread .
A dollhouse built in 1932 features plenty of wood , including an unusual red living-room set in Art Deco style .
The 21st Century House , donated in 2000 by Shirley and Bud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toy but as a work of art .
The Chalet House , donated by the Walgreens on the southeast corner of Kensington and Wolf roads , is a stylish , brightly colored mid-20th-century toy that required parents to assemble the fiberboard house with included nuts and bolts .
The oldest house in the collection is the Edwardian Eclectic Dollhouse built out of mahogany in 1905 by Charles Semft as a Christmas present for his granddaughter Erns Keller , with intricate furnishings crafted by hand .
But it also has a twist from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and accessories from `` The Sunshine Family '' dollhouse by Mattel .
`` The last kid to play with it left the Sunshine Family in there , '' Dattilo says .
`` That 's what 's so cool about this .
The dollhouses span the century .
The dollhouses are very distinct . ''
The tour is sponsored by local Realtors Bill Farrell of ReMax Suburban , Jim Regan of ReMax Suburban , Judith Muniz of Habloft , Laura Parisi and Kelly Janowiak of @ Properties , Mary O'Malley of @ Properties , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fence Realty .
Johnson shot all the footage and spent another 20 hours editing it into a show that includes old photographs and stories about the times when the houses were built , and their unique features .
For $ 10 , a household can view the dollhouses online from Dec. 15 to Feb. 15 .
For information and tickets , visit the mtphist.org website .
It 's a tour that might prove as fascinating as the regular house tours , especially given that you can watch it anywhere , without having to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or fight the cold and nasty weather .
Seeing the video tour of the dollhouse she played with 75 years ago is a thrill for Henjaeger , who still lives in Mount Prospect with her husband .
`` I really never thought I 'd be seeing it again , '' she says .
`` I hope it goes on for more generations .
We love it . ''

Constable: Pandemic brings us 'Honey, I shrunk the Holiday Housewalk'
With the pandemic scuttling the Mount Prospect Historical Society's annual Holiday Housewalk fundraiser, director Emily Dattilo came up with the idea of giving patrons a virtual tour of six historic dollhouses. Courtesy of Mount Prospect Historical Society
Note: This column has been updated to correct the spelling of Judy Hasenjaeger's name.
With the 2020 pandemic scuttling the Mount Prospect Historical Society's 33rd Annual Holiday Housewalk, the group is using a new idea and toys from the past to save its biggest fundraiser of the year.
"It was my first idea, right out of the gate," says Emily Dattilo, 27, a Mount Prospect native hired in July as the society's new director. Forced to scrap the idea of hordes of strangers paying $28 to take a December walking tour through historically significant homes in the village, she turned to the society's collection of antique dollhouses.
"What if we did a tour of the dollhouses?" she thought.
"Virtual tours have become the norm for now," says Ed Johnson, 42, a 14-year board member who happens to be a professional videographer. His DroNation production company does virtual tours of houses for real estate agents. But how do you do a "walk-through" of a dollhouse?
"I have this tiny little camera," Johnson says of his OSMO Pocket video camera. "It's literally the size of the dolls in the dollhouses. I can get different angles other than what a human can see. It's as if you shrunk yourself and little you was taking a tour."
Using a tiny camera, professional videographer Ed Johnson takes patrons on "walk-throughs" of six historic dollhouses in the Mount Prospect Historical Society's 33rd Annual Holiday Housewalk fundraiser. - Courtesy of Ed Johnson, Mount Prospect Historical Society
Placing the camera in any room of a dollhouse, Johnson can use his cellphone to control the camera's gimbal and change the view as if he were turning his head.
"It feels like you're stepping into the dollhouse. You can see their Christmas trees. You can see the pictures on the wall," Dattilo says. "It's amazing."
The view of the only private dollhouse among the six in this year's tour is one original owner Judy Hasenjaeger never envisioned when she caught the dollhouse bug as a 10-year-old girl during a 1945 trip to Chicago with her parents, Joe and Alice Connelly. The elaborate Fairy Castle dollhouse, created by actress Colleen Moore and now a permanent attraction at the Museum of Science and Industry, was on display in the windows of Marshall Field's, and led to a dollhouse under the family tree.
"I had five good years," says Hasenjaeger, who was an only child. "Then it stayed packed up for a long time until my girls were 10 and played with it."
The dollhouse Judy Hasenjaeger, 85, played with as a girl in 1945 was put in storage until her daughters, including Julie Michalik seen here, were old enough to play with it. The dollhouse now is being put to use by a fourth generation of kids. - Courtesy of Mount Prospect Historical Society
She and her husband, Bob, let daughters Julie and Nancy play with the dollhouse, and sometimes repel assaults from their brother John's G.I. Joe, until they outgrew it and packed it away. When Julie and Joel Michalik's daughter Magen turned 10, the house came out of wraps again until Magen grew older and the house went into storage. Now, Magen Pignataro's daughters Holly, 12, and Leah, 9, can occupy the dollhouse.
"Each time it comes out, it's pretty cool," says Hasenjaeger, now 85. "I really never thought I'd be seeing it again."
As is the case for many full-size houses in Mount Prospect, every generation made changes, such as painting the walls a different color, adding carpeting or updating the furniture, Julie Michalik says. The 1924 English Tudor house where she and her husband live was part of the Holiday Housewalk in 2018 and retains its original look. The couple worked to restore the dollhouse to the way it looked 75 years ago.
A Christmas present to her mom 75 years ago, this dollhouse renovated by Julie and Joel Michalik of Mount Prospect now is on its fourth generation with the family. - Courtesy of Mount Prospect Historical Society
"I learned more than I thought I would about miniaturists," Julie Michalik says.
She made tiny copies of photographs of her grandparents and parents to hang above the dollhouse's fireplace. There is a plate of tiny cookies waiting for Santa, a 1940s-era desk with an old telephone and elaborate Christmas decorations, including a Christmas tree sporting a tiny paper chain that took Michalik eight hours to make.
Another dollhouse on the virtual tour is the Atwood Manor built by the late Margie Atwood as a replica of the Mount Prospect house where she had lived since 1942. It includes an elaborate staircase, wood molding, wallpaper, electric lighting, and a hand-sewn, pink silk bedspread.
A dollhouse built in 1932 features plenty of wood, including an unusual red living-room set in Art Deco style.
The 21st Century House, donated in 2000 by Shirley and Bud Budris, wasn't meant as a toy but as a work of art.
By using a tiny camera, Mount Prospect Historical Society board member Ed Johnson is able to show the miniature fixings inside of dollhouses in great detail. - Courtesy of Ed Johnson, Mount Prospect Historical Society
The Chalet House, donated by the Walgreens on the southeast corner of Kensington and Wolf roads, is a stylish, brightly colored mid-20th-century toy that required parents to assemble the fiberboard house with included nuts and bolts.
The oldest house in the collection is the Edwardian Eclectic Dollhouse built out of mahogany in 1905 by Charles Semft as a Christmas present for his granddaughter Erns Keller, with intricate furnishings crafted by hand. But it also has a twist from the 1970s, with rainbow wallpaper and dolls and accessories from "The Sunshine Family" dollhouse by Mattel.
"The last kid to play with it left the Sunshine Family in there," Dattilo says. "That's what's so cool about this. The dollhouses span the century. The dollhouses are very distinct."
The tour is sponsored by local Realtors Bill Farrell of ReMax Suburban, Jim Regan of ReMax Suburban, Judith Muniz of Habloft, Laura Parisi and Kelly Janowiak of @Properties, Mary O'Malley of @Properties, and Tom and Mary Zander of Picket Fence Realty. Johnson shot all the footage and spent another 20 hours editing it into a show that includes old photographs and stories about the times when the houses were built, and their unique features.
When the pandemic canceled its annual Holiday Housewalk, the Mount Prospect Historical Society brought the event down to size by creating a video "walk-through" of six antique dollhouses. - Courtesy of Ed Johnson, Mount Prospect Historical Society
For $10, a household can view the dollhouses online from Dec. 15 to Feb. 15. For information and tickets, visit the mtphist.org website.
It's a tour that might prove as fascinating as the regular house tours, especially given that you can watch it anywhere, without having to wear a mask, stand in line, or fight the cold and nasty weather. Seeing the video tour of the dollhouse she played with 75 years ago is a thrill for Hasenjaeger, who still lives in Mount Prospect with her husband.
"I really never thought I'd be seeing it again," she says. "I hope it goes on for more generations. We love it."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-12--How full have suburban hospitals become?

