dailyheraldchicago--2020-09-30--With 2,273 new COVID-19 cases, Dr. Ezike advises on how to be careful this Halloween

With new COVID-19 cases reaching 2,273 Wednesday and 35 more deaths , Illinois Department of Public Health officials encouraged parents to undertake a bloodcurdling task -- persuading kids to celebrate Halloween at home this year .
But recognizing that many trick-or-treaters are likely to flood neighborhood streets virus or no virus and `` rather than deny that reality , '' the agency is offering guidelines that include social distancing and wearing proper face coverings .
`` A costume mask is not a substitute for a face covering , '' IDPH Director Ngozi Ezike said at a briefing .
In addition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but outdoor ones are not .
Authorities also warned against `` crowded costume parties at home or at bars , which can absolutely increase your risk of getting COVID-19 , '' Ezike said .
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois stands at 293,274 with 8,672 deaths .
Wednesday 's death toll included a Cook County woman in her 100s .
One piece of good news : The state is expected to receive several million BinaxNOW rapid virus tests from the federal government `` starting in the next few days and arriving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said .
The test takes about 15 minutes using a nasal swab to detect virus antigens , according to Lake County-based manufacturer Abbott .
The test is expected to help colleges and schools detect virus cases .
`` We 're very excited to use these BinaxNOW tests and believe they will help build on the testing we already have , '' Pritzker said .
Illinois ' virus test positivity rate is 3.6 % , based on a seven-day average , and labs reported 58,546 tests in the last 24 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Illinois hospitals was 1,632 as of Tuesday night , compared to the seven-day average of 1,584 .
This Halloween , `` we are encouraging people to find ways to celebrate that look a little different from in years past , '' Ezike said .
She asked parents to `` challenge yourself and your children on how to celebrate these holidays as safely as possible . ''
• Leaving individually wrapped candy , spaced apart , on a table outside .
• Trick-or-treating only with people from your own household .
• Keeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ensuring kids wearing face masks under Halloween masks are comfortable and able to breathe properly .
At fall traditions like pumpkin patches or apple picking , visitors must wear masks and social-distance , and capacity limits apply .
Ezike also flagged an anomaly in virus test positivity results for the 21-county East Central Region that includes the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign .
This summer and fall , U of I began testing thousands of students and employees using a saliva-based virus test .
The surge of tests on campus , constituting 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affecting positivity rates in the region , which are in the 2 % range and below Illinois ' average .
But without Champaign County , the region 's test rate skyrockets to 7.2 % , Ezike said .
As a result , the IDPH will monitor East Central test rates independent of Champaign County , and if those hit or exceed 8 % for three days , restrictions , such as no indoor service at bars and restaurants , will be imposed on the entire area .
The 35 recent deaths included , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his 60s , a woman and man in their 80s , and a woman in her 100s ; in DuPage County , a woman in her 80s ; in Lake County , a man in his 70s , and in Will County , a woman and two men in their 70s .
Also Wednesday , Pritzker was asked about Speaker Michael Madigan 's refusal to testify before an Illinois House committee investigating corruption involving ComEd .
The utility admitted to hiring Madigan allies for jobs and contracts in exchange for favorable legislation that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing .
`` I strongly believe that the speaker should take any opportunity , and this is one , to present answers to the questions that I think all of us have , '' said Pritzker , a Democrat .

With 2,273 new COVID-19 cases, Dr. Ezike advises on how to be careful this Halloween
The virus test positivity rate in Illinois is 3.6%, based on a seven-day average, and labs reported 58,546 tests in the last 24 hours. Daily Herald File Photo
With new COVID-19 cases reaching 2,273 Wednesday and 35 more deaths, Illinois Department of Public Health officials encouraged parents to undertake a bloodcurdling task -- persuading kids to celebrate Halloween at home this year.
But recognizing that many trick-or-treaters are likely to flood neighborhood streets virus or no virus and "rather than deny that reality," the agency is offering guidelines that include social distancing and wearing proper face coverings.
"A costume mask is not a substitute for a face covering," IDPH Director Ngozi Ezike said at a briefing.
In addition, indoor haunted houses are prohibited, but outdoor ones are not. Authorities also warned against "crowded costume parties at home or at bars, which can absolutely increase your risk of getting COVID-19," Ezike said.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois stands at 293,274 with 8,672 deaths. Wednesday's death toll included a Cook County woman in her 100s.
One piece of good news: The state is expected to receive several million BinaxNOW rapid virus tests from the federal government "starting in the next few days and arriving over the next two weeks," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.
The test takes about 15 minutes using a nasal swab to detect virus antigens, according to Lake County-based manufacturer Abbott. The test is expected to help colleges and schools detect virus cases.
"We're very excited to use these BinaxNOW tests and believe they will help build on the testing we already have," Pritzker said.
Illinois' virus test positivity rate is 3.6%, based on a seven-day average, and labs reported 58,546 tests in the last 24 hours.
The number of COVID-19 patients in Illinois hospitals was 1,632 as of Tuesday night, compared to the seven-day average of 1,584.
This Halloween, "we are encouraging people to find ways to celebrate that look a little different from in years past," Ezike said. She asked parents to "challenge yourself and your children on how to celebrate these holidays as safely as possible."
State recommendations include:
• Leaving individually wrapped candy, spaced apart, on a table outside.
• Washing hands before eating candy.
• Trick-or-treating only with people from your own household.
• Keeping 6 feet apart from others.
• Ensuring kids wearing face masks under Halloween masks are comfortable and able to breathe properly.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control, however, warns people not to wear a cloth mask under a Halloween mask because it can make it hard to breathe. "Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask," the agency said.
At fall traditions like pumpkin patches or apple picking, visitors must wear masks and social-distance, and capacity limits apply.
Ezike also flagged an anomaly in virus test positivity results for the 21-county East Central Region that includes the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
This summer and fall, U of I began testing thousands of students and employees using a saliva-based virus test. The surge of tests on campus, constituting 20% of the state total, is affecting positivity rates in the region, which are in the 2% range and below Illinois' average.
But without Champaign County, the region's test rate skyrockets to 7.2%, Ezike said. As a result, the IDPH will monitor East Central test rates independent of Champaign County, and if those hit or exceed 8% for three days, restrictions, such as no indoor service at bars and restaurants, will be imposed on the entire area.
The 35 recent deaths included, in Cook County, one man in his 60s, a woman and man in their 80s, and a woman in her 100s; in DuPage County, a woman in her 80s; in Lake County, a man in his 70s, and in Will County, a woman and two men in their 70s.
Also Wednesday, Pritzker was asked about Speaker Michael Madigan's refusal to testify before an Illinois House committee investigating corruption involving ComEd. The utility admitted to hiring Madigan allies for jobs and contracts in exchange for favorable legislation that allowed rate hikes. The Democratic speaker has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing.
"I strongly believe that the speaker should take any opportunity, and this is one, to present answers to the questions that I think all of us have," said Pritzker, a Democrat.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-09-30--White Sox's late rally falls short in 5-3 loss to A's

With most outside eyes already looking ahead to the third and final game of the playoff opener , the White Sox stayed focused on Game 2 Wednesday at Oakland Coliseum .
Trailing the Athletics 5-0 heading into the eighth inning , the Sox put up a pair of runs to cut the gap and then applied some serious heat in the ninth .
`` Playoff time is all about momentum and who has it and who does n't , '' said catcher Yasmani Grandal , who ended Oakland 's shutout bid with a 2-run homer in the eighth .
Grandal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two outs in the ninth inning to put even more pressure on the home team , and that brought American League MVP favorite Jose Abreu to the plate .
It looked like a classic case of being in the right place at the right time , but Abreu swung at reliever Jake Diekman 's first pitch and grounded out to second base as the White Sox fell to the A 's 5-3 .
`` Yeah , we felt good , '' said rookie second baseman Nick Madrigal , who started the two-out rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I do n't think anyone else would want anyone else but ( Abreu ) in that position .
Unfortunately , it just did n't work out .
Hopefully we can carry this momentum into tomorrow 's game . ''
That is the definite hope for the Sox as they look to win Game 3 Thursday ( 2 p.m. , ESPN ) and move on to the next round of the playoffs .
`` I think we were ready today , we just kind of got outmatched for 7 innings pretty much , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the White Sox in Game 2 and struggled while giving up 5 runs ( 3 earned ) on 6 hits over 3.1 innings .
`` I do n't know who 's going to start tomorrow , but whoever starts , I have no doubt they 're going to come out and do their job and we 're going to be in a good position to win .
`` You ca n't really say much , just keep your heads up .
We battled today and we won ( Tuesday ) , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series . ''
That is true , but the big question is this -- who is going to start for the Sox ?
Dylan Cease was an obvious candidate before pitching 1 inning of relief ( 14 pitches ) Wednesday .
Dane Dunning is available , but the White Sox might opt to open the game with rocket-arm rookie Garrett Crochet or go with another rookie reliever , Matt Foster .
`` We 're going to talk about it tonight , '' manager Rick Renteria said after Wednesday 's loss .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's classified as an opener or not , the truth is that all hands are on deck .
We will try to do what we can , the best we possibly can , to minimize damage from the other side .
And we have quite a few arms within our bullpen to try to accommodate that . ''
Oakland is taking the same stance heading into Game 3 .
Right-handed starters Mike Fiers and Frank Montas are options , as are righty relievers Yusmeiro Petit and J.B. Wendelken if manager Bob Melvin decides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Game 3 is close , the Sox should have a huge advantage .
Melvin used Liam Hendriks in the eighth inning Wednesday , and the Athletics ' all-star closer threw 49 pitches while allowing 2 runs over 1.2 innings .
`` We 've just got to come back tomorrow and it 's do or die , '' Grandal said .
`` Our season keeps on going or it stops tomorrow .
You 've just got to keep on playing our game and we 've seen that when we can do that , we @ @ @ @ @

