chicagotribune--2020-12-28--Former North Side alderman charged with DUI after police say he crashed into eight cars on Gold Coas

Former North Side alderman charged with DUI after police say he crashed into eight cars on Gold Coast street. ‘It’s a miracle no one was killed.’

“ It definitely looks totaled .
But I feel fortunate , for him and everybody else , that there were @ @ @ @ @ that it didn ’ t happen at an earlier hour , that nobody was hurt @ @ @ @ @ she drove to the city Monday to get the police report number to make an @ @ @ @ @ tow company thought that it was totaled , too .
They said that this car @ @ @ @ @ of all the other damages .
”

Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas, Jeremy Gorner

Former Ald. Proco “Joe” Moreno was charged with DUI and reckless driving after his Audi rammed and sideswiped at least eight cars along four blocks of a street in the Gold Coast before smashing into a tree Sunday night.
Ex-Ald. Joe Moreno, right, and his attorney Camilo Oceguera walk in the lobby of the George Leighton Criminal Courthouse on June 4, 2019. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Moreno, 48, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition after the string of crashes around 9:30 p.m. in the 1200, 1300 and 1500 blocks of North Astor Street, according to police. The charges, all misdemeanors, were filed against him after he was released, according to Chicago police.
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A police report indicated Moreno’s blood alcohol level was 0.32%, or four times the legal limit. Neither Moreno nor his attorney could immediately be reached for comment.
Moreno is still fighting charges of insurance fraud and obstruction of justice from an incident in early 2019 when prosecutors say Moreno falsely claimed his 2016 Audi A6 had been stolen from his garage. Moreno allegedly had turned the car and its keys over willingly only hours earlier to a woman he had dated.
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On Sunday night, police say, Moreno was driving a 2017 Audi A6 that hit a parked car in the 1500 block of North Astor, not far from where Gov. J.B. Pritzker lives. The Audi then struck four more cars in the 1300 and 1200 blocks, police said.
Dante Grier takes a picture of the damage to a vehicle in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood on Dec. 28, 2020, to send the photo to the car's owner, who was out of town. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune)
The Audi was then thrown in reverse and sped backward, a door attendant and other witnesses told police. It hit the front of one car, knocking it onto the sidewalk, and struck two more cars before turning onto Division Street, where it crashed into a tree, police said.
A police officer “was dispatched to a call of a reckless driver” and found Moreno in the driver’s seat of the Audi, according to police. He was taken to the hospital for “treatment of injuries and observation.” No other injuries were reported. Moreno lives about 3½ miles away, in the 1300 block of North Leavitt Street.
Among the cars damaged were a Lexus RX, a Volkswagen Jetta, a Mitsubishi Mirage, a Honda Pilot and a Jeep Cherokee, police said.
Suzanne Belmore was writing some notes in her home office, which has large windows overlooking Astor Street, when she heard a loud bang and the scraping of metal. She looked out to see a car quickly switching from drive to reverse, repeatedly striking a vehicle in what she thought was a poor attempt to park.
Alarmed by the erratic behavior, she didn’t want to go outside. She yelled to a door attendant across the street to get a camera to get an image of the car’s license plate. She heard others screaming for someone to call police.
“I saw his front fender come off and thought, what if he keeps going and makes it onto Lake Shore Drive?” Belmore said Monday. “The whole neighborhood was out trying to deal with the situation. People poured out onto the street. I think everyone was very concerned he was going to hit someone.”
She said she felt thankful it happened on a Sunday night with so few people out because of the pandemic. Things could have been much worse, she said.
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“I was shocked. You don’t expect that. It was pretty clear to all of us who saw him that he could die, the way he was acting,” she said. “Thank God no one was killed. It’s a miracle that no one was killed.”
One of the vehicle owners on Monday had not yet been notified that her car was damaged. She didn’t receive a phone call from police or a towing company, she said, and only learned of the damage to her vehicle when contacted by a Tribune reporter.
The owner of a Mitsubishi Outlander, Shiri Nissim, had read an article about the incident first thing Monday and it piqued her concern. She lives in a northwest suburb and had loaned the SUV to her sister who lives in the city and regularly parks near Astor Street, Nissim said.
“I had sent her the article because I know she always parks on that street, so I asked her to go check the car, but she was busy on a Zoom call for work. Then I ended up getting a call from the tow company who told me that indeed my car was one of them that got hit,” Nissim said.
“It definitely looks totaled. But I feel fortunate, for him and everybody else, that there were no kids running around, that it didn’t happen at an earlier hour, that nobody was hurt,” she said as she drove to the city Monday to get the police report number to make an insurance claim. “The tow company thought that it was totaled, too. They said that this car was the second to worst of all the other damages.”
Nissim said her SUV was up on the curb, tires popped, with large dents in both the front and rear — damage that made her think it was hit more than once. She still has another vehicle, but her sister now finds herself without transportation, at least temporarily.
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“Luckily she’s downtown where things are more accessible than they are for me in the suburbs, but it’s definitely an inconvenience for her. … That’s certainly going to bring her stress around the holidays. And you know, cold weather is not the time to not have a car,” said Nissim, who was reassured that it wasn’t a hit-and-run and therefore should be a little easier when dealing with the insurance company.
But her family isn’t the only one she’s worried about.
“I feel bad for his family and the embarrassment that this must be causing them, but people just need to be really careful with driving. It’s just something that people don’t take seriously enough,” she said.
Moreno was arrested on May 14, 2019, and charged with insurance fraud, disorderly conduct, obstruction of justice and falsely reporting a vehicle stolen.
Liliya Hrabar said Moreno lent her the Audi, but he told police it had been stolen because he’d been unable to reach Hrabar after she borrowed it. Moreno allegedly contacted his insurance company in an attempt to make a $30,000 claim for the Audi.
Debris from damaged vehicles are seen along Astor Street in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago on Monday, Dec. 28, 2020. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune)
In reality, he handed over his keys and watched Hrabar drive away from his house, then texted her with a request not to smoke in the car, Assistant State’s Attorney Thomas Simpson said in court.
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Hrabar was later arrested when she was stopped while driving what officers believed was a stolen car.
Texts and phone records did not back up Moreno’s claim that he couldn’t get in touch with Hrabar, the prosecutor said. The charges against Hrabar were dropped by prosecutors, and police opened an investigation into a possible false police report.
Moreno faces as many as seven years in prison if convicted of the most serious offenses. He was released on his own recognizance when he appeared before Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr.
Moreno was represented in that case by Ald. Howard Brookins, which sparked an investigation of its own. Earlier this month, the Chicago Board of Ethics fined Brookins $5,000, asserting that representing a former colleague violated a city government ethics rule Mayor Lori Lightfoot pushed through last year.
Brookins did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and it wasn’t clear whether he still was representing Moreno.
In February 2019, Moreno — who had served as an alderman for nine years — lost his bid for reelection in his North Side ward to newcomer Daniel La Spata, who was backed by the Democratic Socialists of America.
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Moreno had been appointed to the City Council in 2010 by then-Mayor Richard M. Daley and elected the following year by a wide margin.
Belmore, one of the witnesses, praised the police response Sunday night as officers investigated and politely kept neighbors informed. She said her heart went out to all the people who awoke Monday to find their vehicles damaged or totaled.
“It’s just a very unfortunate situation. It’s very sad this person’s life is obviously a mess,” she said. “But he made his choices, right? No one made him do it.”
Nissim had a different outlook.
“It doesn’t sound good for him. So, despite everything, I wish him the best and I just hope that he gets the help that he needs,” she said.
Chicago Tribune reporters Megan Crepeau and John Byrne contributed.
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kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
jgorner@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews
Twitter @JeremyGorner


chicagotribune--2020-12-28--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital data in your area

Among the metrics ( see below ) tracked under guidelines set by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of @ @ @ @ @ , the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses , and the capacity of hospitals @ @ @ @ @ state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics @

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
To assess how different parts of Illinois are handling the COVID-19 pandemic, officials look at the state through the 11 regions of Emergency Medical Services. The city of Chicago is one region, for example, and the rest of Cook County is another.
Among the metrics (see below) tracked under guidelines set by Gov. J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of coronavirus tests that return positive, the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses, and the capacity of hospitals to take in new patients.The state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics. (Cases, deaths and tests data is as of Dec. 31).
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus.
• Other Chicago, suburbs and Illinois COVID-19 metrics.
• See how the governor’s plan to manage the regions works.
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health
Created by the Chicago Tribune dataviz team. On Twitter @chitribgraphics


chicagotribune--2020-12-28--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

Search below by street address , ZIP code or city , then click on the map to see the number @ @ @ @ @ .
The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or @ @

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
Illinois releases the number of positive COVID-19 cases by ZIP code daily. The map below shows the cumulative cases for each area as well as other analysis of the data.
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Tracking daily Illinois coronavirus deaths, cases and tests.
Search below by street address, ZIP code or city, then click on the map to see the number of confirmed and probable cases. The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer.
Data as of June 10.
The map search tool above works best in Chrome or Firefox and may not perform consistently in Internet Explorer.
Note: Because of a coding error this map was displaying the incorrect rates for new cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 people — the issue should now be resolved.. The Tribune adjusted the data shown on the map below to focus on new cases, those the state tracked in the last 7 seven days. The totals for the entire pandemic are still available, but in the pop-up after tapping or clicking on a ZIP.


chicagotribune--2020-12-28--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 105 new deaths, 4,453 new confirmed and probable cases and 51,046

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 105 new deaths, 4,453 new confirmed and probable cases and 51,046 new test results

Illinois announced 4,453 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Monday for a total of 942,362 .
The state also @ @ @ @ @ a total of 16,074 and 51,046 new test results for a total of 13 million @

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine tracked coronavirus cases, deaths and test totals from Jan. 22, 2020 through March 10, 2023, but is no longer providing this data. These charts will no longer be updated.
Check the Illinois Department of Public Health for the most up-to-date data for Illinois.
[ Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus ]
Can’t see these charts? Go here.


