chicagotribune--2020-03-03--On board the Brown Line, Geoffrey Baer talks about his new special ‘Chicago by 'L"

“ I thought it was going to take weeks and you can do it in a couple days , ” @ @ @ @ @ to Evanston with his family from Lincoln Square , in part because it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ line .
“ And I was sitting on the train with my yellow legal pad @ @ @ @ @ windows madly scribbling .
A lot of what ’ s in the show really did @ @ @ @ @ things out the window .
As much as I ’ ve been riding the ‘ @ @ @ @ @ , I would see things out the window and would just think , ‘ What @ @ @ @ @

WTTW's Geoffrey Baer, who has a new series called "Chicago By 'L'" rides the Brown Line in the Loop on Feb. 27, 2020, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
Geoffrey Baer and I reboard the CTA Brown Line at Fullerton, this time heading south. We’ve already circled the Loop, the structure of train tracks atop great metal girders obscuring downtown streets that manages not to be an eyesore but a sort of urban mascot, a second Chicago flag.
We’ve headed north, and Baer has held forth on the early subsidized housing along the way, the Marshall Field Garden Apartments, and the way the tracks take a quick detour that only makes sense if you know a building used to occupy the space being circumvented.
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Now we’re talking about the three astronomical observatories along the routes and the way they were rendered unusable by the rumbling of the elevated trains.
The couple that has been sitting in the row right beside us gets up to get off at their stop. The man looks at Baer, says, “Love your shows.”
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What he means, of course, is Baer’s long-running series of Chicago travelogues for PBS station WTTW-Ch. 11, where last year he also became the station’s vice president of original content production for television. His shows include more than 20 pledge-period mainstays that find new hooks to explore and explain the lore of the city and its suburbs. He’s done “Chicago River Tour" and “Biking the Boulevards,” which are what they sound like, “Chicago Time Machine,” about the layers of history in Chicago locations, and so many more that, well, people recognize him in the midst of doing publicity for the newest one.
“Thank you, thanks a lot,” Baer tells the couple. “I’m being interviewed by the Tribune.”
“Chicago By ‘L’” premieres Wednesday (7:30 p.m.), and it’s two hours of moseying along the city’s many-colored transit lines, sometimes in vintage Chicago Transit Authority cars, sometimes with the guy who is the voice of the on-car station announcements, sometimes with a camera pointed out the front so you can see just what the Blue Line tunnel looks like. (It’s surprisingly ready for its closeup, more intriguing ancient vault than ratty subterranean tube.)
The trains and their evolution from a series of private rail lines into today’s municipal behemoth are part of the story, of course. But Baer is an urbanist and an architectural docent at heart; he got discovered, more or less, leading river tours for the Chicago Architecture Foundation and he still does fill-in shifts for that organization talking to boatloads of mostly out-of-towners who wouldn’t know Geoffrey Baer from a Chicago Bear.
He says he likes it that way: “I’m just the tour guide, which is infinitely preferable.”
Anyway, because of his love for the city and its buildings, he uses the train lines in large measure as excuses to get off, talk to people, tell neighborhood stories old and new, and, always, spotlight the architecture.
“It’s particularly important to me and to us at WTTW to really be out in every community and not just narrowly focusing on certain communities,” he says during our Brown Line ride, at this point still on the east side of the Loop. “So the ‘L’ is just such a fantastic way to do that because its origins are from an earlier time, and so many of those neighborhoods have completely changed now. But the ‘L’ is still there.
“If you follow the ‘L,’ you can really talk about white flight, disinvestment, racist housing policies. I mean, you see it right out the window. We really want to tell the story: not a gushy valentine like, ‘Isn’t everything in Chicago wonderful?,’ but the real story.”
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To begin the tale, he and director Eddie Griffin around the middle of last year rode every single ‘L’ line, from the Purple Line way up in Wilmette to the gleaming new Red Line station at 95th and State. They rode both South Side spurs of the Green Line, to Englewood and 63rd and Cottage Grove, and they took the odd little two-stop Yellow Line, formerly the Skokie Swift.
“I thought it was going to take weeks and you can do it in a couple days,” says Baer, who moved to Evanston with his family from Lincoln Square, in part because it’s on the ‘L’ line. “And I was sitting on the train with my yellow legal pad, just looking out the windows madly scribbling. A lot of what’s in the show really did draw from me just spotting things out the window. As much as I’ve been riding the ‘L’ my whole life, I would see things out the window and would just think, ‘What’s that?’
“Do you know about Boxville at 51st Street on the Green Line? It’s a shipping container mall that’s incubating startup entrepreneurs around Bronzeville. And I just spotted it out the window. And then a few blocks away is a building called the Forum that I had never seen in my life.”
Boxville and the Forum, now owned by a community group hoping to revive the historic building, make the show. So do the Argyle Night Market, an Asian street food extravaganza on the North Side (Red Line), the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings of Oak Park (Green Line), and the Jumping Bean Cafe’s “Cafecito” in the 18th Street station in Pilsen (Pink Line).
Both major league ballparks are included. Baer is a lifelong Cubs fan, but while his team wouldn’t let the crew shoot inside Wrigley Field (Addison Street station), the White Sox (either of two 35th Street stations) allowed Baer to work a game with the grounds crew — and throw out the first pitch. It was high and very inside, to a lefty, but not in the dirt, as the host points out.
A lot of this material will be at least a little bit familiar to veteran Chicagoans, but there’s usually a new twist, or an image you haven’t seen in a while. These specials are not cutting-edge documentary filmmaking, but Baer’s writing and Griffin’s direction do an excellent job layering in information, both spoken and visual.
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And as I wrote about a previous Baer special, “If you come away from it without a lot of new knowledge, and a fair amount of vague old knowledge turned specific, then you’re a more learned Chicagoan than I am.”
WTTW's Geoffrey Baer, who has a new series called "Chicago By 'L'," enters the Brown Line station on Feb. 27, 2020, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
This is, as mentioned, a fundraising tool for the station. Baer notes with pride that “they are typically among the highest grossing and highest rated programs in our pledge drives, and they are the kinds of programs that we want and need to be doing. So it’s kind of a win-win.”
But with pledge period come interruptions and cajoling. A way around that -- assuming you’ve already donated, if you’re a user of WTTW -- is to watch it on the website, wttw.com/L, which also features much supplementary information, organized by neighborhood.
It would be easy to tweak this show for starting off at the top of the Purple Line, in Wilmette. The old joke, of course, is that WTTW stands for “Wilmette Talks to Winnetka.”
But even there, Baer tells of a history that’s not very North Shore, of Wilmette being named for fur trader Francis Ouilmette and his part-Potawatomi wife, Archange Chevallier, who were deeded the lakefront land by the government in exchange for helping persuade Native Americans to sign an 1829 treaty that ceded most of the north of the state to the U.S. government.
And, as the host says is the aim, this train-based tour of Chicago is relentlessly catholic in its interests, as intrigued by a vegan soul food restaurant as it is by an Evanston golf course or a historic Chicago basilica.
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Baer and I exit the train at the stop where we started, Washington and Wells on the west side of the Loop. As we go down the stairs he can’t help pointing out we’re right by one of the earliest downtown buildings and that the modern building beside it used to have its monumental Louise Nevelson sculpture Dawn Shadows in an outdoor plaza but has since enclosed it in an atrium.
Between tidbits like that and the fact that neither of us left any belongings on the train, it’s been a good ‘L’ ride, especially considering that we didn’t actually get anywhere.
Oh, and the host has a line about the train system that he shares both in the program and on our journey. “One of the old jokes that I always say is, In New York they call it the ‘subway’ even when it’s elevated," Baer says. "And in Chicago we call it the 'L' even when it’s underground.”
sajohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @StevenKJohnson


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Routine policing touched off events that led to Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer’s death, officer tes

Routine policing touched off events that led to Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer’s death, officer testifies

A ragged chase through the Loop followed , ending when Bauer , who happened to be leaving a police training @ @ @ @ @ saw Legghette after hearing calls on his police radio and attempted to stop him near @ @ @ @ @ pair tumbled into a stairwell , Legghette pulled a handgun and shot Bauer in what @ @ @ @ @ execution .

