dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-27--Long Grove considers special district to spark development

Long Grove is considering actions to energize development near its southern border at Route 53 and Lake-Cook Road .
The village board will vote during a special meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday to designate the South Gateway Tax Increment Financing District and establish a redevelopment plan and program .
TIF is a common and sometimes controversial economic development tool and incentive used by municipalities to spark interest in areas where no activity would be expected without a jump start .
In a TIF , property values for taxing purposes are frozen for up to 23 years .
The higher value @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the added amount ( the increment ) is put in a special fund to help pay for eligible improvements , such as roads or sewers .
The proposed redevelopment agreement sets the maximum amount of TIF funds to be spent at $ 7.2 million .
The proposed South Gateway TIF encompasses about 59 acres on either side of Route 53 , including the northeast corner at Lake-Cook Road .
Details can be found under the business tab on the village website at www.longgroveil.gov .
The area wraps around the Menards home improvement store @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right of way for the long-proposed Route 53 extension , as well as the old Geimer Greenhouse , 2727 Route 53 .
Village Planner Jim Hogue said the TIF designation was pursued `` to stimulate and provide some development opportunities for an area that 's been underperforming . ''
Much of the property is undeveloped or , in the case of Geimer , `` likely to be significantly redeveloped , '' consultant Lee Brown explained during an update for village officials in August .
The majority of the proposed TIF area is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has thwarted attempts to redevelop the Geimer property , according to documents .
Village President Bill Jacob said the process began in fall 2019 and now is coming to fruition .
TIF districts are governed by state law .
Property being considered must meet certain criteria , such as declining property values or dilapidated or obsolete structures , for example , to be eligible for the designation .
Getting to that point includes studies , documentation , public meetings and other steps .
A majority of village trustees have supported the initiative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a developer approaches us , we have a means to help out so the project can be affordable and get done , '' Jacob said .
There is no specific development envisioned or developer knocking at the door but the village wants to be ready with the tools to entertain prospects as needed , he added .
There are various ways to make TIF money available , but how it might work here likely will be addressed as situations arise .
`` We 're just putting the structure in place and there 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's a benefit to a developer who may want to look at the property . ''
Long Grove is a very low-density mainly residential area .
Since it does n't levy a property tax , the idea is to capitalize on the visibility and accessibility of the South Gateway area for commercial development .
`` The key is to generate sales tax revenues to fund our ( village ) initiatives , '' Jacob said .
If approved , the South Gateway would be the village 's second tax increment financing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was established about 10 years ago and led to the development of the Sunset Grove center at Route 83 and Aptakisic Road with 19 businesses anchored by Sunset Foods .

Long Grove considers special district to spark development
Long Grove officials will consider designating 59 acres east and west of Route 53 at Lake-Cook Road, outlined in red, as a tax increment financing district to spark development. Courtesy of village of Long Grove
Long Grove is considering actions to energize development near its southern border at Route 53 and Lake-Cook Road.
The village board will vote during a special meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday to designate the South Gateway Tax Increment Financing District and establish a redevelopment plan and program.
TIF is a common and sometimes controversial economic development tool and incentive used by municipalities to spark interest in areas where no activity would be expected without a jump start.
In a TIF, property values for taxing purposes are frozen for up to 23 years. The higher value resulting from development is taxed, but the added amount (the increment) is put in a special fund to help pay for eligible improvements, such as roads or sewers.
The proposed redevelopment agreement sets the maximum amount of TIF funds to be spent at $7.2 million.
The proposed South Gateway TIF encompasses about 59 acres on either side of Route 53, including the northeast corner at Lake-Cook Road. Details can be found under the business tab on the village website at www.longgroveil.gov.
The area wraps around the Menards home improvement store and includes property once anticipated as the right of way for the long-proposed Route 53 extension, as well as the old Geimer Greenhouse, 2727 Route 53.
Village Planner Jim Hogue said the TIF designation was pursued "to stimulate and provide some development opportunities for an area that's been underperforming."
Much of the property is undeveloped or, in the case of Geimer, "likely to be significantly redeveloped," consultant Lee Brown explained during an update for village officials in August.
The majority of the proposed TIF area is not served by public water or sewer, which has thwarted attempts to redevelop the Geimer property, according to documents.
Village President Bill Jacob said the process began in fall 2019 and now is coming to fruition.
TIF districts are governed by state law. Property being considered must meet certain criteria, such as declining property values or dilapidated or obsolete structures, for example, to be eligible for the designation.
Getting to that point includes studies, documentation, public meetings and other steps. A majority of village trustees have supported the initiative throughout the lengthy process.
"If a developer approaches us, we have a means to help out so the project can be affordable and get done," Jacob said.
There is no specific development envisioned or developer knocking at the door but the village wants to be ready with the tools to entertain prospects as needed, he added.
There are various ways to make TIF money available, but how it might work here likely will be addressed as situations arise.
"We're just putting the structure in place and there's nothing contemplated now," Jacob added. "It's a benefit to a developer who may want to look at the property."
Long Grove is a very low-density mainly residential area. Since it doesn't levy a property tax, the idea is to capitalize on the visibility and accessibility of the South Gateway area for commercial development.
"The key is to generate sales tax revenues to fund our (village) initiatives," Jacob said.
If approved, the South Gateway would be the village's second tax increment financing district. The Illinois 83/Downtown TIF District was established about 10 years ago and led to the development of the Sunset Grove center at Route 83 and Aptakisic Road with 19 businesses anchored by Sunset Foods.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-28--Feder: Christmas music lifts Lite FM to No. 1 in Chicago radio ratings

Nonstop holiday music once again catapulted iHeartMedia adult contemporary WLIT 93.9-FM to the top spot in the latest Chicago radio @ @ @ @ @ .
Lite FM , marking its 20th year as `` Chicago 's Christmas Music Station @ @ @ @ @ -- as well as first in middays with Robin Rock and first in afternoons with @ @ @ @ @ Nielsen Audio survey released December 21 .
Covering the four-week period from November 5 to @ @ @ @ @ included the first month of Lite FM 's Christmas format , which began November 6 @ @ @ @ @ in the previous month 's survey .
Get the full report , and more Chicago @ @ @ @ @ .

Feder: Christmas music lifts Lite FM to No. 1 in Chicago radio ratings
Nonstop holiday music once again catapulted iHeartMedia adult contemporary WLIT 93.9-FM to the top spot in the latest Chicago radio ratings, Robert Feder writes.
Lite FM, marking its 20th year as "Chicago's Christmas Music Station," finished first overall -- as well as first in middays with Robin Rock and first in afternoons with Mick Lee -- in the Nielsen Audio survey released December 21.
Covering the four-week period from November 5 to December 2, the report included the first month of Lite FM's Christmas format, which began November 6. The station ranked sixth in the previous month's survey.
Get the full report, and more Chicago media news, at robertfeder.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-27--After voter support, Elk Grove Village to examine whether to allow recreational pot sales

Elk Grove Village 's elected officials will examine in the new year whether to allow recreational marijuana sales within the town 's borders , after voters ' advisory recommendation to do so .
Much of the discussion about whether to permit sales , and if so , exactly where , will take place before the village 's judiciary , planning and zoning committee , a three-member subset of the larger seven-member village board .
Mayor Craig Johnson said the process could take five to seven months , as the committee receives testimony from advocates on both sides of the issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff .
The committee , chaired by Trustee Chris Prochno , would be charged with making a recommendation to the full village board , which ultimately would vote yes or no on allowing pot sales .
`` We 're not necessarily in a huge hurry to move on this , so we 're gon na take the time to look at all sides of the issue , '' Prochno said .
`` No one has actually come to our community yet and asked to have a site to sell , so we 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We 're gon na take the time to look at the issue correctly . ''
The meetings , which could begin as early as January , would be open to the public .
In the Nov. 3 advisory referendum , voters by a nearly 2-to-1 ratio said the village should authorize the sale of recreational marijuana within guidelines established by the village and state : 10,626 were in favor and 6,134 were against .
Johnson has said one reason he wanted voter input was to gauge whether residents believe legal sales would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Elk Grove Village Cares , a village program that helps arrange treatment for those battling substance addiction .
And while still harboring a dilemma about marijuana dispensaries in town , Johnson after the election called the referendum results `` loud and clear . ''
While it does n't have any dispensaries , the village has hosted a 12,000-square-foot medical marijuana cultivation facility within the business park since 2016 .
In another advisory referendum , voters by more than two-thirds favored limits on the number of video gambling locations in town .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans to propose various options for the board to consider during the next month or two .
There 's some two dozen video gambling locations in town .

