chicagosun-times--2020-05-05--Judge orders inspection of Cicero nursing home where 10 died from coronavirus   (LIVE UPDATES)

Judge orders inspection of Cicero nursing home where 10 died from coronavirus A Cook County judge Tuesday ordered state health officials to conduct within 48 hours an inspection at a west suburban nursing home where nine residents and one worker died from complications related to coronavirus and over 200 others have tested positive .
In her ruling , Judge Alison Conlon granted the town of Cicero ’ s motion to direct City View MultiCare Facility to follow state guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
Conlon also ordered the Illinois Department of Public Health to conduct an inspection the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Road , by Thursday evening .
The state ’ s subsequent report will then be shared Friday with the court and representatives from City View , IDPH and Cicero , the judge said .
The order stems from an emergency motion filed in Cook County Circuit Court last week by Cicero against City View , IDPH and Gov .
J.B. Pritzker .
The motion accuses City View of failing to take appropriate steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus and sought to transfer its 325 residents to another hospital or facility , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cicero Department of Public Health .
Conlon did not grant those two requests Tuesday .
Residents of the South Chicago and surrounding neighborhoods can now get tested for the coronavirus close to home .
The Chicago Family Health Center , 9119 S. Exchange , has turned its parking lot into a drive-thru coronavirus testing site as well as a walk-up site for those without cars .
Anyone interested in getting tested must set up an appointment by calling the center , 773-768-5001 , for pre-screening and scheduling , according to a release from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center will vary depending on how many appointments have been made .
“ COVID-19 has had an enormous impact on the communities CFHC serves due to our patient population ’ s high rate of pre-existing conditions such as diabetes , asthma and heart disease , ” said Barrett Hatches , Ph.D , Chief Executive Officer .
“ With expanded testing we hope to reach those who are most at risk of COVID-19 infection and death.
” The center hopes to administer 100 tests per day , the release said .
More information can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ J.B. Pritzker announced plans for a phased reopening of Illinois ’ economy on a region-by-region basis .
The state is already in the second phase of a five-phase plan “ guided by public health metrics designed to provide a framework for reopening businesses , education , and recreational activities in each phase , ” according to Pritzker ’ s office .
Check out the graph below to see the five-step plan and read more from Pritzker here .
Reporter Tina Sfondeles has more about the plan .
2:40 p.m. Pritzker announces plans for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 176 COVID-19 deaths Illinois officials on Tuesday reported another 176 COVID-19 deaths — the highest daily count the state has seen since the pandemic began — as Gov .
J.B. Pritzker announced plans for a phased reopening of Illinois ’ economy on a region-by-region basis .
The state is already in the second phase of a five-phase plan “ guided by public health metrics designed to provide a framework for reopening businesses , education , and recreational activities in each phase , ” according to Pritzker ’ s office .
That means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The governor ’ s “ Restore Illinois ” plan divides the state into four regions : Northeast Illinois , North Central Illinois , Central Illinois and Southern Illinois .
To get to the third phase , a region “ must be at or under a 20 % test positivity rate and increasing by no more than 10 percentage points over a 14-day period.
” It must also show a “ stability ” in hospital admissions in the last 28 days and 14 % of ICU beds available .
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University in recognition of her leadership in office , the school announced Tuesday .
She ’ s one of four people who will receive the honor .
Lightfoot will also deliver Northwestern ’ s commencement address during its virtual graduation ceremony on June 19 .
A press release praises the mayor in particular for her efforts during the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Using a combination of humor and decisive leadership , Lightfoot has become a leading figure in urging Chicagoans , and others , to adhere to social distancing guidelines , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearing in iconic Chicago locations — empty of people — have gone viral on social media .
Her ‘ Stay Home , Save Lives ’ campaign has garnered international attention.
” Iconic TV writer and producer Norman Lear , MIT professor emerita JoAnne Stubbe and Harvard professor George M. Whitesides are also receiving honorary degrees from Northwestern .
12:15 p.m. Is it safe to hug your mom on Mother ’ s Day ?
An expert weighs in As Mother ’ s Day approaches , many wonder if it ’ s safe to hug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One renowned epidemiologist says it ’ s OK — maybe .
“ I think a hug or two done in a very safe way with your fabric mask on and your hands clean and after you ’ ve been very careful , maybe OK , but I can ’ t promise that it ’ s going to be OK for everyone .
But I can tell you that for me , it may be worth the gamble , ” University of Chicago epidemiologist Dr. Emily Landon said last week .
Landon ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fellow infectious disease expert Dr. Allison Bartlett .
In March , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker brought Landon to speak alongside him to announce the state ’ s first stay-at-home order , which ordered people stay inside except from going to work and buying essential goods .
Pritzker eased some of those restrictions on May 1 .
Landon said the new set of guidelines are a sign people should start to slowly “ expand their quarantine family , ” with the understanding coronavirus cases are still rising across the state .
11:54 a.m. Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ commencement addresses With traditional graduation ceremonies across the country canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic , America ’ s three million high school seniors are in for a special send-off thanks to Barack and Michelle Obama .
The former president will deliver a multimedia commencement address at 7 p.m. May 16 airing on all major networks and social media platforms , as part of the one-hour special event “ Graduate Together : America Honors the High School Class of 2020 , ” hosted by the XQ Institute , the LeBron James Family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He will be joined by high school students from the Obama Foundation ’ s various programs as well as Chicago Public Schools seniors and members of the Obama Youth Jobs Corps .
Read the full story from Miriam Di Nunzio here .
11:10 a.m. Cook County jail braces for influx of inmates amid COVID-19 outbreak New protocols put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 inside Cook County Jail may not be possible to maintain if the usual summertime rise in arrests leads to an influx of inmates , lawyers for Sheriff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The report details changes made at the jail where more than 500 detainees and 300-plus jail staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 .
Six detainees and one corrections officer have also died from complications related to coronavirus since late March .
The report given to U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly last week includes more than 200 pages of documentation showing the twice-weekly distribution of soap and cleansers to detainees , and nearly a dozen coronavirus-related disturbances inside the jail complex within the last month .
Andy Grimm details the contents of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ served notice Monday that it will cut 3,400 management jobs , about 30 % of its white-collar workforce , in a move that will take a bite out of its Chicago headquarters .
Kate Gebo , the carrier ’ s executive vice president for human resources , announced the cuts in a memo to employees .
It arrived four days after United said it lost $ 1.7 billion in the first quarter .
“ Governmental restrictions on travel , stay-at-home orders and the lack of a medical solution for COVID-19 have brought bookings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Gebo wrote .
“ This is forcing us to come to terms with the fact that our airline – and our entire workforce – will have to be smaller than it is today , and it ’ s requiring us to continue taking decisive actions.
” Read the full report from David Roeder here .
7:01 a.m. NU researchers testing symptom tracker ‘ like a wireless stethoscope glued to your neck ’ A group of Chicago researchers hope an electronic monitor that affixes to the throat like a band-aid will aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health-care workers who might not recognize subtle symptoms .
The device will also be used to track the recovery of patients from their homes and hospital beds .
“ It ’ s like a wireless stethoscope glued to your neck , ” John A. Rogers , a Northwestern University professor of biomedical engineering who works at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab .
The device monitors breathing , coughing , temperature and heart rate — data that is uploaded and made available to doctors every night when the wearer puts it on a charging dock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 10 doctors and nurses working in Chicago .
They ’ re also on about 20 patients who are recovering at home and in hospital beds .
Rogers expects that number to soon grow .
Read the full story by Mitch Dudek here .
6:22 a.m .
The inside story on desperately needed swabs : 7 things to know “ We need swabs , ” Gov .
J .
B. Pritzker said at his Sunday briefing , “ We don ’ t have enough swabs.
” Earlier on Sunday , Pritzker said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Nation , ” “ Recently we got a call from the White House telling us that in May they ’ re sending us 600,000 swabs and I ’ m very grateful for that.
” It ’ s an item as light as a feather but in short supply as the demand for COVID-19 testing grows .
Mass testing is key to trying to reopen our lives , schools and economy .
The federal Food and Drug Administration in recent weeks has expanded swab testing options and materials , fast tracking decision making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Swabs are essential to collecting samples from a nose or throat .
Swabs are put in a package with a reagent — it could be some kind of a liquid — to preserve the sample .
The sample is sent to a lab with a testing machine to see if it is positive for COVID-19 .
Merriam Webster defines a swab as “ a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used especially for applying medication or for removing material from an area.
” That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Here are seven things to know about the swabs needed for COVID-19 testing .
• 2 dead among 85 workers at CPS schools who have tested positive for COVID-19 , officials say • 5 more Chicago Police Department employees test positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday .
• Chicago police announced Monday 22 more cases of COVID-19 , bringing the number of cases in the department to 463 .
• Sheriff ’ s Deputy Richard O ’ Brien , a long-time veteran of the Cook County sheriff ’ s office died Sunday of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials on Monday said another 46 people have died of coronavirus in Illinois — marking two days in which the state has seen less than 100 deaths per day .
• CBS News “ 60 Minutes ” correspondent Lesley Stahl said Sunday that she ’ s feeling well after a battle with COVID-19 that left her hospitalized for a week .
• A quick rise in the number of coronavirus cases among inmates held in Chicago ’ s downtown federal jail continued Friday , with the Bureau of Prisons reporting 74 inmates had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday .
• Chicago police announced five more cases of COVID-19 Friday , bringing the number of confirmed cases in the department to 441 .
4:20 p.m. Will future generations understand what the Virus War of 2020 was really like ?
This is a letter in a bottle to future generations who will never understand the fear , confusion and courage of the ordinary person during The Virus War of 2020 .
I am talking about the waitress trying to raise her children without a job .
You see , the restaurants were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bit of money , but not enough to pay the rent , feed the kids and keep the phone and internet operating .
Such a woman had to explain to her children why they could not see their friends , go to school , or visit Grandma .
Maybe she had to tell them why they didn ’ t have the computer they needed to attend virtual classes , which were the only ones available .
Read the full column by Phil Kadner here .
1:55 p.m. Testers want tests , but let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What ’ s that all about ?
I understand they scrape inside your nose with a giant swab , then send the tip off to a lab to determine whether you ’ ve been infected by COVID-19 .
But toward what end ?
If you ’ re really sick , doctors need to know if it ’ s coronavirus to guide treatment .
No confusion there .
But what ’ s the goal of testing the general population ?
To track the pandemic ’ s spread ?
Important , but that isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drive-thru locations .
Fear ?
Mere curiosity ?
10:07 a.m. Why we long for cafes , barber shops and other ‘ third places ’ to reopen Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic implies many painful losses .
Among them are so-called “ third places ” — the restaurants , bars , gyms , houses of worship , barber shops and other places we frequent that are neither work nor home .
The third place is a concept in sociology and urban planning that recognizes the role these semi-public , semi-private places play in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civic engagement .
In giving people a familiar setting for social interaction among regulars , they encourage “ place attachment ” — the bond between a person and a place .
Now , experiencing the coronavirus from the fortress of our living spaces , we may enjoy being in a haven .
But we ’ ve lost the social and psychological intimacy of third places .
It ‘ s a significant loss .
My three decades of research on urban spaces finds that both public spaces and third places contribute to a healthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ column from Setha Low here .
6:34 a.m. America ’ s road back from COVID-19 must begin with an end to the politics of division We think we can all agree that the woman who carried an “ Arbeit macht frei , JB ” sign at a downtown rally on Friday was not speaking for a significant number of people in Illinois .
She was speaking for Nazis .
But more importantly , we don ’ t believe the hundreds of demonstrators at the Thompson Center rally , or at a larger rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were speaking for a significant number of people — not when it comes to Illinois ’ response to COVID-19 .
The demonstrators in their foolish approach — no masks , no social distancing and no respect for science — were out of step with the vast majority of people in Illinois , who accept that the coronavirus is real and deadly and have been working hard to keep it at bay .
Read the full editorial from the Sun-Times Editorial Board .