Chicago White Sox's late rally falls short in 5-3 loss to A's
White Sox's Nomar Mazara reacts after striking out against Oakland Athletics pitcher Liam Hendriks during the eighth inning of Game 2 of a wild-card series Wednesday, in Oakland, Calif. Associated Press
With most outside eyes already looking ahead to the third and final game of the playoff opener, the White Sox stayed focused on Game 2 Wednesday at Oakland Coliseum.
Trailing the Athletics 5-0 heading into the eighth inning, the Sox put up a pair of runs to cut the gap and then applied some serious heat in the ninth.
"Playoff time is all about momentum and who has it and who doesn't," said catcher Yasmani Grandal, who ended Oakland's shutout bid with a 2-run homer in the eighth.
Grandal proceeded to draw a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the ninth inning to put even more pressure on the home team, and that brought American League MVP favorite Jose Abreu to the plate.
It looked like a classic case of being in the right place at the right time, but Abreu swung at reliever Jake Diekman's first pitch and grounded out to second base as the White Sox fell to the A's 5-3.
"Yeah, we felt good," said rookie second baseman Nick Madrigal, who started the two-out rally in the ninth with a single. "I don't think anyone else would want anyone else but (Abreu) in that position. Unfortunately, it just didn't work out. Hopefully we can carry this momentum into tomorrow's game."
That is the definite hope for the Sox as they look to win Game 3 Thursday (2 p.m., ESPN) and move on to the next round of the playoffs.
"I think we were ready today, we just kind of got outmatched for 7 innings pretty much," said Dallas Keuchel, who started for the White Sox in Game 2 and struggled while giving up 5 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits over 3.1 innings. "I don't know who's going to start tomorrow, but whoever starts, I have no doubt they're going to come out and do their job and we're going to be in a good position to win.
"You can't really say much, just keep your heads up. We battled today and we won (Tuesday), so we have the chance to win a series."
That is true, but the big question is this -- who is going to start for the Sox?
Dylan Cease was an obvious candidate before pitching 1 inning of relief (14 pitches) Wednesday.
Dane Dunning is available, but the White Sox might opt to open the game with rocket-arm rookie Garrett Crochet or go with another rookie reliever, Matt Foster.
"We're going to talk about it tonight," manager Rick Renteria said after Wednesday's loss. "We'll have a starter. Whether it's classified as an opener or not, the truth is that all hands are on deck. We will try to do what we can, the best we possibly can, to minimize damage from the other side. And we have quite a few arms within our bullpen to try to accommodate that."
Oakland is taking the same stance heading into Game 3.
Right-handed starters Mike Fiers and Frank Montas are options, as are righty relievers Yusmeiro Petit and J.B. Wendelken if manager Bob Melvin decides to go with an opener.
If Game 3 is close, the Sox should have a huge advantage. Melvin used Liam Hendriks in the eighth inning Wednesday, and the Athletics' all-star closer threw 49 pitches while allowing 2 runs over 1.2 innings.
"We've just got to come back tomorrow and it's do or die," Grandal said. "Our season keeps on going or it stops tomorrow. You've just got to keep on playing our game and we've seen that when we can do that, we come out successful."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-09-30--St. James pastor leaving Arlington Heights parish at end of the year

The Rev .
Matt Foley , the popular pastor of St. James Parish in Arlington Heights , has announced his assignment at the Arlington Heights Catholic church will conclude at the end of the year .
In a letter to parishioners , Foley said he 's been granted a six-month sabbatical by Cardinal Blase Cupich starting Jan. 1 , 2021 , before he is eligible to be assigned as a pastor again in July 2021 .
Priests are allowed to take sabbaticals every seven years , which is generally the same amount of time their assignments last at a given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James since August 2013 .
His initial plan was to stay until June 2021 , but Cupich granted the sabbatical earlier .
After 31 years as a priest , Foley said he is taking his first sabbatical `` to pray , study and renew my priesthood . ''
`` St. James has been a source of faith and hope for me over the past seven years , '' Foley told parishioners .
`` My heart and soul have been inspired by your support . ''
It 's been quite the journey for Foley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Libertyville when he was 13 .
He 's shepherded congregations near and far , including five years as associate pastor of St. Agatha in Chicago 's North Lawndale neighborhood , followed by six years as pastor of the Santiago Apostol Mission in Mexico , and then eight years as pastor of St. Agnes of Bohemia in Little Village .
Starting in 2008 , he did four tours of duty in Afghanistan as an Army chaplain , before becoming pastor of St. James in 2013 .
Famously , his late friend and Marquette @ @ @ @ @ @ @ iconic `` Saturday Night Live '' motivational speaker character after Foley .
Cupich has appointed the Rev .
Ryan McMillin , St. James ' associate pastor , as administrator of the parish effective Jan. 1 .
The archdiocese 's priest personnel board could appoint a new pastor by July 1 .

St. James pastor leaving Arlington Heights parish at end of the year
The Rev. Matt Foley, pastor of St. James Parish in Arlington Heights since 2013, will end his tenure at the church at the end of the year. He'll be on sabbatical, and then be eligible to be pastor somewhere else. Daily Herald File Photo, 2017
The Rev. Matt Foley, the popular pastor of St. James Parish in Arlington Heights, has announced his assignment at the Arlington Heights Catholic church will conclude at the end of the year.
In a letter to parishioners, Foley said he's been granted a six-month sabbatical by Cardinal Blase Cupich starting Jan. 1, 2021, before he is eligible to be assigned as a pastor again in July 2021.
Priests are allowed to take sabbaticals every seven years, which is generally the same amount of time their assignments last at a given parish. Foley has been at St. James since August 2013. His initial plan was to stay until June 2021, but Cupich granted the sabbatical earlier.
After 31 years as a priest, Foley said he is taking his first sabbatical "to pray, study and renew my priesthood."
"St. James has been a source of faith and hope for me over the past seven years," Foley told parishioners. "My heart and soul have been inspired by your support."
It's been quite the journey for Foley, a Milwaukee native whose family moved to Libertyville when he was 13. He's shepherded congregations near and far, including five years as associate pastor of St. Agatha in Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood, followed by six years as pastor of the Santiago Apostol Mission in Mexico, and then eight years as pastor of St. Agnes of Bohemia in Little Village. Starting in 2008, he did four tours of duty in Afghanistan as an Army chaplain, before becoming pastor of St. James in 2013.
Famously, his late friend and Marquette University rugby teammate Chris Farley named the iconic "Saturday Night Live" motivational speaker character after Foley.
Cupich has appointed the Rev. Ryan McMillin, St. James' associate pastor, as administrator of the parish effective Jan. 1. The archdiocese's priest personnel board could appoint a new pastor by July 1.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-09-30--Drive-through scares are on tap at 'Terror in the Timbers' in Elgin

Deep in the woods of Elgin , or at least a couple of hundred yards off Big Timber Road , the haunted souls of the victims of one of America 's first serial killers are said to wander .
And now the spirit of their killer has come back to join them ... coincidentally , just in time for Halloween .
And with that , the stage is set for `` Terror in the Timbers , '' a drive-through haunted experience opening Friday at Camp Big Timber in Elgin .
Dan Barrie of BMC Productions said the idea for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fill a void caused by the pandemic .
`` My brother Andy was talking with someone from the Boy Scouts Three Fires Council , and they had decided they could n't safely put on their annual haunted hike that they had held at the location for the past 29 years , '' Dan Barrie said .
`` Our parents brought us up to be problem solvers , so thought we might be able to come up with something . ''
The brothers joined up with their brother-in-law Dan Miller and friend Robb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought in the help of a consultant they met at a haunted house convention .
That was seven weeks ago .
And now they 're rarin ' to scare .
Cars will proceed at about 3 mph along a torch-lit path through the grounds , making their way to 14 different scare scenes .
Drivers will tune in to a radio simulcast for sound and are instructed to keep their windows closed for the full ride .
Green and red light cues will indicate when to enter a scene and when to put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will begin .
Once inside the darkened vignette scenes , actors get involved and the scaring gets underway .
`` People scare people , '' Barrie said .
`` The paths are decorated and spooky but the fun part is inside the vignettes . ''
`` The actors cue the red and green lights , so they control the movement and ensure they 're safe , '' Barrie said .
`` Actors will do their scaring from the sides and behind so they 're never in front of a car . ''
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and all the scaring will take place when cars are in park inside the vignette .
Each scene will last about 15-20 seconds .
The whole experience takes about 20 minutes .
Tickets are purchased online at terrorinthetimbers.com .
Cars with up to seven people are $ 55 .
More than eight people is $ 85 .
Tickets come with a to-the-minute start time reservation .
Shows run from 6 p.m. to midnight every Friday and Saturday , Oct. 2 to 31 .
They will also be open on the last two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driving force has been keeping people safe and still giving them the scare experience they 're expecting , '' Barrie said .
`` To show up for something like this , we did n't want to just have a bunch of skeletons hanging from trees , it 's professional production values . ''
`` It 's going to really scary , '' Barrie said .
`` I hope I 'm ready for it . ''