After voter support, Elk Grove Village to examine whether to allow recreational pot sales
Medical marijuana cultivation facility Illinois Grown Medicine has operated in Elk Grove Village since 2016, but village leaders are now set to decide whether to permit recreational marijuana dispensary sales within the town's borders. Daily Herald File Photo, May 2019
Elk Grove Village's elected officials will examine in the new year whether to allow recreational marijuana sales within the town's borders, after voters' advisory recommendation to do so.
Much of the discussion about whether to permit sales, and if so, exactly where, will take place before the village's judiciary, planning and zoning committee, a three-member subset of the larger seven-member village board.
Mayor Craig Johnson said the process could take five to seven months, as the committee receives testimony from advocates on both sides of the issue, and examines research compiled by village staff.
The committee, chaired by Trustee Chris Prochno, would be charged with making a recommendation to the full village board, which ultimately would vote yes or no on allowing pot sales.
"We're not necessarily in a huge hurry to move on this, so we're gonna take the time to look at all sides of the issue," Prochno said.
"No one has actually come to our community yet and asked to have a site to sell, so we're not under the gun to do this. We're gonna take the time to look at the issue correctly."
The meetings, which could begin as early as January, would be open to the public.
In the Nov. 3 advisory referendum, voters by a nearly 2-to-1 ratio said the village should authorize the sale of recreational marijuana within guidelines established by the village and state: 10,626 were in favor and 6,134 were against.
Johnson has said one reason he wanted voter input was to gauge whether residents believe legal sales would be seen as contradictory to the mission of Elk Grove Village Cares, a village program that helps arrange treatment for those battling substance addiction.
And while still harboring a dilemma about marijuana dispensaries in town, Johnson after the election called the referendum results "loud and clear."
While it doesn't have any dispensaries, the village has hosted a 12,000-square-foot medical marijuana cultivation facility within the business park since 2016.
In another advisory referendum, voters by more than two-thirds favored limits on the number of video gambling locations in town.
As local gambling commissioner, Johnson said he plans to propose various options for the board to consider during the next month or two. There's some two dozen video gambling locations in town.
• Daily Herald staff writer Eric Peterson contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-27--$100 to help woman who lost her home

$100 to help woman who lost her home

Today 's recipient of a $ 100 bill through the Believe Project is Judy Kribkey of Mount Prospect .
She @ @ @ @ @ to her cousin .
Here is an excerpt of her story : '' Her husband @ @ @ @ @ clot ; she experienced several medical events including uncontrollable ( atrial fibrillation ) and a @ @ @ @ @ events , she lost her home .
She found a mobile home and fixed it @ @ @ @ @ cottage .
Last Friday , Dec. 11 , her air conditioner started on fire resulting @ @ @ @ @ home and contents .
`` I 'm sure $ 100 would help her and bring @ @ @ @ @ The Believe Project is awarding $ 100 each day to a different person with a @ @ @ @ @ use the money to do a good deed for someone else .
If you 'd @ @ @ @ @ someone , submit your idea for consideration in 150 words or fewer at events.dailyherald.com/believe/ .

$100 to help woman who lost her home
Today's recipient of a $100 bill through the Believe Project is Judy Kribkey of Mount Prospect.
She wants to give the money to her cousin. Here is an excerpt of her story:
"Her husband passed unexpectedly of a blood clot; she experienced several medical events including uncontrollable (atrial fibrillation) and a stroke. Due to these events, she lost her home. She found a mobile home and fixed it up to a charming little cottage. Last Friday, Dec. 11, her air conditioner started on fire resulting in a total loss of home and contents.
"I'm sure $100 would help her and bring a smile."
• The Believe Project is awarding $100 each day 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/.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-28--State-linked media: Saudi women's rights activist sentenced to nearly six years on terrorism charges

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates -- State-linked media : Saudi women 's rights activist sentenced to nearly six years on @ @ @ @ @ .

State-linked media: Saudi women's rights activist sentenced to nearly six years on terrorism charges related to activism
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- State-linked media: Saudi women's rights activist sentenced to nearly six years on terrorism charges related to activism.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-28--COVID-19 deaths surpass 16,000 as vaccines arrive at long-term care facilities

The state 's death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 16,000 , Illinois health officials announced Monday .
Officials reported 105 more deaths from the coronavirus and another 4,453 new cases , as national pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens began vaccine inoculations of long-term care facility residents and workers Monday .
CVS officials said the chain has enough doses to vaccinate 150,000 people throughout the state .
Residents and workers at more than 900 skilled nursing homes and assisted living centers throughout Illinois will be serviced by CVS as part of the federal government 's rollout of the vaccine .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the latest milestone in our multifaceted pandemic response , '' said Karen S. Lynch , executive vice president of CVS Health .
`` The eventual availability of COVID-19 vaccines in communities across the country will bring us one step closer to overcoming the most significant health challenge of our lifetime . ''
The pharmacy chain will be able to administer 20 million to 25 million shots nationwide each month , company officials said .
Meanwhile , the state 's death toll from the virus has reached 16,074 , with 942,362 Illinois residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the state reported 4,243 patients being treated for the virus Sunday , 160 more than were hospitalized the day before .
Of those hospitalized Sunday , 884 were in intensive care .
The state 's case positivity rate now stands at 7.2 % , based on a seven-day average .
The rate rose slightly after several days of decline .
Seven-day average case positivity rates in Chicago and the suburban counties also increased .
The highest rate is in McHenry County , where 10.1 % of all the tests taken there over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new case .
The lowest rate is Chicago 's 6.6 % .
The case positivity rate is calculated by dividing the number of new COVID-19 cases diagnosed by the total tests processed over a rolling seven-day span .
The entire state remains under Tier 3 virus mitigation restrictions , which limit business operations and capacity as well as social gatherings .
The state 's 11 health regions have been under these restrictions since Nov. 20 .
Regions can have the restrictions loosened if three key metrics are met simultaneously .
Those metrics are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 % for at least three consecutive days , hospital and ICU bed availability based on a three-day average above 20 % for three consecutive days , and declining hospitalizations based on a seven-day average for at least seven days during a 10-day period .
Currently , Region 8 with DuPage and Kane counties , and Region 7 with Will and Kankakee counties meet those criteria , as does the region that contains just the city of Chicago .
However , state health officials and the governor have been hesitant to lift the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eventually cause another spike in cases , hospitalizations and , ultimately , more deaths .
A Thanksgiving surge appears to have never materialized , though , so it 's unclear if Gov .
J.B. Pritzker will be as equally cautious after this holiday break as he was in November .
Elsewhere in the state , regions 1 , 2 and 6 also meet the criteria to have restrictions loosened .
Region 1 , which is the nine counties in northwestern Illinois and contains towns like Rockford , Freeport and Galena , has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region .
However , its current metrics are some of the best in the state , which health officials point to as proof that these restrictions work , if followed .

COVID-19 deaths surpass 16,000 as vaccines arrive at long-term care facilities
Boxes of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are being shipped to national pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens every day, while employees of those pharmacies began inoculating residents and workers of long-term care facilities in Illinois on Monday. Associated Press
The state's death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 16,000, Illinois health officials announced Monday.
Officials reported 105 more deaths from the coronavirus and another 4,453 new cases, as national pharmacy chains CVS and Walgreens began vaccine inoculations of long-term care facility residents and workers Monday.
CVS officials said the chain has enough doses to vaccinate 150,000 people throughout the state. Residents and workers at more than 900 skilled nursing homes and assisted living centers throughout Illinois will be serviced by CVS as part of the federal government's rollout of the vaccine.
"Vaccinating one of our most vulnerable populations is the latest milestone in our multifaceted pandemic response," said Karen S. Lynch, executive vice president of CVS Health. "The eventual availability of COVID-19 vaccines in communities across the country will bring us one step closer to overcoming the most significant health challenge of our lifetime."
The pharmacy chain will be able to administer 20 million to 25 million shots nationwide each month, company officials said.
Meanwhile, the state's death toll from the virus has reached 16,074, with 942,362 Illinois residents infected since the outbreak began.
Hospitals around the state reported 4,243 patients being treated for the virus Sunday, 160 more than were hospitalized the day before. Of those hospitalized Sunday, 884 were in intensive care.
The state's case positivity rate now stands at 7.2%, based on a seven-day average. The rate rose slightly after several days of decline.
Seven-day average case positivity rates in Chicago and the suburban counties also increased. The highest rate is in McHenry County, where 10.1% of all the tests taken there over the past week have resulted in a new case. The lowest rate is Chicago's 6.6%. The case positivity rate is calculated by dividing the number of new COVID-19 cases diagnosed by the total tests processed over a rolling seven-day span.
The entire state remains under Tier 3 virus mitigation restrictions, which limit business operations and capacity as well as social gatherings. The state's 11 health regions have been under these restrictions since Nov. 20.
Regions can have the restrictions loosened if three key metrics are met simultaneously. Those metrics are a seven-day average test positivity rate below 12% for at least three consecutive days, hospital and ICU bed availability based on a three-day average above 20% for three consecutive days, and declining hospitalizations based on a seven-day average for at least seven days during a 10-day period.
Currently, Region 8 with DuPage and Kane counties, and Region 7 with Will and Kankakee counties meet those criteria, as does the region that contains just the city of Chicago. However, state health officials and the governor have been hesitant to lift the restrictions because of fears holiday gatherings might eventually cause another spike in cases, hospitalizations and, ultimately, more deaths. A Thanksgiving surge appears to have never materialized, though, so it's unclear if Gov. J.B. Pritzker will be as equally cautious after this holiday break as he was in November.
Elsewhere in the state, regions 1, 2 and 6 also meet the criteria to have restrictions loosened. Region 1, which is the nine counties in northwestern Illinois and contains towns like Rockford, Freeport and Galena, has been under mitigation restrictions the longest of any region. However, its current metrics are some of the best in the state, which health officials point to as proof that these restrictions work, if followed.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-28--Lake County boy abducted from Christmas party reunited with grandmother

The child authorities say was abducted by his biological parents from a Christmas Day party near Mundelein is back with his legal guardian , Lake County officials said Monday .
Enrique Sanchez , 8 , was reunited with his grandmother Sunday , two days after police say he was taken during a family gathering on the 26400 block of Route 83 in Fremont Township .
His grandmother has been the boy 's legal guardian since he was a year old , officials say .
In the meantime , his parents , Holly A. Adcox , 27 , of Des Plaines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Schaumburg appeared Monday in a Clark County , Indiana , courtroom , where a judge ordered both held on $ 10,000 bail as they await trial on kidnapping charges there .
The pair also are facing charges in Illinois .
Lake County sheriff 's Sgt .
Christopher Covelli said county prosecutors on Monday afternoon filed one count of child abduction against each parent .
`` The Lake County State 's Attorney Office will work with Clark County prosecutors to have extradition hearings to bring the parents back to Illinois , '' Covelli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge set bail for each parent at $ 400,000 , meaning once they are in Lake County 's custody they would need to pay $ 40,000 to leave jail while awaiting trial .
According to sheriff 's police , Adcox took the boy from the family party about 8 p.m. Friday .
Adcox was a guest at the party but did not have permission to take the boy , authorities said .
Detectives learned that she and the boy 's father likely traveled to Sellersburg , Indiana , and alerted authorities there .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Enrique at an area hotel .
In order for Adcox and Sanchez to be released from custody in Indiana , they will each need to post $ 10,000 in cash , according to a Clark County jail official .
However , even if they post bond in Indiana , a hold would be placed on them on the Lake County charges .
Both are due back before a Clark County judge Wednesday morning .

