dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-17--July 17 COVID-19 cases per county; search by ZIP code

Interactive map Suburbs ' portion Since the outbreak began , there have been 80,217 cases in the suburbs as of Friday , 50.3 % of the state 's total , according to the Illinois Department of Public Health .
There have been 3,700 deaths in the suburbs , representing 50.8 % of all deaths in Illinois .
Cook County • As of Friday , suburban Cook County had 41,254 cases and 2,049 deaths , according to the state .
In Chicago : 56,536 cases and 2,716 fatalities .
• Top suburb counts from the county health department and medical examiner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths in Des Plaines , 850 cases and 60 deaths in Wheeling , 783 cases and 19 deaths in Palatine , 711 cases and 22 deaths in Streamwood , 697 cases and 10 deaths in Mount Prospect , 657 cases and 19 deaths in Schaumburg , 627 cases and 34 deaths in Arlington Heights , 655 cases and 48 deaths in Glenview , 532 cases and 10 deaths in Hanover Park ( Cook County portion ) , 542 cases and 28 deaths in Hoffman Estates , 388 cases and 38 deaths in Elk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths in Northbrook , 380 cases and 12 deaths in Rolling Meadows , 288 cases and 8 deaths in Prospect Heights , and 130 cases and 19 deaths in Buffalo Grove ( Cook County portion ) .
DuPage County • The county reported 10,020 cases and 492 deaths as of Friday .
• Top counts : 866 cases and 9 deaths in Addison , 824 cases and 14 deaths in West Chicago , 714 cases and 11 deaths in Glendale Heights , 608 cases and 34 deaths in Naperville ( DuPage County portion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Bensenville , 564 cases and 29 deaths in Carol Stream , 463 cases and 24 deaths in Lombard , 439 cases and 37 deaths in Elmhurst , 391 cases and 11 deaths in Aurora ( DuPage County portion ) , 320 cases and 22 deaths in Wheaton , 281 cases and 5 deaths in Villa Park , 263 cases and 2 deaths in Hanover Park ( DuPage County portion ) , 207 cases and 3 deaths in Glen Ellyn .
Lake County • The county listed 10,705 cases and 413 deaths on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Top counts : 2,820 to 2,824 in Waukegan , 630 to 634 in Round Lake Beach , 405 to 409 in Mundelein , 330 to 334 in Gurnee , 255 to 259 in Round Lake , 215 to 219 in Buffalo Grove ( Lake County portion ) , 215 to 219 in Lake Zurich , 185 to 189 in Vernon Hills , 175 to 179 in Wauconda , 160 to 164 in Libertyville , 115 to 119 in Grayslake .
Kane County • The county confirmed 8,352 cases with 288 deaths on its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3,524 cases in Aurora ( Kane County portion ) , 1,987 in Elgin ( Kane County portion ) , 793 in Carpentersville , 377 in St. Charles , 354 in South Elgin , 228 in North Aurora , 229 in Geneva , 156 in Batavia , and 59 in Algonquin ( Kane County portion ) .
McHenry County • 2,367 cases and 106 deaths , according to the health department Friday .
• 7,542 cases and 330 deaths , as of Friday .
• Cases per town include 480 in Naperville ( Will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Will County portion ) .

July 17 COVID-19 cases per county; search by ZIP code
Interactive map Suburbs' portion Since the outbreak began, there have been 80,217 cases in the suburbs as of Friday, 50.3% of the state's total, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. There have been 3,700 deaths in the suburbs, representing 50.8% of all deaths in Illinois.
Cook County• As of Friday, suburban Cook County had 41,254 cases and 2,049 deaths, according to the state. In Chicago: 56,536 cases and 2,716 fatalities.
• Top suburb counts from the county health department and medical examiner's office: 1,857 cases and 101 deaths in Des Plaines, 850 cases and 60 deaths in Wheeling, 783 cases and 19 deaths in Palatine, 711 cases and 22 deaths in Streamwood, 697 cases and 10 deaths in Mount Prospect, 657 cases and 19 deaths in Schaumburg, 627 cases and 34 deaths in Arlington Heights, 655 cases and 48 deaths in Glenview, 532 cases and 10 deaths in Hanover Park (Cook County portion), 542 cases and 28 deaths in Hoffman Estates, 388 cases and 38 deaths in Elk Grove Village, 379 cases and 41 deaths in Northbrook, 380 cases and 12 deaths in Rolling Meadows, 288 cases and 8 deaths in Prospect Heights, and 130 cases and 19 deaths in Buffalo Grove (Cook County portion).
DuPage County• The county reported 10,020 cases and 492 deaths as of Friday.
• Top counts: 866 cases and 9 deaths in Addison, 824 cases and 14 deaths in West Chicago, 714 cases and 11 deaths in Glendale Heights, 608 cases and 34 deaths in Naperville (DuPage County portion), 566 cases and 12 deaths in Bensenville, 564 cases and 29 deaths in Carol Stream, 463 cases and 24 deaths in Lombard, 439 cases and 37 deaths in Elmhurst, 391 cases and 11 deaths in Aurora (DuPage County portion), 320 cases and 22 deaths in Wheaton, 281 cases and 5 deaths in Villa Park, 263 cases and 2 deaths in Hanover Park (DuPage County portion), 207 cases and 3 deaths in Glen Ellyn.
Lake County • The county listed 10,705 cases and 413 deaths on its website as of Friday.
• Top counts: 2,820 to 2,824 in Waukegan, 630 to 634 in Round Lake Beach, 405 to 409 in Mundelein, 330 to 334 in Gurnee, 255 to 259 in Round Lake, 215 to 219 in Buffalo Grove (Lake County portion), 215 to 219 in Lake Zurich, 185 to 189 in Vernon Hills, 175 to 179 in Wauconda, 160 to 164 in Libertyville, 115 to 119 in Grayslake.
Kane County• The county confirmed 8,352 cases with 288 deaths on its website Friday.
• Top counts: 3,524 cases in Aurora (Kane County portion), 1,987 in Elgin (Kane County portion), 793 in Carpentersville, 377 in St. Charles, 354 in South Elgin, 228 in North Aurora, 229 in Geneva, 156 in Batavia, and 59 in Algonquin (Kane County portion).
McHenry County• 2,367 cases and 106 deaths, according to the health department Friday.
Will County
• 7,542 cases and 330 deaths, as of Friday.
• Cases per town include 480 in Naperville (Will County portion) and 88 in Aurora (Will County portion).


dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-17--District 211 fires Palatine High School teacher over controversial Facebook post

This article has been corrected to properly characterize the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board members Thursday voted 5-2 to fire a tenured Palatine High School social studies teacher who had been investigated for a controversial Facebook post just after the end of the school year about Black Lives Matter protests .
Most of the board members gave their reasons for their votes on the resolution to dismiss longtime teacher Jeanne Hedgepeth .
`` The demonstrated lack of professionalism is disturbing to me as a teacher myself , '' board member Kim Cavill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firing .
In early June District 211 officials started investigating the since-deleted Facebook post about the protests that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
The investigation began after screenshots of what purported to be the teacher 's remarks were shared on social media .
`` The statements in the post do not reflect the values or principles of District 211 , '' the district said in a statement at the time , without further describing the post .
`` We are truly sorry for any harm or disrespect that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later , the teacher said she would retire .
Another week later , she rescinded her retirement request before the board could vote on it .
Several emails sent to district officials and read aloud at board meetings called for her to be fired rather than be allowed to quietly retire .
Others , including some by family members and longtime acquaintances , defended the teacher 's character and care for her students , if not specifically the words of her social media post .
Board member Anna Klimkowicz said she believed all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but that in the era of social media people also have to be more careful of the words they choose because of the impact they have on others .
She also said the position of teacher carried more responsibility .
Cramer said he did n't feel the accusations met the burden of proof for dismissal .
He characterized them as subjective opinions in a social media post without evidence of wrongdoing that were emailed to the administration by activists eager to orchestrate such a firing .
Dombrowski said that while Hedgepeth 's failure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have led to the board 's vote , he did n't feel a Facebook post should be the deciding factor in ending a career .
Board member Ed Yung said that not firing Hedgepeth would be inconsistent with earlier disciplinary action against employees , while fellow member Steven Rosenblum said he recognized a pattern of behavior with Hedgepeth going back to 2016 that had repeated itself .
On March 14 , 2019 , the board voted unanimously to suspend Hedgepeth for four days without pay and issue a `` notice to remedy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote do not describe the reason for the disciplinary action .
Some of the emails that had been sent to the district criticized it for a lack of action on a matter of intolerance that they argued even a student would have been disciplined for .