Shomari Legghette, 47, gestures as he walks out of the courtroom on Oct. 28, 2020, after being sentenced in the first-degree murder of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The chain of events that led to Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer’s killing began with cops on an everyday patrol blocks away, driving on a grimy stretch of Lower Wacker Drive.
“He’s taking a piss,” Officer Raymond Haran recalled telling his partner after noticing a man standing up against a wall. “Let’s stop him.”
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Haran and his partner had noticed Shomari Legghette and pulled up in their unmarked SUV. But Legghette didn’t want to talk, Haran said, and instead jogged up a flight of stairs away from the tactical officers.
A short time later, Bauer would be fatally shot in the Loop attempting to restrain Legghette, who is now on trial for the commander’s killing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building. Haran on Wednesday recalled for the jury in the high-profile case how the fateful incident started that February day in 2018.
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“I’ve never had anybody run from me just for urinating, so I thought there might have been something more,” Haran testified on the trial’s second day. “I followed him up the stairs.”
A ragged chase through the Loop followed, ending when Bauer, who happened to be leaving a police training session in the area, saw Legghette after hearing calls on his police radio and attempted to stop him near the Thompson Center. The pair tumbled into a stairwell, Legghette pulled a handgun and shot Bauer in what prosecutors have described as an execution.
Bauer’s killing, in broad daylight in the bustling Loop, stunned the city, and Legghette, a four-time felon, was soon painted as the product of a too-lenient justice system.
Legghette contends the shooting was a case of self-defense. He did not know Bauer was an officer, or even that he was being chased by police, his attorney Scott Kamin said in opening statements Tuesday.
Defense attorney Scott Kamin speaks to the jury during opening statements on March 3, 2020, at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago. Defendant Shomari Legghette, accused of killing Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer, is at right. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Legghette is expected to take the stand later in the trial and testify that he only opened fire since Bauer — a stranger — had him in a chokehold. His client is a small-time drug dealer, Kamin told the jury, and he thought someone from that dangerous world might be attacking him.
But before the shooting, it was Officer Haran attempting to stop Legghette, he testified. Haran said he followed Legghette up the stairs from Lower Wacker and onto surface streets. After a brief pursuit, he lost sight of Legghette, who “turned on the jets — he took off,” Haran said.
Jurors heard audio of Haran radioing in the description of Legghette and telling responding officers to “slow it down,” indicating the matter was not an emergency.
“Don’t anybody get hurt, I just wanted to do a street stop on him,” Haran could be heard saying over the air, noting that he had tried to approach Legghette in an area known for drug sales that had seen a recent shooting.
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Bauer, downtown in his police vehicle after a training on how to handle mass shootings, caught a glimpse of Legghette and recognized him from the clothing description that Haran radioed in.
After hearing the burst of gunfire, three nearby police officers rushed to the stairwell: a state police sergeant, an investigator with the attorney general’s office and a Chicago police officer.
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All three took the stand Wednesday afternoon and testified that they surrounded the stairwell with their guns drawn,.
The officers shifted positions around the stairwell to ensure they wouldn’t be in one another’s line of fire. Then, in a quick tactical decision, they decided Chicago police Officer Deronis Cooper would step in and take him into custody while the other two cleared the stairwell.
As Cooper marched Legghette out of the stairwell, he felt something hard bumping up against him, he testified. A subsequent pat-down, caught on video that was played for jurors, revealed Legghette was carrying a Glock with an extended magazine.
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A further search revealed Legghette was carrying drugs packaged for individual sale and a shiny silver ice pick, Cooper testified.
Legghette’s attorney continued to hint that his defense will incorporate the theory — as yet unsupported by any evidence — that Legghette was not the only person who fired shots in the stairwell.
“When you arrived, there were already two law enforcement officers at the top of the stairs with their guns,” Kamin asked. “Do you know whether they fired their guns?”
“I only heard one succession of shots,” Cooper responded.
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mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--2 Chicago cops involved in CTA Red Line shooting are stripped of their police powers

`` As I said on Friday , with the caveat that the video obviously doesn ’ t tell you everything @ @ @ @ @ saw was concerning from the tactical issues before the shooting but the shooting itself and @ @ @ @ @ the use of lethal force , '' Lightfoot said .
`` I ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ to make sure the COPA investigation is thorough but expedited .
”

Police officers put up crime scene tape at the corner of Grand Avenue and State Street above the CTA Red Line Grand station on Feb. 28, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Just days after a Chicago police officer shot an unarmed man at a CTA Red Line station in an incident captured on a viral video, interim police Superintendent Charlie Beck on Wednesday stripped two cops involved of their police powers.
"As a result of the Superintendent’s review of the incident, both of the involved officers have been relieved of their police powers pending the outcome of the external reviews into this matter,” police spokesman Tom Ahern said in a statement.
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The action followed the head of Chicago’s investigative police watchdog organization recommending the move, citing the “serious nature” of the officers’ actions.
Sydney Roberts, chief administrator of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, said she made the decision after her office reviewed widely shared cellphone video footage of the incident circulating on social media, as well as CTA surveillance video, and conducted interviews of witnesses.
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“Due to the serious nature of both officers’ actions, I felt it was necessary to recommend the officers involved be relieved of police powers while we continue to investigate this incident," Roberts said in a statement. Both of the officers started with the department in late 2017, officials have said.
[ ‘Shoot him’: Viral video appears to show police shooting at Grand Red Line station ]
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Wednesday the agency’s determination was not a surprise.
"As I said on Friday, with the caveat that the video obviously doesn’t tell you everything that happened, what I saw was concerning from the tactical issues before the shooting but the shooting itself and the circumstances that led to the use of lethal force," Lightfoot said. "I’ve been following closely but I want to make sure the COPA investigation is thorough but expedited.”
Asked whether she supports COPA’s recommendation, Lightfoot said, “It’s not for me to say I support it or don’t support it. I’m not surprised by it under the circumstances.”
The shooting took place just after 4 p.m. Friday as afternoon rush hour was underway at the Grand Red Line station, 521 N. State St., just north of the Loop. Police have said officers assigned to the mass transit unit tried to stop a man they saw “jumping from train (car) to train (car),” which violates a city ordinance.
The officers chased the man — 33-year-old Ariel Roman — on the platform, leading to a struggle. The two officers deployed their Tasers, according to CPD’s version of events, and then one of the officers opened fire, striking Roman twice.
This is the two minutes leading up to the previous video. (Twitter won't let me upload it all at once.) pic.twitter.com/rkWrIfSkpE — The Unaffiliated Critic (@FreeRangeCritic) February 28, 2020
Lightfoot previously called the video “extremely disturbing.” In it, the two officers involved appear to struggle to handcuff Roman while one of them repeatedly yells, “stop resisting,” and then says, “shoot him.”
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Roman can be seen placing a hand over his eyes and staggering, the video shows, and one of the officers fires her gun at him. Another shot can be heard out as he runs up an escalator.
The transit unit the officers were part of is not outfitted with body cameras, police have said.
Roman was shot in the buttocks and in the abdomen. An attorney representing his family, Gloria Schmidt Rodriguez, said Roman was released from intensive care this week but still faced a long recovery.
Schmidt Rodriguez praised COPA’s recommendation on the officers in a statement Wednesday.
“Their decision to shoot an unarmed civilian who posed no threat to them certainly was not within the Chicago Police Department’s Use of Force guidelines or within the boundaries of the law,” the statement read.
“While we are confident that the actions of these two officers is not reflective of the thousands of members of the Chicago Police Department who bravely serve and protect us on a daily basis, they are indicative of failures in the CPD hiring process, academy training, force-mitigation training, procedural justice training, de-escalation training and, importantly, a failure of supervision up to and including the commander of the Mass Transit Unit,” Schmidt Rodriguez’s statement continued.
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A group of young people yell chants at police at the CTA Red Line Lake station on March 3, 2020, in response to the police shooting of Ariel Roman at the CTA Red Line Grand station. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
While COPA investigates whether the shooting fell within CPD’s use of force policy, the Police Department turned over the criminal investigation of the incident to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, which is working with the FBI.
[ Family of man shot by Chicago police at CTA station: ‘He has had some ups and downs in his life ... He dislikes injustice’ ]
On Sunday, Cook County prosecutors dropped criminal charges against Roman stemming from the incident. In a statement, police said Beck asked State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to drop the resisting arrest and narcotics charges against him. Chicago police did not recover a weapon at the scene Friday.
The shooting took place the same day Chicago police unveiled a new plan to increase the number of officers patrolling the CTA’s rail system in response to a spike in crime.
The department this week will add 50 more patrol officers to the unit that patrols the “L,” bringing the total to 250.
In a first for the department, each transit unit officer will be equipped with tracking devices to better monitor and adjust how they’re deployed. CPD has said the department doesn’t plan to adjust its plans in light of Friday’s shooting.


