dailyheraldchicago--2020-10-24--Gurnee vet finds new cause in retirement

Nearing retirement after 43 years as a printer , Gurnee resident Larry Carrier was considering options when his daughter , a probation officer , told him about an innovative new program .
Lake County 's Veterans Treatment & Assistance Court was getting off the ground and needed veterans to serve as mentors .
Carrier , who was drafted into the Army in 1969 and spent 14 months in Vietnam , saw an opportunity .
`` I wanted to give back -- do something for the community ( and ) do something for veterans , '' he said .
That was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Illinois to establish the special court program .
Carrier is one of two mentors who have been involved since its inception and serves as co-coordinator .
By focusing on underlying problems , the two-year program helps veterans who become involved in the criminal justice and offers alternatives to certain types of crimes .
`` They put a lot more demands on them but the biggest advantage is they 'll have their case reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor or , depending on the case , it could even be dismissed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 20 participants altogether and keeps in touch with several of them , including Greg Parker .
Like Carrier , Parker is an Army vet who served in an artillery unit in Vietnam .
He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 1982 and said he was withdrawn and had difficulty associating or talking with nonveterans .
Several years ago , Parker was referred and accepted to veterans court after being charged with a fourth DUI .
Carrier took a personal interest and Parker said he did n't feel like just another case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lake Beach , says Carrier went out of his way to make sure he had a successful program and that he has turned his life around as a result .
`` They 're interested in you achieving a better life than what you had .
It 's not like they penalize you for this one thing , '' he added .
Carrier modestly says he is `` just one spike of the wheel '' and all involved deserve recognition .
It may be a collaborative effort , but mentors play a key role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Army combat veteran and the program 's co-coordinator .
`` They are an integral and essential component to success , '' she said .
`` It is the mission of the mentoring program to help the veterans navigate through the court process , the ( Veterans Affairs ) system and community readjustment . ''
Mentors are matched with participants by service and other factors .
`` We 'll go out for coffee , lunch , breakfast , whatever , and get acquainted , '' Carrier said .
`` A lot of these veterans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've been in trouble with the law and they do n't know what to expect . ''
Each individual and circumstance is different , Carrier said .
The goal is weekly contact and face-to-face meetings at least once a month .
During court appearances , mentors stand next to veterans for support .
Mentors are present twice a year at an invitation-only graduation ceremony and present grads with a `` challenge coin '' that has branches of the service on one side and the motto , `` Leave no Veteran behind , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' on the other .
`` I think that 's the best part of the program -- the graduation , '' Carrier said .
`` Especially when you see a veteran come in and you have an opportunity to turn their life around .
It 's very rewarding , '' he added .
There currently are eight male and three female mentors and the program always is looking for more , Carrier said .
Visit the Lake County Veterans Treatment & Assistance Facebook page .

Gurnee vet finds new cause in retirement
A group photo from about three years ago of current and former mentors with the Lake County Veterans Treatment & Assistance Court being recognized by Land of Lincoln Quilts of Valor Foundation for their work features from left Kirby Wagner, George Barney, Bob Gorman, Jim Gamble, Steve Friedlander, Larry Carrier, Albert Romero, Peter Ochoa and Maggie Powell. Not shown are Marie Honeywell, Janette Eichfeld, Don Castella and Ed Dawson. Courtesy of Larry Carrier
Larry Carrier, right, a mentor with the Lake County Veterans Treatment & Assistance Court, is with Greg Parker at his graduation. Courtesy of Larry Carrier
Nearing retirement after 43 years as a printer, Gurnee resident Larry Carrier was considering options when his daughter, a probation officer, told him about an innovative new program.
Lake County's Veterans Treatment & Assistance Court was getting off the ground and needed veterans to serve as mentors. Carrier, who was drafted into the Army in 1969 and spent 14 months in Vietnam, saw an opportunity.
"I wanted to give back -- do something for the community (and) do something for veterans," he said.
That was 2011 and Lake County was the third in Illinois to establish the special court program. Carrier is one of two mentors who have been involved since its inception and serves as co-coordinator.
By focusing on underlying problems, the two-year program helps veterans who become involved in the criminal justice and offers alternatives to certain types of crimes.
"They put a lot more demands on them but the biggest advantage is they'll have their case reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor or, depending on the case, it could even be dismissed," Carrier said.
He has mentored about 20 participants altogether and keeps in touch with several of them, including Greg Parker.
Like Carrier, Parker is an Army vet who served in an artillery unit in Vietnam. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 1982 and said he was withdrawn and had difficulty associating or talking with nonveterans.
Several years ago, Parker was referred and accepted to veterans court after being charged with a fourth DUI.
Carrier took a personal interest and Parker said he didn't feel like just another case.
Parker, who lives in Round Lake Beach, says Carrier went out of his way to make sure he had a successful program and that he has turned his life around as a result.
"They're interested in you achieving a better life than what you had. It's not like they penalize you for this one thing," he added.
Carrier modestly says he is "just one spike of the wheel" and all involved deserve recognition.
It may be a collaborative effort, but mentors play a key role, said Roxann Garza Tershel, an Army combat veteran and the program's co-coordinator.
"They are an integral and essential component to success," she said. "It is the mission of the mentoring program to help the veterans navigate through the court process, the (Veterans Affairs) system and community readjustment."
Mentors are matched with participants by service and other factors.
"We'll go out for coffee, lunch, breakfast, whatever, and get acquainted," Carrier said. "A lot of these veterans, it's the first time they've been in trouble with the law and they don't know what to expect."
Each individual and circumstance is different, Carrier said. The goal is weekly contact and face-to-face meetings at least once a month. During court appearances, mentors stand next to veterans for support.
Mentors are present twice a year at an invitation-only graduation ceremony and present grads with a "challenge coin" that has branches of the service on one side and the motto, "Leave no Veteran behind, not in the field or back at home," on the other.
"I think that's the best part of the program -- the graduation," Carrier said. "Especially when you see a veteran come in and you have an opportunity to turn their life around. It's very rewarding," he added.
There currently are eight male and three female mentors and the program always is looking for more, Carrier said. Visit the Lake County Veterans Treatment & Assistance Facebook page.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-10-24--COVID-19 case counts per county, ZIP code as of Oct. 23

Interactive mapFind an interactive map where you can search counts by ZIP code at dailyherald.com .
Suburbs ' portion There have been 160,582 COVID-19 cases in the suburbs as of Friday .
That 's 44.1 % of the state 's total , according to the Illinois Department of Public Health .
There have been 4,368 deaths in the suburbs , representing 46.4 % of all COVID-19 deaths in Illinois .
Cook County • As of Friday , suburban Cook County had 78,203 cases and 2,363 deaths , according to the state .
In Chicago : 93,234 cases and 3,029 fatalities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Friday from Cook County 's health department and the medical examiner 's office : 2,838 cases and 109 deaths in Des Plaines , 1,750 cases and 20 deaths in Palatine , 1,505 cases and 23 deaths in Schaumburg , 1,429 cases and 41 deaths in Arlington Heights , 1,388 cases and 26 deaths in Streamwood , 1,340 cases and 79 deaths in Wheeling , 1,248 cases and 12 deaths in Mount Prospect , 1,178 cases and 52 deaths in Glenview , 1,074 cases and 30 deaths in Hoffman Estates , 890 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cook County portion ) , 738 cases and 42 deaths in Elk Grove Village , 722 cases and 18 deaths in Rolling Meadows , 716 cases and 43 deaths in Northbrook , 479 cases and 9 deaths in Prospect Heights , and 275 cases and 22 deaths in Buffalo Grove ( Cook County portion ) .
DuPage County • The county reported 21,670 cases and 605 deaths as of Friday .
• Top counts : 1,615 cases and 42 deaths in Naperville ( DuPage County portion ) , 1,545 cases and 14 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths in West Chicago , 1,220 cases and 15 deaths in Glendale Heights , 1,170 cases and 31 deaths in Carol Stream , 1,140 cases and 47 deaths in Elmhurst , 1,061 cases and 32 deaths in Lombard , 933 cases and 26 deaths in Wheaton , 922 cases and 14 deaths in Aurora ( DuPage County portion ) , 868 cases and 17 deaths in Bensenville , 735 cases and 5 deaths in Glen Ellyn , 629 cases and 6 deaths in Villa Park , and 546 cases and 6 deaths in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Most recent top counts : 4,515 to 4,519 in Waukegan , 1,230 to 1,234 in Round Lake Beach , 750 to 754 in Mundelein , 730 to 734 in Gurnee , 500 to 504 in Round Lake , 400 to 404 in Vernon Hills , 395 to 399 in Lake Zurich , 370 to 374 in Buffalo Grove ( Lake County portion ) , 330 to 334 in Grayslake , 320 to 324 in Libertyville , 295 to 299 in Wauconda .
Kane County • The county confirmed 16,062 cases with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Top counts : 5,454 cases in Aurora ( Kane County portion ) , 3,561 in Elgin ( Kane County portion ) , 1,462 in Carpentersville , 1,308 in St. Charles , 773 in South Elgin , 625 in Geneva , 510 in Batavia , 429 in North Aurora , 219 in Hampshire , 205 in Gilberts , 194 in Sugar Grove , 168 in Algonquin ( Kane County portion ) .
McHenry County • 6,035 cases and 120 deaths , according to the health department Friday .
Will County • 17,816 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday .

COVID-19 case counts per county, ZIP code as of Oct. 23
This undated electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus causes COVID-19. The sample was isolated from a patient in the U.S. NIAID-RML via AP
Interactive mapFind an interactive map where you can search counts by ZIP code at dailyherald.com.
Suburbs' portion There have been 160,582 COVID-19 cases in the suburbs as of Friday. That's 44.1% of the state's total, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
There have been 4,368 deaths in the suburbs, representing 46.4% of all COVID-19 deaths in Illinois.
Cook County • As of Friday, suburban Cook County had 78,203 cases and 2,363 deaths, according to the state. In Chicago: 93,234 cases and 3,029 fatalities.• Top suburb case counts as of Friday from Cook County's health department and the medical examiner's office: 2,838 cases and 109 deaths in Des Plaines, 1,750 cases and 20 deaths in Palatine, 1,505 cases and 23 deaths in Schaumburg, 1,429 cases and 41 deaths in Arlington Heights, 1,388 cases and 26 deaths in Streamwood, 1,340 cases and 79 deaths in Wheeling, 1,248 cases and 12 deaths in Mount Prospect, 1,178 cases and 52 deaths in Glenview, 1,074 cases and 30 deaths in Hoffman Estates, 890 cases and 15 deaths in Hanover Park (Cook County portion), 738 cases and 42 deaths in Elk Grove Village, 722 cases and 18 deaths in Rolling Meadows, 716 cases and 43 deaths in Northbrook, 479 cases and 9 deaths in Prospect Heights, and 275 cases and 22 deaths in Buffalo Grove (Cook County portion).
DuPage County• The county reported 21,670 cases and 605 deaths as of Friday.
• Top counts: 1,615 cases and 42 deaths in Naperville (DuPage County portion), 1,545 cases and 14 deaths in Addison, 1,348 cases and 14 deaths in West Chicago, 1,220 cases and 15 deaths in Glendale Heights, 1,170 cases and 31 deaths in Carol Stream, 1,140 cases and 47 deaths in Elmhurst, 1,061 cases and 32 deaths in Lombard, 933 cases and 26 deaths in Wheaton, 922 cases and 14 deaths in Aurora (DuPage County portion), 868 cases and 17 deaths in Bensenville, 735 cases and 5 deaths in Glen Ellyn, 629 cases and 6 deaths in Villa Park, and 546 cases and 6 deaths in Hanover Park (DuPage County portion).
Lake County • The county listed 20,071 cases and 508 deaths Friday.
• Most recent top counts: 4,515 to 4,519 in Waukegan, 1,230 to 1,234 in Round Lake Beach, 750 to 754 in Mundelein, 730 to 734 in Gurnee, 500 to 504 in Round Lake, 400 to 404 in Vernon Hills, 395 to 399 in Lake Zurich, 370 to 374 in Buffalo Grove (Lake County portion), 330 to 334 in Grayslake, 320 to 324 in Libertyville, 295 to 299 in Wauconda.
Kane County• The county confirmed 16,062 cases with 345 deaths on its website Friday.
• Top counts: 5,454 cases in Aurora (Kane County portion), 3,561 in Elgin (Kane County portion), 1,462 in Carpentersville, 1,308 in St. Charles, 773 in South Elgin, 625 in Geneva, 510 in Batavia, 429 in North Aurora, 219 in Hampshire, 205 in Gilberts, 194 in Sugar Grove, 168 in Algonquin (Kane County portion).
McHenry County• 6,035 cases and 120 deaths, according to the health department Friday.
Will County• 17,816 cases and 427 deaths listed on its website Friday.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-10-24--Black voters: Racial justice, health care access are the top issues in this election

Indya Smith-Johnson has been pushing for police reform ever since her father had a troubling `` interaction '' with a Naperville cop last November .
She sees voter involvement in the coming election as key to producing change .
`` It was a very negative experience , '' said Smith-Johnson , 18 , declining to share details of the incident that left her family `` shaken . ''
Smith-Johnson said she also had her own brushes with racism at Naperville Central High School , from which she graduated last school year .
They prompted her to join the DuPage County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coalition of community leaders , law enforcement agencies and cultural , ethnic and religious groups promoting dialogue about implicit bias .
She helped organize several Black Lives Matter marches after the police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd sparked nationwide protests and riots .
`` One of the biggest things that keeps me up at night is there ( are ) still more ( shootings by police ) happening , systemic legislative policies that need to be changed , '' said Smith-Johnson , who is working to get out the youth vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like her say there is a lot at stake for people of color in this election .
It 's been a racially charged year in a variety of ways .
The coronavirus pandemic has ravaged Black and Latino communities disproportionately .
Police brutality cases against unarmed Blacks have drawn national attention .
White supremacist groups have become more active and visible .
And Blacks have felt a growing concern over voter suppression , intimidation and lack of access .
`` Voting is a really easy way to express your beliefs and express the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just like marching in a protest , '' Smith-Johnson said .
`` I anticipate the numbers for youth voting will increase from previous years . ''
Though not a monolith , Black voters traditionally have leaned Democratic , and their turnout rates have been among the highest in past presidential elections .
A record 30 million Black Americans are eligible to vote in this year 's presidential election , making up 12.5 % of the electorate , according to a recent Pew Research Center survey .
The survey also found 63 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote .
Many Black voters will choose a candidate `` who can dismantle systemic racism and call out white supremacy , '' said Timothy Franklin , 29 , of Schaumburg , a counselor at Prospect High School in Mount Prospect .
Social media has amplified and fueled global outrage over the killings of unarmed Blacks , while the coronavirus pandemic has illuminated inequities in education , employment , housing , health and gender issues affecting Blacks .
`` The crisis of the Black community , the things that we have been fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this country , suddenly became a moment of awakening for the world , '' said Elaine Mosley of Woodridge , a member of the DuPage County NAACP 's education committee .
Many Blacks fear losing access to health care protections provided by the Affordable Care Act if the law is repealed by the U.S. Supreme Court .
The court is a step closer to a 6-3 conservative majority with President Donald Trump 's nominee , Judge Amy Coney Barrett , on the verge of being confirmed. ''
The leadership of today is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to when we were not afforded the vote , not afforded education or health care , '' said Regina Brent , founder of Unity Partnership .
`` We can not afford to lose the ACA .
Our children are at stake here .
Our health is at stake . ''
Michael Childress , 64 , of Bloomingdale , president of the DuPage County NAACP , said Black voters should be more concerned about local and congressional races that have a greater impact on their lives .
`` We need to send people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
`` We have to change the paradigm that our votes do n't count .
You 've got to show up en masse at the polls . ''

Black voters: Racial justice, health care access are the top issues in this election
Indya Smith-Johnson has been pushing for police reform ever since her father had a troubling "interaction" with a Naperville cop last November.
She sees voter involvement in the coming election as key to producing change.
"It was a very negative experience," said Smith-Johnson, 18, declining to share details of the incident that left her family "shaken."
Smith-Johnson said she also had her own brushes with racism at Naperville Central High School, from which she graduated last school year. They prompted her to join the DuPage County NAACP and the Unity Partnership, a coalition of community leaders, law enforcement agencies and cultural, ethnic and religious groups promoting dialogue about implicit bias.
She helped organize several Black Lives Matter marches after the police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd sparked nationwide protests and riots.
"One of the biggest things that keeps me up at night is there (are) still more (shootings by police) happening, systemic legislative policies that need to be changed," said Smith-Johnson, who is working to get out the youth vote for Nov. 3.
Suburban Black voters like her say there is a lot at stake for people of color in this election. It's been a racially charged year in a variety of ways. The coronavirus pandemic has ravaged Black and Latino communities disproportionately. Police brutality cases against unarmed Blacks have drawn national attention. White supremacist groups have become more active and visible. And Blacks have felt a growing concern over voter suppression, intimidation and lack of access.
"Voting is a really easy way to express your beliefs and express the things that are going to benefit you, just like marching in a protest," Smith-Johnson said. "I anticipate the numbers for youth voting will increase from previous years."
Though not a monolith, Black voters traditionally have leaned Democratic, and their turnout rates have been among the highest in past presidential elections.
A record 30 million Black Americans are eligible to vote in this year's presidential election, making up 12.5% of the electorate, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. The survey also found 63% of Black registered voters are extremely motivated to vote.
Tim Franklin -
Many Black voters will choose a candidate "who can dismantle systemic racism and call out white supremacy," said Timothy Franklin, 29, of Schaumburg, a counselor at Prospect High School in Mount Prospect.
Social media has amplified and fueled global outrage over the killings of unarmed Blacks, while the coronavirus pandemic has illuminated inequities in education, employment, housing, health and gender issues affecting Blacks.
"The crisis of the Black community, the things that we have been fighting for and struggling with for 400 years in this country, suddenly became a moment of awakening for the world," said Elaine Mosley of Woodridge, a member of the DuPage County NAACP's education committee.
Many Blacks fear losing access to health care protections provided by the Affordable Care Act if the law is repealed by the U.S. Supreme Court. The court is a step closer to a 6-3 conservative majority with President Donald Trump's nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, on the verge of being confirmed.
Regina Brent, founder of Unity Partnership, a DuPage County-based group building relationships between law enforcement and minority communities, says Black communities cannot afford to lose health care protections amid a ravaging pandemic. - Ryan Rayburn / for the Daily Herald
" The leadership of today is ready to roll back the times, back to when we were not afforded the vote, not afforded education or health care," said Regina Brent, founder of Unity Partnership. "We cannot afford to lose the ACA. Our children are at stake here. Our health is at stake."
Michael Childress, 64, of Bloomingdale, president of the DuPage County NAACP, said Black voters should be more concerned about local and congressional races that have a greater impact on their lives.
"We need to send people back to Congress that understand our issues," he said. "We have to change the paradigm that our votes don't count. You've got to show up en masse at the polls."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-10-24--Sources: Chicago police respond to domestic incident at former superintendent's home

Chicago police responded to an alleged domestic incident that occurred at the Bridgeport home of embattled former CPD Superintendent Eddie @ @ @ @ @ to sources familiar with the matter , officers were dispatched to Johnson 's home near @ @ @ @ @ around 9:30 p.m. after a `` verbal altercation escalated '' and Johnson allegedly shoved his @ @ @ @ @ statement from CPD , no injuries were reported and no arrests were made .