chicagotribune--2020-12-28--Flash floods, the warmest summer on record and 15 tornadoes spawned in one day: Chicago’s extreme we

Flash floods, the warmest summer on record and 15 tornadoes spawned in one day: Chicago’s extreme weather during 2020

“ It is not common for airplanes to induce snow , though it does happen under the right conditions .
@ @ @ @ @ source of rising motion , snowflakes develop when the air temperature is below roughly -10 @ @ @ @ @ .
When the air temperature is close to but not below those temperatures , we @ @ @ @ @ water droplets that easily freeze when shaken up or disturbed , such as when a @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not easy to sustain these sorts of conditions for long periods of time @ @ @ @ @ do occur , most areas actually see freezing drizzle ( as those water droplets fall @ @ @ @ @ icing as they fly through the cloud layer with the water droplets .
”

What an intense year it was — in weather.
“What sticks out to us was that we experienced many extremes,” Brett Borchardt, meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Chicago office, said after conferring with colleagues.
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Examples of this ferocity include:
Here is how 2020 unfolded, meteorologically.
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January: Flooding, warmth and airplane-produced snow
City worker Alonzo Owens takes pictures of waves crashing on East 73rd Street as his crew works to clear flooded South Shore Drive in Chicago on Jan. 11, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)
Notable events
Jan. 11: Major lakeshore flooding and erosion due to near record-high water levels in Lake Michigan.
Significant lakeshore flooding & immediate lakeside erosion WILL OCCUR today & this eve. The 14-18 ft waves along the northeast IL shore, including the Chicago shore, will be the highest in at least 2-3 years. Heed closure signs & stay away from the immediate shore. #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/tkm3dxH8Pz — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) January 11, 2020
Jan. 17-18: Two to 5 inches of snow blankets the area.
❄ Here is a look at snowfall totals across the area. ❄
Additional snowfall and freezing rain amounts can be found here: https://t.co/pdKetmMDuF pic.twitter.com/KIv04VMUWJ — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) January 18, 2020
Jan. 19: Meteorological winter (December-February) is, so far, one of the warmest on record.
Our "gee whiz" desk has been hard at work this morning crunching the stats on the 1st half of meteorological winter (Dec-Feb). Check out the "report card" on winter so far, we think you'll find it interesting. Spoiler alert: it's been one of the warmest on record! #ILWX #INWX pic.twitter.com/GdRNmb4poB — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) January 19, 2020
Jan. 26: The conditions are just right for airplanes to produce snow over Chicago.
“It is not common for airplanes to induce snow, though it does happen under the right conditions. Provided sufficient moisture and a source of rising motion, snowflakes develop when the air temperature is below roughly -10 °C (14 °F). When the air temperature is close to but not below those temperatures, we instead end up with little water droplets that easily freeze when shaken up or disturbed, such as when a plane flies by. It’s not easy to sustain these sorts of conditions for long periods of time. However, when they do occur, most areas actually see freezing drizzle (as those water droplets fall) and airplanes often experience icing as they fly through the cloud layer with the water droplets.” — Brett Borchardt, National Weather Service meteorologist
Light snow near Chicago? We think this is being caused by airplanes descending into O'hare and Midway airports this evening. Be warned: there's lots of science ahead in the attached graphic! #science #snow #ILwx pic.twitter.com/L1SFioO631 — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) January 27, 2020
February: A record high to below zero
Snow frozen on the plants in Humboldt Park in Chicago as the snow keeps coming on Feb. 13, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Notable events
Feb. 2: The sun returns after 11 consecutive days of clouds and the temperature reaches 52 degrees — a record high for the day — at O’Hare International Airport, the city’s official recording site.
To many, Sunday was a glorious weather day for early February, helped by the fact the past 11 days were overcast for much of the area. Unfortunately plenty of more clouds are ahead this week, but take a look at today's highs, including a record at Chicago (52°). #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/KgCAHoiKYH — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) February 3, 2020
Feb. 14: The temperature at O’Hare airport drops to below zero for the first time this winter. It’s also the coldest Valentine’s Day morning in 77 years.
Good subzero morning Chicago!
The official climate site at O'Hare International Airport has dropped below zero for the first time this winter.
Sure, the Windy City can get colder, but this is cold enough to cause frostbite concerns. Bundle up this morning! #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/N8okLQSGfq — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) February 14, 2020
December-February: Chicago experiences its 14th warmest recorded winter.
Overview of meteorological Winter (Dec-Feb) 2019-20. Temps averaged out well above normal, with near normal precip & below normal snowfall. For #Chicago, 14th warmest winter since 1871, while #Rockford tied 1982-83 for its 9th warmest winter. https://t.co/S7RWg3yg6c #ilwx #inwx pic.twitter.com/psiPmQR8QO — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) March 5, 2020
March: More flooding and a little snow
The lakefront near 5000 South Lake Shore Drive in Chicago as the waves crash against the shoreline on a cold and windy March 6, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Notable events
March 6: Significant lakeshore flooding.
Chris Corcoran, left, and Ed Keegan, both of Chicago, take in the view from 39th Street in Chicago as powerful waves are whipped up on Lake Michigan on March 6, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
March 22-23: More than 2 inches of heavy, wet snow falls at O’Hare.
Here is a look at yesterday's snow totals across NE Illinois and NW Indiana. Most areas received 1-3 inches, but some areas just southwest of the Chicago metro received up to 4-6 inches of snow! #ILwx #INwx
Additional snow reports can be found here: https://t.co/uNrfblfKZ3 pic.twitter.com/JFC0ZM1x0N — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) March 23, 2020
End of March: Monthly snowfall totals are below normal.
March 2020 snowfall was below normal at the official climate sites, though a portion of northern Illinois generally I-80 and south had above normal snowfall. This was driven by the March 22-23 moderate to heavy wet snow event. pic.twitter.com/jNqeAO7ISV — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) April 2, 2020
April: A dramatic hail event
Daffodils are weighed down by the snow in downtown Chicago as a mid-April snowfall blankets the Chicago area on April 15, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Notable events
April 3: Chicago’s first 70-degree day of 2020.
Here is a look at max temps today as observed at area airports and marine platforms. Temps around 70 were common away from Lake Michigan. This is Chicago's first 70F day since 10/10/19 and only slightly after the average date of the first 70F (last week of March). pic.twitter.com/TIFNIIL8OW — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) April 4, 2020
April 7: Chicago’s first 80-degree day of 2020 ends with a dramatic hail event.
Here's a map of radar-estimated hail swaths and a few of the largest hail reports across the area from the severe thunderstorms on April 7th. We're putting together more information about the storms on a webpage that will be made available in the coming days. pic.twitter.com/RhmwPZXCun — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) April 8, 2020
April 18: The previous day’s snow storm — which dumped almost 4 inches of snow at O’Hare Airport — is eclipsed by warmth.
❄☀ Snow-to-Warm Fact:
It's 58° in #Chicago, making today the warmest day immediately after a calendar day with 2+" of snow on record. Snow records go back to 1884.
Closest to this? Interestingly last April. The 14th saw 5.4" of snow, then 52° on the 15th (& 73° on the 16th). — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) April 18, 2020
April 28-30: Heavy rain leads to flooding of area rivers.
River flooding is ongoing across much of northern Illinois after significant rainfall over the past two days. Those with interest along area rivers can monitor the latest river forecasts and conditions here: https://t.co/J5ldACf0Oi pic.twitter.com/YtjJopSWo7 — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) April 30, 2020
May: Record rain and tornadoes
A woman wearing a face mask walks past an advertisement for the Chicago Women's Park and Gardens in the 1800 block of South Indiana Avenue on May 26, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Notable events
May 9: The temperature at O’Hare drops below freezing — the first time in 18 years that it’s done so this late in the spring.
If you were up early today & it felt like winter, you're right! Widespread freeze (<=32°), with hard freeze (<=28°) in many spots. Some sites might have had coldest May AM on record! For #Chicago (ORD), coldest since 5/3/2004 & coldest since 5/4/2005 in #Rockford. #ilwx #inwx pic.twitter.com/lxE5kiZaeJ — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) May 9, 2020
May 19: The month’s precipitation record is broken for the third time in three consecutive years.
Run-down of record rainfall on 3rd straight May in #Chicago (at ORD)
• 3rd straight new May record rain
• Wettest May week by nearly 3" over previous
• 4th wettest 4-day stretch on record
• Wettest & 5th wettest May days
Update to graphic by 6/1#RainRainGoAway #ilwx pic.twitter.com/sEikGHhSRx — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) May 20, 2020
May 23: Severe storms produce a few brief tornadoes.
Here's a map of severe weather reports from storms this afternoon and evening. Since the event was so widespread and prolonged, there likely are additional areas of wind damage, flooding, or large hail that are not represented here. We welcome any additional reports you may have! pic.twitter.com/MVE46khPoQ — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) May 24, 2020
June: Remnants of a tropical storm pass by
A double rainbow appears over the skyline after a rainstorm on June 26, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Notable events
June 2: The day’s record high temperature is broken when 94 degrees is recorded at O’Hare airport.
The day’s record high temperature is broken when 94 degrees is recorded at O’Hare airport. June 9: Remnants of Tropical Storm Cristobal pass over the area. It’s at least the 16th time since 1886 that Chicago has experienced heavy rain and flooding, strong winds and an occasional tornado due to remnants from tropical storms that have traveled northwest from the Atlantic Basin.
Tuesday saw gusty showers (little to no lightning) that brought scattered wind damage including in the Chicago area. There was also a brief tornado near Onarga, IL. This all was due in large part to the remnants of Tropical Storm Cristobal.
https://t.co/DsPX7PUFD2#ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/DGfUjJiQvz — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) June 10, 2020
June 26-27: Severe storms produce heavy rain and strong winds.
Severe storms produce heavy rain and strong winds. June 29: O’Hare airport records a heat index of 102°.
O’Hare airport records a heat index of 102°. June 30: A weak microburst is detected on weather radar.
Did you know we can detect weak microbursts from terminal radars located near O'Hare and Midway airports? Here's one that occurred earlier today near Lemont. Radar-estimated wind speeds of 35-40 mph occurred as cold air "splatted" down from the storm. #naturalAC #ilwx #inwx pic.twitter.com/Vw7tXa3MIw — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) June 30, 2020
July: Hot start to summer and a pulse storm
The sun sets behind Wrigley Field during the sixth inning of an opening day baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers, on July, 24, 2020, in Chicago. (David Banks/AP)
Notable events
July 5: It’s the 12th day of temperatures in the 90s or higher — more than twice the average year to date. The National Weather Service determines summer 2020 is off to the 7th hottest start on record.
Today #Chicago saw it's 12th 90° day of 2020, which is more than twice the avg YTD 90s thru July 5th. Several more 90° days are expected this week, keeping 2020 well ahead of avg, but still trailing solidly behind the very hot summer of 2012. Chicago avgs 16 90s/year #HeatWave pic.twitter.com/xVORxXK8K1 — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) July 5, 2020
July 26: A fast-developing storm with gusty winds and heavy rain, called a pulse storm, is captured on video.
A 52 mph wind gust was measured just offshore of Chicago with this tiny but potent storm! Additional gusty thunderstorms are possible later this evening so stay weather aware! https://t.co/KusU0SC1fh — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) July 26, 2020
End of the month: July 2020 is the fourth warmest on record in Chicago.
August: A derecho spawns tornadoes and summer temperature record
Neighbors with a hand saw clear a down tree blocking Kedzie Avenue in Logan Square on Monday, Aug. 10, 2020 after a large storm passed through the city. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Notable events
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Monday's event reminded us of the importance of being weather-ready and checking on the forecast. Preparedness and practice are important and allow for the right response in an efficient manner when weather threatens. Thanks again for sharing hazardous weather info! #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/sHcE0gFyIQ — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) August 12, 2020
(1/2) Here's a final map of all 15 (!) tornadoes that touched down during the 8/10/2020 derecho event. We also shaded areas where widespread straight line winds >75 mph likely occurred. Other pockets of enhanced straight-line wind damage likely happened outside the shading. pic.twitter.com/yp34Xs7It5 — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) August 13, 2020
End of the month: The sixth driest August on record ends the warmest summer on record in Chicago.
Meteorological summer concluded on 8/31, and this past summer ended as the warmest on record in Chicago with an avg temperature of 76.7 degrees & 6th warmest on record in Rockford with an avg temperature of 74.7 degrees. Both cities were also much drier this summer than normal. pic.twitter.com/3gGtGD9BD3 — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) September 2, 2020
September: Smoke from Western wildfires makes for hazy skies
A jet ascends from O'Hare International Airport in front of the setting sun, dimmed by smoke from Western states' wildfires, on Sept. 21, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Notable events
Sept. 13: It’s the eighth consecutive day of measurable precipitation.
ICYMI - A light rain shower dropped 0.02" at Chicago O'Hare Airport at about 3 AM this morning, marking today the 8th straight day of measurable precipitation! The last time we had 8 (or more) days in a row with precipitation was in 2018...and before that, 2013. #ilwx pic.twitter.com/xfBKFQlPkZ — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) September 13, 2020
Sept. 19: Smoke from wildfires in the West wafts into the Chicago area creating hazy skies and dramatic sunsets.
Late aftn satellite via @CODMeteorology shows smoke from western wildfires (hazy/milky color) overspreading NW IL. Smoke layer overhead Sunday, but at 10kft above ground, so no air quality issues, but milky color to sky. Sunsets should be picturesque next 2 evenings. #ilwx #inwx pic.twitter.com/iaDxKyIGzN — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) September 19, 2020
October: A teeny, tiny bit of snow
Alpacas left to right: Ventania, 19, Chach'ella, 13, and Lady Talbot, 14, peer our from the barn in the snowfall at J4 Alpacas farm on Oct. 26, 2020 in Bull Valley. They are Suri alpacas. The farm was founded in 1996 by the Morgan family. They are currently winding down their farm and have just 7 alpacas left, but at one time they had 85 alpacas living on the farm. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Notable event
Oct. 26: First snow of the season, but it’s not measurable.
Today brought the first ❄of the season to Chicago, with a trace observed at O'Hare, and some suburbs even saw a few tenths.
Checking the stats, it's indeed right about that time of year for the Windy City's first snow.
More snow climatology: https://t.co/Q98tlnKD0d #ILwx pic.twitter.com/Z2XuiGcfFM — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) October 26, 2020
November: Warm temperatures, extraordinary wind
Benjamin Scaffer-Dowling, 3, plays in autumn leaves on Nov. 7, 2020, while talking a walk with his mother, Jessica Schaffer, and aunt Ayalmesh Stonys in their neighborhood in Chicago. Schaffer said, “It’s a beautiful weather, and the election results came through. So we decided to celebrate and have some fun.” (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Notable events
Nov. 4-10: Seven consecutive days of temperature highs in the 70s make the stretch the latest in the year that it’s been that warm. The warm weather is pushed out by a powerful cold front, which brings severe storms and strong winds to Chicago. DeKalb and Kane counties experience EF-0 tornadoes.
Nov. 15: Chicago is experiencing an extraordinarily windy fall.
Has it been extra windy this autumn? 🤔
Numbers say...yes! For the past 5 weeks in Chicago & surrounding areas:
• Over half the days had 30+ mph gusts
• Over a quarter of days had 40+ mph gusts
• 3 days with 50+ mph, 2 just this past week!
#TheWINDYCity is trending! #ILwx pic.twitter.com/30V8WhG6g1 — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) November 15, 2020
Nov. 24: O’Hare airport records its first measurable snowfall of the season — 0.7 inches.
Select snowfall total reports from this AM:#Rockford: 1.7"
NWS Chicago (Romeoville): 1.5"
3 mi. SW of Midway: 0.8"#Chicago-O'Hare: 0.7"
If you measured snow before it started to melt, we'd appreciate your reports. Please include your location. Thanks! #ilwx #inwx — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) November 24, 2020
December: Clouds block view of planets
Aidan Fitzpatrick walks with her dog Lucy near the lighthouse at Loyola Beach as high waves batter the lakeshore in Chicago on Dec. 12, 2020. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Notable events
Officially, Happy Meteorological Winter! ❄ This season runs from Dec-Feb and better aligns with the temperature cycle.
More: https://t.co/sAKpByrcID
Chicago normals:
Dec
Hi: 35° Lo: 21° Snow: 8.2"
Jan
Hi: 31° Lo: 17° Snow: 10.8"
Feb
Hi: 35° Lo: 20° Snow: 9.1"#ILwx #INwx — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) December 1, 2020
Dec. 21: Cloudy skies prevent people in Chicago from viewing the alignment of Jupiter and Saturn on the winter solstice.
[530 pm Mon 12/21] Unfortunately, low clouds across northern IL and northwest IN will block our view of the 'Great' Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn this evening, as they set around 645 pm CST. Areas farther south will have a good view however. pic.twitter.com/zuwzY7CBlm — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) December 21, 2020
What to expect this winter
Borchardt says the outlook for the new year predicts a higher chance of above average precipitation than average or below — but cautioned that this does not necessarily mean more snow for our area. Temperature-wise, he says there are currently no signs that it will be either much colder or much warmer than an average winter.
“At any rate, Chicago winters will always include warm stretches and cold stretches, as well as periods of accumulating snow, no matter the year,” Borchardt said.
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(National Weather Service Chicago)
Sources: National Weather Service; Chicago Tribune reporting, archives and photos


