chicagosun-times--2020-06-24--Coronavirus cases surge among the young, endangering older adults

ST. PETERSBURG , Fla. — Coronavirus cases are climbing rapidly among young adults in a number of states where bars , stores and restaurants have reopened — a disturbing generational shift that not only puts them in greater peril than many realize but poses an even bigger danger to older people who cross their paths .
In Oxford , Mississippi , summer fraternity parties sparked outbreaks .
In Oklahoma City , church activities , fitness classes , weddings and funerals seeded infections among people in their 20s , 30s and 40s .
In Iowa college towns , surges followed the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hangouts near Louisiana State University led to at least 100 customers and employees testing positive .
In East Lansing , Michigan , an outbreak tied to a brew pub spread to 34 people ages 18 to 23 .
There and in states like Florida , Texas and Arizona , young people have started going out again , many without masks , in what health experts see as irresponsible behavior .
“ The virus hasn ’ t changed .
We have changed our behaviors , ” said Ali Mokdad , professor of health metrics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seattle .
“ Younger people are more likely to be out and taking a risk.
” In Florida , young people ages 15 to 34 now make up 31 % of all cases , up from 25 % in early June .
Last week , more than 8,000 new cases were reported in that age group , compared with about 2,000 among people 55 to 64 years old .
And experts say the phenomenon can not be explained away as simply the result of more testing .
Elected officials such as Florida ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying many of the newly infected are young and otherwise healthy .
But younger people , too , face the possibility of severe infection and death .
In the past week , two 17-year-olds in Florida died of the virus .
And authorities worry that older , more vulnerable people are next .
“ People between the ages 18 and 50 don ’ t live in some sort of a bubble , ” Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said .
“ They are the children and grandchildren of vulnerable people .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a wedding .
They might be serving you a meal in a restaurant.
” The virus has taken a frightful toll on older people in the U.S. , which leads the world in total deaths , at over 120,000 , and confirmed infections , at more than 2.3 million .
Eight out of 10 deaths in the U.S. have been in people 65 and older .
In contrast , confirmed coronavirus deaths among 18- to 34-year-olds number in the hundreds , though disease trackers are clamoring for more accurate data .
For months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be diagnosed with the virus , too .
But figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that almost as soon as states began reopening , the picture flipped , with people 18 to 49 years old quickly becoming the age bracket most likely to be diagnosed with new cases .
And although every age group saw an increase in cases during the first week in June , the numbers shot up fastest among 18- to 49-year-olds .
For the week ending June 7 , there were 43 new cases per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared with 28 cases per 100,000 people over 65 .
With the shift toward younger people , some hospitals are seeing a smaller share of their COVID-19 patients needing intensive care treatment such as breathing machines .
“ They are sick enough to be hospitalized , but they ’ re not quite as sick , ” said Dr .
Rob Phillips , chief physician executive of Houston Methodist Hospital .
He said he still finds the trend disturbing because young people “ definitely interact with their parents and grandparents , ” who could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system , nearly half the COVID-19 patients were on ventilators during April compared with less than 3 percent now , said Dr. Sunil Desai , president of the Orlando Health hospital system .
Some of the young people who have fallen ill describe stretches of extreme pain and fatigue .
“ My chest and my body hurt .
Almost like I ’ d gotten in a car accident , ” said Emily Ellington , 25 , of suburban Austin , Texas , who tested positive about six weeks after the state began reopening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bars reopened in early May , 32-year-old Kristen Kowall of Clearwater dined out with her fiancé in early June .
Like others in the restaurant , she didn ’ t wear a mask .
She tested positive over the weekend .
“ I just feel really groggy and tired .
It hurts to walk .
Especially my ankles and knees , it feels like my bones are going to fall apart , ” she said .
“ I definitely would advise people from going out .
It ’ s not worth it.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not all be due to reopenings and could also reflect wider testing that has reached younger , less sick people .
Yet since May , younger adults have had a higher share of tests come back positive than their older counterparts .
In late March and April , that wasn ’ t the case — the highest positive rates were in people over 65 .
For the past month , roughly 7 percent of tests done on 18- to 49-year-olds nationwide have come back positive .
That is about 2 percentage points above @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surge , some Florida cities and counties are requiring people to wear masks before entering businesses .
An Orlando bar popular with University of Central Florida students had its liquor license suspended after more than 40 people who went there upon its reopening tested positive .
Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis warned other bars they could lose their licenses if they don ’ t follow social distancing guidelines .
“ If you go in , and it ’ s Dance Party USA , dancing up to the rafters … there ’ s no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Coronavirus cases are climbing rapidly among young adults in a number of states where bars, stores and restaurants have reopened — a disturbing generational shift that not only puts them in greater peril than many realize but poses an even bigger danger to older people who cross their paths.
In Oxford, Mississippi, summer fraternity parties sparked outbreaks. In Oklahoma City, church activities, fitness classes, weddings and funerals seeded infections among people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. In Iowa college towns, surges followed the reopening of bars. A cluster of hangouts near Louisiana State University led to at least 100 customers and employees testing positive. In East Lansing, Michigan, an outbreak tied to a brew pub spread to 34 people ages 18 to 23.
There and in states like Florida, Texas and Arizona, young people have started going out again, many without masks, in what health experts see as irresponsible behavior.
“The virus hasn’t changed. We have changed our behaviors,” said Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. “Younger people are more likely to be out and taking a risk.”
In Florida, young people ages 15 to 34 now make up 31% of all cases, up from 25% in early June. Last week, more than 8,000 new cases were reported in that age group, compared with about 2,000 among people 55 to 64 years old. And experts say the phenomenon cannot be explained away as simply the result of more testing.
Elected officials such as Florida’s governor have argued against reimposing restrictions, saying many of the newly infected are young and otherwise healthy. But younger people, too, face the possibility of severe infection and death. In the past week, two 17-year-olds in Florida died of the virus.
And authorities worry that older, more vulnerable people are next.
“People between the ages 18 and 50 don’t live in some sort of a bubble,” Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said. “They are the children and grandchildren of vulnerable people. They may be standing next to you at a wedding. They might be serving you a meal in a restaurant.”
The virus has taken a frightful toll on older people in the U.S., which leads the world in total deaths, at over 120,000, and confirmed infections, at more than 2.3 million. Eight out of 10 deaths in the U.S. have been in people 65 and older. In contrast, confirmed coronavirus deaths among 18- to 34-year-olds number in the hundreds, though disease trackers are clamoring for more accurate data.
For months, older adults were more likely to be diagnosed with the virus, too. But figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that almost as soon as states began reopening, the picture flipped, with people 18 to 49 years old quickly becoming the age bracket most likely to be diagnosed with new cases.
And although every age group saw an increase in cases during the first week in June, the numbers shot up fastest among 18- to 49-year-olds. For the week ending June 7, there were 43 new cases per 100,000 people in that age bracket, compared with 28 cases per 100,000 people over 65.
With the shift toward younger people, some hospitals are seeing a smaller share of their COVID-19 patients needing intensive care treatment such as breathing machines.
“They are sick enough to be hospitalized, but they’re not quite as sick,” said Dr. Rob Phillips, chief physician executive of Houston Methodist Hospital. He said he still finds the trend disturbing because young people “definitely interact with their parents and grandparents,” who could be next.
In one Florida hospital system, nearly half the COVID-19 patients were on ventilators during April compared with less than 3 percent now, said Dr. Sunil Desai, president of the Orlando Health hospital system.
Some of the young people who have fallen ill describe stretches of extreme pain and fatigue.
“My chest and my body hurt. Almost like I’d gotten in a car accident,” said Emily Ellington, 25, of suburban Austin, Texas, who tested positive about six weeks after the state began reopening.
In Florida, where many restaurants and bars reopened in early May, 32-year-old Kristen Kowall of Clearwater dined out with her fiancé in early June. Like others in the restaurant, she didn’t wear a mask. She tested positive over the weekend.
“I just feel really groggy and tired. It hurts to walk. Especially my ankles and knees, it feels like my bones are going to fall apart,” she said. “I definitely would advise people from going out. It’s not worth it.”
The increase among young adults may not all be due to reopenings and could also reflect wider testing that has reached younger, less sick people. Yet since May, younger adults have had a higher share of tests come back positive than their older counterparts.
In late March and April, that wasn’t the case — the highest positive rates were in people over 65. For the past month, roughly 7 percent of tests done on 18- to 49-year-olds nationwide have come back positive. That is about 2 percentage points above older groups of adults.
Amid the surge, some Florida cities and counties are requiring people to wear masks before entering businesses. An Orlando bar popular with University of Central Florida students had its liquor license suspended after more than 40 people who went there upon its reopening tested positive.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned other bars they could lose their licenses if they don’t follow social distancing guidelines.
“If you go in, and it’s Dance Party USA, dancing up to the rafters … there’s no tolerance for that,” he said.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-24--October Chicago Marathon still on, organizers say  (LIVE UPDATES)

