chicagosun-times--2020-05-03--Blackhawks depth forwards Anton Wedin, Jacob Nilsson leaving organization to sign in Sweden

For every Artemi Panarin- or Dominik Kubalik-esque star that the Blackhawks find in the European import market , there ’ s an equivalent situation of a player simply not clicking in North America .
Anton Wedin is a perfect example of that .
Wedin was mentioned in the same sentences as Kubalik last summer , when the two forwards were brought over to the Hawks organization after dominating the professional leagues in Sweden and Switzerland , respectively , in 2018-19 .
But while Kubalik erupted for 30 goals and will likely fetch a hefty new contract this offseason , Wedin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this past season .
He didn ’ t record a point .
Seeing that his NHL career hadn ’ t taken off , Wedin left the Hawks on Sunday .
The Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that Wedin signed with HV71 in Jonkoping , Sweden .
Wedin ’ s agent , Michael Deutsch , did not return a request for comment .
The 27-year-old wing was a useful body to have on the depth chart , and he was fairly productive — with 17 points in 31 games — in the AHL , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference .
Wedin joins fellow former Swedish Hockey League stars Jacob Nilsson and Philip Holm in the group of European imports who have left the Hawks in 2020 .
Nilsson , signed by the Hawks in 2018 , was a solid role player for Rockford but played in only two NHL games over the past two years .
He signed on April 26 with Farjestad BK in Sweden .
Holm , a late-summer defensive addition last year , showed promise in the preseason but never played in a regular-season Hawks game before terminating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lausanne HC in Switzerland .
Holm ’ s agent , Peter Wallen , said then that Holm had simply grown tired of waiting in the AHL .
The flame-outs and quiet disappointments are inevitable when taking chances on European stars in the primes of their career , though , and the Hawks have still established themselves as one of the NHL ’ s premier franchises in attracting and cultivating such talent .
They aren ’ t going to stop doing so soon , either .
General manager Stan Bowman said in February that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more established pros to potentially bring over .

For every Artemi Panarin or Dominik Kubalik the Blackhawks find in the European import market, there’s the flip side of a player simply not clicking in North America.
Anton Wedin is a perfect example.
Wedin was mentioned in the same breath as Kubalik last summer, when the forwards were brought over after dominating the professional leagues in Sweden and Switzerland, respectively, in 2018-19.
Kubalik erupted for 30 goals and likely will fetch a hefty new contract this offseason, but Wedin ultimately played in only four NHL games this past season and didn’t notch a point.
Seeing that his NHL career wasn’t taking off, Wedin left the Hawks on Sunday.
The Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that Wedin signed with HV71 in Jonkoping, Sweden. Wedin’s agent, Michael Deutsch, did not return a request for comment.
The 27-year-old wing was a useful body to have on the depth chart, and he was fairly productive in the AHL (17 points in 31 games), but his departure won’t make much of a difference.
Wedin joins fellow Swedish Hockey League stars Jacob Nilsson and Philip Holm as part of the European contingent that has left the Hawks in 2020.
Nilsson, signed by the Hawks in 2018, was a solid role player for Rockford but played in only two NHL games in the last two years. He signed on April 26 with Farjestad BK in Sweden.
Holm, a late-summer defensive addition last year who showed promise in the preseason, never played in a Hawks regular-season game before terminating his contract in January and signing with Lausanne HC in Switzerland. Holm’s agent, Peter Wallen, said then that Holm had simply grown tired of waiting in the AHL.
The flameouts and quiet disappointments are inevitable when taking chances on European stars in the prime of their careers, though, and the Hawks certainly have established themselves as one of the NHL’s top franchises in attracting and cultivating such talent.
They aren’t going to stop, either. General manager Stan Bowman said in February that he planned to look for more established pros to potentially bring over this summer.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-03--Illinois sets new daily record by processing nearly 20K coronavirus tests, finding 2,994 new cases

Illinois processed a new daily record of 19,417 coronavirus tests Saturday and 2,994 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed , health officials announced Sunday .
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said Illinois also suffered another 63 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday , bringing the state ’ s coronavirus death toll to 2,618 and total case count to 61,499 .
The 63 deaths mark only the third time since April 21 that the state has recorded fewer than 70 deaths in a given day , and the 19,417 tests processed shatters the previous record of 16,316 set on April 24 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tests that came back positive — is also lower than normal .
A total of 4,701 Illinoisans are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 , with 1,232 occupying ICU beds .
Ninety-seven of the state ’ s 102 counties have recorded cases .
Pritzker mentioned at the Sunday briefing that Illinois has sent back the 100 ventilators loaned to them in early April by California , an act of inter-state cooperation that attracted attention at the time .
With Illinois ’ ventilator supply having increased from about 2,200 when the pandemic started to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 patients currently on ventilators , Pritzker hopes the returned ventilators “ could be sent to someone else who may need them.
” Initial models based on ventilator usage in Italy , Spain , China and other nations indicated Illinois may need as many as 4,000 ventilators to treat coronavirus patients , but Pritzker cited the success of the stay-at-home order for avoiding such a worst-case scenario .
“ We hope that [ our ] inventory and the fact that there ’ s a lot of availability right now will be enough in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Despite the new daily tests-processed record , though , Pritzker lamented that the state still needs “ more of the pieces of the puzzle to get the testing done.
” The governor noted viral transport mediums , testing reagents , lab technicians access to processing machines in private hospitals and laboratories as easily overlooked steps in the testing process that are in short supply .
He said the state is in the process of acquiring more testing swabs from the White House , too .
Also on Sunday , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in federal court flouted his latest stay-at-home order by hosting dozens of worshippers .
Pritzker added new language to the revised order allowing religious gatherings of up to ten people on Thursday , the same day The Beloved Church of Lena sued him and other officials over its members ’ rights to congregate .
On Saturday night , U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee shot down the church ’ s motion for a temporary restraining order and injunctive relief to permit members to gather Sunday morning .
Despite the ruling , a spokesperson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 80 people for Sunday service , which was touted by the church as “ the first public in-person worship service ” since Pritzker ’ s initial stay-at-home order was instituted March 21 .
In addition to providing churchgoers with masks and hand sanitizers , the church also required families to stand six feet apart , according to a statement .
After referencing Judge Lee ’ s decision to deny the temporary restraining order , Pritzker told reporters that church leaders “ shouldn ’ t have been having services at all , except if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ This is temporary and people need to understand that , especially faith leaders , that keeping your parishioners safe is the most important thing that you can do , ” Pritzker said .
“ Your leadership matters here , and we ’ re not stopping you from praying , we ’ re not stopping you from connecting with your parishioners .
“ What we are trying to stop is the spread of this invisible killer , ” he added .
Many congregations chose not to hold the small , in-person services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including Roman Catholic churches in the Chicago area that continued to broadcast online .
Susan Thomas , a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Chicago , said church officials tasked with determining how to hold socially distanced masses are still “ in the planning stages .
”

Illinois processed a new daily record of 19,417 coronavirus tests Saturday and 2,994 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, health officials announced Sunday.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois also suffered another 63 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the state’s coronavirus death toll to 2,618 and total case count to 61,499.
The 63 deaths mark only the third time since April 21 that the state has recorded fewer than 70 deaths in a given day, and the 19,417 tests processed shatters the previous record of 16,316 set on April 24.
The 15.4 percent infection rate — the percentage of tests that came back positive — is also lower than normal.
A total of 4,701 Illinoisans are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, with 1,232 occupying ICU beds. Ninety-seven of the state’s 102 counties have recorded cases.
Graph not displaying properly? Click here.
Pritzker mentioned at the Sunday briefing that Illinois has sent back the 100 ventilators loaned to them in early April by California, an act of inter-state cooperation that attracted attention at the time.
With Illinois’ ventilator supply having increased from about 2,200 when the pandemic started to now 3,690, and with only 759 COVID-19 patients currently on ventilators, Pritzker hopes the returned ventilators “could be sent to someone else who may need them.”
Initial models based on ventilator usage in Italy, Spain, China and other nations indicated Illinois may need as many as 4,000 ventilators to treat coronavirus patients, but Pritzker cited the success of the stay-at-home order for avoiding such a worst-case scenario.
“We hope that [our] inventory and the fact that there’s a lot of availability right now will be enough in case there is another surge,” he said.
Despite the new daily tests-processed record, though, Pritzker lamented that the state still needs “more of the pieces of the puzzle to get the testing done.”
The governor noted viral transport mediums, testing reagents, lab technicians access to processing machines in private hospitals and laboratories as easily overlooked steps in the testing process that are in short supply. He said the state is in the process of acquiring more testing swabs from the White House, too.
Also on Sunday, a northern Illinois church that has sued Pritzker in federal court flouted his latest stay-at-home order by hosting dozens of worshippers.
Pritzker added new language to the revised order allowing religious gatherings of up to ten people on Thursday, the same day The Beloved Church of Lena sued him and other officials over its members’ rights to congregate. On Saturday night, U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee shot down the church’s motion for a temporary restraining order and injunctive relief to permit members to gather Sunday morning.
Despite the ruling, a spokesperson said the church welcomed between 60 and 80 people for Sunday service, which was touted by the church as “the first public in-person worship service” since Pritzker’s initial stay-at-home order was instituted March 21. In addition to providing churchgoers with masks and hand sanitizers, the church also required families to stand six feet apart, according to a statement.
After referencing Judge Lee’s decision to deny the temporary restraining order, Pritzker told reporters that church leaders “shouldn’t have been having services at all, except if there were groups of ten or less.”
“This is temporary and people need to understand that, especially faith leaders, that keeping your parishioners safe is the most important thing that you can do,” Pritzker said. “Your leadership matters here, and we’re not stopping you from praying, we’re not stopping you from connecting with your parishioners.
“What we are trying to stop is the spread of this invisible killer,” he added.
Many congregations chose not to hold the small, in-person services allowed under Pritzker’s latest order, including Roman Catholic churches in the Chicago area that continued to broadcast online. Susan Thomas, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Chicago, said church officials tasked with determining how to hold socially distanced masses are still “in the planning stages.”