The latest
This image from undated video provided by the Office of Cook County Board President shows set-up for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s surge center in Chicago. The county is preparing new places to store bodies from a possible surge that could overwhelm hospital morgues. Office of Cook County Board President via AP
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office is planning to review a “handful” of cases dating as far back as November to determine whether some earlier coronavirus deaths were overlooked.
Officials will scrutinize deaths involving heart attack and pneumonia starting in late fall “to be on the safe side,” said Natalia Derevyanny, a spokeswoman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Both of those causes of death have been linked to the coronavirus. The Wall Street Journal first reported the review of the case files.
The state recorded its first COVID-19 death on March 16, but the medical examiner is investigating whether the death toll could have actually started some three months or more earlier.
Read the full story by Rachel Hinton.
News
9:01 p.m. Young mom, a nurse at Bolingbrook nursing home with soaring COVID-19 toll, is the latest to die
Ninety-three cases of COVID-19 and 10 deaths had been reported at Meadowbrook Manor nursing home in Bolingbrook as of the first of the month.
They’ll need to add Krist Angielen Castro Guzman to the list.
Guzman was a 35-year-old nurse at the facility and the mother of three young children who cared passionately for her patients and feared greatly for her safety during this pandemic.
Guzman died Saturday at AMITA Health Adventist Medical Center in Bolingbrook, where, less than five months earlier, she had given birth to her youngest child.
Guzman died of cardiac arrest an hour after being intubated for respiratory problems caused by the coronavirus, just one day after being admitted to the hospital and barely a week after falling ill, according to her family.
I wonder how many of the people who are so righteously concerned about their right NOT to stay home or NOT wear a face mask in public ever pause to consider the ramifications for health care professionals like Guzman who are duty-bound to attend to the sick.
It’s shameful enough that they pretend it’s OK for the people in nursing homes to die because, well, they’re really old. But to cavalierly sacrifice the nurses and doctors and support personnel as well is beyond all reason.
Read the full story from Mark Brown here.
8:22 p.m. Mask requirement sparks threats, rebellion, shouting at store workers: ‘And we can’t do anything about it’
Employees of grocery stores, pharmacies and hardware stores aren’t just struggling to keep shelves stocked and Illinoisans supplied during the coronavirus pandemic.
They’ve also had to deal with “a very large man” carrying a hunting knife through a DeKalb store, an “irate” man threatening to shoot a worker at a Romeoville store, and even a police officer making a “political protest” at a shop in Peoria — each of them bare-faced in rebellion against state requirements for shoppers to wear face coverings.
Those front-line workers deemed “essential” during the Illinois shutdown have been faced with dozens of such confrontations with customers refusing to follow Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s guidelines to wear masks in stores, according to Rob Karr, president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association.
And with many residents itching to get back to life as they knew it — and Pritzker laying out plans Tuesday for a phased reopening of the state’s economy on a regional basis — some retailers are concerned it could get worse.
“My fear is that these instances will escalate into a situation where someone will get hurt,” an anonymous Carbondale store manager wrote in a complaint submitted to the merchants association, saying they’ve had several issues enforcing the mask guidelines.
“The public is on edge and even a passive approach has sent several customers over the edge to a point they are shouting at our teammates,” that manager wrote.
Read the full story from Mitchell Armentrout here.
7:54 p.m. Judge orders inspection of Cicero nursing home where 10 died from coronavirus
A Cook County judge Tuesday ordered state health officials to conduct within 48 hours an inspection at a west suburban nursing home where nine residents and one worker died from complications related to coronavirus and over 200 others have tested positive.
In her ruling, Judge Alison Conlon granted the town of Cicero’s motion to direct City View MultiCare Facility to follow state guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Conlon also ordered the Illinois Department of Public Health to conduct an inspection the nursing home, at 5824 W. Cermak Road, by Thursday evening. The state’s subsequent report will then be shared Friday with the court and representatives from City View, IDPH and Cicero, the judge said.
The order stems from an emergency motion filed in Cook County Circuit Court last week by Cicero against City View, IDPH and Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The motion accuses City View of failing to take appropriate steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus and sought to transfer its 325 residents to another hospital or facility, as well as allow daily inspections by the Cicero Department of Public Health. Conlon did not grant those two requests Tuesday.
Read the full story by Matthew Hendrickson.
7:21 p.m. South Chicago health center opens drive-thru COVID-19 testing site
Residents of the South Chicago and surrounding neighborhoods can now get tested for the coronavirus close to home.
The Chicago Family Health Center, 9119 S. Exchange, has turned its parking lot into a drive-thru coronavirus testing site as well as a walk-up site for those without cars.
Anyone interested in getting tested must set up an appointment by calling the center, 773-768-5001, for pre-screening and scheduling, according to a release from the center. The hours of the center will vary depending on how many appointments have been made.
“COVID-19 has had an enormous impact on the communities CFHC serves due to our patient population’s high rate of pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease,” said Barrett Hatches, Ph.D, Chief Executive Officer. “With expanded testing we hope to reach those who are most at risk of COVID-19 infection and death.”
The center hopes to administer 100 tests per day, the release said. More information can be found at www.chicagofamilyhealth.org.
— Alison Martin
7:15 p.m. Skyrocketing meat prices force Pilsen sandwich shop to close indefinitely
Around half of Illinois restaurants are currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
One of those that’s managed to stay open is The Jibarito Stop, a popular lunch and dinner spot on 18th Street in Pilsen.
But as COVID-19 ravages meat processing plants across the country, leading to shortages, the Puerto Rican restaurant will close its doors for an indefinite period of time starting Wednesday as prices for some cuts have skyrocketed.
“We usually get around 600 pounds of inside round steak a week for around $3 a pound, but now it’s at $6 a pound,” said Cely Rodriguez, who opened The Jibarito Stop with her business partner Moraima Fuentes in 2015.
“We’ve managed to stay open this long and thankfully so far business has been good, but at this rate, we would start losing money if we didn’t close.”
Read the full story by Carlos Ballesteros here.
3:40 p.m. Here’s how Gov. Pritzker plans to reopen Illinois
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced plans for a phased reopening of Illinois’ economy on a region-by-region basis.
The state is already in the second phase of a five-phase plan “guided by public health metrics designed to provide a framework for reopening businesses, education, and recreational activities in each phase,” according to Pritzker’s office.
Check out the graph below to see the five-step plan and read more from Pritzker here.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan for a phased reopening of the Illinois economy on a phased, regional basis. State of Illinois
Reporter Tina Sfondeles has more about the plan.
2:40 p.m. Pritzker announces plans for phased reopening as Illinois sees worst day with 176 COVID-19 deaths
Illinois officials on Tuesday reported another 176 COVID-19 deaths — the highest daily count the state has seen since the pandemic began — as Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced plans for a phased reopening of Illinois’ economy on a region-by-region basis.
The state is already in the second phase of a five-phase plan “guided by public health metrics designed to provide a framework for reopening businesses, education, and recreational activities in each phase,” according to Pritzker’s office.
That means the curve of the pandemic is flattening. The governor’s “Restore Illinois” plan divides the state into four regions: Northeast Illinois, North Central Illinois, Central Illinois and Southern Illinois.
To get to the third phase, a region “must be at or under a 20% test positivity rate and increasing by no more than 10 percentage points over a 14-day period.” It must also show a “stability” in hospital admissions in the last 28 days and 14% of ICU beds available.
Read the full story by Tina Sfondeles.
1:45 p.m. Northwestern to give Mayor Lightfoot honorary degree
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will receive an honorary degree from Northwestern University in recognition of her leadership in office, the school announced Tuesday. She’s one of four people who will receive the honor.
Lightfoot will also deliver Northwestern’s commencement address during its virtual graduation ceremony on June 19.
A press release praises the mayor in particular for her efforts during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Using a combination of humor and decisive leadership, Lightfoot has become a leading figure in urging Chicagoans, and others, to adhere to social distancing guidelines,” the statement reads.
“Memes of her appearing in iconic Chicago locations — empty of people — have gone viral on social media. Her ‘Stay Home, Save Lives’ campaign has garnered international attention.”
Iconic TV writer and producer Norman Lear, MIT professor emerita JoAnne Stubbe and Harvard professor George M. Whitesides are also receiving honorary degrees from Northwestern.
— Satchel Price
12:15 p.m. Is it safe to hug your mom on Mother’s Day? An expert weighs in
As Mother’s Day approaches, many wonder if it’s safe to hug a loved one during the pandemic. One renowned epidemiologist says it’s OK — maybe.
