chicagotribune--2020-05-27--Federal regulations. Financing challenges. And now coronavirus. How the pandemic could upend efforts

Federal regulations. Financing challenges. And now coronavirus. How the pandemic could upend efforts to diversify the state’s marijuana industry.

To foster opportunities for entrepreneurs of color to break into an industry that has seen sales of about $ 147.5 @ @ @ @ @ in the first four months , the state ’ s recreational marijuana law laid out @ @ @ @ @ But now the COVID-19 pandemic could threaten some startups ’ efforts to diversify the largely @ @ @ @ @ out of time and money .

Nakisha Hobbs (cq) and her business partners will be out at least $50,000 if they don't win one of the 40 marijuana craft grow licenses up for grabs in Illinois, seen here in Douglas Park in Chicago on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. coronavirus, COVID-19 The money is coming from their own pockets, and the longer the coronavirus pandemic delays the application process, the higher that figure will climb. They've already paid a landlord $25,000 to hold a property in Schaumburg where they want to open their facility. They'll have to pay him $5,000 more each month for him to hold it past July 1. The state has delayed application deadlines for the licenses, and Hobbs worries they'll delay the awarding of them, too. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Opening a marijuana business has never been easy.
The industry is highly regulated. Weed is still illegal under federal law, which makes it harder for companies to land financing. And finding a site can be difficult and expensive because the rules on where a cannabis business can locate vary wildly from town to town.
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To foster opportunities for entrepreneurs of color to break into an industry that has seen sales of about $147.5 million of recreational weed just in the first four months, the state’s recreational marijuana law laid out specific social equity rules. But now the COVID-19 pandemic could threaten some startups’ efforts to diversify the largely white-owned industry as they run out of time and money.
Nakisha Hobbs is one of the social equity applicants starting to get nervous. Those applicants either must have a marijuana-related arrest on their record, live in an area disproportionately affected by the war on drugs or meet another qualification.
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“We’ve been basically using our life savings,” said Hobbs, who applied with her business partners to open a growing facility in Schaumburg and a dispensary they hope to locate in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. “The potential for it to be delayed, delayed, delayed — that gives me anxiety.”
Under the law, ventures applying for growing licenses had to secure a property in advance. That means many of those applicants are making rent or mortgage payments for properties they can’t use while they wait to hear whether they’ve been awarded a license.
That includes Hobbs’ group, which looked at roughly 40 properties before finding one in Schaumburg. The location was not Hobbs’ first choice. The North Lawndale resident wanted to establish the business in her own community, creating jobs and developing the local economy.
After searching in vain for a properly zoned warehouse in the city, Hobbs looked in some south and western suburbs. Many had not established zoning rules for marijuana businesses, but Schaumburg was ready.
Hobbs and her partners paid a landlord $50,000 — only half of which is refundable — to hold a warehouse until July 1, when the state is set to award 40 craft grower licenses. The recipients of those licenses will be the first businesses allowed to grow marijuana in the state outside of the 21 cultivation facilities licensed through the state’s medical cannabis program.
But the state pushed back the application deadline for craft grower licenses by 1½ months because of the pandemic, and Hobbs is worried the awarding of licenses will be delayed too. The state was supposed to award 75 dispensary licenses May 1, but that has been delayed until Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s disaster proclamations end, or the state picks another date.
Hobbs’ group must pay an additional $5,000 per month to hold the property past July 1, she said.
“We may be in a position where we lose the property,” she said. “We already decided we cannot pay more money to hold a property we don’t even know if we can use.”
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Social equity applicants get additional points on their scored applications to operate marijuana businesses, and some financial assistance from the state, including access to low-interest loans and discounted application fees.
Some established marijuana companies also offer assistance. For example, Hobbs received help with applications and application fees from Cresco Labs.
But those avenues of assistance rarely cover the full costs of getting a marijuana business up and running. Access to traditional credit lines is limited, and social equity applicants often must find investors — a difficult task without a license in hand — or bankroll efforts themselves.
“We tried the investor pitches," but nothing concrete materialized, said Kareem Adewole of Chicago’s Ashburn neighborhood who applied for a craft grower license with his wife, Kara. “I guess these people, they’re just in really high places that we can’t even reach.”
The couple qualify as social equity applicants and are using their own funds to start the business. It hasn’t been easy. They recently bought their first home and had their first child too.
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The couple signed a letter of intent to lease a warehouse in the Little Village neighborhood if they win a license. The 20,000-square-foot building would need to be renovated — including new plumbing, new walls and upgraded electrical systems — to house a marijuana growing operation.
Adewole said the letter of intent, rather than a lease, will be a saving grace. “We knew we didn’t have $50,000 to pay five months’ rent in advance for something that’s not guaranteed,” he said. “We didn’t have that money to just throw away.”
Other social equity applicants, however, have struggled to find sites.
Very few buildings in Chicago are suitable for a growing facility, in part because of how hard it is to replicate marijuana growing conditions usually found outdoors, said Dina Rollman, senior vice president for government and regulatory affairs at Green Thumb Industries. The Chicago-based cannabis company counseled social equity applicants on their applications.
There were bidding wars on some properties, and some applicants decided before the pandemic to buy land and build their own facility.
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“But then it’s the complication of knowing that they have to build a new building from the ground up in a very limited amount of time,” she said. “The statute requires that you be operational within six months of the license award … so I think most applicants have a strong preference for finding an existing building.”
Social equity applicants looking for property in Chicago to open a marijuana business already were facing a “costly and cumbersome" zoning change process, Edie Moore, executive director of marijuana reform nonprofit Chicago NORML, wrote in a letter last month to the Chicago City Council’s Black Caucus.
Moore said she expects the real estate problems also will affect the winners of 75 dispensary licenses. While craft grower applicants were required to show they had secured a property for their venture, dispensary applicants were not and have yet to go through that process.
Because marijuana was legal in the state for medicinal use first, medical cannabis companies got a head start in Illinois’ industry. Those companies were allowed to start selling to recreational customers when sales started Jan. 1. But the companies haven’t been without trials recently.
The coronavirus pandemic has delayed new dispensary openings, and capital markets, which had already cooled toward marijuana companies, have become shakier. Deals have fallen through, including an $850 million plan to buy Chicago marijuana company Verano Holdings, and Cresco’s proposed $283 million acquisition of a company that operates dispensaries in Arizona and Nevada.
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Dr. Lawrence Hatchett, an African American urologist in Marion, Illinois, said the pandemic will further hinder social equity applicants’ ability to break into the market and compete with those larger, established operators.
Hatchett lives in an area that qualifies him as a social equity applicant. He is the majority owner of a group that applied for 10 dispensary and two grower licenses, and said he has already personally invested about $175,000 into the venture.
“Almost all of us have seen a contraction of our cash flow due to the pandemic,” he said. “... We’re funding this. … We actually are looking at this as people who live in this area that are trying to create jobs.”
amarotti@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @AllyMarotti