Lake County boy abducted from Christmas party reunited with grandmother
The child authorities say was abducted by his biological parents from a Christmas Day party near Mundelein is back with his legal guardian, Lake County officials said Monday.
Enrique Sanchez, 8, was reunited with his grandmother Sunday, two days after police say he was taken during a family gathering on the 26400 block of Route 83 in Fremont Township. His grandmother has been the boy's legal guardian since he was a year old, officials say.
In the meantime, his parents, Holly A. Adcox, 27, of Des Plaines and Federico E. Sanchez, 30, of Schaumburg appeared Monday in a Clark County, Indiana, courtroom, where a judge ordered both held on $10,000 bail as they await trial on kidnapping charges there.
The pair also are facing charges in Illinois. Lake County sheriff's Sgt. Christopher Covelli said county prosecutors on Monday afternoon filed one count of child abduction against each parent.
"The Lake County State's Attorney Office will work with Clark County prosecutors to have extradition hearings to bring the parents back to Illinois," Covelli said.
Covelli said a Lake County judge set bail for each parent at $400,000, meaning once they are in Lake County's custody they would need to pay $40,000 to leave jail while awaiting trial.
According to sheriff's police, Adcox took the boy from the family party about 8 p.m. Friday. Adcox was a guest at the party but did not have permission to take the boy, authorities said.
Detectives learned that she and the boy's father likely traveled to Sellersburg, Indiana, and alerted authorities there. Police in Indiana later located the couple and Enrique at an area hotel.
In order for Adcox and Sanchez to be released from custody in Indiana, they will each need to post $10,000 in cash, according to a Clark County jail official. However, even if they post bond in Indiana, a hold would be placed on them on the Lake County charges.
Both are due back before a Clark County judge Wednesday morning.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-28--Winter storm expected for parts of suburbs Tuesday

Snowfall is likely in some parts of the suburbs Tuesday afternoon before turning into a wintry mix of freezing rain @ @ @ @ @ National Weather Service in Chicago is forecasting .
Several inches of snow are possible beginning @ @ @ @ @ the northwest part of the region likely to see the larger totals , including parts @ @ @ @ @ could become treacherous , according to the weather service .
Cook , DuPage , Kane @ @ @ @ @ are all expected to be moderately affected by the storm , which could turn to @ @ @ @ @ with it strong wind gusts that result in power outages .
Warmer weather is expected @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday morning , diminishing the threat of icy roads throughout the day .

Winter warning expanded, with as much as 9 inches of snow in some suburbs
A winter storm is expected to bring heavy, wet snow to parts of the suburbs Tuesday into Wednesday morning that could make driving treacherous and potentially cause power outages. Daily Herald file photo, 2009
The National Weather Service expanded its winter storm warning for this afternoon and evening, adding northern Cook County and now predicting as much as 9 inches of snow in some northern suburbs, with ice danger as well.
In the Northwest suburbs, the weather service warned of heavy mixed precipitation, with snow accumulations of 4 to 6 inches, "locally higher," and ice accumulations of up to one-tenth or two-tenths of an inch.
Wind gusts of up to 35 mph also are predicted.
"Plan on slippery road conditions and periods of sharply reduced visibility early to mid evening," the weather service warning said. It also warned "some power outages are possible due to the combined effects of wet snow accumulation, some icing, and wind gusts."
Heavy, wet snow may be difficult to shovel, too, the service said
In McHenry, Lake and Kane counties, the weather service is warning of up to 9 inches of snow.
"Plan on snow or slush and ice covered roads and periods of sharply reduced visibility, especially late this afternoon into this evening," the service said.
The warnings end at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
DuPage and Will counties are all expected to be moderately affected by the storm, which could turn to freezing rain overnight.
Warmer weather is expected to move into the area Wednesday morning, diminishing the threat of icy roads throughout the day.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-28--Watch: Video remembrance of notable deaths of 2020

We said goodbye to several notable suburban residents in 2020 .
They left indelible marks on their communities through impressive @ @ @ @ @ .
The list includes local officials , and community , religious and business leaders .
@ @ @ @ @ 2020 was sadly bookended by the deaths of two popular superstars -- basketball 's Kobe @ @ @ @ @ soccer 's Diego Maradona , 60 .
Among those killed along with Bryant in the @ @ @ @ @ daughter Gianna , herself a promising athlete .
Other revered figures who died included U.S. @ @ @ @ @ , guitarist Eddie Van Halen , and actors Chadwick Boseman , and Sean Connery .
@ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg not only mourned her death , but deplored her @ @ @ @ @ Amy Coney Barrett .

Watch: Video remembrance of notable deaths of 2020
We said goodbye to several notable suburban residents in 2020. They left indelible marks on their communities through impressive accomplishments and dedicated public service. The list includes local officials, and community, religious and business leaders.
For sports fans worldwide, 2020 was sadly bookended by the deaths of two popular superstars -- basketball's Kobe Bryant, 41, and soccer's Diego Maradona, 60. Among those killed along with Bryant in the helicopter crash was his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, herself a promising athlete.
Other revered figures who died included U.S. civil rights leader John Lewis, guitarist Eddie Van Halen, and actors Chadwick Boseman, and Sean Connery.
Many admirers of liberal U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg not only mourned her death, but deplored her replacement by a conservative, Amy Coney Barrett.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-28--Lencioni runs for alderman, but St. Charles ordinance could keep him from taking office

Like all the other alderman candidates in St. Charles , Paul Lencioni picked up his candidate packet , gathered the required signatures and met the deadline for submitting the materials to city officials .
That 's where the comparisons end .
Unlike the others running for office , the president and CEO of Blue Goose Market faces an opponent beyond his Ward 3 challenger on the April 6 ballot : a city ordinance preventing liquor license holders from serving in an elected position .
It 's been on the books for decades and has remained there long after the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ licenses in municipalities with fewer than 55,000 people .
Twice Lencioni has made an appeal to the city council to overturn the ordinance , and twice he 's been rebuked .
He and his lawyer appeared at the Dec. 14 meeting to plead with aldermen to adhere to the state statutes followed by other communities .
The response at the Zoom meeting , beyond a couple of sparse comments , was awkward silence .
It signaled a long road ahead for Lencioni and his attempt to beat both Charles Amenta -- the St. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Ward 3 alderman seat -- and the ordinance .
`` This local ordinance , I do n't think there 's any way you can argue for it if you actually take a bigger picture of what a great city and great country is , '' Lencioni said .
`` You ca n't make an argument that less liberty is good . ''
Lencioni , 46 , has deep roots in the community through the family market founded by his great-grandmother in 1928 .
Despite being aware of the ordinance , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After several aldermen said they did n't support a change , no action was taken at a government operations committee meeting in August .
Lencioni also applied for the Ward 3 seat vacated when William Turner resigned in August , but Mayor Ray Rogina appointed Lucy Gruber and was backed by a unanimous city council vote .
Gruber is not running to keep the seat .
The issue , the aldermen say , is a potential conflict of interest with the many liquor-related agenda items that come before the city council .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by an alderman with a liquor license having to continually abstain .
`` It 's not just a one-off abstention due to a conflict of interest , '' said Ward 1 Alderman Ron Silkaitis .
`` This could be every other week . ''
St. Charles is not alone .
Algonquin , Carpentersville and West Chicago are nearby communities with similar ordinances .
Batavia and Geneva are among the municipalities that allow public officials to have liquor licenses .
Lencioni expects his candidacy to be challenged , but he also expects to remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election , however , he has no idea what follows .
`` If I stay on the ballot and I lose , I accept that , '' he said .
`` But I 've gotten a lot of great feedback on this .
I do n't know what happens if I win . ''
Lencioni has a few months to sway the city council , and some of the aldermen appear ready to offer support .
Ward 4 Alderman Lora Vitek said times have changed and smart business people should be allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liquor license .
Ward 5 Alderman Ed Bessner , who is an account manager in the wine and spirits business , said he sees no harm in exploring the subject .
`` To me , the alcohol industry is not a taboo , '' Bessner said .
`` I 'm not suggesting it 's a taboo to anybody else on this council but it 's a normal way of life for myself . ''
After the April election , there will be a new mayor -- Vitek faces Ward 5 Alderman Maureen Lewis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running for a third term -- and new aldermen who could sway the argument .
It 's possible if Lencioni wins , the city council will accept the result and change the ordinance .
It 's also possible the Ward 3 election would be voided because Lencioni ca n't be seated , and the new mayor would appoint an alderman .
`` There are so many variations on this theme that it 's hard to even try and construct a flow diagram for it , '' City Administrator Mark Koenen said .
Between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the seating of newly elected officials on May 3 , time will tell .
`` I feel like I 'm fighting for St. Charles , '' Lencioni said .
`` I need to show them that this is what the people want .
There 's a real chance they do n't make the change , but I get the opportunity through this campaign to elevate the conversation . ''