District 211 fires Palatine High School teacher over controversial Facebook post
This article has been corrected to properly characterize the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board members Thursday voted 5-2 to fire a tenured Palatine High School social studies teacher who had been investigated for a controversial Facebook post just after the end of the school year about Black Lives Matter protests.
Most of the board members gave their reasons for their votes on the resolution to dismiss longtime teacher Jeanne Hedgepeth.
"The demonstrated lack of professionalism is disturbing to me as a teacher myself," board member Kim Cavill said before voting in support of the firing.
In early June District 211 officials started investigating the since-deleted Facebook post about the protests that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The investigation began after screenshots of what purported to be the teacher's remarks were shared on social media.
"The statements in the post do not reflect the values or principles of District 211," the district said in a statement at the time, without further describing the post. "We are truly sorry for any harm or disrespect that this may have caused."
A week later, the teacher said she would retire. Another week later, she rescinded her retirement request before the board could vote on it.
Several emails sent to district officials and read aloud at board meetings called for her to be fired rather than be allowed to quietly retire. Others, including some by family members and longtime acquaintances, defended the teacher's character and care for her students, if not specifically the words of her social media post.
Board member Anna Klimkowicz said she believed all people have the right to express themselves but that in the era of social media people also have to be more careful of the words they choose because of the impact they have on others. She also said the position of teacher carried more responsibility.
Board members Mark Cramer and Pete Dombrowski voted against firing Hedgepeth.
Cramer said he didn't feel the accusations met the burden of proof for dismissal. He characterized them as subjective opinions in a social media post without evidence of wrongdoing that were emailed to the administration by activists eager to orchestrate such a firing.
Dombrowski said that while Hedgepeth's failure to represent the district through her actions may have led to the board's vote, he didn't feel a Facebook post should be the deciding factor in ending a career.
Board member Ed Yung said that not firing Hedgepeth would be inconsistent with earlier disciplinary action against employees, while fellow member Steven Rosenblum said he recognized a pattern of behavior with Hedgepeth going back to 2016 that had repeated itself.
On March 14, 2019, the board voted unanimously to suspend Hedgepeth for four days without pay and issue a "notice to remedy." The meeting minutes of that vote do not describe the reason for the disciplinary action.
Some of the emails that had been sent to the district criticized it for a lack of action on a matter of intolerance that they argued even a student would have been disciplined for.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-17--Democrats blast Cronin over naming Tornatore to fill DiCianni's committee chair role

Three Democrats on the DuPage County Board are blasting Chairman Dan Cronin for his plan to appoint a fellow Republican to the chairmanship of the county 's health and human services committee .
Elizabeth Chaplin of Downers Grove , Dawn DeSart of Aurora and Mary FitzGerald Ozog of Glen Ellyn say the vice chairman of the committee -- Hinsdale Democrat Julie Renehan -- should become chairman but is being passed over .
`` To say that we are disappointed that you -- once again -- would undermine a female leader on this board is an understatement , '' Chaplin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent Thursday to Cronin .
`` Instead of leadership that is in the best interest of DuPage County residents , this is a 'political ' decision at best ; and a misogynist decision , at worst . ''
On Friday , Cronin defended his decision to pick board member Sam Tornatore as the next health and human services chairman .
`` When making appointments for various positions in the county , I evaluate the skills of the candidate and the demands of the position , '' the Elmhurst Republican said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make the best match possible . ''
He said Tornatore , a Roselle Republican , is the `` obvious and uniquely qualified choice '' to become the next chairman of the health and human services committee .
Meanwhile , Cronin added , `` My record of appointment of women and minorities is unprecedented in DuPage County and speaks for itself . ''
In the past two years , Cronin has made 61 appointments to boards and commissions .
Of those , 39 % were women or minorities , according to a county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one day after board member Pete DiCianni resigned as health and human services chairman .
The Elmhurst Republican surrendered the committee chairmanship on Tuesday because he was facing a barrage of criticism for not wearing a mask while confronting counterprotesters during a pro-police rally last month in Elmhurst .
On Wednesday , Cronin emailed a letter to the board announcing his selection of Tornatore .
The board is expected to vote on the appointment next month .
Cronin said he made his decision because Tornatore has spent seven years on the committee and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board of Health .
Tornatore also serves on the Illinois Housing Development Authority Board .
`` Sam 's deep understanding of the county public health system , his experience dealing with and advocating for various nonprofit agencies and his heartfelt support of the DuPage Care Center make him the perfect leader for this role , '' Cronin wrote in the letter to the board .
Renehan said Friday she was `` absolutely surprised '' by Cronin 's announcement .
`` I received no phone call , no heads up , '' she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked for years doing pro bono work throughout the community .
She 's been vice chairman of the health and human services committee for a year and a half .
`` I have worked with nonprofits , low-income residents , veterans , '' she said .
`` My experience certainly qualifies me to take over a committee . ''
Renehan said she sent her own letter to Cronin on Thursday .
`` Unfortunately , this is politics , '' she said .
`` And I think women in leadership -- and the residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this kind of decision . ''
Chaplin , DeSart and Ozog say Tornatore is `` deeply respected '' but already holds two committee chairmanships .
He is chairman of the legislative committee as well as the development committee .
Cronin said he has asked Tornatore to step down as legislative committee chairman if he becomes the health and human services chairman .
Still , Chaplin , DeSart and Ozog argue that Cronin 's reasoning for making Tornatore health and human services chairman `` falls flat . ''
They say they will vote against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes reflect our lack of respect for your leadership and for always playing politics , rather than being the leader the good people of DuPage County need and demand , especially during these unprecedented and uncertain times , '' they wrote to Cronin .

Democrats blast Cronin over naming Tornatore to fill DiCianni's committee chair role
Three Democrats on the DuPage County Board are blasting Chairman Dan Cronin for his plan to appoint a fellow Republican to the chairmanship of the county's health and human services committee.
Elizabeth Chaplin of Downers Grove, Dawn DeSart of Aurora and Mary FitzGerald Ozog of Glen Ellyn say the vice chairman of the committee -- Hinsdale Democrat Julie Renehan -- should become chairman but is being passed over.
"To say that we are disappointed that you -- once again -- would undermine a female leader on this board is an understatement," Chaplin, DeSart and Ozog wrote in an email sent Thursday to Cronin. "Instead of leadership that is in the best interest of DuPage County residents, this is a 'political' decision at best; and a misogynist decision, at worst."
On Friday, Cronin defended his decision to pick board member Sam Tornatore as the next health and human services chairman.
"When making appointments for various positions in the county, I evaluate the skills of the candidate and the demands of the position," the Elmhurst Republican said in a statement. "I make a concerted effort to make the best match possible."
He said Tornatore, a Roselle Republican, is the "obvious and uniquely qualified choice" to become the next chairman of the health and human services committee.
Meanwhile, Cronin added, "My record of appointment of women and minorities is unprecedented in DuPage County and speaks for itself."
In the past two years, Cronin has made 61 appointments to boards and commissions. Of those, 39% were women or minorities, according to a county spokesman.
The political fight started just one day after board member Pete DiCianni resigned as health and human services chairman. The Elmhurst Republican surrendered the committee chairmanship on Tuesday because he was facing a barrage of criticism for not wearing a mask while confronting counterprotesters during a pro-police rally last month in Elmhurst.
On Wednesday, Cronin emailed a letter to the board announcing his selection of Tornatore. The board is expected to vote on the appointment next month.
Cronin said he made his decision because Tornatore has spent seven years on the committee and is the president of the DuPage County Board of Health. Tornatore also serves on the Illinois Housing Development Authority Board.
"Sam's deep understanding of the county public health system, his experience dealing with and advocating for various nonprofit agencies and his heartfelt support of the DuPage Care Center make him the perfect leader for this role," Cronin wrote in the letter to the board.
Renehan said Friday she was "absolutely surprised" by Cronin's announcement.
"I received no phone call, no heads up," she said.
Renehan is a lawyer who has worked for years doing pro bono work throughout the community. She's been vice chairman of the health and human services committee for a year and a half.
"I have worked with nonprofits, low-income residents, veterans," she said. "My experience certainly qualifies me to take over a committee."
Renehan said she sent her own letter to Cronin on Thursday.
"Unfortunately, this is politics," she said. "And I think women in leadership -- and the residents who elected them -- are dismissed with this kind of decision."
Chaplin, DeSart and Ozog say Tornatore is "deeply respected" but already holds two committee chairmanships. He is chairman of the legislative committee as well as the development committee.
Cronin said he has asked Tornatore to step down as legislative committee chairman if he becomes the health and human services chairman.
Still, Chaplin, DeSart and Ozog argue that Cronin's reasoning for making Tornatore health and human services chairman "falls flat." They say they will vote against the appointment.
"Our 'no' votes reflect our lack of respect for your leadership and for always playing politics, rather than being the leader the good people of DuPage County need and demand, especially during these unprecedented and uncertain times," they wrote to Cronin.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-17--Geneva District 304 families can choose between online only, hybrid learning

When classes resume next month , Geneva Unit District 304 students can either opt for an online-only learning model or return to school in person on an alternating schedule .
An overview of the district 's `` Back Together 304 '' plan was sent to families Friday , outlining the options available for all grade levels at the start of the 2020-21 school year .
Information will be released next week on how to select an instructional format for the fall semester , according to communication from Superintendent Kent Mutchler .
`` We truly believe that , given the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learning represent the very best approach to supporting students while maintaining a safe , positive , adaptable and healthy learning environment , '' the letter says .
The remote format provides a more limited learning option `` designed for families with significant reservations about their children returning to any in-person learning this fall . ''
The plans are subject to change as COVID-19 case numbers or public health guidance evolve , officials said .
The hybrid model will be offered to kindergartners through high school seniors , allowing up to half the students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other half complete assignments and participate in independent learning experiences off campus , according to the plan .
Students will be divided into two groups based on last name , though families can request that all children in their household be placed in the same group if their last names are different .
Those with last names starting with A-K will attend classes in person on Mondays and Wednesdays , while last names beginning with L-Z will be in school Tuesdays and Thursdays .
The groups will alternate attending school on Fridays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precautions related to transportation , lunch periods and classroom settings , officials said .
Masks will be required inside buildings , social distancing regulations will be enforced , and students and employees will need to self-certify that they are free of symptoms .
Students who choose the remote learning model will be required to participate in synchronous lessons and submit daily assignments from home , officials said , noting attendance and standard grading practices will apply .
Elementary students will be enrolled in virtual sections not necessarily associated with their neighborhood schools , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , math , science , social studies and physical education , the plan says .
At the middle and high school levels , online experiences will be limited to core content areas and mandated subjects , as well as graduation requirements for high schoolers .
Students will be allowed to participate in sports and extracurricular activities regardless of whether they choose in-person or remote learning , officials said , though transportation wo n't be provided for off-site students .
The district will only be offering its early childhood program in person , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week .
Administrators are expected to present an overview of the two learning options during a school board meeting at 7 p.m. Monday .
Additional information about the plan , including a `` frequently asked questions '' feature , can be found on the district 's website .