Deep in the woods of Elgin, or at least a couple of hundred yards off Big Timber Road, the haunted souls of the victims of one of America's first serial killers are said to wander. And now the spirit of their killer has come back to join them ... coincidentally, just in time for Halloween.
And with that, the stage is set for "Terror in the Timbers," a drive-through haunted experience opening Friday at Camp Big Timber in Elgin.
Dan Barrie of BMC Productions said the idea for the event came out of finding a way to fill a void caused by the pandemic.
"My brother Andy was talking with someone from the Boy Scouts Three Fires Council, and they had decided they couldn't safely put on their annual haunted hike that they had held at the location for the past 29 years," Dan Barrie said. "Our parents brought us up to be problem solvers, so thought we might be able to come up with something." The brothers joined up with their brother-in-law Dan Miller and friend Robb Combs to create BMC Productions and then brought in the help of a consultant they met at a haunted house convention.
That was seven weeks ago. And now they're rarin' to scare.
Cars will proceed at about 3 mph along a torch-lit path through the grounds, making their way to 14 different scare scenes. Drivers will tune in to a radio simulcast for sound and are instructed to keep their windows closed for the full ride. Green and red light cues will indicate when to enter a scene and when to put the car in park so the scene will begin. Once inside the darkened vignette scenes, actors get involved and the scaring gets underway.
"People scare people," Barrie said. "The paths are decorated and spooky but the fun part is inside the vignettes."
"The actors cue the red and green lights, so they control the movement and ensure they're safe," Barrie said. "Actors will do their scaring from the sides and behind so they're never in front of a car." There will be two actors per scare scene, and all the scaring will take place when cars are in park inside the vignette.
Each scene will last about 15-20 seconds. The whole experience takes about 20 minutes.
Tickets are purchased online at terrorinthetimbers.com. Tickets are $65 per car with a max of 4 people in order to stay compliant with state guidelines. Tickets come with a to-the-minute start time reservation. Shows run from 6 p.m. to midnight every Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2 to 31. They will also be open on the last two Thursdays of the month.
"Our driving force has been keeping people safe and still giving them the scare experience they're expecting," Barrie said. "To show up for something like this, we didn't want to just have a bunch of skeletons hanging from trees, it's professional production values."
"It's going to really scary," Barrie said. "I hope I'm ready for it."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-09-30--In print or in person, Shalin loved to tell stories

He entertained friends and family by telling stories of his early years in New York City .
He felt great joy telling stories about his two children and five grandsons .
And he wrote about DuPage County high school sports as a longtime Daily Herald freelance writer .
Shalin , a Naperville resident for 40 years , died at age 76 at home Saturday morning surrounded by his family .
He had suffered a stroke in late May .
Shalin moved to the area from New York when his employer , MetLife , transferred him to a job in Aurora @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs working as the public relations person and public-address announcer for a roller derby league , as a reporter for the Long Island Press and for the ABA 's New York Nets and the NBA 's Philadelphia 76ers .
`` He just had these amazing things that happened to him , '' his daughter , Joanna Mattia , said .
There was the time he had met singer Ronnie Spector .
And when he called later he wound up speaking with famed music producer Phil Spector .
`` There were no shortage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Shalin got involved in his new community by joining the Rotary Club of Naperville .
He served on the scholarship committee and as sergeant at arms .
`` I think it made him feel really connected to the community , '' Mattia said .
Shalin had a great love of sports and had tremendous recall of details from games and rosters .
`` He 'd run into somebody who played Big Ten football in the 1960s and they 'd start talking about this guy 's team , and inevitably my father would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guy 's team than the guy remembered , '' said his son , Dan Shalin .
He retired from MetLife in 1999 and began writing for the Daily Herald and the Naperville Sun .
Shalin covered the boys and girls tennis , boys and girls swimming and boys volleyball beats for the Daily Herald .
He also wrote about local college sports for many years .
`` I think he just viewed it as kind of like a public service , in a way , '' Dan Shalin said .
`` To be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Naperville .
He saw the kids as viewing them kind of from a parent 's perspective .
He loved telling stories about high school kids ' accomplishments . ''
Shalin also wrote several books on baseball , including 2002 's `` Out by a Step : The 100 Best Players Not in the Baseball Hall of Fame , '' co-written with his brother , Mike .
`` Everything was about us , '' Joanna said .
`` He was just a great father , but over the years like a friend , too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also is survived by his wife of 50 years , Bonnie , and brothers Steve and Mike .
He is preceded in death by his parents , Sid and Ronnie .
Contributions in Shalin 's memory may be made to St. Jude Children 's Research Hospital or to a charity of your choice .
The family will post details about virtual and in-person memorials on social media .

In print or in person, Shalin loved to tell stories
Neil Shalin poses with his book "Out by a Step" at the Naperville Central High School baseball field. Shalin, a longtime Daily Herald Sports freelance writer, died Saturday. Daily Herald File Photo, 2002
Neil Shalin was a storyteller at heart.
He entertained friends and family by telling stories of his early years in New York City. He felt great joy telling stories about his two children and five grandsons. And he wrote about DuPage County high school sports as a longtime Daily Herald freelance writer.
Shalin, a Naperville resident for 40 years, died at age 76 at home Saturday morning surrounded by his family. He had suffered a stroke in late May.
Shalin moved to the area from New York when his employer, MetLife, transferred him to a job in Aurora.
He brought with him stories of jobs working as the public relations person and public-address announcer for a roller derby league, as a reporter for the Long Island Press and for the ABA's New York Nets and the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.
"He just had these amazing things that happened to him," his daughter, Joanna Mattia, said.
There was the time he had met singer Ronnie Spector. And when he called later he wound up speaking with famed music producer Phil Spector.
"There were no shortage of stories like that," Mattia said.
Shalin got involved in his new community by joining the Rotary Club of Naperville. He served on the scholarship committee and as sergeant at arms.
"I think it made him feel really connected to the community," Mattia said.
Shalin had a great love of sports and had tremendous recall of details from games and rosters.
"He'd run into somebody who played Big Ten football in the 1960s and they'd start talking about this guy's team, and inevitably my father would end up naming more people from the guy's team than the guy remembered," said his son, Dan Shalin.
He retired from MetLife in 1999 and began writing for the Daily Herald and the Naperville Sun.
Shalin covered the boys and girls tennis, boys and girls swimming and boys volleyball beats for the Daily Herald. He also wrote about local college sports for many years.
"I think he just viewed it as kind of like a public service, in a way," Dan Shalin said. "To be able to just tell positive stories about Naperville. He saw the kids as viewing them kind of from a parent's perspective. He loved telling stories about high school kids' accomplishments."
Shalin also wrote several books on baseball, including 2002's "Out by a Step: The 100 Best Players Not in the Baseball Hall of Fame," co-written with his brother, Mike.
A doting father, Shalin coached Dan's and Joanna's basketball, baseball and soccer teams.
"Everything was about us," Joanna said.
"He was just a great father, but over the years like a friend, too," Dan Shalin added.
Shalin also is survived by his wife of 50 years, Bonnie, and brothers Steve and Mike. He is preceded in death by his parents, Sid and Ronnie.
Contributions in Shalin's memory may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or to a charity of your choice. The family will post details about virtual and in-person memorials on social media.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-09-30--Death of 8-month-old boy under investigation in Hanover Park

Hanover Park police are investigating the death of an 8-month-old boy .
The boy was pronounced dead at 6:49 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ of Wilson Street in Hanover Park , according to the Cook County medical examiner .
@ @ @ @ @ , but the medical examiner 's office indicated a determination of the cause of death @ @ @ @ @ ongoing investigation , Hanover Park Deputy Chief Terrence Sherrill declined to give any information about @ @ @ @ @ 's death .

Death of 8-month-old boy under investigation in Hanover Park
Hanover Park police are investigating the death of an 8-month-old boy.
The boy was pronounced dead at 6:49 a.m. Tuesday on the 600 block of Wilson Street in Hanover Park, according to the Cook County medical examiner. An autopsy was conducted Wednesday, but the medical examiner's office indicated a determination of the cause of death is pending.
Citing the ongoing investigation, Hanover Park Deputy Chief Terrence Sherrill declined to give any information about the circumstances of the boy's death.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-09-30--West Dundee man pleads guilty to sex abuse of child

Gerardo Molina , 51 , received a sentence of five years in prison , according to a news release from the Kane County state 's attorney 's office .
Molina , of the 500 block of Eichler Drive , pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse .
Assistant State 's Attorney Lori Schmidt stated in court that Molina abused the victim multiple times from 2008 to 2014 .
He knew the child , who was younger than 13 .
Molina is eligible for parole in 2½ years .
He received credit for 15 days spent in jail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life as a sexual offender .
`` This survivor was a young child when the abuse started .
The case was resolved many years later when , as a teenager , she confided in a relative , who encouraged her to make a report .
Oftentimes cases of child sexual abuse go unreported for years until the survivor finds the strength to speak out .
I hope other survivors know that even though it might take them years feel comfortable to speak up about their abuse , we will always listen , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in the news release .