Sources: Chicago police respond to domestic incident at former superintendent's home
Former Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson participates in a news conference at police headquarters in Chicago. AP File Photo/Oct. 28, 2019
Chicago police responded to an alleged domestic incident that occurred at the Bridgeport home of embattled former CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson Friday night.
According to sources familiar with the matter, officers were dispatched to Johnson's home near 33rd Place and Racine Avenue around 9:30 p.m. after a "verbal altercation escalated" and Johnson allegedly shoved his wife.
According to a statement from CPD, no injuries were reported and no arrests were made.
Tom Needham, Johnson's attorney, declined to comment Saturday morning.
For the complete story, visit chicago.suntimes.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-10-24--How Oakton College plans to use federal grant to help minority students

Asian Americans often are viewed as a model minority that 's educated and affluent .
That stereotype presents a challenge for Asian American students who come from low-income families or are first-generation immigrants struggling to assimilate in American society while facing unique cultural challenges and barriers , said Edwin Chandrasekar , Oakton Community College vice president for administrative affairs .
Nearly 25 % of Oakton 's fall enrollment is made up of Asian American and Pacific Islander ( AAPI ) students .
The Des Plaines college has received a $ 1.5 million U.S. Department of Education grant as an Asian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institution .
Illinois has the fifth-largest AAPI population nationwide .
Oakton is the first Illinois community college to receive the grant , which will help collect data on and support those populations .
`` What it 's really designed to do is help us actually advance educational opportunities for vulnerable Asian American populations , '' Chandrasekar said .
`` These are groups that tend to become invisible because we do n't do a good job in Illinois collecting data for Asian Americans . ''
The grant will allow Oakton to establish the Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Success .
Its goal is to increase student engagement , provide culturally relevant academic advising , improve early college persistence in partnership with local high schools , and implement faculty training and development programs .
Oakton will be hiring its first Asian American academic adviser in coming months .
Asian carp is on the menu at some suburban ethnic restaurants that are serving up the invasive fish species as burgers , tacos , pakoras and kebabs as part of an environmental education campaign .
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is partnering with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restaurants to get 1,000 people to try Asian carp and raise awareness about the destructive environmental impact of the fast-growing and prolific feeders that out-compete native fish .
`` The aim is to show how culturally different cuisines embraced incorporating Asian carp to together tackle the issue of its harm on the Great Lakes ecosystem , '' Hanover Park Village Trustee Sharmin Shahjahan said .
Kolachi Tandoori Grill in Hanover Park will give away Asian carp pakoras and kebabs from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday for takeout only .
Participants must wear masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , visit asiancarpchallenge.org .
Chicago-based Open Books is launching an initiative to help suburban parents , schools and libraries diversify reading collections .
`` So many schools , so many households in the suburbs simply do n't have books in their homes that reflect Black and brown experiences , '' said Eric Johnson , Open Books executive director .
The group curates and repurposes used books .
It collects roughly 2 million books yearly from throughout the Chicago area and suburbs to either sell to support its literacy program or grant them to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighborhoods .
Its Open Books Open Minds program aims to address the lack of diversity in children 's literature -- only 10 % of books portray Black characters -- and lack of access as 61 % of low-income families have no books at all in their homes .
A study by the Cooperative Children 's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin found of 3,200 children 's books published in the U.S. in 2018 , only 1 % featured Indigenous characters , 7 % depicted Asian characters , and 10 % featured Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public school students are children of color and less than 15 % of children 's books in the past two decades have contained multicultural characters and storylines , Johnson said .
`` There is more that we can do ( curating ) books featuring Black and Latino characters for suburban children and their parents to begin discussing race more deeply , '' he added .
Anyone can purchase a set of three or five books for first- through fifth-graders featuring diverse characters and cultures .
For each purchase , Open Books will donate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities .
For more information , visit open-books.org/open-books-open-minds/ .
Cook County 's proposed $ 6.9 billion fiscal year 2021 budget includes more money for equity and racial justice programs , such as $ 350,000 for the Public Defender 's Immigration Unit and $ 850,000 for new restorative justice courts under the chief judge .
Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison and Budget Director Annette Guzman discussed the proposed budget during a Facebook Live town hall Friday .
The budget allows for investing roughly $ 100 million over two years in the areas of restorative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , public health , workforce training , affordable transportation and housing assistance .
In July , the county board adopted the Justice for Black Lives Resolution to redirect funds from policing and jails to public services .
It outlines eight areas for targeting funding : housing , health care , mental health , restorative justice , job creation , public transit , eviction and foreclosure assistance , and increasing government contracts with businesses owned by women and people of color .
`` I 'm especially proud of the $ 80 million of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help fund community-based programs and services to bring greater racial equity to Cook County , '' Morrison said .
• Share stories , news and happenings from the suburban mosaic at mkrishnamurthy @ dailyherald.com .

How Oakton College plans to use federal grant to help minority students
Asian Americans often are viewed as a model minority that's educated and affluent.
That stereotype presents a challenge for Asian American students who come from low-income families or are first-generation immigrants struggling to assimilate in American society while facing unique cultural challenges and barriers, said Edwin Chandrasekar, Oakton Community College vice president for administrative affairs.
Nearly 25% of Oakton's fall enrollment is made up of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. The Des Plaines college has received a $1.5 million U.S. Department of Education grant as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution.
Illinois has the fifth-largest AAPI population nationwide. Oakton is the first Illinois community college to receive the grant, which will help collect data on and support those populations.
"What it's really designed to do is help us actually advance educational opportunities for vulnerable Asian American populations," Chandrasekar said. "These are groups that tend to become invisible because we don't do a good job in Illinois collecting data for Asian Americans."
The grant will allow Oakton to establish the Center for Organizing Minority Programs to Advance Student Success. Its goal is to increase student engagement, provide culturally relevant academic advising, improve early college persistence in partnership with local high schools, and implement faculty training and development programs. Oakton will be hiring its first Asian American academic adviser in coming months.
Ethnic carp recipes
Some suburban ethnic restaurants are serving Asian carp up as burgers, tacos, pakoras and kebabs as part of an environmental education campaign about the invasive fish species. - Associated Press
Asian carp is on the menu at some suburban ethnic restaurants that are serving up the invasive fish species as burgers, tacos, pakoras and kebabs as part of an environmental education campaign.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is partnering with local elected officials, community organizations and restaurants to get 1,000 people to try Asian carp and raise awareness about the destructive environmental impact of the fast-growing and prolific feeders that out-compete native fish.
"The aim is to show how culturally different cuisines embraced incorporating Asian carp to together tackle the issue of its harm on the Great Lakes ecosystem," Hanover Park Village Trustee Sharmin Shahjahan said.
Kolachi Tandoori Grill in Hanover Park will give away Asian carp pakoras and kebabs from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday for takeout only. Participants must wear masks at all times. For more information, visit asiancarpchallenge.org.
Diversifying reading
Chicago-based Open Books is launching an initiative to help suburban parents, schools and libraries diversify reading collections.
"So many schools, so many households in the suburbs simply don't have books in their homes that reflect Black and brown experiences," said Eric Johnson, Open Books executive director.
The group curates and repurposes used books. It collects roughly 2 million books yearly from throughout the Chicago area and suburbs to either sell to support its literacy program or grant them to children who lack access in under-resourced Chicago neighborhoods. Its Open Books Open Minds program aims to address the lack of diversity in children's literature -- only 10% of books portray Black characters -- and lack of access as 61% of low-income families have no books at all in their homes.
A study by the Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin found of 3,200 children's books published in the U.S. in 2018, only 1% featured Indigenous characters, 7% depicted Asian characters, and 10% featured Black characters.
More than half of K-12 public school students are children of color and less than 15% of children's books in the past two decades have contained multicultural characters and storylines, Johnson said.
"There is more that we can do (curating) books featuring Black and Latino characters for suburban children and their parents to begin discussing race more deeply," he added.
Anyone can purchase a set of three or five books for first- through fifth-graders featuring diverse characters and cultures. For each purchase, Open Books will donate an equal number of books in under-resourced communities. For more information, visit open-books.org/open-books-open-minds/.
Racial equity programs
Cook County's proposed $6.9 billion fiscal year 2021 budget includes more money for equity and racial justice programs, such as $350,000 for the Public Defender's Immigration Unit and $850,000 for new restorative justice courts under the chief judge.
Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison and Budget Director Annette Guzman discussed the proposed budget during a Facebook Live town hall Friday. The budget allows for investing roughly $100 million over two years in the areas of restorative justice, violence prevention, digital equity, public health, workforce training, affordable transportation and housing assistance.
In July, the county board adopted the Justice for Black Lives Resolution to redirect funds from policing and jails to public services. It outlines eight areas for targeting funding: housing, health care, mental health, restorative justice, job creation, public transit, eviction and foreclosure assistance, and increasing government contracts with businesses owned by women and people of color.
"I'm especially proud of the $80 million of new investments in an equity fund that will help fund community-based programs and services to bring greater racial equity to Cook County," Morrison said.
For more information, visit cookcountyil.gov/Budget.
• Share stories, news and happenings from the suburban mosaic at mkrishnamurthy@dailyherald.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-10-24--Kanye ahead? Only in mock data