October Chicago Marathon still on ( for now ) , organizers say The New York City Marathon scheduled for Nov. 1 was canceled Wednesday because of the coronavirus pandemic ; meanwhile , the 2020 Bank of America Chicago Marathon scheduled for Oct. 11 is still on .
“ We are aware of the announcement made by the New York Road Runners today , ” Chicago Marathon spokeswoman Alex Sawyer told the Sun-Times Wednesday .
“ At this time , we are unable to say definitively whether or not the Bank of America Chicago Marathon will proceed.
” Sawyer said organizers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with our runners soon as possible ” and have been working with city officials to “ prepare [ e ] for both outcomes.
” The Bank of America Chicago half marathon , which had been scheduled for June 7 , was canceled in late April , and registered runners had the option to defer their registration for the 2021 race or request a refund of their entry fee .
Marathon officials haven ’ t announced whether the same options will be available to runners in the event of the October race ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exploring “ unique options outside of our standard policies.
” The University of Chicago Medical Center is no longer dedicating entire floors or units solely to care for COVID-19 patients as the number of hospitalizations for the virus fell significantly .
In a sign of the dwindling number of new coronavirus cases and the eventual return to normal operations , the Hyde Park hospital said in a staff email this week that it will continue to isolate COVID-19 patients but it will no longer need to block off large portions of the medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were 140 virus patients hospitalized at the South Side medical center .
As of Wednesday morning , there were 18 , a hospital spokeswoman said .
At one point , two full floors were designated for treatment of those infected with the virus .
“ Going forward , our patients and community will be better served by caring for our COVID-19 patients in appropriate isolation rooms and allowing our COVID-19 units to return to serving their regular patient populations , ” Krista Curell , vice president of risk management and patient safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and staff .
Read the full story by Brett Chase here .
Health officials on Wednesday announced 64 more people have died of COVID-19 in Illinois , as an additional 715 tested positive for the virus .
That raises the state ’ s coronavirus death toll to 6,770 , while at least 138,540 people have contracted the virus since late January , according to the latest figures from the Illinois Department of Public Health .
Wednesday ’ s tally marked the first time in two weeks that the state reported 700 or more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s still been almost three weeks since the daily count surpassed 1,000 .
The state has seen declining weekly death and case totals for five consecutive weeks , according to Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike .
The state has averaged about 58 coronavirus deaths per day so far this month .
That rate was nearly 100 per day through Illinois ’ peak month of the pandemic in May .
Overall , since the state ’ s first coronavirus death in mid-March , the virus has claimed an average of about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story by Mitchell Armentrout here .
12:31 p.m. Chicagoans are divided over safety of hitting the gym Friday As Chicago and Illinois move into Phase 4 of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s reopening plan , gyms are among the long-shutdown establishments permitted to reopen as of Friday , with safety requirements that include social distancing and having to wear a face mask to work out at a gym .
So we asked Chicagoans : Will you be hitting the gym again now that you can ?
Some answers have been condensed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not .
I have been wanting to have a regular workout plan , but gyms are probably where a lot of people are gon na get sick.
” — Miguel Pizana “ Still on the fence .
Masks , of course , but I ’ d probably stick to one machine and disinfecting it , along with hand sanitizer .
I ’ ve gained too much weight.
” — Stephanie Delph “ I will .
The ‘ quarantine 15 ’ is real.
” — Al Southers Read more remarks from Sun-Times readers here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this weekend ?
Movie theaters in Elmhurst , North Riverside and several other suburban locations will reopen Friday as the launch of Illinois ’ Phase 4 allows indoor filmgoing to resume .
The York Theatre in Elmhurst and the Luxury 6 in North Riverside will be among the cinemas reopening their doors .
They ’ re all part of the Classic Cinemas chain , which also will be welcoming patrons Friday at the Charlestowne 18 in St. Charles , the Cinema 12 in Carpentersville , the Cinema 7 in Sandwich , the Elk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox Lake in Fox Lake , the Paramount Theatre in Kankakee and the Woodstock in Woodstock , as well as locations in Beloit , Wisconsin , and Freeport .
The movie lineups are a mix of releases from earlier this year ( “ Invisible Man , ” “ Bloodshot , ” “ I Still Believe , ” “ Trolls World Tour ” ) and old favorites ( “ Space Jam , ” “ Batman Begins , ” the four Indiana Jones films ) .
Only one brand new movie will be playing : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” showing at the Charlestowne .
Read more from Darel Jevens here .
9:58 a.m. City offering more opportunities this weekend for outdoor dining More Chicago streets are set to close this weekend for outdoor dining as the city continues its gradual reopening .
The Open Streets program proved popular earlier this month , when stretches of Broadway , Rush , Oak and Cedar streets were closed to all but foot traffic .
These streets will be closed to automobiles this weekend as part of the program : • Balmoral Avenue at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adjacent to Archer Avenue between Wentworth and Princeton avenues • Oliphant Avenue , closed between Northwest Highway and the first alley to the north .
• Sidewalk dining will be available on 75th Street between Indiana and Calumet avenues .
Read the full story from Stefano Esposito for more .
8:29 a.m. Fine-dining restaurants , including Chicago ’ s Alinea , find new ways to survive amid pandemic Alinea in Chicago used to welcome guests with a $ 365 , 18-course tasting menu ; it ’ s now cooking up a six-course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Noma , which usually requires reservations months ahead , opened an outdoor burger and wine bar .
Les Amis in Singapore is selling grocery items like artisanal butter and caviar .
Restaurants were hit hard by the new coronavirus .
In the U.S. alone , the industry lost 6 million jobs in March and April .
But fine dining was hit hardest of all , says David Portalatin , an industry adviser with The NPD Group .
At the low point , in April , U.S. fine dining transactions were down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Some fine dining restaurants are using the closure to redesign their interiors or retool their menus , said David Mitroff , a restaurant consultant and founder of Piedmont Avenue Consulting .
Restaurants of this caliber need to keep things fresh and interesting , he said .
Others are rethinking the experience entirely .
Quince , a three-star restaurant in San Francisco , will likely be closed until fall .
But starting in July , co-owner Lindsay Tusk is planning to offer lunches and dinners at the Marin County farm that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Read more about how restaurants are staying afloat .
7:08 a.m. Fauci hopeful for a vaccine by late 2020 , early 2021 The government ’ s top infectious disease expert said Tuesday he is cautiously optimistic that there will be a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year or early 2021 , and warned that the next few weeks will be critical to tamping down coronavirus hot spots around the country .
Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top health officials also said they have not been asked to slow down testing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after President Donald Trump said last weekend that he had asked them to do just that because it was uncovering too many infections .
Trump said Wednesday that he wasn ’ t kidding when he said that .
“ We will be doing more testing , ” Fauci told a House committee .
The U.S. has tested more than 27 million people , with about 2.3 million – or 8.4 % — testing positive .
The health officials returned to Capitol Hill at a fraught moment in the nation ’ s pandemic response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half the states and political polarization competing for attention with public health recommendations .
“ We ’ ve been hit badly , ” said Fauci , infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health .
He said he was “ really quite concerned ” about rising community spread in some states .
“ The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surges , ” he said .
• No .
1 Novak Djokovic , wife have coronavirus after his tennis exhibitions .
• Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases Tuesday , bringing the state ’ s death toll to 6,707 among a total of 137,825 people who have tested positive for the virus .
• Comedian D.L .
Hughley announced he tested positive for COVID-19 after collapsing onstage during a performance in Nashville , Tennessee .
5:35 p.m. Never forgive baseball ’ s owners and players for arguing over money during the pandemic I ’ ll be excited about the return of major-league baseball when there are replacement players , replacement owners and a replacement commissioner .
Until then , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been with me since the bickering began : What a bunch of selfish , tone-deaf jerks .
After months of everyone involved revealing their true colors , all various shades of green , baseball will begin its 60-game season July 23 or July 24 .
Can I get a “ hooray ” ?
How about a “ huzzah ” ?
Didn ’ t think so .
Read the full column by Rick Morrissey here .
7:04 a.m .
Sometimes landlords who evict a tenant are the good guys In a letter to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Edgewater writes : I read the article on landlords using illegal means to evict tenants .
I feel badly for tenants who are going through tough times financially .
I know how difficult it can be to find work in a down economy .
Still , I am troubled by how landlords are usually portrayed as the bad guys .
These situations are not always so black-and-white .
Tenants have some responsibility too .
In my building , for example , our landlord has banned all smoking , including tobacco and marijuana @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenants , especially those with asthma and allergies .
Still , some neighbors believe it is OK to smoke within their units .
They seem not to realize that the smoke wafts through walls and floors into others ’ units .
I believe the landlord is doing the best he can , but without the stick of an eviction , what more can he do ?
In several cases , neighbors disregard police as well .
Read this and more letters from Sun-Times readers here .