West Dundee man pleads guilty to sex abuse of child
A West Dundee man pleaded guilty Tuesday to sexually abusing a child.
Gerardo Molina, 51, received a sentence of five years in prison, according to a news release from the Kane County state's attorney's office.
Molina, of the 500 block of Eichler Drive, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
Assistant State's Attorney Lori Schmidt stated in court that Molina abused the victim multiple times from 2008 to 2014. He knew the child, who was younger than 13.
Molina is eligible for parole in 2½ years. He received credit for 15 days spent in jail.
He will have to register for life as a sexual offender.
"This survivor was a young child when the abuse started. The case was resolved many years later when, as a teenager, she confided in a relative, who encouraged her to make a report. Oftentimes cases of child sexual abuse go unreported for years until the survivor finds the strength to speak out. I hope other survivors know that even though it might take them years feel comfortable to speak up about their abuse, we will always listen," Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon said in the news release.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-09-30--Three boys, woman charged with Wheaton robbery

A Westmont woman and three boys are charged with robbing two people at gunpoint near Wheaton College in Wheaton .
Mikayla Jawor , 22 , of the 6700 block of Tudor Lane , was released Wednesday morning on a personal-recognizance bond .
The boys , whose ages were not listed , were released to their parents .
According to a news release from the DuPage County state 's attorney 's office , the robbery happened at 6:23 p.m .
Authorities say the boys approached several victims and took cannabis wax ; one of the boys was armed with a gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air-powered pellet pistol .
The boys left in a vehicle driven by Jawor , authorities said .
The vehicle was stopped by a Carol Stream police officer .
All four defendants face a charge of aggravated robbery -- dangerous weapon or firearm , a Class 1 felony .
The boys are also charged with robbery , a Class 2 felony .
Jawor 's next court appearance is Nov. 5 .
The boys have individual court dates of Nov. 2 , Oct. 19 and Oct. 28 .
The news release did not list the @ @ @ @ @

Three boys, woman charged with Wheaton robbery
A Westmont woman and three boys are charged with robbing two people at gunpoint near Wheaton College in Wheaton.
Mikayla Jawor, 22, of the 6700 block of Tudor Lane, was released Wednesday morning on a personal-recognizance bond. The boys, whose ages were not listed, were released to their parents.
According to a news release from the DuPage County state's attorney's office, the robbery happened at 6:23 p.m. Authorities say the boys approached several victims and took cannabis wax; one of the boys was armed with a gun, which proved later to be an air-powered pellet pistol.
The boys left in a vehicle driven by Jawor, authorities said. The vehicle was stopped by a Carol Stream police officer.
All four defendants face a charge of aggravated robbery -- dangerous weapon or firearm, a Class 1 felony. The boys are also charged with robbery, a Class 2 felony.
Jawor's next court appearance is Nov. 5. The boys have individual court dates of Nov. 2, Oct. 19 and Oct. 28.
The news release did not list the hometowns of the boys.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-09-30--Presidential debate commission says it will make changes to avoid repeat of first meeting

NEW YORK -- The presidential debate commission says it will soon adopt changes to its format to avoid a repeat of the disjointed first meeting between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden .
The commission said Wednesday the debate `` made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues . ''
One possibility being discussed is to give the moderator the ability to cut off the microphone of one of the debate participants while his opponent is talking , according to a person familiar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity .
The next presidential debate is a town hall format scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami .
Moderator Chris Wallace struggled to gain control of the 90-minute debate in Cleveland because of frequent interruptions , primarily by Trump .
Wallace , of Fox News , pleaded for a more orderly debate , at one point looking at Trump and saying , `` the country would be better served if we allowed both people to speak with fewer interruptions .
I 'm appealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that . ''
`` Ask him , too , '' Trump said .
`` Well , frankly , you 've been doing more interrupting than he has , '' Wallace said .
Biden on Wednesday called the debate `` a national embarrassment . ''
But despite some suggestions that the final two presidential encounters be canceled , both campaigns said they expected their candidate to attend .
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said the commission was `` only doing this because their guy got pummeled last night .
President Trump was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to work the refs . ''
ABC News ' Martha Raddatz , who moderated one of the three debates between Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016 , said Wallace was put in nearly an impossible situation .
Faced with the same behavior , she said she might have called a full stop to the debate for a moment to recalibrate .
She never had the option , technically , to cut off the microphone of a candidate four years ago , she said .
It also was n't in the rules that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate and commission .
`` To say , 'he 's not going to follow the rules so we are n't , either ? '
It 's an unprecedented situation , '' Raddatz said .
`` That was so out of control . ''
Twitter was ablaze with criticism for Wallace early in the debate for losing control of the proceedings .
That was illustrated by MSNBC 's Joe Scarborough , who tweeted `` what is Chris Wallace doing ?
He has no control over the debate .
He asks a question and let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a disgrace . ''
By the time he was on `` Morning Joe '' the next morning , Scarborough had cooled off .
He called on the debate commission to act .
`` While it was extraordinarily frustrating , I think all of us need to walk a mile in his shoes before saying the morning after , 'he could have done this , he could have done that , ' '' Scarborough said .
Some of the president 's supporters felt that Wallace was too hard on their candidate .
Trump himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` but that 's no surprise . ''
Wallace even got some criticism from opinion personalities on his own network .
`` Trump is debating the moderator and Biden , '' prime-time host Laura Ingraham tweeted during the debate .
`` The guy signed up to moderate a debate and he ended up trying to referee a knife fight , '' he said .
Wallace , host of `` Fox News Sunday , '' was not immediately made available for comment by Fox .
Wallace is the only presidential debate moderator this cycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for handling the final Clinton-Trump debate in 2016 .
The other two moderators are Steve Scully of C-SPAN and Kristen Welker of NBC News .
Scully moderates the Miami debate , which will be a town hall format where citizens get to ask questions .
That format may make interruptions more difficult .
`` Having prepared for these , the town hall is a completely different event in the debate Olympics , '' tweeted David Plouffe , an adviser to former President Barack Obama .
`` If Trump brings the same nastiness to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to watch but it will be doubly painful for him politically . ''
The Nielsen company 's estimate on how many people watched Tuesday 's debate was expected later Wednesday .
Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report .

Presidential debate commission says it will make changes to avoid repeat of first meeting
In this combination image of two photos showing both President Donald Trump, left, and former Vice President Joe Biden Tuesday during the first presidential debate at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. Associated Press
NEW YORK -- The presidential debate commission says it will soon adopt changes to its format to avoid a repeat of the disjointed first meeting between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden.
The commission said Wednesday the debate "made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues."
One possibility being discussed is to give the moderator the ability to cut off the microphone of one of the debate participants while his opponent is talking, according to a person familiar with the deliberations who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The next presidential debate is a town hall format scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami.
Moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News speaks Tuesday as President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden participate in the first presidential debate at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland. - Associated Press
Moderator Chris Wallace struggled to gain control of the 90-minute debate in Cleveland because of frequent interruptions, primarily by Trump.
Wallace, of Fox News, pleaded for a more orderly debate, at one point looking at Trump and saying, "the country would be better served if we allowed both people to speak with fewer interruptions. I'm appealing to you, sir, to do that."
"Ask him, too," Trump said.
"Well, frankly, you've been doing more interrupting than he has," Wallace said.
Biden on Wednesday called the debate "a national embarrassment." But despite some suggestions that the final two presidential encounters be canceled, both campaigns said they expected their candidate to attend.
Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said the commission was "only doing this because their guy got pummeled last night. President Trump was the dominant force and now Joe Biden is trying to work the refs."
ABC News' Martha Raddatz, who moderated one of the three debates between Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016, said Wallace was put in nearly an impossible situation. Faced with the same behavior, she said she might have called a full stop to the debate for a moment to recalibrate.
She never had the option, technically, to cut off the microphone of a candidate four years ago, she said. It also wasn't in the rules that were agreed to in advance by the candidate and commission.
"To say, 'he's not going to follow the rules so we aren't, either?' It's an unprecedented situation," Raddatz said. "That was so out of control."
Twitter was ablaze with criticism for Wallace early in the debate for losing control of the proceedings. That was illustrated by MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, who tweeted "what is Chris Wallace doing? He has no control over the debate. He asks a question and let's Trump continue yelling. This is a disgrace."
By the time he was on "Morning Joe'' the next morning, Scarborough had cooled off. He called on the debate commission to act.
"While it was extraordinarily frustrating, I think all of us need to walk a mile in his shoes before saying the morning after, 'he could have done this, he could have done that,'" Scarborough said.
Some of the president's supporters felt that Wallace was too hard on their candidate. Trump himself suggested he was also debating Wallace, "but that's no surprise."
Wallace even got some criticism from opinion personalities on his own network. "Trump is debating the moderator and Biden," prime-time host Laura Ingraham tweeted during the debate.
Another Fox colleague, Geraldo Rivera, expressed more sympathy.
"The guy signed up to moderate a debate and he ended up trying to referee a knife fight," he said.
Wallace, host of "Fox News Sunday," was not immediately made available for comment by Fox.
Wallace is the only presidential debate moderator this cycle with prior experience, after receiving praise for handling the final Clinton-Trump debate in 2016. The other two moderators are Steve Scully of C-SPAN and Kristen Welker of NBC News.
Scully moderates the Miami debate, which will be a town hall format where citizens get to ask questions. That format may make interruptions more difficult.
"Having prepared for these, the town hall is a completely different event in the debate Olympics," tweeted David Plouffe, an adviser to former President Barack Obama. "If Trump brings the same nastiness to Florida, it will be doubly painful to watch but it will be doubly painful for him politically."
The Nielsen company's estimate on how many people watched Tuesday's debate was expected later Wednesday.
Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-09-30--AP FACT CHECK: False claims flood Trump-Biden debate