More than a third of the state 's 171 short-term care and critical access hospitals have reported at least one week where 80 % or more of the hospital 's staffed inpatient adult beds were occupied .
That includes at least nine suburban hospitals , most of which reported several weeks where the average portion of those beds in use was above 80 % , according to a nationwide report released this week by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services .
The report tracks hospital occupancy and COVID-19 caseloads for 18 weeks between July 31 and Nov. 27 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beds available , which in many cases is less than the total number of beds in the hospital .
Some hospitals did not have complete figures for all 18 weeks .
Illinois public health officials monitor hospital occupancy regionally to determine if COVID-19 mitigation restrictions should be implemented .
If hospital bed occupancy exceeds 80 % in a region , that could trigger those restrictions on business operations and social gathering sizes .
Aurora 's Rush Copley Medical Center reported 17 weeks where the hospital 's occupancy of adult inpatient beds exceeded 80 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Edward Hospital in Naperville for 13 weeks and for 12 weeks at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan , according to the federal report .
While the numbers appear alarming , Edward Hospital President and CEO Joseph Dant said hospital administrators were ready to handle the current surge .
Edward has about 120 more beds that are n't consistently staffed even at the hospital 's peak occupancy , such as during the first week of November when administrators reported an average of nearly 95 % of the adult inpatient beds were occupied , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ averaged 77 COVID-19 patients a day that week , less than a quarter of the hospital 's daily average of total patients for the week .
`` The other trigger we could have pulled before going into overflow space was slowing down or stopping our elective services , '' Dant said .
`` We 've refined our plan since the initial spring surge because we learned a few things that would help us get ready for the late fall/early winter surge . ''
Other suburban hospitals that reported weeks where adult inpatient bed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GlenOaks in Glendale Heights , Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville , Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village , Elmhurst Hospital , Lake Behavioral Hospital in Waukegan and St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates .
None of the hospitals -- except Lake Behavioral , which at times was treating all 60 patients for the virus -- reported a weekly average COVID-19 patient load of more than 45 % during the 18 weeks , according to the HHS report .
Among the 63 hospitals across Illinois where the average inpatient bed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , 16 reported that was the case for more than half the 18-week period included in the HHS report .
Only five hospitals -- the University of Chicago Medical Center , Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood , MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn , Loyola Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park and St. John 's Hospital in Springfield -- reported all 18 weeks of averaging more than 80 % of adult inpatient beds in use .
State health officials also monitor capacity issues at each hospital 's intensive care units to determine if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep an eye on bed availability to make sure an entire region does n't run out of available ICU beds , which are much fewer than standard inpatient hospital beds .
`` There 's already an internal system , if you will , between hospitals where if there is a need to transfer to one provider , one doctor talks to a doctor at another hospital and arranges for a transfer , '' said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike .
`` So fortunately we have not gotten in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a region . ''
Six suburban hospitals reported weekly ICU capacity at or above 80 % at least twice during the 18-week span , according to the HHS report .
Alexian Brothers in Elk Grove Village reported the hospital 's ICU beds were occupied more than 80 % of the time in 12 of the 18 weeks .
However , Alexian Brothers also reported not all ICU beds were being staffed each day and administrators could add more ICU beds if the hospital experienced a surge of critical patients .
Adventist GlenOaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ St. Alexius and Presence Mercy Medical Center in Aurora also reported average weekly ICU capacity at 80 % or more during that time frame .