Kanye ahead? Only in mock data

Rapper and presidential candidate Kanye West recently touted poll numbers out of Kentucky , which showed him leading Donald Trump and Joe Biden in that state 's race .
`` GET THE WEST WING READY !
!
!
... this is how I felt when I saw that Kentucky pole result , '' West said on Twitter .
The poll numbers were n't real , according to The Associated Press .
West was citing mock election data , `` randomly generated and not based on any predetermined scenarios , '' that the AP uses during testing before an election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ LEX 18 News in Kentucky , had West in third place , behind Libertarian Jo Jorgensen and independent candidate Brock Pierce , but ahead of Trump and Biden .
`` Someone discovered a cached web link that we used during June 's primary election to post Associated Press election results , '' LEX 18 News explained on Twitter .
`` The results shown were not valid .
They were simply part of a test . ''
West 's campaign filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on July 15 and his name will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Kentucky , the AP said .
West 's post showing the false data was retweeted 11,000 times .
A tweet from a self-described hip-hop news site , asking , `` YE 2020 AFTER ALL ?
`` , was shared 1,500 times .
A deceptive ad from President Donald Trump 's campaign uses an out-of-context comment by Democratic candidate Joe Biden making it appear the former vice president contradicts his position on gun control , according to FactCheck.org .
A narrator in the deceptive ad says , `` Joe Biden openly admitted his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The clip then shows CNN host Anderson Cooper asking Biden , `` To gun owners out there who say , well , a Biden administration means they 're going to come for my guns , '' Biden responds , `` Bingo .
You 're right . ''
Although the ad gives the impression Biden will ban all guns , he was actually referring to assault weapons .
His entire response during the interview was , `` Bingo .
You 're right , if you have an assault weapon .
The fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal , period . ''
Biden said he does n't believe it was unconstitutional to ban assault weapons .
`` The Second Amendment does n't say you ca n't restrict the kinds of weapons people can own , '' he said .
`` You ca n't buy a bazooka .
You ca n't have a flamethrower . ''
Biden said his plan would allow people who already legally own assault weapons to keep them .
`` There 's no legal way , that I 'm aware of , that you could deny them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchased them , '' he said .
During a town hall in Philadelphia last week , Biden blamed the Trump administration for not following up on a promise to provide face masks to schools .
`` The government initially said they were going to provide masks for every student and every teacher and then they said ... the president or whomever said , 'No , no .
That 's not a national emergency , ' '' Biden said .
The Federal Emergency Management Agency in September said they would stop reimbursing the cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Health and Human Services said it will step in and provide as many as 125 million face masks to schools , < URL destination= '' https : //www.factcheck.org/2020/10/factchecking-bidens-town-hall-2/ '' > according to FactCheck.org .
< /URL > FEMA official Keith Turi , during a Sept. 1 call with state and tribal emergency managers , said the change is a result of schools being classified as nonemergency locations , NPR reported .
On the call , Turi said masks and personal protective equipment in nonemergency sites will be classified as `` increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On its webpage , HHS said it would provide 125 million cloth masks to students , teachers and staff , `` with an emphasis on students who are low-income or otherwise with high needs and schools providing in-person instruction . ''
The president 's son , Eric Trump recently posted an aerial photo of a large sprawling home , falsely claiming it belongs to Joe Biden , and questioned how the presidential candidate could afford such a place .
`` The salary of a U.S .
Senator is $ 174,000 per year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... seems legit , '' Eric Trump captioned the photo .
But the residence has n't belonged to Biden for 26 years , according to Snopes.com .
It is a current photo of property Biden purchased in 1974 for $ 185,000 .
The Twitter post shows a five-bedroom , 10,000-square-foot former DuPont mansion in Wilmington , Delaware .
In 1974 , Biden , a freshman senator and recent widower , was able to afford the property because it was `` badly run down and in need of major repairs , '' Snopes said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lived there until 1996 when he sold it for $ 1.2 million .
• Bob Oswald is a veteran Chicago-area journalist and former news editor of the Elgin Courier-News .
Contact him at boboswald33 @ gmail.com .

Kanye ahead? Only in mock data
Kanye West answers questions during a service at Lakewood Church, in Houston. On Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly asserting that election results in Kentucky show the rapper and independent presidential candidate is ahead of President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the presidential race. West tweeted mock election data that the AP provides to customers as part of routine testing ahead of elections. AP File Photo/Nov. 17, 2019
Rapper and presidential candidate Kanye West recently touted poll numbers out of Kentucky, which showed him leading Donald Trump and Joe Biden in that state's race.
"GET THE WEST WING READY !!! ... this is how I felt when I saw that Kentucky pole result," West said on Twitter.
The poll numbers weren't real, according to The Associated Press. West was citing mock election data, "randomly generated and not based on any predetermined scenarios," that the AP uses during testing before an election.
The false data, a screenshot from LEX 18 News in Kentucky, had West in third place, behind Libertarian Jo Jorgensen and independent candidate Brock Pierce, but ahead of Trump and Biden.
"Someone discovered a cached web link that we used during June's primary election to post Associated Press election results," LEX 18 News explained on Twitter. "The results shown were not valid. They were simply part of a test."
West's campaign filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on July 15 and his name will appear on ballots in several states, including Kentucky, the AP said.
West's post showing the false data was retweeted 11,000 times. A tweet from a self-described hip-hop news site, asking, "YE 2020 AFTER ALL?", was shared 1,500 times.
Twitter flagged both posts as "manipulated media."
Ad uses partial Biden quote
A deceptive ad from President Donald Trump's campaign uses an out-of-context comment by Democratic candidate Joe Biden making it appear the former vice president contradicts his position on gun control, according to FactCheck.org.
A narrator in the deceptive ad says, "Joe Biden openly admitted his plan to violate our Second Amendment rights." The clip then shows CNN host Anderson Cooper asking Biden, "To gun owners out there who say, well, a Biden administration means they're going to come for my guns," Biden responds, "Bingo. You're right."
Although the ad gives the impression Biden will ban all guns, he was actually referring to assault weapons. His entire response during the interview was, "Bingo. You're right, if you have an assault weapon. The fact of the matter is they should be illegal, period."
Biden said he doesn't believe it was unconstitutional to ban assault weapons.
"The Second Amendment doesn't say you can't restrict the kinds of weapons people can own," he said. "You can't buy a bazooka. You can't have a flamethrower."
Biden said his plan would allow people who already legally own assault weapons to keep them.
"There's no legal way, that I'm aware of, that you could deny them the right if they've ... legally purchased them," he said.
Feds providing masks to schools
During a town hall in Philadelphia last week, Biden blamed the Trump administration for not following up on a promise to provide face masks to schools.
"The government initially said they were going to provide masks for every student and every teacher and then they said ... the president or whomever said, 'No, no. That's not a national emergency,'" Biden said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency in September said they would stop reimbursing the cost of masks for schools, but the Department of Health and Human Services said it will step in and provide as many as 125 million face masks to schools, according to FactCheck.org.
FEMA official Keith Turi, during a Sept. 1 call with state and tribal emergency managers, said the change is a result of schools being classified as nonemergency locations, NPR reported.
On the call, Turi said masks and personal protective equipment in nonemergency sites will be classified as "increased operating costs" not covered by FEMA.
On its webpage, HHS said it would provide 125 million cloth masks to students, teachers and staff, "with an emphasis on students who are low-income or otherwise with high needs and schools providing in-person instruction."
Tweet shows former Biden home
The president's son, Eric Trump recently posted an aerial photo of a large sprawling home, falsely claiming it belongs to Joe Biden, and questioned how the presidential candidate could afford such a place.
"The salary of a U.S. Senator is $174,000 per year. This is Joe Biden's house ... seems legit," Eric Trump captioned the photo.
But the residence hasn't belonged to Biden for 26 years, according to Snopes.com. It is a current photo of property Biden purchased in 1974 for $185,000.
The Twitter post shows a five-bedroom, 10,000-square-foot former DuPont mansion in Wilmington, Delaware. In 1974, Biden, a freshman senator and recent widower, was able to afford the property because it was "badly run down and in need of major repairs," Snopes said.
Biden fixed up the home and lived there until 1996 when he sold it for $1.2 million.
• Bob Oswald is a veteran Chicago-area journalist and former news editor of the Elgin Courier-News. Contact him at boboswald33@gmail.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-10-24--Man running 10 marathons in 10 days to feed suburban families on Thanksgiving