Geneva District 304 families can choose between online only, hybrid learning
When classes resume next month, Geneva Unit District 304 students can either opt for an online-only learning model or return to school in person on an alternating schedule.
An overview of the district's "Back Together 304" plan was sent to families Friday, outlining the options available for all grade levels at the start of the 2020-21 school year. Information will be released next week on how to select an instructional format for the fall semester, according to communication from Superintendent Kent Mutchler.
"We truly believe that given the most up-to-date guidance, our plans for in-person learning represent the very best approach to supporting students while maintaining a safe, positive, adaptable and healthy learning environment," the letter says.
The remote format provides a more limited learning option "designed for families with significant reservations about their children returning to any in-person learning this fall."
The plans are subject to change as COVID-19 case numbers or public health guidance evolve, officials said.
The hybrid model will be offered to kindergartners through high school seniors, allowing up to half the students in a building at a time while the other half complete assignments and participate in independent learning experiences off campus, according to the plan.
Students will be divided into two groups based on last name, though families can request that all children in their household be placed in the same group if their last names are different.
Those with last names starting with A-K will attend classes in person on Mondays and Wednesdays, while last names beginning with L-Z will be in school Tuesdays and Thursdays. The groups will alternate attending school on Fridays.
The district is implementing various safety precautions related to transportation, lunch periods and classroom settings, officials said. Masks will be required inside buildings, social distancing regulations will be enforced, and students and employees will need to self-certify that they are free of symptoms.
Students who choose the remote learning model will be required to participate in synchronous lessons and submit daily assignments from home, officials said, noting attendance and standard grading practices will apply.
Elementary students will be enrolled in virtual sections not necessarily associated with their neighborhood schools, with learning opportunities centered around language arts, math, science, social studies and physical education, the plan says. At the middle and high school levels, online experiences will be limited to core content areas and mandated subjects, as well as graduation requirements for high schoolers.
Students will be allowed to participate in sports and extracurricular activities regardless of whether they choose in-person or remote learning, officials said, though transportation won't be provided for off-site students.
The district will be offering its early childhood program only in person, with instruction provided during small-group sessions five days a week.
Administrators are expected to present an overview of the two learning options during a school board meeting at 7 p.m. Monday. Additional information about the plan, including a "frequently asked questions" feature, can be found on the district's website.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-17--Schaumburg laying off 26 Prairie Center for the Arts staffers

The village of Schaumburg will lay off nearly all the staff of its cultural services department working out of the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts until at least January due to the COVID-19 pandemic 's lingering impact on public gatherings .
`` In essence , we have a facility that is unusable for the foreseeable future , '' Mayor Tom Dailly said .
`` It 's a terrible thing to do , but we 're faced with a building that is n't being used . ''
The administrative decision was made last month at the same time as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 affected employees were given 30 days ' notice before the layoffs take effect next Thursday .
Eight of the employees are full time , while the rest work part time .
The only members of the cultural services department who will remain on duty are Director Jack Netter and an administrative assistant .
Village Administrator Brian Townsend said the hope is to bring the entire staff back in six months to work on programming for 2021 .
Those laid off will retain their health care benefits until then .
They also will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vacation days or accrued time off .
Employees could be recalled sooner if the state moves into Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois plan earlier than expected , he added .
The six-month shutdown of the Prairie Center , coupled with the cancellation of Septemberfest , is expected to save the village $ 1.1 million , Townsend said .
Even before the village 's decision , the Schaumburg Dance Ensemble canceled the 2020 holiday performances of `` The Nutcracker '' at the Prairie Center , Dailly said .
One of the goals of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April was to avoid staff layoffs as long as possible , while remaining open to any steps made necessary by the pandemic and the monthly $ 4 million loss of sales tax it was causing at that time .
These are the only layoffs the village has made as a result of the pandemic so far , and no others are currently pending , Dailly said .
The only scheduled special event of the village through the end of the year that remains even a possibility is the tree-lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plaza outside the Prairie Center , he said .

Schaumburg laying off 26 Prairie Center for the Arts staffers
The village of Schaumburg will lay off nearly all the staff of the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts on its municipal campus due to the pandemic's ongoing effect on public gatherings. Daily Herald file photo
The village of Schaumburg will lay off nearly all the staff of its cultural services department working out of the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts until at least January due to the COVID-19 pandemic's lingering impact on public gatherings.
"In essence, we have a facility that is unusable for the foreseeable future," Mayor Tom Dailly said. "It's a terrible thing to do, but we're faced with a building that isn't being used."
The administrative decision was made last month at the same time as the cancellation of Septemberfest. But the 26 affected employees were given 30 days' notice before the layoffs take effect next Thursday.
Eight of the employees are full time, while the rest work part time. The only members of the cultural services department who will remain on duty are Director Jack Netter and an administrative assistant.
Village Administrator Brian Townsend said the hope is to bring the entire staff back in six months to work on programming for 2021. Those laid off will retain their health care benefits until then. They also will be able to cash in any unused vacation days or accrued time off.
Employees could be recalled sooner if the state moves into Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois plan earlier than expected, he added.
The six-month shutdown of the Prairie Center, coupled with the cancellation of Septemberfest, is expected to save the village $1.1 million, Townsend said.
Even before the village's decision, the Schaumburg Dance Ensemble canceled the 2020 holiday performances of "The Nutcracker" at the Prairie Center, Dailly said.
One of the goals of the village's 2020-21 budget adopted in April was to avoid staff layoffs as long as possible, while remaining open to any steps made necessary by the pandemic and the monthly $4 million loss of sales tax it was causing at that time.
These are the only layoffs the village has made as a result of the pandemic so far, and no others are currently pending, Dailly said.
The only scheduled special event of the village through the end of the year that remains even a possibility is the tree-lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, in the plaza outside the Prairie Center, he said.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-17--Lake County directing COVID-19 relief funds to hard-hit communities

An initiative to distribute 70,000 safety kits and educational materials to Latino and Black communities in Lake County hit hard by the coronavirus is underway .
Those groups have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and need culturally relevant resources and information to help prevent its spread , according to organizations convened by the Lake County Health Department .
A $ 50,000 grant from the Lake County Community Foundation kick-started the initiative .
Volunteers at the Puerto Rican Society in Waukegan have been preparing family safety kits consisting of masks , hand sanitizer and educational materials .
But the ball really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorization this week by the Lake County Board of $ 1 million in federal COVID relief funds for materials , printing and other costs .
The effort is being led by Asociacion Comunitaria Latina and the African American Community Partnership Group , which represent more than 50 organizations serving minority communities .
`` Our mission is to reduce the contagion rate in areas we know have high numbers , '' said Cynthia Vargas , communications chairwoman for Asociacion Comunitaria Latina .
The federal funds will allow both organizations to use targeted strategies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment and raise awareness in communities of color of how to prevent COVID-19 , said Gale Graves , African American Community Partnership Group co-chair and interim assistant director of the Waukegan Public Library .
The initiative also will allow the groups `` to begin to address the inequities in the health care system that lead to higher instances of chronic health conditions and access to quality care , '' she added .
Graves said that for every white person who tests positive for COVID-19 , four Black and nine Latino individuals test positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high .
Latino residents account for about 22 % and Black residents about 7 % of Lake County 's population of 696,535 .
`` Communities of color disproportionately are affected by living conditions , work circumstances and underlying health conditions that make it more likely for them to contract COVID-19 ( and to have a more severe case ) because they lack access to the resources and information they need to practice social distancing and maintain their health , '' according to information provided to the county board .
Asociacion Comunitaria Latina and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work together to leverage purchasing power for materials but will compile their own kits with culturally relevant materials .
Three quarters of the funding will go to Asociacion Comunitaria Latina , with the remainder to the African American Community Partnership Group .
The Waukegan Public Library will serve as the lead fiscal agent .
Efforts are moving into high gear , Vargas said .
`` We are looking for volunteers to help assemble the kits . ''
Anyone interested can email dominguezdm28 @ gmail.com or stop by the Puerto Rican Society , 150 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noon to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday or 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday .
Waukegan will be the first distribution area .
Future distribution sites have been identified in Highwood/Highland Park , the Round Lake area , North Chicago , Zion , Mundelein , Wauconda and Antioch .
Support for the effort came from a special county committee tasked with identifying and making recommendations on how and where $ 121.5 million in federal relief funds should be directed .
Committee Chairman Paul Frank described the use of the $ 1 million as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevention effort .
`` Any way we can expand the opportunity to get the materials in the hands of people who need it is an opportunity worth exploring , '' Eric Waggoner , the county 's director of planning , building and development , told the committee .