chicagotribune--2020-12-28--Watch live: Lightfoot, Arwady give update on city’s COVID-19 vaccination plan

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will join Dr. Allison Arwady to provide an update on the city ’ s COVID-19 vaccine @ @ @ @ @ latest coronavirus updates here .

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chicagotribune--2020-12-28--Two men sought after exchange of gunfire with Chicago police on South Side.  No injuries reported

Bown said she did not have information about how many shots were fired or whether the two men drove off @ @ @ @ @ statement said only that the men were not arrested but a weapon was recovered .
@ @ @ @ @ kind of weapon or where it was found or whether the gunfire picked up by @ @ @ @ @ gun .

Chicago police were searching for two men after gunfire was exchanged with officers in the Washington Park neighborhood on the South Side late Sunday, authorities said.
An officer drew his weapon and shot at least once toward one of the men who had shot at him and his partner, according to a preliminary statement from the department. No one was injured.
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Officers work the scene where shots were fired at police in the 5100 block of South Prairie Avenue on Dec. 27, 2020 in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
The officers had responded to an alert from a ShotSpotter detector around 10:15 p.m. in the 5100 block of South Prairie Avenue, authorities said. They saw two men in a “dark-colored SUV,” but police spokeswoman Sally Bown said it wasn’t clear from the report whether the car was parked.
The officers “approached the male passenger” and he “fired in the direction of the officers,” according to the statement. “An officer returned fire but did not strike the offender.”
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Bown said she did not have information about how many shots were fired or whether the two men drove off in the SUV. The statement said only that the men were not arrested but a weapon was recovered. Police did not say what kind of weapon or where it was found or whether the gunfire picked up by the ShotSpotter came from the gun.
Police did not release a detailed description of the men.
The shooting remains under investigation. Bown said she did not have information about whether the officer would be placed on administrative duty as a result of the shooting.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-12-28--First major winter storm to hit Chicago area this week: Snow and ice Tuesday through Wednesday, then

First major winter storm to hit Chicago area this week: Snow and ice Tuesday through Wednesday, then maybe another round on New Year’s Eve.