Lencioni runs for alderman, but St. Charles ordinance could keep him from taking office
Like all the other alderman candidates in St. Charles, Paul Lencioni picked up his candidate packet, gathered the required signatures and met the deadline for submitting the materials to city officials.
That's where the comparisons end.
Unlike the others running for office, the president and CEO of Blue Goose Market faces an opponent beyond his Ward 3 challenger on the April 6 ballot: a city ordinance preventing liquor license holders from serving in an elected position.
It's been on the books for decades and has remained there long after the state relaxed regulations regarding public officials and liquor licenses in municipalities with fewer than 55,000 people.
Twice Lencioni has made an appeal to the city council to overturn the ordinance, and twice he's been rebuked. He and his lawyer appeared at the Dec. 14 meeting to plead with aldermen to adhere to the state statutes followed by other communities.
The response at the Zoom meeting, beyond a couple of sparse comments, was awkward silence.
It signaled a long road ahead for Lencioni and his attempt to beat both Charles Amenta -- the St. Charles city clerk and Lencioni's opponent for the Ward 3 alderman seat -- and the ordinance.
"This local ordinance, I don't think there's any way you can argue for it if you actually take a bigger picture of what a great city and great country is," Lencioni said. "You can't make an argument that less liberty is good."
Lencioni, 46, has deep roots in the community through the family market founded by his great-grandmother in 1928. Despite being aware of the ordinance, he still decided in the summer to run.
After several aldermen said they didn't support a change, no action was taken at a government operations committee meeting in August.
Lencioni also applied for the Ward 3 seat vacated when William Turner resigned in August, but Mayor Ray Rogina appointed Lucy Gruber and was backed by a unanimous city council vote. Gruber is not running to keep the seat.
The issue, the aldermen say, is a potential conflict of interest with the many liquor-related agenda items that come before the city council. Too many critical votes would be affected by an alderman with a liquor license having to continually abstain.
"It's not just a one-off abstention due to a conflict of interest," said Ward 1 Alderman Ron Silkaitis. "This could be every other week."
St. Charles is not alone. Algonquin, Carpentersville and West Chicago are nearby communities with similar ordinances. Batavia and Geneva are among the municipalities that allow public officials to have liquor licenses.
Lencioni expects his candidacy to be challenged, but he also expects to remain on the ballot. If he wins the election, however, he has no idea what follows.
"If I stay on the ballot and I lose, I accept that," he said. "But I've gotten a lot of great feedback on this. I don't know what happens if I win."
Lencioni has a few months to sway the city council, and some of the aldermen appear ready to offer support.
Ward 4 Alderman Lora Vitek said times have changed and smart business people should be allowed to run even if they hold a liquor license. Ward 5 Alderman Ed Bessner, who is an account manager in the wine and spirits business, said he sees no harm in exploring the subject.
"To me, the alcohol industry is not a taboo," Bessner said. "I'm not suggesting it's a taboo to anybody else on this council but it's a normal way of life for myself."
After the April election, there will be a new mayor -- Vitek faces Ward 5 Alderman Maureen Lewis to replace Rogina, who isn't running for a third term -- and new aldermen who could sway the argument.
It's possible if Lencioni wins, the city council will accept the result and change the ordinance. It's also possible the Ward 3 election would be voided because Lencioni can't be seated, and the new mayor would appoint an alderman.
"There are so many variations on this theme that it's hard to even try and construct a flow diagram for it," City Administrator Mark Koenen said.
Between now, the April 6 election and the seating of newly elected officials on May 3, time will tell.
"I feel like I'm fighting for St. Charles," Lencioni said. "I need to show them that this is what the people want. There's a real chance they don't make the change, but I get the opportunity through this campaign to elevate the conversation."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-28--Feder: WGN Sports legend Jack Rosenberg dies at age 94

Jack Rosenberg , whose name was synonymous with WGN Sports in Chicago for more than 40 years and was credited with inventing much of what became standard in sports broadcast production , died Sunday .
He was 94 .
As sports editor of the former Tribune Co. radio and television franchises , he worked closely with such legends as Jack Brickhouse , Vince Lloyd , Lou Boudreau , Jack Quinlan and Irv Kupcinet .
He produced all of Brickhouse 's Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs broadcasts .
Rosenberg died Sunday at Swedish Hospital ( formerly Swedish Covenant Hospital ) in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WGN morning host Bob Sirott , one of many who considered Rosenberg a mentor , called him `` a giant force behind the success of WGN TV and Radio Sports .
Growing up , you always heard his typewriter keys clacking in the background followed by an insightful comment from Brickhouse or one of the other legends he helped .
`` A superb writer and an even better human .
Kind , witty , and humble .
Always content to be the man behind the famous names .
But he helped make them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and more Chicago media news , at robertfeder.com .

Feder: WGN Sports legend Jack Rosenberg dies at age 94
Jack Rosenberg, whose name was synonymous with WGN Sports in Chicago for more than 40 years and was credited with inventing much of what became standard in sports broadcast production, died Sunday. He was 94.
As sports editor of the former Tribune Co. radio and television franchises, he worked closely with such legends as Jack Brickhouse, Vince Lloyd, Lou Boudreau, Jack Quinlan and Irv Kupcinet. He produced all of Brickhouse's Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs broadcasts.
Rosenberg died Sunday at Swedish Hospital (formerly Swedish Covenant Hospital) in Chicago, according to close friends.
WGN morning host Bob Sirott, one of many who considered Rosenberg a mentor, called him "a giant force behind the success of WGN TV and Radio Sports. Growing up, you always heard his typewriter keys clacking in the background followed by an insightful comment from Brickhouse or one of the other legends he helped.
"A superb writer and an even better human. Kind, witty, and humble. Always content to be the man behind the famous names. But he helped make them famous."
Get the full report, and more Chicago media news, at robertfeder.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-28--House approves Trump's $2,000 checks, sending to GOP-led Senate

WASHINGTON -- The House voted overwhelmingly Monday to increase COVID-19 relief checks to $ 2,000 , meeting President Donald Trump 's demand for bigger payments and sending the bill to the GOP-controlled Senate , where the outcome is uncertain .
Democrats led passage , 275-134 , their majority favoring additional assistance , but dozens of Republicans joined in approval .
Congress had settled on smaller $ 600 payments in a compromise over the big year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law .
Democrats favored higher payments , but Trump 's push put his GOP allies in a difficult spot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mostly resist more spending .
But many House Republicans joined in support , preferring to link with Democrats rather than buck the outgoing president .
Senators were set to return to session Tuesday , forced to consider the measure .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared , `` Republicans have a choice : Vote for this legislation or vote to deny the American people '' the assistance she said they need during the pandemic .
The showdown could end up as more symbol than substance .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate will handle the bill when Democrats there try to push it forward for a vote on Tuesday .
The legislative action during the rare holiday week session may do little to change the $ 2 trillion-plus COVID-19 relief and federal spending package that Trump signed into law Sunday , one of the biggest bills of its kind providing relief for millions of Americans .
Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas , the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee , acknowledged the division and said Congress had already approved ample funds during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill helps anybody get back to work , '' he said .
The package the president signed into law includes two parts -- $ 900 billion in COVID-19 aid and $ 1.4 trillion to fund government agencies .
It will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown that otherwise would have started Tuesday , in the midst of the public health crisis .
Aside from the direct $ 600 checks to most Americans , the COVID-19 portion of the bill revives a weekly pandemic jobless benefit boost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 14 -- as well as a popular Paycheck Protection Program of grants to businesses to keep workers on payrolls .
It extends eviction protections , adding a new rental assistance fund .
The COVID-19 package draws and expands on an earlier effort from Washington .
It offers billions of dollars for vaccine purchases and distribution , for virus contact tracing , public health departments , schools , universities , farmers , food pantry programs and other institutions and groups facing hardship in the pandemic .
Americans earning up to $ 75,000 will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which are phased out at higher income levels , and there 's an additional $ 600 payment per dependent child .
Meantime the government funding portion of the bill keeps federal agencies nationwide running without dramatic changes until Sept. 30 .
Together with votes Monday and Tuesday to override Trump 's veto of a sweeping defense bill , the attempt to send much higher pandemic-era checks to people is perhaps the last standoff of the president 's final days in office as he imposes fresh demands and disputes the results of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set to be sworn in Sunday .
Trump 's sudden decision to sign the bill in Florida , where he is spending the holidays , came as he faced escalating criticism from lawmakers on all sides over his eleventh-hour demands .
The bipartisan bill negotiated by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had already passed the House and Senate by wide margins .
Lawmakers had thought they had Trump 's blessing after months of negotiations with his administration .
The president 's defiant refusal to act , publicized with a heated video he tweeted just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a lapse in unemployment benefits for millions and the threat of a government shutdown in the pandemic .
It was another crisis of his own making , resolved when he ultimately signed the bill into law .
In his statement about the signing , Trump repeated his frustrations with the COVID-19 relief bill for providing only $ 600 checks to most Americans and complained about what he considered unnecessary spending , particularly on foreign aid -- much of it proposed by his own budget .
While the president insisted he would send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending items he wants removed , those are merely suggestions to Congress .
Democrats said they would resist such cuts .
For now , the administration can only begin work sending out the $ 600 payments .
A day after the signing , Trump was back at the golf course in Florida , the state where he is expected to move after President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20 .
Republican Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama , a conservative who supported Trump 's extraordinary and futile challenge of the election results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a more generous relief package and Trump 's call for higher payments .
`` It 's money we do n't have , we have to borrow to get and we ca n't afford to pay back , '' he said on `` Fox and Friends . ''
But Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York said she was open to the idea of $ 2,000 checks .
`` Many Americans are in dire need of relief , '' she said on the show .
Altogether , Republicans and Democrats alike swiftly welcomed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into law .
`` The compromise bill is not perfect , but it will do an enormous amount of good for struggling Kentuckians and Americans across the country who need help now , '' said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. `` I thank the President for signing this relief into law . ''
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , said he would offer Trump 's proposal for $ 2,000 checks for a vote in Senate -- putting Republicans on the spot .
`` The House will pass a bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Schumer tweeted .
`` Then I will move to pass it in the Senate . ''
He said no Democrats will object .
`` Will Senate Republicans ? ''
Democrats are promising more aid to come once Biden takes office , but Republicans are signaling a wait-and-see approach .
Biden told reporters at an event in Wilmington , Delaware , that he supported the $ 2,000 checks .
Colvin reported from West Palm Beach , Florida .
Associated Press writer Andrew Taylor contributed to this report .

