chicagosun-times--2020-10-12--How to end a police standoff: ‘I’m trying to watch the Lakers game — come out’

But the outreach worker with the Chicago CRED anti-violence program was busy Friday night helping Chicago police officers negotiate with a man holed up in a home in the Roseland neighborhood on the Far South Side .
He kept texting the man , encouraging him to surrender and telling him he didn ’ t want him to die in a shootout .
Finally , Gardner found a way to get through to the man .
He texted : “ I ’ m trying to watch the Lakers game , come on out.
” And the man walked out with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could have ended badly , ” said Glenn White , commander of the Calumet police district .
“ I told him he was an integral part of this hostage negotiation , and we are indebted to you.
” The tense situation began at 2:45 p.m. , about seven hours before Angelo Blair surrendered .
Blair , 32 , is accused of slamming his girlfriend ’ s head on a car during an argument outside their home near 120th and Indiana .
A neighbor witnessed the violence and yelled at Blair to stop , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home and returned with a handgun , allegedly firing at the neighbor , a retired Cook County sheriff ’ s officer , police said .
Blair ’ s girlfriend ran into the home and left with their two children .
But when officers arrived , Blair was still in the home .
Gardner went to the scene because he ’ s a cousin of Blair ’ s girlfriend .
White said his officers ’ efforts to contact Blair on the phone were “ ineffective.
” The officers also used a public-address system to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but he wasn ’ t responding to that , either .
“ SWAT wanted to use [ Gardner ] as a last resort before we made entry , ” the commander said .
Gardner and Blair exchanged text messages over several hours .
“ I said , ‘ This is Chally Wally , ’ ” Gardner said , referring to his nickname on the street .
Gardner said he told Blair not to “ let down ” his girlfriend and the couple ’ s children .
“ He was scared .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kill you .
I ’ m right here.
’ ” Gardner said he ’ d been informally counseling Blair over the past year about his “ anger-management problem.
” But Gardner thinks Blair felt his manhood was questioned when the neighbor tried to intervene in his fight with his girlfriend .
He just couldn ’ t control his temper .
In his last text to Blair , Gardner mentioned he was missing the Los Angeles Lakers ’ playoff game with the Miami Heat .
That ’ s when Blair finally said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Gardner said they spoke briefly outside the home and Blair apologized for fighting with his girlfriend and the standoff , saying , “ Tell her I didn ’ t mean to pull all of this.
” Blair is charged with aggravated assault with a firearm , domestic battery and criminal damage to property .
A Cook County judge has ordered him held on $ 250,000 bail .
Gardner , 47 , said he grew up in the now-demolished Robert Taylor Homes near 45th and Federal and coincidentally , one of the hostage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gardner said the officer was always trying to arrest him .
Gardner has been in prison several times .
Now , he uses his extensive network of contacts from the street to try to resolve conflicts before they turn deadly .
He said he ’ s even gotten guys to put their guns down and have a fistfight .
Peter Cunningham , a spokesman for Chicago CRED , said his and other organizations have invested a total of $ 10 million in Roseland this year on outreach , counseling , life coaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difficult to know exactly how much the work of Chicago CRED and other community organizations may have contributed to reducing violence this year .
Killings have risen 35 % this year in the Calumet district , which includes Roseland , compared with the same period of 2019 .
Still , Gardner said he ’ s sure he ’ s made a difference .
“ I ’ m all about saving lives in the streets , ” he said .
Gardner added he was grateful about how the police reacted Friday .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ They said , ‘ We appreciate you for the work you do .
’ ”

Donnell Gardner had a basketball game to watch.
But the outreach worker with the Chicago CRED anti-violence program was busy Friday night helping Chicago police officers negotiate with a man holed up in a home in the Roseland neighborhood on the Far South Side.
He kept texting the man, encouraging him to surrender and telling him he didn’t want him to die in a shootout. Finally, Gardner found a way to get through to the man. He texted: “I’m trying to watch the Lakers game, come on out.”
And the man walked out with his hands in his air.
“It could have ended badly,” said Glenn White, commander of the Calumet police district. “I told him he was an integral part of this hostage negotiation, and we are indebted to you.”
The tense situation began at 2:45 p.m., about seven hours before Angelo Blair surrendered.
Blair, 32, is accused of slamming his girlfriend’s head on a car during an argument outside their home near 120th and Indiana. A neighbor witnessed the violence and yelled at Blair to stop, police said. Blair went into the home and returned with a handgun, allegedly firing at the neighbor, a retired Cook County sheriff’s officer, police said.
Blair’s girlfriend ran into the home and left with their two children. But when officers arrived, Blair was still in the home.
Gardner went to the scene because he’s a cousin of Blair’s girlfriend.
Chicago Police Cmdr. Glenn White says of Gardner, a convicted felon: “He’s trying to turn his life around. Everyone needs a new start.” Chicago Police Department
White said his officers’ efforts to contact Blair on the phone were “ineffective.” The officers also used a public-address system to try to persuade Blair to come out, but he wasn’t responding to that, either.
“SWAT wanted to use [Gardner] as a last resort before we made entry,” the commander said.
Gardner and Blair exchanged text messages over several hours.
“I said, ‘This is Chally Wally,’ ” Gardner said, referring to his nickname on the street.
Gardner said he told Blair not to “let down” his girlfriend and the couple’s children.
“He was scared. I said, ‘They won’t kill you. I’m right here.’”
Gardner said he’d been informally counseling Blair over the past year about his “anger-management problem.”
But Gardner thinks Blair felt his manhood was questioned when the neighbor tried to intervene in his fight with his girlfriend. He just couldn’t control his temper.
In his last text to Blair, Gardner mentioned he was missing the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff game with the Miami Heat.
That’s when Blair finally said, “I’m fixing to come out.”
Gardner said they spoke briefly outside the home, and Blair apologized for fighting with his girlfriend and the standoff, saying, “Tell her I didn’t mean to pull all of this.”
Blair is charged with aggravated assault with a firearm, domestic battery and criminal damage to property. A Cook County judge has ordered him held on $250,000 bail.
Angelo Blair. Cook County sheriff’s office
Gardner, 47, said he grew up in the now-demolished Robert Taylor Homes near 45th and Federal and coincidentally, one of the hostage negotiators knew him from those public-housing high-rises. Gardner said the officer was always trying to arrest him.
Gardner has been in prison several times.
Now, he uses his extensive network of contacts from the street to try to resolve conflicts before they turn deadly. He said he’s even gotten guys to put their guns down and have a fistfight.
Peter Cunningham, a spokesman for Chicago CRED, said his and other organizations have invested a total of $10 million in Roseland this year on outreach, counseling, life coaches and employment programs.
It’s difficult to know exactly how much the work of Chicago CRED and other community organizations may have contributed to reducing violence this year.
Killings have risen 35% this year in the Calumet district, which includes Roseland, compared with the same period of 2019.
Still, Gardner said he’s sure he’s made a difference.
“I’m all about saving lives in the streets,” he said.
Gardner added he was grateful about how the police reacted Friday.
“They thanked me,” he said. “They said, ‘We appreciate you for the work you do.’”


chicagosun-times--2020-10-12--Illinois records ninth straight day of at least 2,000 new positive COVID-19 cases (LIVE UPDATES)