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Glencoe Public Works employee under home quarantine after exposure to coronavirus

“ We understand that this news may raise questions and concerns .
It ’ s important to emphasize that this @ @ @ @ @ and has not tested positive for COVID-19 , '' Village Manager Phil Kiraly said in @ @ @ @ @ are following guidance from our local , state and federal health officials and will continue @ @ @ @ @ s condition at this time .
”

An employee of the Glencoe Public Works Department is under voluntary home quarantine after coming into contact with a person who later tested positive for coronavirus, village officials announced Wednesday.
Glencoe officials said the employee is not showing any signs of the illness and is in contact with a medical professional. The employee was at work earlier in the week, “but had minimal contact with the general public during this time,” the release reads.
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“We understand that this news may raise questions and concerns. It’s important to emphasize that this employee is not showing symptoms and has not tested positive for COVID-19," Village Manager Phil Kiraly said in a statement. "We are following guidance from our local, state and federal health officials and will continue to monitor the employee’s condition at this time.”
The employee has been incubated for seven days as suggested by guidelines from the Center for Disease Control. Asymptomatic individuals with low-risk exposures should self-observe until 14 days after their last potential exposure, according to the village.
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After speaking with the NorthShore University Health System, the Cook County Department of Health and the Illinois Department of Public Health, the village is monitoring the situation and taking measures including ongoing cleaning and disinfecting of public spaces, village facilities and work areas.
Village services are not expected to be changed, according to the statement.
Officials say they plan to remain in contact with the employee and coordinate with health officials regarding safety measures and communication with the public and village employees.
“The village is committed to being transparent with our staff and residents and arming them with knowledge to calmly take preventive action steps that can help keep them healthy," Kiraly said. “The safety of our employees and the public is our top priority.”
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--2 individuals at Lake Zurich school district with ties to Northwest Community Hospital employees und

2 individuals at Lake Zurich school district with ties to Northwest Community Hospital employees under quarantine because of coronavirus concerns

Illinois still is waiting on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to confirm the test result .
They have @ @ @ @ @ good condition .
The state health department also had tested 102 people in Illinois for @ @ @ @ @ , and it has said that it ’ s monitoring about 250 people for symptoms @

Two individuals with ties to Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 voluntarily quarantined themselves because of coronavirus concerns, officials said. (Photo courtesy Lake Zurich School District 95)
Two people at Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 voluntarily have quarantined themselves since they each live with a Northwest Community Hospital employee who came into contact with the patient who recently tested positive for coronavirus.
The two individuals with “ties” to May Whitney Elementary School and Lake Zurich Middle School North have quarantined themselves at home, said District 95 spokeswoman Jean Malek.
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[ Coronavirus in Illinois ]
“These members of our District 95 community willingly joined their hospital-employed family members in a self-quarantine,” she said.
District 95 officials sent a letter to parents announcing the quarantine on Monday. Malek did not specify whether the individuals are students or employees of the school district.
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In the letter, Superintendent Kelley Gallt said school administrators talked with public health officials in Cook and Lake counties, as well as the Illinois Department of Public Health and District 95′s consulting physician, and were told by all four parties that the individuals are not considered to be coronavirus cases.
The health experts told district officials the individuals have no restrictions in terms of work, school or other activities, but the two individuals decided to stay at home anyways, Malek said. County and state public health officials didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
The man being treated at the northwest suburban hospital in Arlington Heights was the third person to test positive for the virus in Illinois. The man’s wife also tested positive for the illness, and is quarantined at home, health officials have said.
Illinois still is waiting on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to confirm the test result. They have said the couple is in good condition. The state health department also had tested 102 people in Illinois for the virus as of Monday, and it has said that it’s monitoring about 250 people for symptoms.
District 95 officials said in the letter to parents that some Northwest Community Hospital employees who came into contact with the patient have been asked to quarantine themselves at home.
District 95′s situation is similar to one that developed out of Arlington Heights School District 25 earlier this week. Adam Harris, a spokesman for the school district, said two individuals within District 25 have a babysitter whose daughter is a hospital worker and had contact with the coronavirus patient.
The two individuals also voluntarily decided to quarantine themselves at home, he said.
Chicago Tribune reporter Lisa Schencker contributed.
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jnorman@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Cook County judge caught on video taking young girl into holding cell reassigned indefinitely

The footage blacked out the child ’ s face .
But sources who saw the child told the Tribune she @ @ @ @ @ 8 years old and was visibly distressed .
The judge may have brought her into @ @ @ @ @ attempt at “ scared straight ” -type discipline , sources said .

A video shows Judge Jackie Portman-Brown lead a young girl into the lockup behind her courtroom and leave her for alone for approximately 10 minutes. (Chicago Tribune Handout)
The judge caught on video marching a young girl into the holding cell behind her courtroom last month has been assigned to administrative duties until further notice, according to Chief Judge Timothy Evans’ office.
Judge Jackie Portman-Brown had already been removed from her post overseeing felony cases at the Leighton Criminal Court Building effective last week — the day the security video surfaced.
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Wednesday’s decision by the circuit court’s executive committee makes that reassignment indefinite. The committee also reported Portman-Brown’s case to the Judicial Inquiry Board, which can take further disciplinary measures as it sees fit.
In addition, Portman-Brown will receive “mentoring,” according to the Wednesday news release from Evans’ office.
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[ Videotaped incident showing Cook County judge leaving child alone in a cell may have been ‘scared straight’ attempt ]
The news release said the child was a relative of Portman-Brown’s, and noted that the committee was “aware” of the courthouse security video that sparked outrage last week.
Video released to the Tribune via a public records request last week shows Portman-Brown and another woman with a physical hold on the young girl, marching her into the lockup, apparently by force, around midday Feb. 19.
The footage blacked out the child’s face. But sources who saw the child told the Tribune she is a girl 6 to 8 years old and was visibly distressed. The judge may have brought her into court that day in an attempt at “scared straight”-type discipline, sources said.
The lockup areas behind felony courtrooms are designated for defendants in custody to wait for their cases to be called. The security footage shows it was empty during the incident — except for the child.
Portman-Brown can be seen sitting the girl down on a bench, the girl’s toes barely reaching the ground, and walking away. A female sheriff’s deputy appeared to lock the door to the holding cell, and turned away. The girl was inside for about 10 minutes.
Two sheriff’s deputies who can be seen on the video have been de-deputized pending an investigation by their office.
A judge assigned to administrative duty largely conducts research and handles paperwork; colloquially, courthouse insiders call the assignment “judge jail.” Portman-Brown will be working out of the Daley Center.
Portman-Brown was elected to the bench in 2008 after spending time as a county prosecutor and then as general counsel for the Independent Police Review Authority, the Chicago agency that investigated allegations of police misconduct at that time.
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By turns admired and criticized for her brash personality on the bench, Portman-Brown was assigned to bond court and two specialty court calls before getting her own felony courtroom about a year ago.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--NFL draft profile: Bears target Jake Fromm of Georgia

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compares Fromm to NFL quarterback Colt McCoy : “ Fromm has big-game experience and proved to @ @ @ @ @ Alabama as a freshman and sophomore .
He ’ s a full-field reader who has @ @ @ @ @ change plays and make smart pre- and post-snap decisions .
He ’ ll be forced @ @ @ @ @ timing and ball placement in order to overcome a lack of arm strength and an @ @ @ @ @ .
He ’ s an intelligent game-manager whose range is good backup to middling starter @ @ @ @ @ scheme- and skill-position-needy at the next level .
”

The more snaps a quarterback takes at the college level should help them at the professional level, especially the quarterbacks who play in a pro-style offenses.
Jake Fromm, a junior quarterback from Georgia, started 42 games in college and helped the Bulldogs reach the 2018 National Championship Game as a freshman. During his three seasons in Georgia, Fromm completed 63 percent of his passes and threw 78 touchdown passes and only 18 interceptions.
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NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compares Fromm to NFL quarterback Colt McCoy: “Fromm has big-game experience and proved to be a worthy challenger against Alabama as a freshman and sophomore. He’s a full-field reader who has shown a consistent ability to change plays and make smart pre- and post-snap decisions. He’ll be forced into becoming more consistent with timing and ball placement in order to overcome a lack of arm strength and an inability to make off-schedule plays. He’s an intelligent game-manager whose range is good backup to middling starter, but he will be scheme- and skill-position-needy at the next level.”
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 25 Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Measurables:


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Medline is bringing 600 jobs to Libertyville after announcing plans to open new support center

When the company ’ s 10-year lease at Innovation Park in the village takes effect , Medline also plans to @ @ @ @ @ $ 14 million in facility upgrades , according to the company ’ s statement .
@ @ @ @ @ director for Medline , said the business is looking to start operations at the new @ @ @ @ @ the year .