Chicago and the state continued its progress to Phase 4 of the reopening plan. 64 people have died of COVID-19 in Illinois, as an additional 715 tested positive for the virus. That’s the first time in two weeks that the state reported 700 or more cases in a single day, but it’s still been almost three weeks since the daily count surpassed 1,000. The state has seen declining weekly death and case totals for five consecutive weeks, according to Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.
Nationwide is another story. The U.S. recorded a one-day total of 34,700 new COVID-19 cases, just short of the nation’s late-April peak of 36,400, according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University.
Here is what happened in the fight against the coronavirus in Chicago and around the state.
News
9 p.m. October Chicago Marathon still on (for now), organizers say
A general view of competitors runing past the Chicago Theater during the 2019 Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 13, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images
The New York City Marathon scheduled for Nov. 1 was canceled Wednesday because of the coronavirus pandemic; meanwhile, the 2020 Bank of America Chicago Marathon scheduled for Oct. 11 is still on.
“We are aware of the announcement made by the New York Road Runners today,” Chicago Marathon spokeswoman Alex Sawyer told the Sun-Times Wednesday. “At this time, we are unable to say definitively whether or not the Bank of America Chicago Marathon will proceed.”
Sawyer said organizers “are committed to sharing a decision with our runners soon as possible” and have been working with city officials to “prepare[e] for both outcomes.”
The Bank of America Chicago half marathon, which had been scheduled for June 7, was canceled in late April, and registered runners had the option to defer their registration for the 2021 race or request a refund of their entry fee.
Marathon officials haven’t announced whether the same options will be available to runners in the event of the October race’s cancellation, but Sawyer said organizers were exploring “unique options outside of our standard policies.”
— Mitch Dudek
8:45 p.m. Disney delays Southern California theme park reopenings because of coronavirus
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Disney is postponing the mid-July reopening of its Southern California theme parks until it receives guidelines from the state, the company announced Wednesday.
Disney had hoped to reopen Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim on July 17 after a four-month closure due to the coronavirus. But the state has indicated it won’t issue guidelines until after July 4, the company said.
“Given the time required for us to bring thousands of cast members back to work and restart our business, we have no choice but to delay the reopening of our theme parks and resort hotels until we receive approval from government officials,” Disney said in a statement.
Read the full story by The Associated Press here.
6:15 p.m. Coronavirus cases surge among the young, endangering older adults
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Coronavirus cases are climbing rapidly among young adults in a number of states where bars, stores and restaurants have reopened — a disturbing generational shift that not only puts them in greater peril than many realize but poses an even bigger danger to older people who cross their paths.
In Oxford, Mississippi, summer fraternity parties sparked outbreaks. In Oklahoma City, church activities, fitness classes, weddings and funerals seeded infections among people in their 20s, 30s and 40s. In Iowa college towns, surges followed the reopening of bars. A cluster of hangouts near Louisiana State University led to at least 100 customers and employees testing positive. In East Lansing, Michigan, an outbreak tied to a brew pub spread to 34 people ages 18 to 23.
There and in states like Florida, Texas and Arizona, young people have started going out again, many without masks, in what health experts see as irresponsible behavior.
Read the full story by The Associated Press here.
5:55 p.m. University of Chicago closes special units for coronavirus patients
The University of Chicago Medical Center is no longer dedicating entire floors or units solely to care for COVID-19 patients as the number of hospitalizations for the virus fell significantly.
In a sign of the dwindling number of new coronavirus cases and the eventual return to normal operations, the Hyde Park hospital said in a staff email this week that it will continue to isolate COVID-19 patients but it will no longer need to block off large portions of the medical center.
At peak in mid-April, there were 140 virus patients hospitalized at the South Side medical center. As of Wednesday morning, there were 18, a hospital spokeswoman said. At one point, two full floors were designated for treatment of those infected with the virus.
“Going forward, our patients and community will be better served by caring for our COVID-19 patients in appropriate isolation rooms and allowing our COVID-19 units to return to serving their regular patient populations,” Krista Curell, vice president of risk management and patient safety, said in the email to faculty and staff.
Read the full story by Brett Chase here.
4:05 p.m. ‘Coming back and biting us’: US sees coronavirus make a comeback
HOUSTON — Hospital administrators and health care experts warned desperately Wednesday that parts of the U.S. are on the verge of becoming overwhelmed by a resurgence of the coronavirus, lamenting that politicians and a tired-of-being-cooped-up public are letting a disaster unfold.
The U.S. recorded a one-day total of 34,700 new COVID-19 cases, just short of the nation’s late-April peak of 36,400, according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University.
While new cases have been declining steadily in early U.S. hot spots such as New York and New Jersey, several other states set single-day case records this week, including Arizona, California, Mississippi, Nevada and Texas. Some of them also broke hospitalization records, as did North Carolina and South Carolina.
Read the full story by The Associated Press here.
3:15 p.m. 64 more Illinois coronavirus deaths, 715 new cases
Health officials on Wednesday announced 64 more people have died of COVID-19 in Illinois, as an additional 715 tested positive for the virus.
That raises the state’s coronavirus death toll to 6,770, while at least 138,540 people have contracted the virus since late January, according to the latest figures from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Wednesday’s tally marked the first time in two weeks that the state reported 700 or more cases in a single day, but it’s still been almost three weeks since the daily count surpassed 1,000. The state has seen declining weekly death and case totals for five consecutive weeks, according to Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.
The state has averaged about 58 coronavirus deaths per day so far this month. That rate was nearly 100 per day through Illinois’ peak month of the pandemic in May. Overall, since the state’s first coronavirus death in mid-March, the virus has claimed an average of about 68 lives daily.
Read the full story by Mitchell Armentrout here.
12:31 p.m. Chicagoans are divided over safety of hitting the gym Friday
As Chicago and Illinois move into Phase 4 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan, gyms are among the long-shutdown establishments permitted to reopen as of Friday, with safety requirements that include social distancing and having to wear a face mask to work out at a gym.
So we asked Chicagoans: Will you be hitting the gym again now that you can? Some answers have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
“Definitely not. I have been wanting to have a regular workout plan, but gyms are probably where a lot of people are gonna get sick.” — Miguel Pizana
“Still on the fence. Masks, of course, but I’d probably stick to one machine and disinfecting it, along with hand sanitizer. I’ve gained too much weight.” — Stephanie Delph
“I will. The ‘quarantine 15’ is real.” — Al Southers
Read more remarks from Sun-Times readers here.
11:09 a.m. Back to the movies this weekend?
Movie theaters in Elmhurst, North Riverside and several other suburban locations will reopen Friday as the launch of Illinois’ Phase 4 allows indoor filmgoing to resume.
The York Theatre in Elmhurst and the Luxury 6 in North Riverside will be among the cinemas reopening their doors.
They’re all part of the Classic Cinemas chain, which also will be welcoming patrons Friday at the Charlestowne 18 in St. Charles, the Cinema 12 in Carpentersville, the Cinema 7 in Sandwich, the Elk Grove in Elk Grove Village, the Fox Lake in Fox Lake, the Paramount Theatre in Kankakee and the Woodstock in Woodstock, as well as locations in Beloit, Wisconsin, and Freeport.
The movie lineups are a mix of releases from earlier this year (“Invisible Man,” “Bloodshot,” “I Still Believe,” “Trolls World Tour”) and old favorites (“Space Jam,” “Batman Begins,” the four Indiana Jones films).
Only one brand new movie will be playing: the British rave drama “Beats,” showing at the Charlestowne.
Read more from Darel Jevens here.
9:58 a.m. City offering more opportunities this weekend for outdoor dining
More Chicago streets are set to close this weekend for outdoor dining as the city continues its gradual reopening.
The Open Streets program proved popular earlier this month, when stretches of Broadway, Rush, Oak and Cedar streets were closed to all but foot traffic.
These streets will be closed to automobiles this weekend as part of the program:
Balmoral Avenue at the intersection with Clark Street
Chinatown Square, adjacent to Archer Avenue between Wentworth and Princeton avenues
Taylor Street, between Loomis and Ashland avenues
Oliphant Avenue, closed between Northwest Highway and the first alley to the north.
Sidewalk dining will be available on 75th Street between Indiana and Calumet avenues.
Read the full story from Stefano Esposito for more.
8:29 a.m. Fine-dining restaurants, including Chicago’s Alinea, find new ways to survive amid pandemic
Alinea in Chicago used to welcome guests with a $365, 18-course tasting menu; it’s now cooking up a six-course to-go feast for $49.95. Copenhagen’s Noma, which usually requires reservations months ahead, opened an outdoor burger and wine bar. Les Amis in Singapore is selling grocery items like artisanal butter and caviar.
Restaurants were hit hard by the new coronavirus. In the U.S. alone, the industry lost 6 million jobs in March and April. But fine dining was hit hardest of all, says David Portalatin, an industry adviser with The NPD Group. At the low point, in April, U.S. fine dining transactions were down 82% from a year ago, he said.
Some fine dining restaurants are using the closure to redesign their interiors or retool their menus, said David Mitroff, a restaurant consultant and founder of Piedmont Avenue Consulting. Restaurants of this caliber need to keep things fresh and interesting, he said.
Others are rethinking the experience entirely. Quince, a three-star restaurant in San Francisco, will likely be closed until fall. But starting in July, co-owner Lindsay Tusk is planning to offer lunches and dinners at the Marin County farm that grows the restaurant’s produce.
Read more about how restaurants are staying afloat.
7:08 a.m. Fauci hopeful for a vaccine by late 2020, early 2021
The government’s top infectious disease expert said Tuesday he is cautiously optimistic that there will be a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year or early 2021, and warned that the next few weeks will be critical to tamping down coronavirus hot spots around the country.
Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top health officials also said they have not been asked to slow down testing for coronavirus, an issue that became controversial after President Donald Trump said last weekend that he had asked them to do just that because it was uncovering too many infections. Trump said Wednesday that he wasn’t kidding when he said that.
“We will be doing more testing,” Fauci told a House committee.
The U.S. has tested more than 27 million people, with about 2.3 million – or 8.4% — testing positive.
The health officials returned to Capitol Hill at a fraught moment in the nation’s pandemic response, with coronavirus cases rising in about half the states and political polarization competing for attention with public health recommendations.
“We’ve been hit badly,” said Fauci, infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health. He said he was “really quite concerned” about rising community spread in some states.
“The next couple of weeks are going to be critical in our ability to address those surges,” he said.
Read the full story here.
New cases
Analysis & Commentary
5:35 p.m. Never forgive baseball’s owners and players for arguing over money during the pandemic
I’ll be excited about the return of major-league baseball when there are replacement players, replacement owners and a replacement commissioner.
Until then, I’ll stick with the sentiment that has been with me since the bickering began: What a bunch of selfish, tone-deaf jerks.
After months of everyone involved revealing their true colors, all various shades of green, baseball will begin its 60-game season July 23 or July 24. Can I get a “hooray”? How about a “huzzah”? Didn’t think so.
Let’s settle for a “Who cares?”
Read the full column by Rick Morrissey here.
7:04 a.m. Sometimes landlords who evict a tenant are the good guys
In a letter to the Sun-Times Editorial Board, Melanie Rogers of Edgewater writes:
I read the article on landlords using illegal means to evict tenants. I feel badly for tenants who are going through tough times financially. I know how difficult it can be to find work in a down economy.
Still, I am troubled by how landlords are usually portrayed as the bad guys. These situations are not always so black-and-white. Tenants have some responsibility too.
In my building, for example, our landlord has banned all smoking, including tobacco and marijuana, to ensure the health of all tenants, especially those with asthma and allergies. Still, some neighbors believe it is OK to smoke within their units. They seem not to realize that the smoke wafts through walls and floors into others’ units.
I believe the landlord is doing the best he can, but without the stick of an eviction, what more can he do? In several cases, neighbors disregard police as well.
Read this and more letters from Sun-Times readers here.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-24--University of Chicago closes special units for coronavirus patients