Robert Swiderski of Carol Stream is putting his distance-running experience to use by tackling 10 marathons in 10 days throughout the Northwest suburbs to raise awareness of an effort to feed 2,020 families in need this Thanksgiving .
Swiderski , 48 , is a board member of The Basket Brigade of Suburban Chicago , started five years ago by Brian Walsh of Streamwood to honor the memory of his late mother .
It 's currently registering people for its Run for Hope fundraiser .
Though Swiderski has run significantly longer distances than a marathon in a single go , his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is being done at a more relaxed pace to enable his endurance and allow others to join him for shorter portions of the 1- to 3-mile loops he 's circling each day .
`` I 'm really throttling back and not completely exhausting myself , '' he said of the 11- or 12-minute miles he 's been running .
Nevertheless , his body has been gradually feeling the daily toll it 's been taking over the past week .
On Saturday he 's running his ninth day in an area of Busse Woods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elk Grove Village .
On Sunday , he will complete his 10th marathon in Crystal Lake , the hometown of his running club , Ornery Mule Racing .
The goal has been to represent all the communities within The Basket Brigade of Suburban Chicago 's jurisdiction -- Streamwood , Hanover Park , Bartlett , Hoffman Estates , Schaumburg , Palatine , Rolling Meadows , Elk Grove , Elgin and South Elgin .
Because some of the marathons , like Saturday 's , are taking in more than one community at a time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his 10 with a run in his own hometown of Carol Stream and with the last in Crystal Lake for his running club .
At each location , he 's found an all-important home base around which to run and where others can easily find him .
Sometimes he 's been alone and other times with company .
The longest distance anyone else has joined him was a half-marathon .
As with other noncontact , outdoor sports , Swiderski believes running has had a boost in popularity from the pandemic with many opportunities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's seen many more people running and walking during his own runs since the spring .
The Basket Brigade is hoping that popularity will assist its related fundraiser -- the Run for Hope .
A virtual event this year due to the pandemic , the Basket Brigade Run for Hope allows participants to set their own goals , pace and criteria for success , Walsh said .
The $ 95 registration fee provides a printable race bib , finisher 's certificate , medal , T-shirt , goodies from the event 's sponsors -- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thanksgiving meal for two families in need .
Swiderski said his own inspiration for joining the organization four years ago came from the difference that help he received in 2008 made to his attitude and sense of hope .
`` Kindness matters , '' he said .
`` You never know what someone else is going through . ''
And Swiderski continues to find inspiration in the help he sees the Basket Brigade of Suburban Chicago provide families at Thanksgiving .
In fact , he breaks down at the memory of a particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'Mom , now we 've got more food .
Do you think we can eat again today ?
I 'm still hungry . '
'' Walsh said his impetus to start the organization began when his mother was being treated for a long illness in the intensive care unit at the University of Chicago six years ago .
When his family ended up with an extra turkey that Thanksgiving , they turned it into the basis of a meal for the doctors and nurses who spent their holiday treating patients like his mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization to help families in need each Thanksgiving came after Walsh heard philanthropist and motivational speaker Tony Robbins start the International Basket Brigade .
The name of Walsh 's organization honors that inspiration , but there is no actual relationship between the two charities , he said .
All the information people need to donate , register for the Run for Hope , volunteer as a driver , or nominate a family for assistance can be found on the organization 's website at basketbrigade.net .

Man running 10 marathons in 10 days to feed suburban families on Thanksgiving
Robert Swiderski of Carol Stream is putting his distance-running experience to use by tackling 10 marathons in 10 days throughout the Northwest suburbs to raise awareness of an effort to feed 2,020 families in need this Thanksgiving.
Swiderski, 48, is a board member of The Basket Brigade of Suburban Chicago, started five years ago by Brian Walsh of Streamwood to honor the memory of his late mother. It's currently registering people for its Run for Hope fundraiser.
Though Swiderski has run significantly longer distances than a marathon in a single go, his strategy of completing 10 of them consecutively is being done at a more relaxed pace to enable his endurance and allow others to join him for shorter portions of the 1- to 3-mile loops he's circling each day.
"I'm really throttling back and not completely exhausting myself," he said of the 11- or 12-minute miles he's been running.
Nevertheless, his body has been gradually feeling the daily toll it's been taking over the past week.
On Saturday he's running his ninth day in an area of Busse Woods adjacent to Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg and Elk Grove Village. On Sunday, he will complete his 10th marathon in Crystal Lake, the hometown of his running club, Ornery Mule Racing.
The goal has been to represent all the communities within The Basket Brigade of Suburban Chicago's jurisdiction -- Streamwood, Hanover Park, Bartlett, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Elk Grove, Elgin and South Elgin.
Because some of the marathons, like Saturday's, are taking in more than one community at a time, he had the ability to round off his 10 with a run in his own hometown of Carol Stream and with the last in Crystal Lake for his running club.
At each location, he's found an all-important home base around which to run and where others can easily find him. Sometimes he's been alone and other times with company. The longest distance anyone else has joined him was a half-marathon.
As with other noncontact, outdoor sports, Swiderski believes running has had a boost in popularity from the pandemic with many opportunities for exercise restricted. He said he's seen many more people running and walking during his own runs since the spring.
The Basket Brigade is hoping that popularity will assist its related fundraiser -- the Run for Hope.
A virtual event this year due to the pandemic, the Basket Brigade Run for Hope allows participants to set their own goals, pace and criteria for success, Walsh said.
The $95 registration fee provides a printable race bib, finisher's certificate, medal, T-shirt, goodies from the event's sponsors -- and the knowledge it has funded the Thanksgiving meal for two families in need.
Swiderski said his own inspiration for joining the organization four years ago came from the difference that help he received in 2008 made to his attitude and sense of hope.
"Kindness matters," he said. "You never know what someone else is going through."
And Swiderski continues to find inspiration in the help he sees the Basket Brigade of Suburban Chicago provide families at Thanksgiving. In fact, he breaks down at the memory of a particular delivery.
"Kids would say, 'Mom, now we've got more food. Do you think we can eat again today? I'm still hungry.'"
Walsh said his impetus to start the organization began when his mother was being treated for a long illness in the intensive care unit at the University of Chicago six years ago.
When his family ended up with an extra turkey that Thanksgiving, they turned it into the basis of a meal for the doctors and nurses who spent their holiday treating patients like his mother.
The last step in creating an organization to help families in need each Thanksgiving came after Walsh heard philanthropist and motivational speaker Tony Robbins start the International Basket Brigade.
The name of Walsh's organization honors that inspiration, but there is no actual relationship between the two charities, he said.
All the information people need to donate, register for the Run for Hope, volunteer as a driver, or nominate a family for assistance can be found on the organization's website at basketbrigade.net.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-10-24--Cubs bullpen got its act together by end of season

At the start of the season , the Cubs bullpen might as well have been throwing batting practice , but the starters were good enough to make up for it .
By the end of the year , the relief corps was one of the best in MLB .
So does that mean the Cubs are in good shape heading into 2021 ?
Good question .
When the season began in late July , Craig Kimbrel was n't himself and most of the Cubs relievers seemed rusty outside of veteran newcomer Jeremy Jeffress .
In September , though , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2.96 , according to fangraphs.com .
AL champ Tampa Bay was first .
Kimbrel got himself on the right track and gave up no earned runs in 7⅓ innings during the final month .
In August and September , Kimbrel recorded 28 strikeouts in 14 innings .
Whether he can get back to his familiar 30-plus saves territory remains to be seen .
He did a lot of eighth inning work and had just 2 saves this season .
Three other relievers with at least 7 innings pitched were stellar in the final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Jason Adam ( 1.80 ) and Jeffress ( 1.80 ) .
Beyond that were pretty good showings by Duane Underwood Jr. ( 3.00 ) , Dan Winkler ( 3.38 ) and Ryan Tepera ( 3.86 ) , along with lefty Andrew Chafin , who was acquired in a trade and made only a few appearances with the Cubs after coming back from an injury .
Of the pitchers listed above , all but Jeffress and Chafin are under club control for the 2021 season , so it 's conceivable to bring everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's easy to look at the Rays bullpen rolling through the playoffs with a bunch of flamethrowers in the late innings .
By modern baseball standards , the Cubs do n't have a lot of big arms in the bullpen .
Although , that judgment depends on the system of measurement .
Based on average velocity of the four-seam fastball , according to mlb.com , the Cubs have just two pitchers on the staff who rank in the top 120 in MLB .
Kimbrel was 30th in average fastball velocity at 96.9 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entry was starter Yu Darvish ( 69th at 95.9 ) .
Then again , the Cubs have some guys in the next tier of velocity , with Wick at 94.9 , Adam at 94.8 and Underwood at 94.5 .
Chafin , at 93.6 mph , ranks 42nd among lefties .
There 's more to pitching than fastball velocity , obviously .
According to mlb.com , Wick 's cutter ranked 17th in MLB with an average velocity of 91.8 .
Kimbrel throws one of the hardest curveballs , and Jeffress uses the splitter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So while the Cubs bullpen may not blow many hitters away , at least it 's heading into 2021 with some momentum .
That could change , though , since Jeffress was the team 's most valuable reliever in 2020 and he 's a free agent .