chicagosun-times--2020-05-03--Trump’s blatant taxpayer-paid ploy to grab credit for stimulus checks: A note on White House letterh

Trump’s blatant taxpayer-paid ploy to grab credit for stimulus checks: A note on White House letterhead

President Donald Trump hijacked what should have been a routine IRS confirmation letter into a taxpayer-paid election-year messaging tool sent to millions of potential voters in Illinois and across the nation .
Folks who received their COVID-19 economic stimulus cash via direct deposit in mid-April last week received a note on White House letterhead with Trump ’ s grandiose Sharpie signature .
There ’ s a Spanish language version on the other side that Trump also signed .
The top of the letter says “ The White House ” with the word Washington underneath .
The return address on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Treasury , Internal Revenue Service , and it includes the warning , “ Official Business , ” with the penalty for private use $ 300 .
The letters , worth mentioning , were mailed through the U.S .
Postal Service , the cash-short agency Trump is angry at because of his grievances against Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos .
Trump wants to deny the USPS emergency COVID-19 aid .
As of April 17 , there were 3,561,467 people in Illinois who ’ ve received the economic stimulus payments , totaling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the IRS , with more on deck .
Nationally , $ 160 billion went to 89.5 million people as of April 17 .
The Trump-signed letter includes the amount of the payment and said , in part , “ As we wage total war on this invisible enemy , we are also working around the clock to protect hardworking Americans like you from the consequences of the economy shutdown.
” The number of people receiving the stimulus payment is climbing because the paper checks from the IRS started arriving the past few days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an adult with an adjusted gross income of up to $ 75,000 got a maximum of $ 1,200 , with $ 500 for each eligible child under the age of 17 .
Those distribution numbers include many deceased .
In the well intended rush to shove money out the door , the IRS did not scrub their lists of people who died after filing tax returns in 2018 or 2019 .
It ’ s not clear yet how the money will be returned .
In an unprecedented move , Trump put his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ check with the note , “ Economic Impact Payment.
” He ’ s not the actual signature on the check ; Trump is not an authorized signer .
There are some limits to presidential power .
Imagine if Trump could actually sign government checks .
No surprise , Trump lied about it when he was asked if wanted to sign the checks at an April 3 briefing .
“ No .
Me sign ?
No .
There ’ s millions of checks .
I ’ m going to sign them ?
No .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But do I want to sign them ?
No , ” Trump said .
Trump wants to give the impression he deserves the entire credit for federal money people are getting as a result of the COVID-19 economic meltdown , as if Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress were oblivious to the disaster .
But it could not have happened without the cooperation of Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democrats .
A notice the Department of Health and Human Services sent to doctors about potential relief funds they may get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ providing support to health care providers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic , ” according to a copy obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times .
What is the ploy Trump used as an excuse for the White House letter ?
The IRS is sending confirmation letters “ for security reasons ” 15 days after the direct deposits .
The IRS website states , “ The letter will provide information on how the payment was made and how to report any failure to receive the payment .
If a taxpayer is unsure they ’ re receiving a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to visit IRS.gov first to protect against scam artists.
” With Trump the top scammer when it comes to grabbing all the credit .

President Donald Trump hijacked what should have been a routine IRS confirmation letter into a taxpayer-paid election-year messaging tool sent to millions of potential voters in Illinois and across the nation.
Folks who received their COVID-19 economic stimulus cash via direct deposit in mid-April last week received a note on White House letterhead with Trump’s grandiose Sharpie signature.
There’s a Spanish language version on the other side that Trump also signed. The top of the letter says “The White House” with the word Washington underneath.
The return address on the letters is from the Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, and it includes the warning, “Official Business,” with the penalty for private use $300.
The letters, worth mentioning, were mailed through the U.S. Postal Service, the cash-short agency Trump is angry at because of his grievances against Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos. Trump wants to deny the USPS emergency COVID-19 aid.
As of April 17, there were 3,561,467 people in Illinois who’ve received the economic stimulus payments, totaling almost $6.3 billion, according to the IRS, with more on deck. Nationally, $160 billion went to 89.5 million people as of April 17.
The Trump-signed letter includes the amount of the payment and said, in part, “As we wage total war on this invisible enemy, we are also working around the clock to protect hardworking Americans like you from the consequences of the economy shutdown.”
The number of people receiving the stimulus payment is climbing because the paper checks from the IRS started arriving the past few days.
Whether by direct deposit or check, an adult with an adjusted gross income of up to $75,000 got a maximum of $1,200, with $500 for each eligible child under the age of 17.
Those distribution numbers include many deceased. In the well intended rush to shove money out the door, the IRS did not scrub their lists of people who died after filing tax returns in 2018 or 2019. It’s not clear yet how the money will be returned.
In an unprecedented move, Trump put his name on the left side of the check with the note, “Economic Impact Payment.” He’s not the actual signature on the check; Trump is not an authorized signer. There are some limits to presidential power. Imagine if Trump could actually sign government checks.
No surprise, Trump lied about it when he was asked if wanted to sign the checks at an April 3 briefing.
“No. Me sign? No. There’s millions of checks. I’m going to sign them? No. It’s a Trump administration initiative. But do I want to sign them? No,” Trump said.
Trump wants to give the impression he deserves the entire credit for federal money people are getting as a result of the COVID-19 economic meltdown, as if Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress were oblivious to the disaster. But it could not have happened without the cooperation of Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democrats.
A notice the Department of Health and Human Services sent to doctors about potential relief funds they may get starts out, “President Trump is providing support to health care providers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to a copy obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
What is the ploy Trump used as an excuse for the White House letter?
The IRS is sending confirmation letters “for security reasons” 15 days after the direct deposits.
The IRS website states, “The letter will provide information on how the payment was made and how to report any failure to receive the payment. If a taxpayer is unsure they’re receiving a legitimate letter, the IRS urges taxpayers to visit IRS.gov first to protect against scam artists.”
With Trump the top scammer when it comes to grabbing all the credit.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-04--In-person visits for parents of children in DCFS care have been suspended since March  (LIVE UPDATES

In-person visits for parents of children in DCFS care have been suspended since March  (LIVE UPDATES)