The University of Chicago Medical Center is no longer dedicating entire floors or units solely to care for COVID-19 patients as the number of hospitalizations for the virus fell significantly .
In a sign of the dwindling number of new coronavirus cases and the eventual return to normal operations , the Hyde Park hospital said in a staff email this week that it will continue to isolate COVID-19 patients but it will no longer need to block off large portions of the medical center .
At peak in mid-April , there were 140 virus patients hospitalized at the South Side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there were 18 , a hospital spokeswoman said .
At one point , two full floors were designated for treatment of those infected with the virus .
“ Going forward , our patients and community will be better served by caring for our COVID-19 patients in appropriate isolation rooms and allowing our COVID-19 units to return to serving their regular patient populations , ” Krista Curell , vice president of risk management and patient safety , said in the email to faculty and staff .
The special units were designed to handle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months but are no longer needed , Curell said .
Returning areas of the hospital to other uses will allow admittance of more non-COVID-19 patients , she added .
The special units only applied to adult patients and did not have an impact on the university ’ s Comer Children ’ s Hospital , which has admitted a very small number of COVID-19 cases , she said .
Illinois has seen declining virus-related death and case totals for five consecutive weeks .
The University of Chicago ’ s actions are similar to those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
At the University of Illinois at Chicago , the peak inpatient load hit 81 on April 30 but that number was down to 15 this week , a spokeswoman confirmed .
“ It has been heartening to see the number of COVID-positive patients in the hospital declining , ” University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics CEO Michael Zenn said in an email to staff this week .
In a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times , Dr. Kevin Smith , chief medical officer at Loyola University Medical Center , said his hospital has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dedicated to coronavirus patients but as “ numbers are down significantly , we are working to reduce our units to one ICU and one floor .
If our numbers continue to decline , we will make further adjustments.
” Officials at each hospital contacted emphasized that their institutions would be able to respond to an uptick in virus cases as some predictions suggest will happen this fall .
“ While we have been able to redeploy resources to other areas as COVID-19 cases decline , we will continue treating our community ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to increase again , ” a statement from Rush University Medical Center said .
Brett Chase ’ s reporting on the environment and public health is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust .

The University of Chicago Medical Center is no longer dedicating entire floors or units solely to care for COVID-19 patients as the number of hospitalizations for the virus fell significantly.
In a sign of the dwindling number of new coronavirus cases and the eventual return to normal operations, the Hyde Park hospital said in a staff email this week that it will continue to isolate COVID-19 patients but it will no longer need to block off large portions of the medical center.
At peak in mid-April, there were 140 virus patients hospitalized at the South Side medical center. As of Wednesday morning, there were 18, a hospital spokeswoman said. At one point, two full floors were designated for treatment of those infected with the virus.
“Going forward, our patients and community will be better served by caring for our COVID-19 patients in appropriate isolation rooms and allowing our COVID-19 units to return to serving their regular patient populations,” Krista Curell, vice president of risk management and patient safety, said in the email to faculty and staff.
The special units were designed to handle the onslaught of virus cases in recent months but are no longer needed, Curell said. Returning areas of the hospital to other uses will allow admittance of more non-COVID-19 patients, she added. The special units only applied to adult patients and did not have an impact on the university’s Comer Children’s Hospital, which has admitted a very small number of COVID-19 cases, she said.
Illinois has seen declining virus-related death and case totals for five consecutive weeks.
The University of Chicago’s actions are similar to those at other medical centers across the city.
At the University of Illinois at Chicago, the peak inpatient load hit 81 on April 30 but that number was down to 15 this week, a spokeswoman confirmed.
“It has been heartening to see the number of COVID-positive patients in the hospital declining,” University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics CEO Michael Zenn said in an email to staff this week.
In a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times, Dr. Kevin Smith, chief medical officer at Loyola University Medical Center, said his hospital has a floor and two intensive care units dedicated to coronavirus patients but as “numbers are down significantly, we are working to reduce our units to one ICU and one floor. If our numbers continue to decline, we will make further adjustments.”
Officials at each hospital contacted emphasized that their institutions would be able to respond to an uptick in virus cases as some predictions suggest will happen this fall.
“While we have been able to redeploy resources to other areas as COVID-19 cases decline, we will continue treating our community’s needs and remain ready should cases begin to increase again,” a statement from Rush University Medical Center said.
Brett Chase’s reporting on the environment and public health is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-24--Fire schedule set, format tweaked for MLS tournament

The Fire learned their schedule for the MLS is Back Tournament .
They also got a little help from the league to make the event a little more equitable .
On Wednesday , MLS announced the slate for the upcoming tournament , which is expected to open July 8 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando .
The Fire are due to begin their campaign at 9:30 p.m. CDT that night against first-year team Nashville SC , a club that was moved into the Eastern Conference for this tournament and at least the remainder of 2020 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheduled to face Inter Miami , another expansion team , at 8 am CDT .
To wrap the group stage , the Fire ’ s opponent at 7 p.m. CDT on July 19 will be New York City FC , the only team the Fire will see in their opening three matches that competed last season in MLS .
Last season , the Fire went 0-1-1 against NYCFC .
As for the help from the league , that relates to qualifying for the knockout stage of the tournament .
The Fire ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its top three teams to the next round , instead of the two that were announced as part of the original format .
The five four-team groups will still see at least two of their sides move on .
With the format change , the top half of every group will move on to the knockout round .
And now it ’ s possible the fourth-place team in Group A could grab one of the three wild-card slots for the round of 16 .
Those bids will go to clubs with the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top half of their group .
The winner of the tournament will receive a bid for the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League .
The three group-stage matches will also count toward the 2020 regular season standings .
In preparation for the tournament and the continuation of their season , the Fire resumed full team training June 15 .
Teams were allowed to arrive in Orlando beginning Wednesday , though the Fire are scheduled to leave for Florida on July 1 .

The Fire learned their schedule for the MLS is Back Tournament. They also got a little help from the league to make the event a little more equitable.
On Wednesday, MLS announced the tournament is scheduled to open July 8 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, with the Fire facing Nashville SC at 9:30 p.m. Nashville SC was moved into the Eastern Conference for the tournament and at least the remainder of 2020. On July 14, the Fire will face Inter Miami, another expansion team, at 8 a.m.
The Fire will conclude the group stage at 7 p.m. on July 19 when they square off against New York City FC, which is the only team the Fire will face in their opening three matches that competed last season in MLS.
As for help from the league, that relates to qualifying for the knockout stage. The Fire’s six-team Group A will now automatically send its top three teams to the next round, instead of the two that were announced as part of the original format.
The five four-team groups still will see at least two of their sides move on.
With the format change, at least the top half of every group will move on to the knockout round. It’s also possible that the fourth-place team in Group A could grab one of the three wild-card slots for the round of 16. Those bids will go to clubs with the most points that didn’t finish in the top half of their group.
The winner of the tournament will receive a bid for the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League. The three group-stage matches will also count toward the 2020 regular-season standings.
The Fire are scheduled to leave for Florida on Wednesday.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-24--In Chicago, fireworks — and complaints — are exploding

You ’ re not just hearing things .
A lot more fireworks are being set off in Chicago neighborhoods this year — and the Fourth of July is still more than a week away .
Complaints about those loud blasts are up more than 736 % compared to 2019 , according to city officials .
Through Sunday , the Office of Emergency Management and Communication had fielded 7,042 complaints this year about fireworks .
Last year , in the same period , OEMC fielded just 842 calls .
Only four states in the country have banned the use and sale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ novelty items like smoke bombs and sparklers .
Illinois allows such novelty items , though Chicago has taken it a step further by banning sparklers and bottle rockets too .
Still legal in Chicago are glowworms , smoke bombs and party poppers .
Sparklers were outlawed “ because they operate at such a high heat level that they can cause very serious burns and can ignite clothing , ” said OEMC spokeswoman Mary May .
“ OEMC encourages residents to be mindful of this along with the safety and welfare of their neighbors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law puts people at risk of a $ 500 fine and incarceration for up to 30 days .
For some people the thrill of igniting a firework outweighs the potential legal woes .
Every spring , many journey to neighboring Wisconsin and Indiana to buy pounds of explosives .
But for Denise Badillo , over the last couple months , those thrills have been a nightmare for her 4-year-old daughter , Grace Hernandez , who is living with autism and is sensitive to loud noises .
The sudden booms on her street can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meltdown ” that can take hours late into the night to soothe .
“ There is a lot of crying , she becomes irritable , she does a lot of running back and forth in our apartment , and if you try to stop her she can start self-harming , ” Badillo said .
“ We sometimes have to wrap her in a blanket , pick her up and swing her back and forth until she calms down.
” Lately , with all the fireworks going off , this has become more and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when Grace has one of these meltdowns it means crying herself to sleep .
“ My daughter lives in this world that is not understanding or made for her , but my home is the one place that is made for her , ” Badillo , a board member of Latinas United in Love for Autism , said .
“ You are robbing my daughter of her comfort , her safe space , just for a few seconds of fun — it isn ’ t right .
Sharon Stokes-Parry , president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chapter No .
2 , said this time of year is also tough on veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and other battle-triggered illnesses .
“ A lot of fireworks adversely affect our combat vets , and it has been really bad this year , ” Stokes-Parry said .
“ All the sudden booms can trigger that PTSD they are living with , and they protect themselves by insulating themselves.
” This often means sitting indoors and keeping windows closed .
They avoid going outside to minimize side effects , Stokes-Parry said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ why people are setting off fireworks , especially now .
After months of self-quarantine during a statewide shut-down order , people are trying to entertain themselves .
She just hopes people think of veterans who may live in their neighborhood .
Dimitri Panos , owner of Dynamite Fireworks in nearby Hammond , Indiana , said the majority of his customers have always been Illinois residents , but he is now seeing more of them , and a lot earlier than usual .
“ Absolutely our sales are up and it ’ s certainly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ canceled ” by the pandemic , Panos said .
“ People still want to have a good time and everyone is deciding to put on their own show.
” Panos wouldn ’ t say how much more he ’ s made this year compared to last year , but says he has no qualms selling to folks who live outside Indiana , as long as they ’ re at least 18 years old .
The rise in fireworks exploding this year isn ’ t unique to Chicago .
In Boston , Mayor Marty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in May compared to May 2019 .
In California , Pasadena has seen a 400 % increase in calls related to fireworks disturbances , and New York City has logged 4,862 complaints in the last two months alone .