chicagotribune--2020-05-27--Woman seriously wounded among three shot  Wednesday on Northwest, Far South sides

Shortly after 9 a.m. , a 17-year-old boy was walking in the 3100 block of North Laramie Avenue in the @ @ @ @ @ approached with two people inside .
Police said someone opened fire , striking the boy @ @ @ @ @ He also was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center where his condition was stabilized .

An 18-year-old woman left in serious condition, was among three people wounded in shootings Wednesday on the Far South and Northwest sides, Chicago police said.
The latest attack happened shortly before 12:30 p.m. in the South Deering neighborhood in the 10600 block of South Torrence Avenue. A male victim suffered a wound to the shoulder, and was taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital where his condition was stabilized, police said.
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The victim’s exact age was not immediately available.
Earlier Wednesday, an 18-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy were wounded in separate drive-by shootings.
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Shortly after 5 a.m., the woman was driving in the 4400 block of West Irving Park Road in the Old Irving Park neighborhood, when another vehicle began honking, then pulled along side and opened fire in her direction, said police.
The young woman suffered a wound to the right side of the head, and was taken in serious condition to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
Shortly after 9 a.m., a 17-year-old boy was walking in the 3100 block of North Laramie Avenue in the Cragin neighborhood when a vehicle approached with two people inside. Police said someone opened fire, striking the boy twice in the buttocks. He also was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center where his condition was stabilized.
No one was in custody and detectives were investigating.


chicagotribune--2020-05-27--Watch live: Gov. J.B. Pritzker and health officials discuss Illinois coronavirus cases

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker and state health officials are scheduled to provide an update on the coronavirus in Illinois at @ @ @ @ @ the latest coronavirus updates here .

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chicagotribune--2020-05-27--More businesses are opening up in Illinois Friday: Tell us about your plans

With much of Illinois — the big exception is the city of Chicago — moving to phase three of Gov @ @ @ @ @ plan to reopen the state , more businesses will be open for consumers .
Restaurants @ @ @ @ @ salons , nonessential retail .