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden sparred Tuesday in their first of three debates , hoping to sway undecided voters planning to cast ballots by mail and in person in the final weeks leading up to the Nov. 3 election .
A look at how some of the candidates ' statements from Cleveland stack up with the facts in the first of three scheduled presidential debates for the Nov. 3 election : TRUMP : `` Well , we 're going to deliver it right away .
We have the military all set up .
Logistically , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have our military that delivers soldiers and they can do 200,000 a day .
They 're going to be delivering ... it 's all set up . ''
THE FACTS : This is not true .
The Pentagon says in a statement that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is responsible for executing the plan to distribute vaccines to the public when the time comes .
The Defense Department is helping in the planning but , with perhaps some exceptions in remote areas , is not going to be delivering , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assessment is that there is sufficient U.S. commercial transportation capacity to fully support vaccine distribution , '' the department 's statement says .
`` There should be no need for a large commitment of DOD units or personnel to support the nationwide distribution of vaccines .
Any DOD required support would be by exception . ''
TRUMP , addressing Biden on U.S. deaths from COVID-19 : `` If you were here , it would n't be 200,000 people , it would be 2 million people .
You did n't want me to ban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ...
If we would have listened to you , the country would have been left wide open . ''
THE FACTS : The audacious claim that Biden as president would have seen 2 million deaths rests on a false accusation .
Biden never came out against Trump 's decision to restrict travel from China .
Biden was slow in staking a position on the matter but when he did , he supported the restrictions .
Biden never counseled leaving the country `` wide open '' in the face of the pandemic .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have banned travel from China .
He restricted it .
The U.S. restrictions that took effect Feb. 2 continued to allow travel to the U.S. from the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macao .
The Associated Press reported that more than 8,000 Chinese and foreign nationals based in the two locales entered the U.S. in the first three months after the travel restrictions were imposed .
Additionally , more than 27,000 Americans returned from mainland China in the first month after the restrictions took effect .
U.S. officials lost track of more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be monitored for virus exposure .
Dozens of countries took similar steps to control travel from hot spots before or around the same time the U.S. did .
TRUMP : `` The ( Portland , Oregon ) sheriff just came out today and he said I support President Trump . ''
THE FACTS : That is false .
The sheriff of Multnomah County , Oregon -- where Portland is located -- said he does not support Trump .
The sheriff , Mike Reese , tweeted , `` As the Multnomah County Sheriff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will never support him . ''
Portland has been a flashpoint in the debate over racial injustice protests in the U.S. Police and federal agents have repeatedly clashed with demonstrators gathered outside the downtown federal courthouse and police buildings .
Some protesters have thrown bricks , rocks and other projectiles at officers .
Police and federal agents responded by firing tear gas , rubber bullets and other non-lethal ammunition to disperse the crowds .
BIDEN : `` There was a peaceful protest in front of the White House .
What did he do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , had the military do tear gas . ''
THE FACTS : It was law enforcement , not the military , that used chemical irritants to forcefully remove peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square outside the White House on June 1 .
And there is no evidence Trump was inside a bunker in the White House as that happened .
Secret Service agents had rushed Trump to a White House bunker days earlier as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the executive mansion , some of them throwing rocks and tugging at police barricades .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming down 80 or 90 % . ''
THE FACTS : That 's a promise , not a reality , and it 's a big stretch .
Trump has been unable to get legislation to lower drug prices through Congress .
Major regulatory actions from his administration are still in the works , and are likely to be challenged in court .
There 's no plan on the horizon that would lower drug prices as dramatically as Trump claims .
Prescription drug price inflation has been low and slow during the Trump years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U-turn and sped off in the other direction .
Prices have seesawed from year to year .
Looking back at the totality of Trump 's term , from January 2017 , when he was inaugurated , to the latest data from August 2020 , drug prices went up 3.6 % , according to an analysis by economist Paul Hughes-Cromwick of Altarum , a nonprofit research and consulting organization .
Hughes-Cromwick looked at figures from the government 's Bureau of Labor Statistics , which measures prices for a set of prescription medicines , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prices in 2019 with a year earlier , there indeed was a decline .
Prices dropped by 0.2 % in 2019 , a turnabout not seen since the 1970s .
But that 's nowhere near close to 80 % or 90 % .
From August of last year to this August , prices rose by 1.4 % .
TRUMP , criticizing Barack Obama and Biden for leaving federal judicial vacancies unfilled before they left office in January 2017 : `` When you leave office you do n't leave any judges .
You just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 128 openings .
And if I were a member of his party ...
I 'd say if you left us 128 openings , you ca n't be a good president , you ca n't be a good vice president . ''
THE FACTS : That 's misleading .
Trump does have a stronger record than Obama in picking federal judges , but it is n't due to complacency from the Obama administration .
Instead , unprecedented lack of action by the Republican-controlled Senate on Obama 's judicial nominees in his last two years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fill .
Of the 71 people whom Obama nominated to the district courts and courts of appeals in 2015 and 2016 , only 20 were voted on and confirmed , said Russell Wheeler , an expert on judicial nominees at the Brookings Institution .
Trump entered office in January 2017 with more than 100 vacancies on the federal bench , about double the number Obama had in 2009 .
Trump has been aided by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , who has pushed through Trump 's nominations of appeals court judges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court justices .
McConnell has pledged to have a Senate vote on Trump 's third nominee to the high court , Amy Coney Barrett , while Democrats say the seat should be filled by the winner of the election .
TRUMP : Dr. Anthony Fauci `` said very strongly , 'masks are not good . '
Then he changed his mind , he said , 'masks , good . '
'' THE FACTS : He is skirting crucial context .
Trump is telling the story in a way that leaves out key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , raising doubts about the credibility of public health advice .
Early on in the outbreak , a number of public health officials urged everyday people not to use masks , fearing a run on already short supplies of personal protective equipment needed by doctors and nurses in hospitals .
But that changed as the highly contagious nature of the coronavirus became clear , as well as the fact that it can be spread by tiny droplets breathed into the air by people who may not display any symptoms .
Fauci of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Robert Redfield of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Dr. Stephen Hahn of the Food and Drug Administration and Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House coronavirus task force , all agree on the importance of wearing masks and practicing social distancing .
Redfield has repeatedly said it could be as effective as a vaccine if people took that advice to heart .
TRUMP , on coronavirus and his campaign rallies : `` So far we have had no problem whatsoever .
It 's outside , that 's a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have tremendous crowds . ''
THE FACTS : That 's not correct .
Trump held an indoor rally in Tulsa in late June , drawing both thousands of participants and large protests .
The Tulsa City-County Health Department director said the rally `` likely contributed '' to a dramatic surge in new coronavirus cases there .
By the first week of July , Tulsa County was confirming more than 200 new daily cases , setting record highs .
That 's more than twice the number the week before the rally .
TRUMP , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do very well on the swine flu .
H1N1 .
You were a disaster . ''
THE FACTS : Trump frequently distorts what happened in the pandemic of 2009 , which killed far fewer people in the United States than the coronavirus is killing now .
For starters , Biden as vice president was n't running the federal response .
And that response was faster out of the gate than when COVID-19 came to the U.S. Then , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 's flu surveillance network sounded the alarm after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people diagnosed with the new flu strain in this country .
About two weeks later , the Obama administration declared a public health emergency against H1N1 , also known as the swine flu , and the CDC began releasing anti-flu drugs from the national stockpile to help hospitals get ready .
In contrast , Trump declared a state of emergency in early March , seven weeks after the first U.S. case of COVID-19 was announced , and the country 's health system struggled for months with shortages of critical supplies and testing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 in the U.S .
The CDC puts the U.S. death toll from the 2009-2010 H1N1 pandemic at about 12,500 .
BIDEN : Trump will be the `` first ( president ) in American history '' to lose jobs during his presidency .
THE FACTS : No , if Trump loses reelection , he would not be the first president in U.S. history to have lost jobs .
That happened under Herbert Hoover , the president who lost the 1932 election to Franklin Roosevelt as the Great Depression caused massive job losses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1939 and , in that period , no president has ended his term with fewer jobs than when he began .
Trump appears to be on track to have lost jobs during his first term , which would make him the first to do so since Hoover .
TRUMP , on the prospect of mass fraud in the vote-by-mail process : `` It 's a rigged election . ''
THE FACTS : He is exaggerating threats .
Trump 's claim is part of a months-long effort to sow doubt about the integrity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to preemptively call into question the results .
Experts have repeatedly said there are no signs of widespread fraud in mail balloting , as have the five states that relied exclusively on that system for voting even before the coronavirus pandemic .
Trump 's own FBI director , Chris Wray , said at a congressional hearing just last week that the bureau has not historically seen `` any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election , whether it 's by mail or otherwise . ''
Wray did acknowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from time to time , '' but even there , Trump appeared to paint an overly dire portrait of the reality and he misstated the facts of one particular case that received substantial attention last week following an unusual Justice Department announcement .
Trump said nine military ballots found discarded in a wastebasket in Luzerne County , Pennsylvania , were all marked for him .
Though that 's consistent with an initial statement the Justice Department made , officials later revised it to say seven of the nine ballots had Trump 's name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one who brought back football .
By the way , I brought back Big Ten football .
It was me and I 'm very happy to do it . ''
THE FACTS : Better check the tape .
While Trump had called for the Big Ten conference to hold its 2020 football season , he was n't the only one .
Fans , students , athletes and college towns had also urged the conference to resume play .
When the Big Ten announced earlier this month that it reversed an earlier decision to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump tweeted his thanks : `` It is my great honor to have helped !
!
! ''
The conference includes several large universities in states that could prove pivotal in the election , including Pennsylvania , Iowa , Michigan , Minnesota , Ohio and Wisconsin .
BIDEN , on Supreme Court nominee Barrett : `` She thinks that the Affordable Care Act is not constitutional . ''
THE FACTS : That 's not right .
Biden is talking about Trump 's pick to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Barrett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the court decisions that have upheld it , but she has never said it 's not constitutional .
The Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case Nov. 10 , and the Trump administration is asking the high court to rule the law unconstitutional .
TRUMP : `` You said you went to Delaware State , but you forgot the name of your college .
You did n't go to Delaware State .
...
There 's nothing smart about you , Joe . ''
THE FACTS : Trump is quoting Biden out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a graduate of the University of Delaware , did not say he attended Delaware State University but was making a broader point about his longstanding ties to the Black community .
Trump is referring to remarks Biden often says on the campaign , typically when speaking to Black audiences , that he `` goes way back with HBCUs , '' or historically Black universities and colleges .
Biden has spoken many times over the years at Delaware State , a public HBCU in his home state , and the school says that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Senate -- his political start .
`` I got started out of an HBCU , Delaware State -- now , I do n't want to hear anything negative about Delaware State , '' Biden told a town hall in Florence , South Carolina , in October 2019 .
`` They 're my folks . ''
Biden often touts his deep political ties to the Black community , occasionally saying he `` grew up politically '' or `` got started politically '' in the Black church .
In front of some audiences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politically , '' but still with a clear context about his larger point .
The statements are all part of a standard section of his stump speech noting that Delaware has `` the eighth largest Black population by percentage . ''
A spokesman for Delaware State University , Carlos Holmes , has said it took Biden 's comments to refer to his political start .
Holmes said Biden was referring to the support he received from the school when he announced his bid for the U.S. Senate on the school 's campus in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to push back on the idea that he 's a Johnny-come-lately with the Black community or that his political connections there are owed only to being Obama 's vice president .
BIDEN : `` The fact of the matter is violent crime went down 17 % , 15 % , in our administration . ''
THE FACTS : That 's overstating it .
Overall , the number of violent crimes fell roughly 10 % from 2008 , the year before Biden took office as vice president , to 2016 , his last full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data from the FBI 's Uniform Crime Reporting program .
But the number of violent crimes was spiking again during Obama and Biden 's final two years in office , increasing by 8 % from 2014 to 2016 .
More people were slain across the U.S. in 2016 , for example , than at any other point under the Obama administration .
TRUMP : `` If you look at what 's going on in Chicago , where 53 people were shot and eight died .
If you look at New York where it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen anything … the numbers are going up 100 , 150 , 200 % , crime , it 's crazy what 's going on . ''
THE FACTS : Not quite .
The statistics in Chicago are true , but those numbers are only a small snapshot of crime in the city and the United States , and his strategy is highlighting how data can be easily molded to suit the moment .
As for New York , Trump may have been talking about shootings .
They are up in New York by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but overall crime is down about 1.5 % .
Murders are up 38 % , but there were 327 killings compared with 236 , still low compared with years past .
For example , compared with a decade ago , crime is down 10 % .
An FBI report released Monday for 2019 crime data found that violent crime has decreased over the past three years .
Associated Press writers Robert Burns , Matthew Daly , Michelle R. Smith , Josh Boak , Colleen Long , Ellen Knickmeyer , Mark Sherman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Klepper , Amanda Seitz , Michael Balsamo and Eric Tucker contributed to this report .