Lake County directing COVID-19 relief funds to hard-hit communities
Carmen Patlan, executive director of the Highwood Public Library and chairwoman of the health and safety committee for Asociacion Comunitaria Latina, fills a safety kit. Volunteers at the Puerto Rican Society in Lake County are assembling the kits, which include masks, hand sanitizer and educational materials. Courtesy of Oscar Zepeda
Volunteers at the Puerto Rican Society in Lake County are assembling safety kits including masks, hand sanitizer and educational materials to be distributed in the Latino and African American communities that have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus. Courtesy of Oscar Zepeda
An initiative to distribute 70,000 safety kits and educational materials to Latino and Black communities in Lake County hit hard by the coronavirus is underway.
Those groups have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and need culturally relevant resources and information to help prevent its spread, according to organizations convened by the Lake County Health Department.
A $50,000 grant from the Lake County Community Foundation kick-started the initiative. Volunteers at the Puerto Rican Society in Waukegan have been preparing family safety kits consisting of masks, hand sanitizer and educational materials.
But the ball really is about to get rolling with the authorization this week by the Lake County Board of $1 million in federal COVID relief funds for materials, printing and other costs.
The effort is being led by Asociacion Comunitaria Latina and the African American Community Partnership Group, which represent more than 50 organizations serving minority communities.
"Our mission is to reduce the contagion rate in areas we know have high numbers," said Cynthia Vargas, communications chairwoman for Asociacion Comunitaria Latina.
The federal funds will allow both organizations to use targeted strategies in English and Spanish to provide personal protective equipment and raise awareness in communities of color of how to prevent COVID-19, said Gale Graves, African American Community Partnership Group co-chair and interim assistant director of the Waukegan Public Library.
The initiative also will allow the groups "to begin to address the inequities in the health care system that lead to higher instances of chronic health conditions and access to quality care," she said.
Graves said that for every white person who tests positive for COVID-19, four Black and nine Latino individuals test positive, and mortality rates are twice as high. Latino residents account for about 22% and Black residents about 7% of Lake County's population of 696,535.
"Communities of color disproportionately are affected by living conditions, work circumstances and underlying health conditions that make it more likely for them to contract COVID-19 (and to have a more severe case) because they lack access to the resources and information they need to practice social distancing and maintain their health," according to information provided to the county board.
Asociacion Comunitaria Latina and the African American Community Partnership Group will work together to leverage purchasing power for materials but will compile their own kits with culturally relevant materials.
Three-quarters of the funding will go to Asociacion Comunitaria Latina, with the remainder to the African American Community Partnership Group. The Waukegan Public Library will serve as the lead fiscal agent.
Efforts are moving into high gear, Vargas said. "We are looking for volunteers to help assemble the kits."
Anyone interested can email dominguezdm28@gmail.com or stop by the Puerto Rican Society, 150 S. Sheridan Road, Waukegan, from noon to 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday or 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Waukegan will be the first distribution area. Future distribution sites have been identified in Highwood/Highland Park, the Round Lake area, North Chicago, Zion, Mundelein, Wauconda and Antioch.
Support for the effort came from a special county committee tasked with identifying and making recommendations on how and where $121.5 million in federal relief funds should be directed.
Committee Chairman Paul Frank described the use of the $1 million as an "appropriate and necessary" community prevention effort.
"Any way we can expand the opportunity to get the materials in the hands of people who need it is an opportunity worth exploring," Eric Waggoner, the county's director of planning, building and development, told the committee.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-17--Elgin man charged with kidnapping, head-butting girlfriend

A 38-year-old Elgin man was charged with felony kidnapping after , police said , he forcefully took control of his girlfriend 's car during an argument , head-butted her and drove her to Plano .
Luis E. Ortiz-Olivan also faces a felony charge of unlawful restraint and two counts of misdemeanor domestic battery in connection with the July 11 case .
According to an Elgin police report obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request , Ortiz-Olivan and his 35-year-old girlfriend got into an argument about 6 p.m. at their residence on the 1400 block of Wildmint Trail when the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends .
Ortiz-Olivan grabbed the woman 's cellphone and pulled her into their garage , according to the report .
She tried to drive off in a car , but Ortiz-Olivan forced his way into the passenger 's seat and said , `` You better pull off onto the next street or you 'll see what 's going to happen , '' according to the report .
Ortiz-Olivan then head-butted the woman and covered her mouth while she tried to scream so neighbors would n't hear her , authorities allege .
Ortiz-Olivan took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Plano , according to the police report .
He gave the woman back her phone when they returned to Elgin around 10 p.m. and threatened to kill her if she told anyone what happened , according to the police report .
The woman called police Sunday to report what happened ; the police report also said dispatchers received a call for service from the area on July 11 but no one answered when they tried to call back .
Police called the woman 's phone a second time , but Ortiz-Olivan answered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the report .
If convicted of the most severe charge of kidnapping , Ortiz-Olivan faces a sentence ranging from probation to up to seven years in prison .
He is free after posting 10 % of his $ 10,000 bail and is next due in court on Aug. 18 .

Elgin man charged with kidnapping, head-butting girlfriend
A 38-year-old Elgin man was charged with felony kidnapping after, police said, he forcefully took control of his girlfriend's car during an argument, head-butted her and drove her to Plano.
Luis E. Ortiz-Olivan also faces a felony charge of unlawful restraint and two counts of misdemeanor domestic battery in connection with the July 11 case.
According to an Elgin police report obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Ortiz-Olivan and his 35-year-old girlfriend got into an argument about 6 p.m. at their residence on the 1400 block of Wildmint Trail when the woman wanted to go out with her friends.
Ortiz-Olivan grabbed the woman's cellphone and pulled her into their garage, according to the report.
She tried to drive off in a car, but Ortiz-Olivan forced his way into the passenger's seat and said, "You better pull off onto the next street or you'll see what's going to happen," according to the report.
Ortiz-Olivan then head-butted the woman and covered her mouth while she tried to scream so neighbors wouldn't hear her, authorities allege. Ortiz-Olivan took control of the car and they drove to Plano, according to the police report.
He gave the woman back her phone when they returned to Elgin around 10 p.m. and threatened to kill her if she told anyone what happened, according to the police report.
The woman called police Sunday to report what happened; the police report also said dispatchers received a call for service from the area on July 11 but no one answered when they tried to call back. Police called the woman's phone a second time, but Ortiz-Olivan answered and then hung up, according to the report.
If convicted of the most severe charge of kidnapping, Ortiz-Olivan faces a sentence ranging from probation to up to seven years in prison.
He is free after posting 10% of his $10,000 bail and is next due in court on Aug. 18.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-17--Free COVID-19 testing available at 3 Lake County high schools

Free COVID-19 testing is available at different times during the next week at Lake Zurich , Mundelein and Round Lake high schools , the Lake County Health Department announced Friday .
Ongoing testing at Lake Zurich High School has been extended to run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or while supplies last on Monday and Tuesday , July 20 and 21 , in the Performing Arts Center parking lot .
Earlier , testing has been announced for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday , July 19 , with the first two hours reserved for the school 's students and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mundelein High School from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or as long as supplies last on Wednesday and Thursday , July 22 and 23 .
Enter using the southbound lane of Midlothian Road .
Testing will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or while supplies last on Friday , Saturday and Sunday , July 24-26 , at Round Lake High School .
Enter through the student parking lot off Idlewild Drive .
`` We ask anyone who has recently been exposed to a potential or confirmed COVID-19 case to please get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experiencing symptoms , '' said Dr. Sana Ahmed , medical epidemiologist for the Lake County Health Department .
`` If you have no symptoms , it is best to wait five to seven days after your exposure to get tested , since the virus can take several days before it can be detected in the body , '' Ahmed said .
`` If you have symptoms , however , please seek testing right away and call your doctor . ''
Testing is free and open to all regardless of symptoms .
A phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the test results .
Photo ID and proof of insurance are helpful but not required .
High demand for testing may result in long wait times .
Those using drive-through testing must be seated at a functioning window .
Once they are in line at the site they will not be allowed to exit the vehicle .
All sites will also have walk-up testing .

Free COVID-19 testing available at 3 Lake County high schools
Free COVID-19 testing is available at different times during the next week at Lake Zurich, Mundelein and Round Lake high schools, the Lake County Health Department announced Friday.
Ongoing testing at Lake Zurich High School has been extended to run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or while supplies last on Monday and Tuesday, July 20 and 21, in the Performing Arts Center parking lot. Earlier, testing has been announced for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 19, with the first two hours reserved for the school's students and staff.
Testing will be available at Mundelein High School from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or as long as supplies last on Wednesday and Thursday, July 22 and 23. Enter using the southbound lane of Midlothian Road.
Testing will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or while supplies last on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 24-26, at Round Lake High School. Enter through the student parking lot off Idlewild Drive.
"We ask anyone who has recently been exposed to a potential or confirmed COVID-19 case to please get tested, even if you are not experiencing symptoms," said Dr. Sana Ahmed, medical epidemiologist for the Lake County Health Department.
"If you have no symptoms, it is best to wait five to seven days after your exposure to get tested, since the virus can take several days before it can be detected in the body," Ahmed said. "If you have symptoms, however, please seek testing right away and call your doctor."
Testing is free and open to all regardless of symptoms. A phone number and name are required to receive the test results. Photo ID and proof of insurance are helpful but not required. High demand for testing may result in long wait times. Those using drive-through testing must be seated at a functioning window. Once they are in line at the site they will not be allowed to exit the vehicle. All sites will also have walk-up testing.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-17--Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says cancer has returned, but she won't retire

WASHINGTON ( AP ) -- Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Friday she is receiving chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer , but has no plans to retire from the Supreme Court .
The 87-year-old Ginsburg , who spent time in the hospital this week for a possible infection , said her treatment so far has succeeded in reducing lesions on her liver and that she will continue chemotherapy sessions every two weeks .
`` I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam .
I remain fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement issued by the court .
She said her recent hospitalizations , including one in May , were unrelated to the cancer .
A medical scan in February revealed growths on her liver , she said , and she began chemotherapy in May .
`` My most recent scan on July 7 indicated significant reduction of the liver lesions and no new disease , '' she said .
`` I am tolerating chemotherapy well and am encouraged by the success of my current treatment . ''
Ginsburg , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court in 1993 , has been treated four times for cancer .
In addition to the tumor on her pancreas last year , she was previously treated for colorectal cancer in 1999 and pancreatic cancer in 2009 .
She had lung surgery to remove cancerous growths in December 2018 .