13 more deaths , 2,742 new cases reported as Illinois ’ coronavirus positivity rate ticks upward State health officials announced Monday another 2,742 people in Illinois had tested positive for COVID-19 , with 13 more dying of the virus .
Meanwhile , the state ’ s seven-day positivity rate — the metric by which health experts measure the virus ’ spread — has again increased , this time to 4.3 % , the highest it ’ s been in a month .
On Oct. 3 , the state ’ positivity rate was 3.3 % .
Monday was the ninth consecutive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health reported at least 2,000 new positive cases , though the state ’ s testing capacity has increased .
In the last month , the state has administered more than 1.7 million tests , with more than 47,000 tests given Sunday .
Of the 13 new deaths , according to IDPH , four occurred in Cook County .
The deceased were two men and two women who ranged in age from their 50s to their 70s .
Since the outbreak began , 8,997 Illinois residents have died of the virus with more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate for Illinois coronavirus patients is 96 % .
Most who contract it show mild or no symptoms .
6:18 p.m. ‘ Splatter Theater , ’ though online this year , will not skimp on gore The flagship show of the Annoyance Theatre , “ Splatter Theater , ” won ’ t be drenching any stages with blood this Halloween season .
Instead , the long-running North Side horror spoof will be dirtying people ’ s homes .
The key gimmick of “ Splatter Theater ” is its lavish use of stage blood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performers as characters are slashed , stabbed and disemboweled .
With indoor stage productions all but prohibited by the city ’ s COVID-19 restrictions , the Annoyance has moved the show online but promises to keep the gore abundant .
Actors across the country will be performing live from their homes — some with white walls and white costumes , the better to accentuate the splashes of crimson .
Taped video segments will amplify the carnage .
Like many Midwestern states , Illinois has struggled with rising coronavirus cases and death counts recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and recording its highest daily death count since late June on Friday .
Public health officials issued a “ warning list ” for 28 Illinois counties at risk for coronavirus surges and blamed , in part , businesses who were “ blatantly disregarding mitigation measures , people not social distancing , gathering in large groups and not using face coverings.
” Now , confidential statewide coronavirus outbreak data , obtained by the Documenting COVID-19 project at the Brown Institute for Media Innovation as part of a collaboration with the Midwest Center for Investigative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison outbreaks are driving the increases – and that many of these outbreaks have never been made public .
The Illinois Department of Public Health , citing a state communicable disease code , does not release details about where many outbreaks have occurred , limiting its disclosures to long-term care and assisted living facilities .
Separately , the Illinois Department of Corrections and some county health departments regularly release numbers of infected inmates and prison staff .
But the internal statewide data we obtained – prepared by the state health department and covering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – gives detailed information and case counts for nearly 2,600 separate outbreaks across Illinois .
“ Even though they are close to it , sometimes the infected don ’ t know that there ’ s an outbreak where they work .
It ’ s a problem , ” said Dr. Michael D. Cailas , an associate professor of occupational and environmental health sciences at the University of Illinois School of Public Health , who reviewed the confidential state data for this story .
Cailas , who has mapped Chicagoland long-term care outbreaks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Illinois are simply “ not known ” to the public .
Two days after practice squad offensive lineman Badara Traore tested positive for the coronavirus , coach Matt Nagy said he ’ s trying to go “ above and beyond ” to ensure the Bears don ’ t become the NFL ’ s next outbreak epicenter .
By changing Monday ’ s practice to a walk-through , Nagy was able to leave his entire 15-man practice squad — whose role is to mimic the upcoming opponent in full practices — at home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , provided the team doesn ’ t produce another positive test by then .
No Bears player has tested positive since Traore — whose sample was collected Friday — did .
‘ It ’ s scary , ” receiver Allen Robinson said Monday .
“ All you can kind of do is keep your fingers crossed that this is the last and only person.
” Bears players had the weekend off , but Nagy communicated with them through a team phone app and a during a Zoom meeting on Sunday night .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allen Sills , the NFL ’ s Chief Medical Officer , who encourages players to wear masks and to act selfless , not selfish , when away from the team facility .
2:27 p.m. Alderman wants to review city ’ s ad contracts with JC Decaux Downtown Ald .
Brendan Reilly ( 42nd ) is demanding a review of the city ’ s advertising contracts with JC Decaux — including bus shelters , electronic billboards and myriad ads at O ’ Hare and Midway airports — to improve the logistical and financial terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ unprecedented financial crisis ” triggered by the coronavirus is one reason for City Council hearings on all three long-term contracts with the French advertising giant .
Another : It ’ s “ virtually impossible to move ” bus shelters and advertising panels installed by JC Decaux without paying a “ relocation fee ” of up to $ 100,000 .
He called those terms “ insane.
” “ We ’ re facing an enormous fiscal challenge next year .
… We need to re-examine contracts like these to make sure they are truly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Reilly wrote in an email to the Sun-Times .
“ The City Council must leave no stone unturned in an effort to shield city taxpayers from additional pain at a time when our local economy has been crippled by the pandemic .
The Department of Finance and company representatives should … update us on the terms of their contract , discuss operational failures and challenges and ... allow aldermen the opportunity to ask questions about the contract and suggest improvements.
” Illinois ’ average positivity rate continued to rise Sunday as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive for the coronavirus .
The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported nine more deaths attributed to COVID-19 , raising the state ’ s pandemic death toll to 8,984 .
Saturday marked the first time in a month the state ’ s seven-day positivity rate has hit 4 % .
That figure , used by health officials to gauge how rapidly the virus is spreading , rose to 4.2 % Sunday — nearly a full percentage point more than last week .
On Sunday , Oct. 4 , the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Illinois has reported some of its highest daily case totals of the entire seven-month pandemic over the last week , with Sunday marking the eighth day this.month the state has recorded 2,000-plus cases .
However , that rise can be attributed to the state ’ s increase in testing capacity .
Over the last 30 days , Illinois has administered more than 1.675 million tests , including 64,047 tests processed in the last day .
12:11 a.m. Technical problems arise as early voting begins in Georgia ’ s most populous county ATLANTA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cast ballots formed as early in-person voting began in Georgia on Monday , and problems soon developed in the state ’ s most populous county .
Election officials in Fulton County were aware of an issue with the electronic pollbooks used to check voters in at State Farm Arena , where the Atlanta Hawks NBA team plays , county spokeswoman Jessica Corbitt-Dominguez said .
The line began moving when the arena opened for voting at 8 a.m. and some voters were able to cast their ballots , but things ground to a halt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped working with hundreds of people waiting .
By mid-morning , the problem appeared to have been resolved and the lines had cleared at the arena , which is the largest early voting site in the state with 300 voting machines .
“ We ’ re disappointed that it happened , ” Hawks CEO Steve Koonin told reporters , but he noted that there are still plenty of early voting days left .
Some people lined up before dawn to be among the first to participate in early in-person voting , which runs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also may have also been boosted because Monday is a federal holiday , so more people are off work .
DENVER — D.j .
Mattern had her Type 1 diabetes under control until COVID-19 ’ s economic upheaval cost her husband his hotel maintenance job and their health coverage .
The 42-year-old Denver woman suddenly faced insulin ’ s exorbitant list price — anywhere from $ 125 to $ 450 per vial — just as their household income shrank .
She scrounged extra insulin from friends , and her doctor gave her a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she rationed her supplies , her blood sugar rose so high that her glucose monitor couldn ’ t even register a number .
In June , she was hospitalized .
“ My blood was too acidic .
My system was shutting down .
My digestive tract was paralyzed , ” Mattern said , after three weeks in the hospital .
“ I was almost near death.
” So she turned to a growing underground network of people with diabetes who share extra insulin when they have it , free of charge .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , many thought , after Colorado last year became the first of 12 states — including Illinois — to put a cap on the co-payments that some insurers can charge consumers for insulin .
But , as the coronavirus pandemic has caused people to lose their jobs and health insurance , demand for insulin sharing has skyrocketed .
Many who once had good insurance are now realizing the $ 100 cap for a 30-day supply is just a partial solution , applying only to state-regulated health plans .
9:32 a.m. ‘ Totally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at how COVID-19 ran amok in the U.S. “ We have it totally under control .
It ’ s one person coming in from China , and we have it under control .
It ’ s going to be just fine.
” – President Donald Trump , responding to a question about the novel coronavirus in an interview with CNBC on Jan. 22 .
The doctors and the science and the irrefutable timeline carry the day in Alex Gibney ’ s how-did-we-get-here pandemic documentary “ Totally Under Control , ” but the stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are equally valuable , equally infuriating , equally … ARE YOU KIDDING ME ?
The Mask Man is Michael Bowen , a onetime Donald Trump supporter and the owner of Prestige Ameritech , a large medical supply company in Texas , who last January began sending out e-mails to top administrators offering to ramp up production on N95 masks in anticipation of demand that would occur with the inevitable spread of COVID-19 .
The response : crickets .
Day after day , time after time , Bowen tried to find SOMEBODY at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to listen to him , but his overtures were ignored .
Cut to footage of health care workers on the front lines of the pandemic , improvising masks , making “ Hazmat Suits ” out of lawn garbage bags .
Later , we see Bowen choking up as he laments how many lives might have been saved if someone had listened to him .
Read the full story from Richard Roeper here .
There was no clamoring at the start line Sunday morning for 43rd annual Chicago Marathon .
It had been canceled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus crisis .
Instead , the storied race that typically starts downtown and snakes through some of Chicago ’ s neighborhoods was relegated to the digital realm .
While some runners still took to the streets , many others tackled the 26.2-mile challenge elsewhere and shared their experiences on social media .
“ I am sad that we can not be together in person , but I am inspired by your determination to cross your own finish line , and I am grateful that we can stay together virtually , ” Carey Pinkowski @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a tweeted statement on Sunday .
Despite the official race being nixed , participants could still purchase packages that included medallions and personalized bibs .
What ’ s more , a makeshift “ start line ” was set up near Monroe Street and Columbus Drive .
And the Chicago Area Runners Association also designated four spots along the lakefront trail to offer participants support and fluids as they trotted past .
Illinois ’ average positivity rate continued to rise Sunday as health officials announced another 2,727 people have tested positive for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Health also reported nine more deaths attributed to COVID-19 , raising the state ’ s pandemic death toll to 8,984 .
8:58 a.m. We young people have been devastated by COVID-19 It is no secret that COVID-19 has had a devastating impact .
Young people have been especially crushed , since schools and youth programs were among the first places to close , and the last to reopen .
For our whole lives , young people have been told to look forward to certain experiences — prom , sports events , graduation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never get the chance to have .
These are pivotal milestones .
You are only a teen for so long , and then you never have the chance to be one again .
Young people have also had to deal with terrible mental health outcomes , social isolation , lost jobs , even lost parents , and heartbreaking pessimism as we realize that the adults we rely on have failed us .
Yet despite this disproportionate impact , young people have been sidelined in crucial conversations about the pandemic .
Read this and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Illinois’ seven-day positivity rate — the metric by which health experts measure the virus’ spread — increased Monday, this time to 4.3%, the highest it’s been in a month. On Oct. 3, the state’ positivity rate was 3.3%.
The coronavirus pandemic isn’t over yet. Here’s what else happened in COVID-related news in Chicago and around the state.
News
8:57 p.m. 13 more deaths, 2,742 new cases reported as Illinois’ coronavirus positivity rate ticks upward
Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file
State health officials announced Monday another 2,742 people in Illinois had tested positive for COVID-19, with 13 more dying of the virus.
Meanwhile, the state’s seven-day positivity rate — the metric by which health experts measure the virus’ spread — has again increased, this time to 4.3%, the highest it’s been in a month. On Oct. 3, the state’ positivity rate was 3.3%.
Monday was the ninth consecutive day in which the Illinois Department of Health reported at least 2,000 new positive cases, though the state’s testing capacity has increased. In the last month, the state has administered more than 1.7 million tests, with more than 47,000 tests given Sunday.
Of the 13 new deaths, according to IDPH, four occurred in Cook County. The deceased were two men and two women who ranged in age from their 50s to their 70s.
Since the outbreak began, 8,997 Illinois residents have died of the virus with more than 321,000 Illinoisans testing positive. The recovery rate for Illinois coronavirus patients is 96%. Most who contract it show mild or no symptoms.
Read the full story here.
6:18 p.m. ‘Splatter Theater,’ though online this year, will not skimp on gore
The flagship show of the Annoyance Theatre, “Splatter Theater,” won’t be drenching any stages with blood this Halloween season. Instead, the long-running North Side horror spoof will be dirtying people’s homes.
The key gimmick of “Splatter Theater” is its lavish use of stage blood, which drenches the walls and the performers as characters are slashed, stabbed and disemboweled.
With indoor stage productions all but prohibited by the city’s COVID-19 restrictions, the Annoyance has moved the show online but promises to keep the gore abundant.
Actors across the country will be performing live from their homes — some with white walls and white costumes, the better to accentuate the splashes of crimson. Taped video segments will amplify the carnage.
Darel Jevens has the full story.
4:09 p.m. Confidential coronavirus outbreak data shows thousands of undisclosed incidents across Illinois
Like many Midwestern states, Illinois has struggled with rising coronavirus cases and death counts recently, surpassing 300,000 confirmed cases this month and recording its highest daily death count since late June on Friday.
Public health officials issued a “warning list” for 28 Illinois counties at risk for coronavirus surges and blamed, in part, businesses who were “blatantly disregarding mitigation measures, people not social distancing, gathering in large groups and not using face coverings.”
Now, confidential statewide coronavirus outbreak data, obtained by the Documenting COVID-19 project at the Brown Institute for Media Innovation as part of a collaboration with the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, shows workplace, school and prison outbreaks are driving the increases – and that many of these outbreaks have never been made public.
The Illinois Department of Public Health, citing a state communicable disease code, does not release details about where many outbreaks have occurred, limiting its disclosures to long-term care and assisted living facilities. Separately, the Illinois Department of Corrections and some county health departments regularly release numbers of infected inmates and prison staff.
But the internal statewide data we obtained – prepared by the state health department and covering four different dates between July and September – gives detailed information and case counts for nearly 2,600 separate outbreaks across Illinois.
“Even though they are close to it, sometimes the infected don’t know that there’s an outbreak where they work. It’s a problem,” said Dr. Michael D. Cailas, an associate professor of occupational and environmental health sciences at the University of Illinois School of Public Health, who reviewed the confidential state data for this story. Cailas, who has mapped Chicagoland long-term care outbreaks, added that many of the workplace outbreaks in Illinois are simply “not known” to the public.
Read the full story here.
3:08 p.m. ‘It’s scary’ — Bears take precautions after COVID-19 case
Two days after practice squad offensive lineman Badara Traore tested positive for the coronavirus, coach Matt Nagy said he’s trying to go “above and beyond” to ensure the Bears don’t become the NFL’s next outbreak epicenter.
By changing Monday’s practice to a walk-through, Nagy was able to leave his entire 15-man practice squad — whose role is to mimic the upcoming opponent in full practices — at home. He expects them to return Wednesday, provided the team doesn’t produce another positive test by then.
No Bears player has tested positive since Traore — whose sample was collected Friday — did.
‘It’s scary,” receiver Allen Robinson said Monday. “All you can kind of do is keep your fingers crossed that this is the last and only person.”
Bears players had the weekend off, but Nagy communicated with them through a team phone app and a during a Zoom meeting on Sunday night. There, he reiterated the words of Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s Chief Medical Officer, who encourages players to wear masks and to act selfless, not selfish, when away from the team facility.
2:27 p.m. Alderman wants to review city’s ad contracts with JC Decaux
Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) is demanding a review of the city’s advertising contracts with JC Decaux — including bus shelters, electronic billboards and myriad ads at O’Hare and Midway airports — to improve the logistical and financial terms for Chicago taxpayers.
Reilly said the “unprecedented financial crisis” triggered by the coronavirus is one reason for City Council hearings on all three long-term contracts with the French advertising giant.
Another: It’s “virtually impossible to move” bus shelters and advertising panels installed by JC Decaux without paying a “relocation fee” of up to $100,000. He called those terms “insane.”
“We’re facing an enormous fiscal challenge next year. … We need to re-examine contracts like these to make sure they are truly serving the public interest and Chicago taxpayers,” Reilly wrote in an email to the Sun-Times.
“The City Council must leave no stone unturned in an effort to shield city taxpayers from additional pain at a time when our local economy has been crippled by the pandemic. The Department of Finance and company representatives should … update us on the terms of their contract, discuss operational failures and challenges and ... allow aldermen the opportunity to ask questions about the contract and suggest improvements.”
Read the full story here.
2:00 p.m. Illinois’ positivity rate still rising; 9 deaths, 2,727 new coronavirus cases announced
A person conducts his own COVID-19 mouth swab test at Community Organized Relief Effort’s (CORE) COVID-19 testing facility at Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy in Little Village Friday afternoon, Sept. 4, 2020. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Illinois’ average positivity rate continued to rise Sunday as health officials announced another 2,727 people have tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported nine more deaths attributed to COVID-19, raising the state’s pandemic death toll to 8,984.
Saturday marked the first time in a month the state’s seven-day positivity rate has hit 4%. That figure, used by health officials to gauge how rapidly the virus is spreading, rose to 4.2% Sunday — nearly a full percentage point more than last week. On Sunday, Oct. 4, the state’s seven-day positivity rate was 3.3%.
Illinois has reported some of its highest daily case totals of the entire seven-month pandemic over the last week, with Sunday marking the eighth day this.month the state has recorded 2,000-plus cases. However, that rise can be attributed to the state’s increase in testing capacity. Over the last 30 days, Illinois has administered more than 1.675 million tests, including 64,047 tests processed in the last day.
Read the full story here.
12:11 a.m. Technical problems arise as early voting begins in Georgia’s most populous county
ATLANTA — Long lines of people eager to cast ballots formed as early in-person voting began in Georgia on Monday, and problems soon developed in the state’s most populous county.
Election officials in Fulton County were aware of an issue with the electronic pollbooks used to check voters in at State Farm Arena, where the Atlanta Hawks NBA team plays, county spokeswoman Jessica Corbitt-Dominguez said.
The line began moving when the arena opened for voting at 8 a.m. and some voters were able to cast their ballots, but things ground to a halt a short time later when the pollbooks stopped working with hundreds of people waiting. By mid-morning, the problem appeared to have been resolved and the lines had cleared at the arena, which is the largest early voting site in the state with 300 voting machines.
“We’re disappointed that it happened,” Hawks CEO Steve Koonin told reporters, but he noted that there are still plenty of early voting days left.
Some people lined up before dawn to be among the first to participate in early in-person voting, which runs through Oct. 30 in Georgia. Turnout also may have also been boosted because Monday is a federal holiday, so more people are off work.
Read the full story here.
11:52 a.m. Underground insulin exchanges emerge as workers lose jobs, insurance co-pays fall short
DENVER — D.j. Mattern had her Type 1 diabetes under control until COVID-19’s economic upheaval cost her husband his hotel maintenance job and their health coverage. The 42-year-old Denver woman suddenly faced insulin’s exorbitant list price — anywhere from $125 to $450 per vial — just as their household income shrank.
She scrounged extra insulin from friends, and her doctor gave her a couple of samples. But, as she rationed her supplies, her blood sugar rose so high that her glucose monitor couldn’t even register a number. In June, she was hospitalized.
“My blood was too acidic. My system was shutting down. My digestive tract was paralyzed,” Mattern said, after three weeks in the hospital. “I was almost near death.”
So she turned to a growing underground network of people with diabetes who share extra insulin when they have it, free of charge. It wasn’t supposed to be this way, many thought, after Colorado last year became the first of 12 states — including Illinois — to put a cap on the co-payments that some insurers can charge consumers for insulin.
But, as the coronavirus pandemic has caused people to lose their jobs and health insurance, demand for insulin sharing has skyrocketed. Many who once had good insurance are now realizing the $100 cap for a 30-day supply is just a partial solution, applying only to state-regulated health plans.
9:32 a.m. ‘Totally Under Control’: A no-nonsense look at how COVID-19 ran amok in the U.S.
“We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.”– President Donald Trump, responding to a question about the novel coronavirus in an interview with CNBC on Jan. 22.
The doctors and the science and the irrefutable timeline carry the day in Alex Gibney’s how-did-we-get-here pandemic documentary “Totally Under Control,” but the stories of the Mask Man and the Volunteer are equally valuable, equally infuriating, equally … ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
The Mask Man is Michael Bowen, a onetime Donald Trump supporter and the owner of Prestige Ameritech, a large medical supply company in Texas, who last January began sending out e-mails to top administrators offering to ramp up production on N95 masks in anticipation of demand that would occur with the inevitable spread of COVID-19. The response: crickets. Day after day, time after time, Bowen tried to find SOMEBODY at the Dept. of Health and Human Services to listen to him, but his overtures were ignored.
Cut to footage of health care workers on the front lines of the pandemic, improvising masks, making “Hazmat Suits” out of lawn garbage bags. Later, we see Bowen choking up as he laments how many lives might have been saved if someone had listened to him.
Read the full story from Richard Roeper here.
8:55 a.m. Runners participate virtually in Chicago Marathon amid pandemic
There was no clamoring at the start line Sunday morning for 43rd annual Chicago Marathon.
It had been canceled in June in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
Instead, the storied race that typically starts downtown and snakes through some of Chicago’s neighborhoods was relegated to the digital realm. While some runners still took to the streets, many others tackled the 26.2-mile challenge elsewhere and shared their experiences on social media.
“I am sad that we cannot be together in person, but I am inspired by your determination to cross your own finish line, and I am grateful that we can stay together virtually,” Carey Pinkowski, executive director of the marathon, said in a tweeted statement on Sunday.
Despite the official race being nixed, participants could still purchase packages that included medallions and personalized bibs. What’s more, a makeshift “start line” was set up near Monroe Street and Columbus Drive. And the Chicago Area Runners Association also designated four spots along the lakefront trail to offer participants support and fluids as they trotted past.
Read the full story here.
New cases
Illinois’ average positivity rate continued to rise Sunday as health officials announced another 2,727 people have tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Illinois Department of Public Health also reported nine more deaths attributed to COVID-19, raising the state’s pandemic death toll to 8,984.
Analysis & Commentary
8:58 a.m. We young people have been devastated by COVID-19
Tova Kaplan of Lincoln Park writes:
It is no secret that COVID-19 has had a devastating impact. Young people have been especially crushed, since schools and youth programs were among the first places to close, and the last to reopen.
For our whole lives, young people have been told to look forward to certain experiences — prom, sports events, graduation, college — that we may now never get the chance to have. These are pivotal milestones. You are only a teen for so long, and then you never have the chance to be one again.
Young people have also had to deal with terrible mental health outcomes, social isolation, lost jobs, even lost parents, and heartbreaking pessimism as we realize that the adults we rely on have failed us.
Yet despite this disproportionate impact, young people have been sidelined in crucial conversations about the pandemic.
Read this and more letters to the Sun-Times editors here.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-12--Don’t let drones fly away with your privacy