House approves Trump's $2,000 checks, sending to GOP-led Senate
President Donald Trump's motorcade departs Trump International Golf Club Sunday in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trump is returning to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach. Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- The House voted overwhelmingly Monday to increase COVID-19 relief checks to $2,000, meeting President Donald Trump's demand for bigger payments and sending the bill to the GOP-controlled Senate, where the outcome is uncertain.
Democrats led passage, 275-134, their majority favoring additional assistance, but dozens of Republicans joined in approval. Congress had settled on smaller $600 payments in a compromise over the big year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law. Democrats favored higher payments, but Trump's push put his GOP allies in a difficult spot.
The vote deeply divided Republicans who mostly resist more spending. But many House Republicans joined in support, preferring to link with Democrats rather than buck the outgoing president. Senators were set to return to session Tuesday, forced to consider the measure.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared, "Republicans have a choice: Vote for this legislation or vote to deny the American people" the assistance she said they need during the pandemic.
The showdown could end up as more symbol than substance. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has declined to say publicly how the Senate will handle the bill when Democrats there try to push it forward for a vote on Tuesday.
The legislative action during the rare holiday week session may do little to change the $2 trillion-plus COVID-19 relief and federal spending package that Trump signed into law Sunday, one of the biggest bills of its kind providing relief for millions of Americans.
Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, acknowledged the division and said Congress had already approved ample funds during the COVID-19 crisis. "Nothing in this bill helps anybody get back to work," he said.
The package the president signed into law includes two parts -- $900 billion in COVID-19 aid and $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies. It will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown that otherwise would have started Tuesday, in the midst of the public health crisis.
Aside from the direct $600 checks to most Americans, the COVID-19 portion of the bill revives a weekly pandemic jobless benefit boost -- this time $300, through March 14 -- as well as a popular Paycheck Protection Program of grants to businesses to keep workers on payrolls. It extends eviction protections, adding a new rental assistance fund.
The COVID-19 package draws and expands on an earlier effort from Washington. It offers billions of dollars for vaccine purchases and distribution, for virus contact tracing, public health departments, schools, universities, farmers, food pantry programs and other institutions and groups facing hardship in the pandemic.
Americans earning up to $75,000 will qualify for the direct $600 payments, which are phased out at higher income levels, and there's an additional $600 payment per dependent child.
Meantime the government funding portion of the bill keeps federal agencies nationwide running without dramatic changes until Sept. 30.
Together with votes Monday and Tuesday to override Trump's veto of a sweeping defense bill, the attempt to send much higher pandemic-era checks to people is perhaps the last standoff of the president's final days in office as he imposes fresh demands and disputes the results of the presidential election. The new Congress is set to be sworn in Sunday.
Trump's sudden decision to sign the bill in Florida, where he is spending the holidays, came as he faced escalating criticism from lawmakers on all sides over his eleventh-hour demands. The bipartisan bill negotiated by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had already passed the House and Senate by wide margins. Lawmakers had thought they had Trump's blessing after months of negotiations with his administration.
The president's defiant refusal to act, publicized with a heated video he tweeted just before the Christmas holiday, sparked chaos, a lapse in unemployment benefits for millions and the threat of a government shutdown in the pandemic. It was another crisis of his own making, resolved when he ultimately signed the bill into law.
In his statement about the signing, Trump repeated his frustrations with the COVID-19 relief bill for providing only $600 checks to most Americans and complained about what he considered unnecessary spending, particularly on foreign aid -- much of it proposed by his own budget.
While the president insisted he would send Congress "a redlined version" with spending items he wants removed, those are merely suggestions to Congress. Democrats said they would resist such cuts.
For now, the administration can only begin work sending out the $600 payments.
A day after the signing, Trump was back at the golf course in Florida, the state where he is expected to move after President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20.
Republican Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, a conservative who supported Trump's extraordinary and futile challenge of the election results, counted himself Monday among the opponents of a more generous relief package and Trump's call for higher payments.
"It's money we don't have, we have to borrow to get and we can't afford to pay back," he said on "Fox and Friends."
But Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York said she was open to the idea of $2,000 checks. "Many Americans are in dire need of relief," she said on the show.
Altogether, Republicans and Democrats alike swiftly welcomed Trump's decision to sign the bill into law.
"The compromise bill is not perfect, but it will do an enormous amount of good for struggling Kentuckians and Americans across the country who need help now," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "I thank the President for signing this relief into law."
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he would offer Trump's proposal for $2,000 checks for a vote in Senate -- putting Republicans on the spot.
"The House will pass a bill to give Americans $2,000 checks," Schumer tweeted. "Then I will move to pass it in the Senate." He said no Democrats will object. "Will Senate Republicans?"
Democrats are promising more aid to come once Biden takes office, but Republicans are signaling a wait-and-see approach.
Biden told reporters at an event in Wilmington, Delaware, that he supported the $2,000 checks.
Colvin reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press writer Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-28--'We hope to get an answer': Authorities still searching for motive in Nashville bombing

NASHVILLE , Tenn. -- The man authorities believe was responsible for setting off a Christmas Day bomb that injured three people and damaged dozens of buildings in downtown Nashville left behind clues that suggest he planned and intended to kill himself in the bombing , but a clear motive remains elusive .
`` We hope to get an answer .
Sometimes , it 's just not possible , '' David Rausch , the director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation , said Monday in an interview on NBC 's `` Today '' show .
`` The best way to find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We will not be able to do that in this case . ''
Investigators are analyzing property belonging to Anthony Quinn Warner that was collected during the investigation , including a computer and a portable storage drive , and are continuing to interview witnesses as they try to identify a potential motive for the explosion , a law enforcement official said .
A review of his financial transactions also uncovered purchases of potential bomb-making components , the official said .
Warner had recently given away a vehicle and told the person he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diagnosed with cancer , though it is unclear whether he indeed had cancer , the official said .
Investigators used some items collected from the vehicle , including a hat and gloves , to match Warner 's DNA , and DNA had also been taken from one of his family members , the official said .
The official could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity .
Warner also apparently gave away his home in Antioch , a Nashville suburb , to a Los Angeles woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property record dated Nov. 25 indicates Warner transferred the home to the woman in exchange for no money after living there for decades .
The woman 's signature is not on that document .
Warner had worked as a computer consultant for Nashville realtor Steve Fridrich , who told the AP in a text message that Warner had said he was retiring earlier this month .
Officials said Warner had not been on their radar before Christmas .
A law enforcement report released Monday showed that Warner 's only arrest was for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear that the intent was more destruction than death , but again that 's all still speculation at this point as we continue in our investigation with all our partners , '' Rausch added .
Furthermore , officials have not provided insight into why Warner selected the particular location for the bombing , which damaged an AT & T building and continued to wreak havoc on cellphone service and police and hospital communications in several Southern states as the company worked to restore service .
Forensic analysts were reviewing evidence collected from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ components of the explosives as well as information from the U.S .
Bomb Data Center for intelligence and investigative leads , according to a law enforcement official who said investigators were examining Warner 's digital footprint and financial history , as well as a recent deed transfer of a suburban Nashville home they searched .
The official , who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity , said federal agents were examining a number of potential leads and pursuing several theories , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building was targeted .
Korneski said Sunday that officials were looking at any and all motives and were interviewing acquaintances of Warner 's to try to determine what may have motivated him .
The bombing took place on a holiday morning well before downtown streets were bustling with activity and was accompanied by a recorded announcement warning anyone nearby that a bomb would soon detonate .
Then , for reasons that may never be known , the audio switched to a recording of Petula Clark 's 1964 hit `` Downtown '' shortly before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Warner relied on several key pieces of evidence , including DNA found at the explosion site .
Investigators had previously revealed that human remains had been found in the vicinity .
In addition , investigators from the Tennessee Highway Patrol recovered parts from the RV among the wreckage from the blast , and were able to link the vehicle identification number to an RV that was registered to Warner , officials said .
`` We 're still following leads , but right now there is no indication that any other persons were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 've reviewed hours of security video surrounding the recreation vehicle .
We saw no other people involved . ''
Police were responding to a report of shots fired Friday when they encountered the RV blaring a recorded warning that a bomb would detonate in 15 minutes .
Suddenly the warning stopped , and `` Downtown '' started playing .
The RV exploded shortly afterward , sending black smoke and flames billowing from the heart of downtown Nashville 's tourist scene , an area packed with honky-tonks , restaurants and shops .
Balsamo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richmond , Virginia .
Associated Press journalists Scott Stroud and Mark Humphrey in Nashville , Michael Kunzelman in College Park , Maryland , and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report .