“I think a hug or two done in a very safe way with your fabric mask on and your hands clean and after you’ve been very careful, maybe OK, but I can’t promise that it’s going to be OK for everyone. But I can tell you that for me, it may be worth the gamble,” University of Chicago epidemiologist Dr. Emily Landon said last week.
Landon’s comment came during a live-streamed discussion with fellow infectious disease expert Dr. Allison Bartlett.
In March, Gov. J.B. Pritzker brought Landon to speak alongside him to announce the state’s first stay-at-home order, which ordered people stay inside except from going to work and buying essential goods. Pritzker eased some of those restrictions on May 1.
Landon said the new set of guidelines are a sign people should start to slowly “expand their quarantine family,” with the understanding coronavirus cases are still rising across the state.
Read the full story here.
11:54 a.m. Barack and Michelle Obama to deliver ‘virtual’ commencement addresses
With traditional graduation ceremonies across the country canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, America’s three million high school seniors are in for a special send-off thanks to Barack and Michelle Obama.
The former president will deliver a multimedia commencement address at 7 p.m. May 16 airing on all major networks and social media platforms, as part of the one-hour special event “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020,” hosted by the XQ Institute, the LeBron James Family Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation.
He will be joined by high school students from the Obama Foundation’s various programs as well as Chicago Public Schools seniors and members of the Obama Youth Jobs Corps.
Read the full story from Miriam Di Nunzio here.
11:10 a.m. Cook County jail braces for influx of inmates amid COVID-19 outbreak
New protocols put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 inside Cook County Jail may not be possible to maintain if the usual summertime rise in arrests leads to an influx of inmates, lawyers for Sheriff Tom Dart said in a court-ordered report.
The report details changes made at the jail where more than 500 detainees and 300-plus jail staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. Six detainees and one corrections officer have also died from complications related to coronavirus since late March.
The report given to U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly last week includes more than 200 pages of documentation showing the twice-weekly distribution of soap and cleansers to detainees, and nearly a dozen coronavirus-related disturbances inside the jail complex within the last month.
Andy Grimm details the contents of the court-ordered report here.
8:27 a.m. United Airlines plans to cut 3,400 managers
United Airlines served notice Monday that it will cut 3,400 management jobs, about 30% of its white-collar workforce, in a move that will take a bite out of its Chicago headquarters.
Kate Gebo, the carrier’s executive vice president for human resources, announced the cuts in a memo to employees. It arrived four days after United said it lost $1.7 billion in the first quarter.
“Governmental restrictions on travel, stay-at-home orders and the lack of a medical solution for COVID-19 have brought bookings and demand for travel basically to zero,” Gebo wrote. “This is forcing us to come to terms with the fact that our airline – and our entire workforce – will have to be smaller than it is today, and it’s requiring us to continue taking decisive actions.”
Read the full report from David Roeder here.
7:01 a.m. NU researchers testing symptom tracker ‘like a wireless stethoscope glued to your neck’
A group of Chicago researchers hope an electronic monitor that affixes to the throat like a band-aid will aid in the detection of coronavirus cases among health-care workers who might not recognize subtle symptoms.
The device will also be used to track the recovery of patients from their homes and hospital beds.
“It’s like a wireless stethoscope glued to your neck,” John A. Rogers, a Northwestern University professor of biomedical engineering who works at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.
The device monitors breathing, coughing, temperature and heart rate — data that is uploaded and made available to doctors every night when the wearer puts it on a charging dock.
The devices are being worn by about 10 doctors and nurses working in Chicago. They’re also on about 20 patients who are recovering at home and in hospital beds. Rogers expects that number to soon grow.
Read the full story by Mitch Dudek here.
6:22 a.m. The inside story on desperately needed swabs: 7 things to know
“We need swabs,” Gov. J. B. Pritzker said at his Sunday briefing, “We don’t have enough swabs.”
Earlier on Sunday, Pritzker said in an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” “Recently we got a call from the White House telling us that in May they’re sending us 600,000 swabs and I’m very grateful for that.”
What is a swab?
It’s an item as light as a feather but in short supply as the demand for COVID-19 testing grows. Mass testing is key to trying to reopen our lives, schools and economy.
The federal Food and Drug Administration in recent weeks has expanded swab testing options and materials, fast tracking decision making in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Swabs are essential to collecting samples from a nose or throat. Swabs are put in a package with a reagent — it could be some kind of a liquid — to preserve the sample. The sample is sent to a lab with a testing machine to see if it is positive for COVID-19.
No swab, no test.
Merriam Webster defines a swab as “a wad of absorbent material usually wound around one end of a small stick and used especially for applying medication or for removing material from an area.”
That definition doesn’t go far enough.
Here are seven things to know about the swabs needed for COVID-19 testing.
New cases
Analysis & Commentary
8:45 p.m. Thankfully, Pritzker’s ‘Restore Illinois’ plan relies on science, not politics
Just yesterday, we wrote that America’s road to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will be faster, smoother and fairer if we can all, finally, reject the politics of division and find common ground.
We need leaders who seek to unite us, we wrote. We need a plan to reopen the country that is objective, measurable and rooted in science, rather than politics. And we need a plan that recognizes one size does not fit all — if we’re serious about appealing to the good sense of all kinds of folks.
On Tuesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker presented a framework for reopening Illinois that fits squarely with this way of thinking. The governor’s plan lays out five phases for returning life to some semblance of normalcy in Illinois, with the move to each happier phase dependent on measurable progress — hard metrics — in beating back the coronavirus. Equally important, the plan divides the state into four regions for purposes of reopening: Northeast Illinois, North Central Illinois, Central Illinois and Southern Illinois.
Read the full editorial by the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board.
4:20 p.m. Will future generations understand what the Virus War of 2020 was really like?
This is a letter in a bottle to future generations who will never understand the fear, confusion and courage of the ordinary person during The Virus War of 2020.
I am talking about the waitress trying to raise her children without a job. You see, the restaurants were closed. The government provided a tiny bit of money, but not enough to pay the rent, feed the kids and keep the phone and internet operating.
Such a woman had to explain to her children why they could not see their friends, go to school, or visit Grandma. Maybe she had to tell them why they didn’t have the computer they needed to attend virtual classes, which were the only ones available.
Read the full column by Phil Kadner here.
1:55 p.m. Testers want tests, but let’s test the testers
Testing. What’s that all about? I understand they scrape inside your nose with a giant swab, then send the tip off to a lab to determine whether you’ve been infected by COVID-19.
But toward what end?
If you’re really sick, doctors need to know if it’s coronavirus to guide treatment. No confusion there. But what’s the goal of testing the general population? To track the pandemic’s spread? Important, but that isn’t why people are jamming National Guard drive-thru locations. Fear? Mere curiosity?
Read the full column by Neil Steinberg.
10:07 a.m. Why we long for cafes, barber shops and other ‘third places’ to reopen
Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic implies many painful losses. Among them are so-called “third places” — the restaurants, bars, gyms, houses of worship, barber shops and other places we frequent that are neither work nor home.
The third place is a concept in sociology and urban planning that recognizes the role these semi-public, semi-private places play in fostering social association, community identity and civic engagement. In giving people a familiar setting for social interaction among regulars, they encourage “place attachment” — the bond between a person and a place.
Now, experiencing the coronavirus from the fortress of our living spaces, we may enjoy being in a haven. But we’ve lost the social and psychological intimacy of third places.
It‘s a significant loss. My three decades of research on urban spaces finds that both public spaces and third places contribute to a healthy, flourishing society.
Read the full column from Setha Low here.
6:34 a.m. America’s road back from COVID-19 must begin with an end to the politics of division
We think we can all agree that the woman who carried an “Arbeit macht frei, JB” sign at a downtown rally on Friday was not speaking for a significant number of people in Illinois.
She was speaking for Nazis.
But more importantly, we don’t believe the hundreds of demonstrators at the Thompson Center rally, or at a larger rally in Springfield on the same day, were speaking for a significant number of people — not when it comes to Illinois’ response to COVID-19.
The demonstrators in their foolish approach — no masks, no social distancing and no respect for science — were out of step with the vast majority of people in Illinois, who accept that the coronavirus is real and deadly and have been working hard to keep it at bay.
Read the full editorial from the Sun-Times Editorial Board.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-05--Cook County searching for overlooked COVID-19 deaths as far back as November just ‘to cover our base