In-person visits for parents of children in DCFS care have been suspended since March As millions of people have learned over a lonely springtime of social distancing , phone calls and video chats are no substitute for seeing loved ones in person .
In Illinois , the limitations of phone and online communications are particularly painful for many parents of children in the custody of the Department of Children & Family Services , which in March canceled in-person visits for thousands of children over concern about the spread of COVID-19 .
The agency in late March all but shut down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supervised visits with their children , citing concerns over the health of DCFS workers , children and foster parents .
For Berwyn mother Leticia Seeman , that means video calls have been the only contact she has had since March with her 4-month old daughter , who has been in the custody of her parents since DCFS began an investigation in February .
“ Sometimes I can get a smile out of her , but I don ’ t know if she really recognizes my voice , ” Seeman said Friday , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s modified stay-at-home order took effect , loosening restrictions on activities for state residents .
“ Today , I woke up , and people can go golfing , but I can ’ t see my baby .
I can ’ t hold her .
I can ’ t feed her .
I have no interaction with her but the phone.
” Read the full story from Andy Grimm here .
6:18 a.m. Illinois sets new daily record by processing nearly 20K coronavirus tests , finding 2,994 new cases Illinois processed a new daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2,994 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed , health officials announced Sunday .
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said Illinois also suffered another 63 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday , bringing the state ’ s coronavirus death toll to 2,618 and total case count to 61,499 .
The 63 deaths mark only the third time since April 21 that the state has recorded fewer than 70 deaths in a given day , and the 19,417 tests processed shatters the previous record of 16,316 set on April 24 .
The 15.4 percent infection rate — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positive — is also lower than normal .
A total of 4,701 Illinoisans are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 , with 1,232 occupying ICU beds .
Ninety-seven of the state ’ s 102 counties have recorded cases .
Read the full story by Tom Schuba and Ben Pope here .
• Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said reported another 63 deaths from COVID-19 in Illinois on Saturday , bringing the state ’ s coronavirus death toll to 2,618 and total case count to 61,499 .
• CBS News “ 60 Minutes ” correspondent Lesley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feeling well after a battle with COVID-19 that left her hospitalized for a week .
• A quick rise in the number of coronavirus cases among inmates held in Chicago ’ s downtown federal jail continued Friday , with the Bureau of Prisons reporting 74 inmates had tested positive , up from 48 on Thursday .
• Chicago police announced five more cases of COVID-19 Friday , bringing the number of confirmed cases in the department to 441 .
6:08 a.m. Trump ’ s blatant taxpayer-paid ploy to grab credit for stimulus checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump hijacked what should have been a routine IRS confirmation letter into a taxpayer-paid election-year messaging tool sent to millions of potential voters in Illinois and across the nation .
Folks who received their COVID-19 economic stimulus cash via direct deposit in mid-April last week received a note on White House letterhead with Trump ’ s grandiose Sharpie signature .
There ’ s a Spanish language version on the other side that Trump also signed .
The top of the letter says “ The White House ” with the word Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ letters is from the Department of the Treasury , Internal Revenue Service , and it includes the warning , “ Official Business , ” with the penalty for private use $ 300 .
The letters , worth mentioning , were mailed through the U.S .
Postal Service , the cash-short agency Trump is angry at because of his grievances against Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos .
Trump wants to deny the USPS emergency COVID-19 aid .
Read the full column from Lynn Sweet here .