The storm late Tuesday is expected to see its worst winds , which could reach up to 25 mph , @ @ @ @ @ but it should be followed by warmer air .
“ So the threat of icing @ @ @ @ @ for most of the area , ” according to the weather service .

Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas, Kelli Smith

It’s been a historically snowless winter in Chicago, but that’s expected to change this week when the area gets hit with its first major storm of the season that could bring several inches of snow, along with freezing rain that could pull down power lines.
The National Weather Service is forecasting snow in parts of northern Illinois beginning Tuesday afternoon and into Wednesday. Another system may bring more winter weather later in the week, according to meteorologists.
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A man rides a bicycle along the Lakefront Trail in Chicago on Oct. 26, 2020. The day marked the first snow of the season. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune)
“Snow is expected to develop over the area Tuesday afternoon and continue into the evening before gradually changing to a wintry mix, including freezing rain, from south to north during the late evening and overnight hours,” the weather service reported. “The potential combination of ice and snow accumulations may create hazardous travel across the area.”
After a quiet and cool Monday, snow is expected to spread over the area Tuesday PM, transitioning to a wintry mix/freezing rain overnight possibly causing travel impacts. Another round of wintry precip may return New Year's Eve night. Stay up to date with the latest forecasts! pic.twitter.com/WLmHgMKUip — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) December 28, 2020
There’s a danger of power outages “from the combined effects of heavy wet snow, some icing and gusty winds,” it said.
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The forecast shows much of Chicago could see about 1.5 inches of snow while northern parts of the city around the Evanston area could get up to 3 inches, according to Brian Leatherwood, a meteorologist with the weather service.
Far northwest suburbs toward the Rockford area could get about 5.5 inches heading into Wednesday, Leatherwood added. “North of I-80, they’re going to continue to see that mixture of freezing rain, possibly, and then some ice pellets, sleet-type situations.”
With just 0.9 inches of snow this year, 2020 ranks behind just six other winters since 1884 that have had less snow by this point, meteorologists said. Normally, Chicago gets around 8 inches of snow in December.
“There has been a clear lack of (snow) in northern Illinois and most of northwest Indiana thus far this winter,” the weather service said on Twitter. “Through today for Chicago, this is a top 10 quietest start for both snowfall and snow cover.”
The winter storm will be the first major one this season in the Chicago area, according to Leatherwood, who said it is “very unusual” for it to occur so late in the year.
He said a “La Nina situation” has developed that could mean normal to less-than-normal precipitation, potentially making for a milder winter.
While wintry precipitation is forecast this week, there has been a clear lack of ❄ in northern Illinois and most of northwest Indiana thus far this winter. Through today for Chicago, this is a top ten quietest start for both snowfall and snow cover.#ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/XUaOOiYeGE — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) December 28, 2020
“That’s the big picture,” Leatherwood said. “Certainly we could still have a low-pressure system come through and do like this one’s going to do.”
The storm late Tuesday is expected to see its worst winds, which could reach up to 25 mph, heading into Wednesday morning, but it should be followed by warmer air. “So the threat of icing should diminish during the day for most of the area,” according to the weather service.
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A daytime high of 44 degrees is expected Wednesday, but the relative warmth may be short-lived. By late Wednesday and into Thursday, New Year’s Eve, the low is expected to drop to the midteens, forecasters said.
With the coronavirus pandemic, health officials have warned against holiday travel, including for New Year’s Eve celebrations. Meteorologists say the bad weather is another good reason for Chicagoans to stay in.
“Another round of accumulating wintry precipitation is possible again Thursday night and New Year’s Day. Stay up to date with the latest forecasts as both of these systems get closer,” the weather service wrote.
Hazardous travel conditions are possible Tuesday PM into Wednesday AM. Snow develops over the area late Tue then gradually changes to a wintry mix, including freezing rain overnight. Warmer air moves in on Wed helping end the icing threat during the day for most areas #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/SsyNR93XDu — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) December 28, 2020
It was too soon to say how much snow may fall Thursday but forecasters warned conditions could be slick, further deteriorating travel conditions throughout northern Illinois and northwest Indiana.
“There looks like there could be another potential system on Friday that may not be pleasant,” Leatherwood said. “It may be more of a rain event but we’re still trying to wrap our arms around that.”
For more weather stories visit the Tribune’s weather page.
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kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--Donnie Kirksey, Chicago basketball legend, dies at 57 of complications related to COVID-19

“ Whether it was kids , a coach that needed something for their kids or the coach needed something for @ @ @ @ @ count on him to get involved and try to help you out where he could @ @ @ @ @ adding that losing Kirksey was “ like taking a little chink out of the armor @ @ @ @ @ .

To many Chicagoans who knew him, Donnie Kirksey was a Hall of Famer in every sense of the word.
He was officially recognized as such through accolades in the Chicago Public League, the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association and in many basketball circles in the state. But the title also extended to a personal level for many of the coaches, students and friends who knew him.
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“He’s legendary, but he’s a Hall-of-Fame person and human being,” said Tom Kleinschmidt, 47, head basketball coach at DePaul College Prep who was friends with Kirksey for more than 30 years.
Kirksey, 57, died Monday of complications related to COVID-19, which he had been battling for a few weeks. He was the dean of students and head basketball coach at his alma mater Chicago Vocational Career Academy, but friends say his legacy extended far beyond his most recent position.
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Kirksey was a mentor to hundreds of basketball students in the Chicago area, including former NBA players Juwan Howard and Eddy Curry. Throughout his decades in the region, he coached at various local high schools and universities, including Hyde Park Academy High School, Percy Julian High School, Chicago State University, the University of Illinois at Chicago and DePaul University.
“Donnie’s fingerprints are all over Chicagoland basketball,” Kleinschmidt said. “He is a true legend in the state and in the city. And he’s been in the game, and even when he wasn’t necessarily coaching, he still had his hands all over the landscape of Chicago basketball.”
Then-Hyde Park Academy head coach Donnie Kirksey during a game in Chicago on Jan. 12, 2010. (Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune))
Throughout the day Monday, scores of people took to social media to write tributes to Kirksey. In a letter to the school community, Vocational principal Douglas Maclin called him a Chicago Public Schools giant “who will be sorely missed.”
“DK was a father figure to so many Cavaliers,” Maclin wrote. “He had Cavalier pride like no other and was honored to return to his alma mater to share his talents.”
Kleinschmidt said he last spoke to Kirksey on Saturday, and Kirksey had seemed scared about his condition but in good spirits. His death came as a surprise to many coaches and friends since he hadn’t talked much about the COVID-19 diagnosis.
“There’s not often that people do things for you and don’t want something in return,” Kleinschmidt said. “Donnie didn’t want anything in return. He genuinely wanted to see you achieve success.”
Kirksey worked hard on his relationships and had an incredible ability to follow up with the people, according to Al Biancalana, head basketball coach at Glenbard East High School who worked with Kirksey at UIC for about five years.
“He would remember peoples’ names from 10 years ago and see someone for the first time in a decade and all of a sudden he would make that person feel like they had just spoken yesterday,” Biancalana said.
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Donnie Kirksey, seen here as coach of Hyde Park Academy in 2010, coached at various local high schools and universities in the state. (Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune)
Biancalana said he had spoken with Kirksey about 10 days before he died. He remembered Kirksey’s ability to guide youth to the right path through brutal honesty when necessary, particularly for those who “had so many avenues in which to maybe take a wrong direction.”
“He was there to pick them up, to support them and to really stay on them to continue on the right path,” Biancalana said. “I think that that was one of his true gifts.”
Kirksey’s heart and soul was in coaching and mentoring high school kids, but he also helped many coaches and was “the conscience” of the Chicago Public League, said Vince Carter, former basketball coach at Von Steuben High School.
“Whether it was kids, a coach that needed something for their kids or the coach needed something for personal reasons, you could count on him to get involved and try to help you out where he could,” Carter said, adding that losing Kirksey was “like taking a little chink out of the armor” of local coaching associations.
Beyond basketball, Kirksey was passionate about his family and involved at church. Carter said he was regarded as someone who wasn’t afraid to tell people when he thought something they did was wrong, and he remained consistent in who he was and in his mentorship to hundreds.
“You always got the same Donnie,” Carter said. “You got the same person all the time.”
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kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Sunday was busiest day at U.S. airports since pandemic took hold in

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Sunday was busiest day at U.S. airports since pandemic took hold in mid-March

Illinois ’ largest rodents are in city lagoons , rivers and streams .
They ’ re on Instagram and TikTok @ @ @ @ @ and at other times a welcomed presence , beavers have found respite all over the @ @ @ @ @ when they were wiped out by hunters by the early 1900s — and a sign @ @ @ @ @ possibilities have long been on the upswing .
Now they ’ re making their last @ @ @ @ @ in to shore up their lodges and stock up on food .