Cook County searching for overlooked COVID-19 deaths as far back as November just ‘to cover our bases’

The Cook County Medical Examiner ’ s Office is planning to review a “ handful ” of cases dating as far back as November to determine whether some earlier coronavirus deaths were overlooked .
Officials will scrutinize deaths involving heart attack and pneumonia starting in late fall “ to be on the safe side , ” said Natalia Derevyanny , a spokeswoman for the Cook County Medical Examiner ’ s Office .
Both of those causes of death have been linked to the coronavirus .
The Wall Street Journal first reported the review of the case files .
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16 , but the medical examiner is investigating whether the death toll could have actually started some three months or more earlier .
“ We don ’ t anticipate having [ coronavirus ] cases from November , but if we found that we had cases in November , we might want to look even earlier , ” Derevyanny said .
“ Again , we don ’ t anticipate that , we just want to cover our bases and make sure that we have the most complete data we can for COVID-19.
” Investigators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selected cases under a microscope to see if the pneumonia deaths were viral or if the heart attacks involved thrombosis , potential signs of coronavirus infection , Derevyanny said .
The sample size under review is small because most heart attack or pneumonia cases are natural deaths that may have occurred at a hospital , meaning a physician would have signed off on the death certificate , Derevyanny said .
The conclusion of the review , which will begin this month , will depend on how many cases they find , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case load .
From March 19 , 2019 to April 19 , 2019 , the office handled 510 deaths .
This year , in that same period , it handled over 1,600 , Derevyanny said .
Derevyanny didn ’ t want to speculate about any potential conclusions of the review , but said taking a second look helps the office “ completely do [ its ] due diligence.
” Should a review lead to a change in a person ’ s cause of death , the family will be notified .
As of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths from the coronavirus .
The first known COVID-19 in the county – and all of Illinois – was 61-year-old Patricia Frieson , a South Side nurse who died March 16 .
“ Frankly we want to ensure , from an epidemiological standpoint , that we are doing our due diligence and that we have as complete a picture as possible around the spread of COVID-19 for the residents of Cook County to know , I think it ’ s important for public health to know and I think it ’ ll give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ We might find that our first case was indeed our first case , and that ’ s fine .
It showcases that all of our processes are working accordingly .
We might find that our first case may have been earlier and if that ’ s the case , I think it ’ ll only give us a greater picture of the spread of this virus .
”

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office is planning to review a “handful” of cases dating as far back as November to determine whether some earlier coronavirus deaths were overlooked.
Officials will scrutinize deaths involving heart attack and pneumonia starting in late fall “to be on the safe side,” said Natalia Derevyanny, a spokeswoman for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Both of those causes of death have been linked to the coronavirus. The Wall Street Journal first reported the review of the case files.
The state recorded its first COVID-19 death on March 16, but the medical examiner is investigating whether the death toll could have actually started some three months or more earlier.
“We don’t anticipate having [coronavirus] cases from November, but if we found that we had cases in November, we might want to look even earlier,” Derevyanny said. “Again, we don’t anticipate that, we just want to cover our bases and make sure that we have the most complete data we can for COVID-19.”
Investigators plan to put tissue samples from the selected cases under a microscope to see if the pneumonia deaths were viral or if the heart attacks involved thrombosis, potential signs of coronavirus infection, Derevyanny said.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office Sun-Times file photo
The sample size under review is small because most heart attack or pneumonia cases are natural deaths that may have occurred at a hospital, meaning a physician would have signed off on the death certificate, Derevyanny said.
The conclusion of the review, which will begin this month, will depend on how many cases they find, as well as the office’s already enormous case load. From March 19, 2019 to April 19, 2019, the office handled 510 deaths. This year, in that same period, it handled over 1,600, Derevyanny said.
Derevyanny didn’t want to speculate about any potential conclusions of the review, but said taking a second look helps the office “completely do [its] due diligence.”
Should a review lead to a change in a person’s cause of death, the family will be notified.
Patricia Frieson, who died March 16 at age 61, was the first known coronavirus-related death in Illinois. Provided
As of Tuesday, Cook County has reported 1,922 deaths from the coronavirus in Chicago and suburban Cook. The first known COVID-19 in the county – and all of Illinois – was 61-year-old Patricia Frieson, a South Side nurse who died March 16.
“Frankly we want to ensure, from an epidemiological standpoint, that we are doing our due diligence and that we have as complete a picture as possible around the spread of COVID-19 for the residents of Cook County to know, I think it’s important for public health to know and I think it’ll give us a clearer picture,” Derevyanny said.
“We might find that our first case was indeed our first case, and that’s fine. It showcases that all of our processes are working accordingly. We might find that our first case may have been earlier and if that’s the case, I think it’ll only give us a greater picture of the spread of this virus.”


chicagosun-times--2020-05-05--Judge orders inspection of Cicero nursing home where 10 died from coronavirus

A Cook County judge Tuesday ordered state health officials to conduct within 48 hours an inspection at a west suburban nursing home where nine residents and one worker died from complications related to coronavirus and over 200 others have tested positive .
In her ruling , Judge Alison Conlon granted the town of Cicero ’ s motion to direct City View MultiCare Facility to follow state guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
Conlon also ordered the Illinois Department of Public Health to conduct an inspection the nursing home , at 5824 W. Cermak Road , by Thursday evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will then be shared Friday with the court and representatives from City View , IDPH and Cicero , the judge said .
The order stems from an emergency motion filed in Cook County Circuit Court last week by Cicero against City View , IDPH and Gov .
J.B. Pritzker .
The motion accuses City View of failing to take appropriate steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus and sought to transfer its 325 residents to another hospital or facility , as well as allow daily inspections by the Cicero Department of Public Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requests Tuesday .
“ We are pleased with the court ’ s decision today allowing our residents to remain in their homes , ” a spokesman for City View said in an emailed statement , adding : “ ... We are happy that the State has agreed to conduct an inspection and will work with the facility and County to determine what help they can provide.
” “ This is the first step in ensuring that City View does what it is supposed to do in caring for the 325 residents who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff members , ” Dominick said in his statement .
At Tuesday ’ s hearing , which was conducted via a live-streaming app , attorneys for Cicero said officials had witnessed residents at the facility not following social distancing guidelines and observed instances where staff members were not wearing personal protective equipment .
Jason Lundy , an attorney for City View , said the characterization was “ untrue.
” “ Undeniably we ’ re in an an emergency situation , ” Lundy said .
“ I think City View is doing an admirable @ @ @ @ @

A Cook County judge Tuesday ordered state health officials to conduct within 48 hours an inspection at a west suburban nursing home where nine residents and one worker died from complications related to coronavirus and over 200 others have tested positive.
In her ruling, Judge Alison Conlon granted the town of Cicero’s motion to direct City View MultiCare Facility to follow state guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Conlon also ordered the Illinois Department of Public Health to conduct an inspection of the nursing home, at 5824 W. Cermak Road, by Thursday evening. The state’s subsequent report will then be shared Friday with the court and representatives from City View, IDPH and Cicero, the judge said.
The order stems from an emergency motion filed in Cook County Circuit Court last week by Cicero against City View, IDPH and Gov. J.B. Pritzker. The motion accuses City View of failing to take appropriate steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus and sought to transfer its 325 residents to another hospital or facility, as well as allow daily inspections by the Cicero Department of Public Health. Conlon did not grant those two requests Tuesday.
Attorneys for Cicero included this picture in court documents. This picture, they said, was taken at City View MultiCare Facility and shows that social distancing guidelines are not being followed there. Provided
“We are pleased with the court’s decision today allowing our residents to remain in their homes,” a spokesman for City View said in an emailed statement, adding: “... We are happy that the State has agreed to conduct an inspection and will work with the facility and County to determine what help they can provide.”
Cicero President Larry Dominick also celebrated the ruling.
“This is the first step in ensuring that City View does what it is supposed to do in caring for the 325 residents who are cared for there, and the 300 staff members,” Dominick said in his statement.
At Tuesday’s hearing, which was conducted via a live-streaming app, attorneys for Cicero said officials had witnessed residents at the facility not following social distancing guidelines and observed instances where staff members were not wearing personal protective equipment.
Jason Lundy, an attorney for City View, said the characterization was “untrue.”
“Undeniably we’re in an emergency situation,” Lundy said. “I think City View is doing an admirable job combating COVID.”


chicagosun-times--2020-05-05--Marlo Thomas, Phil Donahue share the secrets of celebs’ successful marriages