How full have suburban hospitals become?
More than a third of the state's 171 short-term care and critical access hospitals have reported at least one week where 80% or more of the hospital's staffed inpatient adult beds were occupied.
That includes at least nine suburban hospitals, most of which reported several weeks where the average portion of those beds in use was above 80%, according to a nationwide report released this week by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The report tracks hospital occupancy and COVID-19 caseloads for 18 weeks between July 31 and Nov. 27. It tracks the number of staffed beds available, which in many cases is less than the total number of beds in the hospital. Some hospitals did not have complete figures for all 18 weeks.
Illinois public health officials monitor hospital occupancy regionally to determine if COVID-19 mitigation restrictions should be implemented. If hospital bed occupancy exceeds 80% in a region, that could trigger those restrictions on business operations and social gathering sizes.
Aurora's Rush Copley Medical Center reported 17 weeks where the hospital's occupancy of adult inpatient beds exceeded 80%. That was the case at Edward Hospital in Naperville for 13 weeks and for 12 weeks at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, according to the federal report.
While the numbers appear alarming, Edward Hospital President and CEO Joseph Dant said hospital administrators were ready to handle the current surge.
Edward has about 120 more beds that aren't consistently staffed even at the hospital's peak occupancy, such as during the first week of November when administrators reported an average of nearly 95% of the adult inpatient beds were occupied, according to the HHS report.
Edward averaged 77 COVID-19 patients a day that week, less than a quarter of the hospital's daily average of total patients for the week.
"The other trigger we could have pulled before going into overflow space was slowing down or stopping our elective services," Dant said. "We've refined our plan since the initial spring surge because we learned a few things that would help us get ready for the late fall/early winter surge."
Other suburban hospitals that reported weeks where adult inpatient bed occupancy rates exceeded 80% were Adventist GlenOaks in Glendale Heights, Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst Hospital, Lake Behavioral Hospital in Waukegan and St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates.
None of the hospitals -- except Lake Behavioral, which at times was treating all 60 patients for the virus -- reported a weekly average COVID-19 patient load of more than 45% during the 18 weeks, according to the HHS report.
Among the 63 hospitals across Illinois where the average inpatient bed occupancy rate exceeded 80% for the week, 16 reported that was the case for more than half the 18-week period included in the HHS report.
Only five hospitals -- the University of Chicago Medical Center, Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, Loyola Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park and St. John's Hospital in Springfield -- reported all 18 weeks of averaging more than 80% of adult inpatient beds in use.
State health officials also monitor capacity issues at each hospital's intensive care units to determine if mitigation restrictions are necessary. And they keep an eye on bed availability to make sure an entire region doesn't run out of available ICU beds, which are much fewer than standard inpatient hospital beds.
"There's already an internal system, if you will, between hospitals where if there is a need to transfer to one provider, one doctor talks to a doctor at another hospital and arranges for a transfer," said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. "So fortunately we have not gotten in a situation where there are no beds available in a region."
Six suburban hospitals reported weekly ICU capacity at or above 80% at least twice during the 18-week span, according to the HHS report.
Alexian Brothers in Elk Grove Village reported the hospital's ICU beds were occupied more than 80% of the time in 12 of the 18 weeks. However, Alexian Brothers also reported not all ICU beds were being staffed each day and administrators could add more ICU beds if the hospital experienced a surge of critical patients.
Adventist GlenOaks, Advocate Condell, Rush Copley, St. Alexius and Presence Mercy Medical Center in Aurora also reported average weekly ICU capacity at 80% or more during that time frame.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-12--COVID-19 case counts per county, ZIP code as of Dec. 11