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Laquitta Boyd, holds her 6-year-old daughter Venisha while receiving her first COVID-19 vaccination at a back-to-school health fair hosted by RUSH University Medical Center at the Salvation Army Freedom Center on July 30, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Travelers heading to Chicago from Wisconsin can now bypass the 10-day quarantine by receiving a negative COVID-19 test result before coming into the city.
Illinois’ neighbor to the north was bumped down from the most severe “red” designation under Chicago’s travel order to “orange,” effective Friday, according to the city’s travel order website. But 10 other states moved up from orange to red, which mandates a 10-day quarantine for travelers returning to Chicago from those states.
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On Tuesday, state health officials announced 5,644 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 105 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 948,006 and the statewide death toll to 16,179 since the start of the pandemic.
Additionally, Chicago’s public health commissioner received the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday morning at Malcolm X College as part of a wave of non-hospital health care workers now eligible for the shot.
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Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate is back in session today, one day after the Democrat-led U.S. House voted overwhelmingly to increase COVID-19 relief checks to $2,000. The outcome is the GOP-controlled Senate is uncertain.
Here’s what’s happening Tuesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
4:50 p.m.: COVID-19 Q&A: Am I eligible to get the vaccine if I’m out of state? When will vaccine testing begin for those 16 and younger? Coronavirus questions answered.
I am in the high-risk category for COVID-19. I’m an Illinois resident but out of state for the next six months. Am I eligible to receive the vaccine in the state I am visiting?
According to Dr. Kevin Most, a board-certified physician in family medicine and chief medical officer and senior vice president for medical affairs at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, the issue is going to hinge on whether the reader has a physician who will identify her as being high risk.
”We’re getting to this 1B, 1C rollout, where we’re starting to take care of people over the age of 75 — that’s easily done with a driver’s license,” he said. “Those between the ages of 16 and 64 in that 2B (rollout) with complications or vulnerabilities — that certainly is going to take a physician to identify you as having diabetes or COPD. We’re making sure we vaccinate people in the right stratification regardless of where they’re at. I can’t speak for whatever state she’s in, but you would hope that if she has proof that she falls into what would be the 1C category, that they would honor that. When she’s back here, the vaccine should be out to the general public.”
Read more questions and answers here. – Darcel Rockett
3:41 p.m.: About 2,000 CPS staff members due back at school Monday asked for COVID-19 accommodations. Most were denied.
Seven thousand teachers and staff are due to report to Chicago Public Schools buildings Monday, but the district has denied accommodations or leave to the majority of educators who applied — particularly those who said a household member is vulnerable to COVID-19.
A CPS spokeswoman Tuesday said the district will provide weekly COVID-19 testing for those who live with high-risk household members and is working to provide exemptions to employees who serve as primary caregivers for individuals with a medical condition.
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But a lawyer for the Chicago Teachers Union, which has repeatedly criticized the district’s reopening plan and threatened “collective action,” said the numbers show that many educators are being forced to choose between their safety and livelihood and that many cannot afford to sacrifice their jobs. Most of those permitted to take leave are doing so without pay, CTU Deputy General Counsel Thad Goodchild said.
”CPS has denied about 60% of the leave and accommodations requests of our members to which they responded, even as CPS has a back-load of hundreds of requests to which they’ve failed to respond,” he said in a written statement. Read more here. — Elyssa Cherney
3:03 p.m.: Tribune critic Phil Vettel reflects on a terrible year for Chicago restaurants — and the inspired ways some adapted to survive
If one had deliberately set out to destroy the region’s restaurant industry, one could hardly have done more damage than the events of 2020 managed to accomplish.
An indoor-dining ban in the spring forced Chicago restaurants to adapt to a carryout and delivery model, taking on the expense of purchasing disposable containers and surrendering a big chunk of their profits to third-party delivery services. Outdoor dining returned in the summer, followed by indoor dining — at 25% capacity. Then, in fall, indoor dining was banned yet again.
I’m not about to argue that these measures, intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus, were at all unnecessary. But the restrictions resulted in hundreds of layoffs, and federal/state assistance proved to be meager at best as far as restaurants were concerned.
The wonder is not how many restaurants we lost in 2020; it’s that any restaurants are left. Read more here. — Phil Vettel
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2:08 p.m.: ‘It just took her so fast,’ says mom of Lincoln-Way East senior who died from COVID-19 infection
Just days before Christmas, 18-year-old Sarah Simental, a senior at Lincoln-Way East High School, complained to her mom of suffering from a mild headache and congestion.
“We thought it was a cold,” her mom, Deborah Simental, said Tuesday.
This past Sunday, surrounded by her family, the Tinley Park teen who loved animals and volunteered at a pet rescue died at the University of Chicago Medical Center, with COVID-19 having brought on respiratory failure.
Read more here. —Mike Nolan, Daily Southtown
2 p.m.: Coronavirus at Illinois long-term care facilities: 62,600 confirmed cases and 7,910 deaths
The Illinois Department of Public Health is releasing information on COVID-19 tied to long-term care facilities in Illinois. The data shows outbreaks have occurred at 1,473 long-term care facilities in 94 counties. Of those, 1,001 facilities have an “active” outbreak, defined as a positive test result in the past 28 days. In all, 62,600 confirmed cases can be tied to long-term care facilities, with 7,910 deaths, as of Dec. 25.
—Chicago Tribune staff
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12:09 p.m.: 5,644 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 106 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Tuesday announced 5,644 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 105 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 948,006 and the statewide death toll to 16,179 since the start of the pandemic.
Officials also reported 66,786 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide rolling positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests was 7.4% for the period ending Monday.
—Chicago Tribune staff
11:31 a.m.: Wisconsin removed from ‘red’ tier states in Chicago travel order, negative COVID-19 test needed to avoid quarantine
Travelers heading to Chicago from Wisconsin can now bypass the 10-day quarantine by receiving a negative COVID-19 test result before coming into the city.
Illinois’ neighbor to the north was bumped down from the most severe “red” designation under Chicago’s travel order to “orange,” effective Friday, according to the city’s travel order website. But 10 other states moved up from orange to red, which mandates a 10-day quarantine for travelers returning to Chicago from those states.
Chicago’s public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said this New Year’s Eve, people should avoid gatherings and nonessential travel — and that it’s not too late to change plans to accommodate a COVID-safe holiday.
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”This is not a year for gathering,” Arwady said during a news conference. “The bottom line is that still COVID is absolutely surging across the U.S., and you should delay travel if at all possible.”
As of Friday, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia and will be added to the red tier. Alaska, Connecticut, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming and will move down to the orange designation. Only Vermont and Hawaii will not be under any additional restrictions.
Read more here. —Alice Yin
11:14 a.m.: With ‘no hesitation,’ Chicago’s health commissioner gets Pfizer shot at new Malcolm X College mass vaccination site for non-hospital health care workers
Chicago’s public health commissioner received the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday morning at Malcolm X College as part of a wave of non-hospital health care workers now eligible for the shot.
Dr. Allison Arwady, who heads Chicago’s public health department, rolled up her sleeve for the Pfizer vaccine at the Near West Side campus, where the city has set up a makeshift mass vaccination site for health care workers. Wearing a black “Protect Chicago” mask, Arwady sat down and said she was ready for her first dose of the vaccine.
After the shot in her left arm, Arwady waited in the chair for about 15 minutes in order to monitor any side effects. But she said she felt invigorated that after almost a year of serving as Chicago’s authoritative voice on all things COVID-19, she was able to publicly be part of the vaccination effort that will be crucial in bringing the city back to normal.
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“I’m wonderful,” Arwady said when asked whether she felt OK. “Honestly, can’t even feel it. I’m so pleased right now.”
Read more here. —Alice Yin
10:29 a.m.: Fate of $2,000 payments now rests with GOP’s Senate, which meets today
President Donald Trump’s push for $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks now rests with the Senate after the House voted overwhelmingly to meet the president’s demand to increase the $600 stipends, but Republicans have shown little interest in boosting spending.
The outcome is highly uncertain heading into Tuesday’s session. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has declined to publicly address how he plans to handle the issue. But Democrats, sharing a rare priority with Trump, have seized on the opportunity to force Republicans into a difficult vote of either backing or defying the outgoing president.
After bipartisan approval by the House, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned, “There is no good reason for Senate Republicans to stand in the way.”
Read more here. —Associated Press
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6 a.m.: After outbreak of COVID-19 in the spring, changes at Ludeman Center in Park Forest kept resurgence numbers down, officials say
What began as a health emergency at a state-operated development center in Park Forest has become a managed situation, according to two state legislators.
Although still serious, cases of COVID-19 at the Ludeman Center are down significantly from their peak in April, said state Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, 21% of staff and 77% of residents at the Ludeman Center had confirmed cases of the virus, according to state data.
In May, challenges at the Ludeman Center included too few employees to manage such a massive viral outbreak and a lack of personal protective equipment for staff members exposed to contagious residents.
Intervention and assistance from state health agencies helped get the situation under control, according to DeLuca, who said shortly before Christmas, 12 residents and 20 staff of the Ludeman Center had COVID-19.
“There’s one resident who’s in the hospital, but I’m told she has underlying health conditions,” DeLuca said. “As of now, there are no issues with staffing and no issues with PPE.”
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Read more here. —Carole Sharwarko, Daily Southtown
5 a.m.: Donnie Kirksey, Chicago basketball legend, dies at 57 of complications related to COVID-19
To many Chicagoans who knew him, Donnie Kirksey was a Hall of Famer in every sense of the word.
He was officially recognized as such through accolades in the Chicago Public League, the Illinois Basketball Coach/es Association and in many basketball circles in the state. But the title also extended to a personal level for many of the coaches, students and friends who knew him.
Hyde Park Academy head coach Donnie Kirksey in 2010. (Scott Strazzante / Chicago Tribune)
“He’s legendary, but he’s a Hall-of-Fame person and human being,” said Tom Kleinschmidt, 47, head basketball coach at DePaul College Prep who was friends with Kirksey for more than 30 years.
Kirksey, 57, died Monday of complications related to COVID-19, which he had been battling for a few weeks. He was the dean of students and head basketball coach at his alma mater Chicago Vocational Career Academy, but friends say his legacy extended far beyond his most recent position.
Read more here. —Kelli Smith
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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 6 A beaver swims through a lagoon on the Northwestern campus in Evanston on Dec. 24, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois’ largest rodents are in city lagoons, rivers and streams. Now, they’re on Instagram and TikTok, thanks to pandemic-weary Chicagoans.
Among the more humble recipients of our longer walks and affinity for nature during the pandemic: beavers.
On recent mornings, shortly before and after sunrise, small groups of people have traveled to a bridge on the Northwestern University campus in Evanston. Some leave willow branches. For the beavers.
“They’ve got this whole following,” said Tamar Selch, who stops by regularly with her husband, Zach. “They’re very cute. And how often do you really get to see beavers out there?”
Illinois’ largest rodents are in city lagoons, rivers and streams. They’re on Instagram and TikTok. Sometimes a nuisance, and at other times a welcomed presence, beavers have found respite all over the state, a switch from when they were wiped out by hunters by the early 1900s — and a sign that water quality and habitat possibilities have long been on the upswing. Now they’re making their last push as the cold sets in to shore up their lodges and stock up on food.
And offering another reminder of what we notice when we spend more time outdoors.
Read more here. —Morgan Greene
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chicagotribune--2020-12-29--Daywatch: COVID-19 vaccinations begin in Chicago’s nursing homes, real estate predictions for 2021 a