Cubs bullpen got its act together by end of season
The Cubs bulllpen got off to a rough start in 2020, but by the end of the season was one of the best in baseball. Kimbrel got himself on the right track and gave up no earned runs in 7⅓ innings during the final month. So it appears they're in decent shape heading into next season. Associated Press
At the start of the season, the Cubs bullpen might as well have been throwing batting practice, but the starters were good enough to make up for it.
By the end of the year, the relief corps was one of the best in MLB. So does that mean the Cubs are in good shape heading into 2021? Good question.
When the season began in late July, Craig Kimbrel wasn't himself and most of the Cubs relievers seemed rusty outside of veteran newcomer Jeremy Jeffress.
In September, though, the Cubs ranked second in bullpen ERA at 2.96, according to fangraphs.com. AL champ Tampa Bay was first.
Kimbrel got himself on the right track and gave up no earned runs in 7⅓ innings during the final month. In August and September, Kimbrel recorded 28 strikeouts in 14 innings. Whether he can get back to his familiar 30-plus saves territory remains to be seen. He did a lot of eighth inning work and had just 2 saves this season.
Three other relievers with at least 7 innings pitched were stellar in the final month -- Rowan Wick (1.23), Jason Adam (1.80) and Jeffress (1.80).
Beyond that were pretty good showings by Duane Underwood Jr. (3.00), Dan Winkler (3.38) and Ryan Tepera (3.86), along with lefty Andrew Chafin, who was acquired in a trade and made only a few appearances with the Cubs after coming back from an injury.
Of the pitchers listed above, all but Jeffress and Chafin are under club control for the 2021 season, so it's conceivable to bring everyone back.
At the same time, it's easy to look at the Rays bullpen rolling through the playoffs with a bunch of flamethrowers in the late innings.
By modern baseball standards, the Cubs don't have a lot of big arms in the bullpen. Although, that judgment depends on the system of measurement.
Based on average velocity of the four-seam fastball, according to mlb.com, the Cubs have just two pitchers on the staff who rank in the top 120 in MLB. Kimbrel was 30th in average fastball velocity at 96.9 miles per hour, and the other entry was starter Yu Darvish (69th at 95.9).
Then again, the Cubs have some guys in the next tier of velocity, with Wick at 94.9, Adam at 94.8 and Underwood at 94.5. Chafin, at 93.6 mph, ranks 42nd among lefties.
There's more to pitching than fastball velocity, obviously. According to mlb.com, Wick's cutter ranked 17th in MLB with an average velocity of 91.8. Kimbrel throws one of the hardest curveballs, and Jeffress uses the splitter, which isn't all that common.
So while the Cubs bullpen may not blow many hitters away, at least it's heading into 2021 with some momentum. That could change, though, since Jeffress was the team's most valuable reliever in 2020 and he's a free agent.
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls


dailyheraldchicago--2020-10-24--WKU edges Chattanooga in the Mocs only game this fall

BOWLING GREEN , Ky. -- Backup quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Craig Burt Jr. with 1:21 to play and Western Kentucky beat FCS-member Chattanooga 13-10 on Saturday .
Pigrome came on for starter Kevaris Thomas late in the fourth quarter and finished 4-of-8 passing for 73 yards .
Thomas completed 12 of 17 for 59 yards .
He lost a fumble that was recovered by UTC 's Ty Boeck at the Mocs ' 20 with 23 seconds left in the first half and Western Kentucky trailing 7-3 .
The game was originally scheduled for Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sept. 3 , then eventually delayed until Oct. 24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
Chattanooga played for the first time in 336 days , its longest layoff from action since missing the 1943 and 1944 seasons due to World War II .
This is the lone game of the fall for the Mocs due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
UTC will compete for the Southern Conference Championship with an eight-game schedule in the spring of 2021 Bryce Nunnelley , who finished with 24 yards receiving , had three receptions to move past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Jimmy Grier into seventh on Chattanooga 's career list with 146 .
The teams combined for just 479 total yards , including 222 passing .
Attendance was limited to 3,905 at 22,113-seat Houchens Industries-L.T .
Smith Stadium due restrictions regarding the pandemic .

WKU edges Chattanooga in the Mocs only game this fall
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Backup quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Craig Burt Jr. with 1:21 to play and Western Kentucky beat FCS-member Chattanooga 13-10 on Saturday.
Brayden Narveson kicked a pair of 32-yard field goals for Western Kentucky (2-4).
Pigrome came on for starter Kevaris Thomas late in the fourth quarter and finished 4-of-8 passing for 73 yards. Thomas completed 12 of 17 for 59 yards. He lost a fumble that was recovered by UTC's Ty Boeck at the Mocs' 20 with 23 seconds left in the first half and Western Kentucky trailing 7-3.
The game was originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 5, moved to Thursday, Sept. 3, then eventually delayed until Oct. 24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chattanooga played for the first time in 336 days, its longest layoff from action since missing the 1943 and 1944 seasons due to World War II. This is the lone game of the fall for the Mocs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UTC will compete for the Southern Conference Championship with an eight-game schedule in the spring of 2021
Bryce Nunnelley, who finished with 24 yards receiving, had three receptions to move past Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens and Jimmy Grier into seventh on Chattanooga's career list with 146.
The teams combined for just 479 total yards, including 222 passing.
Attendance was limited to 3,905 at 22,113-seat Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium due restrictions regarding the pandemic.
___
More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25


dailyheraldchicago--2020-10-25--How Oakton College plans to use federal grant to help minority students


dailyheraldchicago--2020-10-24--Maurer has 3 saves, Dallas ties Real Salt Lake 0-0

SANDY , Utah -- Jimmy Maurer posted his fifth shutout in his 13th start of the season , and Dallas @ @ @ @ @ a 0-0 tie on Saturday night .
Maurer finished with three saves and two crosses @ @ @ @ @ ) , which managed to secure a point and move into a tie with Los @ @ @ @ @ Western Conference despite being shut out for the second consecutive game .
Real Salt Lake @ @ @ @ @ has four losses and just one win in its last six games - had 55 @ @ @ @ @ 24-8 .

Maurer has 3 saves, Dallas ties Real Salt Lake 0-0
SANDY, Utah -- Jimmy Maurer posted his fifth shutout in his 13th start of the season, and Dallas played Real Salt Lake to a 0-0 tie on Saturday night.
Maurer finished with three saves and two crosses caught for Dallas (6-5-7), which managed to secure a point and move into a tie with Los Angeles for fifth in the Western Conference despite being shut out for the second consecutive game.
Real Salt Lake (5-7-7) - which has four losses and just one win in its last six games - had 55% possession and outshot Dallas 24-8.
RSL fell below the Western Conference playoff line with 22 points, two behind Vancouver and San Jose and one ahead of 10th-place Houston.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-10-25--Sergio Santos scores 3 times as Union beat Toronto FC 5-0

CHESTER , Pa. -- Sergio Santos scored three times , and the Philadelphia Union beat Toronto FC 5-0 on Saturday .
Philadelphia ( 12-3-5 ) moved into a first-place tie with Toronto ( 12-3-5 ) atop Major League Soccer .
The Union also improved to 7-0-0 at home this season .
It was Toronto 's first defeat in 10 games .
Santos scored in the 27th , 63rd and 68th minutes .
He entered with four goals on the season .
It was the fourth hat trick in Union history .
C.J .
Sapong was the last Philadelphia player to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Red Bulls in May 2017 .
KANSAS CITY , Kan. -- Alan Pulido scored for Sporting Kansas City in his first game back from international duty , and Andreu FontÃ s added his first career MLS goal .
Sporting KC ( 10-6-3 ) moved past Seattle and Portland and into first in the Western Conference standings with 33 points .
Pulido , who missed the last four games playing for Mexico and adhering to COVID-19 pandemic-related protocols , rolled one inside the post from the top of the area to open the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( 5-5-4 ) played for the first time since its 5-0 victory over San Jose on Sept. 23 .
It had been dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak .
CINCINNATI -- Aaron Schoenfeld scored his first goal of the season in the 92nd minute , leading Minnesota United to the win .
Michael Boxall hit the right post with a header off a corner kick and Schoenfeld knocked the rebound between the legs of goalie Spencer Richey in the final minute of stoppage time .
Schoenfeld entered the game in the 76th minute .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shutout .
Minnesota ( 7-5-6 ) is undefeated in its last six games .
Cincinnati ( 4-12-4 ) , last in the East Division , fell to its sixth loss in its last seven games .
ATLANTA -- Gelmin Rivas scored his first MLS goal two minutes into second-half stoppage time , helping D.C. United to the victory .
D.C. ( 4-10-6 ) won consecutive matches for the first time this season .
Atlanta ( 5-11-4 ) dropped to 0-3-2 since a 4-0 win over D.C. United on Oct. 3 .
Russell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a header in the 77th minute .
Atlanta 's Jon Gallagher tied it in the 89th when he headed in a shot on a cross from Brooks Lennon .
Rivas fired his left-footed shot under the crossbar in the 92nd minute following a pass from midfielder Kevin Paredes .
Atlanta 's Marcelino Moreno nearly scored in the 45th minute with a shot from long range , but goalkeeper Bill Hamid dove to his left and deflected it away .
NEW YORK -- JesÃºs Medina , Maximiliano Moralez and Tony Rocha scored in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FC stopped a three-game winless streak .
Medina gave New York City ( 9-8-3 ) the lead for good in the 68th minute , when he chipped home an empty-netter from the top of the 6-yard box .
Romell Quioto scored in the 89th for Montreal ( 7-11-2 ) , which has lost three of its last four games .
FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. -- Leandro Gonzalez Pirez scored on a header in the 89th minute , lifting Inter Miami to the victory .
Inter Miami CF ( 6-11-3 ) rebounded from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broke a three-match unbeaten streak .
Orlando City ( 8-3-8 ) lost a 12-match unbeaten streak that started after a 3-2 loss to Miami on Aug. 22 .
In the 12th minute , Orlando City 's Antonio Carlos kicked a deep ball past midfield to Rookie of the Year candidate Daryl Dike .
Dike beat one defender and scored on a left-footed shot from inside the 18-yard box for his fifth goal of the season .
Inter Miami tied the match on an own goal from Orlando 's Robin Jansson in the 45th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own-goal on a clearing attempt at the 67th minute helped the Crew salvage a tie against the Dynamo .
Though the time of possession was largely even , Houston ( 4-7-9 ) failed to capitalize on a 24-6 shot advantage against the Crew ( 10-4-5 ) .
Memo Rodriguez put the Dynamo on the board in the 37th minute when he punched in a short shot on a rebound off a deflected save .
The Dynamo are unbeaten in the last eight meetings between the teams in Houston , with the Crew 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- Brian White scored in extra time and the Red Bulls salvaged a tie against the Fire .
White scored off a scrum in front in the 91st minute .
Chicago ( 5-8-6 ) appeared to take control of the match when Przemyslaw Frankowski scored in the 72nd minute for a 2-1 lead .
Robert Beric tied it 1-all for the Fire in the 51st with a short tap-in near the right post off a feed from Boris Sekulic .
Kyle Duncan scored in the 39th minute to put the Red Bulls ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Utah -- Jimmy Maurer posted his fifth shutout in his 13th start of the season , and Dallas played Real Salt Lake to a scoreless tie .
Maurer finished with three saves and two crosses caught for Dallas ( 6-5-7 ) , which managed to secure a point and move into a tie with Los Angeles for fifth in the Western Conference despite being shut out for the second consecutive game .
Real Salt Lake ( 5-7-7 ) - which has four losses and just one win in its last six games - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24-8 .