You’re not just hearing things. A lot more fireworks are being set off in Chicago neighborhoods this year — and the Fourth of July is still more than a week away.
Complaints about those loud blasts are up more than 736% compared to 2019, according to city officials.
Through Sunday, the Office of Emergency Management and Communication had fielded 7,042 complaints this year about fireworks. Last year, in the same period, OEMC fielded just 842 calls.
Only four states in the country have banned the use and sale of all consumer-grade fireworks or only allow novelty items like smoke bombs and sparklers. Illinois allows such novelty items, though Chicago has taken it a step further by banning sparklers and bottle rockets too.
Still legal in Chicago are glowworms, smoke bombs and party poppers. Sparklers were outlawed “because they operate at such a high heat level that they can cause very serious burns and can ignite clothing,” said OEMC spokeswoman Mary May. “OEMC encourages residents to be mindful of this along with the safety and welfare of their neighbors and the larger community.”
La Voz Sidebar 2023 Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago.
Violating city law puts people at risk of a $500 fine and incarceration for up to 30 days.
For some people the thrill of igniting a firework outweighs the potential legal woes. Every spring, many journey to neighboring Wisconsin and Indiana to buy pounds of explosives.
But for Denise Badillo, over the last couple months, those thrills have been a nightmare for her 4-year-old daughter, Grace Hernandez, who is living with autism and is sensitive to loud noises. The sudden booms on her street can trigger what is called an “autistic meltdown” that can take hours late into the night to soothe.
“There is a lot of crying, she becomes irritable, she does a lot of running back and forth in our apartment, and if you try to stop her she can start self-harming,” Badillo said. “We sometimes have to wrap her in a blanket, pick her up and swing her back and forth until she calms down.”
Lately, with all the fireworks going off, this has become more and more difficult. More times than not, when Grace has one of these meltdowns it means crying herself to sleep.
“My daughter lives in this world that is not understanding or made for her, but my home is the one place that is made for her,” Badillo, a board member of Latinas United in Love for Autism, said. “You are robbing my daughter of her comfort, her safe space, just for a few seconds of fun — it isn’t right.
Denise Badillo and her daughter, Grace Hernandez, have struggled dealing with noisy fireworks this year, which has triggered several “autistic meltdowns.” Provided.
Sharon Stokes-Parry, president of Montford Point Marines Association, Inc. Chicago Chapter No. 2, said this time of year is also tough on veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and other battle-triggered illnesses.
“A lot of fireworks adversely affect our combat vets, and it has been really bad this year,” Stokes-Parry said. “All the sudden booms can trigger that PTSD they are living with, and they protect themselves by insulating themselves.”
This often means sitting indoors and keeping windows closed. They avoid going outside to minimize side effects, Stokes-Parry said.
Still, she said, she understands why people are setting off fireworks, especially now.
After months of self-quarantine during a statewide shut-down order, people are trying to entertain themselves. She just hopes people think of veterans who may live in their neighborhood.
Dimitri Panos, owner of Dynamite Fireworks in nearby Hammond, Indiana, said the majority of his customers have always been Illinois residents, but he is now seeing more of them, and a lot earlier than usual.
“Absolutely our sales are up and it’s certainly due to all the firework shows being canceled” by the pandemic, Panos said. “People still want to have a good time and everyone is deciding to put on their own show.”
Panos wouldn’t say how much more he’s made this year compared to last year, but says he has no qualms selling to folks who live outside Indiana, as long as they’re at least 18 years old.
The rise in fireworks exploding this year isn’t unique to Chicago.
In Boston, Mayor Marty Walsh said firework complaints increased 2,300% in May compared to May 2019. In California, Pasadena has seen a 400% increase in calls related to fireworks disturbances, and New York City has logged 4,862 complaints in the last two months alone.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-24--3 men indicted on murder charges in killing of Ahmaud Arbery

ATLANTA — Three white men have been indicted on murder charges in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery , a Black man fatally shot while running in a suburban neighborhood near Georgia ’ s coast .
Prosecutor Joyette Holmes announced Wednesday that a grand jury has indicted Travis McMichael , Greg McMichael and William “ Roddie ” Bryan Jr. on charges including malice and felony murder in Arbery ’ s death .
“ This is another positive step , another great step for finding justice for Ahmaud , for finding justice for this family and the community beyond , ” Holmes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Glynn County courthouse in Brunswick that was streamed online by news outlets .
Arbery ’ s death has often been invoked during protests against racial injustice that have broken out across the nation since George Floyd ’ s death last month under a white Minneapolis police officer ’ s knee .
Arbery ’ s death also fueled a renewed push for a state hate crimes law in Georgia , which state lawmakers passed on Tuesday .
Lawyers for the McMichaels have cautioned against a rush to judgment and have said the full story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyer for Bryan has maintained that his client was merely a witness .
Arbery was slain Feb. 23 when the Greg and Travis McMichael , a white father and son , armed themselves and pursued the 25-year-old Black man running in their neighborhood .
Greg McMichael told police he suspected Arbery was a burglar and that Arbery attacked his son before being shot .
Arbery ’ s family has said he was out for a jog .
Bryan lives in the same subdivision , just outside the port city of Brunswick .
Bryan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and joined the chase , a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Richard Dial testified earlier this month at a probable cause hearing .
It wasn ’ t until May 7 — two days after Bryan ’ s cellphone video leaked online and stirred a national outcry — that the McMichaels were arrested .
Bryan was arrested on May 22 , and an arrest warrant said he tried “ to confine and detain ” Arbery without legal authority by “ utilizing his vehicle on multiple occasions ” before Arbery was shot .
Bryan told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a racist slur as he stood over Arbery , moments after he fatally shot him , Dial testified .
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case after the video surfaced .
The state attorney general appointed Holmes , who ’ s the district attorney in Cobb County near Atlanta , to prosecute after the local district attorney recused herself because Greg McMichael had worked for her — and two other outside prosecutors also stepped aside .
In addition to malice murder and felony murder charges , the McMichaels and Bryan each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assault and one count each of false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment .
Under Georgia law , a felony murder charge means that a death occurred during the commission of an underlying felony and doesn ’ t require intent to kill .
Malice murder requires “ malice aforethought , either express or implied.
” Any murder conviction in Georgia carries a minimum sentence of life in prison , either with or without the possibility of parole .
Court functions in Georgia have been severely limited in recent months because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief justice of the state Supreme Court in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
Holmes said they were able to call in a grand jury that had been impaneled prior to the judicial emergency .
Attorneys for Arbery ’ s mother and father issued statements applauding the indictment and stressing their desire to see the three men convicted and sentenced for his death .
Bob Rubin , a lawyer for Travis McMichael , 34 , said in an email that prosecutors choose the facts they want to present to a grand jury when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has found other facts “ that are an integral part of the case , ” he wrote .
“ To this indictment , Travis McMichael will plead not guilty , and we look forward to presenting all of the facts regarding this tragic death in a court of law , ” Rubin wrote .
Attorney Kevin Gough , who represents Bryan , 50 , spoke to reporters at the county courthouse right after Holmes announced the indictment .
“ We welcome the action of the grand jury today , ’ Gough said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s an important step in the process to moving this case closer to the speedy trial that Roddie has demanded.
” He said his client has committed no crime and has cooperated with law enforcement officers from the beginning .
Lawyers for Greg McMichael , 64 , did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday afternoon .
Even if Gov .
Brian Kemp signs the state hate crimes legislation passed this week , it couldn ’ t be applied retroactively to this case , Holmes told reporters .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s assessing whether federal hate crimes charges are appropriate .