With much of Illinois — the big exception is the city of Chicago — moving to phase three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to reopen the state, more businesses will be open for consumers. Restaurants and bars, gyms, salons, nonessential retail.
What do you plan to do Friday and this weekend? We would love to hear your plans and what you’re thinking about as you make them.
Fill out the survey below to let us know.


chicagotribune--2020-05-27--Chicago restaurants test COVID-19 surcharges as costs mount, but customer backlash forces one to ret

Chicago restaurants test COVID-19 surcharges as costs mount, but customer backlash forces one to retreat

A slight uptick could have the restaurant breaking even on the new format , but that ’ s largely due @ @ @ @ @ costs — staffing , energy bills and reduced inventory — that come with being closed @ @ @ @ @ said .
For now , the takeout orders allow them to pay some bills , @ @ @ @ @ people ’ s minds .

The painful arithmetic of making up lost revenue for Chicago-area restaurants will not abate in June — even if reopening plans move forward in the coming month — but some makeshift solutions are drawing ire from already shrunken customer bases.
Lettuce Entertain You, the city’s largest restaurant group with 85 restaurants across Chicagoland, recently added a 4% surcharge to delivery and carryout orders. Its dozens of eateries range from the high-end RPM Steak and French bistro Mon Ami Gabi to casual joints like Bub City.
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“These fees are a necessary step during a time when unanticipated costs have jeopardized the survival of our business,” company president R.J. Melman said in an emailed statement. Melman said the surcharge helps cover the expenses like personal protective equipment for employees and “absorbing the greatest increase in food pricing since 1974.”
Meanwhile, backlash on social media forced the Lakeview-based Harold’s Chicken on Broadway to pull back on a surcharge the same day it was announced mid-May. Customers posted photos of their receipts, highlighting the 26% COVID-19 surcharge, and left one-star reviews on Yelp complaining of the practice.
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Restaurant industry experts, does this image of a Lakeview Harold's Chicken receipt w/ a 26% "Covid 19" tax circulating on social media appear to be real or fabricated? (Personally I wouldn't mind paying a surcharge if it supports employees.)https://t.co/Q4z3baXKgx @chicagobars pic.twitter.com/jiNHIo6Vam — John Greenfield (@greenfieldjohn) May 17, 2020
Hours later, the restaurant bowed to the pressure and said it would remove the surcharge.
“We have listened to our customers and apologize for any discomfort we have caused anyone,” the restaurant said in a Facebook post. “We are in this together and will survive together.”
The restaurant did not respond to a request for comment.
Boka Restaurant Group is adding 3% to purchases for health and medical benefits for full-time workers through the Tock ordering platform. Its restaurants include Swift & Sons, Momotaro, GT Prime and Stephanie Izard’s Girl and the Goat-ceries, which offers meal kits, baked goods and pantry items.
Boka did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Others have held off on adding such fees. In Andersonville, the relatively new Gadabout restaurant closed completely when the stay-at-home order went into effect in late March. With the help of a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan, Gadabout began offering takeout and delivery two weeks ago, said co-owner James Bateman.
The management team completely overhauled its polished menu of global street foods by fine-dining alums Rolf and Meg Pedersen, shifting from dishes like pork belly kimchi stew and pan-roasted monkfish to a global passport menu with a national theme that changes weekly. The $40 meals feed two people, and the restaurant will offer prizes at the end of the eight-week series for repeat customers.
“We’re not necessarily bringing in the kind of revenue that’s going to pay all the bills, but we want to make sure we’re staying relevant,” Bateman said. “So we think we’re offering a really good product for a competitive price.”
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A slight uptick could have the restaurant breaking even on the new format, but that’s largely due to the drop in overhead costs — staffing, energy bills and reduced inventory — that come with being closed for in-house dining, he said. For now, the takeout orders allow them to pay some bills, while keeping the restaurant on people’s minds.
“We were one of the lucky ones; we got the PPP loan,” he said. “That helped us keep the lights on.”
Bateman said he briefly considered implementing a surcharge, but instead made sure to price the special takeout and delivery menus to cover coronavirus-related costs like pricier food products.
“This is a situation that is affecting everybody, and I don’t think adding extra fees is the way to go,” Bateman said. “We’re costing our (menu) as aggressively as possible to incentivize people to order from us — and order from us often.”
For customers who want to help further, Bateman said Gadabout’s merchandise and tip pool are ways to contribute.
“I don’t want to do anything that would give anybody a thought that we might be trying to take advantage of the situation or throw on fees that aren’t necessarily explained,” he said. “I felt this was the better way to do things.”
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archeung@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-27--Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus

As the number of deaths attributable to COVID-19 ticks upward , the Tribune is working to chronicle those who have @ @ @ @ @ Chicago area or who have connections to our region .
These are some of those @ @