There have been 358,658 COVID-19 cases in the suburbs as of Friday .
That 's 43 % of the state 's total , according to the Illinois Department of Public Health .
There have been 6,003 deaths in the suburbs , which is 42.7 % of all COVID-19 deaths in Illinois .
Cook County • As of Friday , suburban Cook County had 165,009 cases and 3,220 deaths , according to the state .
In Chicago : 180,995 cases and 3,750 fatalities .
• Top suburb case counts as of Friday from Cook County 's health department and the medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 144 deaths in Des Plaines , 4,053 cases and 44 deaths in Palatine , 3,758 cases and 84 deaths in Arlington Heights , 3,609 cases and 35 deaths in Schaumburg , 3,130 cases and 43 deaths in Streamwood , 2,942 cases and 28 deaths in Mount Prospect , 2,684 cases and 39 deaths in Hoffman Estates , 2,627 cases and 93 deaths in Wheeling , 2,602 cases and 67 deaths in Glenview , 1,883 cases and 78 deaths in Northbrook , 1,829 cases and 23 deaths in Hanover Park ( Cook County portion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Elk Grove Village , 1,679 cases and 36 deaths in Rolling Meadows , 913 cases and 11 deaths in Prospect Heights , 667 cases and 26 deaths in Buffalo Grove ( Cook County portion ) .
• As of Friday , DuPage County had 53,456 cases and 837 deaths , according to the state .
The DuPage County Health Department has slowed its daily reporting , blaming a data processing issue on the state .
• Top counts as of Thursday , according to the county : 4,407 cases and 79 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 3,292 cases and 26 deaths in Addison , 2,924 cases and 26 deaths in West Chicago , 2,780 cases and 36 deaths in Carol Stream , 2,732 cases and 35 deaths in Wheaton , 2,669 cases and 35 deaths in Lombard , 2,635 cases and 17 deaths in Glendale Heights , 2,608 cases and 51 deaths in Elmhurst , 2,094 cases and 16 deaths in Aurora ( DuPage County portion ) , 1,947 cases and 15 deaths in Glen Ellyn , 1,694 cases and 25 deaths in Bensenville , 1,570 cases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,354 cases and 13 deaths in Hanover Park ( DuPage County portion ) .
Lake County • 42,410 cases with 668 deaths as of Friday on the IDPH website .
The Lake County Health Department has slowed its daily reporting , blaming a data processing issue on the state .
The county is no longer reporting total case counts by municipality.Kane County • 36,193 cases with 485 deaths as of Friday on the IDPH website .
• Most recent top counts posted on the county website as of Friday : 11,148 in Aurora @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Elgin ( Kane County portion ) , 3,455 in St. Charles , 3,063 in Carpentersville , 1,785 in South Elgin , 1,561 in Geneva , 1,358 in Batavia , 604 in Hampshire , 568 in Sugar Grove , 447 in Gilberts , 411 in Algonquin ( Kane County portion ) .
McHenry County • 16,227 cases and 176 deaths as of Friday , according to the IDPH website .
Will County • 45,363 cases and 617 deaths reported , according to the IDPH website Friday .

COVID-19 case counts per county, ZIP code as of Dec. 11
Interactive mapSuburbs' portion
There have been 358,658 COVID-19 cases in the suburbs as of Friday. That's 43% of the state's total, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. There have been 6,003 deaths in the suburbs, which is 42.7% of all COVID-19 deaths in Illinois.
Cook County• As of Friday, suburban Cook County had 165,009 cases and 3,220 deaths, according to the state. In Chicago: 180,995 cases and 3,750 fatalities.
• Top suburb case counts as of Friday from Cook County's health department and the medical examiner's office: 5,871 cases and 144 deaths in Des Plaines, 4,053 cases and 44 deaths in Palatine, 3,758 cases and 84 deaths in Arlington Heights, 3,609 cases and 35 deaths in Schaumburg, 3,130 cases and 43 deaths in Streamwood, 2,942 cases and 28 deaths in Mount Prospect, 2,684 cases and 39 deaths in Hoffman Estates, 2,627 cases and 93 deaths in Wheeling, 2,602 cases and 67 deaths in Glenview, 1,883 cases and 78 deaths in Northbrook, 1,829 cases and 23 deaths in Hanover Park (Cook County portion), 1,817 cases and 54 deaths in Elk Grove Village, 1,679 cases and 36 deaths in Rolling Meadows, 913 cases and 11 deaths in Prospect Heights, 667 cases and 26 deaths in Buffalo Grove (Cook County portion).
DuPage County
• As of Friday, DuPage County had 53,456 cases and 837 deaths, according to the state. The DuPage County Health Department has slowed its daily reporting, blaming a data processing issue on the state.
• Top counts as of Thursday, according to the county: 4,407 cases and 79 deaths in Naperville (DuPage County portion), 3,292 cases and 26 deaths in Addison, 2,924 cases and 26 deaths in West Chicago, 2,780 cases and 36 deaths in Carol Stream, 2,732 cases and 35 deaths in Wheaton, 2,669 cases and 35 deaths in Lombard, 2,635 cases and 17 deaths in Glendale Heights, 2,608 cases and 51 deaths in Elmhurst, 2,094 cases and 16 deaths in Aurora (DuPage County portion), 1,947 cases and 15 deaths in Glen Ellyn, 1,694 cases and 25 deaths in Bensenville, 1,570 cases and 11 deaths in Villa Park, and 1,354 cases and 13 deaths in Hanover Park (DuPage County portion).
Lake County • 42,410 cases with 668 deaths as of Friday on the IDPH website. The Lake County Health Department has slowed its daily reporting, blaming a data processing issue on the state. The county is no longer reporting total case counts by municipality.Kane County • 36,193 cases with 485 deaths as of Friday on the IDPH website. • Most recent top counts posted on the county website as of Friday: 11,148 in Aurora (Kane County portion), 7,237 in Elgin (Kane County portion), 3,455 in St. Charles, 3,063 in Carpentersville, 1,785 in South Elgin, 1,561 in Geneva, 1,358 in Batavia, 604 in Hampshire, 568 in Sugar Grove, 447 in Gilberts, 411 in Algonquin (Kane County portion).
McHenry County• 16,227 cases and 176 deaths as of Friday, according to the IDPH website. Will County• 45,363 cases and 617 deaths reported, according to the IDPH website Friday.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-12--Aurora man charged with strangling woman to death

An Aurora man has been charged with first-degree murder , accused of strangling a woman to death Wednesday .
Bail @ @ @ @ @ million Saturday for Getzuri Arellano , 21 .
Authorities allege he strangled 20-year-old Natalie Jimenez @ @ @ @ @ argument .
If convicted , he faces a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison @ @ @ @ @ 1100 block of Indian Avenue .
No further details on the crime were immediately available @

Aurora man charged with strangling woman
An Aurora man has been charged with first-degree murder, accused of strangling a woman Wednesday.
Bail was set at $3 million Saturday for Getzuri Arellano, 21.
Authorities allege he strangled 20-year-old Natalie Jimenez of Aurora, during an argument.
Arellano's next court appearance is Dec. 18.
If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Arellano lives in the 1100 block of Indian Avenue.
No further details on the crime were immediately available.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-12--Mundelein veteran, 80, produces newsletter to help other vets