Prince Harry ’ s and Meghan Markle ’ s settlement last week in a privacy lawsuit is a reminder that Illinois needs rules to govern exactly where camera-equipped drones can fly and record images .
Harry and Meghan ’ s California case centered on a paparazzi drone taking photos of their 14-month-old son , Archie , as he played in a backyard with his grandmother .
The photos appeared in a German magazine .
Under the settlement , the company must turn over the photos to the family , destroy any copies and help pay the family ’ s legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go to court , though .
Hence the need for enforceable rules to protect our privacy .
In 2014 , the Illinois Legislature regulated the use of drones by government , but it has yet to establish rules for the use of commercial and private drones .
When the pandemic hit last spring , state Rep. Robyn Gabel , D-Evanston , tells us , proposed legislation got pushed to the back burner .
But the drones , also called unmanned aerial vehicles , are still out there , some 1.7 million of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drone landed in the Wrigley Field outfield during a Cubs-Indians baseball game .
It flew away after stopping the game .
Chicago passed drone regulations in 2015 that ban flying near the airports or over schools , hospitals , open-air stadiums , police stations , places of worship and directly over people or private property without permission .
Critics complain the city ’ s ordinance is so restrictive it effectively bans drone operators from flying a drone anywhere except over their own property .
Federal Aviation Administration regulations , which are evolving , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their line of sight and prohibit flights over people on the ground .
But whether drones can record images of people who are not directly below them is a gray area .
Drones have definite value .
They can be fun to fly and provide helpful aerial images , and they appear to have a big future in making deliveries .
But , given how unobtrusively small they can be , they pose all sorts of privacy threats .
And as drones fill the skies to deliver packages — a distinct possibility — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the drones that are up to no good .
According to the Illinois State Bar Association , property owners can try to keep drones at bay right now by suing on trespassing and invasion of privacy grounds .
But that ’ s an expensive game of cat-and-mouse .
Better to put a leash on the cat .
In an age of rapidly advancing technology , writing privacy legislation is a game of Whac-A-Mole .
Keep whacking , Springfield .