They were mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. Many were proud grandparents. Two were sisters from a tight-knit South Side family. All were loved, relatives say, and will be forever missed.
As the number of deaths attributable to COVID-19 ticks upward, the Tribune is working to chronicle those who have lost their lives in the Chicago area or who have connections to our region. These are some of those victims.
If you know of someone or would like to offer a remembrance of someone please share your information here. To file a death notice, go here.
Subscribe to the Chicago Tribune: Our mission is to deliver trusted and meaningful local news. Your support allows us to continue providing the award-winning, watchdog and in-depth journalism our community deserves. Subscribe here.


chicagotribune--2020-05-27--Four months of closures on Jane Byrne starts Monday as reconstruction continues

The state started rebuilding the interchange — the juncture of the Eisenhower , Kennedy and Dan Ryan expressways west of @ @ @ @ @ 2013 .
The construction project was initially scheduled to be completed in 2018 but is @ @ @ @ @ in 2022 .

Work continues on the Jane Byrne Interchange in downtown Chicago on April 3, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Prolonged lane closures and traffic detours are scheduled for an estimated four months as reconstruction continues on the Jane Byrne Interchange.
The ramp for eastbound traffic on the Eisenhower Expressway heading north on the Kennedy Expressway (Interstate 90/94) toward Wisconsin will be closing for an estimated four months starting June 1, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
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While closed, the bridge over the Kennedy will undergo reconstruction to add a lane to “improve capacity and safety,” IDOT said.
The Taylor Street entrance ramp and bridge will be temporarily closed to all other vehicles and will be used exclusively for detoured traffic, IDOT said.
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The state started rebuilding the interchange — the juncture of the Eisenhower, Kennedy and Dan Ryan expressways west of the Loop — in late 2013. The construction project was initially scheduled to be completed in 2018 but is now set to be finished in 2022.


chicagotribune--2020-05-27--Column: Joe Biden says real leaders wear coronavirus masks. Or is it a Deep State plot to hide my ha

Column: Joe Biden says real leaders wear coronavirus masks. Or is it a Deep State plot to hide my handsomeness?

Excellent point .
Why would a person wear a mask when he ’ s outdoors and around other people and @ @ @ @ @ home and at all other times , including in the shower ?
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ ’ t wear a motorcycle helmet — if I did , I ’ d have @ @ @ @ @ couch while I ’ m watching TV , and that would look STUPID !