He was the liberal king of daytime talk shows in the 1970s .
She was an actress — the single , fiercely independent , free-spirited daughter of a legendary comedian/philanthropist .
He was recently divorced and raising four teen sons and not contemplating another trip down the aisle .
Marriage was something she never wanted .
And when they met during an interview segment in 1977 on his Chicago-based gabfest , everything changed .
Four decades later , Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas are about to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on May 21 and , from all signs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were on their wedding day .
Not that it ’ s been unending wedded bliss at every turn .
Like any married couple , they ’ ve had their share of fabulous times and heated arguments .
And as the milestone event approached , they pondered the eternal question : What ’ s the secret to a successful marriage ?
The search for the answer led to their first book as co-authors , “ What Makes a Marriage Last — 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I had to convince Phil [ to do the project ] because we ’ ve never spoken publicly about our marriage , ” Thomas said during a recent chat with the couple from their New York home .
“ If you Google it you won ’ t find much about it .
... Everyone ’ s always asking why our marriage lasts ?
What ’ s the ‘ secret sauce ’ ?
And we decided it would be easier to find out everybody else ’ s secret sauce .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marriage and see a secret sauce.
” Thomas and Donahue turned to 40 famous couples whose marriages have stood the test of time .
And hardship .
And sickness .
And rehab and arguments and infidelity and money problems and raising children .
And just about every curve ball life can serve up .
And yet , all remain happily married .
The list of interviewees runs the gamut from celebrities to politicos and more : Alan and Arlene Alda ( married in 1957 ) ; Billy and Janice Crystal ( married in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carter ( married in 1946 ) ; Ray and Anna Romano ( married in 1987 ) ; LL Cool J and Simone I. Smith ( married in 1995 ) ; Rev .
Jesse and Jacqueline Jackson ( married in 1962 ) : Elton John and David Furnish ( a couple since 1993 ; married in 2014 ) ; Viola Davis and Julius Tennon ( married in 2003 ) ; Charlotte and John Henderson , married in 1939 — the oldeset living married couple , according to the Guinness Book of World Records ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was 42 and he was 44 , makes it clear she was not “ waiting to get married ” ; she was never going to get married .
“ I thought marriage was too constipated a place for me .
But once Phil and I got together I realized maybe marriage was a roomier place than I thought.
” Donahue adds that at the time , “ it was very un-Catholic in a way for Marlo , ” Donahue adds .
“ If you ’ re Catholic girl and unmarried by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother started a novena .
Marlo dated a lot of people .
More than I like to consider .
And I ’ ve met many of them and they ’ re all nice people.
” The book ’ s journey taught them a lot about their subjects , but it also served as a sort of mirror to their own marriage , Thomas says .
“ What we ’ ve picked up is ways to get through certain situations , ” Thomas says emphatically .
“ James Carville [ interviewed along with Mary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] said if you ’ re going around and around on an issue and you can ’ t resolve it then just kick that can down the road .
Behind every successful marriage is a whole trail of kicked cans .
And I think that ’ s true .
Not everything has to be or can be resolved.
” Thomas said what surprised her most over the course of the project was the honesty each of the couples delivered .
“ Jamie Lee Curtis [ married to Christopher Guest since 1984 ] just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You don ’ t realize how much hate your marriage can tolerate .
... You can hate something your spouse does , but you have to tolerate that and move on.
’ “ I was impressed with people who didn ’ t look for the escape route when things got tough , ” Thomas continued .
“ Hopefully the book shows you some marriages you can relate to , whether it ’ s money issues , infidelity , illness , in-law issues.
” “ Kyra Sedgwick said something that I really love , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can ’ t go into marriage with a Plan B. I think most people , the reason their marriage lasted is because they didn ’ t press the eject button or look for the escape route .
They worked through it together .
And when they came out of it they had this bond , like a braid of love and passion and trust and steel .
It ’ s unbreakable .
...
When you work through things with eyes open and trust you will end up with a very strong , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an escape route especially in the early years of his marriage to Thomas , but it never materialized .
“ I ’ m more of a pouter .
I ’ m a silent Sam after a blow-up , ” he said .
“ Marlo is a steady force in our marriage .
She ’ s the reason it ’ s lasted 40 years .
I thought I would hit the eject button but I never did .
And I feel very very lucky that I never did because as each year went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The couple admits their marriage started out with all the usual suspicions , questions , doubts : Who will dominate whom ?
Am I giving in too much ?
But “ when all that power struggle goes away you realize that ’ s a lot of energy wasted on nothing , ” Thomas said .
“ You change constantly .
And you have to.
” “ I ’ m not as jealous as I used to be and that ’ s a really big thing for me , ” Donahue said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s not good for your health .
That took a while .
She made a movie with Kris Kristofferson and it had a love scene in it .
That was the longest love scene I ’ ve ever seen in the movies .
[ Laughs ] I ’ m past all that .
I ’ m a big boy now.
” In the end , it all comes down to the wisdom of the ages , as each chapter of the book reveals .
Marriage is something you grow into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stuff .
Be kind to each other .
Respect each other .
Accommodate and accept your differences .
Go dancing .
Say those three little words to each other every night before you go to sleep .
It ’ s all good , even the tough times .
“ It ’ s not the other person ’ s job to make you happy , ” Thomas said of marriage .
“ Your job together is to build a life together .
”

He was the liberal king of daytime talk shows in the 1970s. She was an actress — the single, fiercely independent, free-spirited daughter of a legendary comedian/philanthropist. He was recently divorced and raising four teen sons and not contemplating another trip down the aisle. Marriage was something she never wanted.
And when they met during an interview segment in 1977 on his Chicago-based gabfest, everything changed.
Four decades later, Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas are about to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on May 21 and, from all signs, as over-the-moon about one another as they were on their wedding day.
Not that it’s been unending wedded bliss at every turn. Like any married couple, they’ve had their share of fabulous times and heated arguments. And as the milestone event approached, they pondered the eternal question: What’s the secret to a successful marriage? The search for the answer led to their first book as co-authors, “What Makes a Marriage Last — 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life,” (HarperOne, $29.99).
“I had to convince Phil [to do the project] because we’ve never spoken publicly about our marriage,” Thomas said during a recent chat with the couple from their New York home. “If you Google it you won’t find much about it. ... Everyone’s always asking why our marriage lasts? What’s the ‘secret sauce’? And we decided it would be easier to find out everybody else’s secret sauce. It’s hard to look at your own marriage and see a secret sauce.”
Thomas and Donahue turned to 40 famous couples whose marriages have stood the test of time. And hardship. And sickness. And rehab and arguments and infidelity and money problems and raising children. And just about every curve ball life can serve up. And yet, all remain happily married.
The list of interviewees runs the gamut from celebrities to politicos and more: Alan and Arlene Alda (married in 1957); Billy and Janice Crystal (married in 1970); President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter (married in 1946); Ray and Anna Romano (married in 1987); LL Cool J and Simone I. Smith (married in 1995); Rev. Jesse and Jacqueline Jackson (married in 1962): Elton John and David Furnish (a couple since 1993; married in 2014); Viola Davis and Julius Tennon (married in 2003); Charlotte and John Henderson, married in 1939 — the oldeset living married couple, according to the Guinness Book of World Records).
Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas on their wedding day in 1980. Courtesy of Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue
Thomas, who wed Donahue when she was 42 and he was 44, makes it clear she was not “waiting to get married”; she was never going to get married. “I thought marriage was too constipated a place for me. But once Phil and I got together I realized maybe marriage was a roomier place than I thought.”
Donahue adds that at the time, “it was very un-Catholic in a way for Marlo,” Donahue adds. “If you’re Catholic girl and unmarried by the time you’re 22, your mother started a novena. Marlo dated a lot of people. More than I like to consider. And I’ve met many of them and they’re all nice people.”
Thirty-five guests attended the 1988 wedding of actors Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon. Courtesy of Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon
The book’s journey taught them a lot about their subjects, but it also served as a sort of mirror to their own marriage, Thomas says.
“What we’ve picked up is ways to get through certain situations,” Thomas says emphatically. “James Carville [interviewed along with Mary Matalin, his bride of 27 years] said if you’re going around and around on an issue and you can’t resolve it then just kick that can down the road. Behind every successful marriage is a whole trail of kicked cans. And I think that’s true. Not everything has to be or can be resolved.”
Thomas said what surprised her most over the course of the project was the honesty each of the couples delivered. “Jamie Lee Curtis [married to Christopher Guest since 1984] just floored me when she said, ‘You don’t realize how much hate your marriage can tolerate. ... You can hate something your spouse does, but you have to tolerate that and move on.’
“I first met Jackie when we were in college. She was into modern dance and was a heavy user of the library. And she was just beautiful beyond measure. A mutual friend told me I had to meet her,” said the Rev. Jesse Jackson about his wife of 58 years, pictured on their wedding day. Courtesy of the Rev. Jesse and Jacqueline Jackson
“I was impressed with people who didn’t look for the escape route when things got tough,” Thomas continued. “Hopefully the book shows you some marriages you can relate to, whether it’s money issues, infidelity, illness, in-law issues.”
“Kyra Sedgwick said something that I really love,” Thomas continued. “She said you can’t go into marriage with a Plan B. I think most people, the reason their marriage lasted is because they didn’t press the eject button or look for the escape route. They worked through it together. And when they came out of it they had this bond, like a braid of love and passion and trust and steel. It’s unbreakable. ... When you work through things with eyes open and trust you will end up with a very strong, unbreakable bond.”
Donahue revealed he thought of an escape route especially in the early years of his marriage to Thomas, but it never materialized.
“I’m more of a pouter. I’m a silent Sam after a blow-up,” he said. “Marlo is a steady force in our marriage. She’s the reason it’s lasted 40 years. I thought I would hit the eject button but I never did. And I feel very very lucky that I never did because as each year went by [the marriage] got easier.”
Marlo Thomas Phil Donahue book excerpts What some of the couples had to say about marriage: Comedian/actor Ray Romano: “The reason this marriage works is because, thankfully, she knows that I love her. And for women who have to hear it out loud, it’s not going to work that well when you’re married to a guy like me. ... In this business, where everyone is either phony or kissing your a- -, I know that’s not going to happen with Anna. Whether it’s showbiz-related or anything else, she’s going to tell me the truth and not be mean about it — and that’s exactly what I want.” Actress Tracy (Mrs. Michael J. Fox) Pollan: “Give each other the benefit of the doubt. Know that you love this person and they love you, so assume the best, not the worst. Carve out time together but also carve out time for yourself because it will inform the time you have together.” Kyra (Mrs. Kevin Bacon) Sedgwick: “The person you marry is not necessarily going to be the same during the whole trajectory of the marriage. Let each other grow. Let each other change. If you don’t, that’s when trouble happens. ... I think the foundation [of our marriage] is that we really f——-g love hanging out together, and we really love each other, and we really want to spend time together.“ Kevin (Mr. Kyra Sedgwick) Bacon: “I think people should put as little focus on the wedding as possible. .. If you put the wedding in a pie chart, it’s just a four-hour window over the course of 30 years. ... People get so freaked out about the wedding. Ours definitely didn’t define our lives together.” The Rev. Jesse Jackson: “I think many marriages don’t last long because they have no roots. They cannot withstand the fierce winds that blow in our lives. And if you don’t have a foundation and shared values, that’s when the tree topples.” Rebecca (Mrs. Dr. Sanjay) Gupta: “I also think it’s important to be humble in your marriage, because humility and empathy give you perspective toward your partner and gratitude for all you have.” John Henderson (107 years old and still married to his beloved 105-year-old Charlotte): “You have to be kind to each other. You have to respect each other. And it goes on and on like that.” Courtesy: “What Makes a Marriage Last”
The couple admits their marriage started out with all the usual suspicions, questions, doubts: Who will dominate whom? Am I giving in too much? But “when all that power struggle goes away you realize that’s a lot of energy wasted on nothing,” Thomas said. “You change constantly. And you have to.”
“I’m not as jealous as I used to be and that’s a really big thing for me,” Donahue said. “You realize jealousy really drains you. It’s not good for your health. That took a while. She made a movie with Kris Kristofferson and it had a love scene in it. That was the longest love scene I’ve ever seen in the movies. [Laughs] I’m past all that. I’m a big boy now.”
In the end, it all comes down to the wisdom of the ages, as each chapter of the book reveals. Marriage is something you grow into. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Be kind to each other. Respect each other. Accommodate and accept your differences. Go dancing. Say those three little words to each other every night before you go to sleep. It’s all good, even the tough times.
“It’s not the other person’s job to make you happy,” Thomas said of marriage. “Your job together is to build a life together.”
“And laugh a lot,” Donahue said . “We laugh a lot.”