Medline, maker and distributor of medical supplies, is planning to bring almost 600 employees to Libertyville as part of a move to a new national sales support center within the village’s Innovation Park business complex, the company announced Wednesday.
Employees at Medline’s headquarters in Northfield and its business campus in Mundelein will be relocating to the new center since both locations have reached maximum capacity, the company said in a statement. The new sales support hub in Libertyville will mark the seventh location for Medline in Lake County.
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When the company’s 10-year lease at Innovation Park in the village takes effect, Medline also plans to start work on an estimated $14 million in facility upgrades, according to the company’s statement. Jesse Greenberg, public affairs director for Medline, said the business is looking to start operations at the new center before the end of the year.
“We think it’s going to be a great place to work and a great place to grow,” Greenberg said. “Innovation Park offers a great package for us.”
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The space at Innovation Park, near Route 45 and Winchester Road in Libertyville, can accommodate up to 800 people, leaving the company with some more room for growth, he said. He said Medline was drawn to Libertyville because of what Innovation Park offered, calling the space modern and unique.
The announcement comes after the manufacturer and distributor moved forward on plans earlier this year to relocate its distribution center in Libertyville and the 350 employees who work there farther north to a 1.4-million-square-foot space in Grayslake.
Medline also has been under scrutiny over its operations in Waukegan, where the company has used the cancer-causing chemical ethylene oxide to sterilize medical equipment. Earlier this winter, Medline was forced to temporarily close its Waukegan plant because it couldn’t meet new state ethylene oxide standards.
The company had said it expected to resume full operations once it is finished testing newly installed equipment at the Waukegan facility.
With plans underway to start up operations in Libertyville and Grayslake, Greenberg said the primary motivation for the recent moves was the company’s growth in recent years.
Medline has increased its overall job numbers in the Chicago area by 34% in the past three years, growing from 3,450 employees at the end of 2017 to 4,650 employees at the start of 2020, the company said.
More than two years ago, Medline moved its headquarters from Mundelein to their current location in Northfield. Now, the company is beginning to outgrow its headquarters in Northfield, which has led to them trying to spread out their teams, the company said.
Medline’s latest announcement also marks the third company that has finalized plans to relocate operations to Innovation Park in Libertyville since early February.
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EvBox, an electric car charger manufacturer, and Intermatic, a manufacturer of home control devices, both announced plans to move their U.S. headquarters to the business park on the northwest side of the village.
Meg Grow, vice president of leasing at Innovation Park, said Medline started showing interest in the Libertyville business park after coming out for an initial tour and seeing the features that were included at the facility. Several other tours followed and Medline eventually signed a lease to a space that includes 140,000 square feet, she said.
“Within the past 90 days … (we’ve) leased over 325,000 square feet and are trending towards 90% occupancy by year end,” she stated. “This is a testament to the fact that occupiers and employers find value in staying and expanding in the suburbs.”
jnorman@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Mother greeted with locked doors and jeers as she demands justice for son killed outside Richard’s B

Mother greeted with locked doors and jeers as she demands justice for son killed outside Richard’s Bar. A day later, a suspect is arrested and charged.

Tansey was charged in a 2016 road rage incident in the suburbs .
On Dec. 12 , 2016 , Tansey @ @ @ @ @ residential area and got into a fight once they both exited their vehicles , according @ @ @ @ @ Tansey pulled out a handgun and tried to pistol-whip the man but missed , causing @ @ @ @ @ ground .
The other driver disarmed Tansey , who was charged with misdemeanor battery and @ @ @ @ @ .

Diona Bueno, center, remembers her son Kenneth Paterimos as family and friends rally outside Richard's Bar on March 3, 2020, demanding justice in his death. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Diona Bueno said she sensed her son’s presence on the other side of the door, waiting for her.
The grieving mother was standing at the spot where Kenneth Paterimos was fatally stabbed last month outside Richard’s Bar in West Town. After demanding justice for his killer, she announced her plan to go inside and pray Tuesday evening.
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Enveloped by family and others, she said she wanted to kneel where her 23-year-old son collapsed and took his dying breath because, only then, would he be free.
“Part of him is still locked in this monster,” Bueno said. “And I’m going to release him right now. … I don’t even care what they say. I want to release my baby’s soul that’s stuck.”
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But Bueno couldn’t get inside. Both entrances were locked, although patrons could be seen inside drinking. Family members called the staff cowards while the crowd’s chants of “Let us in” reached a crescendo.
“What we’re asking for is just for them to open the door, let us in, let us say our peace and leave,” said Camille Murguia, the mother of Paterimos’ sister. “Nobody’s opening the door.”
Suspect in custody
Paterimos was inside Richard’s Bar on Feb. 21 when police say Thomas Tansey, 30, began fighting with him around 11:20 p.m. Paterimos’ brother Santiago Bueno said he separated the two and ordered the man out of the bar. Paterimos left a few minutes later, only to stumble back in, badly bleeding.
Thomas Tansey. (Chicago Police Department)
Tansey, a former Marine, had stabbed and slashed Paterimos eight times outside the bar in the 400 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, according to Chicago police. Witnesses told police Tansey was intoxicated and had yelled a homophobic slur at Paterimos, who was bisexual, a police source said.
While holding his dying brother in his arms, Bueno said he decided to run out of the bar. He caught up with the man and pinned him down until police arrived, he said.
Tansey was released two days later after he claimed self-defense, according to police. Bueno said detectives told him to find witnesses who were outside when the stabbing occurred, but so far no one has come forward. Then last Thursday, police issued an arrest warrant for Tansey on first-degree murder charges. He was taken into custody Wednesday, police said.
“There’s no more tears I can cry,” said Paterimos’ sister, Dina Paterimos. “It’s only anger and frustration through my family because we would like closure. We would like closure and justice already.”
Tansey served in the Marine Corps for five years and was deployed to Afghanistan as a military vehicle operator from 2012 to 2013, according to a Marine spokeswoman. He rose to the rank of corporal before being discharged in 2013, the spokeswoman said. His LinkedIn page says his most recent employment was at an asphalt paving company in Arlington Heights.
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Tansey was charged in a 2016 road rage incident in the suburbs. On Dec. 12, 2016, Tansey followed another driver to a residential area and got into a fight once they both exited their vehicles, according to Arlington Heights police. Tansey pulled out a handgun and tried to pistol-whip the man but missed, causing both to fall to the ground. The other driver disarmed Tansey, who was charged with misdemeanor battery and unlawful use of a weapon.
A photo of Kenneth Paterimos during a rally outside Richard's Bar in Chicago on March 3, 2020. Paterimos was stabbed to death last month. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Tansey pleaded guilty to the battery charge, and prosecutors dropped the weapons charge. He received an 18-month probation sentence that ended in November 2018.
The Tribune has left messages seeking comment with him and his family but has gotten no response.
“He’s abusing the system and using it to his advantage," Bueno said. "There’s a place for people like that and it’s imprisonment.”
‘All I want is to say goodbye’
The standoff outside Richard’s Bar grew heated Tuesday night as Chicago police officers walked over and split the crowd in two. Officers said they needed to keep the sidewalk clear in case of a fire, to which the crowd said the locked entrances of the bar were also a hazard.
Diona Bueno complained that police were there on behalf of the bar and not her family. “All I want is to say goodbye to my baby,” Bueno said. “I just want to release his soul.”
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Santiago Bueno and Diona Bueno, center, remember their brother and son Kenneth Paterimos as family and friends protest outside Richard's Bar on March 3, 2020, demanding justice in his killing. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The vigil drew hecklers as well, including one man who said, “Why are they blaming the bar?” Another man sitting inside Richard’s Bar flipped off the crowd as Bueno spoke outside.
“Why can’t people just find a heart?” said Kenneth Paterimos’ cousin, Roman Delgado. “All it takes is one person to stand up. Why can nobody stand up and open the door?”
The family said that, after Paterimos’ death, they found social media posts from patrons making insensitive comments about the stabbing.
A staff member at Richard’s Bar declined to comment.
Almost three hours into the protest, Paterimos’ family still had not made it inside Richard’s Bar. Instead, they crafted a memorial outside the front door, nestling pink and purple flowers next to white religious candles they held throughout the vigil.
A group of police officers stood nearby, guarding the entrance.
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The crowd of about a hundred people celebrated the life of the 23-year-old, who cherished his job as a barista at Step Down Cafe in Pilsen and was his family’s loudest cheerleader, never failing to keep up spirits during tragedies or to buoy their accomplishments.
“Everybody here is asking for justice for my son,” Bueno said. “Now today, I have nothing but warriors’ prayers … praying that justice comes to my baby. I can’t cry no more. There’s no reason to.”
Chicago Tribune’s Sophie Sherry and Will Lee contributed.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Bartlett man who attacked grocery bagger with special needs found guilty of battery. Judge: He also

Bartlett man who attacked grocery bagger with special needs found guilty of battery. Judge: He also would’ve been found guilty of ‘being a jerk’ if so charged.