ATLANTA — Three white men have been indicted on murder charges in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man fatally shot while running in a suburban neighborhood near Georgia’s coast.
Prosecutor Joyette Holmes announced Wednesday that a grand jury has indicted Travis McMichael, Greg McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan Jr. on charges including malice and felony murder in Arbery’s death.
“This is another positive step, another great step for finding justice for Ahmaud, for finding justice for this family and the community beyond,” Holmes said at a news conference outside the Glynn County courthouse in Brunswick that was streamed online by news outlets.
Arbery’s death has often been invoked during protests against racial injustice that have broken out across the nation since George Floyd’s death last month under a white Minneapolis police officer’s knee. Arbery’s death also fueled a renewed push for a state hate crimes law in Georgia, which state lawmakers passed on Tuesday.
Lawyers for the McMichaels have cautioned against a rush to judgment and have said the full story will come out in court. A lawyer for Bryan has maintained that his client was merely a witness.
Arbery was slain Feb. 23 when the Greg and Travis McMichael, a white father and son, armed themselves and pursued the 25-year-old Black man running in their neighborhood. Greg McMichael told police he suspected Arbery was a burglar and that Arbery attacked his son before being shot. Arbery’s family has said he was out for a jog.
Bryan lives in the same subdivision, just outside the port city of Brunswick. Bryan said he saw the McMichaels driving by and joined the chase, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Richard Dial testified earlier this month at a probable cause hearing.
It wasn’t until May 7 — two days after Bryan’s cellphone video leaked online and stirred a national outcry — that the McMichaels were arrested. Bryan was arrested on May 22, and an arrest warrant said he tried “to confine and detain” Arbery without legal authority by “utilizing his vehicle on multiple occasions” before Arbery was shot.
Bryan told investigators that Travis McMichael cursed and said a racist slur as he stood over Arbery, moments after he fatally shot him, Dial testified.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case after the video surfaced. The state attorney general appointed Holmes, who’s the district attorney in Cobb County near Atlanta, to prosecute after the local district attorney recused herself because Greg McMichael had worked for her — and two other outside prosecutors also stepped aside.
In addition to malice murder and felony murder charges, the McMichaels and Bryan each are charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.
Under Georgia law, a felony murder charge means that a death occurred during the commission of an underlying felony and doesn’t require intent to kill. Malice murder requires “malice aforethought, either express or implied.” Any murder conviction in Georgia carries a minimum sentence of life in prison, either with or without the possibility of parole.
Court functions in Georgia have been severely limited in recent months because of a statewide judicial emergency declared by the chief justice of the state Supreme Court in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Holmes said they were able to call in a grand jury that had been impaneled prior to the judicial emergency.
Attorneys for Arbery’s mother and father issued statements applauding the indictment and stressing their desire to see the three men convicted and sentenced for his death.
Bob Rubin, a lawyer for Travis McMichael, 34, said in an email that prosecutors choose the facts they want to present to a grand jury when seeking an indictment. The defense team has found other facts “that are an integral part of the case,” he wrote.
“To this indictment, Travis McMichael will plead not guilty, and we look forward to presenting all of the facts regarding this tragic death in a court of law,” Rubin wrote.
Attorney Kevin Gough, who represents Bryan, 50, spoke to reporters at the county courthouse right after Holmes announced the indictment.
“We welcome the action of the grand jury today,’ Gough said. “While we disagree with it, it’s an important step in the process to moving this case closer to the speedy trial that Roddie has demanded.”
He said his client has committed no crime and has cooperated with law enforcement officers from the beginning.
Lawyers for Greg McMichael, 64, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Wednesday afternoon.
Even if Gov. Brian Kemp signs the state hate crimes legislation passed this week, it couldn’t be applied retroactively to this case, Holmes told reporters. The U.S. Department of Justice has said it’s assessing whether federal hate crimes charges are appropriate.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-25--Dear Abby: I’m nervous around my short-tempered adult daughter

DEAR ABBY : I have one child , a daughter , “ Anna , ” I adopted at 19 months .
She ’ s 41 now and has two small children .
She had a normal upbringing , although her father and I divorced when she was 9 .
She has chosen to not have a relationship with him as an adult .
Anna has never married , nor has she been in a relationship for longer than four or five months .
According to a few counselors I have seen , she has attachment disorder .
Anna is very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says hateful things and is an angry young woman .
She takes no responsibility for any of her actions , and therefore can not keep a job , friends , etc .
for more than a few months .
She is also extremely negative .
If I try to say anything , she gets angry , starts cussing , yelling and slinging hate , and stops contacting me for weeks at a time .
We have nothing in common .
We live in separate states , but I see her about a half-dozen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I tiptoe around on eggshells because of her short fuse .
Her attitude is starting to rub off on her boys .
This is not what I had envisioned all those years ago when I adopted her .
I miss who I thought she would become .
Is there anything I can do without completely alienating myself from my grandsons , which would break my heart ?
— TIPTOEING ON EGGSHELLS DEAR TIPTOEING : I am sorry your adoption did not turn out as you envisioned .
Your daughter is clearly troubled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her attitude has begun to affect her boys .
It is time you accept that , as much as you wish to , you can not change another person , and there ’ s nothing you can do to “ fix ” her .
You mentioned that you visit her every two months .
Perhaps you should consider visiting fewer times than that .
Ask if she would let the grandkids come and visit Grandma occasionally .
However , if she isn ’ t receptive , refusing to engage with her is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing them and trying to cement a relationship with them .
DEAR ABBY : I have been dating a girl since high school .
We were high school sweethearts , but now we are both 28 .
My girlfriend wants to get married and have kids , but I do not .
I want to keep dating her .
I am scared to break up with her because if I did , I wouldn ’ t know what to do with my life .
Should I change , or should she change ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ QUO : I hereby appoint you to be the designated changer .
You have been so absorbed with this romance you never took the time to develop interests of your own .
At the age of 28 , many women start thinking about marriage and children .
Doing that is normal and rational .
However , because you don ’ t feel ready to make a lifetime commitment , you would be making a huge mistake to allow yourself to be pushed into it .
It is important that you learn who you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is a process that takes time and a variety of experiences , and you should embark on that now .
It would be unfair to continue dating her at this point because your paths are going to diverge as each of you learns to manage without leaning on the other .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s most memorable — and most frequently requested — poems and essays , send your name and mailing address , plus check or money order for $ 8 ( U.S. funds ) , to : Dear Abby — Keepers Booklet , P.O .
Box 447 , Mount Morris , IL 61054-0447 .
Shipping and handling are included in the price .

DEAR ABBY: I have one child, a daughter, “Anna,” I adopted at 19 months. She’s 41 now and has two small children. She had a normal upbringing, although her father and I divorced when she was 9. She has chosen to not have a relationship with him as an adult. Anna has never married, nor has she been in a relationship for longer than four or five months. According to a few counselors I have seen, she has attachment disorder.
Anna is very difficult. She’s mean, says hateful things and is an angry young woman. She takes no responsibility for any of her actions, and therefore cannot keep a job, friends, etc. for more than a few months. She is also extremely negative. If I try to say anything, she gets angry, starts cussing, yelling and slinging hate, and stops contacting me for weeks at a time.
We have nothing in common. We live in separate states, but I see her about a half-dozen times a year. When I do, I tiptoe around on eggshells because of her short fuse. Her attitude is starting to rub off on her boys.
This is not what I had envisioned all those years ago when I adopted her. I miss who I thought she would become. Is there anything I can do without completely alienating myself from my grandsons, which would break my heart? — TIPTOEING ON EGGSHELLS
DEAR TIPTOEING: I am sorry your adoption did not turn out as you envisioned. Your daughter is clearly troubled, and it is not surprising that her attitude has begun to affect her boys. It is time you accept that, as much as you wish to, you cannot change another person, and there’s nothing you can do to “fix” her.
You mentioned that you visit her every two months. Perhaps you should consider visiting fewer times than that. Ask if she would let the grandkids come and visit Grandma occasionally. However, if she isn’t receptive, refusing to engage with her is the price you will have to pay for seeing them and trying to cement a relationship with them.
DEAR ABBY: I have been dating a girl since high school. We were high school sweethearts, but now we are both 28. My girlfriend wants to get married and have kids, but I do not. I want to keep dating her. I am scared to break up with her because if I did, I wouldn’t know what to do with my life. Should I change, or should she change? — STATUS QUO IN COLORADO
DEAR STATUS QUO: I hereby appoint you to be the designated changer. You have been so absorbed with this romance you never took the time to develop interests of your own.
At the age of 28, many women start thinking about marriage and children. Doing that is normal and rational. However, because you don’t feel ready to make a lifetime commitment, you would be making a huge mistake to allow yourself to be pushed into it.
It is important that you learn who you are before you marry anyone. Accomplishing this is a process that takes time and a variety of experiences, and you should embark on that now. It would be unfair to continue dating her at this point because your paths are going to diverge as each of you learns to manage without leaning on the other.
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 receive a collection of Abby’s most memorable — and most frequently requested — poems and essays, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby — Keepers Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-25--Sound of Silent Film Festival lets music do the talking in 14 shorts

Jerky , simplistic and outmoded .
Such prevalent if misguided views of silent films have been increasingly debunked as film festivals give them proper screenings and reveal the depth and richness of these century-old cinematic treasures .
Chicago ’ s Sound of Silent Film Festival goes even further , bringing this venerable form into the 21st century .
It returns June 26 and 27 for its 15th year with 14 contemporary films without dialogue , each with a new score performed live on tape by a six-member classical ensemble .
“ You really understand the power of music and movies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said New York filmmaker Greg Emetaz , who will be represented by two movies that each run about nine minutes .
As in recent years , the festival was supposed to have taken place in March before audiences at the Davis Theater , 4614 N. Lincoln , with the film lineup divided between two performances at 7 and 9:30 p.m .
The presentations were delayed by the coronavirus and instead will be streamed on YouTube with no public present .
In this new format , the movies and music will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ session beginning at 7 p.m .
The streaming will be free , but organizers are hoping that viewers will consider making a donation to support the cost of the event .
The festival is one of the signature presentations of Access Contemporary Music , a non-profit organization founded by Seth Boustead in 2004 after he completed his master ’ s degree in music composition from Roosevelt University .
Boustead created the event as an alternate way for composers to get their music heard , and in the beginning he didn ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ films in particular .
“ To me it was always a music event , and it happened to have film , ” he said .
But with the help of Robert Steel , an associate professor in DePaul University ’ s School of Cinematic Arts who oversees the festival ’ s film review panel , Boustead came to understand that it was as much a film festival as a music festival .
In the intervening years , he said , it has steadily improved in quality and has attracted increasing numbers of entrants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Austin , New York and Mexico City .
This year , it received 130 cinematic submissions , both what Boustead calls “ truly silent films ” and , as a concession to contemporaneity , ones with sound effects but no dialogue .
He and a film review panel winnowed those entries to 13 that each run three to 12 minutes , and the organizers brought back an audience favorite as a way to mark the festival ’ s 15th anniversary .
Among the 15 offerings are two by Emetaz : “ Get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Death by Omelette , ” a thriller and comedy respectively .
Emetaz was attending a film festival in New York , when someone mentioned the Sound of Silent Festival in Chicago , and he was immediately intrigued .
“ I was like , ‘ That sounds incredible , ’ and that night I submitted both of these films that I have that are effectively silent films , ” he said .
While making “ Death by Omelette , ” which revolves around a potentially ominous miscommunication , he realized the movie would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , text messages perform the role that intertitles ( text cards ) used to play in old silent films .
“ It ’ s an exciting genre now , ” Emetaz said , “ because it ’ s like we ’ ve come full circle back to writing notes to each other like you did in pre-telephone times when everyone was exchanging those kinds of messages.
” After the films were selected , each of the participating composers was asked to choose their top three preferences for the ones he or she would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I think this is the year that composers are going to fight over a film , and we get lucky every year , ” Boustead said .
Steel has composed four scores for the festival , starting with one for Mark Playne ’ s “ Love at First Sight ” in 2014 and continuing this year with another for “ Get the F K Outta Paris.
” The latter has an edgy , dissonant feel that he said took him “ way out ” of his comfort zone .
“ I thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , “ not only for composers , but I also thought it was great opportunity for filmmakers to have scores performed live with their films .
I wanted to be part of it.
” While it ’ s impossible to know for sure , Boustead believes that the Sound of Silent Film Festival is the lone such event in the world .
“ Every year I look to see if anyone is doing what we ’ re doing , ” he said , “ and I do think we are the @ @ @ @