AP FACT CHECK: False claims flood Trump-Biden debate
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden exchange points Tuesday during the first presidential debate at Case Western University and Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden sparred Tuesday in their first of three debates, hoping to sway undecided voters planning to cast ballots by mail and in person in the final weeks leading up to the Nov. 3 election.
A look at how some of the candidates' statements from Cleveland stack up with the facts in the first of three scheduled presidential debates for the Nov. 3 election:
Vaccine Distribution
TRUMP: "Well, we're going to deliver it right away. We have the military all set up. Logistically, they're all set up. We have our military that delivers soldiers and they can do 200,000 a day. They're going to be delivering ... it's all set up."
THE FACTS: This is not true.
The Pentagon says in a statement that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is responsible for executing the plan to distribute vaccines to the public when the time comes. The Defense Department is helping in the planning but, with perhaps some exceptions in remote areas, is not going to be delivering, as Trump claimed.
"Our best military assessment is that there is sufficient U.S. commercial transportation capacity to fully support vaccine distribution," the department's statement says. "There should be no need for a large commitment of DOD units or personnel to support the nationwide distribution of vaccines. Any DOD required support would be by exception."
Virus Death Toll
TRUMP, addressing Biden on U.S. deaths from COVID-19: "If you were here, it wouldn't be 200,000 people, it would be 2 million people. You didn't want me to ban China, which was heavily infected. ... If we would have listened to you, the country would have been left wide open."
THE FACTS: The audacious claim that Biden as president would have seen 2 million deaths rests on a false accusation. Biden never came out against Trump's decision to restrict travel from China. Biden was slow in staking a position on the matter but when he did, he supported the restrictions. Biden never counseled leaving the country "wide open" in the face of the pandemic.
Trump repeatedly, and falsely, claims to have banned travel from China. He restricted it.
The U.S. restrictions that took effect Feb. 2 continued to allow travel to the U.S. from the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macao. The Associated Press reported that more than 8,000 Chinese and foreign nationals based in the two locales entered the U.S. in the first three months after the travel restrictions were imposed.
Additionally, more than 27,000 Americans returned from mainland China in the first month after the restrictions took effect. U.S. officials lost track of more than 1,600 of them who were supposed to be monitored for virus exposure.
Dozens of countries took similar steps to control travel from hot spots before or around the same time the U.S. did.
Protests
TRUMP: "The (Portland, Oregon) sheriff just came out today and he said I support President Trump."
THE FACTS: That is false. The sheriff of Multnomah County, Oregon -- where Portland is located -- said he does not support Trump.
The sheriff, Mike Reese, tweeted, "As the Multnomah County Sheriff I have never supported Donald Trump and will never support him."
Portland has been a flashpoint in the debate over racial injustice protests in the U.S. Police and federal agents have repeatedly clashed with demonstrators gathered outside the downtown federal courthouse and police buildings. Some protesters have thrown bricks, rocks and other projectiles at officers. Police and federal agents responded by firing tear gas, rubber bullets and other non-lethal ammunition to disperse the crowds.
BIDEN: "There was a peaceful protest in front of the White House. What did he do? He came out of his bunker, had the military do tear gas."
THE FACTS: It was law enforcement, not the military, that used chemical irritants to forcefully remove peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square outside the White House on June 1.
And there is no evidence Trump was inside a bunker in the White House as that happened. Secret Service agents had rushed Trump to a White House bunker days earlier as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the executive mansion, some of them throwing rocks and tugging at police barricades.
Health Care
TRUMP: "Drug prices will be coming down 80 or 90%."
THE FACTS: That's a promise, not a reality, and it's a big stretch.
Trump has been unable to get legislation to lower drug prices through Congress. Major regulatory actions from his administration are still in the works, and are likely to be challenged in court.
There's no plan on the horizon that would lower drug prices as dramatically as Trump claims.
Prescription drug price inflation has been low and slow during the Trump years, but it hasn't made a U-turn and sped off in the other direction. Prices have seesawed from year to year.
Looking back at the totality of Trump's term, from January 2017, when he was inaugurated, to the latest data from August 2020, drug prices went up 3.6%, according to an analysis by economist Paul Hughes-Cromwick of Altarum, a nonprofit research and consulting organization.
Hughes-Cromwick looked at figures from the government's Bureau of Labor Statistics, which measures prices for a set of prescription medicines, including generics and branded drugs.
When comparing prices in 2019 with a year earlier, there indeed was a decline. Prices dropped by 0.2% in 2019, a turnabout not seen since the 1970s. But that's nowhere near close to 80% or 90%.
From August of last year to this August, prices rose by 1.4%.
Judges
TRUMP, criticizing Barack Obama and Biden for leaving federal judicial vacancies unfilled before they left office in January 2017: "When you leave office you don't leave any judges. You just don't do that. They left 128 openings. And if I were a member of his party ... I'd say if you left us 128 openings, you can't be a good president, you can't be a good vice president.''
THE FACTS: That's misleading. Trump does have a stronger record than Obama in picking federal judges, but it isn't due to complacency from the Obama administration. Instead, unprecedented lack of action by the Republican-controlled Senate on Obama's judicial nominees in his last two years in office left Trump more vacancies to fill.
Of the 71 people whom Obama nominated to the district courts and courts of appeals in 2015 and 2016, only 20 were voted on and confirmed, said Russell Wheeler, an expert on judicial nominees at the Brookings Institution. Trump entered office in January 2017 with more than 100 vacancies on the federal bench, about double the number Obama had in 2009.
Trump has been aided by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has pushed through Trump's nominations of appeals court judges in particular, as well as two Supreme Court justices. McConnell has pledged to have a Senate vote on Trump's third nominee to the high court, Amy Coney Barrett, while Democrats say the seat should be filled by the winner of the election.
Virus Response
TRUMP: Dr. Anthony Fauci "said very strongly, 'masks are not good.' Then he changed his mind, he said, 'masks, good.'"
THE FACTS: He is skirting crucial context. Trump is telling the story in a way that leaves out key lessons learned as the coronavirus pandemic unfolded, raising doubts about the credibility of public health advice.
Early on in the outbreak, a number of public health officials urged everyday people not to use masks, fearing a run on already short supplies of personal protective equipment needed by doctors and nurses in hospitals.
But that changed as the highly contagious nature of the coronavirus became clear, as well as the fact that it can be spread by tiny droplets breathed into the air by people who may not display any symptoms.
Fauci of the National Institutes of Health, along with Dr. Robert Redfield of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Stephen Hahn of the Food and Drug Administration and Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House coronavirus task force, all agree on the importance of wearing masks and practicing social distancing. Redfield has repeatedly said it could be as effective as a vaccine if people took that advice to heart.
TRUMP, on coronavirus and his campaign rallies: "So far we have had no problem whatsoever. It's outside, that's a big difference according to the experts. We have tremendous crowds."
THE FACTS: That's not correct.
Trump held an indoor rally in Tulsa in late June, drawing both thousands of participants and large protests.
The Tulsa City-County Health Department director said the rally "likely contributed" to a dramatic surge in new coronavirus cases there. By the first week of July, Tulsa County was confirming more than 200 new daily cases, setting record highs. That's more than twice the number the week before the rally.
TRUMP, addressing Biden: "You didn't do very well on the swine flu. H1N1. You were a disaster."
THE FACTS: Trump frequently distorts what happened in the pandemic of 2009, which killed far fewer people in the United States than the coronavirus is killing now. For starters, Biden as vice president wasn't running the federal response. And that response was faster out of the gate than when COVID-19 came to the U.S.
Then, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's flu surveillance network sounded the alarm after two children in California became the first people diagnosed with the new flu strain in this country.
About two weeks later, the Obama administration declared a public health emergency against H1N1, also known as the swine flu, and the CDC began releasing anti-flu drugs from the national stockpile to help hospitals get ready. In contrast, Trump declared a state of emergency in early March, seven weeks after the first U.S. case of COVID-19 was announced, and the country's health system struggled for months with shortages of critical supplies and testing.
More than 200,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. The CDC puts the U.S. death toll from the 2009-2010 H1N1 pandemic at about 12,500.
Economy
BIDEN: Trump will be the "first (president) in American history" to lose jobs during his presidency.
THE FACTS: No, if Trump loses reelection, he would not be the first president in U.S. history to have lost jobs. That happened under Herbert Hoover, the president who lost the 1932 election to Franklin Roosevelt as the Great Depression caused massive job losses.
Official jobs records only go back to 1939 and, in that period, no president has ended his term with fewer jobs than when he began. Trump appears to be on track to have lost jobs during his first term, which would make him the first to do so since Hoover.
Voting
TRUMP, on the prospect of mass fraud in the vote-by-mail process: "It's a rigged election."
THE FACTS: He is exaggerating threats. Trump's claim is part of a months-long effort to sow doubt about the integrity of the election before it's even arrived and to preemptively call into question the results.
Experts have repeatedly said there are no signs of widespread fraud in mail balloting, as have the five states that relied exclusively on that system for voting even before the coronavirus pandemic. Trump's own FBI director, Chris Wray, said at a congressional hearing just last week that the bureau has not historically seen "any kind of coordinated national voter fraud effort in a major election, whether it's by mail or otherwise."
Wray did acknowledge voter fraud at the local level "from time to time," but even there, Trump appeared to paint an overly dire portrait of the reality and he misstated the facts of one particular case that received substantial attention last week following an unusual Justice Department announcement.
Trump said nine military ballots found discarded in a wastebasket in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, were all marked for him. Though that's consistent with an initial statement the Justice Department made, officials later revised it to say seven of the nine ballots had Trump's name.
Football
TRUMP: "I'm the one who brought back football. By the way, I brought back Big Ten football. It was me and I'm very happy to do it."
THE FACTS: Better check the tape. While Trump had called for the Big Ten conference to hold its 2020 football season, he wasn't the only one. Fans, students, athletes and college towns had also urged the conference to resume play.
When the Big Ten announced earlier this month that it reversed an earlier decision to cancel the season because of COVID-19, Trump tweeted his thanks: "It is my great honor to have helped!!!"
The conference includes several large universities in states that could prove pivotal in the election, including Pennsylvania, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Supreme Court
BIDEN, on Supreme Court nominee Barrett: "She thinks that the Affordable Care Act is not constitutional."
THE FACTS: That's not right.
Biden is talking about Trump's pick to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Barrett has been critical of the Obama-era law and the court decisions that have upheld it, but she has never said it's not constitutional. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case Nov. 10, and the Trump administration is asking the high court to rule the law unconstitutional.
Delaware State
TRUMP: "You said you went to Delaware State, but you forgot the name of your college. You didn't go to Delaware State. ... There's nothing smart about you, Joe."
THE FACTS: Trump is quoting Biden out of context. The former vice president, a graduate of the University of Delaware, did not say he attended Delaware State University but was making a broader point about his longstanding ties to the Black community.
Trump is referring to remarks Biden often says on the campaign, typically when speaking to Black audiences, that he "goes way back with HBCUs," or historically Black universities and colleges. Biden has spoken many times over the years at Delaware State, a public HBCU in his home state, and the school says that's where he first announced his bid for the Senate -- his political start.
"I got started out of an HBCU, Delaware State -- now, I don't want to hear anything negative about Delaware State," Biden told a town hall in Florence, South Carolina, in October 2019. "They're my folks."
Biden often touts his deep political ties to the Black community, occasionally saying he "grew up politically" or "got started politically" in the Black church. In front of some audiences, he's omitted the word "politically," but still with a clear context about his larger point. The statements are all part of a standard section of his stump speech noting that Delaware has "the eighth largest Black population by percentage."
A spokesman for Delaware State University, Carlos Holmes, has said it took Biden's comments to refer to his political start. Holmes said Biden was referring to the support he received from the school when he announced his bid for the U.S. Senate on the school's campus in 1972.
Biden's broader point is to push back on the idea that he's a Johnny-come-lately with the Black community or that his political connections there are owed only to being Obama's vice president.
Crime
BIDEN: "The fact of the matter is violent crime went down 17%, 15%, in our administration."
THE FACTS: That's overstating it.
Overall, the number of violent crimes fell roughly 10% from 2008, the year before Biden took office as vice president, to 2016, his last full year in the office, according to data from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program.
But the number of violent crimes was spiking again during Obama and Biden's final two years in office, increasing by 8% from 2014 to 2016.
More people were slain across the U.S. in 2016, for example, than at any other point under the Obama administration.
TRUMP: "If you look at what's going on in Chicago, where 53 people were shot and eight died. If you look at New York where it's going up like nobody's ever seen anything … the numbers are going up 100, 150, 200%, crime, it's crazy what's going on."
THE FACTS: Not quite. The statistics in Chicago are true, but those numbers are only a small snapshot of crime in the city and the United States, and his strategy is highlighting how data can be easily molded to suit the moment. As for New York, Trump may have been talking about shootings. They are up in New York by about 93% so far this year, but overall crime is down about 1.5%. Murders are up 38%, but there were 327 killings compared with 236, still low compared with years past. For example, compared with a decade ago, crime is down 10%.
An FBI report released Monday for 2019 crime data found that violent crime has decreased over the past three years.
Associated Press writers Robert Burns, Matthew Daly, Michelle R. Smith, Josh Boak, Colleen Long, Ellen Knickmeyer, Mark Sherman, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Bill Barrow, David Klepper, Amanda Seitz, Michael Balsamo and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-09-30--Bears Bash to bring tailgating atmosphere to Rolling Meadows