In his ruling , Telander said he reviewed the store video taken of the incident probably 20 times and that @ @ @ @ @ of the doubt on the initial punch .
But the judge said the kick was @ @ @ @ @ there was no threat — the bagger had turned away in pain , his hands @ @ @ @ @ lip .

Bruce Mirabella, a Bartlett man accused of punching a Jewel grocery store employee in the face. (DuPage County state's attorney)
A Bartlett man who punched and kicked a supermarket bagger with special needs and had to be tasered when police arrested him was found guilty Wednesday of aggravated battery.
DuPage County Judge Brian Telander found Bruce Mirabella, 51, guilty of the class 3 felony following a three-hour bench trial. The judge acquitted Mirabella on two other counts of battery in the incident, which took place about 9 p.m. on July 22, 2019, at the Jewel store on Stearns Road in Bartlett.
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Following the guilty ruling, Telander revoked bond for Mirabella, who has a 1990s conviction for reckless homicide, and he was taken into custody to await sentencing.
The bagger, a 27-year-old man with Asperger's syndrome, testified at the trial that he and Mirabella had been talking, and that Mirabella had said something to the effect that he was old enough to “kick the asses” of the cashier, a 23-year-old man, and the bagger.
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The bagger said he wasn’t sure what Mirabella meant, but he decided to walk toward Mirabella and planned to pat him on the shoulder and tell him to have a nice day. Instead, Mirabella punched him in the face and then kicked him moments later, the man testified.
The bagger suffered a bloodied lip.
A Bartlett police officer testified that he and two other officers drove to Mirabella’s Bartlett home, and when they tried to place him under arrest, he resisted and had to be tasered. The squad car’s audio equipment captured Mirabella using a derisive term to describe the bagger several times during the drive to the police station.
Mirabella, who said he had some martial arts training, testified that he acted in self-defense when he punched the bagger. He described the kick as a martial arts move intended to create distance between himself and the bagger.
In his ruling, Telander said he reviewed the store video taken of the incident probably 20 times and that he gave Mirabella the benefit of the doubt on the initial punch. But the judge said the kick was delivered at a point when there was no threat — the bagger had turned away in pain, his hands held up to his bloodied lip.
Had Mirabella been charged with “being a jerk,” Telander said, he would have certainly been found guilty. He is scheduled to be sentenced April 6.
Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Miami mayor calls for Ultra Music Festival to be postponed due to coronavirus

Fans quickly expressed themselves on social media , with some criticizing the city both for overreacting and for delaying the @ @ @ @ @ and others following a `` safety first '' perspective .
Many noted that fans booked @ @ @ @ @ in advance , and are likely to come to the city , where Miami Music @ @ @ @ @ , regardless .

Two of Miami’s elected officials, including Mayor Francis Suarez, have called for the postponement of Ultra Music Festival over concerns about the spread of coronavirus, according to the Miami Herald.
The pair say they are concerned because of the large number of festivalgoers who travel to the three-day dance-music festival — which takes place over the weekend of March 20-22 this year at the city’s Bayfront Park — from overseas.
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Suarez, commissioner Joe Carollo and City Manager Art Noriega met with an Ultra representative for about an hour Wednesday to discuss the request — curiously, they said the collective decision will be announced at 9 a.m. on Friday.
A rep for Ultra did not immediately respond to Variety's request for comment.
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Suarez and Carollo declined to detail the conversation to the Herald. "There is a resolution, but there are some loose ends to tie up," Suarez said.
"We're saying suspend it to a later date when we'll have a better idea of where we're heading with the coronavirus." said Carollo, emphasizing that the city does not want to cancel the event.
Ultra, which was founded in 1999, is one of the world's largest dance-music festivals, with a capacity of 55,000 people per day.
Fans quickly expressed themselves on social media, with some criticizing the city both for overreacting and for delaying the announcement of their decision, and others following a "safety first" perspective. Many noted that fans booked flights and hotels many weeks in advance, and are likely to come to the city, where Miami Music Week will be taking place, regardless.
"I can tell you that just in the last 24 hours, I have received countless emails and messages of all kinds urging the city to act," Suarez told reporters, according to the Herald. "That is another major motivator to have this conversation before it gets too late."
In the event the city decides to postpone and Ultra organizers do not agree, Suarez said officials have the power to cancel the event under the agreement.
Suarez and Carollo said the city is also reconsidering another upcoming event, the Calle Ocho Festival, although they noted that the single-day event is attended mostly by locals.


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--New bike lanes, Divvy stations coming to Far South Side this spring

When Divvy started back in 2013 , most docking stations were located in the Loop and in crowded areas along @ @ @ @ @ neighborhoods have been added , but there are no stations south of 87th Street .
@ @ @ @ @ only expansion to unserved parts of the city on the Far South and West sides @ @ @ @ @ lanes in those areas , to allow users to ride safely .

New bike lanes along portions of South Loomis, 81st and 82nd streets are among the changes coming to the Far South Side as the Divvy bike-sharing program expands this spring.
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The expansion will include 66 docking stations and 10 miles of new bike lanes, according to the city, which did not specify when the improvements will be made.
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When Divvy started back in 2013, most docking stations were located in the Loop and in crowded areas along the lakefront. More city neighborhoods have been added, but there are no stations south of 87th Street. Bicycling advocates have demanded not only expansion to unserved parts of the city on the Far South and West sides, but also more bike lanes in those areas, to allow users to ride safely.
The program’s expansion was expected. Lyft, the ride-share company that runs the bike-share program, said in September that it planned to expand into the Far South Side with new stations and 500 pedal and 1,900 electric-assist bikes that make it easier to pedal uphill against the wind.
But the city ran into bureaucratic problems that delayed the expansion. Federal and state funds provided more than $30 million to launch Divvy. Last year, Lyft won the exclusive right to expand it. Closing out federal and state involvement meant some paperwork, said Chicago Department of Transportation spokesman Michael Claffey .
The city said it worked with community residents to determine the locations of the bike lanes and docking stations.
Bike lanes will be constructed along Loomis from Marquette Avenue to about 98th Street, and on 81st Street from Damen to Vincennes avenues. There also will be new lanes along portions of 111th, 115th and 124th streets, and on South Michigan and Indiana avenues.
In addition to paying for the bikes and stations, Lyft pays Chicago an annual $7.5 million fee, which the city is using to pay for the bike lanes and other transportation improvements, Claffey said.
mwisniewski@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--As coronavirus prompts cries to cancel Austin’s SXSW festival, a ‘general fear’ sweeps concert indus

As coronavirus prompts cries to cancel Austin’s SXSW festival, a ‘general fear’ sweeps concert industry

`` Right now , we 're just watching .
Some artists seem to understand that the media makes things bigger @ @ @ @ @ he said .
`` But no one wants to do it and then have the @ @ @ @ @ going ahead when others do n't .
I would n't be surprised if in the @ @ @ @ @ we see more cancellations .
Some shows did n't even get to confirmation because of @ @ @ @ @ gon na take a hit , everyone is . ''