Vietnam War veteran Allan Ayers of Mundelein has been busy in his efforts to help other veterans for nearly a decade .
Ayers recently joined the board of the Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County , even though the former Marine turned 80 in November .
And for the past six years , Ayers has been churning out the organization 's monthly online newsletter for upward of 2,500 veterans .
`` ( Ayers ' ) newsletter is not just read in the county , but it 's read in Springfield and Chicago , '' said Michael Peck , vice chair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Advisory Council .
`` It provides the latest information on what 's happening with veterans ' benefits . ''
Ayers is also on the board of the Allen J. Lynch Medal of Honor Veterans Foundation .
The Gurnee-based nonprofit 's mission is to provide assistance to veterans and service members through financial support via grants for other veterans service organizations .
`` I 've known Allan for several years and have been continuously amazed at his energy in volunteering , '' said Allen J. Lynch , president of the foundation .
`` Allan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of war , but has continued to serve since being separated from the United States Marine Corps .
I 'm proud to call Allan a friend . ''
Lynch complimented Ayers for also volunteering his time in retirement as an AARP tax aide and with the Northern Illinois Food Bank .
And in non-coronavirus times , Ayers said he enjoys volunteering as a tour guide for the Chicago Greeter and Open House Chicago programs .
`` I 'm kind of reaching the point where I 'm giving as much as I can give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think I have the right to slow down a little bit . ''
Ayers said he has felt a drive to give back to the community throughout his life .
Ayers mentioned mentoring high school students from Chicago 's West Side and volunteering with Willow Creek Community Church 's Public Action to Deliver Shelter ( PADS ) program for two decades .
But Ayers initially had a reluctance to get involved with veterans organizations .
Ayers credits it to his relatively cushy experience during the Vietnam War , where he had an office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply depot .
The only time Ayers said he felt in harm 's way was one weekend when rockets were fired at the base .
`` At a gut level , I do n't feel like I was in the same Vietnam as the combat warriors , '' Ayers said .
`` One of the reasons I choose most of the time to do the backroom volunteer stuff is because I do n't feel I 'm qualified to do the peer-to-peer work because I did n't have the same experience . ''
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteer work on behalf of veterans has been vital and helpful .
Lynch highlighted Ayers ' volunteer work with McHenry-based TLS Veterans ( Transitional Living Services ) , a nonprofit that assists veterans to find employment , housing and other services .
And Peck praised Ayers ' newsletter for its timeliness .
For example , Peck said Ayers recently featured a news item that found that veterans who die from COVID-19 sometimes do not have their military service listed on their death certificates .
That can complicate family survivors receiving benefits .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communicator , '' Peck said .
`` The time and effort that Allan puts into his monthly newsletter for the Veterans Assistance Commission provides veterans and veterans ' families with the information needed to understand the veterans system . ''

Mundelein veteran, 80, produces newsletter to help other vets
Vietnam veteran Allan Ayers paid respect to his late friend and fellow service member, Alfred Lyon, in Arlington National Cemetery as part of a 2018 Honor Flight. Courtesy of Allan Ayers
Vietnam War veteran Allan Ayers of Mundelein is responsible for the Lake County Veterans Assistance Commission's online newsletter and joined its board in November of 2020.
Veterans Allan Ayers, right, and Allen Lynch took part in a 2018 Honor Flight to Washington, D. C., to see war memorials and to visit Arlington National Cemetery. Courtesy of Allan Ayers
Vietnam War veteran Allan Ayers of Mundelein has been busy in his efforts to help other veterans for nearly a decade.
Ayers recently joined the board of the Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County, even though the former Marine turned 80 in November. And for the past six years, Ayers has been churning out the organization's monthly online newsletter for upward of 2,500 veterans.
"(Ayers') newsletter is not just read in the county, but it's read in Springfield and Chicago," said Michael Peck, vice chair of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Council. "It provides the latest information on what's happening with veterans' benefits."
Ayers is also on the board of the Allen J. Lynch Medal of Honor Veterans Foundation. The Gurnee-based nonprofit's mission is to provide assistance to veterans and service members through financial support via grants for other veterans service organizations.
"I've known Allan for several years and have been continuously amazed at his energy in volunteering," said Allen J. Lynch, president of the foundation. "Allan served not only his country in time of war, but has continued to serve since being separated from the United States Marine Corps. I'm proud to call Allan a friend."
Lynch complimented Ayers for also volunteering his time in retirement as an AARP tax aide and with the Northern Illinois Food Bank. And in non-coronavirus times, Ayers said he enjoys volunteering as a tour guide for the Chicago Greeter and Open House Chicago programs.
"I'm kind of reaching the point where I'm giving as much as I can give," Ayers said. "I think I have the right to slow down a little bit."
Ayers said he has felt a drive to give back to the community throughout his life. Ayers mentioned mentoring high school students from Chicago's West Side and volunteering with Willow Creek Community Church's Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) program for two decades.
But Ayers initially had a reluctance to get involved with veterans organizations. Ayers credits it to his relatively cushy experience during the Vietnam War, where he had an office job as a computer specialist at a supply depot. The only time Ayers said he felt in harm's way was one weekend when rockets were fired at the base.
"At a gut level, I don't feel like I was in the same Vietnam as the combat warriors," Ayers said. "One of the reasons I choose most of the time to do the backroom volunteer stuff is because I don't feel I'm qualified to do the peer-to-peer work because I didn't have the same experience."
But Lynch and Peck said that Ayers' volunteer work on behalf of veterans has been vital and helpful.
Lynch highlighted Ayers' volunteer work with McHenry-based TLS Veterans (Transitional Living Services), a nonprofit that assists veterans to find employment, housing and other services.
And Peck praised Ayers' newsletter for its timeliness. For example, Peck said Ayers recently featured a news item that found that veterans who die from COVID-19 sometimes do not have their military service listed on their death certificates. That can complicate family survivors receiving benefits.
"Allan is Lake County's great veterans communicator," Peck said. "The time and effort that Allan puts into his monthly newsletter for the Veterans Assistance Commission provides veterans and veterans' families with the information needed to understand the veterans system."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-12--Tell us about your favorite suburban landmark that's no longer around