The latest
A swab is an item as light as a feather but in short supply as the demand for COVID-19 testing grows. Mass testing is key to trying to reopen our lives, schools and economy. Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images
“We need swabs,” Gov. J. B. Pritzker said at his Sunday briefing, “We don’t have enough swabs.”
Earlier on Sunday, Pritzker said in an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” “Recently we got a call from the White House telling us that in May they’re sending us 600,000 swabs and I’m very grateful for that.”
What is a swab?
It’s an item as light as a feather but in short supply as the demand for COVID-19 testing grows. Mass testing is key to trying to reopen our lives, schools and economy.
The federal Food and Drug Administration in recent weeks has expanded swab testing options and materials, fast tracking decision making in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Swabs are essential to collecting samples from a nose or throat. Swabs are put in a package with a reagent — it could be some kind of a liquid — to preserve the sample. The sample is sent to a lab with a testing machine to see if it is positive for COVID-19.
No swab, no test.
Merriam Webster defines a swab as “a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used especially for applying medication or for removing material from an area.”
That definition doesn’t go far enough.
News
9:34 p.m. Church that challenged stay-at-home ruling and lost plans to appeal
Leaders at an Evangelical church in Northwestern Illinois announced Monday they are appealing a federal court ruling that upheld Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s right to scale back in-person church services as part of his stay-at-home order to help prevent spread of the coronavirus.
The legal fracas began when leaders at the Beloved Church in Lena, located about 50 miles west of Rockford, filed a complaint Thursday seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction in order to resume worship services with its 80 congregants.
Pritzker’s stay-at-home order allows 10 people to attend a church service.
A U.S. district judge issued a ruling Sunday upholding Pritzker’s order as constitutional.
“Given the continuing threat posed by COVID-19, the [stay-at-home] Order preserves relatively robust avenues for praise, prayer and fellowship and passes constitutional muster,” Judge John Z. Lee wrote in a 37-page decision.
The lawsuit, filed by the Thomas More Society on behalf of The Beloved Church, had been the first significant legal challenge to Illinois’ stay-at-home order in federal court.
The church’s pastor, Stephen Cassell, has defied the order.
Read the full report from Mitch Dudek here.
8:16 p.m. Lightfoot rules out public safety cuts, but worried about state shortfall’s impact on state aid to Chicago
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday she’s “not ever gonna cut back on public safety” — no matter how much city revenues plummet because of the stay-at-home shutdown of the Chicago economy — but she’s worried about a cutback in state aid to Chicago.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has projected a $2.7 billion shortfall for the current state budget and a $4.6 billion gap for the fiscal year beginning July 1. With short-term borrowing to get through the coronavirus pandemic, the total shortfall for the fiscal year 2021 budget would be $6.2 billion when compared to the budget that Pritzker released in February.
Lightfoot has refused to project Chicago’s budget shortfall, fearing an initial estimate would end up too low and must be revised upward at a time when laid off Chicagoans are struggling to pay rent and put food on the table. She has said repeatedly that to the extent possible, she wants city government to act as a “local stimulus” and that the last thing she wants is to lay off or furlough city employees.
On Monday, the mayor was asked whether Chicago could be forced to follow the lead of other major cities now considering previously unthinkable cutbacks impacting lifeguards at public pools and even police officers on the front lines of the pandemic.
“We’re not ever gonna cut back on public safety. I can tell you that. That’s not a thing that can or will do — particularly not when we’re also continuing to fight the epidemic of gun violence,” Lightfoot said.
Read the full story from City Hall reporter Fran Spielman.
7:01 p.m. Dart touts improvements, warns of security issues as Cook County Jail battles COVID-19
New protocols put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 inside Cook County Jail may be wearing on detainees, and may not be possible to maintain if the usual summertime rise in arrests leads to an influx of inmates, lawyers for Sheriff Tom Dart said in a court-ordered report.
The report details changes made at the jail where more than 500 detainees and 300-plus jail staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. Six detainees and one corrections officer have also died from complications related to coronavirus since late March.
The report given to U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly last week includes more than 200 pages of documentation showing the twice-weekly distribution of soap and cleansers to detainees, and nearly a dozen coronavirus-related disturbances inside the jail complex within the last month.
Inmate advocates in March filed a class-action lawsuit seeking the release or transfer of elderly and medically compromised detainees, prompting Kennelly to order heightened sanitation and single cells for detainees wherever possible.
Dart has angrily contested criticism of his handling of the outbreak, citing massive efforts including reopening long-closed sections of the jail and converting a former boot camp into a 500-bed quarantine hospital. Despite those efforts, the number of detainees who have COVID-19 peaked at 274 on April 12, according to data compiled from the sheriff’s public reports by Injustice Watch.
Read the full report from Andy Grimm here.
6:36 p.m. Illinois’ high times keep rolling amid coronavirus pandemic as recreational pot sales top $37 million in April
As Illinois’ economy has come to a screeching halt in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, recreational weed has remained a hot commodity with sales topping $37 million last month.
April’s nearly $37.3 million in sales trails only the $39.2 million worth of adult-use cannabis sold by pot shops in January, the first month the drug was legalized for recreational use, according to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Since the start of the year, Illinois dispensaries have sold over $147 million in recreational cannabis.
Though many businesses have been forced to temporarily shut their doors as officials look to quell the spread of the new coronavirus, both recreational and medical pot sales were deemed essential. To encourage social distancing at stores, new rules have been put in place requiring shoppers to stand six feet apart and allowing curbside pickup for medical pot patients and their designated caregivers through the end of the month.
Read the full report from Tom Schuba here.
5:48 p.m. Organizer of Little Village parade says to stay home for Cinco de Mayo
Hector Escobar has planned the annual Cinco de Mayo festival and parade in Little Village for years, but instead of encouraging people to celebrate on Tuesday, he has one simple request this year: Stay home.
“Don’t go have drinks outside. Let’s be smart about this. We only have one life,” Escobar said. “Play music in your home and celebrate by keeping others safe.”
The multi-day Cinco de Mayo celebration — which marks the Mexican army’s victory over the France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 — was to kick off last Friday at Douglas Park and end with a parade on Sunday.
Restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic changed those plans.
Read the full story from Manny Ramos here.
5:30 p.m. Costco requires face coverings in stores starting Monday
No face mask? No free samples at Costco.
Costco members and guests will be required to wear masks in Costco stores starting Monday to help protect employees as well as other members.
The masks must be worn at all times when in Costco and cover the mouth and nose, according to a statement from the company. Children under the age of 2 and those unable to wear a mask due to a medical condition will be exempt. Employees are already required to wear masks while working.
The statement asked shoppers to continue to social distance while in stores, as the masks are not a substitute for social distancing.
“We know some members may find this inconvenient or objectionable, but under the circumstances we believe the added safety is worth any inconvenience,” Craig Jelinek, President and CEO of Costco Wholesale, said in the statement. “This is not simply a matter of personal choice; a face covering protects not just the wearer, but others too.”
— Alison Martin
4:50 p.m. 46 more Illinois deaths reported as daily COVID-19 case count hits 2,341
Officials on Monday said another 46 people have died of coronavirus in Illinois — marking two days in which the state has seen less than 100 deaths per day.
But it remains unclear whether that lower death rate will stick. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration has said the state will remain in a death peak through early May, with 50 to 150 deaths projected every day.
And with an uptick in test results, the state has seen more than 2,000 daily coronavirus cases a day.
In total, the state received 13,834 tests results on Sunday. Monday’s new case count is 2,341 cases, bringing the state’s total to 63,840 positive cases. With the 46 deaths reported on Monday, the state has lost 2,662 people to COVID-19.
The virus is in 97 of the state’s 102 counties.
Hospitalization numbers have remained relatively flat, according to health officials. Pritzker has said he wants to see 14 days of declining hospitalizations and new cases before more parts of the state could reopen — and the state’s economy could ramp back up.
Read the full story on Illinois’ latest coronavirus update here.
4:10 p.m. Chicago’s African American women restaurateurs ‘refuse to lose’ their livelihoods to pandemic
Keisha Rucker, co-owner of Hyde Park’s The Soul Shack had just celebrated the restaurant’s one-year anniversary two days before Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered the state’s bars and restaurants to close to dine-in customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Outside of attending college at DePaul University, Rucker has never truly left Hyde Park.
Attending Shoesmith and William H. Ray elementary schools, and Kenwood Academy, along with opening up the eatery on 53rd Street (the neighborhood’s business epicenter) has earned her the nickname “Mz. Hyde Park.”
Since the executive order took effect, however, she says she has lost 80% of her business.
“We have been able to stay open every day so far; free delivery service is currently keeping the business afloat,” said Rucker. “So I have been able to keep most of my staff with full-time positions.
“I had a straight business plan for dining and carryout delivery service and I had to revamp my whole system within less than 30 days when they came down with a stay-at-home order. So far, I have been able to keep the business open; that is my community.”
On Wednesdays, Soul Shack gives free meals to Hyde Park’s homeless community. The meal consists of fried chicken and two sides — called “South Sides.”
Read the full story from Evan F. Moore here.
2:35 p.m. Does Lightfoot’s Chicago Housing Solidarity Pledge do enough?
Last week, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot unveiled her Chicago Housing Solidarity Pledge: an unprecedented but non-binding commitment to show “flexibility and restraint” in dealing with one another during this unprecedented time of hardship to prevent the pandemic from triggering another wave of foreclosures.
Participating landlords agreed to offer tenants grace periods with terms that “avoid repayment at the end of the deferral period.” They also promised to waive late fees for missed payments and allow renters who miss payments to amortize those payments over time.
In a letter to the Sun-Times published Sunday, Hyde Park resident Helena Duncan of the Lift the Ban Coalition called the agreement “a slap in the face to Chicago’s renters.” She writes:
This non-binding and totally unenforceable pledge allows landlords to say they’ll go easy on tenants, for example, by eliminating late fees while providing no substantive, universal relief to struggling renters. If Lightfoot truly cared about renters, who comprise more than half of her constituents, she’d use her platform to urge Gov. J.B. Pritzker to repeal a statewide ban on rent control through executive action and institute a rent and mortgage freeze. She’d listen to the tenants and advocacy groups who have been fighting for this, to those of us warning that once the eviction moratorium is lifted, families with several months’ of rent debt will be on the streets.
Read this and more letters from Sun-Times readers this week here.
2:20 p.m. Galewood townhome that was site of viral party also hosted smaller gathering a month earlier
The Galewood townhome used to host a videotaped house party on April 25 was the scene of a smaller gathering March 26 that triggered neighbor complaints and a visit, but no citations, from police.
Like the second gathering, Chicago Fire Department Cmdr. Christine Matthews said the earlier party, attended by 10 people, was hosted by her 26-year-old son, who doesn’t live with her, but has a key to her townhome “for emergencies.”
Matthews said she didn’t find out about the first party until the second, larger party went viral. Matthews worked 24-hour shifts as a paramedic on both days.
“If I had known about the first party, that second party would have never happened . . . I would have took my keys. I would have locked my house down. He wouldn’t have access to my house to throw an even bigger, messier party,” Matthews said.
Read the full story from Fran Spielman here.
1:48 p.m. Chicago-area coronavirus testing map
Dozens of testing sites for COVID-19 have been established across the Chicago area to help track the spread of the novel coronavirus. Check out the most up-to-date locations to get tested.
Keep track of how many people have been tested in Illinois, including the number of positive and negative cases, with additional graphs here.
12:34 p.m. Coronavirus testing site opens in Back of the Yards
A new testing site for the coronavirus opened Monday in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, promising to process up to 500 patients a week.
The testing site will operate out of the Access Family Health Center, 5159 S. Ashland Ave., and is open to anyone who is experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19.
Testing is offered 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, with the first hour being reserved for seniors and people living with disabilities. The test is free at the point of service for everyone, even those without medical insurance.
Access Community Health Network CEO Donna Thompson said patients who get tested will also leave with educational materials in both English and Spanish about how to manage COVID-19 at home and where to access public resources.
Read the full story from Carlos Ballesteros here.
11:30 a.m. Miami Dolphins unveil plan to host fans in stadium amid coronavirus pandemic
The Dolphins have a plan in place to host fans in their stadium during the 2020 season — even as the NFL is still figuring out its strategy during the coronavirus pandemic.
As other pro sports leagues remain on hold to adhere to shelter-in-place and social-distancing guidelines, the NFL is still set to begin its season Sept. 10. The league has been discussing contingency plans to push the season back to October in empty stadiums, according to ESPN.
“We would have times to come in for security at different gates so people would be separated out, in terms of when they enter the stadium,” Dolphins CEO and president Tom Garfinkel said Monday in an interview on “Good Morning America,” per ESPN. ”We would exit the stadium much like a church environment, where each row exits so people aren’t filing out all at the same time in a herd.”
The mock-up plan mirrors carry-out food line protocol established by restaurants. The Dolphins would include colored spots on the ground to mark where people stand before entering Hard Rock Stadium, allowing fans to stay six feet apart. The Dolphins could be down to 15,000 fans in the 65,000-seat stadium.
Read the full story here.
11 a.m. Grant Park Music Festival canceled due to coronavirus pandemic
Chicago’s outdoor music festival season has suffered its latest casualty due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Grant Park Music Festival on Monday announced the cancellation of its 2020 season, originally set for June 10-Aug. 15 at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park and other locations across the Chicago area. More than 300,000 people attend the festival each year.
The free classical music festival, featuring the Grant Park Orchestra, under the direction of artistic director and principal conductor Carlos Kalmar, and the Grant Park Chorus, under the direction of Christopher Bell, has been a summertime tradition since 1935. Attracting world-renowned musicians and singers from across the country and around the world, the festival has continuously provided a diverse repertoire of classical music favorites and world premieres.
In addition, the festival has been home to classic movie nights (featuring the orchestra providing live accompaniment to screenings of some of Hollywood’s greatest musicals) and Broadway show celebrations.
Read the full story from Miriam Di Nunzio here.
9:21 a.m. In-person visits for parents of children in DCFS care have been suspended since March
As millions of people have learned over a lonely springtime of social distancing, phone calls and video chats are no substitute for seeing loved ones in person.
In Illinois, the limitations of phone and online communications are particularly painful for many parents of children in the custody of the Department of Children & Family Services, which in March canceled in-person visits for thousands of children over concern about the spread of COVID-19.
The agency in late March all but shut down in-person visits for parents who are allowed supervised visits with their children, citing concerns over the health of DCFS workers, children and foster parents.
For Berwyn mother Leticia Seeman, that means video calls have been the only contact she has had since March with her 4-month old daughter, who has been in the custody of her parents since DCFS began an investigation in February.
“Sometimes I can get a smile out of her, but I don’t know if she really recognizes my voice,” Seeman said Friday, a day when Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s modified stay-at-home order took effect, loosening restrictions on activities for state residents.
“Today, I woke up, and people can go golfing, but I can’t see my baby. I can’t hold her. I can’t feed her. I have no interaction with her but the phone.”
Read the full story from Andy Grimm here.
8:08 a.m. Hours after cops broke up Lawndale party, 5 teens were shot at a gathering in the same block
Five teenagers were wounded in a shooting early Sunday at a gathering in the Lawndale neighborhood — just hours after officers enforcing the statewide stay-at-home order broke up another get-together in the same block.
Officers initially responded about 8:45 p.m. Saturday to the 3700 block of West 13th Street and dispersed a crowd, police said. Officers then returned to the block just after 3:30 a.m. Sunday when five males between the ages of 15 and 19 were struck by bullets sprayed from a passing gray sedan during a “large gathering.”
The teenage victims were all taken to hospitals in fair condition, police said. As of Sunday evening, no one was in custody.
The attack happened a day after Mayor Lori Lightfoot offered a stark warning to partygoers as she walked through the East Garfield Park neighborhood, just over a mile from where the gunfire erupted.
Read the full story here.
6:18 a.m. Illinois sets new daily record by processing nearly 20K coronavirus tests, finding 2,994 new cases
Illinois processed a new daily record of 19,417 coronavirus tests Saturday and 2,994 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, health officials announced Sunday.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois also suffered another 63 deaths from COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the state’s coronavirus death toll to 2,618 and total case count to 61,499.
The 63 deaths mark only the third time since April 21 that the state has recorded fewer than 70 deaths in a given day, and the 19,417 tests processed shatters the previous record of 16,316 set on April 24.
The 15.4 percent infection rate — the percentage of tests that came back positive — is also lower than normal.
A total of 4,701 Illinoisans are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19, with 1,232 occupying ICU beds. Ninety-seven of the state’s 102 counties have recorded cases.
Read the full story by Tom Schuba and Ben Pope here.
New cases
Analysis & Commentary
5:55 p.m. America’s road back from COVID-19 must begin with an end to the politics of division
We think we can all agree that the woman who carried an “Arbeit macht frei, JB” sign at a downtown rally on Friday was not speaking for a significant number of people in Illinois.
She was speaking for Nazis.
But more importantly, we don’t believe the hundreds of demonstrators at the Thompson Center rally, or at a larger rally in Springfield on the same day, were speaking for a significant number of people — not when it comes to Illinois’ response to COVID-19.
The demonstrators in their foolish approach — no masks, no social distancing and no respect for science — were out of step with the vast majority of people in Illinois, who accept that the coronavirus is real and deadly and have been working hard to keep it at bay.
Read the full editorial from the Sun-Times Editorial Board.
5:30 p.m. We must protect the right to vote in the November elections
The coronavirus does not discriminate, but people do. The coronavirus is not partisan, but politicians are. When we should be coming together to address a shared crisis, some are intent on driving us apart and exacting partisan advantage in the midst of the crisis.
Across the country, Republicans are intensifying their efforts to make it harder to vote, with particular focus on suppressing the votes of African Americans and other minorities.
With the pandemic making in-person voting dangerous, Congress should move rapidly to provide resources to help every state create systems for voting by mail. The first rescue package, the CARES Act, included some money for vote-by-mail programs, but far short of what is needed.
Why not provide it? Republicans are worried that voting by mail may increase turnout, particularly among low-income and minority voters. Donald Trump voiced the fear, saying “They had things, levels of voting, that if you’d ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again.” Trump said this in March, dismissing Democratic efforts to expand mail-in voting, make registration easier, and extend voting days.
Read the full commentary from Rev. Jesse Jackson.
9:32 a.m. Stay-at-home orders or not, with technology, the doors of the church are always open
Everyone has the right to church, says a federal lawsuit filed Thursday on behalf of The Beloved Church, a small evangelical congregation outside of Rockford. It is fighting Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s extension of the COVID-19 stay-at-home executive order.
The plaintiffs argue that by classifying sacred worship as “non-essential,” Pritzker and other public officials demonstrate “illegal and discriminatory hostility to religious practice, churches, and people of faith” and are “relegating them to second-class citizenship.” The lawsuit was filed by the Thomas More Society, a public interest law firm in Chicago.
“Most faith leaders have found new ways to connect with parishioners” via Zoom and other online outlets during the pandemic, Pritzker responded.
The governor also tweaked his executive order, to classify religious gatherings as “essential activities.” Illinois residents can now “engage in the free exercise of religion, provided that such exercise must comply with social distancing requirements and the limit on gatherings of more than 10 people in keeping with CDC guidelines for the protection of public health.”
To God, nothing is more sacred than life. In this pandemic, I am staying home to save them.
Read the full column from Laura Washington here.
6:08 a.m. Trump’s blatant taxpayer-paid ploy to grab credit for stimulus checks: A note on White House letterhead
President Donald Trump hijacked what should have been a routine IRS confirmation letter into a taxpayer-paid election-year messaging tool sent to millions of potential voters in Illinois and across the nation.
Folks who received their COVID-19 economic stimulus cash via direct deposit in mid-April last week received a note on White House letterhead with Trump’s grandiose Sharpie signature.
There’s a Spanish language version on the other side that Trump also signed. The top of the letter says “The White House” with the word Washington underneath.
The return address on the letters is from the Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, and it includes the warning, “Official Business,” with the penalty for private use $300.
The letters, worth mentioning, were mailed through the U.S. Postal Service, the cash-short agency Trump is angry at because of his grievances against Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos. Trump wants to deny the USPS emergency COVID-19 aid.
Read the full column from Lynn Sweet here.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-04--Man shot to death in Gary