Last week, organizers announced that the Korea Times Music Festival at the Hollywood Bowl was being postponed “due to current travel restrictions in Asia” over fears of COVID-19, the strain of coronavirus that has swept across Asia, Europe and the Middle East and spread to the U.S. too. While few U.S. concerts have been affected yet, it’s clear that the virus will hit the live music industry in some way.
As acts cancel major shows across Asia, and with the start of the spring-summer festival season just weeks away, artists, booking agents and promoters are warily eyeing the disease's spread. It's mainly affected the Asian concert business for the time being, but it could be a severe blow if and when the virus spreads more widely in the U.S.
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"It's so hard to tell. This was going to be one of the busiest summers ever for festivals and stadium shows, so any disruption is going to have an impact," said Dave Brooks, senior director of live and touring for Billboard. "If there are cancellations, and if it's a down year for the industry, [top concert promoters] Live Nation and AEG could probably weather it, but it could be a death knell for some independent promoters."
While many industry professionals are trying not to be alarmist, they are making plans for the possibility of the virus — or even just fears of it — having a deep impact on the concert business this year.
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"If a pandemic like this restricts travel, if bands from here can't tour Asia and K-pop and J-pop acts can't come here, everyone's going to take a hit," said one high-level concert promotion executive in the U.S. who requested anonymity to be able to speak freely. "You'll see venues closed down. If people become alarmed and alert, they're more likely to stay away from air travel or large groups."
So far, most of the bigger concert cancellations have been in China, South Korea and Japan, where Western acts like Green Day, Khalid, New Order and Stormzy, and K-Pop groups like Seventeen and Twice, have canceled planned appearances.
Even K-pop juggernaut BTS, which planned a massive stadium tour (scheduled for Soldier Field on May 5-6) tied to its “Map of the Soul: 7” album, has canceled hometown gigs in Seoul. Several acts, including the metal band Testament, have also canceled dates in Milan, Italy, where the virus has also spread in the northern part of the country.
That's left U.S. promoters wondering whether acts that have passed through affected countries may eventually be hit with travel restrictions preventing performances, or if risks of the virus spreading could shut down U.S. shows as well.
Several prominent booking agents, when reached for comment, acknowledged the seriousness of the fears but declined interviews, citing the uncertainty around the possibility of a pandemic in the U.S. Others were already making plans should it prove to be an obstacle to touring.
In Chicago, major outdoor festivals Pitchfork and Lollapalooza are scheduled for July and early August. Neither festival has commented on any change in plans due to COVID-19.
"There's a general fear. Other offers for later in the year are still being entertained, but we're wondering," said Eric Dimenstein, president of Ground Control Touring, a booking agency that handles rock acts like Bright Eyes, Jenny Lewis and Deafheaven. Ground Control handles Asia touring for several of its acts, and one of its U.K. acts has already canceled tour dates in an affected country over fears of being let back into Britain afterward.
Dimenstein acknowledged that COVID-19 will likely have an impact and said he is in conversations with managers about potential fallout. But he was cautious about making assumptions in either direction.
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"Right now, we're just watching. Some artists seem to understand that the media makes things bigger than they are," he said. "But no one wants to do it and then have the consequences and bad PR for going ahead when others don't. I wouldn't be surprised if in the next week or two, we see more cancellations. Some shows didn't even get to confirmation because of these fears. It's gonna take a hit, everyone is."
So far, not much has changed for major U.S. events. Marquee events like Indio's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, scheduled for April 10-12 and 17-19, have already sold out dates, and beyond the Korea Times event, no major U.S. concerts have been affected yet.
Kim Saruwatari, director of public health for Riverside County, in which Indio is located, said the county is well aware of how COVID-19 might affect the festival, which draws 125,000 fans over each weekend.
"One of our tasks is to survey any large event in the county over the next several months, and we've been reaching out to organizers to have conversations. We're not ready to pull the trigger on anything, but we want to make sure we can protect the community," Saruwatari said.
Dr. Cameron Kaiser, the health officer for Riverside County, "has broad authority to protect public health, and if he deems that being at the fest would pose a risk, he has the authority to shut it down," Saruwatari said. But conversations about those risks are nowhere near that stage yet.
"This virus is changing day by day, hour by hour," Saruwatari said. "We're monitoring it very closely. We don't have a timeline or cutoff. We're going to have conversations with the organizers and do our best to give advance notice, but it's a fluid situation."
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This month's South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, is already facing calls for preemptive action, if not outright cancellation.
Andy Langer, a longtime "Austin City Limits" radio host and Texas Monthly writer who covers SXSW, wrote this week in a widely circulated Facebook post that "the logistics and optics of 10-day festival hosting thousands from all corners of the earth partying it up — even if guided by an abundance of caution — puts too many entities at risk. Not just by way of public health, but in a potentially legally liable/uninsurable way and places them potentially sideways with the almighty court of public opinion.
"Fear is contagious and it snowballs quickly into an icy wall of pile-on backlash."
The Concord record label group confirmed that it has canceled a planned SXSW event over COVID-19 concerns, as have executives for Twitter, Facebook and Tik Tok. Ruth Martinez, the senior vice president for worldwide human resources at Concord, said in an email, "Our decision to cancel our SXSW Happy Hour is based on the travel policy that we put into effect for the entire company last week. For the foreseeable future, we are not permitting our team to travel internationally and we are strongly discouraging travel domestically."
A change.org petition to cancel the event completely has gathered more than 25,000 signatures. Festival officials said in a statement that “SXSW is working closely on a daily basis with local, state, and federal agencies to plan for a safe event. As a result of this dialogue and the recommendations of Austin Public Health, the 2020 event is proceeding with safety as a top priority.”
In an earnings call last week, Live Nation President Joe Berchtold said that while "we expect there will be further areas of breakouts, we have seen no pullback in fan demand outside of the affected areas." He added that Live Nation, the country's largest concert promoter, has canceled 17 shows in Asia so far, and that "attendance is weighted to the latter part of year." The firm has 70 shows planned in the next three months in Asia, and 30 in Italy.
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Yet if the virus spreads more widely in the U.S., or if fans begin fearing that it might, that could put the concert business on edge if it leads to cancellations or slowing sales.
"Obviously, we're going to be monitoring it closely and reaching out to affected areas and governments if it goes on and on," said the top concert industry executive. "It's our job to monitor this on a global, national and regional level to have steps in place if it comes to a place where we have to deal with it. Outdoor shows are less susceptible, but it's a risk for anybody."
Still, fears of coronavrius could snowball even if it doesn't rise to a pandemic in the U.S. With some grocery stores sold out of staple provisions and a nationwide run on hand sanitizer and face masks, audiences are clearly anticipating a long spring and summer watching the possible spread of the virus.
Perhaps with precautions, most shows will eventually go on as planned in the U.S. and Europe. "At the end of the day, the venues will still be standing and people will still like music," Billboard's Brooks said. "There's no reason to think there will be much long-term damage. The shootings at Route 91 in Las Vegas and the Bataclan in Paris didn't stop people."
But if fans avoid crowded spaces like festivals, or if travel becomes too difficult, this year could be a blow to a business that depends on touring for its subsistence.
“There’s a lot of conversation, but until we see what happens, it’s tough to tell,” the anonymous concert industry executive said. “We’re better prepared than China was. But man plans, and God laughs.”


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--‘Crystal Lake will be able to sleep now.’ Dozens watch demolition of home where 5-year-old AJ Freund

‘Crystal Lake will be able to sleep now.’ Dozens watch demolition of home where 5-year-old AJ Freund was beaten to death

Brandon Chaples , of McHenry , looked on Wednesday as the house was being torn down .
He said he @ @ @ @ @ because he wanted to pay his respects to AJ , whose story he followed in @ @ @

Crews begin the process, March 4, 2020, to tear down the home where 5-year-old AJ Freund was killed by his parents Andrew Freund and JoAnn Cunningham.. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
The white, two-story house with green shutters in Crystal Lake where, authorities say, 5-year-old AJ Freund was killed by his parents less than a year ago was demolished Wednesday morning.
As dozens watched, demolition equipment took the first chunk out of the dilapidated house at 94 Dole Ave. about 7:45 a.m. About an hour later, the structure was in shambles. Odors from what appeared to be musty wood and mold filled the freezing air.
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At one point as the house was being taken down, the blue walls of AJ’s bedroom were visible. Other items from life inside the home were also visible: a laundry basket, mattress, clothing.
Green Demolition Contractors of Chicago provided its services virtually for free along with other companies needed to complete the work. The city opted to pay the company just $10 to ensure a legal, binding contract.
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Three and a half hours after demolition began and the house was leveled, debris was being dropped into dumpster trucks. The hole where the house stood was being filled in.
The house, which has been foreclosed on and sold at auction, had more than $100,000 in violation codes, according to city officials. It is unknown what the site will be used for.
As the huge metal claw of an excavator nearly drowned out her voice, neighbor Amy Paulus described the demolition as “closure.”
“It’s sad that this had to happen,” said Paulus, who lives behind the lot where AJ’s home stood. “Hopefully people in our neighborhood will be able to move on from a horrific situation.”
She said if she could talk to AJ, she would tell him, “Bless you. ... Hopefully you are at peace and know that many people love you.”
Authorities said AJ was fatally beaten in the home in April 2019.
Police agencies from across the state and community members searched for the child for about a week after his father, Andrew Freund, called 911 to report him missing the morning of April 18. Freund eventually led authorities to the child’s body, which was wrapped in plastic and buried in a shallow grave in a field near Woodstock.
AJ Freund was the subject of many child welfare calls over his short life, and police were called to the Dole Avenue home several times. In one report, police described the home as "cluttered, dirty and in disrepair.”
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Andrew Freund, 61, and the boy’s mom, JoAnn Cunningham, 37, were each charged with murder and other crimes related to the child’s death.
In December, Cunningham pleaded guilty to murder. A sentencing hearing is set for April 30. Andrew Freund recently waived a jury trial and opted to have his case heard by a judge. A trial date has not been set.
Both remain in the McHenry County Jail.
Brandon Chaples, of McHenry, looked on Wednesday as the house was being torn down. He said he came to see the demolition because he wanted to pay his respects to AJ, whose story he followed in the news.
“Crystal Lake will be able to sleep now,” Chaples said.
Dawn Fortin, of Lake in the Hills, said she wanted to be present to “watch the final stage” of a story of a boy she did not know.
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The house being gone will help people heal, Fortin said.
“They don’t have to look out and see the house and be reminded of what happened,” she said.
Janelle Butler looked out the window from her home across the street during the deconstruction. She said the house being gone is “the beginning of a fresh start.”
“It makes me feel good it’s not going to (be there and) be a daily reminder of something so horrific,” Butler said. “This has affected the neighborhood so bad.”
Amanda Marrazzo is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Storied FitzGerald’s nightclub in Berwyn sells to Chicago entertainment veteran