Sergio Santos scores 3 times as Union beat Toronto FC 5-0
CHESTER, Pa. -- Sergio Santos scored three times, and the Philadelphia Union beat Toronto FC 5-0 on Saturday.
Philadelphia (12-3-5) moved into a first-place tie with Toronto (12-3-5) atop Major League Soccer. The Union also improved to 7-0-0 at home this season.
It was Toronto's first defeat in 10 games.
Santos scored in the 27th, 63rd and 68th minutes. He entered with four goals on the season.
It was the fourth hat trick in Union history. C.J. Sapong was the last Philadelphia player to accomplish the feat, against the New York Red Bulls in May 2017.
SPORTING KANSAS CITY 4, RAPIDS 0
KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Alan Pulido scored for Sporting Kansas City in his first game back from international duty, and Andreu Fontàs added his first career MLS goal.
Sporting KC (10-6-3) moved past Seattle and Portland and into first in the Western Conference standings with 33 points.
Pulido, who missed the last four games playing for Mexico and adhering to COVID-19 pandemic-related protocols, rolled one inside the post from the top of the area to open the scoring in the 54th minute.
Colorado (5-5-4) played for the first time since its 5-0 victory over San Jose on Sept. 23. It had been dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak.
WHITECAPS 2, EARTHQUAKES 1
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Ali Adnan and Tosaint Ricketts scored in the second half of the Whitecaps' victory over the Earthquakes.
Vancouver (8-12-0) has won three of its last four matches while San Jose (6-8-6) is 1-2-1 in its last four. Both have 24 points and remain in playoff contention in the Western Conference.
In the 51st minute, Adnan fired a shot from deep outside the 18-yard box that beat diving goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski. Vancouver then got the go-ahead goal in the 57th minute. Cristian Dajome's cross was deflected by Marcinkowski in front of the goal, and Ricketts beat a defender and scored from close.
San Jose's Carlos Fierro fired in a right-footed shot from close range in the 24th minute.
MINNESOTA UNITED 1, CINCINNATI 0
CINCINNATI -- Aaron Schoenfeld scored his first goal of the season in the 92nd minute, leading Minnesota United to the win.
Michael Boxall hit the right post with a header off a corner kick and Schoenfeld knocked the rebound between the legs of goalie Spencer Richey in the final minute of stoppage time. Schoenfeld entered the game in the 76th minute.
Dayne St. Clair made two saves for the shutout.
Minnesota (7-5-6) is undefeated in its last six games. Cincinnati (4-12-4), last in the East Division, fell to its sixth loss in its last seven games.
D.C. UNITED 2, ATLANTA UNITED 1
ATLANTA -- Gelmin Rivas scored his first MLS goal two minutes into second-half stoppage time, helping D.C. United to the victory.
D.C. (4-10-6) won consecutive matches for the first time this season. Atlanta (5-11-4) dropped to 0-3-2 since a 4-0 win over D.C. United on Oct. 3.
Russell Canouse gave D.C. a 1-0 lead with a header in the 77th minute. Atlanta's Jon Gallagher tied it in the 89th when he headed in a shot on a cross from Brooks Lennon.
Rivas fired his left-footed shot under the crossbar in the 92nd minute following a pass from midfielder Kevin Paredes.
Atlanta's Marcelino Moreno nearly scored in the 45th minute with a shot from long range, but goalkeeper Bill Hamid dove to his left and deflected it away.
NEW YORK CITY FC 3, IMPACT 1
NEW YORK -- Jesús Medina, Maximiliano Moralez and Tony Rocha scored in a 20-minute span, and New York City FC stopped a three-game winless streak.
Medina gave New York City (9-8-3) the lead for good in the 68th minute, when he chipped home an empty-netter from the top of the 6-yard box.
Romell Quioto scored in the 89th for Montreal (7-11-2), which has lost three of its last four games.
INTER MIAMI 2, ORLANDO CITY 1
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Leandro Gonzalez Pirez scored on a header in the 89th minute, lifting Inter Miami to the victory.
Inter Miami CF (6-11-3) rebounded from a 2-1 loss against Montreal last Saturday that broke a three-match unbeaten streak. Orlando City (8-3-8) lost a 12-match unbeaten streak that started after a 3-2 loss to Miami on Aug. 22.
In the 12th minute, Orlando City's Antonio Carlos kicked a deep ball past midfield to Rookie of the Year candidate Daryl Dike. Dike beat one defender and scored on a left-footed shot from inside the 18-yard box for his fifth goal of the season.
Inter Miami tied the match on an own goal from Orlando's Robin Jansson in the 45th minute.
CREW 1, DYNAMO 1
HOUSTON -- Victor Rodriguez's own-goal on a clearing attempt at the 67th minute helped the Crew salvage a tie against the Dynamo.
Though the time of possession was largely even, Houston (4-7-9) failed to capitalize on a 24-6 shot advantage against the Crew (10-4-5).
Memo Rodriguez put the Dynamo on the board in the 37th minute when he punched in a short shot on a rebound off a deflected save.
The Dynamo are unbeaten in the last eight meetings between the teams in Houston, with the Crew's last victory coming in 2011.
RED BULLS 2, FIRE 2
CHICAGO -- Brian White scored in extra time and the Red Bulls salvaged a tie against the Fire.
White scored off a scrum in front in the 91st minute.
Chicago (5-8-6) appeared to take control of the match when Przemyslaw Frankowski scored in the 72nd minute for a 2-1 lead.
Robert Beric tied it 1-all for the Fire in the 51st with a short tap-in near the right post off a feed from Boris Sekulic.
Kyle Duncan scored in the 39th minute to put the Red Bulls (8-8-4) up 1-0.
FC DALLAS 0, REAL SALT LAKE 0
SANDY, Utah -- Jimmy Maurer posted his fifth shutout in his 13th start of the season, and FC Dallas played Real Salt Lake to a scoreless tie.
Maurer finished with three saves and two crosses caught for FC Dallas (6-5-7), which managed to secure a point and move into a tie with Los Angeles for fifth in the Western Conference despite being shut out for the second consecutive game.
Real Salt Lake (5-7-7) - which has four losses and just one win in its last six games - had 55% possession and outshot FC Dallas 24-8.
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


dailyheraldchicago--2020-10-25--Medical professionals push back after Trump says COVID-19 cases are inflated to 'get more money'

Medical professionals are on the defensive after President Donald Trump accused `` doctors and hospitals '' of inflating COVID-19 patient counts to `` get more money '' during a campaign rally Saturday in Wisconsin .
`` I 'm trying to be very politically neutral , but it makes me very sad to think that people would believe we are benefiting by this , '' said Denise Chamberlain , chief financial officer at DuPage County-based Edward-Elmhurst Health .
Illinois hospitals continue to see caseloads rapidly growing .
Hospitals statewide reported 2,605 COVID-19 patients while Trump was making his speech .
Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in intensive care .
Just two weeks ago , there were nearly 1,000 fewer patients hospitalized and roughly 200 fewer COVID-19 patients in an ICU .
State health officials Sunday reported 24 more residents have died from COVID-19 and another 4,062 new cases were diagnosed .
The state 's death toll from the respiratory disease has climbed to 9,505 , and 374,256 Illinois residents have been infected since the outbreak began .
At Saturday night 's rally in Waukesha , Trump told supporters , `` If somebody 's terminally ill with cancer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And you know doctors get more money and hospitals get more money , think of this incentive . ''
Critics noted Trump 's comments were made in a state that has seen exponential growth of the virus over the past month and where health officials have erected a field hospital at the county fairgrounds in Milwaukee to treat any overflow of COVID-19 patients .
Chamberlain said hospitals do receive a 20 % add-on from Medicare for treating COVID-19 patients , which was part of the federal CARES Act package .
But those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and rarely cover all the extra costs needed to safely treat those infected with the virus , she added .
And that stipend only covers patients who are 65 years old or older , which represents somewhere between 25 % and 33 % of a hospital 's COVID-19 patientload on average , health care officials said .
Hospital administrators and doctors would jeopardize their careers and face federal felony fraud charges if they attempted to claim a Medicare patient was treated for COVID-19 who was not infected .
`` Just like any payer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support that the patient was a COVID patient , and if they die the cause of death was COVID , '' Chamberlain said .
From the outset of the pandemic , state and federal health officials have explained how the virus exacerbates comorbidity ailments -- including cancers , heart problems and other chronic diseases -- significantly increasing the likelihood of an expedited death .
At the rally Saturday , Trump vowed to `` start looking into things '' because `` their reporting systems are really not doing it right . ''
`` This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths how they occur , '' Dr .
Rob Davidson , a Michigan-based emergency room doctor and executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare , tweeted at the president .
`` If you did your damn job we would n't be reporting so many COVID-19 deaths . ''
Research also has indicated that COVID-19 deaths across the globe may be significantly undercounted rather than inflated .
Several studies show that the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the U.S. are much less than the total number of `` excess deaths '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prior years .
The confirmed COVID-19 deaths only account for two-thirds of the country 's excess deaths , according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
`` The only real difference between this year and the others is COVID , '' Chamberlain said .