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says cancer has returned, but she won't retire
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Friday she is receiving chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer, but has no plans to retire from the Supreme Court. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File, 2019)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Friday she is receiving chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer, but has no plans to retire from the Supreme Court.
The 87-year-old Ginsburg, who spent time in the hospital this week for a possible infection, said her treatment so far has succeeded in reducing lesions on her liver and that she will continue chemotherapy sessions every two weeks.
"I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam. I remain fully able to do that," Ginsburg said in a statement issued by the court.
She said her recent hospitalizations, including one in May, were unrelated to the cancer.
A medical scan in February revealed growths on her liver, she said, and she began chemotherapy in May.
"My most recent scan on July 7 indicated significant reduction of the liver lesions and no new disease," she said. "I am tolerating chemotherapy well and am encouraged by the success of my current treatment."
Ginsburg, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton and joined the court in 1993, has been treated four times for cancer. In addition to the tumor on her pancreas last year, she was previously treated for colorectal cancer in 1999 and pancreatic cancer in 2009. She had lung surgery to remove cancerous growths in December 2018.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-17--Feder: Fox 32 to add 4 p.m. newscast on weekdays

In the first expansion of its news operation in years , Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32 announced plans Thursday to add an @ @ @ @ @ Monday through Friday , reports Robert Feder .
`` First at Four , '' to @ @ @ @ @ and Sally Schulze , will debut August 3 .

Feder: Fox 32 to add 4 p.m. newscast on weekdays
Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32 announced plans Thursday to add an hourlong newscast at 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Courtesy of Fox 32
In the first expansion of its news operation in years, Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32 announced plans Thursday to add an hourlong newscast at 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, reports Robert Feder.
"First at Four," to be anchored by Anthony Ponce and Sally Schulze, will debut August 3.
Read the full story here.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-17--John Lewis, lion of civil rights and Congress, dies at 80

ATLANTA -- John Lewis , a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation , and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress , died .
He was 80 .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis ' passing late Friday night , calling him `` one of the greatest heroes of American history . ''
`` All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague , and are heartbroken by his passing , '' Pelosi said .
`` May his memory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to , in the face of injustice , make 'good trouble , necessary trouble . '
'' Lewis 's announcement in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer -- `` I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now , '' he said -- inspired tributes from both sides of the aisle , and an unstated accord that the likely passing of this Atlanta Democrat would represent the end of an era .
Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Rev .
Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement .
He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma .
At age 25 -- walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat -- Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police .
His skull was fractured , and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the country 's attention on racial oppression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ King led more marches in the state , and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act .
The bill became law later that year , removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting .
`` John is an American hero who helped lead a movement and risked his life for our most fundamental rights ; he bears scars that attest to his indefatigable spirit and persistence , '' House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said after Lewis announced his cancer diagnosis .
Lewis joined King and four other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March on Washington .
He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal `` I Have a Dream '' speech .
A 23-year-old firebrand , Lewis toned down his intended remarks at the insistence of others , dropping a reference to a `` scorched earth '' march through the South and scaling back criticisms of President John Kennedy .
It was a potent speech nonetheless , in which he vowed : `` By the forces of our demands , our determination and our numbers , we shall splinter the segregated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them together in an image of God and democracy . ''
It was almost immediately , and forever , overshadowed by the words of King , the man who had inspired him to activism .
Lewis was born on Feb. 21 , 1940 , outside the town of Troy , in Pike County , Alabama .
He grew up on his family 's farm and attended segregated public schools .
As a boy , he wanted to be a minister , and practiced his oratory on the family chickens .
Denied a library @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skin , he became an avid reader , and could cite obscure historical dates and details even in his later years .
He was a teenager when he first heard King preaching on the radio .
They met when Lewis was seeking support to become the first Black student at Alabama 's segregated Troy State University .
He ultimately attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisk University in Nashville , Tennessee .
He began organizing sit-in demonstrations at whites-only lunch counters and volunteering as a Freedom Rider , enduring beatings and arrests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ segregation .
Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was named its chairman in 1963 , making him one of the Big Six at a tender age .
The others , in addition to King , were Whitney Young of the National Urban League ; A. Philip Randolph of the Negro American Labor Council ; James L. Farmer Jr. , of the Congress of Racial Equality ; and Roy Wilkins of the NAACP .
All six met at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to plan and announce the March on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movement , but success did n't come quickly .
After extensive training in nonviolent protest , Lewis and the Rev .
Hosea Williams led demonstrators on a planned march of more than 50 miles from Selma to Montgomery , Alabama 's capital , on March 7 , 1965 .
A phalanx of police blocked their exit from the Selma bridge .
Authorities shoved , then swung their truncheons , fired tear gas and charged on horseback , sending many to the hospital and horrifying much of the nation .
King returned with thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the month .
Lewis turned to politics in 1981 , when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council .
He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority .
After Democrats won control of the House in 2006 , Lewis became his party 's senior deputy whip , a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified .
In an early setback for Barack Obama 's 2008 Democratic primary campaign , Lewis endorsed Hillary Clinton for the nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama had overwhelming Black support .
Obama later honored Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom , and they marched hand in hand in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack .
Lewis also worked for 15 years to gain approval for the Smithsonian 's National Museum of African American History and Culture .
Humble and unfailingly friendly , Lewis was revered on Capitol Hill -- but as one of the most liberal members of Congress , he often lost policy battles , from his effort to stop the Iraq @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He met bipartisan success in Congress in 2006 when he led efforts to renew the Voting Rights Act , but the Supreme Court later invalidated much of the law , and it became once again what it was in his youth , a work in progress .
Later , when the presidency of Donald Trump challenged his civil rights legacy , Lewis made no effort to hide his pain .
Lewis refused to attend Trump 's inauguration , saying he did n't consider him a `` legitimate president '' because Russians had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump later complained about immigrants from `` s -- -hole countries , '' Lewis declared , `` I think he is a racist ... we have to try to stand up and speak up and not try to sweep it under the rug . ''
Lewis said he 'd been arrested 40 times in the 1960s , five more as a congressman .
At 78 , he told a rally he 'd do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated by the Trump administration .
`` There can not be any peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned to their parents and set all of our people free , '' Lewis said in June , recalling the `` good trouble '' he got into protesting segregation as a young man .
`` If we fail to do it , history will not be kind to us , '' he shouted .
`` I will go to the border .
I 'll get arrested again .
If necessary , I 'm prepared to go to jail . ''
In a speech the day of the House impeachment vote of Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` When you see something that is not right , not just , not fair , you have a moral obligation to say something , to do something .
Our children and their children will ask us 'what did you do ?
what did you say ? ''
While the vote would be hard for some , he said : `` We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history . ''
Lewis ' wife of four decades , Lillian Miles , died in 2012 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lewis .