The Daily Herald is putting together a special magazine called `` Remember When '' that takes a nostalgic look at the variety of suburban institutions -- restaurants , stores , music venues , entertainment centers and more -- that are no longer here .
From my childhood in Arlington Heights , I fondly remember dining at Hans Bavarian Lodge in Wheeling .
We did most of our shopping at Crawford 's department store in Rolling Meadows .
I 'd get lost among the bolts in Hagenbring 's , the fabric store in Arlington Heights where my mother bought stuff with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learned how cider is made at Bell 's Apple Orchard in Lake Zurich , and we often ate breakfast at the Golden Bear in Buffalo Grove .
I attended summer concerts after high school at Poplar Creek Music Theater in Hoffman Estates and bought my vinyl at Laury 's Discount Records .
I 've outlived all of these suburban icons .
I bet there are many places in the suburbs you remember fondly and wish you could visit again .
Here is your chance to tell the rest of us about it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal memory of one of your favorite suburban landmarks that no longer exists .
Tell us why it was important to you -- whether you were a customer , employee , congregant or a fan -- and include a photo of yours we can use .
Please limit your remembrance to 300 words and make sure you email your photo to us in the largest file possible .
Include the name of the photographer and some info about who is doing what in the photo .
Do n't have a picture ?
Do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We 'll consider all submissions before Jan. 15 .
Just email it to rememberwhen @ dailyherald.com .
Stay well .
And thanks for reading .

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dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-12--U-46 mentorship program for Black boys aims to create leaders

A mentorship program initially targeting youth in the Elgin community has shifted its focus toward helping African American boys develop leadership skills .
Brothers Rise Up now provides mentoring and support to 130 Black male students in third through ninth grades across 17 Elgin Area School District U-46 schools .
The program focuses on monitoring and improving students ' academic performance , attendance and behavior and offers a curriculum emphasizing character development , social skills , leadership and career development .
The goal is to help Black male students achieve their goals , improve their future prospects and provide a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Jim Cook , a dean 's assistant at Kenyon Woods Middle School who founded the program in 2019 as part of the nonprofit Midwest Sports Academy .
`` They always can strive to be better , and just because of the environment you 're in , that does n't mean that 's the person you 're going to end up being , '' Cook said .
Before the pandemic , Cook would bring in guest speakers , including local entrepreneurs , community and corporate leaders and lead visits to colleges and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtually every week via Zoom .
Students who graduate from the program are asked to give back and become `` champions of character '' by mentoring younger students , he added .
College of Lake County freshman Asharia Harris is among roughly two dozen recipients of the Peter R. Marsh Foundation Student Silent Servant Award .
Students are nominated by a mentor or teacher for the award , which recognizes selfless service to others in the community .
`` Asharia was a natural fit for the scholarship because of the years of volunteerism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she contributed , '' said Sharon Sanders-Funnye , CLC director of student recruitment and onboarding and the TRiO Educational Talent Search program .
Harris volunteered with Aid to Haiti , Africare , Shiloh 's PADS Shelter , Northern Illinois Food Bank , National Association for Mental Illness and the Lambda Nu Omega chapter of AKA Sorority Inc. '' It was an honor to receive this scholarship , '' said Harris , a Warren Township High School graduate studying psychology at CLC .
`` It just shows community service and volunteerism is such an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Illinois Community College Board has granted $ 18.7 million to 17 community colleges statewide to help address education and unemployment gaps in the African American and other minority communities .
The funding goes to colleges serving larger Black student populations , including the College of Lake County in Grayslake , which will receive $ 1.1 million .
Under Illinois ' Workforce Equity Initiative , now in its second year , grant funding helped 1,840 students -- 78 % Black -- enroll in the spring of 2020 .
Participating colleges can use the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career pathway programs primarily in five high-demand employment sectors -- health care , manufacturing and construction , transportation , information technology and emergency services .
`` We know there is great demand for accelerated occupational training programs like the ones offered through the Workforce Equity Initiative , '' ICCB Executive Director Brian Durham said .
`` This money will support so many African American Illinoisans by not only providing free training programs that will turn into solid paying jobs but also by providing a wide range of wraparound services to address basic needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An Illinois Community College Board report found minorities , particularly Blacks , were underrepresented among career and technical education program graduates .
In 2019 , minorities made up 37 % and Blacks 12 % of all CTE course completers .
The report highlighted the need to fund a targeted initiative promoting workforce equity .
Oakton Community College in Des Plaines and the YWCA Evanston/North Shore are partnering to provide free web development classes for disadvantaged women .
The 12-week program will be taught virtually by Oakton instructors starting Jan. 4 .
Participants will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pages .
The curriculum is based on Oakton 's Web page development course .
`` This program is designed to prepare graduates for entry-level web developer positions , '' said Bob Sompolski , Oakton dean of STEM and health careers .
Sompolski said women represented more than 50 % of Oakton 's enrollment in the fall of 2019 , but under 40 % of science , technology , engineering and math majors .
`` There are not enough women engaged in trying to make careers out of these areas , '' he added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of YWCA 's YWeb Academy , whose programs are open to the public and provide digital skills ' training to underrepresented or vulnerable populations , such as women of color , domestic violence survivors and low-wage earners .
About 25 students are expected to enroll for the first session and another 12-week session will be offered in April , said Shannon Callahan , YWCA Evanston/North Shore women 's leadership and economic advancement director .
`` For us at the YWCA , our mission is to eliminate racism and empower women , '' Callahan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focused on helping women of color `` rise up '' and close the gap in representation .
Chicago-area immigrant youths seeking to pursue a college education can apply for scholarships for the 2021-2022 academic year from TheDream.US .
The nation 's largest college access and success program for young immigrants has awarded more than 400 scholarships to Dreamers attending nine partner colleges -- Arrupe College , Dominican University , Illinois College , Illinois Institute of Technology , Lewis University , National Louis University , North Park University , Northeastern Illinois University and University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be recipients in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program on Temporary Protected Status or individuals who came to the country before Nov. 1 , 2015 , and otherwise meet the DACA eligibility criteria .
• Share stories , news and happenings from the suburban mosaic at mkrishnamurthy @ dailyherald.com .