Prince Harry’s and Meghan Markle’s settlement last week in a privacy lawsuit is a reminder that Illinois needs rules to govern exactly where camera-equipped drones can fly and record images.
Harry and Meghan’s California case centered on a paparazzi drone taking photos of their 14-month-old son, Archie, as he played in a backyard with his grandmother. The photos appeared in a German magazine. Under the settlement, the company must turn over the photos to the family, destroy any copies and help pay the family’s legal fees.
Editorials bug Editorials
Not everyone can afford to go to court, though. Hence the need for enforceable rules to protect our privacy.
In 2014, the Illinois Legislature regulated the use of drones by government, but it has yet to establish rules for the use of commercial and private drones. When the pandemic hit last spring, state Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, tells us, proposed legislation got pushed to the back burner.
But the drones, also called unmanned aerial vehicles, are still out there, some 1.7 million of them. On Sept. 16, a small drone landed in the Wrigley Field outfield during a Cubs-Indians baseball game. It flew away after stopping the game.
Chicago passed drone regulations in 2015 that ban flying near the airports or over schools, hospitals, open-air stadiums, police stations, places of worship and directly over people or private property without permission. Critics complain the city’s ordinance is so restrictive it effectively bans drone operators from flying a drone anywhere except over their own property.
Federal Aviation Administration regulations, which are evolving, require operators to keep their drones in their line of sight and prohibit flights over people on the ground. But whether drones can record images of people who are not directly below them is a gray area.
Drones have definite value. They can be fun to fly and provide helpful aerial images, and they appear to have a big future in making deliveries. But, given how unobtrusively small they can be, they pose all sorts of privacy threats. And as drones fill the skies to deliver packages — a distinct possibility — it will become more difficult to spot the drones that are up to no good.
According to the Illinois State Bar Association, property owners can try to keep drones at bay right now by suing on trespassing and invasion of privacy grounds. But that’s an expensive game of cat-and-mouse. Better to put a leash on the cat.
In an age of rapidly advancing technology, writing privacy legislation is a game of Whac-A-Mole. Keep whacking, Springfield.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-12--Lyft driver on suspended license faces drug, battery charges after allegedly striking passenger

A Lyft driver is facing criminal charges for the drugs authorities found in his vehicle after he struck and injured a passenger while driving on a suspended license on the Eisenhower Expressway , Cook County prosecutors said Monday .
Prosecutors gave few details as to how and why Antonio Edwards hit his passenger Sunday afternoon .
But Illinois State Police said the attack took place as Edwards drove eastbound on I-290 near Loomis Avenue .
After the victim was taken to a nearby hospital , officers found what they believed to be 23 pills of ecstasy and 84 grams of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutors said .
The street value of the drugs was roughly $ 1,720 , prosecutors said .
Edwards , 37 , was charged with possession of controlled substance with intent to deliver , reckless conduct and battery .
Judge Susana Ortiz was baffled that Edwards was able to drive for Lyft while on a suspended license .
“ One would think they would check into those things , but OK , ” the judge said before releasing Edwards on his own recognizance .
Ortiz barred Edwards from driving and ordered him to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awaits trial .
In addition to driving for Lyft , Edwards works as a licensed practical nurse at an area hospital , an assistant public defender said .
This isn ’ t the first time Lyft ’ s vetting process for drivers has been brought into question .
In June , a Lake View attorney sued Lyft , accusing the ride-hailing giant of failing to properly screen and train its drivers , after he was attacked by his Lyft driver .
Scott Gore , 56 , asked his driver , Fangqi Lu to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while en route to Wrigley Field July 1 , 2018 .
The request sparked an argument , which eventually led to Lu punching Gore in the face and driving away , the lawsuit claims .
Lu was driving on an expired license at the time of the incident .

A Lyft driver is facing criminal charges for the drugs authorities found in his vehicle after he struck and injured a passenger while driving on a suspended license on the Eisenhower Expressway, Cook County prosecutors said Monday.
Prosecutors gave few details as to how and why Antonio Edwards hit his passenger Sunday afternoon. But Illinois State Police said the attack took place as Edwards drove eastbound on I-290 near Loomis Avenue.
After the victim was taken to a nearby hospital, officers found what they believed to be 23 pills of ecstasy and 84 grams of cannabis in Edward’s possession, prosecutors said.
The street value of the drugs was roughly $1,720, prosecutors said.
Edwards, 37, was charged with possession of controlled substance with intent to deliver, reckless conduct and battery.
Judge Susana Ortiz was baffled that Edwards was able to drive for Lyft while on a suspended license.
“One would think they would check into those things, but OK,” the judge said before releasing Edwards on his own recognizance.
Ortiz barred Edwards from driving and ordered him to have no contact with the victim while he awaits trial.
In addition to driving for Lyft, Edwards works as a licensed practical nurse at an area hospital, an assistant public defender said.
Lyft didn’t immediately return a request for comment Monday.
This isn’t the first time Lyft’s vetting process for drivers has been brought into question.
In June, a Lake View attorney sued Lyft, accusing the ride-hailing giant of failing to properly screen and train its drivers, after he was attacked by his Lyft driver.
Scott Gore, 56, asked his driver, Fangqi Lu to take a different route to avoid traffic while en route to Wrigley Field July 1, 2018. The request sparked an argument, which eventually led to Lu punching Gore in the face and driving away, the lawsuit claims.
Lu was driving on an expired license at the time of the incident.
Edwards is expected back in court Oct. 19.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-12--Before voting to retain Judge Kenneth J. Wadas, consider his troubling record

Early voting is good for democracy .
The more time people have to vote , the more they can and will .
But there are downsides .
Most obviously , things can change .
Between the first day of early voting and Election Day , new information can crop up that might lead voters to reconsider their choices .
With that in mind , for the benefit of those who have yet to vote in Cook County , we ’ d like to call attention to the troubling record of one circuit judge on the November ballot , Kenneth J.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sun-Times .
Judges up for retention , such as Wadas , almost always get retained , given that they need the approval of only 60 % of those who cast ballots for or against them .
But that ’ s no reason not to size them up .
As reported in the Sun-Times by John Seasly of Injustice Watch , judicial decisions by Wadas have been reversed 25 times by the Illinois Appellate Court in the past six years , nearly twice as often as the combined total of the other five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Appeals courts found that Wadas frequently disregards a law that prevents excessive sentencing and incorrectly dismissed prisoners ’ claims of errors during their trials .
A typical bad decision by Wadas was his sentencing to 100 years in prison , effectively a life sentence , of a young man who had committed murder at age 16 .
A federal appellate court ruled that Wadas had failed to take the offender ’ s age into consideration , which is required by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that “ children are different.
” Wadas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s reversal was to grouse about it and re-sentence the offender to 39 years in prison — just a year short of the toughest sentence allowed .
“ The gun made him older , ” Wadas said of the offender .
There ’ s a good argument Wadas , though approved for retention by all the major local bar associations , never should have been elected to the bench in the first place in 1996 .
As an assistant state ’ s attorney in the 1980s , Injustice Watch found , he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misconduct led to appellate reversals .
The Illinois Appellate Court called his tactics “ an insult to the court and to the dignity of the trial bar.
” We urge you to read the entire Injustice Watch report about Wadas and three other judges on the ballot — Margaret Ann Brennan , Patrick J. Sherlock and Anna Helen Demacopoulos — whose rulings have been reversed on appeal more than three times as often as their colleagues .