John Lewis, lion of civil rights and Congress, dies at 80
ATLANTA -- John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement whose bloody beating by Alabama state troopers in 1965 helped galvanize opposition to racial segregation, and who went on to a long and celebrated career in Congress, died. He was 80.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis' passing late Friday night, calling him "one of the greatest heroes of American history."
"All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing," Pelosi said. "May his memory be an inspiration that moves us all to, in the face of injustice, make 'good trouble, necessary trouble.'"
Lewis's announcement in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer -- "I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now," he said -- inspired tributes from both sides of the aisle, and an unstated accord that the likely passing of this Atlanta Democrat would represent the end of an era.
Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading some 600 protesters in the Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.
At age 25 -- walking at the head of the march with his hands tucked in the pockets of his tan overcoat -- Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by police. His skull was fractured, and nationally televised images of the brutality forced the country's attention on racial oppression in the South.
Within days, King led more marches in the state, and President Lyndon Johnson soon was pressing Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act. The bill became law later that year, removing barriers that had barred Blacks from voting.
"John is an American hero who helped lead a movement and risked his life for our most fundamental rights; he bears scars that attest to his indefatigable spirit and persistence," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said after Lewis announced his cancer diagnosis.
Lewis joined King and four other civil rights leaders in organizing the 1963 March on Washington. He spoke to the vast crowd just before King delivered his epochal "I Have a Dream" speech.
A 23-year-old firebrand, Lewis toned down his intended remarks at the insistence of others, dropping a reference to a "scorched earth" march through the South and scaling back criticisms of President John Kennedy. It was a potent speech nonetheless, in which he vowed: "By the forces of our demands, our determination and our numbers, we shall splinter the segregated South into a thousand pieces and put them together in an image of God and democracy."
It was almost immediately, and forever, overshadowed by the words of King, the man who had inspired him to activism.
Lewis was born on Feb. 21, 1940, outside the town of Troy, in Pike County, Alabama. He grew up on his family's farm and attended segregated public schools.
As a boy, he wanted to be a minister, and practiced his oratory on the family chickens. Denied a library card because of the color of his skin, he became an avid reader, and could cite obscure historical dates and details even in his later years. He was a teenager when he first heard King preaching on the radio. They met when Lewis was seeking support to become the first Black student at Alabama's segregated Troy State University.
He ultimately attended the American Baptist Theological Seminary and Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. He began organizing sit-in demonstrations at whites-only lunch counters and volunteering as a Freedom Rider, enduring beatings and arrests while traveling around the South to challenge segregation.
Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and was named its chairman in 1963, making him one of the Big Six at a tender age. The others, in addition to King, were Whitney Young of the National Urban League; A. Philip Randolph of the Negro American Labor Council; James L. Farmer Jr., of the Congress of Racial Equality; and Roy Wilkins of the NAACP. All six met at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York to plan and announce the March on Washington.
The huge demonstration galvanized the movement, but success didn't come quickly. After extensive training in nonviolent protest, Lewis and the Rev. Hosea Williams led demonstrators on a planned march of more than 50 miles from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama's capital, on March 7, 1965. A phalanx of police blocked their exit from the Selma bridge.
Authorities shoved, then swung their truncheons, fired tear gas and charged on horseback, sending many to the hospital and horrifying much of the nation. King returned with thousands, completing the march to Montgomery before the end of the month.
Lewis turned to politics in 1981, when he was elected to the Atlanta City Council.
He won his seat in Congress in 1986 and spent much of his career in the minority. After Democrats won control of the House in 2006, Lewis became his party's senior deputy whip, a behind-the-scenes leadership post in which he helped keep the party unified.
In an early setback for Barack Obama's 2008 Democratic primary campaign, Lewis endorsed Hillary Clinton for the nomination. Lewis switched when it became clear Obama had overwhelming Black support. Obama later honored Lewis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and they marched hand in hand in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday attack.
Lewis also worked for 15 years to gain approval for the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. Humble and unfailingly friendly, Lewis was revered on Capitol Hill -- but as one of the most liberal members of Congress, he often lost policy battles, from his effort to stop the Iraq War to his defense of young immigrants.
He met bipartisan success in Congress in 2006 when he led efforts to renew the Voting Rights Act, but the Supreme Court later invalidated much of the law, and it became once again what it was in his youth, a work in progress. Later, when the presidency of Donald Trump challenged his civil rights legacy, Lewis made no effort to hide his pain.
Lewis refused to attend Trump's inauguration, saying he didn't consider him a "legitimate president" because Russians had conspired to get him elected. When Trump later complained about immigrants from "s---hole countries," Lewis declared, "I think he is a racist ... we have to try to stand up and speak up and not try to sweep it under the rug."
Lewis said he'd been arrested 40 times in the 1960s, five more as a congressman. At 78, he told a rally he'd do it again to help reunite immigrant families separated by the Trump administration.
"There cannot be any peace in America until these young children are returned to their parents and set all of our people free," Lewis said in June, recalling the "good trouble" he got into protesting segregation as a young man.
"If we fail to do it, history will not be kind to us," he shouted. "I will go to the border. I'll get arrested again. If necessary, I'm prepared to go to jail."
In a speech the day of the House impeachment vote of Trump, Lewis explained the importance of that vote.
"When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, to do something. Our children and their children will ask us 'what did you do? what did you say?" While the vote would be hard for some, he said: "We have a mission and a mandate to be on the right side of history."
Lewis' wife of four decades, Lillian Miles, died in 2012. They had one son, John Miles Lewis.
•Associated Press writer Michael Warren contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-17--Buffalo Grove Gymnastics Center in its last month

After 28 years , Buffalo Grove Gymnastics Center will be closing its doors at the end of the month .
The business , located at 1362 Barclay Boulevard , announced on its Facebook page that its last day will be July 31 .
The center 's president , Gregg Didech , said Friday that the pandemic took its toll on the center .
`` The market 's not there .
With the COVID , it 's not a profitable business anymore , '' Didech said .
`` Who knows what will happen ?
There is no guarantee .
We could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know what could happen , with the COVID .
`` It 's sad , but I think it 's time though .
When you do anything for 28 years , it 's a long time . ''
He said the center has produced such elite gymnasts as David Sender , who in 2008 won the national men 's all-around title , only to sprain his ankle while practicing on the high bar during an Olympic trials training session , forcing him to withdraw .
Another outstanding gymnast was Larissa Fontaine , who competed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the years , Didech estimates , 25,000 to 30,000 students passed through the center 's doors .
At peak enrollment , the center was seeing about 2,500 kids a week .
Didech said there is a chance someone might buy the business and reopen it .
`` But it 's hard to get someone that wants to do that with corona going on , '' he said .
`` And our numbers were going down the last few years , too . ''
Didech thanked his coaches and clients and `` everyone that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of the top gyms in the country for many , many years . ''

Buffalo Grove Gymnastics Center closing at the end of the month
Buffalo Grove Gymnastics Center, which trained such elite gymnasts as David Sender, will close at the end of July. Associated Press, 2009
After 28 years, Buffalo Grove Gymnastics Center will be closing its doors at the end of the month.
The business, located at 1362 Barclay Boulevard, announced on its Facebook page that its last day will be July 31.
The center's president, Gregg Didech, said Friday that the pandemic took its toll on the center.
"The market's not there. With the COVID, it's not a profitable business anymore," Didech said. "Who knows what will happen? There is no guarantee. We could be closed tomorrow. You don't know what could happen, with the COVID.
"It's sad, but I think it's time though. When you do anything for 28 years, it's a long time."
He said the center has produced such elite gymnasts as David Sender, who in 2008 won the national men's all-around title, only to sprain his ankle while practicing on the high bar during an Olympic trials training session, forcing him to withdraw.
Another outstanding gymnast was Larissa Fontaine, who competed in the 1996 Olympic trials.
Over the years, Didech estimates, 25,000 to 30,000 students passed through the center's doors. At peak enrollment, the center was seeing about 2,500 kids a week.
Didech said there is a chance someone might buy the business and reopen it.
"But it's hard to get someone that wants to do that with corona going on," he said. "And our numbers were going down the last few years, too."
Didech thanked his coaches and clients and "everyone that represented us and made us look like one of the top gyms in the country for many, many years."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-17--Protesters try to topple Columbus statue in Grant Park

Protesters surrounded the Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park Friday night and attempted to bring it down .
The crowd @ @ @ @ @ at Buckingham Fountain and marched toward the statue , WGN reported .
As they stood @ @ @ @ @ hit by fireworks and other items .
A video shared on Twitter by CBS reporter @ @ @ @ @ protesters pulling on a rope wrapped around the statue .
The protesters had been cleared @ @ @ @ @ statue by 8:15 p.m .

Protesters try to topple Columbus statue in Grant Park
The statue of Christopher Columbus in Chicago's Grant Park stands damaged with spray paint and debris after protesters attempted to pull it down Friday. Courtesy of ABC 7 Chicago
Protesters surrounded the Christopher Columbus statue in Grant Park Friday night and attempted to bring it down.
The crowd gathered earlier in the evening at Buckingham Fountain and marched toward the statue, WGN reported. As they stood guard, officers were reportedly hit by fireworks and other items.
A video shared on Twitter by CBS reporter Marissa Parra appeared to show protesters pulling on a rope wrapped around the statue.
The protesters had been cleared from the area around the statue by 8:15 p.m.
• For the full report, visit chicago.suntimes.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-18--Who got Payroll Protection Program relief in suburbs? Check out lists of thousands of loans

Which businesses and organizations in the suburbs got federal relief from the coronavirus pandemic through the Paycheck Protection Program ?
It turns out more than 8,500 -- and that 's just in the suburbs the Daily Herald covers .
Some of the entities receiving the largest loans are familiar names : Oberweis Dairy , Motor Werks of Barrington , Patrick Schaumburg Automobiles Inc. , Mario Tricoci Hair Salon & Day Spa , the American Academy of Pediatrics .
Most of the others are lesser known .
The effort was overseen by the U.S. Small Business Administration and was designed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet payroll obligations .
The low-interest loans are forgivable if the recipients use at least 60 % of the funds to cover personnel costs .
The threshold originally was 75 % .
The SBA released data about the recipients this month , breaking companies into categories by the range of money awarded .
The tiers are : Companies that received loans of less than $ 150,000 were not identified in the data .
The loans come in all fields -- construction , technology , accounting , restaurants , religious institutions , media like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suppliers , retailers and more .
We reviewed some of the biggest loan recipients , and we listed thousands of the loans in spreadsheets .
Check it all out below .
The list of loans in the county you live in also is being printed in Sunday 's Neighbor section .