Former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden greet onlookers on Memorial Day at a veterans memorial in Wilmington, Delaware, on May 25, 2020. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times)
Get this, fellow American men with handsome American faces. Former Vice President Joe Biden says wearing a mask in public to slow the spread of the coronavirus is a sign of leadership.
Hah! What’s Sleepy Joe going to come up with next? Some nonsense about people in powerful positions leading by example during a public health crisis? Whatever you say, Joe!
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Here’s the deal: Asking Americans like me to wear a coronavirus mask is an outrage. No, scratch that. It’s more than an outrage. It’s FACE TYRANNY! (#FaceTyranny)
For starters, a mask hides a large portion of my face, including my eating hole and my rugged jawline.
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It also makes me — a tough, all-American manly man — look weak. Wearing a mask suggests I might have concern for others or a shred of human decency, either of which could do irreparable damage to my standing as a desirable nobody-tells-me-what-to-do patriot.
Now listen, I hear what all the mask-wearing sheeple shout at me when I’m at the grocery store with my AR-15, licking the apples to decide which ones I want to buy.
They holler, “C’mon, man, put on a mask! It’s a simple way to protect others and yourself and you look like a selfish idiot! Also, what’s with the apple licking?”
To which I say, loudly and with excessive droplet spray, “First off, this is America and if I want to lick apples pre-purchase, I’ll lick apples. It’s in the Constitution. Second, I don’t have the corona so why should I wear a stupid mask?”
Then I make loud “Baaaaaaaaaaa!!” sheep sounds at them and they run away.
The point is, I’m not going to get the coronavirus, so I have nothing to worry about. Why am I so certain? I don’t need to explain myself to you. Let’s just say I’ve read some things on the internet.
So if I’m not worried about the virus that has killed nearly 100,000 Americans, why should I wear a mask? It’s not like my actions could affect other people. And the last thing a society battling a highly contagious disease needs is a spirit of cooperation. That’s liberal thinky talk.
Yes, the so-called “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” recommends “wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.”
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And yes, the Illinois Department of Public Health, like similar state agencies across the country, suggests wearing cloth face coverings in situations like these: shopping at essential businesses, like grocery stores or pharmacies; picking up food from the drive-thru or curbside pickup; while visiting your health care provider; traveling on public transportation; interacting with customers, clients or co-workers at essential businesses; and when feeling sick, coughing or sneezing.
But that’s the government talking, and I would never trust the government. I trust President Donald J. Trump, and he has made it clear that wearing a mask is optional and looks dumb and you should pay no attention to the fact that his administration is recommending people wear masks. (Deep State!)
He recently retweeted Fox News’s Brit Hume, who tweeted criticism of the way Biden looked when he left his Delaware home and wore a mask to a veterans’ memorial on Memorial Day.
When White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked about the criticism Tuesday, she pointed out the obvious hypocrisy of mask-wearers.
“It is a bit peculiar,” McEnany said of Biden, “that in his basement, right next to his wife, he’s not wearing a mask. But he’s wearing one outdoors when he’s socially distant.”
Excellent point. Why would a person wear a mask when he’s outdoors and around other people and not wear a mask at home and at all other times, including in the shower? It’s the same reason I don’t wear a motorcycle helmet — if I did, I’d have to wear it on the couch while I’m watching TV, and that would look STUPID!
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When a smart-alecky journalist asked Trump a question Tuesday, the president asked the reporter to remove his mask so he could hear him better. The reporter — grotesquely demonstrating his respect for others through the almost staggeringly simple act of wearing a mask — declined, and Trump said: “OK, because you want to be politically correct.”
How dare the media politicize mask-wearing by wearing masks and forcing Trump to politicize mask-wearing. Have they no shame?
Look, the bottom line is this. You telling me to wear a mask is just going to make me more determined to not want to wear a mask. That’s basic, mature-adult reasoning.
Plus, by not wearing a mask, I’m accomplishing several things:
1) Stickin’ it to the libs.
2) Doin’ what I want.
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3) Not carin’ about your stupid feelings, or about whether I assist in any way in the transmission of a virus that could kill people you love. #FREEDOM
4) Blessin’ everyone with the chance to gaze at the entirety of my handsome American man-face, which I know will never be covered by a ventilator mask in a hospital because I squirt Lysol in my mouth before I go out, unless I’m going to be licking apples, in which case I don’t because it screws up my taster.
You losers can go ahead and wear your cute little masks and listen to the “doctors” and “nurses” and “people who understand a very basic health precaution.” I’ll be running behind you with no mask on, swinging my bag of licked apples and making loud sheep noises.
Then we’ll see who really looks dumb.
rhuppke@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-27--At least 50 people were shot in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend.  The next day, another 28 were sh

At least 50 people were shot in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend.  The next day, another 28 were shot, including a 5-year-old girl standing with her family

The girl was shot in the leg while outside a home with relatives .
The two boys , 15 and @ @ @ @ @ a group .
The 15-year-old was shot in the leg and face and the 16-year-old @ @ @ @ @ the leg .
All three were taken to Comer Children ’ s Hospital in fair @ @ @ @ @