'We hope to get an answer': Authorities still searching for motive in Nashville bombing
This undated image posted on social media by the FBI shows Anthony Quinn Warner. Federal officials now turn to exploring the monumental task of piecing together the motive behind the Christmas Day explosion that severely damaged dozens of buildings and injured three in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. While officials have named 63-year-old Warner as the man behind the mysterious explosion in which he was killed, the motive has remained elusive. Associated Press
Investigators Sunday continue to examine the site of an explosion in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. An explosion that shook the largely deserted streets of downtown Nashville early Christmas morning shattered windows, damaged buildings and wounded multiple people. Authorities said they believed the blast was intentional. Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The man authorities believe was responsible for setting off a Christmas Day bomb that injured three people and damaged dozens of buildings in downtown Nashville left behind clues that suggest he planned and intended to kill himself in the bombing, but a clear motive remains elusive.
"We hope to get an answer. Sometimes, it's just not possible," David Rausch, the director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, said Monday in an interview on NBC's "Today" show. "The best way to find motive is to talk to the individual. We will not be able to do that in this case."
Investigators are analyzing property belonging to Anthony Quinn Warner that was collected during the investigation, including a computer and a portable storage drive, and are continuing to interview witnesses as they try to identify a potential motive for the explosion, a law enforcement official said. A review of his financial transactions also uncovered purchases of potential bomb-making components, the official said.
Warner had recently given away a vehicle and told the person he gave it to that he had been diagnosed with cancer, though it is unclear whether he indeed had cancer, the official said. Investigators used some items collected from the vehicle, including a hat and gloves, to match Warner's DNA, and DNA had also been taken from one of his family members, the official said.
The official could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
Warner also apparently gave away his home in Antioch, a Nashville suburb, to a Los Angeles woman a month before the bombing. A property record dated Nov. 25 indicates Warner transferred the home to the woman in exchange for no money after living there for decades. The woman's signature is not on that document.
Warner had worked as a computer consultant for Nashville realtor Steve Fridrich, who told the AP in a text message that Warner had said he was retiring earlier this month.
Officials said Warner had not been on their radar before Christmas. A law enforcement report released Monday showed that Warner's only arrest was for a 1978 marijuana-related charge.
"It does appear that the intent was more destruction than death, but again that's all still speculation at this point as we continue in our investigation with all our partners," Rausch added.
Furthermore, officials have not provided insight into why Warner selected the particular location for the bombing, which damaged an AT&T building and continued to wreak havoc on cellphone service and police and hospital communications in several Southern states as the company worked to restore service.
Forensic analysts were reviewing evidence collected from the blast site to try to identify the components of the explosives as well as information from the U.S. Bomb Data Center for intelligence and investigative leads, according to a law enforcement official who said investigators were examining Warner's digital footprint and financial history, as well as a recent deed transfer of a suburban Nashville home they searched.
The official, who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity, said federal agents were examining a number of potential leads and pursuing several theories, including the possibility that the AT&T building was targeted.
Korneski said Sunday that officials were looking at any and all motives and were interviewing acquaintances of Warner's to try to determine what may have motivated him.
The bombing took place on a holiday morning well before downtown streets were bustling with activity and was accompanied by a recorded announcement warning anyone nearby that a bomb would soon detonate. Then, for reasons that may never be known, the audio switched to a recording of Petula Clark's 1964 hit "Downtown" shortly before the blast.
Officials said their identification of Warner relied on several key pieces of evidence, including DNA found at the explosion site. Investigators had previously revealed that human remains had been found in the vicinity.
In addition, investigators from the Tennessee Highway Patrol recovered parts from the RV among the wreckage from the blast, and were able to link the vehicle identification number to an RV that was registered to Warner, officials said.
"We're still following leads, but right now there is no indication that any other persons were involved," Korneski said. "We've reviewed hours of security video surrounding the recreation vehicle. We saw no other people involved."
Police were responding to a report of shots fired Friday when they encountered the RV blaring a recorded warning that a bomb would detonate in 15 minutes. Suddenly the warning stopped, and "Downtown" started playing.
The RV exploded shortly afterward, sending black smoke and flames billowing from the heart of downtown Nashville's tourist scene, an area packed with honky-tonks, restaurants and shops.
Balsamo reported from Washington, and Lavoie from Richmond, Virginia. Associated Press journalists Scott Stroud and Mark Humphrey in Nashville, Michael Kunzelman in College Park, Maryland, and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-28--A battle that doesn't end: The pandemic's effect on health care workers

Nurse Samantha Mull felt helpless as she held the hand of a dying COVID-19 patient , trying to provide a sense of comfort as his family members said their goodbyes over the phone .
Her interactions with the man had been brief but strangely intimate since he was admitted to Elmhurst Hospital 's intensive care unit a week earlier .
She looked him in the eyes as he gasped for breath and told him everything would be OK. She talked him through the intubation process , which she performed while he was awake .
And in his final moments , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bedside , sobbing over a man they barely knew as they watched him die .
For the last 10 months , health care workers have been carrying the weight of the pandemic on their shoulders , enduring anxiety , uncertainty , moral distress and fatigue as they fight a battle that 's out of their control .
Though that patient stands out in Mull 's mind , the scenario was in no way unique , she said .
At the height of the pandemic , both in the spring and over the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for front-line workers to witness multiple deaths a day , to deliver heartbreaking news virtually , to drop everything to be with a patient so nobody dies alone .
`` People do n't see this part of it , '' said Mull , of North Aurora , an ICU nurse for six years .
`` I 'm exhausted .
I 'm emotionally drained .
I feel like there 's still no end in sight . ''
Some health care workers take on extra shifts and report feeling guilty in their time off .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with additional stressors in their personal lives .
And with a front-row seat to the impact of the respiratory disease , many are growing increasingly frustrated by a lack of community compliance with public health guidelines .
`` They find themselves in two different worlds : One where they go to work at the hospital where people are dropping dead , and then they 're coming home and seeing people , frankly , be indifferent , '' said Dr. Clifton Saper , lead clinical psychologist with the Amita Health Behavioral Medicine Institute .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ anger and a lot of feelings of despair . ''
In the early stages of a vaccine rollout , uncertainty remains over when front-line workers will be granted relief .
Mental health experts say they have a long road ahead , both in overcoming the virus and facing the residual effects of psychological trauma .
`` This is way , way more than anybody in health care has experienced before , '' Saper said .
Suburban health care workers can remember when a single positive case evoked feelings of overwhelming fear at their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January for Amita Health St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates , where the first confirmed COVID-19 patient in the Chicago area -- and the second in the United States -- was admitted , Saper said .
Weeks later , Edward Hospital in Naperville began caring for its first positive patient in the pulmonary medicine unit .
Nurse Jessica Bromley and her colleagues were tasked with treating an infection they did n't understand yet , with limited tools to help anticipate complications or perform interventions .
They did n't know if the hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevent the spread of the novel virus , said Bromley , a Plainfield resident .
She found herself at the center of a moral dilemma that pitted her patients ' care against the safety of her family .
That was the only time she has ever considered leaving the profession .
`` The compassionate and caring nature of a nurse is very hard to weigh with the fear and risk of what we were being asked to do , '' Bromley said .
As cases spiked across the suburbs , hospital systems ramped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offered other mental health resources for employees at all levels .
Elective procedures were halted , and teams felt a collective rush of adrenaline as they adopted an all-hands-on-deck approach to combating the virus , said Dr. Sanjeeb Khatua , chief physician executive at Edward-Elmhurst Health .
The community embraced that mentality , too , pledging to stay home , rallying around their health care heroes , and sending daily meals and messages of encouragement .
The pressures of the pandemic began to subside over the summer as positivity rates trended down .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief , hospitals were suddenly balancing COVID-19 cases with a backlog of patients needing elective surgeries and other care , Khatua said .
By the time a second surge hit this fall , health care workers had learned how to better care for virus patients .
But there was no operational pause in other units this time , no labor pool to fall back on , no rallying cry of community support -- and yet a greater case count and more community spread than ever before .
`` They just have n't had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` They still have the same issues at home as everybody else , and throw on top of that all this politicizing of simple scientific concepts that we should all be in together .
That 's a mixture for what we 'd call 'COVID fatigue . '
'' Nurse Jennifer Cohen felt like she reached her breaking point early last month as she watched COVID-19 cases rising again at NorthShore Glenbrook Hospital .
Her medical surgical unit had been filling up with positive patients when she left work on a Friday .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other units at the Glenview medical center were full -- `` that 's how quick it was , '' she said .
`` It was difficult to accept that it was going to be as bad as it was before , or even worse .
...
There was just the reality of , 'Oh my gosh , we have to do this again , ' '' Cohen said .
`` I felt a little let down by the public . ''
The community spread has been more prevalent in the second wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ straining the workforce as more employees and their families test positive , said Jeff Murphy , 2021 president of the Schaumburg-based Emergency Nurses Association 's Illinois chapter .
Members have reported working longer hours and taking on extra shifts to ensure their units are fully staffed .
`` Trying to absorb that many people who are out sick and still take care of a lot of patients has made this last stretch particularly exhausting , '' Murphy said .
Advocate Aurora Health and Edward-Elmhurst Health are among the systems offering extra financial support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child care reimbursement , to front-line workers .
Suburban hospitals also have activated special teams tasked with specifically addressing employees ' psychological needs .
Northwestern Medicine behavioral health staff members bring essential oils to medical floors , encourage stretch breaks , lead mindful breathing exercises and station a therapy dog at entrances to greet employees .
Many health centers offer healthy snacks , round-the-clock chaplains or therapists , and virtual or in-person support groups .
`` This is a marathon .
All our efforts are n't going to go away once everyone is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kathie Bender Schwich , Advocate Aurora chief spiritual officer .
`` We realize the emotional , mental and spiritual effects of all this will have a longer life , so we really are trying to change the culture of how we care for one another . ''
'Holding each other up' At the start of the pandemic , Mull transformed her living room into a yoga studio .
She makes a conscious effort to paint her nails , go for bike rides and take relaxing baths .
She even bedazzles her mask with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the midst of chaos , Mull quickly realized the importance of finding an outlet and creating small joys .
After a tumultuous year also full of unrest and political divide , self-care has never been more critical -- `` and do n't feel guilty about it , '' said Michael Scholl , vice president of behavioral health at The Josselyn Center , a mental health clinic in Northfield and Waukegan .
`` This is a situation where we have been met with more emotional needs than most humans can deal with , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers focus on moving forward through the pandemic , many find their strength from the doctors , nurses and others who understand what they 've been through , Bromley said .
They vent to one another in break rooms or call each other after they 've had a hard day at work .
`` None of us could 've done this without each other .
That 's the whole reason anybody 's able to get any care , '' she said .
`` We 've all been holding each other up , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's also important to focus on the wins rather than the losses , Mull said .
The 31-year-old patient who 's back home with his wife and kids after being on a ventilator for a month .
The man who got a tracheostomy days ago but is now awake and smiling and communicative .
`` That 's why I do my job , is to have those wins , '' Mull said .
`` We 're still in this together , and we 're going to beat this .
Even though we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel like there 's no end in sight , we 're trying to make one . ''