Bill was an Oak Park house painter in his 20s when got the idea to run a music venue in @ @ @ @ @ at 6615 W. Roosevelt Road .
He closed on it March 20 , 1980 , @ @ @ @ @ evolved into Chicago ’ s leading American roots music venue , for many years the @ @ @ @ @ you could see alternative country greats from Austin , Texas , Cajun and zydeco legends @ @ @ @ @ and , still , on Sundays , the big band jazz that was the club @ @ @ @

Former owners Bill and Kate FitzGerald, far left and far right, stand on either side of new owner Will Duncan outside FitzGerald's Nightclub, March 2, 2020, in Berwyn. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
Earlier this week, an almost-1-year-old crawled around on the bar at FitzGerald’s nightclub, the storied roots music roadhouse in Berwyn. His nearly 3-year-old brother stood on the stage and sang his ABCs into a microphone still set up from the big band jazz performance the night before.
And why shouldn’t they? Their dad was about to own the joint.
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Founding proprietor Bill FitzGerald and the kids’ father, Will Duncan, a Chicago restaurant and club veteran, finished signing the papers Wednesday that sealed the sale of the 40-year-old music venue on Roosevelt Road to Duncan, both parties said.
The sale, and a kind of stealth farewell party at the club planned for Wednesday night, ended a 2½-year search for a new FitzGerald’s owner who could handle the challenging live music business and see the value in the quirky, three-building property where the owner and his name and presence have been as important as the music bookings or the beers on tap.
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“My plans are to honor the history and preserve the legacy — the energy, the soul of the place, whatever you want to call it,” said Duncan, who turned 40 on Tuesday and recently resigned as beverage director for 16” on Center, the restaurant and club business that includes Thalia Hall, Dusek’s, Empty Bottle, Longman & Eagle and others. He will retain a “very, very small partnership” in the company’s Thalia Hall building businesses and its Moneygun and Saint Lou’s Assembly, he said.
“I’m just going to come over here and unlock the door and open, and I think that the community and the regular customers will recognize the staff and recognize the place and recognize a lot of what’s going on in the music calendar, and it’ll feel pretty familiar,” Duncan said.
In addition to retaining the club name and the approximately 25 staff, including head of music Donnie Biggins, plus the schedule of music festivals, Duncan said he plans to be a hands-on presence at the club in the same way FitzGerald has been, ever ready to repair a broken tap line or suggest an overly talkative patron take it to the patio outside.
[ After selling, Bill FitzGerald says farewell to his namesake music club ]
The sale price was undisclosed, but the original asking price was over $2 million, according to the broker FitzGerald worked with when he first put the place on the market.
Duncan said he is sole proprietor, with his name on the title, but backed by “a large pool of investors” he would not name.
“We couldn’t think of a better person to be taking over,” said Kate FitzGerald, 62, happy that she and her 67-year-old husband will get to retire to their Mississippi River fixer-upper in southwestern Wisconsin.
It was Kate who came up with the wording for Wednesday night’s “March Forth Open House,” a billing that would let people read between the lines and figure out something was up.
“As you know unless you’re on another planet,” the listing said, “we have offered the club for sale for a while now. Is it sold? NO. When will it happen? Who can say? That being the case we decided to just have a party anyway!”
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So in front of family and friends in the audience, along with those who just saw the free double bill of Expo ‘76 and Blackfoot Gypsies and thought it sounded like a great show on a Wednesday night, Bill said he planned to stand on stage to deliver a farewell.
Outside in the tent that frequently covers the parking lot between the three buildings — club, Sidebar and the space leased by Capri Ristorante — a slideshow will play photos from FitzGerald’s history and clips from the five films that have shot there. The musical-note mural painted for 1992’s “A League of Their Own” still serves as the main stage backdrop.
Bill FitzGerald speaks about his career in live music and his retirement from FitzGerald's nightclub. (Chris Sweda/ Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)
Bill was an Oak Park house painter in his 20s when got the idea to run a music venue in the former Deer Lodge, at 6615 W. Roosevelt Road. He closed on it March 20, 1980, he recalled, and it evolved into Chicago’s leading American roots music venue, for many years the only place in town where you could see alternative country greats from Austin, Texas, Cajun and zydeco legends from Louisiana, blues giants and, still, on Sundays, the big band jazz that was the club’s heritage.
All of it happened in an intimate, woody room where a deer head hung on the wall and the feel was more Wisconsin hunting lodge than grungy rock club.
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Roots music hero Dave Alvin, a mainstay at the FitzGerald’s annual summer American Music Festival, the area’s longest running independent music fest, called the place “legendary” when he first heard it was up for sale.
Chicago singer-songwriter Robbie Fulks said, “It was more than a venue because it felt authentic, and it was authentic. It wasn’t playing at being a roadhouse. It was a roadhouse.”
It’s been a long road to finding a buyer. Since the club went on the market in mid-2017, a number of potential new owners have come in to kick the tires, and some have come closer to a purchase than others, the FitzGeralds recalled Monday afternoon, seated at one of the long, thin wooden tables that Bill salvaged and refinished himself.
“In every case I think they just didn’t quite have enough money or business plan together to pull the strings," FitzGerald said.
Duncan, seated with them to talk about the property transfer, said he was immediately interested, but it took a while to get from Point A to Point C, including a little time off for him and wife Jessica King, a charter school assistant principal in Chicago, to have their second son.
A friend brought him to FitzGerald’s for the first time about 15 years ago, he recalled, for a bill that included the Waco Brothers, and “it was instantly recognizable as a special place.”
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When news of it being for sale came out, it “rippled throughout” the club business in the city, he said. That coupled with a family move to Elmhurst led him to begin thinking seriously about an offer.
He’d come to the club various nights to check it out, he said, including bringing a knowledgeable friend to the American Music Fest.
“It was this series of a hundred little signals and messages and, you know, having little wins along the way,” he said. “I started writing a business plan. I started to like the way that it looked. I got some feedback from family and friends and professionals, and I spruced (the business plan) up. And every time I spent time here was a little win and another little signal.
“Walking out of Sidebar at midnight on a Wednesday after seeing some incredible jazz and having a delicious (bartender) Isaac (Lyons) cocktail and just being able to picture it, you know, and it just feeling right. And that just kind of kept happening.”
Monday afternoon, he brought his kids to see the place for the first time and to get some photos taken with his family and with the FitzGeralds and Bill’s siblings, who have been part of the club’s life through the years. Those kids were under strict adult supervision while exploring the new place, he wanted people to know.
Duncan came in for public criticism in 2018, when waitress Sarah Joanou was fired from Punch House, downstairs in the building that houses the Pilsen club Thalia Hall and restaurant Dusek’s. She posted about what she deemed an unfair firing by Duncan and 16″ on Center principal Bruce Finkelman, and it resonated for a time in social media circles.
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Duncan would not discuss specifics of that incident but said the company greatly improved its HR practices afterward, as it reportedly fired the Dusek’s and Punch House general manager.
He expects to take the lessons learned to his new venture, Duncan said this week. “We learned a lot, and some good work has been put in and it’s given me a really good kind of North Star as I proceed," he said, "to be damn sure that everyone I work with going forward is going to have a fantastic employee experience.”
sajohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @StevenKJohnson


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--‘Are there any more babies inside?’: 1-year-old girl dead, at least 8 others hurt in West Lawn house

‘Are there any more babies inside?’: 1-year-old girl dead, at least 8 others hurt in West Lawn house fire

Riley , 54 , said she came home after work and began to watch the Investigation Discovery channel .
About @ @ @ @ @ smelled smoke through her cracked window .
She first checked her next-door neighbor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ see anything , she said .
Then she walked to the backyard and saw the @ @ @ @ @ window facing the house across the street .