Medical professionals push back after Trump says COVID-19 cases are inflated to 'get more money'
Sarah Schroeder, a registered nurse in the critical care unit, gears up to treat COVID-19 patients at Edward Hospital in Naperville this summer when cases and hospitalizations had declined. But cases and hospitalizations are growing again throughout the state. Courtesy of Edward Hospital
Medical professionals are on the defensive after President Donald Trump accused "doctors and hospitals" of inflating COVID-19 patient counts to "get more money" during a campaign rally Saturday in Wisconsin.
"I'm trying to be very politically neutral, but it makes me very sad to think that people would believe we are benefiting by this," said Denise Chamberlain, chief financial officer at DuPage County-based Edward-Elmhurst Health.
Illinois hospitals continue to see caseloads rapidly growing. Hospitals statewide reported 2,605 COVID-19 patients while Trump was making his speech. Of those hospitalized, 565 were being treated in intensive care.
Just two weeks ago, there were nearly 1,000 fewer patients hospitalized and roughly 200 fewer COVID-19 patients in an ICU.
State health officials Sunday reported 24 more residents have died from COVID-19 and another 4,062 new cases were diagnosed. The state's death toll from the respiratory disease has climbed to 9,505, and 374,256 Illinois residents have been infected since the outbreak began.
The state's seven-day average infection rate held steady at 6.1%.
At Saturday night's rally in Waukesha, Trump told supporters, "If somebody's terminally ill with cancer and they have COVID, we report them. And you know doctors get more money and hospitals get more money, think of this incentive."
Critics noted Trump's comments were made in a state that has seen exponential growth of the virus over the past month and where health officials have erected a field hospital at the county fairgrounds in Milwaukee to treat any overflow of COVID-19 patients.
Chamberlain said hospitals do receive a 20% add-on from Medicare for treating COVID-19 patients, which was part of the federal CARES Act package. But those additional funds are set to expire soon and rarely cover all the extra costs needed to safely treat those infected with the virus, she added.
And that stipend only covers patients who are 65 years old or older, which represents somewhere between 25% and 33% of a hospital's COVID-19 patientload on average, health care officials said.
Hospital administrators and doctors would jeopardize their careers and face federal felony fraud charges if they attempted to claim a Medicare patient was treated for COVID-19 who was not infected.
"Just like any payer, there has to be documentation to support that the patient was a COVID patient, and if they die the cause of death was COVID," Chamberlain said. From the outset of the pandemic, state and federal health officials have explained how the virus exacerbates comorbidity ailments -- including cancers, heart problems and other chronic diseases -- significantly increasing the likelihood of an expedited death.
At the rally Saturday, Trump vowed to "start looking into things" because "their reporting systems are really not doing it right."
"This is such an insult. We report deaths how they occur," Dr. Rob Davidson, a Michigan-based emergency room doctor and executive director of the Committee to Protect Medicare, tweeted at the president. "If you did your damn job we wouldn't be reporting so many COVID-19 deaths."
Research also has indicated that COVID-19 deaths across the globe may be significantly undercounted rather than inflated.
Several studies show that the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the U.S. are much less than the total number of "excess deaths" the country has experienced this year compared to prior years. The confirmed COVID-19 deaths only account for two-thirds of the country's excess deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The only real difference between this year and the others is COVID," Chamberlain said.
The American College of Emergency Physicians released a pointed statement Sunday night saying the organization was "appalled" by the president's comments.
"To imply that emergency physicians would inflate the number of deaths from this pandemic to gain financially is offensive, especially as many are actually under unprecedented financial strain as they continue to bear the brunt of COVID-19," the statement read. "These baseless claims not only do a disservice to our health care heroes but promulgate the dangerous wave of misinformation which continues to hinder our nation's efforts to get the pandemic under control and allow our nation to return to normalcy."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-10-25--Republicans say DuPage County voting machines give Democrats an advantage

Illinois and DuPage County Republican leaders claim county voting machines are giving Democratic candidates and causes an unfair advantage at the polls by highlighting their names on touch screens while voters cast their ballots .
County GOP Chairman Jim Zay issued a statement Sunday morning urging the `` Democrat party officials who control the DuPage County Clerk 's office and the Illinois State Board of Elections '' to fix the issue before it damages the election .
And Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider called it an outrageous abuse of the voting system .
`` Speaker ( Michael ) Madigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to enact higher taxes on our middle class families and retirees , '' he said in a statement issued by the state party .
`` Illinois GOP volunteers will be handing out fliers in DuPage County to voters alerting them of this clear abuse of our election system . ''
A video showing the touch-screen operation was posted on the Illinois Republican Party 's YouTube page Saturday under the title `` DuPage Voter Fraud Alert ! ''
However , an official in the county clerk 's office said in a statement Sunday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is necessary for the county 's 15-year-old voting system to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act .
Senior staff from the clerk 's office met with DuPage GOP leaders on Friday to demonstrate how it works , Chief Deputy Clerk Adam Johnson wrote .
`` The system utilized by DuPage County is state-certified and functioned in an identical manner in the 2020 General Primary , and our office is unaware of any concerns raised at that time by parties , candidates , or voters , '' he added .
According to Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided to any impaired voter who chooses to utilize the audio track .
The audio track then reads the ballot questions and available selections while the accompanying text is highlighted in red .
Democratic candidates are highlighted first because they appear first on the ballot in each race as a result of a state lottery over the summer .
`` Voters utilizing the assistance keypad can then cycle through the selections for each race , which are read over the headphones while the accompanying text is highlighted in red , '' Johnson wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting machine at the county 's early voting sites explaining that the feature is for impaired voter assistance only and highlighted selections can by cycled through using the provided keypad , as well as reminding voters to review all ballot selections to ensure accuracy , Johnson added .
Nonetheless , Republican leaders remained skeptical over the weekend .
Zay said Sunday he believes the clerk 's office can find another way to assist disabled voters , and Republican state Rep. Grant Wehrli of Naperville , who is running for reelection to his 41st @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a tweet Saturday .
`` Good grief .
This is happening on every voting touch screen in DuPage County .
They highlight vote yes for the tax hike and EVERY Madigan backed candidate , '' he wrote .
`` Litigation forthcoming . ''

Republicans say DuPage County voting machines give Democrats an advantage
A screenshot from a video posted Saturday by the Illinois Republican Party showing highlighting on DuPage County voting machines that GOP leaders say gives Democratic candidates and causes an unfair advantage. YouTube Screenshot
Illinois and DuPage County Republican leaders claim county voting machines are giving Democratic candidates and causes an unfair advantage at the polls by highlighting their names on touch screens while voters cast their ballots.
County GOP Chairman Jim Zay issued a statement Sunday morning urging the "Democrat party officials who control the DuPage County Clerk's office and the Illinois State Board of Elections" to fix the issue before it damages the election.
And Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider called it an outrageous abuse of the voting system.
"Speaker (Michael) Madigan and the Democrats will stop at nothing to enact higher taxes on our middle class families and retirees," he said in a statement issued by the state party. "Illinois GOP volunteers will be handing out fliers in DuPage County to voters alerting them of this clear abuse of our election system."
A video showing the touch-screen operation was posted on the Illinois Republican Party's YouTube page Saturday under the title "DuPage Voter Fraud Alert!"
However, an official in the county clerk's office said in a statement Sunday that the text-highlighting and audio feature at issue is necessary for the county's 15-year-old voting system to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Senior staff from the clerk's office met with DuPage GOP leaders on Friday to demonstrate how it works, Chief Deputy Clerk Adam Johnson wrote.
"The system utilized by DuPage County is state-certified and functioned in an identical manner in the 2020 General Primary, and our office is unaware of any concerns raised at that time by parties, candidates, or voters," he added.
According to Johnson, headphones and a touch pad are provided to any impaired voter who chooses to utilize the audio track. The audio track then reads the ballot questions and available selections while the accompanying text is highlighted in red.
Democratic candidates are highlighted first because they appear first on the ballot in each race as a result of a state lottery over the summer.
"Voters utilizing the assistance keypad can then cycle through the selections for each race, which are read over the headphones while the accompanying text is highlighted in red," Johnson wrote.
Stickers have been placed on every voting machine at the county's early voting sites explaining that the feature is for impaired voter assistance only and highlighted selections can by cycled through using the provided keypad, as well as reminding voters to review all ballot selections to ensure accuracy, Johnson added.
Nonetheless, Republican leaders remained skeptical over the weekend. Zay said Sunday he believes the clerk's office can find another way to assist disabled voters, and Republican state Rep. Grant Wehrli of Naperville, who is running for reelection to his 41st District House seat, threatened legal action in a tweet Saturday.
"Good grief. This is happening on every voting touch screen in DuPage County. They highlight vote yes for the tax hike and EVERY Madigan backed candidate," he wrote. "Litigation forthcoming."