A battle that doesn't end: The pandemic's effect on health care workers
Nurse Samantha Mull, who works in the intensive care unit at Elmhurst Hospital, says the last 10 months have been emotionally and mentally draining. "I feel like there's still no end in sight," she says. Courtesy of Samantha Mull
Nurse Samantha Mull felt helpless as she held the hand of a dying COVID-19 patient, trying to provide a sense of comfort as his family members said their goodbyes over the phone.
Her interactions with the man had been brief but strangely intimate since he was admitted to Elmhurst Hospital's intensive care unit a week earlier. She looked him in the eyes as he gasped for breath and told him everything would be OK. She talked him through the intubation process, which she performed while he was awake.
And in his final moments, Mull and a co-worker were at his bedside, sobbing over a man they barely knew as they watched him die.
For the last 10 months, health care workers have been carrying the weight of the pandemic on their shoulders, enduring anxiety, uncertainty, moral distress and fatigue as they fight a battle that's out of their control.
Though that patient stands out in Mull's mind, the scenario was in no way unique, she said. At the height of the pandemic, both in the spring and over the last several weeks, it's not uncommon for front-line workers to witness multiple deaths a day, to deliver heartbreaking news virtually, to drop everything to be with a patient so nobody dies alone.
"People don't see this part of it," said Mull, of North Aurora, an ICU nurse for six years. "I'm exhausted. I'm emotionally drained. I feel like there's still no end in sight."
Some health care workers take on extra shifts and report feeling guilty in their time off. Others find it hard to balance work with additional stressors in their personal lives. And with a front-row seat to the impact of the respiratory disease, many are growing increasingly frustrated by a lack of community compliance with public health guidelines.
"They find themselves in two different worlds: One where they go to work at the hospital where people are dropping dead, and then they're coming home and seeing people, frankly, be indifferent," said Dr. Clifton Saper, lead clinical psychologist with the Amita Health Behavioral Medicine Institute. "That leads to a lot of anger and a lot of feelings of despair."
In the early stages of a vaccine rollout, uncertainty remains over when front-line workers will be granted relief. Mental health experts say they have a long road ahead, both in overcoming the virus and facing the residual effects of psychological trauma.
"This is way, way more than anybody in health care has experienced before," Saper said.
COVID fatigue
- Brian Hill | Staff Photographer Edward Hospital nurse Jessica Bromley says she has relied on her co-workers for support while working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic for the last 10 months. "We've all been holding each other up, and we continue to do so."
Suburban health care workers can remember when a single positive case evoked feelings of overwhelming fear at their respective hospitals.
That moment came in January for Amita Health St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, where the first confirmed COVID-19 patient in the Chicago area -- and the second in the United States -- was admitted, Saper said.
Weeks later, Edward Hospital in Naperville began caring for its first positive patient in the pulmonary medicine unit. Nurse Jessica Bromley and her colleagues were tasked with treating an infection they didn't understand yet, with limited tools to help anticipate complications or perform interventions.
They didn't know if the hospital's protocols and personal protective equipment would prevent the spread of the novel virus, said Bromley, a Plainfield resident. She found herself at the center of a moral dilemma that pitted her patients' care against the safety of her family.
That was the only time she has ever considered leaving the profession.
"The compassionate and caring nature of a nurse is very hard to weigh with the fear and risk of what we were being asked to do," Bromley said.
As cases spiked across the suburbs, hospital systems ramped up incentives, instituted support groups and offered other mental health resources for employees at all levels.
Elective procedures were halted, and teams felt a collective rush of adrenaline as they adopted an all-hands-on-deck approach to combating the virus, said Dr. Sanjeeb Khatua, chief physician executive at Edward-Elmhurst Health. The community embraced that mentality, too, pledging to stay home, rallying around their health care heroes, and sending daily meals and messages of encouragement.
The pressures of the pandemic began to subside over the summer as positivity rates trended down. While the public breathed a sigh of relief, hospitals were suddenly balancing COVID-19 cases with a backlog of patients needing elective surgeries and other care, Khatua said.
By the time a second surge hit this fall, health care workers had learned how to better care for virus patients. But there was no operational pause in other units this time, no labor pool to fall back on, no rallying cry of community support -- and yet a greater case count and more community spread than ever before.
"They just haven't had a break," Khatua said. "They still have the same issues at home as everybody else, and throw on top of that all this politicizing of simple scientific concepts that we should all be in together. That's a mixture for what we'd call 'COVID fatigue.'"
'This is a marathon'
- Mark Welsh | Staff Photographer Therapy dog Shelby greets workers at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield. "It lifts spirits, makes them smile. People say it's a great way to start the day," owner Amy Wessel says.
Nurse Jennifer Cohen felt like she reached her breaking point early last month as she watched COVID-19 cases rising again at NorthShore Glenbrook Hospital.
Her medical surgical unit had been filling up with positive patients when she left work on a Friday. By the time she returned Monday, two other units at the Glenview medical center were full -- "that's how quick it was," she said.
"It was difficult to accept that it was going to be as bad as it was before, or even worse. ... There was just the reality of, 'Oh my gosh, we have to do this again,'" Cohen said. "I felt a little let down by the public."
The community spread has been more prevalent in the second wave of infections than in the initial outbreak, straining the workforce as more employees and their families test positive, said Jeff Murphy, 2021 president of the Schaumburg-based Emergency Nurses Association's Illinois chapter. Members have reported working longer hours and taking on extra shifts to ensure their units are fully staffed.
"Trying to absorb that many people who are out sick and still take care of a lot of patients has made this last stretch particularly exhausting," Murphy said.
Advocate Aurora Health and Edward-Elmhurst Health are among the systems offering extra financial support, such as raises, bonuses or child care reimbursement, to front-line workers. Suburban hospitals also have activated special teams tasked with specifically addressing employees' psychological needs.
Northwestern Medicine behavioral health staff members bring essential oils to medical floors, encourage stretch breaks, lead mindful breathing exercises and station a therapy dog at entrances to greet employees. Many health centers offer healthy snacks, round-the-clock chaplains or therapists, and virtual or in-person support groups.
"This is a marathon. All our efforts aren't going to go away once everyone is vaccinated," said the Rev. Kathie Bender Schwich, Advocate Aurora chief spiritual officer. "We realize the emotional, mental and spiritual effects of all this will have a longer life, so we really are trying to change the culture of how we care for one another."
'Holding each other up'
Elmhurst Hospital nurse Samantha Mull bedazzles her face masks differently at the start of every shift, one of several ways she practices self-care and tries to stay positive through the COVID-19 pandemic. "It's the little things," she says. - Courtesy of Samantha Mull
At the start of the pandemic, Mull transformed her living room into a yoga studio.
She makes a conscious effort to paint her nails, go for bike rides and take relaxing baths. She even bedazzles her mask with a different design before every shift.
In the midst of chaos, Mull quickly realized the importance of finding an outlet and creating small joys. After a tumultuous year also full of unrest and political divide, self-care has never been more critical -- "and don't feel guilty about it," said Michael Scholl, vice president of behavioral health at The Josselyn Center, a mental health clinic in Northfield and Waukegan.
"This is a situation where we have been met with more emotional needs than most humans can deal with," he said.
As health care workers focus on moving forward through the pandemic, many find their strength from the doctors, nurses and others who understand what they've been through, Bromley said. They vent to one another in break rooms or call each other after they've had a hard day at work.
"None of us could've done this without each other. That's the whole reason anybody's able to get any care," she said. "We've all been holding each other up, and we continue to do so."
It's also important to focus on the wins rather than the losses, Mull said. The 31-year-old patient who's back home with his wife and kids after being on a ventilator for a month. The man who got a tracheostomy days ago but is now awake and smiling and communicative.
"That's why I do my job, is to have those wins," Mull said. "We're still in this together, and we're going to beat this. Even though we feel like we're drowning and we feel like there's no end in sight, we're trying to make one."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-28--Another person charged in fatal shooting of ex-firefighter