U-46 mentorship program for Black boys aims to create leaders
A mentorship program initially targeting youth in the Elgin community has shifted its focus toward helping African American boys develop leadership skills.
Brothers Rise Up now provides mentoring and support to 130 Black male students in third through ninth grades across 17 Elgin Area School District U-46 schools. The program focuses on monitoring and improving students' academic performance, attendance and behavior and offers a curriculum emphasizing character development, social skills, leadership and career development.
The goal is to help Black male students achieve their goals, improve their future prospects and provide a forum where they can share their struggles, said Jim Cook, a dean's assistant at Kenyon Woods Middle School who founded the program in 2019 as part of the nonprofit Midwest Sports Academy.
"They always can strive to be better, and just because of the environment you're in, that doesn't mean that's the person you're going to end up being," Cook said.
Before the pandemic, Cook would bring in guest speakers, including local entrepreneurs, community and corporate leaders and lead visits to colleges and businesses. Now, he engages students virtually every week via Zoom.
Students who graduate from the program are asked to give back and become "champions of character" by mentoring younger students, he added.
Student leader recognized
College of Lake County freshman Asharia Harris is among roughly two dozen recipients of the Peter R. Marsh Foundation Student Silent Servant Award.
Students are nominated by a mentor or teacher for the award, which recognizes selfless service to others in the community.
"Asharia was a natural fit for the scholarship because of the years of volunteerism she completed and the joy with which she contributed," said Sharon Sanders-Funnye, CLC director of student recruitment and onboarding and the TRiO Educational Talent Search program.
Harris volunteered with Aid to Haiti, Africare, Shiloh's PADS Shelter, Northern Illinois Food Bank, National Association for Mental Illness and the Lambda Nu Omega chapter of AKA Sorority Inc.
"It was an honor to receive this scholarship," said Harris, a Warren Township High School graduate studying psychology at CLC.
"It just shows community service and volunteerism is such an important thing to participate in."
Minority college gap
The Illinois Community College Board has granted $18.7 million to 17 community colleges statewide to help address education and unemployment gaps in the African American and other minority communities.
The funding goes to colleges serving larger Black student populations, including the College of Lake County in Grayslake, which will receive $1.1 million.
Under Illinois' Workforce Equity Initiative, now in its second year, grant funding helped 1,840 students -- 78% Black -- enroll in the spring of 2020.
Participating colleges can use the money to develop or enhance training and career pathway programs primarily in five high-demand employment sectors -- health care, manufacturing and construction, transportation, information technology and emergency services.
"We know there is great demand for accelerated occupational training programs like the ones offered through the Workforce Equity Initiative," ICCB Executive Director Brian Durham said.
"This money will support so many African American Illinoisans by not only providing free training programs that will turn into solid paying jobs but also by providing a wide range of wraparound services to address basic needs like child care and transportation."
An Illinois Community College Board report found minorities, particularly Blacks, were underrepresented among career and technical education program graduates. In 2019, minorities made up 37% and Blacks 12% of all CTE course completers. The report highlighted the need to fund a targeted initiative promoting workforce equity.
Tech classes for women
Oakton Community College in Des Plaines and the YWCA Evanston/North Shore are partnering to provide free web development classes for disadvantaged women.
The 12-week program will be taught virtually by Oakton instructors starting Jan. 4. Participants will learn to create customized and interactive Web pages.
The curriculum is based on Oakton's Web page development course.
"This program is designed to prepare graduates for entry-level web developer positions," said Bob Sompolski, Oakton dean of STEM and health careers.
Sompolski said women represented more than 50% of Oakton's enrollment in the fall of 2019, but under 40% of science, technology, engineering and math majors. "There are not enough women engaged in trying to make careers out of these areas," he added.
The classes also will be part of YWCA's YWeb Academy, whose programs are open to the public and provide digital skills' training to underrepresented or vulnerable populations, such as women of color, domestic violence survivors and low-wage earners.
About 25 students are expected to enroll for the first session and another 12-week session will be offered in April, said Shannon Callahan, YWCA Evanston/North Shore women's leadership and economic advancement director.
"For us at the YWCA, our mission is to eliminate racism and empower women," Callahan said, adding the group has been focused on helping women of color "rise up" and close the gap in representation.
Youth scholarships
Chicago-area immigrant youths seeking to pursue a college education can apply for scholarships for the 2021-2022 academic year from TheDream.US.
The nation's largest college access and success program for young immigrants has awarded more than 400 scholarships to Dreamers attending nine partner colleges -- Arrupe College, Dominican University, Illinois College, Illinois Institute of Technology, Lewis University, National Louis University, North Park University, Northeastern Illinois University and University of Illinois Chicago.
Eligible applicants must be recipients in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program on Temporary Protected Status or individuals who came to the country before Nov. 1, 2015, and otherwise meet the DACA eligibility criteria.
For more information, visit thedream.us/scholarships/.
• Share stories, news and happenings from the suburban mosaic at mkrishnamurthy@dailyherald.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-12--Grammar Moses: A collection of goodies that won't give you a tummy ache