Man shot to death in Gary

A man died Saturday after he was shot in Gary , Indiana .
Ernest Millard III , 38 , suffered @ @ @ @ @ 1100 block of Williams Street in Gary , according to the Lake County coroner ’ @ @ @ @ @ who lived in Gary , was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:47 p.m. , @ @ @ @ @ said .
His death was ruled a homicide .
Read more on crime , and @ @ @ @ @ homicides .

A man died Sunday after he was shot in Gary, Indiana.
Ernest Millard III, 38, suffered a gunshot wound in the 1100 block of Williams Street in Gary, according to the Lake County coroner’s office.
Millard, who lived in Gary, was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:47 p.m., the coroner’s office said. His death was ruled a homicide.
The Lake County/Gary Metro Homicide Unit is investigating.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-04--Dear Abby: I’m off my meds and feeling better, but family’s confused

DEAR ABBY : I had weight-loss surgery a year ago .
I ’ m now off all medications ( high blood pressure , antidepressants , etc . )
and take only one multivitamin daily .
I feel like I ’ m 25 again .
However , I have also changed mentally .
After many years of being a zombie on antidepressants , I feel like I have finally “ awakened.
” I come from a dysfunctional , abusive childhood .
My father abused my mother .
I was diagnosed with dysthymia years ago , and I feel the diagnosis was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has turned more into anxiety than depression .
I ’ m no longer afraid of speaking up and , after 20 years , I actually have opinions of my own .
Needless to say , my family ( husband , grown children and in-laws ) are not used to this side of me .
I find myself feeling resentful , anxious and envious of certain immediate family and in-law family dynamics now .
I don ’ t want to upset my family by being so vocal and opinionated , but I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prescriptions either .
I also have little faith that counseling will do much good .
I ’ m afraid I ’ ll be pushed into taking meds again .
I feel like I ’ m between a rock and a hard place right now .
Any advice ?
— A TOUGH SPOT IN NORTH CAROLINA DEAR TOUGH SPOT : Keeping in mind that no one can force you back on medications if you don ’ t want them , I do think you could benefit from talking with a licensed mental health professional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes in your life , and are no longer the person you were when you were prescribed the medications that made you feel like a zombie .
A mental health professional can help you to sort out whether you have a problem or whether your family members do in dealing with the new you .
DEAR ABBY : In the future when I am able , I would like to travel with a mix of single and married ladies .
I ’ m in a committed relationship , and when I discussed this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference of opinion .
She believes that happy individuals in committed relationships do not travel with other people .
She believes happy couples should travel together and not independently .
Is that controlling ?
I have traveled independently in prior committed relationships , and this has never been an issue .
Should I honor her request or deny it ?
She is pushing me to respect this rule and says it applies to her as well because she believes “ females ” let loose when they are away from their significant others .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I travel independently , there will be an emotional price to pay , or she will do something in my absence that will change the dynamics of our relationship .
— LOVE OR CONTROL DEAR LOVE : There are already issues that will change the dynamics of your relationship — your partner ’ s insecurity and need to control , and your need for some freedom .
Unless you are laying down “ rules ” for her to follow as she is trying to do to you , step back and take a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who love each other want their partner to be happy and fulfilled whether they are together or apart .
This takes trust , self-confidence and courage .
Rather than the wind beneath your wings , it appears your partner may be more of an anchor .
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren , also known as Jeanne Phillips , and was founded by her mother , Pauline Phillips .
Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O .
Box 69440 , Los Angeles , CA 90069 .
To order “ How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” send your name and mailing address , plus check or money order for $ 8 ( U.S. funds ) , to : Dear Abby — Letter Booklet , P.O .
Box 447 , Mount Morris , IL 61054-0447 .
Shipping and handling are included in the price .