Mike Reppe says he was playing cards online last month with a group of friends -- many of them Bears season ticket holders -- when they wondered out loud when they 'd get their money back for what 's started as a spectatorless season at Soldier Field .
But perhaps more importantly , Reppe said , his group misses another Sunday tradition that normally comes with football on the lakefront : tailgating .
`` I started thinking about how could I bring that atmosphere to A , my friends , but B , to my customers , '' said Reppe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bar and restaurant in Rolling Meadows .
The result is a Bears Bash parking lot watch party Oct. 8 for Thursday Night Football outside Rep 's Place , 3200 Kirchoff Road , in the Rolling Meadows Shopping Center .
Rep 's and the Rolling Meadows Park District , the event co-sponsor , are putting up an 18-by-18-foot jumbotron to show the game at 7:20 p.m. , after live pregame music starting at 5 p.m. by the Donner Brothers .
Reservations are required to get one of the 30 parking lot tables or 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they were nearly at capacity .
Reppe said there may still be some space inside the restaurant the night of the game .
He also hopes to host another tailgate-style event later in the season .
Fans who reserved a table will have to bring their own chairs and blankets .
And they ca n't bring their own food or drink , but it will be available for purchase .
Per social distancing guidelines , attendees will have to stay at their tables , unless going to the concession stand or bathrooms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face masks there ) .

Bears Bash to bring tailgating atmosphere to Rolling Meadows
Mike Reppe says he was playing cards online last month with a group of friends -- many of them Bears season ticket holders -- when they wondered out loud when they'd get their money back for what's started as a spectatorless season at Soldier Field.
But perhaps more importantly, Reppe said, his group misses another Sunday tradition that normally comes with football on the lakefront: tailgating.
"I started thinking about how could I bring that atmosphere to A, my friends, but B, to my customers," said Reppe, owner of Rep's Place sports bar and restaurant in Rolling Meadows.
The result is a Bears Bash parking lot watch party Oct. 8 for Thursday Night Football outside Rep's Place, 3200 Kirchoff Road, in the Rolling Meadows Shopping Center.
Rep's and the Rolling Meadows Park District, the event co-sponsor, are putting up an 18-by-18-foot jumbotron to show the game at 7:20 p.m., after live pregame music starting at 5 p.m. by the Donner Brothers.
Reservations are required to get one of the 30 parking lot tables or 10 on the patio, but by midweek, they were nearly at capacity. Reppe said there may still be some space inside the restaurant the night of the game. He also hopes to host another tailgate-style event later in the season.
Fans who reserved a table will have to bring their own chairs and blankets. And they can't bring their own food or drink, but it will be available for purchase.
Per social distancing guidelines, attendees will have to stay at their tables, unless going to the concession stand or bathrooms (and they'll have to wear face masks there).


dailyheraldchicago--2020-09-30--COVID-19 outbreak linked to adult volleyball games in Lake County

Lake County health authorities are investigating more than a dozen COVID-19 cases linked to adult volleyball leagues hosted by a Gages Lake bar and grill where as many as 200 players and spectators may have been exposed to the virus .
Health officials say 14 people who played or watched volleyball at Jesse Oaks Food & Drink this month have tested positive for the coronavirus .
Several of those people also played volleyball at other bar/restaurant locations , which could contribute to further spread of the virus , authorities said .
`` We are currently working diligently to speak with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been identified , '' said Dr. Sana Ahmed , medical epidemiologist at the Lake County Health Department .
`` However , nearly 200 volleyball players and spectators may have been exposed .
This could potentially be a large outbreak , and we need the public 's help to contain the spread of this virus . ''
Health officials are asking that anyone who played volleyball at Jesse Oaks this month , or visited and did not wear a mask , to quarantine at home for 14 days from their last visit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ molecular COVID-19 test within at least five days of their last visit , or sooner if symptoms develop , and call the Communicable Disease program at ( 847 ) 377-8130 if not already contacted by the health department .
While under quarantine , a person should stay home , limit contact with others in their home , avoid having any visitors and wear a face covering if they must leave to seek medical attention .
A negative test result does not shorten the quarantine period , since the virus may take up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
As a result of the outbreak , Jesse Oaks has suspended all volleyball activities for 14 days and may resume only when in compliance with state guidelines .
Those guidelines allow only scrimmages among members of the same team but not league play between different teams , officials said .
`` Under the current phase of the state 's plan , volleyball is considered a medium-risk sport , and no competitive matches between teams are permitted , '' said Larry Mackey , director of environmental health at the health department .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ puts the public 's health at risk , prolongs the pandemic , and has the potential to force additional restrictions on local businesses that are working so hard to protect their employees and customers . ''
Mackey said there is `` some disagreement '' as to whether the games taking place at Jesse Oaks violated state guidelines , but the health department believes they were league games and therefore prohibited .
However , he said , no enforcement actions are being taken against the establishment .
`` They voluntarily agreed to stop the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working with them to meet the guidelines , '' Mackey said .
According to the health department , 16,960 Lake County residents had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Monday , with 464 fatal cases .