Daywatch: COVID-19 vaccinations begin in Chicago’s nursing homes, real estate predictions for 2021 and Illinois rodents make social media splash

Good morning, Chicago. Illinois health officials on Monday announced 4,453 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 105 additional fatalities. In Chicago, the seven-day average test positivity rate has dropped to 8%.
Meanwhile, it’s been a historically snowless winter in Chicago, but that’s expected to change this week. With snow on its way, here are the best removal products for winter weather.
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Here’s more coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
For your smart speaker | Join our COVID-19 Facebook group | More newsletters | Puzzles & Games
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Symphony 87th Street skilled nursing facility resident Victor Murray receives the Moderna COVID vaccine from CVS pharmacist Kevin Chau on Dec. 28, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
At Symphony 87th Street, a skilled nursing facility on Chicago’s South Side, employees and residents on Monday were among the first nursing home patients and workers in the city to receive the COVID-19 vaccine shots. It marked another milestone in the city’s fight against COVID-19 as its vaccine campaign, which began this month with hospital workers, extended to long-term care facilities and outpatient clinics.
Symphony was one of eight long-term care centers in Chicago that began inoculations on Monday. Another 26 are slated to begin vaccinations later this week, city officials said. Eventually, the vaccine will be rolled out to all 128 facilities in the city.
The U.S. Capitol is seen on Dec. 24, 2020, in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
The House voted overwhelmingly Monday to increase COVID-19 relief checks to $2,000, meeting President Donald Trump’s demand for bigger payments and sending the bill to the GOP-controlled Senate, where the outcome is highly uncertain.
Democrats led passage, 275-134, their majority favoring additional assistance, but dozens of Republicans suddenly joined in approval. While Democrats favored bigger checks, Congress had settled on smaller $600 payments in a compromise over the big year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law. The president’s GOP allies opposed more spending and Trump’s push puts them in a difficult spot.
House votes to override Trump’s veto of defense bill
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, 42, represents a sprawling exurban and rural district that stretches from Rockford down to the Indiana border. (Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag)
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who represents a sprawling exurban and rural district that stretches from Rockford down to the Indiana border, has been virtually alone among members of his party in readily criticizing some of President Donald Trump’s most egregious statements and proposals on social media and in national cable newscasts.
With the Chicago skyline in the background, a person runs through Lincoln Park in Chicago, which saw unseasonably warm weather on Dec. 9, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
What will 2021 bring? Most urgently, real estate experts say the new year can’t be discussed without a focus on evictions. Others predict the continuation of other pandemic-related trends, like the shift toward roomier suburban living and increased demand for spaces for wellness, outdoor areas and short-term leases.
Beavers make their home on the Northwestern University campus. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois’ largest rodents are in city lagoons, rivers and streams. They’re on Instagram and TikTok. Sometimes a nuisance, and at other times a welcomed presence, beavers have found respite all over the state, a switch from when they were wiped out by hunters by the early 1900s — and a sign that water quality and habitat possibilities have long been on the upswing. Now they’re making their last push as the cold sets in to shore up their lodges and stock up on food.


chicagotribune--2020-12-29--Rep. Adam Kinzinger has battled Trump and his fellow Republicans. In deep blue Illinois, could that

Rep. Adam Kinzinger has battled Trump and his fellow Republicans. In deep blue Illinois, could that be a strategy for higher office?

“ The idea is if you spend your whole life and just make money and take vitamins and stuff , @ @ @ @ @ I think it ’ s the same thing with politics , which is the tighter @ @ @ @ @ philosophy of ) ‘ I absolutely must be reelected and so I ’ m going @ @ @ @ @ one group and not the other , ’ ” he said .
“ I think @ @ @ @ @ more likely to lose , but you ’ re definitely going to lose your purpose @ @ @ @ @ as a public servant ) in the first place .
”

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger speaks on Dec. 19, 2022, during the last hearing of the house select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty)
When U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger was asked recently what it means to be a Republican in the era of President Donald Trump, the fifth-term congressman from Channahon chuckled, then turned serious.
“I still hold that being a Republican in general means supporting national defense and smaller government. What does it mean today? I mean, in the state we’re in, I really don’t know,” Kinzinger said.
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“This is a moment in which what used to be in is out and what used to be out is in. Really, (what) the Republican movement seems to be at the moment — and I think it’s momentary — is just kind of ‘own the libs, own the left,’” he said. “We’ve kind of become unmoored from that original view of conservatism.”
Kinzinger, 42, who represents a sprawling exurban and rural district that stretches from Rockford down to the Indiana border, has been virtually alone among members of his party in readily criticizing some of Trump’s most egregious statements and proposals on social media and in national cable newscasts.
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He was the only one of the state’s five GOP members not named by the Trump campaign to co-chair his efforts in Illinois.
It got to the point that in early December, Kinzinger tweeted, “Time to delete your account” to the president after Trump delivered what he called the “most important speech” of his presidency, a 46-minute diatribe filled with baseless claims of election fraud in his Nov. 3 loss to former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., talks with reporters after the House Republican Conference meeting in the Capitol on Nov. 29, 2017. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call)
More recently, Kinzinger tweeted the day after Christmas that Trump and “other congressional grifters” touting efforts to challenge the Electoral College proclamation in Congress on Jan. 6 were part of a “scam” to raise money and gain followers even though they know they will be unsuccessful.
He accused Trump of “trying to burn the place down on the way out because you can’t handle losing” and throwing a “temper tantrum and crazy conspiracies.” He added “#RestoreOurGOP.”
All this talk about Jan 6th from @realDonaldTrump and other congressional grifters is simply explained: they will raise money and gain followers by blaming everyone else knowing full well they can’t do anything. It’s sad, and an utter scam. #restoreourgop — Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) December 26, 2020
Appearing on CNN on Sunday, Kinzinger said he fears that when Biden is inaugurated, Trump supporters will try to convince people that Congress and anti-Trump Republicans are to blame for failing to get the election results overturned.
Kinzinger has also mocked some of his GOP House colleagues as Trump sycophants.
When Trump met on Dec. 21 with Reps. Matt Gaetz of Florida, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Louie Gohmert of Texas, Mo Brooks of Alabama and Rep.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia about possible ways to overturn Biden’s victory, Kinzinger weighed in with a tweet that called the gathering a “mutual admiration society meeting.”
Greene, a promoter of wild and widely dismissed conspiracy theories including those alleging secret government involvement in a child-sex ring, has responded to Kinzinger’s tweets with her own: “How does it feel to be quote tweeted with resounding approval by Democrats & Progressives while you call yourself ‘Republican’ & say #RestoreOurGOP? 75+ million ‘grifters’ know @realDonaldTrump’s election was stolen.”
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Traditionally, Illinois Republicans who have had success statewide have been more centrist. Kinzinger’s willingness to take on his own party has prompted speculation that he is positioning himself for higher office — perhaps a run against Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker or Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth in 2022.
But Kinzinger, a former Air Force pilot and Iraq War veteran who still serves in the Air National Guard, said he’s “not doing this to set myself up to run statewide.”
“I’m not going to rule anything out. But it’s really not anything I’m planning,” he said.
Kinzinger was elected to the House in 2010, getting support from tea party groups in defeating Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson of Crete. His victory thrust him into rising-star status in the national Republican Party establishment.
To be sure, Kinzinger has voted in support of Trump-backed legislation more than 92% of the time, according to a vote tracker run by FiveThirtyEight.com.
But Kinzinger has sought to place the focus on his willingness to confront Trump’s divisive politics and the direction the president has taken the Republican Party as the nation’s political divisions continue to grow, fueled by social media.
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Adam Kinzinger, congressman-elect from the 11th Congressional District of Illinois, reads his email as he walks along Michigan Avenue during visits to Chicago television stations the day after his election night victory on Nov. 3, 2010. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
“I really think the greatest threat to the country is the division in our politics right now. We can’t have grown-up discussions. Twitter isn’t real life, but it’s a glimpse of people unmasked and you see calls to violence. That’s frightening,” Kinzinger said.
“I wonder if we’re catching onto what’s happening with regards to social media and radicalization? I wonder if we’re catching on too late. Is the horse out of the barn? It’s not going to be something that is solved by politicians,” he said.
“I think we need to have a real look at the internet and consider, does this cross into yelling fire in a crowded theater versus free speech? There is a movement of people waking up to what’s happening. Is it big enough? I don’t know.”
His decision to take on Trump and the president’s congressional allies reflects not only the navigational skills, politically, of a pilot who flew five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also a bit of the ego and self-confidence required of such tasks.
“If you look at my election results, I outperformed Trump by like 13 points in my district,” said Kinzinger, who defeated Democrat Dani Brzozowski 65% to 35%.
“I think it still shows that people who maybe think I’m not supporting Trump enough, they do believe that I believe what I’m saying. And those who may not agree with my positions believe that I believe what I’m saying, and I still think that has some currency.”
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Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., shows an image of chemical weapons victims in Syria during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing Sept. 4, 2013. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
So why are his colleagues so reluctant to call out the president? Self-preservation, he said, likening it to what he says is the biblical principle and “probably a philosophical principle, too, of, ‘The tighter you hold onto your life, the more apt you are to lose it.’”
“The idea is if you spend your whole life and just make money and take vitamins and stuff, what is really gained? I think it’s the same thing with politics, which is the tighter you hold onto this (philosophy of) ‘I absolutely must be reelected and so I’m going to tippy toe and placate one group and not the other,’” he said. “I think then you’re actually more likely to lose, but you’re definitely going to lose your purpose for why you started (as a public servant) in the first place.”
While he discounts Twitter as a source, he’s also well aware of its power as a communication tool.
“If I attack Trump, obviously then the masses on Twitter, which too many people think is reality, they’ll attack me,” he said. “And then if I turn around and support a strong border, which I believe in, then people will start tweeting, ‘Man, we thought you were different but you’re nothing more than a Trump bootlicker.’ I can handle that.”
As for the future of the Republican Party, he points to gains the GOP has made among African Americans and Latinos as a hopeful sign. At the same time, he also points to the failure of Republican efforts among younger people, a problem that he said could be “terminal” as they have turned against the GOP.
With a Democratic administration, a narrow Democratic majority in the House and a closely divided Senate, Kinzinger said he expects gridlock but also opportunity.
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“Biden, there’ll be a lot I’ll disagree with him on, and I’m going to be fair and call him out. But Biden’s not a knee-jerk leftist, so for me I think the next two years there is an opportunity, such as working on infrastructure,” he said.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., attends a House Foreign Affairs Committee markup in Rayburn Building on July 29, 2020. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call)
In 2022, Kinzinger faces a year in which Illinois’ congressional districts will be redrawn by Democrats to reflect the outcome of this year’s census — amid predictions that one or possibly two of the state’s 18 House seats will be eliminated.
In the 2012 redistricting, Kinzinger was mapped together with Republican U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, leading to a bitter contest that Kinzinger won.
If he’s mapped in with another Republican again, Kinzinger said it could have an impact on what he decides for his own political future. “But I’m telling you the honest-to-God’s truth, I’m just not worrying about it because it’s in God’s hands and the Democrats’. I’ll deal with what they give me.”
Still, he looks to 2022 as a potential Republican year in Illinois with an out-of-office Trump a vastly diminished electoral factor.
“If I think I can get through a primary and win, and I’d be good at the job, I’d certainly entertain whatever that is,” Kinzinger said.
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chicagotribune--2020-12-28--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened Dec. 28 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