Early voting is good for democracy. The more time people have to vote, the more they can and will.
But there are downsides. Most obviously, things can change. Between the first day of early voting and Election Day, new information can crop up that might lead voters to reconsider their choices.
With that in mind, for the benefit of those who have yet to vote in Cook County, we’d like to call attention to the troubling record of one circuit judge on the November ballot, Kenneth J. Wadas, as first reported Sunday in the Sun-Times.
Editorials bug Editorials
Judges up for retention, such as Wadas, almost always get retained, given that they need the approval of only 60% of those who cast ballots for or against them. But that’s no reason not to size them up.
As reported in the Sun-Times by John Seasly of Injustice Watch, judicial decisions by Wadas have been reversed 25 times by the Illinois Appellate Court in the past six years, nearly twice as often as the combined total of the other five criminal judges running for retention this year. Appeals courts found that Wadas frequently disregards a law that prevents excessive sentencing and incorrectly dismissed prisoners’ claims of errors during their trials.
A typical bad decision by Wadas was his sentencing to 100 years in prison, effectively a life sentence, of a young man who had committed murder at age 16. A federal appellate court ruled that Wadas had failed to take the offender’s age into consideration, which is required by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that “children are different.”
Wadas’ response to the appellate court’s reversal was to grouse about it and re-sentence the offender to 39 years in prison — just a year short of the toughest sentence allowed. “The gun made him older,” Wadas said of the offender.
There’s a good argument Wadas, though approved for retention by all the major local bar associations, never should have been elected to the bench in the first place in 1996.
As an assistant state’s attorney in the 1980s, Injustice Watch found, he was involved in multiple cases in which prosecutorial misconduct led to appellate reversals. The Illinois Appellate Court called his tactics “an insult to the court and to the dignity of the trial bar.”
We urge you to read the entire Injustice Watch report about Wadas and three other judges on the ballot — Margaret Ann Brennan, Patrick J. Sherlock and Anna Helen Demacopoulos — whose rulings have been reversed on appeal more than three times as often as their colleagues.
And vote accordingly.
Send letters to letters@suntimes.com.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-12--Joe Morgan, driving force of Big Red Machine, dies at 77

CINCINNATI — At 5-foot-7 , he was the smallest cog in the Big Red Machine .
And to his star-powered teammates , Joe Morgan was a driving force , too .
Morgan , the Hall of Fame second baseman who became the sparkplug of dominant Cincinnati teams in the mid-1970s and the prototype for baseball ’ s artificial turf era , has died .
He was 77 .
He died at his home Sunday in Danville , California , family spokesman James Davis said in statement Monday .
Morgan was suffering from a nerve condition , a form of polyneuropathy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best baseball player I played against or saw , ” Reds Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench texted to The Associated Press .
Morgan ’ s death marked the latest among major league greats this year : Whitey Ford , Bob Gibson , Lou Brock , Tom Seaver and Al Kaline .
“ All champions .
This hurts the most , ” Bench said .
Morgan was a two-time NL Most Valuable Player , a 10-time All-Star and won five Gold Gloves .
A dynamo known for flapping his left elbow at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a home run , steal a base and disrupt any game with his daring .
Most of all , he completed Cincinnati ’ s two-time World Series championship team , boosting a club featuring the likes of Pete Rose , Tony Perez and Bench to back-to-back titles .
“ Joe would always amaze me , ” Rose told the AP .
“ He was by far the most intelligent player I ’ ve ever been around .
He rubbed off on all of us .
A big part of the Big Red Machine.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ two outs in the ninth inning of Game 7 in 1975 gave the Reds the crown in a classic matchup with Boston , and he spurred a four-game sweep of the Yankees the next season .
Morgan was the league ’ s MVP both years .
And his Hall of Fame teammates and manager readily acknowledged he was the one that got it all started .
Often regarded as the greatest second baseman in history , he was an easy first-ballot pick for Cooperstown .
“ He was just a good major league @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything , ” former Reds and Tigers skipper Sparky Anderson once said .
“ But when it meant something , he was a Hall of Famer.
” In a 22-year career through 1984 , Morgan scored 1,650 runs , stole 689 bases , hit 268 homers and batted .271 .
But those stats hardly reflected the force created on the field by the lefty-swinging No .
8 .
Confident and cocky , he also was copied .
His habit of flapping his back elbow as a way to keep it high when hitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Cincinnati and beyond .
Health issues had slowed down Morgan in recent years .
Knee surgery forced him to use a cane when he went onto the field at Great American Ball Park before the 2015 All-Star Game and he later needed a bone marrow transplant for an illness .
In his prime , Morgan helped to revolutionize the game with his quickness and many talents , especially once he hit the turf at Riverfront Stadium .
His statue outside Great American Ball Park portrays him in motion , naturally .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 150-lb .
fireplug frame , ” he was praised on his Hall of Fame plaque .
There was a moment of silence held at Petco Park in San Diego before the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros played Monday in Game 2 of the AL Championship Series .
“ He meant a lot to us , a lot to me , a lot to baseball , a lot to African Americans around the country .
A lot to players that were considered undersized , ” said Astros manager Dusty Baker , a longtime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was the one of the first examples of speed and power for a guy they said was too small to play.
” Morgan got his start with Houston in 1963 , when the team was called the .45s and still played on grass .
Once he became a full-time player in 1965 when the club became the Astros and moved into the Astrodome , he began to provide a glimpse of what speedy , multi-skilled players could do on the new kind of turf .
The Reds had already built a formidable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1970 , losing to Baltimore in the World Series .
Cincinnati made a shocking trade for Morgan after the 1971 season , giving up slugger Lee May and All-Star second baseman Tommy Helms in an eight-player swap .
Morgan turned out to be exactly what the Reds needed to take the next step .
“ Joe made us better , and we made him better , ” Rose said .
“ We put him in the spotlight .
It was a perfect fit.
” Rose was the dashing singles hitter , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s career hits leader .
Bench supplied the power .
Perez was the clutch hitter .
And Morgan did a bit of everything , slashing hits and stealing bases whenever needed .
Skilled at drawing walks , and helped by a small strike zone , Morgan led the NL in on-base percentage in four of his first five years with the Reds , and finished with a career mark of .392 .
“ That ’ s when the game went to more speed , ” Rose once said .
“ There were guys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bases when everyone at the park knew he would .
He didn ’ t waste steals .
He made them count .
Joe probably could have stolen more .
Lots of guys just steal to run up the numbers , and then they can ’ t when it counts to win the game .
Joe made them count.
” Morgan scored a major league-leading 122 runs in his first season with the Reds and they reached the 1972 World Series , where they lost in seven games to Oakland .
Morgan hit .327 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 67 stolen bases in 1975 , then followed with a .320 average , 27 homers , 111 RBIs and 60 steals the next year .
He was only the fifth second baseman in the NL to drive in more than 100 runs and also led the league in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage in 1976 .
The next year , he led off the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium with a home run against future Hall of Famer Jim Palmer .
“ Small in stature like his idol Nellie Fox , Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Maybe proving to himself and everyone else that he belong .
Did he ever !
” Bench said .
A series of injuries in the late 1970s diminished Morgan ’ s production — the years of throwing his body around on the turf had taken a toll .
The Reds decided to dismantle the Big Red Machine , prompting Morgan to also leave .
He spent the 1980 season with Houston , helping the Astros to a NL West title .
He played two years with San Francisco — hitting a home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1982 season against the rival Dodgers to knock the defending champions out of the playoffs — and later was reunited with Rose and Perez in Philadelphia .
Morgan hit two home runs in the 1983 World Series as the Phillies lost in five games to Baltimore , and tripled in his final at-bat .
Morgan finished as a career .182 hitter in 50 postseason games .
He played in 11 different series and batted over .273 in just one of them , a stat that surprises many considering his big-game reputation .
Raised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bay Area and played the 1984 season for the Athletics before retiring .
Morgan set the NL record for games played at second , ranked among the career leaders in walks and was an All-Star in every one of his years with the Reds .
After his playing career , he spent years as an announcer for the Reds , Giants and A ’ s , along with ESPN , NBC , ABC and CBS .
He was analyst for ESPN ’ s Sunday night telecasts from 1990-2010 and won two Sports Emmy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s first two wins in the category , in 1998 and 2005 .
Morgan also was board vice chairman of baseball ’ s Hall of Fame and on the board of the Baseball Assistance Team .
Morgan was inducted into baseball ’ s Hall of Fame in 1990 .
The Reds also inducted him into their Hall of Fame and retired his number .
“ He did it all , and he did it all the time , ” said Bench , the first member of the Big Red Machine to enter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outstanding businessman .
He was a friend to so many and respected by all , ” he said .
Morgan recognized his place on one of baseball ’ s all-time greatest teams .
“ Bench probably had the most raw baseball ability of any of us , ” Morgan said before his Hall of Fame induction .
“ Pete obviously had the most determination to make himself the player he was .
Perez was the unsung hero .
I guess I was just a guy who could do a lot of things.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 years , Theresa ; twin daughters Kelly and Ashley ; and daughters Lisa and Angela from his first marriage to Gloria Morgan .
Funeral details were not yet set .