chicagosun-times--2020-05-05--Detainee escapes Cook County Jail after disguising himself as someone about to be discharged

A detainee escaped from Cook County Jail over the weekend after disguising himself as another detainee about to be discharged , authorities say .
Jahquez Scott allegedly promised to pay Quintin Henderson $ 1,000 to agree to let him steal his identity to secure release , according to Cook County sheriff ’ s office spokeswoman Sophia Ansari .
The alleged plot took place the evening of May 2 in the discharge tunnel of the Southwest Side jail , authorities said .
Scott , 21 , allegedly spoke with Henderson , 28 , and took down his personal information , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detainee , to complete his disguise , authorities said .
When corrections officers called Henderson ’ s name for discharge , Scott stepped forward while wearing a mask , pretending to be Henderson , and signed release papers before exiting the jail , authorities said .
Soon after , Henderson approached the correctional staff , claimed he had fallen asleep and asked if his name had been called , Cook County Assistant State ’ s Attorney Murphy said in a bail hearing .
The officers then realized a switch had taken place , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scott .
Scott had been arrested the day before on a weapons charge while on parole for battery of an officer , Murphy said .
The sheriff ’ s office is conducting an internal investigation , Ansari said .
Henderson , who was about to be released on his own recognizance in a drug case , is now being held on $ 25,000 on charges of aiding and abetting the escape of a felon .
“ The nature of the offenses isn ’ t merely the aiding and abetting , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s weighing heavily against you , ” Judge Mary Marubio said at Henderson ’ s bail hearing .
He is due back in court May 20 .
Anyone with information about Scott ’ s whereabouts is asked to call 773-674-8477 .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

A detainee escaped from Cook County Jail over the weekend after disguising himself as another detainee about to be discharged, authorities say.
Jahquez Scott allegedly promised to pay Quintin Henderson $1,000 to agree to let him steal his identity to secure release, according to Cook County sheriff’s office spokeswoman Sophia Ansari.
The alleged plot took place the evening of May 2 in the discharge tunnel of the Southwest Side jail, authorities said.
Scott, 21, allegedly spoke with Henderson, 28, and took down his personal information, and even traded a hooded sweatshirt with another detainee, to complete his disguise, authorities said.
When corrections officers called Henderson’s name for discharge, Scott stepped forward while wearing a mask, pretending to be Henderson, and signed release papers before exiting the jail, authorities said.
Soon after, Henderson approached the correctional staff, claimed he had fallen asleep and asked if his name had been called, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office said. The officers then realized a switch had taken place, and signed an emergency arrest warrant for Scott.
Scott had been arrested the day before on a weapons charge while on parole for battery of an officer, prosecutors said.
The sheriff’s office is conducting an internal investigation, Ansari said.
Henderson, who was about to be released on his own recognizance in a drug case, is now being held on $25,000 on charges of aiding and abetting the escape of a felon.
“The nature of the offenses isn’t merely the aiding and abetting, it’s who you aided and abetted. And that’s weighing heavily against you,” Judge Mary Marubio said at Henderson’s bail hearing.
He is due back in court May 20.
Anyone with information about Scott’s whereabouts is asked to call 773-674-8477.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-05--Man found dead on tracks at Kedzie-Homan Blue Line station

A man was found dead on the tracks at the Blue Line Kedzie-Homan stop on the West Side , police @ @ @ @ @ 5:14 p.m. for a call of a person down at the station and found a @ @ @ @ @ , Chicago police said .
He was pronounced dead at the scene , Chicago Fire @ @ @ @ @ to witnesses , the man threw himself onto the tracks , police said .
No @ @ @ @ @ this time .
Blue Line service was suspended but resumed with delays by 7:18 p.m. @ @ @ @ @

A man was found dead on the tracks at the Blue Line Kedzie-Homan stop on the West Side, police said.
Officers responded about 5:14 p.m. for a call of a person down at the station and found a man unresponsive on the tracks, Chicago police said.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, Chicago Fire Department officials said.
According to witnesses, the man threw himself onto the tracks, police said. No foul play is suspected at this time.
Blue Line service was suspended but resumed with delays by 7:18 p.m., the CTA said.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-05--Tommy Bartlett Show cancels 2020 season due to pandemic

It ’ s been a Wisconsin Dells family entertainment fixture for 68 summers , but there will be no Tommy Bartlett Show extravaganza in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The announcement was made Tuesday as a result of Wisconsin ’ s “ Safer at Home ” initiative ordering businesses to close and people to stay at home .
As part of the Wisconsin Dells destination , the water ski , sky and stage show was presented each year between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend .
“ This is a very difficult decision for us to make , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ window in which to host our shows leaves us with limited options to proceed , ” said Tom Diehl , president and co-owner of the Tommy Bartlett Show .
The show debuted in 1952 as the Tommy Bartlett ’ s Water Ski & Jumping Boat Thrill Show , a touring water-ski exposition created by Chicago-based showman and radio announcer Tommy Bartlett .
The show traveled to World ’ s Fairs , on USO tours and to other cultural exchange programs including Chicago lakefront and riverfront festivals .
By 1953 it made its permanent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , evolving into a mix of waterskiing and high-speed boat racing demonstrations .

It’s been a Wisconsin Dells family entertainment fixture for 68 summers, but there will be no Tommy Bartlett Show extravaganza in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The announcement was made Tuesday as a result of Wisconsin’s “Safer at Home” initiative ordering businesses to close and people to stay at home.
As part of the Wisconsin Dells destination, the water ski, sky and stage show was presented each year between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend.
“This is a very difficult decision for us to make, but having little more than a 100-day window in which to host our shows leaves us with limited options to proceed,” said Tom Diehl, president and co-owner of the Tommy Bartlett Show.
The show debuted in 1952 as the Tommy Bartlett’s Water Ski & Jumping Boat Thrill Show, a touring water-ski exposition created by Chicago-based showman and radio announcer Tommy Bartlett. The show traveled to World’s Fairs, on USO tours and to other cultural exchange programs including Chicago lakefront and riverfront festivals. By 1953 it made its permanent home on Wisconsin’s Lake Delton, evolving into a mix of waterskiing and high-speed boat racing demonstrations.
The shutdown will impact 115 seasonal jobs.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-06--Barbara Byrd-Bennett leaves prison

Barbara Byrd-Bennett leaves prison

Barbara Byrd-Bennett , the onetime Chicago Public Schools CEO indicted nearly five years ago for her role in a brazen kickback scheme , has left a federal prison in West Virginia , records show .
Though she is still technically in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons , its records now show Byrd-Bennett assigned to a residential re-entry office in Cincinnati .
Neither a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson nor Byrd-Bennett ’ s attorney immediately responded to messages seeking comment Wednesday .
A federal judge sentenced Byrd-Bennett in 2017 to 4 ½ years in prison for steering $ 23 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d previously employed her .
In return , the schools CEO chosen by then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel expected hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks .
They never arrived .
The largest of the three no-bid deals was a jaw-dropping $ 20.5 million principal training contract to SUPES Academy , finalized a month after Byrd-Bennett controversially shuttered 50 neighborhood schools in 2013 .
Much of the scheme that unfolded in 2012 and 2013 was captured in hundreds of frank and frequently humorous emails sent at all hours of the day and night , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she quipped , “ I have tuition to pay and casinos to visit ( : ” Now 70 , prison records had shown Byrd-Bennett serving her sentence at a minimum-security prison camp in Alderson , West Virginia .
When Martha Stewart served her own sentence there , it became known as “ Camp Cupcake.
” The Bureau of Prisons had calculated Byrd-Bennett ’ s release date as June 28 , 2021 .
Also sentenced as part of the scandal was SUPES co-owners Gary Solomon and Thomas Vranas .
Solomon got seven years and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Minnesota .
Though he is not due out until October 2023 , federal prosecutors made the unusual move in February of asking a judge to knock as many as 13 months off his sentence because of his cooperation in a separate investigation .
Vranas got 18 months and was released in November 2018 , prison records show .

Barbara Byrd-Bennett is out of prison and back at home, five years after her tenure as Chicago Public Schools CEO ended with news of a federal grand jury investigation into an eight-figure, no-bid contract.
But CPS still wants its money back.
Byrd-Bennett, 70, left a minimum-security prison camp in West Virginia on Tuesday, having served just shy of three years for her role in a brazen kickback scheme that did serious damage to CPS’ reputation and bottom line — and added another classic line to the lexicon of Chicago corruption with her emailed quip, “I have tuition to pay and casinos to visit (:”
She steered $22.5 million in no-bid contracts to consultants who had once employed her. In return, she expected hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks — but never saw a dime.
Though she had been sentenced to 4 ½ years behind bars, her release this week came as the result of a Justice Department policy aimed at releasing non-violent offenders at risk of getting the coronavirus. As a result, Byrd-Bennett is returning to a world that has changed drastically since she went to prison — an experience similar to that of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was freed from prison through a commutation by President Donald Trump in February, just before the virus hit.
“I’m extremely happy to be home,” Byrd-Bennett said in a statement released by her lawyer. “I’m thankful for my family, friends, legal counsel, and all who assisted and supported me during this time.”
There are no confirmed cases of coronavirus among inmates or staff at the facility in Alderson, West Virginia, where Byrd-Bennett served her sentence, according to the Bureau of Prisons.
Byrd-Bennett’s attorney, Erica Zunkel, confirmed the former CPS CEO’s release to home confinement. The Bureau of Prisons said the transfer occurred Tuesday, and Byrd-Bennett is officially under the purview of a residential re-entry office in Cincinnati. She and her husband have long lived in Ohio.
Still, this does not completely bring to an end one of the more embarrassing episodes of former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s tenure.
Byrd-Bennett will not officially be released from the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons until June 2021. She must still serve an additional year of supervised release after that. A co-defendant and accused mastermind of the scheme, Gary Solomon, remains in prison, though a sentencing break is in the works for him, too. Solomon’s business partner, Thomas Vranas, has completed his 18-month sentence.
And then there’s the matter of the lawsuit filed by CPS.
Forrest Claypool, tagged by the mayor to clean up CPS in Byrd-Bennett’s wake, filed a $65 million lawsuit against her, Solomon and Vranas, owners of The Supes Academy, alleging that Illinois law entitled CPS to three times what the scheme cost the school system.
Claypool filed suit with great hoopla in 2016 as he stared down a crippling budget deficit, days after he froze principals’ spending to conserve cash. Signing the complaint was Ronald Marmer, Claypool’s general counsel whose ethics violation led to Claypool’s own ouster in 2017.
Now the case is on COVID-19-related hiatus in Cook County Circuit Court against all three defendants, who have already paid $256,000 in court-ordered restitution, a sliver of what CPS is seeking. Schools officials have backed down from their initial demand but still have asked a judge to award $16.3 million — the $15.4 million CPS paid to SUPES plus another $869,000 to Byrd-Bennett.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-06--Really big Illinois muskie: A nearly 40-pound muskie caught and released