Workers prepare to board up a house in the 6000 block of South Kenneth Avenue in Chicago, following an overnight fatal fire on March 4, 2020. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
Two women dressed in pajamas ran from the burning bungalow early Wednesday, one of them carrying a baby and the other one crying.
“Are there any more babies inside?” asked Ana Riley, who lived across the street in the West Lawn neighborhood.
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"There are two more inside,” one of the women said.
“She was crying, just crying, because she didn’t know what to do," Riley said later. “It was just bad. I wanted to go inside (the burning home) and help them. … The flames came out so fast and the smoke came out. I didn’t know what to do.”
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As Riley and her daughter comforted the women, firefighters arrived and Riley told them two babies were still inside. They carried out two small bodies covered in soot. One of the girl’s arms hung by her side as paramedics performed CPR.
A 1-year-old girl was pronounced dead at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn from smoke inhalation, fire officials said. A 2-year-old girl was in critical condition and “fighting for life,” the Chicago Fire Department said in a tweet.
2359 still alarm 6040 S Kenneth 1 1/2 story ordinary 35 X 50 fire in the front attic space 9 total patients 8 transports all to Christ 1 y/o Red critical, 2y/o Red critical, 5 month red serious, 12y and 14 y/ yellow stable 1 adult male red stable, 1 adult female red stable, pic.twitter.com/ze3BkFN4j3 — Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) March 4, 2020
Seven other people were injured. A 5-month-old boy, a 22-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man were taken to hospitals also in critical condition. A 12-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl, a 28-year-old woman and a 40-year-old woman were all in good condition, the department said. The two adults refused medical treatment, the rest were taken to Christ Medical Center.
The fire apparently started in the front attic area of the 1½-story brick house in the 6000 block of South Kenneth Avenue around midnight, according to Chicago police and the Chicago Fire Department.
Riley, 54, said she came home after work and began to watch the Investigation Discovery channel. About 30 minutes later, she smelled smoke through her cracked window. She first checked her next-door neighbor’s house but didn’t see anything, she said. Then she walked to the backyard and saw the reflection of flames in a window facing the house across the street.
“I came outside and heard someone scream, ‘Help, help!' ” she said.
Riley had her daughter Selena Ledezma, 24, call the Fire Department and they headed across the street, she said. “I was just hoping everyone got out because it was all orange,” Ledezma said. “I was panicking. … It was so scary.”
About five minutes after Ledezma made the call, trucks started to arrive and firefighters went into the home and found the children. The fire was extinguished just after 1 a.m., according to fire officials. The cause remains under investigation.
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Workers prepare to board up a house in the 6000 block of South Kenneth Avenue in Chicago, following an overnight fatal fire, March 4, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Riley and her daughter came outside again after the last firetruck left about 1:30 a.m. They watched as investigators walked up the steps inside the brick home and shined a light around the attic, which was burned open. The sound of water dripping within the house could be heard from the other side of the street.
Ledezma was having trouble sleeping because the image of the top floor’s air conditioner exploding kept replaying in her head, she said.
The family who they helped are good neighbors, Riley said. They moved in about a year ago. She didn’t know them well, but they always made sure to say hi whenever they saw each other.
A Google Maps image captured last September shows three adults sitting on the home’s front steps. One is holding a swaddled infant. Another is propping up a baby in diapers on the adult’s left knee while another child wearing a pink shirt stands on the ground, appearing to keep balance by holding the right one.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--Suspect released by police after claiming self-defense is back in custody, charged with fatal stabbi

Suspect released by police after claiming self-defense is back in custody, charged with fatal stabbing outside Richard’s Bar

Tansey was charged in a 2016 road rage incident in the suburbs .
On Dec. 12 , Tansey followed another @ @ @ @ @ and got into a fight once they both exited their vehicles , according to Arlington @ @ @ @ @ out a handgun and tried to pistol-whip the man but missed , causing both to @ @ @ @ @ The other driver disarmed Tansey , who was charged with misdemeanor battery and unlawful use @ @ @ @

Diona Bueno, center, remembers her son Kenneth Paterimos as family and friends rally outside Richard's Bar on March 3, 2020, demanding justice in his death. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
A week and a half after being released by police after claiming self-defense, a former Marine was back in custody Wednesday facing first-degree murder charges in the stabbing death of a man outside a West Town bar last month.
Thomas Tansey, 30, had been released by Chicago police two days after Kenneth Paterimos, 23, was stabbed and slashed to death outside Richard’s Bar on Feb. 21. Days later an arrest warrant was issued for Tansey charging him with murder. He surrendered to authorities on Wednesday.
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Thomas Tansey. (Chicago Police Department)
Witnesses have said Tansey appeared intoxicated when he began fighting with Paterimos inside the bar at 491 N. Milwaukee Ave. around 11:20 p.m., according to police. Tansey was kicked out and, when Paterimos walked outside minutes later, he stabbed him with a box cutter in the arm, back and neck when he walked outside minutes later, according to police.
Some witnesses told police Tansey had earlier yelled a homophobic slur at Paterimos, who was bisexual. While holding his dying brother in his arms, the victim’s brother said he decided to run out of the bar. He caught up with the man and pinned him down until police arrived, he said.
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Tansey was released two days later after he claimed self-defense, according to police.
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Last Thursday police issued an arrest warrant for the man, whom they identified as Thomas Tansey, charging him with murder.
Tansey served in the Marine Corps for five years and was deployed in Afghanistan as a military vehicle operator from 2012 to 2013, according to a Marine spokeswoman. He rose to the rank of corporal before being discharged in 2013, the spokeswoman said. His LinkedIn page says his most recent employment was at an asphalt paving company in Arlington Heights.
Tansey was charged in a 2016 road rage incident in the suburbs. On Dec. 12, Tansey followed another driver to a residential area and got into a fight once they both exited their vehicles, according to Arlington Heights police. Tansey pulled out a handgun and tried to pistol-whip the man but missed, causing both to fall to the ground. The other driver disarmed Tansey, who was charged with misdemeanor battery and unlawful use of a weapon.
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Tansey pleaded guilty to the battery charge, and prosecutors dropped the weapons charge. He received an 18-month probation sentence that ended November 2018. The Tribune has left messages seeking comment with him and his family but has gotten no response.
On Tuesday evening, Paterimos’ family staged a vigil outside of the bar, demanding justice for his killer, but were turned away when they tried to enter the bar and pray.


chicagotribune--2020-03-04--‘Everything will fall into place’: The Bulls welcome Lauri Markkanen to the lineup and move one step

‘Everything will fall into place’: The Bulls welcome Lauri Markkanen to the lineup and move one step closer to the team they envisioned

Things are starting to fall into place for the Bulls , and they can finally begin measuring their talent during @ @ @ @ @ otherwise lost season .
Even though guard Zach LaVine will miss his second straight game @ @ @ @ @ sidelined for at least a week with a strained left quadriceps , the Bulls have @ @ @ @ @ from injury in each of the last three games .

MINNEAPOLIS — The Bulls will move another step closer to the team they envisioned at the start of the season when forward Lauri Markkanen returns against the Timberwolves on Wednesday night to play his first game since Jan. 22.
Markkanen missed 15 games after the Bulls discovered a stress reaction in his right pelvis, which also allowed him to heal a nagging ankle injury he had played through for weeks. He will be limited to about 18 to 20 minutes in his return.
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“Play hard, rebound, defend, push the ball when you have an opportunity in the multi-handler system, make good decisions, just compete,” coach Jim Boylen said of his expectations for Markkanen. “I want his compete level to be high, which I’m sure it will be. Everything else will fall into place.”
Things are starting to fall into place for the Bulls, and they can finally begin measuring their talent during this final stretch of an otherwise lost season. Even though guard Zach LaVine will miss his second straight game and is expected to be sidelined for at least a week with a strained left quadriceps, the Bulls have gotten a key player back from injury in each of the last three games.
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Wendell Carter Jr. returned to the starting lineup Saturday against the Knicks, and Otto Porter Jr. followed with a return off the bench Monday against the Mavericks. Both are expected to see an increase in minutes Wednesday, with Carter set to play about 22 to 24 while Porter remains around 20 to 22.
Boylen will continue to bring Porter off the bench to add balance to the rotation and get a glimpse at how the Bulls forward finishes the first quarter and starts the second.
With so many moving pieces coming back, Boylen has found himself juggling minutes as he attempts to reacclimate his players into the lineup.
“It’s difficult on them. It’s difficult on teammates too,” Boylen said. “We’ve got guys who have accepted roles and played really hard for us the last month. Now those roles change. ... When a guy comes back, there are a couple more moving parts.”
The success of the Bulls hinges on the development of their core. LaVine had held up his end of the bargain before this recent injury. Coby White was named Eastern Conference rookie of the month for February. Carter’s play was mostly a bright spot before he got hurt, and Porter showed what kind of dynamic scorer he can be in his first game back, pouring in 18 points in 17 minutes Monday.
It makes the final 21 games important for Markkanen, whose production had dipped to career lows in points per game (15.0) and shooting percentage from the field (42.4%) and from beyond the arc (34.4%).
“I’ve got some good work in,” Markkanen said after practice Tuesday. “Of course games are going to be a little different. I don’t know if it’s going to take a while to make some shots or not, but I’ve been feeling good on the court. It doesn’t feel like I’ve been sitting out.”