CINCINNATI — At 5-foot-7, he was the smallest cog in the Big Red Machine. And to his star-powered teammates, Joe Morgan was a driving force, too.
Morgan, the Hall of Fame second baseman who became the sparkplug of dominant Cincinnati teams in the mid-1970s and the prototype for baseball’s artificial turf era, has died. He was 77.
He died at his home Sunday in Danville, California, family spokesman James Davis said in statement Monday. Morgan was suffering from a nerve condition, a form of polyneuropathy.
“Joe Morgan was quite simply the best baseball player I played against or saw,” Reds Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench texted to The Associated Press.
Morgan’s death marked the latest among major league greats this year: Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Tom Seaver and Al Kaline.
“All champions. This hurts the most,” Bench said.
We mourn the passing of Joe Morgan, a Hall of Famer, two-time MVP and two-time World Series champion. He was 77. pic.twitter.com/8RTRiRCeGq — MLB (@MLB) October 12, 2020
Morgan was a two-time NL Most Valuable Player, a 10-time All-Star and won five Gold Gloves. A dynamo known for flapping his left elbow at the plate, Little Joe could hit a home run, steal a base and disrupt any game with his daring.
Most of all, he completed Cincinnati’s two-time World Series championship team, boosting a club featuring the likes of Pete Rose, Tony Perez and Bench to back-to-back titles.
“Joe would always amaze me,” Rose told the AP. “He was by far the most intelligent player I’ve ever been around. He rubbed off on all of us. A big part of the Big Red Machine.”
Morgan’s tiebreaking single with two outs in the ninth inning of Game 7 in 1975 gave the Reds the crown in a classic matchup with Boston, and he spurred a four-game sweep of the Yankees the next season.
Morgan was the league’s MVP both years. And his Hall of Fame teammates and manager readily acknowledged he was the one that got it all started.
Often regarded as the greatest second baseman in history, he was an easy first-ballot pick for Cooperstown.
“He was just a good major league player when it didn’t mean anything,” former Reds and Tigers skipper Sparky Anderson once said. “But when it meant something, he was a Hall of Famer.”
In a 22-year career through 1984, Morgan scored 1,650 runs, stole 689 bases, hit 268 homers and batted .271. But those stats hardly reflected the force created on the field by the lefty-swinging No. 8.
Confident and cocky, he also was copied. His habit of flapping his back elbow as a way to keep it high when hitting was imitated by many a Little Leaguer in Cincinnati and beyond.
Health issues had slowed down Morgan in recent years. Knee surgery forced him to use a cane when he went onto the field at Great American Ball Park before the 2015 All-Star Game and he later needed a bone marrow transplant for an illness.
In his prime, Morgan helped to revolutionize the game with his quickness and many talents, especially once he hit the turf at Riverfront Stadium. His statue outside Great American Ball Park portrays him in motion, naturally.
“Packed unusual power into his extraordinarily quick 150-lb. fireplug frame,” he was praised on his Hall of Fame plaque.
There was a moment of silence held at Petco Park in San Diego before the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros played Monday in Game 2 of the AL Championship Series.
“He meant a lot to us, a lot to me, a lot to baseball, a lot to African Americans around the country. A lot to players that were considered undersized,” said Astros manager Dusty Baker, a longtime friend and National League rival. “He was the one of the first examples of speed and power for a guy they said was too small to play.”
MLB Network looks back at the life and Hall of Fame career of the great Joe Morgan. pic.twitter.com/RUcK5ecMdJ — MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 12, 2020
Morgan got his start with Houston in 1963, when the team was called the .45s and still played on grass. Once he became a full-time player in 1965 when the club became the Astros and moved into the Astrodome, he began to provide a glimpse of what speedy, multi-skilled players could do on the new kind of turf.
The Reds had already built a formidable team, but they came up short in 1970, losing to Baltimore in the World Series. Cincinnati made a shocking trade for Morgan after the 1971 season, giving up slugger Lee May and All-Star second baseman Tommy Helms in an eight-player swap.
Morgan turned out to be exactly what the Reds needed to take the next step.
“Joe made us better, and we made him better,” Rose said. “We put him in the spotlight. It was a perfect fit.”
Rose was the dashing singles hitter, on his way to becoming the game’s career hits leader. Bench supplied the power. Perez was the clutch hitter. And Morgan did a bit of everything, slashing hits and stealing bases whenever needed.
Skilled at drawing walks, and helped by a small strike zone, Morgan led the NL in on-base percentage in four of his first five years with the Reds, and finished with a career mark of .392.
“That’s when the game went to more speed,” Rose once said. “There were guys who did more, but Joe stole bases when everyone at the park knew he would. He didn’t waste steals. He made them count. Joe probably could have stolen more. Lots of guys just steal to run up the numbers, and then they can’t when it counts to win the game. Joe made them count.”
Morgan scored a major league-leading 122 runs in his first season with the Reds and they reached the 1972 World Series, where they lost in seven games to Oakland.
Morgan hit .327 with 17 homers, 94 RBIs and 67 stolen bases in 1975, then followed with a .320 average, 27 homers, 111 RBIs and 60 steals the next year. He was only the fifth second baseman in the NL to drive in more than 100 runs and also led the league in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage in 1976.
The next year, he led off the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium with a home run against future Hall of Famer Jim Palmer.
“Small in stature like his idol Nellie Fox, Joe played every game at the highest level. Maybe proving to himself and everyone else that he belong. Did he ever!” Bench said.
A series of injuries in the late 1970s diminished Morgan’s production — the years of throwing his body around on the turf had taken a toll. The Reds decided to dismantle the Big Red Machine, prompting Morgan to also leave.
He spent the 1980 season with Houston, helping the Astros to a NL West title. He played two years with San Francisco — hitting a home run on the final day of the 1982 season against the rival Dodgers to knock the defending champions out of the playoffs — and later was reunited with Rose and Perez in Philadelphia.
Morgan hit two home runs in the 1983 World Series as the Phillies lost in five games to Baltimore, and tripled in his final at-bat.
Morgan finished as a career .182 hitter in 50 postseason games. He played in 11 different series and batted over .273 in just one of them, a stat that surprises many considering his big-game reputation.
Raised in Oakland, Morgan returned to the Bay Area and played the 1984 season for the Athletics before retiring.
Morgan set the NL record for games played at second, ranked among the career leaders in walks and was an All-Star in every one of his years with the Reds.
After his playing career, he spent years as an announcer for the Reds, Giants and A’s, along with ESPN, NBC, ABC and CBS. He was analyst for ESPN’s Sunday night telecasts from 1990-2010 and won two Sports Emmy Awards as an Event Analyst — ESPN’s first two wins in the category, in 1998 and 2005.
Morgan also was board vice chairman of baseball’s Hall of Fame and on the board of the Baseball Assistance Team.
Morgan was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1990. The Reds also inducted him into their Hall of Fame and retired his number.
“He did it all, and he did it all the time,” said Bench, the first member of the Big Red Machine to enter the Hall.
“Great father and outstanding businessman. He was a friend to so many and respected by all,” he said.
Morgan recognized his place on one of baseball’s all-time greatest teams.
“Bench probably had the most raw baseball ability of any of us,” Morgan said before his Hall of Fame induction. “Pete obviously had the most determination to make himself the player he was. Perez was the unsung hero. I guess I was just a guy who could do a lot of things.”
He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Theresa; twin daughters Kelly and Ashley; and daughters Lisa and Angela from his first marriage to Gloria Morgan.
Funeral details were not yet set.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-12--Chicago Sinfonietta kicks off 33rd season with continued focus on diversity