Paramedics transport a 5-year-old girl from Mercy Hospital & Medical Center to Comer Children's Hospital after she was shot in the leg on the 200 block of West Pershing Road late on May 26, 2020. Additionally, a 15-year-old boy who was shot in the face and leg and 16-year-old boy who was shot three times in the leg were transported from the scene in the Fuller Park neighborhood. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
The violence that marked Chicago’s Memorial Day weekend spilled into the week, with 23 people shot between Tuesday afternoon and early Wednesday, including a 5-year-old girl and two teenage boys.
The three children were hit when someone fired from a passing dark-colored car about 10:40 p.m. Tuesday in the 200 block of West Pershing Road near the Wentworth Gardens housing complex, police said.
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The girl was shot in the leg while outside a home with relatives. The two boys, 15 and 16, were walking in a group. The 15-year-old was shot in the leg and face and the 16-year-old was shot three times in the leg. All three were taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in fair condition, authorities said.
A Chicago police officer collects police tape shortly after midnight from the scene where a 5-year-old girl, 15-year-old boy, and 16-year-old boy were shot in the Fuller Park neighborhood. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Yellow crime scene tape blocked off a large area on Pershing Road and was strung across the housing complex and toward a Mobil gas station. At least 14 evidence markers were on the road and sidewalk.
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Police believe none of the young victims were the targets. The motive for the shooting was unclear, but several gang factions are active in the area, particularly those linked to the Gangster Disciples, according to a law enforcement source. No one was in custody.
The shootings occurred from the Far South Side to the Northwest Side and a follow a long holiday weekend that saw at least 10 people killed and 40 others wounded. It was the deadliest Memorial Day weekend in five years, and prompted Mayor Lori Lightfoot to publicly rebuke her new police superintendent, a little more than a month on the job.
‘It needs to stop’
Five men were killed over 10 hours Tuesday and early Wednesday across the city.
The first two died in a shooting that wounded two other people about 3:30 p.m. in the 100 block of North Hamlin Avenue in the East Garfield Park neighborhood, police said. A man was selling an item on the corner and someone in a red car approached and began firing, police said.
Members of the Chicago Police Department examine a car with bullet holes at the scene where four people were shot, one fatally, on Hamlin Avenue just north of Madison Street on May 26, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Darryl Greer, 28, was shot in the right shoulder and side. He was taken to Norwegian Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where he was pronounced dead at 3:59 p.m.
Joseph Willis, 19, was shot in the right shoulder and left calf, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:23 p.m.
Another 19-year-old was shot in the left hand and taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center in good condition, police said. A 32-year-old was shot in left leg and taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition.
Police investigated a white blood-splattered hatchback with bullet holes and a shattered window. No arrests have been made.
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Later in the evening, 37-year-old Dion Neal was sitting on the porch of a home in the 7500 block of South Chappel Avenue in the South Shore neighborhood when he was shot in the head and left arm at 7:45 p.m., police said. Neal was taken to a hospital but died at 8:14 p.m., police said.
Family and neighbors lingered at the scene as police inspected the residential street and nearby alley.
“Is there anything you can tell us?” a woman asked an officer.
“You’re going to have to ask a detective,” the officer said.
“Can you ask him to come over?” she said.
Several minutes later, a detective walked up and explained the process of working the scene.
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“We gotta finish processing the scene,” he said. “You can’t rush this.”
Two women hug behind a police vehicle at the scene where Dion Neal, 37, was fatally shot in the 7500 block South Chappel Avenue in the South Shore neighborhood on May 26, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Several people later joined the group. Six people held hands and bowed their heads together in prayer, asking for help with stopping the violence in Chicago and finding the shooter.
“He can’t just be another black man murdered in the city of Chicago,” said a cousin, who asked not to be named. “It needs to stop.”
Neal was a family-oriented man born and raised in South Shore, she said. He had just celebrated his birthday earlier this month. “He was a father first. A nice person, happy," she said. “He didn’t cause any problems.”
She wasn’t sure about the motive of the shooting and police gave them few details, she said.
Latoya Overstreet, 48, said Neal was her favorite cousin and they grew up together. He was a father to two boys, 15 and 9.
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“It’s still unreal. It’s a dream. He won’t hurt a fly,” she said. “His dream was just to take care of his mom and his kids. ... He had a good heart. Family meant everything to him.”
Neal and his mother, who declined to comment, were very close and he was her only child, Overstreet said.
As some officers began to leave the scene, a woman scooped up a toddler. “He’s terrified of the police,” she said.
A sergeant who overhead said, “No, don’t make him scared of us.” He turned to the woman and continued to say how he shouldn’t be afraid to call them if he ever needed them.
“Look at the police lights,” another man leaned over and said to the boy.
‘Is everything OK?’
About 9:50 p.m., Derrick Mitchell, 35, was found unresponsive with two gunshot wounds to the chest, police said. He was lying in the doorway of a residential building in the 4100 block of West Crystal Street in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood. Mitchell was pronounced dead at 10:22 p.m. at Stroger Hospital.
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A 23-year-old woman drove herself from the scene to Stroger with a graze wound to the leg, police said. She was in good condition.
The cause of the shooting was unknown and there were no witnesses, police said.
Just after midnight, two more boys, 16 and 17, were shot inside a car when someone in a passing black sedan fired at them in the 4200 block of South Cicero Avenue, police said.
The 16-year-old was shot in the torso and the 17-year-old’s back was grazed, police said. An acquaintance dropped them off at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, where the 16-year-old was in critical condition and the 17-year-old was in good condition.
No arrests have been made.
The last homicide of the night occurred about 1:20 a.m. Wednesday in the 6200 block of South Eberhart Avenue in the West Woodlawn neighborhood, police said. Martell White, 33, was standing outside when two men in a passing car fired, hitting him in the back and arm.
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Martell was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died at 1:50 a.m., police said. No arrests have been made.
Dozens of shell casings were found at the scene, which was dark and quiet until a young man blasting music in a white SUV pulled up to the yellow crime tape.
“I think something happened to my brother,” he told an officer guarding the scene after rolling down his window. “Is everything OK?”
The officer kept repeating, “You can’t come down this way” until another officer came up to tell him to go down a block and pull up to the other side of the scene.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-05-27--CBOE to reopen trading floor, but with far fewer traders and a lot more rules

Temperatures checks and medical screenings will occur at entrances .
Face coverings will be required at all times .
Testing @ @ @ @ @ Six feet of social distancing must be observed .
Drinking water on the trading floor @ @ @ @ @ food delivery won ’ t .
And public transportation should be avoided .