Jerky, simplistic and outmoded. Such prevalent if misguided views of silent films have been increasingly debunked as film festivals give them proper screenings and reveal the depth and richness of these century-old cinematic treasures.
Chicago’s Sound of Silent Film Festival goes even further, bringing this venerable form into the 21st century. It returns June 26 and 27 for its 15th year with 14 contemporary films without dialogue, each with a new score performed live on tape by a six-member classical ensemble.
Untitled Sound of Silent Film Festival When: 7 p.m. June 26 and 27 Donations: Suggested $20 Info: Register each day at acmusic.org for a streaming link
“You really understand the power of music and movies when you distill it down this much,” said New York filmmaker Greg Emetaz, who will be represented by two movies that each run about nine minutes.
As in recent years, the festival was supposed to have taken place in March before audiences at the Davis Theater, 4614 N. Lincoln, with the film lineup divided between two performances at 7 and 9:30 p.m. The presentations were delayed by the coronavirus and instead will be streamed on YouTube with no public present.
In this new format, the movies and music will be divided between the two evenings with each session beginning at 7 p.m. The streaming will be free, but organizers are hoping that viewers will consider making a donation to support the cost of the event.
The festival is one of the signature presentations of Access Contemporary Music, a non-profit organization founded by Seth Boustead in 2004 after he completed his master’s degree in music composition from Roosevelt University.
Boustead created the event as an alternate way for composers to get their music heard, and in the beginning he didn’t know much about the cinema world or silent films in particular. “To me it was always a music event, and it happened to have film,” he said.
But with the help of Robert Steel, an associate professor in DePaul University’s School of Cinematic Arts who oversees the festival’s film review panel, Boustead came to understand that it was as much a film festival as a music festival.
In the intervening years, he said, it has steadily improved in quality and has attracted increasing numbers of entrants with the event being repeated several times in Austin, New York and Mexico City. This year, it received 130 cinematic submissions, both what Boustead calls “truly silent films” and, as a concession to contemporaneity, ones with sound effects but no dialogue.
He and a film review panel winnowed those entries to 13 that each run three to 12 minutes, and the organizers brought back an audience favorite as a way to mark the festival’s 15th anniversary. Among the 15 offerings are two by Emetaz: “Get the F K Outta Paris” and “Death by Omelette,” a thriller and comedy respectively.
Emetaz was attending a film festival in New York, when someone mentioned the Sound of Silent Festival in Chicago, and he was immediately intrigued. “I was like, ‘That sounds incredible,’ and that night I submitted both of these films that I have that are effectively silent films,” he said.
“Death by Omelette” is one of two films by Greg Emetaz to be featured in this year’s festival, presented on YouTube. Provided
While making “Death by Omelette,” which revolves around a potentially ominous miscommunication, he realized the movie would be more effective without dialogue. Instead, text messages perform the role that intertitles (text cards) used to play in old silent films.
“It’s an exciting genre now,” Emetaz said, “because it’s like we’ve come full circle back to writing notes to each other like you did in pre-telephone times when everyone was exchanging those kinds of messages.”
After the films were selected, each of the participating composers was asked to choose their top three preferences for the ones he or she would like to score. “Every year, I think this is the year that composers are going to fight over a film, and we get lucky every year,” Boustead said.
Steel has composed four scores for the festival, starting with one for Mark Playne’s “Love at First Sight” in 2014 and continuing this year with another for “Get the F K Outta Paris.” The latter has an edgy, dissonant feel that he said took him “way out” of his comfort zone.
“I thought it was a great opportunity,” he said, “not only for composers, but I also thought it was great opportunity for filmmakers to have scores performed live with their films. I wanted to be part of it.”
While it’s impossible to know for sure, Boustead believes that the Sound of Silent Film Festival is the lone such event in the world. “Every year I look to see if anyone is doing what we’re doing,” he said, “and I do think we are the only one.”
Kyle MacMillan is a local freelance writer.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-25--Police fire shots at man in East Side neighborhood

Police fired shots at a man Wednesday while responding to a disturbance in the East Side neighborhood .
Officers were @ @ @ @ @ a disturbance about 11:30 p.m. in an alley in the 11300 block of South Avenue @ @ @ @ @ towards their squad car and “ got into a shooting stance , ” according to @ @ @ @ @ one officer fired shots at the man but did not strike him , police said @ @ @ @ @ , was taken into custody .
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the @ @

Police fired shots at a man Wednesday while responding to a disturbance in the East Side neighborhood.
Officers were responding to a call of a disturbance about 11:30 p.m. in an alley in the 11300 block of South Avenue L when the man walked towards their squad car and “got into a shooting stance,” according to Chicago police.
At least one officer fired shots at the man but did not strike him, police said. The man, 31, was taken into custody.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the incident.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-25--Riley Ridley? Really? Bears WRs coach predicts big things

Coaches don ’ t make declarations this time of year .
Just ask Bears secondary coach Deshea Townsend , who , when questioned about his starters , compared two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Kyle Fuller to Stephen Demark , the seventh-round pick who played exactly zero snaps as a rookie .
“ Kyle ’ s job is to hold off Denmark , ” he said , somehow with a straight face .
It was surprising , then , to hear receivers coach Mike Furrey plant his flag about probably the sixth- or seventh-ranked player in his position group .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to see with anybody in our room is going to be Riley Ridley , ” he said last week .
It ’ s easy to forget about Ridley , who as a rookie last year caught six passes for 69 yards over five games .
The outside world sees his surname — Ridley ’ s older brother Calvin has caught 127 balls for 1,687 yards in the two seasons since the Falcons drafted him in the first round .
The Bears though , see their Ridley — a 2019 fourth-round pick from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NFL .
“ His preparation right now , his attitude , his desire , the passion he has to become successful in this game — he loves the process , ” Furrey said .
“ And I believe when you love the process , it ’ s going to be successful .
“ And so I ’ m excited about Riley .
From the time we left the last snap last year to where we will be this training camp , you ’ re going to have a guy coming in that now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NFL .
He ’ s done things in the NFL now .
He ’ s had production — obviously late , but he ’ s had production.
” Ridley didn ’ t play on offense until Thanksgiving , when Taylor Gabriel was held out because of his second concussion of the season .
He played at least 29 snaps in three of the Bears ’ final five games , including the finale .
Ridley had three catches for 54 yards against Vikings backups , catching a 32-yard pass on fourth-and-9 with 2:36 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game-winning field goal .
“ When I first walked in here , I didn ’ t understand a lot of things , ” he said the day after the finale .
“ I still don ’ t understand a lot of things .
But I ’ m moving up and I ’ m just working every day.
” “ I think it ’ s just that transition into the NFL , ” he said .
“ The transition of the playbook , the transition of the speed of the game .
Not having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we had guys we were trying to get ready … “ So I think there were a lot of things last year that collectively added up as to why he didn ’ t maximize his ability as a rookie.
” The Bears will make room for Ridley if he continues to develop in a truncated offseason .
Allen Robinson just posted one of the Bears ’ best receiving seasons , ever .
The Bears invested a second-round pick in Anthony Miller two years ago , and Cordarrelle Patterson is a Pro Bowl special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure things .
The Bears signed Ted Ginn and drafted Darnell Mooney to provide speed — but might not be able to play both on Sundays .
Javon Wims — like Ridley , a Georgia alum — has 22 catches for 218 yards in two seasons .
Free-agent signing Trevor Davis has been primarily a return man in his six NFL seasons .
Furrey said time spent around Robinson , particularly , should help Ridley .
“ So now you have a guy that ’ s going to be hungry coming in , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comfortable traits , of not worrying about those , ” he said .
“ He knows now he can do those things , and now he understands the process of what it takes .
“ I know this kid is working as hard as he possibly can right now in preparation for that training camp .
And so I ’ m very , very excited to get Riley Ridley into camp .
And I believe he ’ s going to make some noise on our roster .
”