Thanks to Paul Eastman for sending a heads up last week about such a muskie , caught and released by Thad Hinshaw .
Hinshaw , a well-known guide in central Illinois with Evergreen Lake Guide Service ( evergreenlakeguideservice.com ) , is no stranger with monster muskie .
He earned the 2008 Illini Muskies Alliance release award for a 49-inch muskie on Evergreen Lake .
He ’ s been in the mix other years for the IMA honor .
On Monday , I texted Hinshaw , who replied , “ Yes , I can confirm that I caught a musky this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did a formula on it .
It came out to be 39.715 pounds .
The fish was a pre-spawn fish that was 47 ” by 26 ” .
” For the non-anglers , that ’ s 47 inches long with a girth of 26 inches .
Fish records are kept by weight .
The Illinois record , a 50 3/4-inch muskie weighing 38 pounds , 8 ounces , was caught April 20 , 2002 by Matt Carmean below the Lake Shelbyville spillway .
Here ’ s where it gets interesting .
Many Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Yes , a 48-inch minimum lake , ” Hinshaw texted .
“ It was on the same lake that I run my guide service on.
” Evergreen has a 48-inch minimum for muskies .
Hinshaw ’ s muskie was an incredibly thick fish , but at 47 inches it needed to be immediately released .
Illinois has a history of 40-pound muskies , at least in surveys .
In 2002 at Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area near Kewanee , a 42-pound muskie was weighed during an electroshocking survey .
Later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jim Saric while Jeff Lampe ( now publisher of Heartland Outdoors ) rode with “ Chef Todd ” Kent as we tried to target that muskie .
As far as I know , that big girl was never caught or reported .
SPRING CLASSIC : The Headwaters chapter of Muskies , Inc. anticipates being granted a permit by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for the Spring Classic on June 13-14 on the Eagle River Chain .
A draw is planned for 8 tonight on Facebook .
Click here for the Spring Classic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bird Count in Illinois will be different Saturday with some sites closed and some birders staying home or nearby .
Click here for details .
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Cool weather dampens what started very interestingly for morel mushrooms , ramps and wild asparagus .
STRAY CAST : “ The Last Dance ” reminds me of the Coast Guard rescuing our disabled boat 20 miles out of Indiana while a storm rolled south from Milwaukee .

Yes, Illinois has 40-pound class muskies.
Thanks to Paul Eastman for sending a heads up last week about such a muskie, caught and released by Thad Hinshaw.
Hinshaw, a well-known guide in central Illinois with Evergreen Lake Guide Service (evergreenlakeguideservice.com), is no stranger with monster muskie. He earned the 2008 Illini Muskies Alliance release award for a 49-inch muskie on Evergreen Lake. He’s been in the mix other years for the IMA honor.
On Monday, I texted Hinshaw, who replied, “Yes, I can confirm that I caught a musky this year that I took measurements of and did a formula on it. It came out to be 39.715 pounds. The fish was a pre-spawn fish that was 47” by 26”.”
For the non-anglers, that’s 47 inches long with a girth of 26 inches.
Fish records are kept by weight. The Illinois record, a 50 3/4-inch muskie weighing 38 pounds, 8 ounces, was caught April 20, 2002 by Matt Carmean below the Lake Shelbyville spillway.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Many Illinois lakes have a 48-inch minimum for length.
“Yes, a 48-inch minimum lake,” Hinshaw texted. “It was on the same lake that I run my guide service on.”
Evergreen has a 48-inch minimum for muskies. Hinshaw’s muskie was an incredibly thick fish, but at 47 inches it needed to be immediately released.
Illinois has a history of 40-pound muskies, at least in surveys.
In 2002 at Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area near Kewanee, a 42-pound muskie was weighed during an electroshocking survey. Later, I rode with Musky Hunter’s Jim Saric while Jeff Lampe (now publisher of Heartland Outdoors) rode with “Chef Todd” Kent as we tried to target that muskie. As far as I know, that big girl was never caught or reported.
Tales of Illinois muskies keep growing.
SPRING CLASSIC: The Headwaters chapter of Muskies, Inc. anticipates being granted a permit by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for the Spring Classic on June 13-14 on the Eagle River Chain. A draw is planned for 8 tonight on Facebook. Click here for the Spring Classic page.
WILD THINGS: The Spring Bird Count in Illinois will be different Saturday with some sites closed and some birders staying home or nearby. Click here for details. . . . Cool weather dampens what started very interestingly for morel mushrooms, ramps and wild asparagus.
STRAY CAST: “The Last Dance” reminds me of the Coast Guard rescuing our disabled boat 20 miles out of Indiana while a storm rolled south from Milwaukee.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-06--Dear Abby: Fresh from divorce, I’m now ‘blissfully’ in love — with an ex

DEAR ABBY : I just divorced my husband .
We were together for 13 years .
The last three weren ’ t great .
After my divorce — which was grueling — I reconnected with my son ’ s father , and we are in love .
Our romance was doomed before it started back then .
Our son is now 18 , and we are in our 40s .
Today , our situation is very different .
We are both doing well financially and individually .
We are blissfully happy and don ’ t rehash the past .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were young .
Am I crazy for feeling he is THE ONE ?
I really want it to work .
— IN LOVE IN NEVADA DEAR IN LOVE : You aren ’ t crazy , but you are recently divorced and didn ’ t mention how long you have been “ reconnected ” with your son ’ s father .
I urge you to put the brakes on and take the time to get to know each other again .
I also think you SHOULD rehash the past because unless the problems of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be repeated .
Time will tell if he is , indeed , “ The One , ” and fortunately , you both have plenty of it .
I wish you a happy ending .
DEAR ABBY : I have five nieces and nephews .
With the exception of one nephew , my wife and I have attended all of their weddings .
They were all invited to and attended our daughter ’ s wedding .
The last nephew is being married next year .
All of his cousins are invited , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even though she is the same age as the rest of his cousins , he says he doesn ’ t know her that well .
Should my wife and I attend his wedding ?
If we do , I will insist he invite my daughter as well .
— EXCLUDED IN CONNECTICUT DEAR EXCLUDED : Excluding your daughter so glaringly guarantees that your nephew and his wife will never get to know her .
However , you can not , and should not , attempt to control your nephew ’ s guest list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter isn ’ t invited .
If you would feel uncomfortable accepting the invitation under these circumstances , send your regrets on the RSVP card .
If you are asked why you won ’ t be coming , feel free to express yourself then .
DEAR ABBY : I have been in a relationship for almost a year .
We connected in a way I have never felt before , and I tried to stay away from him .
He ’ s married , and his wife was diagnosed with cancer last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three times so he could focus on his family .
But he keeps coming back to me and begging me to wait , give him time and not abandon him .
I feel so guilty for the things I want from him because of his wife ’ s condition .
I don ’ t know what to do .
I want to be with him .
But I don ’ t want to cause his family to struggle more on top of everything else .
Please help .
— DIFFICULT SITUATION DEAR SITUATION @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanting to cause this man ’ s family more pain , STEP AWAY NOW .
His wife should be the focus of his attention .
If this relationship is the real thing , it can be restarted when he is free from the responsibility he assumed when he promised “ until death do us part.
” 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

DEAR ABBY: I just divorced my husband. We were together for 13 years. The last three weren’t great. After my divorce — which was grueling — I reconnected with my son’s father, and we are in love. Our romance was doomed before it started back then. Our son is now 18, and we are in our 40s.
Today, our situation is very different. We are both doing well financially and individually. We are blissfully happy and don’t rehash the past. I feel like we were interrupted when we were young. Am I crazy for feeling he is THE ONE? I really want it to work. — IN LOVE IN NEVADA
DEAR IN LOVE: You aren’t crazy, but you are recently divorced and didn’t mention how long you have been “reconnected” with your son’s father. I urge you to put the brakes on and take the time to get to know each other again. I also think you SHOULD rehash the past because unless the problems of years ago are resolved, they may be repeated. Time will tell if he is, indeed, “The One,” and fortunately, you both have plenty of it. I wish you a happy ending.
DEAR ABBY: I have five nieces and nephews. With the exception of one nephew, my wife and I have attended all of their weddings. They were all invited to and attended our daughter’s wedding.
The last nephew is being married next year. All of his cousins are invited, with the exception of my daughter. Why? Even though she is the same age as the rest of his cousins, he says he doesn’t know her that well.
Should my wife and I attend his wedding? If we do, I will insist he invite my daughter as well. — EXCLUDED IN CONNECTICUT
DEAR EXCLUDED: Excluding your daughter so glaringly guarantees that your nephew and his wife will never get to know her. However, you cannot, and should not, attempt to control your nephew’s guest list by threatening not to attend if your daughter isn’t invited. If you would feel uncomfortable accepting the invitation under these circumstances, send your regrets on the RSVP card. If you are asked why you won’t be coming, feel free to express yourself then.
DEAR ABBY: I have been in a relationship for almost a year. We connected in a way I have never felt before, and I tried to stay away from him. He’s married, and his wife was diagnosed with cancer last year.
I have tried to end things three times so he could focus on his family. But he keeps coming back to me and begging me to wait, give him time and not abandon him. I feel so guilty for the things I want from him because of his wife’s condition.
I don’t know what to do. I want to be with him. But I don’t want to cause his family to struggle more on top of everything else. Please help. — DIFFICULT SITUATION
DEAR SITUATION: If you are sincere about not wanting to cause this man’s family more pain, STEP AWAY NOW. His wife should be the focus of his attention. If this relationship is the real thing, it can be restarted when he is free from the responsibility he assumed when he promised “until death do us part.”
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--2020-05-06--2 shot, 1 fatally, Tuesday in Chicago