The CBOE Options Exchange’s trading floor, closed since mid-March because of the coronavirus, will reopen June 8 in Chicago with a host of new rules and likely far fewer traders.
Temperatures checks and medical screenings will occur at entrances. Face coverings will be required at all times. Testing for COVID-19 may occur. Six feet of social distancing must be observed. Drinking water on the trading floor will be permitted, but food delivery won’t. And public transportation should be avoided.
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The exchange’s trading floor has been enlarged and reconfigured and new capacity limits have been put in place.
As a result of the guidelines detailed by CBOE, the exchange expects half of traders to return. The exchange’s offices in Chicago, as well as its global locations, will remain closed, with employees working remotely.
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CBOE said anyone violating the pandemic safety rules could be subject to informal or formal disciplinary action or barred from the facilities.
The exchange’s hybrid model of open-outcry and electronic trading temporarily switched to electronic-only trading March 16.
The trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange reopened Monday, with Gov. Andrew Cuomo ringing the opening bell.


chicagotribune--2020-05-27--Five dead, 23 wounded in Chicago shootings

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 7 Paramedics transport a 5-year-old girl from Mercy Hospital & Medical Center to Comer Children's Hospital after she was shot in the leg on the 200 block of West Pershing Road late on May 26, 2020. Additionally, a 15-year-old boy who was shot in the face and leg and 16-year-old boy who was shot three times in the leg were transported from the scene in the Fuller Park neighborhood. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
A 5-year-old girl and two teenage boys were shot Tuesday night on the Southwest Side. They made up three of 23 people injured in shootings since the end of the Memorial Day weekend. After the deadly holiday weekend that left 10 dead and at least 40 injured, violence and warm weather continued Tuesday afternoon into early Wednesday. Five men were killed in four separate shootings around the city: West Side, Far South Side, Northwest Side and South Side.


chicagotribune--2020-05-27--Long-imprisoned Chicago man gets second chance at freedom


chicagotribune--2020-05-27--Loophole allowing designer and purebred puppies to be sold as rescue dogs in Chicago could be closed

Loophole allowing designer and purebred puppies to be sold as rescue dogs in Chicago could be closed as alderman seeks end to ‘inhumane’ practice, but pet shops push back

“ I imagine some of the same lawyers will be back , ” he said .
“ There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ industry .
They can muster up the legal resources they need to push back against @ @ @ @ @ ’ s fine .
We have lawyers , too .
”