DEAR ABBY: I had weight-loss surgery a year ago. I’m now off all medications (high blood pressure, antidepressants, etc.) and take only one multivitamin daily. I feel like I’m 25 again. However, I have also changed mentally. After many years of being a zombie on antidepressants, I feel like I have finally “awakened.”
I come from a dysfunctional, abusive childhood. My father abused my mother. I was diagnosed with dysthymia years ago, and I feel the diagnosis was correct. I now feel my dysthymia has turned more into anxiety than depression. I’m no longer afraid of speaking up and, after 20 years, I actually have opinions of my own.
Needless to say, my family (husband, grown children and in-laws) are not used to this side of me. I find myself feeling resentful, anxious and envious of certain immediate family and in-law family dynamics now. I don’t want to upset my family by being so vocal and opinionated, but I don’t want to get back on mind-altering prescriptions either. I also have little faith that counseling will do much good. I’m afraid I’ll be pushed into taking meds again. I feel like I’m between a rock and a hard place right now. Any advice? — A TOUGH SPOT IN NORTH CAROLINA
DEAR TOUGH SPOT: Keeping in mind that no one can force you back on medications if you don’t want them, I do think you could benefit from talking with a licensed mental health professional about this. You have made major changes in your life, and are no longer the person you were when you were prescribed the medications that made you feel like a zombie. A mental health professional can help you to sort out whether you have a problem or whether your family members do in dealing with the new you.
DEAR ABBY: In the future when I am able, I would like to travel with a mix of single and married ladies. I’m in a committed relationship, and when I discussed this with my partner, we had a difference of opinion.
She believes that happy individuals in committed relationships do not travel with other people. She believes happy couples should travel together and not independently. Is that controlling? I have traveled independently in prior committed relationships, and this has never been an issue.
Should I honor her request or deny it? She is pushing me to respect this rule and says it applies to her as well because she believes “females” let loose when they are away from their significant others. I get the distinct feeling that if I travel independently, there will be an emotional price to pay, or she will do something in my absence that will change the dynamics of our relationship. — LOVE OR CONTROL
DEAR LOVE: There are already issues that will change the dynamics of your relationship — your partner’s insecurity and need to control, and your need for some freedom. Unless you are laying down “rules” for her to follow as she is trying to do to you, step back and take a second look at this relationship. Healthy people who love each other want their partner to be happy and fulfilled whether they are together or apart. This takes trust, self-confidence and courage. Rather than the wind beneath your wings, it appears your partner may be more of an anchor.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
To order “How to Write Letters for All Occasions,” send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby — Letter Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-04--Chicago outdoors: Vulture in Chicago, Spring Bird Count, fishing electronics training, IL fish stock

Chicago outdoors: Vulture in Chicago, Spring Bird Count, fishing electronics training, IL fish stockings

Notes come from all around Chicago outdoors .
“ I ’ ve never gotten close enough to get a picture of this bird when I vacation up in Michigan , ” Paul Vriend emailed .
“ So , I thought it was convenient when this turkey vulture landed on a tree overlooking Rosehill Cemetery on Balmoral Avenue.
” WOTW , the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors , runs most weeks in the special two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Saturday .
Submit nominations by message on Facebook ( Dale Bowman ) , on Twitter ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BowmanOutside ) or email ( BowmanOutside @ gmail.com ) .
Turkey hunting : North zone , fourth season , through Wednesday , May 6 ; fifth ( final ) , Thursday , May 7 , to May 14 ; south , fifth ( final ) , through Thursday , May 7 .
“ Do you have any news/info on fish stocking for this year ?
The scuttlebutt is that there will be no stocking.
” Zachary Arnold A : Good question and Illinois fisheries chief Mike McClelland had a good answer , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fish stockings this year .
Our hatchery production staff are working on site , while practicing social-distancing procedures , to keep fish alive and well at all three locations to continue fish production for 2020.
” 1972 : First year of the Illinois Spring Bird Count , started by Vern Kleen ( thanks to a blog by Chicago Audubon Society ’ s Alan Anderson ) ; this year ’ s count will go on May 9 , but , because of the COVID-19 pandemic , a new line has been added by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a ` House ’ or ` Nearby.
’ “ “ Additionally , I will now offer Virtual Lowrance on the Water Training sessions where I will no longer be restricted by a clients location or have to worry about social distancing.
” Mark O ’ Neill , adjusting to the times and now offering sessions via Zoom , details at Structure-Fishing.com

Notes come from all around Chicago outdoors.
WILD OF THE WEEK
“I’ve never gotten close enough to get a picture of this bird when I vacation up in Michigan,” Paul Vriend emailed. “So, I thought it was convenient when this turkey vulture landed on a tree overlooking Rosehill Cemetery on Balmoral Avenue.”
WOTW, the celebration of wild stories and photos around Chicago outdoors, runs most weeks in the special two-page outdoors section in the Sun-Times Sports Saturday. Submit nominations by message on Facebook (Dale Bowman), on Twitter (@BowmanOutside) and Instagram (@BowmanOutside) or email (BowmanOutside@gmail.com).
WILD TIMES
HUNTER SAFETY
June 4 and 6: Newark, (815) 210-4995
ILLINOIS PERMITS/SEASONS
Turkey hunting: North zone, fourth season, through Wednesday, May 6; fifth (final), Thursday, May 7, to May 14; south, fifth (final), through Thursday, May 7.
DALE’S MAILBAG
“Do you have any news/info on fish stocking for this year? The scuttlebutt is that there will be no stocking.” Zachary Arnold
A: Good question and Illinois fisheries chief Mike McClelland had a good answer, “We do plan to conduct the general fish stockings this year. Our hatchery production staff are working on site, while practicing social-distancing procedures, to keep fish alive and well at all three locations to continue fish production for 2020.”
BIG NUMBER
1972: First year of the Illinois Spring Bird Count, started by Vern Kleen (thanks to a blog by Chicago Audubon Society’s Alan Anderson); this year’s count will go on May 9, but, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new line has been added by the Illinois Audubon Society for those “birding from a `House’ or `Nearby.’ “
LAST WORD
“Additionally, I will now offer Virtual Lowrance on the Water Training sessions where I will no longer be restricted by a clients location or have to worry about social distancing.”
Mark O’Neill, adjusting to the times and now offering sessions via Zoom, details at Structure-Fishing.com