Coaches don’t make declarations this time of year. Just ask Bears secondary coach Deshea Townsend. When questioned about his starters, he compared two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Kyle Fuller to Stephen Denmark, the 2019 seventh-round pick who played zero snaps as a rookie.
“Kyle’s job is to hold off Denmark,” he said, somehow with a straight face.
So it was surprising to hear wide receivers coach Mike Furrey plant his flag about probably the sixth- or seventh-ranked player in his position group.
“I think the biggest growth we’re going to see with anybody in our room is going to be Riley Ridley,” he said last week.
It’s easy to forget about Ridley, who as a rookie last season caught six passes for 69 yards over five games.
The outside world sees his surname — Ridley’s older brother, Calvin, has 127 receptions for 1,687 yards in the two seasons since the Falcons drafted him in the first round. The Bears, though, see their Ridley — a 2019 fourth-round pick from Georgia — working to get acclimated to the NFL.
“His preparation right now, his attitude, his desire, the passion he has to become successful in this game — he loves the process,” Furrey said. “And I believe when you love the process, it’s going to be successful.
“And so I’m excited about Riley. From the time we left the last snap last year to where we will be this training camp, you’re going to have a guy coming in that now has the confidence he can play in the NFL. He’s done things in the NFL now. He’s had production — obviously late, but he’s had production.”
Ridley didn’t play on offense until Thanksgiving, when Taylor Gabriel was held out because of his second concussion of the season. He played at least 29 snaps in three of the Bears’ last five games, including the finale. Ridley had three catches for 54 yards against Vikings backups, including a 32-yard reception on fourth-and-nine with 2:36 to play that set up Eddy Pineiro’s game-winning field goal.
“When I first walked in here, I didn’t understand a lot of things,” Ridley said the day after the finale. “I still don’t understand a lot of things. But I’m moving up, and I’m just working every day.”
Furrey understands why Ridley struggled.
“I think it’s just that transition into the NFL,” he said. “The transition of the playbook, the transition of the speed of the game, not having a lot of opportunity in the preseason because we had guys we were trying to get ready.
“So I think there were a lot of things last year that collectively added up to why he didn’t maximize his ability as a rookie.”
The Bears will make room for Ridley if he continues to develop in a truncated offseason. Allen Robinson just posted one of the franchise’s greatest receiving seasons. The team invested a second-round pick in Anthony Miller two years ago, and Cordarrelle Patterson is a Pro Bowl special-teamer. Otherwise, there are no sure things.
They signed Ted Ginn and drafted Darnell Mooney to provide speed — but might not be able to play both on Sundays. Javon Wims — like Ridley, a Georgia alum — has 22 catches for 218 yards in two seasons. Free-agent signing Trevor Davis has been primarily a return man in his six NFL seasons.
Furrey said time spent around Robinson should help Ridley.
“So now you have a guy that’s going to be hungry coming in and showing up with all of those comfortable traits, of not worrying about those,” Furrey said. “He knows now he can do those things, and now he understands the process of what it takes.
“I know this kid is working as hard as he possibly can right now in preparation for that training camp. And so I’m very, very excited to get Riley Ridley into camp. And I believe he’s going to make some noise on our roster.”


chicagosun-times--2020-06-25--17 shot, 1 fatally, Wednesday in Chicago

Seventeen people were shot , one fatally , Wednesday in Chicago .
A man was shot dead and two others were wounded at a party at a Chatham home on the South Side , Chicago police said .
A witness told investigators he left the party to go to sleep in an upstairs bedroom when he heard gunfire on the first floor of the home in the 8000 block of South Stewart Avenue , police said .
The witness found a man on the living room floor with a gunshot wound to his head , police said .
Police responded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man dead , along with several shell casings in the room .
The Cook County medical examiner ’ s office identified him as 20-year-old Jessie D. Gregory .
He lived in Fernwood .
A 20-year-old woman was shot in the leg , police said .
She was treated and released from St. Bernard ’ s Hospital .
An 18-year-old man took himself to Trinity Hospital with gunshots to his arm and abdomen , police said .
He was transferred in fair condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center .
In non-fatal shootings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the South Side .
He was on the sidewalk about 10:15 p.m. in the 3200 block of South Lituanica Avenue when a male approached and unleashed gunfire , police said .
The 27-year-old was struck in the leg and taken to Mercy Hospital in good condition .
About an hour earlier , a concealed-carry holder critically wounded a gunman during a shootout in Little Village on the Southwest Side , according to police .
A 24-year-old man was in the yard of a home about 9:15 p.m. in the 2400 block of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the sidewalk and opened fire , police said .
The 24-year-old returned fire , striking the man multiple times throughout the body , police said .
The man , 23 , ran and was later taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition .
A weapon was found in the area where the younger man ran off to , police said .
The 24-year-old is a concealed-carry license holder and gave statements to Area Four detectives about the shooting .
Minutes prior , a man was shot in Burnside on the South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ street about 8:55 p.m. in the 700 block of East 92nd Place when someone approached in a vehicle and opened fire , police said .
The man was shot in the abdomen and hand , and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition .
A man was wounded in a shooting Wednesday evening in Morgan Park on the South Side .
The 24-year-old was in a vehicle about 7:15 p.m. in the 1400 block of West 112th Place when a gray-colored vehicle approached and someone inside opened fire , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the back and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition .
Less than half an hour earlier , two men were shot in Gresham on the South Side .
The men , 20 and 26 , were walking about 6:50 p.m. in the 8600 block of South Carpenter Street when someone approached and fired shots , police said .
The younger man was struck in the back and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn , where he was in critical condition , police said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and taken to the same hospital in fair condition .
Five minutes prior , a man was wounded in a shooting in Englewood on the South Side .
The 19-year-old was riding in a stolen vehicle about 6:45 p.m. in the 5900 block of South Normal Boulevard when someone opened fire , police said .
The man was grazed in the arm , and the driver crashed into another vehicle .
The driver of the vehicle that was reported stolen was taken into custody , police said .
A man was injured in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Side .
The 28-year-old was on the sidewalk about 6:20 p.m. in the 2400 block of East 106th Street when a male approached him , pulled out a handgun and fired shots , according to police .
He was hit in the hand and taken to Trinity Hospital in fair condition , police said .
Six other people were wounded in shootings throughout the city .
Sixteen people were shot and one killed Tuesday in Chicago .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Seventeen people were shot, one fatally, Wednesday in Chicago.
A man was shot dead and two others were wounded at a party at a Chatham home on the South Side, Chicago police said.
A witness told investigators he left the party to go to sleep in an upstairs bedroom when he heard gunfire on the first floor of the home in the 8000 block of South Stewart Avenue, police said.
The witness found a man on the living room floor with a gunshot wound to his head, police said. Police responded shortly after 5 a.m. and found the man dead, along with several shell casings in the room.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified him as 20-year-old Jessie D. Gregory. He lived in Fernwood.
A 20-year-old woman was shot in the leg, police said. She was treated and released from St. Bernard’s Hospital.
An 18-year-old man took himself to Trinity Hospital with gunshots to his arm and abdomen, police said. He was transferred in fair condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center.
In non-fatal shootings, a man was hurt in Bridgeport on the South Side.
He was on the sidewalk about 10:15 p.m. in the 3200 block of South Lituanica Avenue when a male approached and unleashed gunfire, police said. The 27-year-old was struck in the leg and taken to Mercy Hospital in good condition.
About an hour earlier, a concealed-carry holder critically wounded a gunman during a shootout in Little Village on the Southwest Side, according to police.
A 24-year-old man was in the yard of a home about 9:15 p.m. in the 2400 block of South Kedvale Avenue when another man approached from the sidewalk and opened fire, police said.
The 24-year-old returned fire, striking the man multiple times throughout the body, police said. The man, 23, ran and was later taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.
A weapon was found in the area where the younger man ran off to, police said. The 24-year-old is a concealed-carry license holder and gave statements to Area Four detectives about the shooting.
Minutes prior, a man was shot in Burnside on the South Side.
The 45-year-old was on the street about 8:55 p.m. in the 700 block of East 92nd Place when someone approached in a vehicle and opened fire, police said. The man was shot in the abdomen and hand, and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.
A man was wounded in a shooting Wednesday evening in Morgan Park on the South Side.
The 24-year-old was in a vehicle about 7:15 p.m. in the 1400 block of West 112th Place when a gray-colored vehicle approached and someone inside opened fire, police said. The man was struck in the back and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition.
Less than half an hour earlier, two men were shot in Gresham on the South Side.
The men, 20 and 26, were walking about 6:50 p.m. in the 8600 block of South Carpenter Street when someone approached and fired shots, police said.
The younger man was struck in the back and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was in critical condition, police said. The older man was struck in the leg and taken to the same hospital in fair condition.
Five minutes prior, a man was wounded in a shooting in Englewood on the South Side.
The 19-year-old was riding in a stolen vehicle about 6:45 p.m. in the 5900 block of South Normal Boulevard when someone opened fire, police said. The man was grazed in the arm, and the driver crashed into another vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle that was reported stolen was taken into custody, police said.
A man was injured in a shooting in South Deering on the South Side.
The 28-year-old was on the sidewalk about 6:20 p.m. in the 2400 block of East 106th Street when a male approached him, pulled out a handgun and fired shots, according to police.
He was hit in the hand and taken to Trinity Hospital in fair condition, police said.
Six other people were wounded in shootings throughout the city.
Sixteen people were shot and one killed Tuesday in Chicago.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-25--Girl, 12, shot in West Englewood

Girl, 12, shot in West Englewood

A 12-year-old girl was shot Thursday while playing outside in West Englewood on the South Side .
About 1:15 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ on the sidewalk on South Wolcott Avenue when someone in a white SUV started shooting @ @ @ @ @ The girl was struck in the lower back and taken to Comer Children ’ s @ @ @ @ @ police said .
No one is in custody as Area One detectives investigate .
Read @ @ @ @ @ track the city ’ s homicides .

A 12-year-old girl was grazed by a bullet Thursday while playing outside in West Englewood on the South Side.
The girl was playing with friends on the sidewalk about 1:15 a.m. on South Wolcott Avenue when someone in a white-colored SUV started shooting, Chicago police said.
She was grazed in the lower back and taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in good condition, police said. It was unclear who the intended target was.
No one is in custody as Area One detectives investigate.
The shooting comes less than a week after 3-year-old Mekhi James was shot and killed during an especially violent weekend in Chicago that saw more than 100 people shot, a dozen of them minors. A reward for the capture of Mekhi’s shooter has been raised to $13,000.
On Monday, a 3-year-old girl was grazed in the back by a bullet in Chicago Lawn on the South Side.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-25--Woman, 76, missing from DeKalb County has been located

Five children were among the 15 people killed , including a 3-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl killed in separate shootings @ @ @ @ @

Pvt. Travis King entered the North while on a civilian tour of a Korean border village July 18, becoming the first American detained in the North in nearly five years.