COVID-19 outbreak linked to adult volleyball games in Lake County
All volleyball activities at Jesse Oaks Food & Drink have been suspended after health authorities traced at least 14 COVID-19 cases to games played there this month. Daily Herald File Photo, 2016
Lake County health authorities say an outbreak of at least 14 COVID-19 cases has been traced to adult volleyball games played this month at Jesse Oaks Food & Drink in Gages Lake. Daily Herald File Photo, 2016
Lake County health authorities are investigating more than a dozen COVID-19 cases linked to adult volleyball leagues hosted by a Gages Lake bar and grill where as many as 200 players and spectators may have been exposed to the virus.
Health officials say 14 people who played or watched volleyball at Jesse Oaks Food & Drink this month have tested positive for the coronavirus. Several of those people also played volleyball at other bar/restaurant locations, which could contribute to further spread of the virus, authorities said.
"We are currently working diligently to speak with infected individuals and notify close contacts who have been identified," said Dr. Sana Ahmed, medical epidemiologist at the Lake County Health Department. "However, nearly 200 volleyball players and spectators may have been exposed. This could potentially be a large outbreak, and we need the public's help to contain the spread of this virus."
Health officials are asking that anyone who played volleyball at Jesse Oaks this month, or visited and did not wear a mask, to quarantine at home for 14 days from their last visit.
They also suggest those people get a molecular COVID-19 test within at least five days of their last visit, or sooner if symptoms develop, and call the Communicable Disease program at (847) 377-8130 if not already contacted by the health department.
While under quarantine, a person should stay home, limit contact with others in their home, avoid having any visitors and wear a face covering if they must leave to seek medical attention.
A negative test result does not shorten the quarantine period, since the virus may take up to 14 days to be detectable, officials said.
As a result of the outbreak, Jesse Oaks has suspended all volleyball activities for 14 days and may resume only when in compliance with state guidelines. Those guidelines allow only scrimmages among members of the same team but not league play between different teams, officials said.
"Under the current phase of the state's plan, volleyball is considered a medium-risk sport, and no competitive matches between teams are permitted," said Larry Mackey, director of environmental health at the health department. "Failing to abide by these guidelines puts the public's health at risk, prolongs the pandemic, and has the potential to force additional restrictions on local businesses that are working so hard to protect their employees and customers."
Mackey said there is "some disagreement" as to whether the games taking place at Jesse Oaks violated state guidelines, but the health department believes they were league games and therefore prohibited.
However, he said, no enforcement actions are being taken against the establishment.
"They voluntarily agreed to stop the games for 14 days and we're working with them to meet the guidelines," Mackey said.
According to the health department, 16,960 Lake County residents had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Monday, with 464 fatal cases.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-09-30--Plenty of work ahead for Bowman, Chicago Blackhawks

The clock is ticking louder and louder for the Blackhawks and their free agents .
With the draft set for Oct. 6-7 , and free agency on Oct. 9 , it would be nice for Stan Bowman and Co. to have a clearer picture of what their 2020-21 roster will look like sooner rather than later .
`` I would say that 's fair , '' Bowman said during a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday .
`` Sometimes things take time , and as much as you 'd like to do them on your own timeline , it does n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sides to a negotiation . ''
The biggest unsigned names are goalie Corey Crawford , forwards Dominik Kubalik , Dylan Strome and Drake Caggiula , and defenseman Slater Koekkoek .
Crawford is an unrestricted free agent , while Caggiula , Kubalik and Koekkoek are restricted free agents with arbitration rights , and Strome is just an RFA .
According to SportsNet 's Elliotte Friedman , Crawford and the Hawks were `` not seeing eye to eye on the dollar value '' of a new contract .
Bowman would n't give much of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say he 's `` always an optimist '' and that `` we 're realistic that it 's a possibility , but that 's not what we 're focused on . ''
Something better get done soon , though , or expect the Hawks to move in a different direction .
Bowman also needs some clarity on everyone else so he knows how to attack free agency .
`` The sooner you can do things it gives you the ability to plan out the next season a little bit better , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be planning on several different fronts .
We 're never just assuming one thing 's going to happen .
... '' We have a lot of contingent plans in place .
It 's going to have to resolve itself in the coming week or two . ''
The Hawks ' decision to trade Dylan Sikura on Monday did n't shock too many people .
After all , Sikura never established himself as a consistent NHL player and probably needed a change of scenery .
So Stan Bowman shipped Sikura to Vegas for Brandon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overall in 2009 with hopes he 'd develop into a second-line center .
That never transpired , though , and Pirri has bounced around the league since 2014 .
He does have 72 goals in 275 NHL games and could give the Hawks some much-needed scoring further down the lineup .
`` He 's got an elite shot , '' Bowman said .
`` He 's transitioned more to be a winger now , and I think he 's just shown some more maturity .
He understands how to contribute -- maybe not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in your mind -- but it takes players some time to get through that .
`` I know he 's still hungry to prove he can be an NHL player .
He 's also got a great attitude . ''
The Hawks have loaned a half-dozen players to overseas teams over the past six weeks .
They are forwards Brandon Hagel , Tim Soderlund , Pius Suter , Philipp Kurashev , Michal Teply and Matej Chalupa .
Stan Bowman said a player 's agent typically reaches out to the Hawks , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` There 's some young players that really want to play -- even if it means leaving North America to a new country and to a team they do n't know about , '' Bowman said .
`` Other guys would prefer to focus on their training , work on their strength , work on their individual skill work .
... '' In these instances , their agents have been seeking it out and they 've come to us with questions .
We support it and we work with that team .
@

Plenty of work ahead for Bowman, Chicago Blackhawks
Vegas Golden Knights' William Karlsson (71) is stopped by Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford (50) during the second period of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The clock is ticking louder and louder for the Blackhawks and their free agents.
With the draft set for Oct. 6-7, and free agency on Oct. 9, it would be nice for Stan Bowman and Co. to have a clearer picture of what their 2020-21 roster will look like sooner rather than later.
"I would say that's fair," Bowman said during a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday. "Sometimes things take time, and as much as you'd like to do them on your own timeline, it doesn't work that way. There are two sides to a negotiation."
The biggest unsigned names are goalie Corey Crawford, forwards Dominik Kubalik, Dylan Strome and Drake Caggiula, and defenseman Slater Koekkoek. Crawford is an unrestricted free agent, while Caggiula, Kubalik and Koekkoek are restricted free agents with arbitration rights, and Strome is just an RFA.
According to SportsNet's Elliotte Friedman, Crawford and the Hawks were "not seeing eye to eye on the dollar value" of a new contract. Bowman wouldn't give much of a comment on the situation, other than to say he's "always an optimist" and that "we're realistic that it's a possibility, but that's not what we're focused on."
Something better get done soon, though, or expect the Hawks to move in a different direction.
Bowman also needs some clarity on everyone else so he knows how to attack free agency.
"The sooner you can do things it gives you the ability to plan out the next season a little bit better," he said. "Our job is to be planning on several different fronts. We're never just assuming one thing's going to happen. ...
"We have a lot of contingent plans in place. It's going to have to resolve itself in the coming week or two."
Thoughts on Pirri:
The Hawks' decision to trade Dylan Sikura on Monday didn't shock too many people. After all, Sikura never established himself as a consistent NHL player and probably needed a change of scenery.
So Stan Bowman shipped Sikura to Vegas for Brandon Pirri, whom the Hawks drafted 57th overall in 2009 with hopes he'd develop into a second-line center. That never transpired, though, and Pirri has bounced around the league since 2014.
He does have 72 goals in 275 NHL games and could give the Hawks some much-needed scoring further down the lineup.
"He's got an elite shot," Bowman said. "He's transitioned more to be a winger now, and I think he's just shown some more maturity. He understands how to contribute -- maybe not always the way you draw it up in your mind -- but it takes players some time to get through that.
"I know he's still hungry to prove he can be an NHL player. He's also got a great attitude."
On loan:
The Hawks have loaned a half-dozen players to overseas teams over the past six weeks. They are forwards Brandon Hagel, Tim Soderlund, Pius Suter, Philipp Kurashev, Michal Teply and Matej Chalupa.
Stan Bowman said a player's agent typically reaches out to the Hawks, and they then attempt to find a good match.
"There's some young players that really want to play -- even if it means leaving North America to a new country and to a team they don't know about," Bowman said. "Other guys would prefer to focus on their training, work on their strength, work on their individual skill work. ...
"In these instances, their agents have been seeking it out and they've come to us with questions. We support it and we work with that team."