chicagosun-times--2020-05-04--46 shot — 4 fatally — in Chicago weekend shootings

Four people were killed and 42 others were wounded in shootings across Chicago over the first weekend of May .
The most recent fatal attack happened early Sunday in Gage Park on the Southwest Side .
Two men , 35 and 36 , were shot by someone wearing all black at 1:13 a.m. in a yard in the 5200 block of South Troy Street , according to Chicago police .
The 35-year-old , Gabriel Perez , was hit multiple times and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital , where he was pronounced dead , police and the Cook County medical examiner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man was shot twice in each leg and was taken to the same hospital in good condition .
Another man was killed late Saturday in Brainerd on the South Side .
The 27-year-old was found with gunshot wounds to the chest , back and legs at 11:05 p.m. on the front steps of a home in the 9200 block of South Eggleston Avenue , police said .
He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn , where he was pronounced dead , police said .
Earlier that morning , a 30-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park on the South Side .
He was involved in an argument about 2:30 a.m. in the 1600 block of West 35th Street when a male pulled out a gun and shot him in the chest , according to police .
He was taken to Stroger Hospital , where he was pronounced dead .
Another man was fatally shot Friday night in West Englewood on the South Side .
The 35-year-old was dropped off at Holy Cross Hospital about 11:45 p.m. with a gunshot wound to the chest , police said .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was shot during an argument in the 1900 block of West 61st Street .
Twenty-one of the weekend ’ s victims were shot in a seven-hour period from Saturday night to Sunday morning , including five teenagers wounded in a drive-by in Lawndale on the West Side .
Someone in a gray , four-door sedan fired shots at a “ large gathering ” about 3:35 a.m. Sunday on 13th Street , according to police .
All five victims were hit in their legs .
A 15-year-old boy , a 17-year-old boy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hospital in fair condition .
Two other men , 18 and 19 , were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital , also in fair condition , police said .
Less than half an hour before that , a 20-year-old man was shot at a gas station in the same neighborhood .
He had just exited the station and was walking to a vehicle when he heard gunshots and realized he was hit in the hip at 3:10 a.m. in the 4400 block of West Roosevelt Road , police said .
A friend drove him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was transferred to Stroger Hospital in good condition .
About 10 minutes earlier , a man was critically wounded in Heart of Chicago on the Lower West Side .
The 32-year-old was found on the street at 2:59 a.m. with gunshot wounds to his arm , abdomen and leg in the 2100 block of West 23rd Street , according to police .
He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition .
Minutes before that , another man was critically wounded in Englewood on the South Side .
The 35-year-old was shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 6700 block of South Loomis Boulevard , police said .
A friend drove him to Holy Cross Hospital and he was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition .
About 45 minutes earlier , another person was shot on the Dan Ryan Expressway on the South Side .
The male was riding in the back seat of a vehicle at 2:06 a.m. when he was shot on northbound I-94 near 75th Street , according to Illinois State Police .
He later walked into a hospital and was treated for non-life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a man was shot on Lake Shore Drive in Lincoln Park on the North Side .
He was a passenger in a vehicle about 12:10 a.m. in the 1600 block of North Lake Shore Drive when he was shot in the abdomen , police said .
He didn ’ t see who shot him .
He was driven to Weiss Memorial Hospital and was transferred to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition .
About 20 minutes before that , another man was shot while driving in Lawndale .
The 23-year-old was driving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ block of West Douglas Boulevard when someone shot at him from a passing dark-colored vehicle , according to police .
He was hit in the leg and arm and drove himself to Saint Anthony Hospital , where he was listed in fair condition .
Minutes earlier , a woman was shot while riding in a vehicle in the same neighborhood .
The 26-year-old was riding in the back seat of a vehicle at 11:43 p.m. in the 1200 block of South Christiana Avenue when she heard shots and realized she was hit , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sinai Medical Center on her own and was listed in good condition .
Less than 15 minutes before that , another woman was shot in Englewood .
The 33-year-old was standing with a group near a vehicle about 11:30 p.m. in the 6700 block of South Ada Street when someone fired shots , possibly from a gray Chevrolet Impala , police said .
She was struck in the chest and wrist .
A friend drove her to St. Bernard Hospital , and she was transferred to Stroger Hospital in fair condition .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over half an hour earlier in West Pullman on the Far South Side .
Officers responding to a ShotSpotter report of gunfire at 10:54 p.m. found the 19-year-old shot in the index finger in the 11800 block of South Yale Avenue , according to police .
He was taken to Roseland Community Hospital in good condition .
About 20 minutes before that , a 19-year-old man was wounded in Brainerd .
The man was shot about 10:35 p.m. in the 9200 block of South Normal Avenue , police said .
He was hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition .
Just over 30 minutes earlier , a man was shot on the Near West Side .
The 18-year-old was on the sidewalk about 10 p.m. in the 1100 block of South Laflin Street when someone shot him in the calf , police said .
He was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition .
Another man was shot a minute earlier in McKinley Park on the South Side .
The 32-year-old was standing in an alley at 9:59 p.m. when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 3700 block of South Damen Avenue , according to police .
He told investigators he didn ’ t know where the shots came from .
He was hit in both legs and driven by a friend to Stroger Hospital , where he was listed in serious condition .
Earlier Saturday night , a 36-year-old woman was shot in Logan Square on the Northwest Side .
She was driving about 8:35 p.m. in the 1800 block of North Sawyer Avenue when someone in a gray sedan shot her in the finger , police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was listed in good condition .
On Saturday afternoon , three people were injured in a single shooting in South Shore .
They were in a parking lot about 4:10 p.m. in the 1900 block of East 79th Street when someone walked up and opened fire , police said .
A woman , 22 , was struck in the arm and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center .
A 28-year-old man who was shot in the calf and a 29-year-old man who was shot in the foot showed up at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All three were in fair condition .
At least 20 other people were shot across the city between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday .
Last weekend , three people were killed and 16 others were wounded in shootings across the city .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Chicago saw a dramatic uptick in gun violence over the first weekend of May, with four people killed and 42 others wounded.
The most recent fatal attack happened early Sunday in Gage Park on the Southwest Side.
Two men, 35 and 36, were shot by someone wearing all black at 1:13 a.m. in a yard in the 5200 block of South Troy Street, according to Chicago police.
The 35-year-old, Gabriel Perez, was hit multiple times and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. The other man was shot twice in each leg and was taken to the same hospital in good condition.
Another man was killed late Saturday in Brainerd on the South Side.
The 27-year-old was found with gunshot wounds to the chest, back and legs at 11:05 p.m. on the front steps of a home in the 9200 block of South Eggleston Avenue, police said. Khalil T. Porter was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and pronounced dead, according to the medical examiner’s office. His death was ruled a homicide.
Earlier that morning, a 30-year-old man was shot to death in McKinley Park on the South Side.
Eric Chapman Jr. was involved in an argument about 2:30 a.m. in the 1600 block of West 35th Street when a male pulled out a gun and shot him in the chest, authorities said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital and pronounced dead.
Another man was fatally shot Friday night in West Englewood on the South Side.
The 35-year-old was dropped off at Holy Cross Hospital about 11:45 p.m. with a gunshot wound to the chest, police said. He was pronounced dead. Detectives later learned he was shot during an argument in the 1900 block of West 61st Street.
Twenty-one of the weekend’s victims were shot in a seven-hour period from Saturday night to Sunday morning, including five teenagers wounded in a drive-by in Lawndale on the West Side.
Someone in a gray, four-door sedan fired shots at a “large gathering” about 3:35 a.m. Sunday on 13th Street, according to police. All five victims were hit in their legs. A 15-year-old boy, a 17-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man were taken to Stroger Hospital in fair condition. Two other men, 18 and 19, were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, also in fair condition, police said.
Less than half an hour before that, a 20-year-old man was shot at a gas station in the same neighborhood.
He had just exited the station and was walking to a vehicle when he heard gunshots and realized he was hit in the hip at 3:10 a.m. in the 4400 block of West Roosevelt Road, police said. A friend drove him to Rush University Medical Center and he was transferred to Stroger Hospital in good condition.
About 10 minutes earlier, a man was critically wounded in Heart of Chicago on the Lower West Side.
The 32-year-old was found on the street at 2:59 a.m. with gunshot wounds to his arm, abdomen and leg in the 2100 block of West 23rd Street, according to police. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
Minutes before that, another man was critically wounded in Englewood on the South Side.
The 35-year-old was shot twice in the leg about 2:50 a.m. in the 6700 block of South Loomis Boulevard, police said. A friend drove him to Holy Cross Hospital and he was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
About 45 minutes earlier, another person was shot on the Dan Ryan Expressway on the South Side.
The male was riding in the back seat of a vehicle at 2:06 a.m. when he was shot on northbound I-94 near 75th Street, according to Illinois State Police. He later walked into a hospital and was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Shortly after midnight, a man was shot on Lake Shore Drive in Lincoln Park on the North Side.
He was a passenger in a vehicle about 12:10 a.m. in the 1600 block of North Lake Shore Drive when he was shot in the abdomen, police said. He didn’t see who shot him. He was driven to Weiss Memorial Hospital and was transferred to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition.
About 20 minutes before that, another man was shot while driving in Lawndale.
The 23-year-old was driving about 11:50 p.m. Saturday in the 3200 block of West Douglas Boulevard when someone shot at him from a passing dark-colored vehicle, according to police. He was hit in the leg and arm and drove himself to Saint Anthony Hospital, where he was listed in fair condition.
Minutes earlier, a woman was shot while riding in a vehicle in the same neighborhood.
The 26-year-old was riding in the back seat of a vehicle at 11:43 p.m. in the 1200 block of South Christiana Avenue when she heard shots and realized she was hit, police said. She went to Mount Sinai Medical Center on her own and was listed in good condition.
Less than 15 minutes before that, another woman was shot in Englewood.
The 33-year-old was standing with a group near a vehicle about 11:30 p.m. in the 6700 block of South Ada Street when someone fired shots, possibly from a gray Chevrolet Impala, police said. She was struck in the chest and wrist. A friend drove her to St. Bernard Hospital, and she was transferred to Stroger Hospital in fair condition.
A man was shot in the hand just over half an hour earlier in West Pullman on the Far South Side.
Officers responding to a ShotSpotter report of gunfire at 10:54 p.m. found the 19-year-old shot in the index finger in the 11800 block of South Yale Avenue, according to police. He was taken to Roseland Community Hospital in good condition.
About 20 minutes before that, a 19-year-old man was wounded in Brainerd.
The man was shot about 10:35 p.m. in the 9200 block of South Normal Avenue, police said. He was hit multiple times in the lower body and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition.
Just over 30 minutes earlier, a man was shot on the Near West Side.
The 18-year-old was on the sidewalk about 10 p.m. in the 1100 block of South Laflin Street when someone shot him in the calf, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition.
Another man was shot a minute earlier in McKinley Park on the South Side.
The 32-year-old was standing in an alley at 9:59 p.m. when he heard gunshots and felt pain in the 3700 block of South Damen Avenue, according to police. He told investigators he didn’t know where the shots came from. He was hit in both legs and driven by a friend to Stroger Hospital, where he was listed in serious condition.
Earlier Saturday night, a 36-year-old woman was shot in Logan Square on the Northwest Side.
She was driving about 8:35 p.m. in the 1800 block of North Sawyer Avenue when someone in a gray sedan shot her in the finger, police said. She went to Norwegian-American Hospital and was listed in good condition.
On Saturday afternoon, three people were injured in a single shooting in South Shore.
They were in a parking lot about 4:10 p.m. in the 1900 block of East 79th Street when someone walked up and opened fire, police said. A woman, 22, was struck in the arm and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center. A 28-year-old man who was shot in the calf and a 29-year-old man who was shot in the foot showed up at Trinity Hospital a short while later. All three were in fair condition.
At least 20 other people were shot across the city between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.
The tally is more than double the reported shootings from the weekend before, when three people were killed and 16 others were wounded — although temperatures were considerably lower then.
The last weekend that had highs both days in the 60s — Easter weekend — tallied 21 shot, three fatally.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-04--Property tax pain looms in a pandemic-ravaged economy