Who got Payroll Protection Program relief in suburbs? Check out lists of thousands of loans
Because of new safety protocols, there will only be one party allowed per every two bowling lanes at Northbrook's Pinstripes, which reopened Friday. It's one place that qualified for the largest Paycheck Protection Program loan. Courtesy of Pinstripes
Which businesses and organizations in the suburbs got federal relief from the coronavirus pandemic through the Paycheck Protection Program? It turns out more than 8,500 -- and that's just in the suburbs the Daily Herald covers.
Some of the entities receiving the largest loans are familiar names: Oberweis Dairy, Motor Werks of Barrington, Patrick Schaumburg Automobiles Inc., Mario Tricoci Hair Salon & Day Spa, the American Academy of Pediatrics. Most of the others are lesser known.
The effort was overseen by the U.S. Small Business Administration and was designed to help companies with fewer than 500 workers meet payroll obligations. The low-interest loans are forgivable if the recipients use at least 60% of the funds to cover personnel costs. The threshold originally was 75%.
The SBA released data about the recipients this month, breaking companies into categories by the range of money awarded. The tiers are:
• $5 million to $10 million.
• $2 million to $5 million.
• $1 million to $2 million.
• $350,000 to $1 million.
• $150,000 to $350,000.
Companies that received loans of less than $150,000 were not identified in the data.
The loans come in all fields -- construction, technology, accounting, restaurants, religious institutions, media like Daily Herald owner Paddock Publications, equipment suppliers, retailers and more.
We reviewed some of the biggest loan recipients, and we listed thousands of the loans in spreadsheets. Check it all out below.
The list of loans in the county you live in also is being printed in Sunday's Neighbor section.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-18--How it feels these days to be a cop: The view from a suburban detective

John Reed is a violent crimes detective in the Naperville Police Department and president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 42 .
He has received dozens of commendations and no disciplinary action in a nearly 20-year career .
This essay , as told to Daily Herald Staff Writer Marie Wilson , is his reflection on policing in a time of widespread protests and calls for reform following the death of George Floyd , a 46-year-old Black man killed by Minneapolis police on May 25 .
The one thing that stays the same with police work is that everything is always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer in Naperville for nearly 20 years , and I can tell you that those of us in the field have our eyes and hearts open .
We are always looking to do things better .
Whenever someone asks police officers , 'Why did you get into this line of work ? '
they will say it 's because they want to help people .
But that 's because it sounds nice , and it does n't sound strange .
The reality is every officer gets into the job because we love people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We want to stop bad guys and we want to stop bad things from happening .
You 'd better believe me , we want to make things better .
Policing is a vocation .
With everything we do , how we speak to people , how we write reports , how we do field sobriety tests , how we tell someone they 're under arrest -- it 's almost like an art form .
We 're always trying to adapt to achieve the best product and result .
But from A to Z @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do to perfection : make arrests , talk down people who are suicidal , interview armed robbery suspects .
To be able to bring someone down , to de-escalate with some measure of skill , is something we can not simply train for ; we have to learn on the job .
Then there is the rule of expertise .
Across the spectrum of officers , we have people who are normal or average at some of these skills and good or the best at others .
Over time as an officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of calls or arrests we 've been involved in .
For some officers , it 's a few hundred ; for others , it 's tens of thousands .
In my career , I 've arrested over 1,000 people ; I feel like I know how to arrest someone .
But am I an expert ?
No way .
Like everyone else , I 'm learning as I go .
We -- the public -- seemingly want officers to be robots when we want them to be perfect administrators of law enforcement and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force .
We want Officer Friendly when we want Officer Friendly , or we want Officer Cuddles , someone charming for our public community events .
Or when we 've been victimized and our crime is being investigated , we want a nuanced artist of interview and interrogation .
But when it 's our child 's school being attacked by militants , we want and expect that same officer to transform yet again into a Navy SEAL/Arnold Schwarzenegger-type , not only to terminate the life-threatening behavior as quickly as possible , but to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , and all in such a manner so as to not offend anyone and so no one gets sued , so everything looks right , perfectly dotting the i 's and crossing the t 's .
It 's dizzying to the initiated , let alone the uninitiated .
It 's amazing anyone can do this competently , let alone the 800,000 officers across the country who do this daily .
You do n't hear about officers not showing up to emergency calls because they 're terrified .
Those officers do n't exist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few who make a mistake , be it by accident , negligence or perhaps even recklessness , as they immediately become household names .
There is very little mitigating information spread publicly about the totality of the circumstances in these cases or the day-to-day operations of the police department .
Our training follows department policies and procedures , state and federal mandates and case law , which changes every year .
Often when a policy changes , we 'll be notified on the fly .
What most people do n't understand is there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directions and guidelines to follow or adapt to .
When I was hired , the mandate then outlawed chokeholds -- it already seemed like common sense .
You would never need to do that .
I can hardly think of a scenario when you would , except maybe if someone was strangling you .
Even then , however , there are usually more effective ways to defeat an offender than counter-strangling them .
We are open and amenable to anything anyone thinks we can do better , as long as the people seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of how we do our work .
If you want to make a change , I advise you -- implore you -- to show up at the police department , ask us questions about what we 're doing , ask us how we feel about video and audio recording .
Because making one change or another is not always that simple .
Audio recording often gives people stage fright .
It divides your attention and adds stress , knowing that everything is on video .
But with everything on audio/video , officers also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence of the case , and also helps in the courtroom .
It 's heartbreaking to be in court and have your work questioned , to have it be the officer 's word against the offender 's .
You feel like , `` How can my word not be good ? ''
It frightens officers to be on the stand and fills them with anxiety , with everyone hanging on every word .
They have to be exactly perfect and credible .
And the other person has everything to gain by outwitting or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , has everything to lose .
But policing , at its heart , is imperfect people enforcing the law on other imperfect people .
It 's a lifetime of training , on-the-job experience and even trauma .
The average person sees or undergoes approximately four traumas in their life -- things like holding someone 's hand while they die or experiencing a car accident .
The average police officer experiences approximately 125 .
I learned this at a Fratenal Order of Police convention during a presentation by Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York state .
He called it `` PTSD in Law Enforcement : To Protect and Serve Those Who Protect and Serve . ''
We 're imperfect beings , and we , like everyone else , bring the totality of our life experiences to every encounter .
Considering the number of deadly , dangerous encounters that occur every minute of every day .
It 's remarkable there are n't more tragedies .
Any use of force needs to be perfect or it can , at best , not look right or even become botched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The officer can be in trouble , or sued , or on the news .
Or worst , the person can die .
And oftentimes -- almost every time -- that officer 's only crime was one of imperfection .
The mantra we 're hearing over and over today that `` all cops are n't bad '' is a complete undercutting of police .
There are few things more disturbing or grating to a police officer than that .
The very essence of that comment suggests the opposite , that good police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ job , we learn , there are few bad people , even among those we arrest for bad things .
When I 'm driving around with people I 've arrested in the back of my car , I usually learn there are common factors in many of their lives : They have no father , no mother ; they 've grown up in or experienced poverty or are currently suffering from chemical dependence .
Usually whatever happened has been going on their whole life , and you try to help .
Officers find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people they 've arrested , trying to help stop them from putting their life on a total crash course to oblivion .
The people I 've arrested who were belligerent and `` bad '' have been few and far between .
But even when you break down those cases , most were not totally unredeemable .
When you find out their back stories , it often involves abuse , and does that mean they 're really a bad person then or merely that they 've been molded by generations of trauma and neglect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you understand .
We want people to understand how much more complex the role of a police officer is .
It 's dangerous for police to be shut down and fearful of doing their jobs .
But in this climate , officers are dialing it back , whether intentionally or subconsciously .
When officers back off proactive policing strategies , crime goes up .
It 's self-preservation kicking in .
But the vocation of policing at its core runs counter to the concept of self-preservation .
To get ready for work , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wo n't go through us .
We know there is a higher divorce rate and suicide rate and a lower life expectancy for police officers .
The purpose of life is to find a balance of meaning and peace .
We as police officers sacrifice a lot of peace , but we make up for it in meaning -- at least we hope to .
Calls for bettering the police will never end .
I just wish the world would look in the mirror , ask themselves what they think a world without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come to an understanding of how we already help communities dealing with unemployment , poverty , drug abuse , single parenthood and deteriorating value systems -- all of the circumstances that lead to a higher likelihood of crime .
We 're already there on the front lines helping people , and what we 'd like everyone to understand is that yes -- absolutely yes , however possible -- we would all love to help even more .