In the aftermath of George Floyd ’ s death in late May and the Black Lives Matter protests that followed in cities across the country , many classical music organizations have scrambled to hire diversity officers and develop inclusion and equity plans .
But rather than instituting major changes , the Chicago Sinfonietta is simply continuing to build on a three-decades history of anti-racism and anti-sexism .
At least one-third of its musicians , staff and board are people of color , making it a notable outlier in the orchestral world .
“ That is a huge difference when you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization , ” said Blake-Anthony Edwards , who took over earlier this year as the ensemble ’ s chief executive officer .
“ We feel like this has been our arena , ” added music director Mei-Ann Chen , “ and , now , we ’ re just coming to the forefront .
Everybody is trying to really tackle : ‘ How should our programming be diverse ?
’ And we ’ ve been doing it for so long.
” That diversity is once again at the forefront as the Sinfonietta begins its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People , ” with a prototypical program on Oct. 17 that features three composers and arrangers who are women and six who are people of color .
According to the Institute for Composer Diversity , the ensemble performed twice as many works by composers from underrepresented racial , ethnic and cultural groups — 58 percent — as any other American orchestra in 2019-20 , and it ranked third in presentations of music by women .
Because of restrictions surrounding COVID-19 , the first two programs of the Sinfonietta ’ s modified season will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduced forces to accommodate capacity limits onstage .
The Sinfonietta hopes to return to some sense of normalcy with an in-person closing concert on May 3 , 2021 .
The virtual concerts are expected to run 50-60 minutes , including introductions to the selections and transitional footage .
“ I think that might be just right in terms of our virtual audience , ” Chen said , pointing to viewers ’ more limited on-line attention spans .
While the size of the season has been pared back from five to three programs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as strong as ever .
Each of the 2020-21 concerts will feature a world premiere by an African-American composer .
“ In this day and age , I can bet you that there are so few orchestras that are actually looking at commissioning , and that ’ s what make us unique , ” Chen said .
The Oct. 17 concert , titled “ COMMON GROUND : Collective Stories , ” will showcase a new work by Kathryn Bostic , the Sinfonietta ’ s first-ever artist-in-residence — a two-year position conceived by Edwards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is meant to answer this question : “ What does it look like when you have another artistic partner who can really connect some dots to not just what we do onstage but also what we do offstage in a different way ?
” Bostic , who is best known for her award-winning work in film , television and theater , is big fan of the Sinfonietta because of its longtime mission to provide a platform for artists typically under-represented in the classical realm .
The ensemble was originally going to perform Bostic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of famed playwright August Wilson .
When that became impossible because of Coronavirus constraints , Chen suggested Bostic write a work with the same musical forces used in the Oct. 17 opener : “ Fanfare for the Common Man ” — 13 players ( one doubling bass drum and tam-tam ) .
The result is a four-minute work titled “ Portrait of a Peaceful Warrior.
” “ It ’ s basically my tribute to the common ground we all experience as community , ” Bostic said , “ coming together especially in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to write something that was hopeful , powerful and celebratory of the human spirit.
” Also featured will be a movement from the String Quartet of G major of Florence Price , who Chen said has become “ trademark ” composer of the Sinfonietta .
The conductor discovered Price ’ s music when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra asked her to conduct the composer ’ s “ Mississippi River ” as part of its 2013 festival , “ RIVERS : Nature .
Power .
Culture.
” In 1933 , the Chicago Symphony Orchestra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 in E minor , the first composition by an African-American woman to be presented by a major orchestra .
She was largely forgotten after her death in 1953 , but her music has made an extraordinary comeback in the last decade or so .
Her idiomatic style draws on jazz , blues and aspects of African-American folk culture .
“ It just makes sense , ” Chen said , “ given Sinfonietta ’ s commitment to championing musicians of color , that we need to bring this important composer back to our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ambitions despite the coronavirus pandemic is the enlargement of its Project Inclusion , a nine-month fellowship project targeted at promising musicians , conductors and administrators from under-represented backgrounds .
The 2020-21 class of fellows will be the largest in the 13-year-history of the program , featuring 15 participants , including Antoine T. Clark , who will serve as assistant conductor .
It will also include the first Project Inclusion Composing Freeman Fellow — Chicago-based Michelle Isaac , who will be mentored by Bostic .
“ It ’ s such an exciting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When a lot of orchestras are going backwards , we ’ re actually going forward .
”

In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in late May and the Black Lives Matter protests that followed in cities across the country, many classical music organizations have scrambled to hire diversity officers and develop inclusion and equity plans.
But rather than instituting major changes, the Chicago Sinfonietta is simply continuing to build on a three-decades history of anti-racism and anti-sexism. At least one-third of its musicians, staff and board are people of color, making it a notable outlier in the orchestral world.
sinfonietta ‘Common Ground: Collective Stories’ Chicago Sinfonietta, Mei-Ann Chen, conductor When: Streams at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17; will remain on-line for 24 hours Where: Ticketholders receive an access link via e-mail Tickets: $45 (complete season: $85) Info: chicagosinfonietta.org
“That is a huge difference when you look at us compared to any other organization,” said Blake-Anthony Johnson, who took over earlier this year as the ensemble’s chief executive officer.
“We feel like this has been our arena,” added music director Mei-Ann Chen, “and, now, we’re just coming to the forefront. Everybody is trying to really tackle: ‘How should our programming be diverse?’ And we’ve been doing it for so long.”
That diversity is once again at the forefront as the Sinfonietta begins its 33rd season, “Stories of the People,” with a prototypical program on Oct. 17 that features three composers and arrangers who are women and six who are people of color.
According to the Institute for Composer Diversity, the ensemble performed twice as many works by composers from underrepresented racial, ethnic and cultural groups — 58 percent — as any other American orchestra in 2019-20, and it ranked third in presentations of music by women.
Because of restrictions surrounding COVID-19, the first two programs of the Sinfonietta’s modified season will be presented on-line with smaller-scale works and reduced forces to accommodate capacity limits onstage. The Sinfonietta hopes to return to some sense of normalcy with an in-person closing concert on May 3, 2021.
Mei-Ann Chen will conduct the Chicago Sinfonietta’s season-opening virtual concert Oct. 17. Chris Ocken Photography
The virtual concerts are expected to run 50-60 minutes, including introductions to the selections and transitional footage. “I think that might be just right in terms of our virtual audience,” Chen said, pointing to viewers’ more limited on-line attention spans.
While the size of the season has been pared back from five to three programs, the ensemble’s artistic ambitions remain as strong as ever. Each of the 2020-21 concerts will feature a world premiere by an African-American composer. “In this day and age, I can bet you that there are so few orchestras that are actually looking at commissioning, and that’s what make us unique,” Chen said.
The Oct. 17 concert, titled “COMMON GROUND: Collective Stories,” will showcase a new work by Kathryn Bostic, the Sinfonietta’s first-ever artist-in-residence — a two-year position conceived by Johnson. According to him, the post is meant to answer this question: “What does it look like when you have another artistic partner who can really connect some dots to not just what we do onstage but also what we do offstage in a different way?”
The Oct. 17 Chicago Sinfonietta’s concert will showcase a new work by Kathryn Bostic, the company’s first-ever artist-in-residence. Courtesy Chicago Sinfonietta
Bostic, who is best known for her award-winning work in film, television and theater, is big fan of the Sinfonietta because of its longtime mission to provide a platform for artists typically under-represented in the classical realm.
The ensemble was originally going to perform Bostic’s 2018 symphony written in honor of famed playwright August Wilson. When that became impossible because of Coronavirus constraints, Chen suggested Bostic write a work with the same musical forces used in the Oct. 17 opener: “Fanfare for the Common Man” — 13 players (one doubling bass drum and tam-tam).
The result is a four-minute work titled “Portrait of a Peaceful Warrior.” “It’s basically my tribute to the common ground we all experience as community,” Bostic said, “coming together especially in this time of chaos and turbulence. I wanted to write something that was hopeful, powerful and celebratory of the human spirit.”
Also featured will be a movement from the String Quartet of G major of Florence Price, who Chen said has become “trademark” composer of the Sinfonietta. The conductor discovered Price’s music when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra asked her to conduct the composer’s “Mississippi River” as part of its 2013 festival, “RIVERS: Nature. Power. Culture.”
Florence Price was the first African-American woman to have her music performed by a major symphony orchestra. Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries
In 1933, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed Price’s Symphony No. 1 in E minor, the first composition by an African-American woman to be presented by a major orchestra. She was largely forgotten after her death in 1953, but her music has made an extraordinary comeback in the last decade or so. Her idiomatic style draws on jazz, blues and aspects of African-American folk culture.
“It just makes sense,” Chen said, “given Sinfonietta’s commitment to championing musicians of color, that we need to bring this important composer back to our repertoire.”
Another indication of the Sinfonietta’s ambitions despite the coronavirus pandemic is the enlargement of its Project Inclusion, a nine-month fellowship project targeted at promising musicians, conductors and administrators from under-represented backgrounds.
The 2020-21 class of fellows will be the largest in the 13-year-history of the program, featuring 15 participants, including Antoine T. Clark, who will serve as assistant conductor. It will also include the first Project Inclusion Composing Freeman Fellow — Chicago-based Michelle Isaac, who will be mentored by Bostic.
“It’s such an exciting time,” Chen said. “When a lot of orchestras are going backwards, we’re actually going forward.”
Kyle MacMillan is a local freelance writer.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-13--Ex-Blackhawks forward Brandon Saad excited to compete for Stanley Cups again with Avalanche

It has been five years since Brandon Saad won his second Stanley Cup , and a third wasn ’ t likely to come anytime soon with the Blackhawks .
With the Avalanche , however , Saad ’ s window to add to his hardware collection is more wide open than ever .
In his introductory Zoom press conference as a member of the Avs on Monday , Saad said he ’ d miss the Hawks but was excited by his trade over the weekend .
“ [ I ] definitely have memories there , and I had a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day , it ’ s all part of the business , ” he said .
“ Having gone through it before , it makes it easier the second time around , especially when I ’ m going to a team that is going to compete for a championship every year.
” Indeed , Saad is no stranger to blockbuster trades .
His first departure from the Hawks came in June 2015 , when he was part of a seven-player swap headlined by him and Artem Anisimov .
He returned in June 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Artemi Panarin .
This time around , Saad — a frequent name in trade rumors for weeks — saw the trade ’ s writing on the wall in advance .
And when Hawks general manager Stan Bowman announced longtime goaltender Corey Crawford ’ s departure and suggested an impending rebuild last week , Saad realized it might come sooner rather than later .
“ It was surprising , but I know a couple days before it happened , you see the roster moves that they ’ re making [ and ] you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you could say , ” he said .
“ After talking with my agent , he gave me an inclination that I could be on the move .
A couple days later , it happened.
” Saad was ultimately dealt Saturday — along with prospect Dennis Gilbert — for defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm , an exchange that looked quite favorable for the Avs and strangely illogical for the Hawks .
Saad said the Hawks ’ front office didn ’ t talk much with him leading up to the trade , echoing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and by Jonathan Toews in recent days about an apparent communication disconnect between team management and core players .
The Pittsburgh native is happy about where he landed , though .
He ’ s already begun the process of selling his Chicago home , looking for a new one in Denver and moving his young family — his son , Teo , just turned 1 .
“ Colorado has definitely always been on my list as a team where I could see myself playing for a long time , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ great hockey team , and then I hear great things about the city , as well.
” The Avs are no doubt loaded on talent .
Avs GM Joe Sakic said Monday he expects Saad to round out the team ’ s loaded top six that already features Nathan MacKinnon , Gabriel Landeskog , Mikko Rantanen , Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky .
With plenty of forward depth below that , Cale Makar and Erik Johnson on the back end and Philipp Grubauer in goal , Saad ’ s earlier declaration of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hyperbole .
In fact , he drew comparisons between this current blossoming Avs team and the Hawks dynasty he entered as a rookie in 2012-13 .
“ It ’ s one of those teams where they can not even be having their best night , but they come through with talent , with scoring goals , playing well defensively , playing a good system , ” he said .
“ They have a lot of depth as well .
All those [ things ] lead into championship teams .
Back when we were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formula.
” Snuck in to Saad ’ s quotes Monday were some slight parting shots at the Hawks , whose on-ice performance has clearly declined substantially since 2015 .
But with Colorado , Saad joins a team on the mirror side of the bell curve .