It ’ s going to be a summer of reckoning for your friendly local politician .
COVID-19 and its cessation of commerce is starving government of revenue .
Budget departments labor to keep up with the ongoing damage .
All the stores we ’ re not visiting , the gas we ’ re not buying , the income we aren ’ t making are compounding losses for the tax collector .
But in every local jurisdiction , there ’ s a huge issue ahead .
Will you , can you , pay your next property tax bill ?
Cook County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a lot , having heard from hard-pressed constituents .
Keep in mind that his 13th District is wealthier than most , running along the lakefront from Rogers Park north to Glencoe .
“ There is a lot of panic out there , ” he said .
“ This is an evolving issue , and we ’ re going to have to deal with this pretty quickly.
” Suffredin estimated , based on his conversations with property-owning residents and businesses , the default rate on the tax bills due to be sent this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Cook County typically allows for a 3 % default rate when it computes the tax rates needed to raise necessary revenue for local governments .
A high default takes a bite out of the cash flow for schools , city halls and others already straining to pay for basic services .
There are ways to make that up with short-term borrowing , but that only adds to debt levels and costs — even at today ’ s record-low interest rates .
What can the county do ?
If it keeps to schedule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Aug. 1 , so the bills have to go out in early July .
That ’ s two months off , but the time will pass quickly , even under quarantine .
The county could push back the payment deadline but — and there are differences of opinion here — that could require approval from the General Assembly .
A simpler way to accomplish the same thing would be to delay late fees and penalties , something some collar counties already are doing .
Doing that doesn ’ t hurt the local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late payment go straight to the counties .
In Cook County , the late fee is a sizable 1.5 % interest charge per month .
There ’ s a bit of history in this matter that shows just what a fix we ’ re in .
Cook County hasn ’ t tinkered much with property-tax payment schedules since the 1930s when politicians let constituents skip a year ’ s worth of bills as they suffered through the Depression .
So we still technically pay our property taxes a year after they are due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 % , we are careening into depression-level hardship again .
Any payment deferral creates its own headaches .
Governments may have to borrow to make up for a shortfall .
As a rule , property taxes are paid twice a year , so pushing one deadline back bumps one payment closer to another .
Two people important to this process are Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and county Treasurer Maria Pappas , whose office sends out the bills and collects the money .
They gave me a joint statement last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not be able to pay their Second Installment property taxes in early August .
Our offices are working closely to try to develop a plan to help those taxpayers.
” Through spokespeople , they declined further comment .
Many homeowners and businesses that own property pay their taxes through escrow accounts at their mortgage lender .
However , some real estate experts foresee an increase in foreclosures starting a few months from now .
The summer tax bills will land just as businesses are trying to shake off the effects of weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if there ’ s progress in controlling COVID-19 .
Noting that many businesses are “ in need of property tax relief , ” Jack Lavin , CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce , said in an email , “ The business community is working with Cook County to find a solution that doesn ’ t penalize those who can not afford to pay property taxes in August , so as not to create greater economic hardship for those who have already been significantly impacted as a result of the ongoing pandemic.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extend tax breaks they can ’ t afford ?
Scott Smith , spokesman for Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi , said , “ Our office believes the best way for property owners to find relief from an overreliance on property taxes is for the federal government to increase the emergency funding available to cities , counties and states.
” Enter the Federal Reserve , which has pledged up to $ 500 billion to help public agencies with cash flows .
The Fed is called the “ lender of last resort.
” It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @

It’s going to be a summer of reckoning for your friendly local politician.
COVID-19 and its cessation of commerce are starving government of revenue. Budget departments labor to keep up with the ongoing damage. All the stores we’re not visiting, the gas we’re not buying, the income we aren’t making are compounding losses for the tax collector.
But in every local jurisdiction, there’s a huge issue ahead. Will you, can you, pay your next property tax bill?
Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin has been thinking about that a lot, having heard from hard-pressed constituents. Keep in mind that his 13th District is wealthier than most, running along the lakefront from Rogers Park north to Glencoe.
“There is a lot of panic out there,” he said. “This is an evolving issue, and we’re going to have to deal with this pretty quickly.”
Suffredin estimated, based on his conversations with property-owning residents and businesses, the default rate on the tax bills due to be sent this summer will be 30%. He said Cook County typically allows for a 3% default rate when it computes the tax rates needed to raise necessary revenue for local governments.
Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin Sun-Times file
A high default takes a bite out of the cash flow for schools, city halls and others already straining to pay for basic services. There are ways to make that up with short-term borrowing, but that only adds to debt levels and costs — even at today’s record-low interest rates.
What can the county do? If it keeps to schedule, the next property tax due date is Aug. 1, so the bills have to go out in early July. That’s two months off, but the time will pass quickly, even under quarantine.
The county could push back the payment deadline but — and there are differences of opinion here — that could require approval from the General Assembly. A simpler way to accomplish the same thing would be to delay late fees and penalties, something some collar counties already are doing. Doing that doesn’t hurt the local taxing bodies much since the charges for late payment go straight to the counties. In Cook County, the late fee is a sizable 1.5% interest charge per month.
Chicago Enterprise bug Chicago Enterprise
There’s a bit of history in this matter that shows just what a fix we’re in. Cook County hasn’t tinkered much with property-tax payment schedules since the 1930s when politicians let constituents skip a year’s worth of bills as they suffered through the Depression. So we still technically pay our property taxes a year after they are due. With unemployment rates now headed toward 20%, we are careening into depression-level hardship again.
Any payment deferral creates its own headaches. Governments may have to borrow to make up for a shortfall. As a rule, property taxes are paid twice a year, so pushing one deadline back bumps one payment closer to another.
Two people important to this process are Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and county Treasurer Maria Pappas, whose office sends out the bills and collects the money. They gave me a joint statement last week that said, “Many property owners will not be able to pay their Second Installment property taxes in early August. Our offices are working closely to try to develop a plan to help those taxpayers.” Through spokespeople, they declined to comment further.
Many homeowners and businesses that own property pay their taxes through escrow accounts at their mortgage lender. However, some real estate experts foresee an increase in foreclosures starting a few months from now.
The summer tax bills will land just as businesses are trying to shake off the effects of weeks with little or no income, even if there’s progress in controlling COVID-19.
Noting that many businesses are “in need of property tax relief,” Jack Lavin, CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, said in an email, “The business community is working with Cook County to find a solution that doesn’t penalize those who cannot afford to pay property taxes in August, so as not to create greater economic hardship for those who have already been significantly impacted as a result of the ongoing pandemic.”
What happens when state and local governments extend tax breaks they can’t afford?
Scott Smith, spokesman for Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, said, “Our office believes the best way for property owners to find relief from an overreliance on property taxes is for the federal government to increase the emergency funding available to cities, counties and states.”
Enter the Federal Reserve, which has pledged up to $500 billion to help public agencies with cash flows. The Fed is called the “lender of last resort.” It’s living up to the name.