Do you have an Advent calendar at home with a door or window revealing a Bible verse or a puzzle or a tiny picture each day until Christmas ?
We had them when I was a kid , though I do n't remember if there was a theme .
I recall being envious of a friend whose Advent calendar was n't a sheet of cardboard but rather a heavy box that sat on a table .
Behind every door was a nook , and in every nook was a chocolate or a caramel or something , well , caloric and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to boot , and he would take advances on Christmas Day , always depleting his supply long before the celebration of Jesus ' birthday .
Santa did n't seem to care that he was naughty , either , because he was rewarded with a mini bike .
This column is my Johnny-come-lately version of an Advent calendar -- a bunch of nuggets you can consume all at once .
There wo n't be two dozen of them , because I do n't have room here .
Plus , I would n't want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do you know how important punctuation is ?
Consider : `` I 'm giving up drinking until Christmas . ''
Drop in a period , and you cast it in a slightly different light : `` I 'm giving up .
Drinking until Christmas . ''
• Consider this headline in a British newspaper : `` Manchester Arena 's bomber 's brother Hashem Abedi admits his role in plotting attack that killed 22 people for first time . ''
Putting aside the complexity and layered possession , reader Stan Zegel asks : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the SECOND time ? ''
We ran a similarly misconstructed headline recently .
The solution : Use an introductory clause .
• An `` epithet '' is a nickname .
But more commonly today it is a derogatory nickname , given how often it 's paired with `` racial . ''
A safer word for a nickname would be `` sobriquet , '' which even sounds lovely .
Or you could be boring and just go with `` nickname . ''
• An `` epitaph '' is an inscription on a headstone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you 're probably watching a World 's Strongest Man competition .
• The most common usage of `` expletive '' is in describing a vulgarity .
But grammar nerds ( an epithet I embrace ) know , as linguist Bryan Garner says , that an `` expletive '' is also a word that serves no purpose in a sentence other than to fill a syntactic space .
For instance , in `` There will be repercussions , young man ! ''
the word `` there '' is an expletive .
I mentioned in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Krakens rivaled only the New Orleans Pelicans for worst sports team names .
`` I would consider the Toledo Mud Hens as beating those , '' wrote reader Gib Van Dyne .
The Mud Hens are a farm team for the Detroit Tigers .
Their mascots are Muddy and Muddona .
Added reader David Harding : `` Some years ago , one of your sports writers opined that Rockford IceHogs was the worst team name ever .
I told him then , and still believe , that the Shreveport-Bossier Mudbugs was a worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

Grammar Moses: A collection of goodies that won't give you a tummy ache
A Redbox machine in Palatine proclaims that new movies are back. But if they're "new," how could they be back? Courtesy of Gordon Speake
Do you have an Advent calendar at home with a door or window revealing a Bible verse or a puzzle or a tiny picture each day until Christmas?
We had them when I was a kid, though I don't remember if there was a theme. I recall being envious of a friend whose Advent calendar wasn't a sheet of cardboard but rather a heavy box that sat on a table. Behind every door was a nook, and in every nook was a chocolate or a caramel or something, well, caloric and desirable.
He was an only child, to boot, and he would take advances on Christmas Day, always depleting his supply long before the celebration of Jesus' birthday.
Santa didn't seem to care that he was naughty, either, because he was rewarded with a mini bike.
This column is my Johnny-come-lately version of an Advent calendar -- a bunch of nuggets you can consume all at once.
There won't be two dozen of them, because I don't have room here. Plus, I wouldn't want to give you a bellyache.
• Do you know how important punctuation is? Consider: "I'm giving up drinking until Christmas." Drop in a period, and you cast it in a slightly different light: "I'm giving up. Drinking until Christmas."
• Consider this headline in a British newspaper: "Manchester Arena's bomber's brother Hashem Abedi admits his role in plotting attack that killed 22 people for first time."
Putting aside the complexity and layered possession, reader Stan Zegel asks: "When were those 22 persons killed for the SECOND time?" We ran a similarly misconstructed headline recently. The solution: Use an introductory clause.
• An "epithet" is a nickname. But more commonly today it is a derogatory nickname, given how often it's paired with "racial." A safer word for a nickname would be "sobriquet," which even sounds lovely. Or you could be boring and just go with "nickname."
• An "epitaph" is an inscription on a headstone. If you witness someone hurling epitaphs, you're probably watching a World's Strongest Man competition.
• The most common usage of "expletive" is in describing a vulgarity.
But grammar nerds (an epithet I embrace) know, as linguist Bryan Garner says, that an "expletive" is also a word that serves no purpose in a sentence other than to fill a syntactic space. For instance, in "There will be repercussions, young man!" the word "there" is an expletive.
Muddying the waters
I mentioned in last week's column that the Seattle Krakens rivaled only the New Orleans Pelicans for worst sports team names.
"I would consider the Toledo Mud Hens as beating those," wrote reader Gib Van Dyne. The Mud Hens are a farm team for the Detroit Tigers. Their mascots are Muddy and Muddona.
Added reader David Harding: "Some years ago, one of your sports writers opined that Rockford IceHogs was the worst team name ever. I told him then, and still believe, that the Shreveport-Bossier Mudbugs was a worse name.
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.