How it feels these days to be a cop: The view from a suburban detective
John Reed is a violent crimes detective in the Naperville Police Department and president of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 42. He has received dozens of commendations and no disciplinary action in a nearly 20-year career. This essay, as told to Daily Herald Staff Writer Marie Wilson, is his reflection on policing in a time of widespread protests and calls for reform following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man killed by Minneapolis police on May 25.
The one thing that stays the same with police work is that everything is always changing.
I've been a police officer in Naperville for nearly 20 years, and I can tell you that those of us in the field have our eyes and hearts open. We are always looking to do things better.
Whenever someone asks police officers, 'Why did you get into this line of work?' they will say it's because they want to help people. But that's because it sounds nice, and it doesn't sound strange.
The reality is every officer gets into the job because we love people.
We want to save lives. We want to stop bad guys and we want to stop bad things from happening.
You'd better believe me, we want to make things better.
Policing is a vocation. With everything we do, how we speak to people, how we write reports, how we do field sobriety tests, how we tell someone they're under arrest -- it's almost like an art form. We're always trying to adapt to achieve the best product and result.
But from A to Z there are so many things officers have to do to perfection: make arrests, talk down people who are suicidal, interview armed robbery suspects. To be able to bring someone down, to de-escalate with some measure of skill, is something we cannot simply train for; we have to learn on the job.
Then there is the rule of expertise. Across the spectrum of officers, we have people who are normal or average at some of these skills and good or the best at others. Over time as an officer, we lose track of the number of calls or arrests we've been involved in. For some officers, it's a few hundred; for others, it's tens of thousands.
In my career, I've arrested over 1,000 people; I feel like I know how to arrest someone. But am I an expert? No way. Like everyone else, I'm learning as I go.
We -- the public -- seemingly want officers to be robots when we want them to be perfect administrators of law enforcement and when they respond to resistance or use force. We want Officer Friendly when we want Officer Friendly, or we want Officer Cuddles, someone charming for our public community events. Or when we've been victimized and our crime is being investigated, we want a nuanced artist of interview and interrogation.
But when it's our child's school being attacked by militants, we want and expect that same officer to transform yet again into a Navy SEAL/Arnold Schwarzenegger-type, not only to terminate the life-threatening behavior as quickly as possible, but to render aid to the bad guy as well, and all in such a manner so as to not offend anyone and so no one gets sued, so everything looks right, perfectly dotting the i's and crossing the t's.
It's dizzying to the initiated, let alone the uninitiated. It's amazing anyone can do this competently, let alone the 800,000 officers across the country who do this daily.
You don't hear about officers not showing up to emergency calls because they're terrified. Those officers don't exist. But you do hear about the few who make a mistake, be it by accident, negligence or perhaps even recklessness, as they immediately become household names.
There is very little mitigating information spread publicly about the totality of the circumstances in these cases or the day-to-day operations of the police department.
Our training follows department policies and procedures, state and federal mandates and case law, which changes every year. Often when a policy changes, we'll be notified on the fly.
What most people don't understand is there are always new laws, orders, directions and guidelines to follow or adapt to.
When I was hired, the mandate then outlawed chokeholds -- it already seemed like common sense. You would never need to do that. I can hardly think of a scenario when you would, except maybe if someone was strangling you. Even then, however, there are usually more effective ways to defeat an offender than counter-strangling them.
We are open and amenable to anything anyone thinks we can do better, as long as the people seeking to make change have some fundamental understanding of how we do our work.
If you want to make a change, I advise you -- implore you -- to show up at the police department, ask us questions about what we're doing, ask us how we feel about video and audio recording. Because making one change or another is not always that simple.
Audio recording often gives people stage fright. It divides your attention and adds stress, knowing that everything is on video. But with everything on audio/video, officers also know that usually helps by strengthening the evidence of the case, and also helps in the courtroom.
It's heartbreaking to be in court and have your work questioned, to have it be the officer's word against the offender's. You feel like, "How can my word not be good?"
It frightens officers to be on the stand and fills them with anxiety, with everyone hanging on every word. They have to be exactly perfect and credible. And the other person has everything to gain by outwitting or beating the officer. The officer, however, has everything to lose.
But policing, at its heart, is imperfect people enforcing the law on other imperfect people. It's a lifetime of training, on-the-job experience and even trauma.
The average person sees or undergoes approximately four traumas in their life -- things like holding someone's hand while they die or experiencing a car accident. The average police officer experiences approximately 125. I learned this at a Fratenal Order of Police convention during a presentation by Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb of the Cattaraugus Sheriff's Department in eastern New York state. He called it "PTSD in Law Enforcement: To Protect and Serve Those Who Protect and Serve."
We're imperfect beings, and we, like everyone else, bring the totality of our life experiences to every encounter.
Considering the number of deadly, dangerous encounters that occur every minute of every day. It's remarkable there aren't more tragedies. Any use of force needs to be perfect or it can, at best, not look right or even become botched completely. Or it can be deadly.
The officer can be in trouble, or sued, or on the news. Or worst, the person can die.
And oftentimes -- almost every time -- that officer's only crime was one of imperfection.
The mantra we're hearing over and over today that "all cops aren't bad" is a complete undercutting of police. There are few things more disturbing or grating to a police officer than that. The very essence of that comment suggests the opposite, that good police officers are the minority.
On the job, we learn, there are few bad people, even among those we arrest for bad things. When I'm driving around with people I've arrested in the back of my car, I usually learn there are common factors in many of their lives: They have no father, no mother; they've grown up in or experienced poverty or are currently suffering from chemical dependence.
Usually whatever happened has been going on their whole life, and you try to help. Officers find they're in the middle with these people they've arrested, trying to help stop them from putting their life on a total crash course to oblivion.
The people I've arrested who were belligerent and "bad" have been few and far between. But even when you break down those cases, most were not totally unredeemable. When you find out their back stories, it often involves abuse, and does that mean they're really a bad person then or merely that they've been molded by generations of trauma and neglect?
Everything becomes more complex the more you understand. We want people to understand how much more complex the role of a police officer is.
It's dangerous for police to be shut down and fearful of doing their jobs. But in this climate, officers are dialing it back, whether intentionally or subconsciously. When officers back off proactive policing strategies, crime goes up.
It's self-preservation kicking in. But the vocation of policing at its core runs counter to the concept of self-preservation.
To get ready for work, we put on a vest so the bullets won't go through us. We know there is a higher divorce rate and suicide rate and a lower life expectancy for police officers.
The purpose of life is to find a balance of meaning and peace. We as police officers sacrifice a lot of peace, but we make up for it in meaning -- at least we hope to.
Calls for bettering the police will never end. I just wish the world would look in the mirror, ask themselves what they think a world without police would look like, and hopefully come to an understanding of how we already help communities dealing with unemployment, poverty, drug abuse, single parenthood and deteriorating value systems -- all of the circumstances that lead to a higher likelihood of crime.
We're already there on the front lines helping people, and what we'd like everyone to understand is that yes -- absolutely yes, however possible -- we would all love to help even more.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-07-18--Local FOP chief on George Floyd: We stand in solidarity with every outraged person

An excerpt from a Naperville FOP Statement issued June 25 by John Reed on the death a month earlier of George Floyd after being restrained with a knee against his neck for more than eight minutes by a Minneapolis police officer .
No person in police custody should ever be put into a position ... that could likely result in harm , injury or even death .
Once a person is arrested , the arresting officer is responsible for that person 's well-being .
One of the most obvious dangers post-arrest is harm from positional asphyxia , a form of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prevents adequate breathing .
Positioning of subjects post arrest is a commonly trained subject because of the fact that any person in a state of excitement can die merely from being laid on his/her chest alone .
Add any pressure to the person 's back , shoulders or neck area and that horrific result will likely occur .
After having received extensive training on this subject over the last 20 years , I asked myself over and over the following : How could those men not know this ?
How could this not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their training sessions ?
The utter recklessness displayed following the arrest by not rolling Mr. ( George ) Floyd on his side , which would have been a very simple thing to do , is beyond comprehension .
I simply can not imagine what that officer was thinking ... .
What the Naperville Fraternal Order of Police would like to express to everyone in our city and beyond , in no uncertain terms , is that we stand in complete solidarity with every angered and outraged person that witnessed the murder of George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you , recognize it for the injustice and crime it was .
We are , in fact , opposed to every act of atrocity , injustice and incident of murder everywhere , and stand with all victims of violent crime all over the world , no matter their race , ethnicity , sexual orientation religion or other differing characteristic .
Furthermore , the Naperville FOP fully acknowledges that racism does still exist in this country , and we want everyone to understand that we not only abhor and despise those attitudes , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thus will not suffer any of our brothers or sisters acting , speaking or behaving in any form of a racist or unjust manner .
To be honest , it seems strange to even have to type these words , to have to say or proclaim that we are against crime and injustice and racism , but for what it 's worth , if these words mean anything to anyone , we of course are .

Local FOP chief on George Floyd: We stand in solidarity with every outraged person
In this cropped image from handout video, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneels on the neck of George Floyd on May 25. Courtesy of Darnella Frazier via AP
An excerpt from a Naperville FOP Statement issued June 25 by John Reed on the death a month earlier of George Floyd after being restrained with a knee against his neck for more than eight minutes by a Minneapolis police officer.
No person in police custody should ever be put into a position ... that could likely result in harm, injury or even death.
Once a person is arrested, the arresting officer is responsible for that person's well-being. One of the most obvious dangers post-arrest is harm from positional asphyxia, a form of asphyxia that occurs when someone's position prevents adequate breathing.
Positioning of subjects post arrest is a commonly trained subject because of the fact that any person in a state of excitement can die merely from being laid on his/her chest alone. Add any pressure to the person's back, shoulders or neck area and that horrific result will likely occur.
After having received extensive training on this subject over the last 20 years, I asked myself over and over the following: How could those men not know this? How could this not have ever been covered in any of their training sessions?
The utter recklessness displayed following the arrest by not rolling Mr. (George) Floyd on his side, which would have been a very simple thing to do, is beyond comprehension. I simply cannot imagine what that officer was thinking ... .
What the Naperville Fraternal Order of Police would like to express to everyone in our city and beyond, in no uncertain terms, is that we stand in complete solidarity with every angered and outraged person that witnessed the murder of George Floyd, and we, along with you, recognize it for the injustice and crime it was.
We are, in fact, opposed to every act of atrocity, injustice and incident of murder everywhere, and stand with all victims of violent crime all over the world, no matter their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation religion or other differing characteristic.
Furthermore, the Naperville FOP fully acknowledges that racism does still exist in this country, and we want everyone to understand that we not only abhor and despise those attitudes, but we find them wholly intolerable, and thus will not suffer any of our brothers or sisters acting, speaking or behaving in any form of a racist or unjust manner.
To be honest, it seems strange to even have to type these words, to have to say or proclaim that we are against crime and injustice and racism, but for what it's worth, if these words mean anything to anyone, we of course are.