2 shot, 1 fatally, Tuesday in Chicago

Two people were shot Tuesday in Chicago , including a man who was killed in Back of the Yards on the South Side .
The 22-year-old was standing in the doorway of a home about 6:50 p.m. in the 4600 block of South Marshfield Avenue when someone got out of a dark-colored vehicle , walked up to the home and fired shots , Chicago police said .
He was pronounced dead at the scene , police said .
The gunman drove off south on Marshfield .
In the day ’ s other shooting , a 49-year-old man was wounded in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ About 5:50 a.m. , he was standing outside in the 3500 block of South Paulina Avenue when a silver vehicle , possibly a Jaguar , pulled up with a male and female inside , police said .
The male opened fire on the man , striking him in the torso , police said .
He was rushed to Stroger Hospital in serious condition .
Tuesday ’ s shootings come after a Monday in which one person was killed and four others were wounded in citywide shootings .
Read more on crime , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Two people were shot Tuesday in Chicago, including a man who was killed in Back of the Yards on the South Side.
The 32-year-old was standing in the doorway of a home about 6:50 p.m. in the 4600 block of South Marshfield Avenue when someone got out of a dark-colored vehicle, walked up to the home and fired shots, Chicago police said.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The gunman drove off south on Marshfield.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified him as being Jose Avila. He lived in Berwyn.
In the day’s other shooting, a 49-year-old man was wounded in McKinley Park on the South Side.
About 5:50 a.m., he was standing outside in the 3500 block of South Paulina Avenue when a silver vehicle, possibly a Jaguar, pulled up with a male and female inside, police said.
The male opened fire on the man, striking him in the torso, police said. He was rushed to Stroger Hospital in serious condition.
Tuesday’s shootings come after a Monday in which one person was killed and four others were wounded in citywide shootings.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-06--22nd employee contracts COVID-19 at Cook County Circuit Court Clerk’s office

Another employee at the Cook County Circuit Court clerk ’ s office has tested positive for COVID-19 , bringing the @ @ @ @ @ The latest employee to test positive was assigned to District 3 , located at 2121 @ @ @ @ @ , and last reported for work on March 20 , according to a statement from @ @ @ @ @ of the Circuit Court of Cook County .
The person did not begin to show @ @ @ @ @ a month after their last day at work and is self-quarantining at home .
A @ @ @ @ @ was not requested , but the county Department of Facilities Management is conducting a routine @ @ @ @ @ the employee worked , the clerk ’ s office said .
The first cases of @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office were reported March 25 .

Another employee at the Cook County Circuit Court clerk’s office has tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the overall total to 22.
The latest employee to test positive was assigned to District 3, located at 2121 Euclid Ave. in Rolling Meadows, and last reported for work on March 20, according to a statement from the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County. The person did not begin to show symptoms of coronavirus until over a month after their last day at work and is self-quarantining at home.
A deep cleaning at the offices was not requested, but the county Department of Facilities Management is conducting a routine cleaning of the area where the employee worked, the clerk’s office said.
The first cases of the coronavirus in the clerk’s office were reported March 25.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-06--Businesses burglarized in South Loop, Armour Square: police

Two businesses were burglarized recently in the South Loop and Armour Square .
The burglaries happened about 5 p.m. April @ @ @ @ @ of South China Place and about 2:20 a.m. May 2 in the 2600 block of @ @ @ @ @ police said .
Property was stolen from both businesses .
Police did not provide a @ @ @ @ @ Anyone with information is asked to call Area One detectives at 312-747-8382 .
Read more @ @ @ @ @ the city ’ s homicides .

Two businesses were burglarized recently in the South Loop and Armour Square.
The burglaries happened about 5 p.m. April 26 in the 2100 block of South China Place and about 2:20 a.m. May 2 in the 2600 block of South LaSalle Street, Chicago police said. Property was stolen from both businesses.
Police did not provide a description of any suspects.
Anyone with information is asked to call Area One detectives at 312-747-8382.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-05--‘Stay Home Save Lives’ gear inspired by Lightfoot memes to aid coronavirus relief

Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s election team is selling T-shirts and stickers inspired by the now-famous memes of the mayor @ @ @ @ @ Chicago amid the stay-at-home order .
The design for the “ stay home save lives @ @ @ @ @ local artist Mike Noren , Dave Mellet of Lightfoot for Chicago wrote in an email @ @ @ @ @ raised from the sales will go toward “ local COVID relief charities ” after costs @ @ @ @ @ Mellet said .
T-shirts start at $ 30 , while a three-pack of stickers will @ @ @ @ @ artwork is inspired by the series of viral memes that depict Lightfoot standing guard at @ @ @ @ @ in an attempt to keep people home .
Lightfoot has previously said she has “ @ @ @ @ @

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s election team is selling T-shirts and stickers inspired by the now-famous memes of the mayor keeping a watchful eye over Chicago amid the stay-at-home order.
The design for the “stay home save lives” merchandise was created by local artist Mike Noren, Dave Mellet of Lightfoot for Chicago wrote in an email to supporters.
We've partnered with local artist @gummyarts to create a "Stay Home" design to raise money for COVID charities. Visit https://t.co/ylKNGfjHZ1 to order t-shirts and stickers. pic.twitter.com/PfFNMJsWWT — Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) May 6, 2020
The money raised from the sales will go toward “local COVID relief charities” after costs for printing and shipping, Mellet said.
“We’re going to contribute to Greater Chicago Food Depository, and if demand is high we’ll add a few others,” Mellet said in an email.
T-shirts start at $30, while a three-pack of stickers will cost $8.
The artwork is inspired by the series of viral memes that depict Lightfoot standing guard at various locations around the city in an attempt to keep people home. Lightfoot has previously said she has “enjoyed” the memes.


chicagosun-times--2020-05-05--Murder charge filed in Rolling Meadows shooting

A 21-year-old man faces a first-degree murder charge in connection to a shooting Sunday in Rolling Meadows .
Brian Guillen is accused of fatally shooting 39-year-old Marco Antonio Guerrero-Lopez , according to a statement from Rolling Meadows police .
Guerrero-Lopez drove his 19-year-old niece and her friend , a 21-year-old woman , to Guillen ’ s home Sunday morning to buy some weed , according to a bond proffer prepared by Cook County prosecutors .
The trio drove off after the older woman bought $ 20 worth of pot from Guillen , prosecutors said .
A short time later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman and challenged her to a fight after discovering she had engaged in sexual relations with Guillen .
The pair agreed to meet in the 2000 block of Kirchoff Road , and Guerrero-Lopez drove his niece and the woman to the location , where Guillen and his girlfriend were waiting .
prosecutors said .
There , a fight broke out between Guillen ’ s girlfriend and the 21-year-old woman .
Guerrero-Lopez took a step towards the women as they were fighting and Guillen said “ who the hell is this ?
” before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guerrero-Lopez in the abdomen , prosecutors said .
Guillen and his girlfriend fled to his home , and authorities found them hiding under a hot tub in the back yard about an hour after the shooting , prosecutors said .
Officers found a .380 caliber gun with five live rounds near the hot tub .
Guillen recently served a seven year prison sentence for attempted armed robbery and was paroled in January , prosecutors said .
He was ordered held without bail at a hearing Tuesday and was scheduled to appear in court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and track the city ’ s homicides .

A 21-year-old man faces a first-degree murder charge in connection to a shooting Sunday in Rolling Meadows.
Brian Guillen is accused of fatally shooting 39-year-old Marco Antonio Guerrero-Lopez, according to a statement from Rolling Meadows police.
Guerrero-Lopez drove his 19-year-old niece and her friend, a 21-year-old woman, to Guillen’s home Sunday morning to buy some weed, according to a bond proffer prepared by Cook County prosecutors.
The trio drove off after the older woman bought $20 worth of pot from Guillen, prosecutors said. A short time later, Guillen’s girlfriend texted the 21-year-old woman and challenged her to a fight after discovering she had engaged in sexual relations with Guillen.
The pair agreed to meet in the 2000 block of Kirchoff Road, and Guerrero-Lopez drove his niece and the woman to the location, where Guillen and his girlfriend were waiting. prosecutors said. There, a fight broke out between Guillen’s girlfriend and the 21-year-old woman.
Guerrero-Lopez took a step towards the women as they were fighting and Guillen said “who the hell is this?” before allegedly pulling out a gun and shooting Guerrero-Lopez in the abdomen, prosecutors said.
Guillen and his girlfriend fled to his home, and authorities found them hiding under a hot tub in the back yard about an hour after the shooting, prosecutors said. Officers found a .380 caliber gun with five live rounds near the hot tub.
Guillen recently served a seven year prison sentence for attempted armed robbery and was paroled in January, prosecutors said.
He was ordered held without bail at a hearing Tuesday and was scheduled to appear in court May 20.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.