It has been five years since winger Brandon Saad won his second Stanley Cup, and a third wasn’t likely to come anytime soon with the Blackhawks.
With the Avalanche, however, Saad’s window to add to his hardware collection is more wide open than ever.
In his introductory Zoom news conference as a member of the Avs on Monday, Saad said he’d miss the Hawks but was excited by his trade over the weekend.
“[I] definitely have memories there, and I had a lot of success, but it’s all part of the business,” he said. “Having gone through it before, it makes it easier the second time around, especially when I’m going to a team that is going to compete for a championship every year.”
Indeed, Saad is no stranger to blockbuster trades. His first departure from the Hawks came in June 2015, when he was part of a seven-player swap he headlined with Artem Anisimov. He returned in June 2017 in a five-player swap he headlined with Artemi Panarin.
This time around, Saad — frequently mentioned in trade rumors for weeks — saw the writing on the wall. And when Hawks general manager Stan Bowman announced longtime goaltender Corey Crawford’s departure and suggested an impending rebuild last week, Saad realized it might come sooner rather than later.
“It was surprising, but a couple of days before it happened, you see the roster moves that they’re making, [and] you never really feel safe, I guess you could say,” he said. “After talking with my agent, he gave me an inclination that I could be on the move. A couple of days later, it happened.”
Saad was dealt Saturday — along with prospect Dennis Gilbert — for defensemen Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm, an exchange that looked quite favorable for the Avs and strangely illogical for the Hawks.
Saad said the Hawks’ front office didn’t speak with him much leading up to the trade, echoing similar and equally concerning comments made by by Crawford and Jonathan Toews in recent days about an apparent communication disconnect between team management and core players.
The Pittsburgh native is happy about where he landed, though. He already has begun selling his Chicago home and is looking for a new one in Denver in order to move his young family — his son, Teo, just turned 1.
“Colorado has definitely always been on my list as a team where I could see myself playing for a long time,” he said.
“Just with the talent and the great hockey team, and then I hear great things about the city, as well.”
The Avs are no doubt filled with talent. General manager Joe Sakic said that he expects Saad to round out the team’s loaded top six that already features Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen, Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky.
With plenty of forward depth below that, Cale Makar and Erik Johnson on the back end and Philipp Grubauer in goal, Saad’s declaration of the Avs as a championship contender wasn’t a stretch.
In fact, he drew comparisons between this blossoming Avs team and the Hawks’ dynasty he joined as a rookie in 2012-13.
“It’s one of those teams where they can not even be having their best night, but they come through with talent, with scoring goals, playing well defensively, playing a good system,” he said. “They have a lot of depth, as well. All those [things] lead into championship teams. Back when we were winning in Chicago, that was the formula.”
Saad also took some slight parting shots at the Hawks, whose on-ice performance has clearly declined since 2015.
But in Colorado, Saad joins a team on the upswing.


chicagosun-times--2020-10-13--Dear Abby: Beloved stepdaughter is now a 37-year-old mom I’d like to adopt

DEAR ABBY : I am thinking about asking my stepdaughter “ Gwen ” ( 37 years old with a husband and three kids ) if she would like me to adopt her .
I married her mother when Gwen was 2 .
We divorced when she was 8 or 9 , so we were out of contact for about 25 years .
Gwen really dislikes her father .
Her mother and I have patched things up , so much so that we ’ ve been on a couple of vacations together .
Gwen has been along on both .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the first time I met her .
She was a terror , and her mother , grandmother and the rest of the family had basically given up on her .
But we clicked .
I was patient with her , and we became close .
When we were together a few weeks ago on vacation , she asked if I wanted to come to Colorado , which is halfway across the country from where I live , for her daughter ’ s 3rd birthday party .
I ’ m going .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I missed her terribly during the years her mother and I barely communicated .
I was able to see my kids , but not her .
Now I feel that closeness again , and I want to officially adopt her as I should have back when she was 2 .
What do you think , Abby ?
— LOVING HER IN LOUISIANA DEAR LOVING HER : Do not make such an important decision on impulse .
Be prudent and let this renewed relationship with your ex and her daughter play out a while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if you still feel the same , talk to your ex about what you have in mind .
If she reacts positively , discuss it with Gwen .
But I urge you to use caution because your ex may consider herself and her daughter to be a package deal and expect you to “ adopt ” her , too .
It goes without saying that this should be discussed with your lawyer because the fact that Gwen still has a father may complicate matters .
DEAR ABBY : The sisters in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live independently and alone in different cities .
After we retire , three of the four of us plan to live together in a new location .
Our dilemma : The fourth sister marches to a different drummer .
Our lifestyles are very different — completely opposite , in fact .
We love her and enjoy being with her at family gatherings and doing things together .
Yet we feel strongly that because she has little initiative and a “ dependent ” personality , she shouldn ’ t live with us , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our plans .
We know the news will upset her , and we don ’ t want to cause hurt feelings , but we feel strongly about this .
We have tried to figure out how we could make it work , but always end up knowing it won ’ t .
The only option we can think of would be that she could move to wherever we are and find a place of her own , but we ’ re not sure she has the means to make it happen .
Can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compassionate way to share the news with her ?
— FORWARD THINKING DEAR FORWARD THINKING : The most compassionate way to venture into this minefield would be to ask your sister what her plans are once she retires .
If she says she plans to live with you , she should be told it won ’ t happen and why , so she can make other arrangements for herself .
While the conversation may not be pleasant , it is necessary , and it should take place sooner rather than later .
Dear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 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 @

DEAR ABBY: I am thinking about asking my stepdaughter “Gwen” (37 years old with a husband and three kids) if she would like me to adopt her. I married her mother when Gwen was 2. We divorced when she was 8 or 9, so we were out of contact for about 25 years.
Gwen really dislikes her father. Her mother and I have patched things up, so much so that we’ve been on a couple of vacations together. Gwen has been along on both.
We have a special bond that goes back to the first time I met her. She was a terror, and her mother, grandmother and the rest of the family had basically given up on her. But we clicked. I was patient with her, and we became close. When we were together a few weeks ago on vacation, she asked if I wanted to come to Colorado, which is halfway across the country from where I live, for her daughter’s 3rd birthday party. I’m going.
I love her dearly and always have. I missed her terribly during the years her mother and I barely communicated. I was able to see my kids, but not her. Now I feel that closeness again, and I want to officially adopt her as I should have back when she was 2. What do you think, Abby? — LOVING HER IN LOUISIANA
DEAR LOVING HER: Do not make such an important decision on impulse. Be prudent and let this renewed relationship with your ex and her daughter play out a while longer before making any decisions. Then, if you still feel the same, talk to your ex about what you have in mind. If she reacts positively, discuss it with Gwen. But I urge you to use caution because your ex may consider herself and her daughter to be a package deal and expect you to “adopt” her, too. It goes without saying that this should be discussed with your lawyer because the fact that Gwen still has a father may complicate matters.
DEAR ABBY: The sisters in my family are very close. Today we live independently and alone in different cities. After we retire, three of the four of us plan to live together in a new location. Our dilemma: The fourth sister marches to a different drummer.
Our lifestyles are very different — completely opposite, in fact. We love her and enjoy being with her at family gatherings and doing things together. Yet we feel strongly that because she has little initiative and a “dependent” personality, she shouldn’t live with us, so we haven’t included her in our plans.
We know the news will upset her, and we don’t want to cause hurt feelings, but we feel strongly about this. We have tried to figure out how we could make it work, but always end up knowing it won’t. The only option we can think of would be that she could move to wherever we are and find a place of her own, but we’re not sure she has the means to make it happen. Can you help us figure out the most compassionate way to share the news with her? — FORWARD THINKING
DEAR FORWARD THINKING: The most compassionate way to venture into this minefield would be to ask your sister what her plans are once she retires. If she says she plans to live with you, she should be told it won’t happen and why, so she can make other arrangements for herself. While the conversation may not be pleasant, it is necessary, and it should take place sooner rather than later.
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--2020-10-13--Kennedy expressway shut down after CPD officer crashes near O’Hare International: police

The Kennedy expressway was shut down Tuesday after a Chicago police squad car crashed near O ’ Hare International Airport @ @ @ @ @ according to preliminary information from Chicago police .
The crash involving the police vehicle happened @ @ @ @ @ 5200 block of North Foster Avenue , police said .
The vehicle went over the @ @ @ @ @ grassy area of the expressway .
The condition of the officer was not immediately known @ @ @ @ @ Kennedy expressway was completely shut down , police said .
This is a developing story @ @ @ @ @ .

A Chicago police officer was hurt Tuesday morning after driving her squad car off Foster Avenue and down an embankment, shutting down the outbound Kennedy Expressway for several hours.
The officer was responding to assist another officer at 4:40 a.m. when she missed a turn onto the expressway in the 5200 block of North Foster Avenue and drove through a guardrail, Chicago police said in a statement.
The squad car went 25 feet down the grassy median and onto the side of the Kennedy Expressway, where multiple utility poles appeared to be knocked over, according to Chicago Fire Dept. spokesman Larry Langford.
The officer was taken to a hospital in fair condition, Langford said.
The damage to the vehicle was “substantial,” he said.
The outbound lanes were reopened by 9:45 a.m., according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.