A bruising year in the food industry is giving way to optimism that the lessons learned will make for a @ @ @ @ @ other food producers that pivoted their business models to find new revenue streams are making @ @ @ @ @ .
Grocery stores are adapting to consumers ’ embrace of online food shopping .
And @ @ @ @ @ of their industry are expected to come roaring back into the waiting arms of a @ @ @ @ @ .

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Laquitta Boyd, holds her 6-year-old daughter Venisha while receiving her first COVID-19 vaccination at a back-to-school health fair hosted by RUSH University Medical Center at the Salvation Army Freedom Center on July 30, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago officials on Monday began distributing vaccines to long-term medical care facilities and outpatient clinics, marking another milestone in the city’s fight against COVID-19, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.
Meanwhile, Illinois health officials on Monday announced 4,453 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 105 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 942,362 and the statewide death toll to 16,074 since the start of the pandemic.
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On the COVID-19 relief front, President Donald Trump has now signed a $2 trillion-plus COVID-19 and annual federal spending package providing relief for millions of Americans, even as Congress returns to confront the White House on remaining priorities in a rare end-of-session showdown.
On Monday, the Democratic-led House voted to boost the $600 payments to $2,000, sending a new bill to the Senate. There, Republicans have the majority but reject more spending and are likely to defeat the effort.
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Here’s a look at what’s in the COVID-19 stimulus package that Trump signed.
Here’s what’s happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
5:07 p.m.: House approves Trump’s $2,000 relief checks, sending to GOP-led Senate
The House voted Monday to increase COVID-19 relief checks to $2,000, meeting President Donald Trump’s demand for bigger payments and sending the bill to the GOP-controlled Senate, where the outcome is uncertain.
Democrats led passage, 275-134, their majority favoring additional assistance. They had settled for smaller $600 payments in a compromise with Republicans over the big year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law.
The vote divides Republicans who mostly resist more spending. But many House Republicans joined in support, despite being wary of bucking the president. Senators are set to return to session Tuesday to consider the measure. Read more here. — Associated Press
2:42 p.m.: Chicago distributes COVID-19 vaccines to long-term medical care facilities, outpatient clinics
Chicago officials on Monday began distributing vaccines to long-term medical care facilities and outpatient clinics, marking another milestone in the city’s fight against COVID-19, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot and public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady announced the latest stage in vaccine distribution during a news conference at Esperanza Health Center on the Southwest Side. While highlighting the event’s significance, Lightfoot and Arwady also warned residents against becoming complacent or letting down their guard against the virus as widespread distribution of the vaccine remains months away.
And, they said, part of the city’s Latino community continues to struggle with higher case rates.
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”We cannot afford to let more Chicagoans, our neighbors, get sick and die because of risky and irresponsible behavior,” Lightfoot said.
Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
2:35 p.m.: Novavax starting final stage of testing for its COVID-19 vaccine
The Maryland biotech Novavax is starting a final, so-called Phase 3 clinical trial in the United States and Mexico for its experimental coronavirus vaccine, the company announced Monday.
The little-known firm, which has never brought a vaccine to market before, received up to $1.6 billion from the federal government’s Operation Warp Speed this summer to expedite development. The company reported robust results in earlier phases of its trial, showing that the vaccine prompted strong immune responses in monkeys and people.
Read more here. —The New York Times
12:05 p.m.: 4,453 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 105 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Monday announced 4,453 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 105 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 942,362 and the statewide death toll to 16,074 since the start of the pandemic.
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Officials also reported 51,046 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide rolling positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests was 7.2% for the period ending Sunday.
—Chicago Tribune staff
11:26 a.m.: House Democrats to vote on $2,000 relief checks that Trump demanded
Shelving his objections, President Donald Trump has signed a $2 trillion-plus COVID-19 and annual federal spending package providing relief for millions of Americans, even as Congress returns to confront the White House on remaining priorities in a rare end-of-session showdown.
Trump appears to have accomplished little, if anything, from the days of drama over his refusal to accept the sweeping bipartisan deal. While the president’s demands for larger $2,000 pandemic relief checks seem destined to fail, his push served up a political opportunity for Democrats, who support the larger stipends and are forcing Trump’s Republican allies into a tough spot.
On Monday, the Democratic-led House is set to vote to boost the $600 payments to $2,000, sending a new bill to the Senate. There, Republicans have the majority but reject more spending and are likely to defeat the effort.
Read more here. —Associated Press
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10:25 a.m.: As COVID-19 surges in US, gun violence, killings also see a spike in large and small cities
In Detroit, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and even smaller Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Milwaukee, 2020 has been deadly not only because of the pandemic, but because gun violence is spiking.
Authorities and some experts say there is no one clear-cut reason for the spike. They instead point to social and economic upheaval caused by the COVID-19 virus, public sentiment toward police following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody and a historic shortage of jobs and resources in poorer communities as contributing factors. It’s happening in cities large and small, Democrat and Republican-led.
”I think the pandemic — COVID — has had a significant emotional impact on people across the country,” Detroit Police Chief James Craig said. “Individuals are not processing how they manage disputes. Whether domestics, arguments, disputes over drugs, there’s this quickness to use an illegally carried firearm.”
About 7,000 guns had been seized through mid-December in Detroit, with more than 5,500 arrests for illegal guns. There were 2,797 similar arrests last year.
”I’ve not seen a spike like this. But when it’s happening in other cities — some smaller — what do we all have in common?” Craig said of the slayings and shootings. “That’s when you start thinking about COVID.”
Read more here. —Associated Press
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6 a.m.: A nightmare year for Chicago restaurants and food suppliers may have permanently altered how and what we eat
A bruising year in the food industry is giving way to optimism that the lessons learned will make for a stronger 2021. Farmers and other food producers that pivoted their business models to find new revenue streams are making some of those changes permanent. Grocery stores are adapting to consumers’ embrace of online food shopping. And restaurants that survive the wreckage of their industry are expected to come roaring back into the waiting arms of a public desperate to go out.
Purely Meat Co., a commercial butcher in Chicago’s West Humboldt Park neighborhood that supplies mostly high-end restaurants, saw sales plummet 75% when the state banned indoor dining in March. It halted plans to expand into a 35,000-square-foot facility purchased late last year and more than double its current footprint, and let go of many of its 60 employees.
The company created a website to sell Purely Meat’s products directly to consumers, and soon it became a major part of the business. The company’s drivers deliver cases of vacuum-sealed, freezer-ready prime cuts to people’s suburban doorsteps rather than the city’s swank downtown restaurants. Going into 2021 it plans to help restaurants sell branded products to consumers as well.
Purely Meat plans to maintain its new consumer business even as it prepares for a midsummer restaurant rebound, owner Joseph Musillami said. The company also introduced seasoned meats, improved worker training and figured out how to run the business more efficiently. It has recaptured 70% of its usual sales and has 40 employees working.
Read more here. —Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
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chicagotribune--2020-12-30--Additional charges filed against Aurora couple accused of forced labor involving two children

Santos Teodoro Ac-Salazar , 24 , and Olga Choc Laj , 31 , have been charged in federal court with @ @ @ @ @ and shield from detection the two children , one who was 15 years old and @ @ @ @ @ old when they entered the United States in 2019 , according to an indictment returned @ @ @ @ @ Chicago .