CHICAGO -- A third person charged in the death of a retired Chicago Fire Department Lieutenant , killed during an attempt to carjack his SUV , was ordered held without bond Monday .
Devin Barron , 20 , was arrested Saturday in Lansing , Illinois by the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force , according to Chicago police .
Barron is charged in the Dec. 3 death of 65-year-old Dwain Williams .
Cook County Circuit Judge David Navarro ordered Barron held without bond .
Surveillance video released by police show two people with guns approach Williams as he walks toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Williams , who had a concealed carry permit , was killed while exchanging gunfire with his assailants .
Two others , one a 15-year-old boy , have already been charged in Williams ' death .
The getaway driver remains at large , according to authorities .
Barron , was captured on video exiting the rear passenger seat of a stolen car shortly before Williams ' murder , prosecutors told Navarro , adding an eyewitness familiar with all four suspects positively identified them from surveillance videos .
A defense attorney told Navarro video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his client as a suspect , adding that most of the prosecution 's evidence was circumstantial and did n't prove Barron was the shooter .

Another person charged in fatal shooting of ex-firefighter
This undated photo provided by the Chicago Police Department shows Devin Barron. Barron was arrested Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020, in Lansing, Illinois, by the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, and is now one of three people charged in the death of a retired Chicago Fire Department lieutenant killed during an attempt to carjack his SUV. (Chicago Police Department via AP) Associated Press
CHICAGO -- A third person charged in the death of a retired Chicago Fire Department Lieutenant, killed during an attempt to carjack his SUV, was ordered held without bond Monday.
Devin Barron, 20, was arrested Saturday in Lansing, Illinois by the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, according to Chicago police. Barron is charged in the Dec. 3 death of 65-year-old Dwain Williams. Cook County Circuit Judge David Navarro ordered Barron held without bond.
Surveillance video released by police show two people with guns approach Williams as he walks toward his Jeep from a nearby popcorn shop. Williams, who had a concealed carry permit, was killed while exchanging gunfire with his assailants.
Two others, one a 15-year-old boy, have already been charged in Williams' death. The getaway driver remains at large, according to authorities.
Barron, was captured on video exiting the rear passenger seat of a stolen car shortly before Williams' murder, prosecutors told Navarro, adding an eyewitness familiar with all four suspects positively identified them from surveillance videos.
A defense attorney told Navarro video footage wasn't clear enough to identify his client as a suspect, adding that most of the prosecution's evidence was circumstantial and didn't prove Barron was the shooter.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-29--Winter storm expected for parts of suburbs today

Snowfall is likely in some parts of the suburbs this afternoon before turning into a wintry mix of freezing rain @ @ @ @ @ National Weather Service in Chicago is forecasting .
Several inches of snow are possible beginning @ @ @ @ @ the northwest part of the region likely to see the larger totals , including parts @ @ @ @ @ could become treacherous , according to the weather service .
Cook , DuPage , Kane @ @ @ @ @ are all expected to be moderately affected by the storm , which could turn to @ @ @ @ @ with it strong wind gusts that result in power outages .
Warmer weather is expected @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday morning , diminishing the threat of icy roads throughout the day .


dailyheraldchicago--2020-12-29--District 203 backs decision to begin hybrid learning next month

Weighing the risks of the COVID-19 virus with the potential impact of keeping schools closed has been a balancing act for Naperville Unit District 203 .
Administrators say they have relied on the DuPage County Health Department , among other agencies , to help guide their decisions to date , landing the district in an enhanced e-learning phase roughly 10 months into the pandemic .
But with local metrics and positivity rates trending in the right direction , Superintendent Dan Bridges said , the district is on track to transition next month into the third stage of its `` Return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` As we learn and understand more about how the virus is spread and how to mitigate it within schools , we can make different choices , '' Bridges said during a school board meeting last week .
The hybrid schedule is expected to take effect the week of Jan. 25 for kindergarten through high school students who choose in-person learning .
An online-only option also is available for all families .
At the elementary level , students would be divided into two cohorts Tuesdays through Fridays , allowing half the class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. while the other half is assigned to an afternoon session from noon to 2:30 p.m. , according to a Dec. 21 presentation .
Block scheduling will continue at the junior high and high school levels , where students are slated to return to in-person learning two consecutive days a week , administrators said .
Time would be scheduled at the end of the day for small group learning , office hours , counselor meetings , college or career discussions , academic assessments and other student support services .
Students in specialized programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days a week .
Mondays will remain a designated e-learning day for all grade levels .
Livestream technology installed in each classroom serves as the `` backbone of our hybrid learning model , '' allowing educators to blend in-person and online instruction , said Jayne Willard , assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction .
Independent learning opportunities also will be incorporated into students ' schedules .
For months , District 203 has faced continued pressure from families criticizing the `` Return to Learn '' plan and advocating for in-person instruction .
Parent AnnMarie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ board with written comments last week , expressing concerns that remote learning will leave kids with `` irreversible damage . ''
`` I am so disgusted and discouraged by this entire district and situation , '' she said .
`` My heart aches for my children and for this community . ''
But some commenters , including a few employees , urged the district to maintain its `` adaptive pause '' in the back-to-school plan .
Washington Junior High teacher Tom Auld said the district should be `` beyond cautious '' from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North teacher Amy Vogelsan said she fears offering a choice between hybrid and remote learning will further marginalize the most vulnerable students .
`` Teachers will no longer be able to provide the same level of focused attention and care possible in e-learning when they are forced to simultaneously divide their energy between ... groups of students , '' Vogelsan said .
Board member Paul Leong also questioned the administration 's plan , which he said does not align with the DuPage health department 's recommendation to remain in a remote learning setting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains at `` substantial , '' metrics in the area and within the district are trending down , and increased evidence shows schools `` do not appear to be a focal point of transmission , '' said Christine Igoe , assistant superintendent for student services .
Safety protocols are being implemented within each school to limit exposure , prevent the spread of the virus and ensure a safe learning environment , she said .
Additional information is expected to be presented next week on a possible surveillance testing system .
`` We now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk of the virus for both students and teachers , which informs our decisions , '' Igoe said .

District 203 backs decision to begin hybrid learning next month
Weighing the risks of the COVID-19 virus with the potential impact of keeping schools closed has been a balancing act for Naperville Unit District 203.
Administrators say they have relied on the DuPage County Health Department, among other agencies, to help guide their decisions to date, landing the district in an enhanced e-learning phase roughly 10 months into the pandemic. But with local metrics and positivity rates trending in the right direction, Superintendent Dan Bridges said, the district is on track to transition next month into the third stage of its "Return to Learn" plan: hybrid learning.
"As we learn and understand more about how the virus is spread and how to mitigate it within schools, we can make different choices," Bridges said during a school board meeting last week.
The hybrid schedule is expected to take effect the week of Jan. 25 for kindergarten through high school students who choose in-person learning. An online-only option also is available for all families.
At the elementary level, students would be divided into two cohorts Tuesdays through Fridays, allowing half the class to attend school from 8:15 to 10:45 a.m. while the other half is assigned to an afternoon session from noon to 2:30 p.m., according to a Dec. 21 presentation.
Block scheduling will continue at the junior high and high school levels, where students are slated to return to in-person learning two consecutive days a week, administrators said. Time would be scheduled at the end of the day for small group learning, office hours, counselor meetings, college or career discussions, academic assessments and other student support services.
Students in specialized programs are expected to receive in-person instruction four days a week. Mondays will remain a designated e-learning day for all grade levels.
Livestream technology installed in each classroom serves as the "backbone of our hybrid learning model," allowing educators to blend in-person and online instruction, said Jayne Willard, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. Independent learning opportunities also will be incorporated into students' schedules.
For months, District 203 has faced continued pressure from families criticizing the "Return to Learn" plan and advocating for in-person instruction. Parent AnnMarie Fetro was among those who addressed the board with written comments last week, expressing concerns that remote learning will leave kids with "irreversible damage."
"I am so disgusted and discouraged by this entire district and situation," she said. "My heart aches for my children and for this community."
But some commenters, including a few employees, urged the district to maintain its "adaptive pause" in the back-to-school plan. Washington Junior High teacher Tom Auld said the district should be "beyond cautious" from a health and safety perspective, while Naperville North teacher Amy Vogelsan said she fears offering a choice between hybrid and remote learning will further marginalize the most vulnerable students.
"Teachers will no longer be able to provide the same level of focused attention and care possible in e-learning when they are forced to simultaneously divide their energy between ... groups of students," Vogelsan said.
Board member Paul Leong also questioned the administration's plan, which he said does not align with the DuPage health department's recommendation to remain in a remote learning setting.
Though the county's transmission level remains at "substantial," metrics in the area and within the district are trending down, and increased evidence shows schools "do not appear to be a focal point of transmission," said Christine Igoe, assistant superintendent for student services.
Safety protocols are being implemented within each school to limit exposure, prevent the spread of the virus and ensure a safe learning environment, she said. Additional information is expected to be presented next week on a possible surveillance testing system.
"We now have more information about how to reduce the risk of the virus for both students and teachers, which informs our decisions," Igoe said.