Additional criminal charges have been filed against an Aurora couple who are accused of forcing two undocumented Guatemalan children to provide labor and services for the couple’s financial gain.
Santos Teodoro Ac-Salazar, 24, and Olga Choc Laj, 31, have been charged in federal court with conspiracy to conceal, harbor and shield from detection the two children, one who was 15 years old and the other approximately 10 years old when they entered the United States in 2019, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
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The indictment also charges the couple with individual harboring counts in connection with both children, a forced labor charge relating to the younger child and a forced labor charge that was previously filed earlier this year in connection with the older child, officials said.
Ac-Salazer and Choc Laj are currently in custody. Arraignments are scheduled for Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. David Weisman in U.S. District Court in Chicago, according to officials.
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According to the indictment, Ac-Salazar and Choc Laj are Guatemalan citizens who are accused of using smugglers and third parties to locate the children in Guatemala as the children with whom the pair would unlawfully enter into the U.S., officials said.
Once in the U.S., Ac-Salazar and Choc Laj allegedly kept the victims in a home in Aurora, officials said, by failing to enroll them in school, prohibiting them from leaving the home except in limited circumstances and instructing them to provide false information to others, including law enforcement officials.
Ac-Salazar and Choc Laj also are accused of forcing the victims to provide labor and services for the couple’s financial gain, according to officials.


chicagotribune--2020-12-30--Forecasters warn of poor visibility as first major winter storm hits Chicago area: ‘We’re expecting

Forecasters warn of poor visibility as first major winter storm hits Chicago area: ‘We’re expecting conditions to get bad very, very quick’

“ This initial wave that comes in will last for two to three hours , and the rate of snowfall @ @ @ @ @ 2 inches per hour , ” Kluber said .
“ So as far as snow @ @ @ @ @ re looking at the potential in the far northwest suburbs of 3 to 5 inches @ @ @ @ @ ’ Hare we ’ re looking at 2 to 4 inches by the same time @ @ @ @ @ as a whole , anywhere from 1 to 4 inches with the highest totals on @ @ @ @ @

Chicago was hit with its first major winter storm Tuesday evening, and the National Weather Service was warning of near-zero visibility with several inches of snow forecast across the Chicago area.
“One thing we’re trying to stress is that the snow will fall heavily at onset. So basically it’ll go from no snow to potentially brief near-zero visibility,” said Todd Kluber, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “Because of that, we’re expecting conditions to get bad very, very quick. Accumulations will occur very quickly, and surfaces will be covered quickly.”
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Most of northern Illinois is expected to get at least an inch of snow from the storm, though areas to the north and west of Chicago could see as much as 7 inches from the season’s first major snowfall. Elgin and portions of Lake County could see the greatest amount of snowfall, Kluber added.
More than 3 inches had fallen in Chicago as of 6 p.m., the weather service said.
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People walk through the snow on Lincoln Avenue in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on Dec. 29, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Kluber said meteorologists tracking the storm across Iowa said the rate of snowfall has been so heavy — dropping as much as 2 inches each hour — visibility has been practically zero within 15 minutes of the first snowflakes falling.
Travelers should be aware that conditions will rapidly diminish; it will be both difficult to see and the roads will fast be blanketed in snow. Kluber said there could be an added danger on the roads since for most drivers, this will be the first time they’re driving in snow this season.
“Some suburbs have had snow, but this is really the first more significant winter event for most of the metro area. And it’s going to be kind of a big first hit,” he said.
A winter storm warning is in effect for the far north suburbs until noon Wednesday, according to the weather service. A winter weather advisory was issued for areas closer to Chicago until 9 a.m. Wednesday, including Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle and Will counties.
Snow begins to fall in the late afternoon in the Avondale and Logan Square neighborhoods on Dec. 29, 2020, in Chicago. (Chicago Tribune)
“This initial wave that comes in will last for two to three hours, and the rate of snowfall will be 1 to briefly 2 inches per hour,” Kluber said. “So as far as snow totals go, we’re looking at the potential in the far northwest suburbs of 3 to 5 inches by mid-evening. At O’Hare we’re looking at 2 to 4 inches by the same time, and for the city as a whole, anywhere from 1 to 4 inches with the highest totals on the Northwest Side.”
As the storm moves through, the Chicago area could be pelted with everything from snow, sleet, rain, ice and a wintry mix.
“The common theme that will occur is precipitation starting off as snow, then changing over to sleet and freezing rain overnight Tuesday before changing over to rain Wednesday morning and potentially changing over to light snow on Wednesday afternoon before ending,” the weather service said.
Forecasters expect the snow to give way to freezing rain for much of the area, including Chicago, about midnight with most of the heavy snowfall wrapping up about 7 p.m. Temperatures will remain below freezing overnight but will begin to warm slightly around daybreak, when precipitation likely will turn to rain. Kluber said it may still be raining during the Wednesday morning commute.
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Local and state transportation departments had been preparing for slippery road conditions and warning about the dangerous periods of sharply reduced visibility early to mid-evening.
Not only will the snowfall be “heavy” and “wet,” but because it also likely will be coated with ice, forecasters are warning the accumulation will be particularly difficult to shovel.
Here is a look at forecast onset time of snow later today. It won't take long (<1 hr) for snow to become heavy after onset. This is especially true along/north of I-80. This is why travel will become hazardous. Expect it to look like the photo in this graphic by early eve! pic.twitter.com/WUOGrtWr6v — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) December 29, 2020
One-tenth to two-tenths of an inch of ice could form, Kluber said, which means it will approach a level that begins to cause tree limbs to break under the additional weight. That’s a recipe for power outages because, along with the danger from wind gusts as strong as 30 mph, broken branches can land on power lines, he said.
“We’re not expecting quite enough ice to cause a lot of widespread problems, but adding it on top of the snow we’re going to get, it’ll make for a pretty sloppy night,” he said.
Warmer air will move through Wednesday, with a daytime high of about 40 expected. The rain and warmer temperatures should be enough to melt some of the snow, but by about 1 p.m. the temperature should drop precipitously.
“The cold air starts to filter back in, and then whatever’s not melted will start to refreeze again,” he said. The temperature should drop to the low teens Wednesday overnight into Thursday.
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Then, forecasters said a second system could hit the area later Thursday night, New Year’s Eve.
“It looks like we’ll get another notable system in here, so sort of back to back,” Kluber said.
It was too soon to say how much additional snowfall may fall in that storm, but Kluber said it will again begin as snow and soon switch over to sleet and freezing rain.
The snow should actually begin to fall right around the time Chicagoans are singing “Auld Lang Syne” or sharing a holiday kiss. Kluber said the snow will be short-lived, however.
“For that event as a whole, the freezing rain component is going to be the main story,” he said.
Check back for updates and visit the Tribune’s weather page for more information.
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The Tribune’s Jessica Villagomez contributed.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-12-30--Chicago finally gets snow

Chicago finally gets snow

This year has been a lot — and Chicago Tribune photographers have been there to cover it all .
The @ @ @ @ @ United Center .
Cubs and White Sox spring training in Arizona .
Conference women 's @ @ @ @ @ DePaul .
The canceled Big Ten men 's basketball tournament in Indianapolis .
Wrigley Field @ @ @ @ @ .
A virtual Chicago Marathon around the city .
Baseball returned to the city as @ @ @ @ @ The Bears — and their 2 quarterbacks — took the field amid a pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ as an Election Day polling site .
And hey , remember the Bulls ?
Take @ @ @ @ @ memory lane as we say goodbye to 2020 .

Ruben Torres shovels snow from in front of an office building along Golf Road on Dec. 30, 2020, in Schaumburg. Torres said it was his first time working out in the snow and that with the mix of snow and then rain, "My jacket is wet and the snow is very heavy." (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)


chicagotribune--2020-12-30--Police mum on shootings, stabbings reported this week in Elgin, Carpentersville and West Dundee

A male victim was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries but police would not say how old the @ @ @ @ @ he lives in , how many times he was shot , whether he remains hospitalized @ @ @ @ @ his assailant , what might have provoked the shooting or if it was a random @ @

Three violent crimes — believed to be two stabbings and a shooting — were reported Sunday and Monday in Elgin, Carpentersville and West Dundee but few details have been released by the local police departments.
In the first incident, Elgin officers were called to the 300 block of Bent Street about 10:30 a.m. Sunday on a report of a shooting.
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An adult male was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries, a news release said.
However, the police department refused to provide the victim’s age or hometown, how many times they were shot, if they remain hospitalized, what provoked the shooting, if more than one person was involved, if the victim knew the shooter, if it was a random incident, possibly gang-related or tied to a shooting that occurred early Friday morning.
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Police were equally mum on that shooting, which occurred about 5 a.m. in the 700 block of Logan Avenue, an Elgin Police Department Facebook post said.
A male victim was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries but police would not say how old the victim is, what town he lives in, how many times he was shot, whether he remains hospitalized, if the victim knew his assailant, what might have provoked the shooting or if it was a random attack.
In the West Dundee incident, a police news release said a person was in custody for a stabbing that occurred about 7:30 p.m. Sunday in a parking lot in the 600 block of Edwards Avenue.
Victor Dittavong, 35, of the 600 block of Edwards Avenue, West Dundee, was arrested on three counts of felony aggravated battery, the release said.
When contacted, police refused to provide the age or hometown of the victim, how many times he was stabbed, if he was hospitalized, if the parking lot was outside Dittavong’s home, what connection the victim might have had to the suspect or what might have instigated the fight.
The only details police would confirm is the victim was male and his injuries not life-threatening.
Dittavong is being held in the Kane County jail in lieu of $25,000 bail. His next court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 4.
The Carpentersville incident was described as a shooting/stabbing that occurred about 4:30 p.m. Monday in the 3100 block of Merrywell Court.
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Two men were found at the location with injuries and taken to a local hospital for treatment, police said. A suspect has been identified and is being sought so there’s no threat the public, police said.
No information was released on the victims’ ages or home towns, if they were stabbed or shot, if they remain hospitalized, how they know their assailant, if the suspect is a local person, what might have provoked the attack and if the suspect was also injured.
A message put out on IPN911.net described the incident as someone being stabbed in the arm and chest.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.