Authorities say the owners of J.A.K.'S Puppies in Iowa started a nonprofit rescue organization as a way to provide pricey pups to businesses in Chicago and elsewhere. The rescue agreed to cease operations under the terms of a settlement with the Iowa attorney general. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
A Chicago alderman is trying to close a loophole in the city’s anti-puppy mill ordinance that has allowed some pet shops to sell pricey designer dogs from sham rescues tied to commercial dealers, a furtive practice exposed by a Tribune investigation.
Under a revamped ordinance introduced earlier this month by North Side Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, stores only would be permitted to sell shelter dogs at a nominal fee. The price restrictions would make it harder for brokers and breeders to exploit the law, as some have done in recent years.
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“I do have to give them credit for creativity,” Hopkins told the Tribune. “In hindsight, of course, there’s so much profit to be made and there’s so many people involved in this shady industry, they were not going to go away quietly.”
Chicago was among the first major cities in the country to pass a law that permitted pet shops to sell dogs only if they were obtained from government pounds, humane societies or rescue shelters.
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The law went into effect in 2015 with the aim to prevent businesses from sourcing dogs from so-called puppy mills, large-scale breeding facilities often criticized for poor conditions and mistreatment of the mother dogs. Another goal of the city law was to reduce the number of euthanized shelter dogs.
Though most store owners complied, a 2018 Tribune investigation found the loophole allowed three local pet stores to sell pricey puppies supplied by out-of-state rescues in Iowa and Missouri that were closely linked to longtime commercial dealers.
In an arrangement that was not an express violation of the ordinance but ran counter to the spirit of the ban, these rescues had provided city shops each year with hundreds of purebred and designer-mix puppies, all of which came through kennels and properties owned by for-profit businesses or dealers, records show.
One southwest Chicago store, for example, acquired 765 purebred and designer puppies from a sham Iowa rescue and sold them for more than $1.1 million between 2016 and November 2018, according to the Iowa attorney general’s office.
Another city store sourced its puppies from that same Iowa business and sold a “rescued” goldendoodle to a customer for $3,600, records show.
Days after the Tribune’s report in May 2018, another Chicago alderman proposed legislation meant to close the loophole, but it failed to gain enough support. Even the animal rights advocates behind the original ordinance predicted the revisions would have trouble surviving a legal challenge because they likely violated interstate commerce laws by favoring local rescues over out-of-state ones.
Local efforts remained stagnant until this March, when Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller announced a settlement in which two so-called rescues in his state that supplied dogs to Chicago pet stores agreed to cease operations and pay $60,000.
Miller had sued the nonprofit groups, a commercial broker and their officers for fraudulent practices, accusing them of passing off commercially bred puppies as shelter animals.
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The Iowa attorney general found that the two nonprofits — Hobo K-9 Rescue of Britt, Iowa, and Rescue Pets Iowa Corp. of Ottumwa — transferred at least 3,600 dogs to entities in Illinois, California, Florida, Missouri and New Jersey from September 2016 to September 2019.
They included Pomeranians, Shar-Peis, Alaskan malamutes, Yorkiepoos and other high-priced purebred and designer breeds.
Iowa officials alleged the owners of J.A.K.'S Puppies started Hobo K-9 Rescue in 2016 as a way to provide pricey pups to businesses in California and Chicago, where laws require pet stores to sell only shelter animals. Miller called the out-of-state operations “integral actors of a national puppy laundering ring.”
J.A.K.'S and Hobo K-9 were heavily cited in the Tribune report, as public records showed there was little distinction between the two north-central Iowa operations.
Other than acknowledging support for Iowa’s action, the Illinois attorney general’s office has remained quiet about the controversy. Authorities have declined to say if they are investigating further.
Hopkins said many consumers were duped. None of the pet stores are located in his ward, but he said constituents in his neighborhood have unknowingly bought dogs advertised as rescues.
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“In many cases, these families really are victims,” he said. “They may love their dog, but the dog was not acquired in the manner in which the family was told. People think they’re buying a rescue dog when they’re actually paying money into a corrupt and inhumane system that has all these false facades and phony paperwork."
Hopkins’ revamped language allows pet shop owners to show dogs from rescues and shelters but the store “shall not have any ownership or monetary interest in the animals displayed for adoption. The animals may only be transferred to an adopting individual for a nominal adoption fee.”
To close the loophole, the new language spells out that approved rescue groups must not have any affiliation with a commercial business such as a breeder or dealer.
“What we’re doing now is saying Chicago pet shops can sell dogs, but the dogs have to come from a legitimate rescue operation not affiliated with a commercial breeder and they can’t charge thousands of dollars the way the puppy mills do,” Hopkins said. “They basically charge you enough to cover their costs, a relatively modest fee.”
The three Chicago pet stores that still sell puppies have fought hard against the ordinance in the past, going so far as to wage an unsuccessful battle against the ban in federal court.
Jim Sparks Jr., co-owner of Park Pet Shop in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood, said he would like “a seat at the table” with Hopkins and wants the ordinance amended so that stores may buy from breeders directly. Sparks noted the stores are family owned and longtime staples of the community.
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“We are facing the worst economic conditions due to this pandemic since the Great Depression and it would be a sad sight to see the 50+ employees that are working as essentials here in Chicago lose their jobs,” Sparks Jr. said in an email to the Tribune.
The two other pet store owners could not be reached for comment.
The Illinois Pet Lovers Association - which has pushed back against movements for similar statewide restrictions - said it is reviewing Hopkins’ proposal, but predicted change would be devastating to local pet shops.
“It also appears to impose a business model that is designed to close pet stores entirely and deprive consumers of the only regulated option when obtaining a pet,” IPLA President Carl Swanson said.
At the time of its passage, shopkeepers criticized the anti-puppy mill ordinance and said that typical rescue groups could never provide the high-end, purebred and designer mix puppies customers wanted. They also expressed concerns about their financial survival without the ability to sell those kind of dogs.
Hopkins argues store owners can make money through the sales of dog food and other supplies the consumer will need.
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“We think that’s sufficient for them to continue to operate and a legitimate business won’t have an objection to this,” the alderman said.
Groups such as the Chicago-based the Puppy Mill Project and the Humane Society of the United States applauded the latest revision to the controversial law. They are hopeful it will close the loophole and withstand legal muster.
“This gives them the ability to go after those stores that are skirting the intent," said Marc Ayers, the Humane Society’s Illinois director. "(The city) knew what these stores were doing but they didn’t have the authority to shut it down.”
Critics of the ordinance have previously proposed something similar to the state law, which allows stores to sell dogs provided by commercial breeders in good standing with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The city, though, has not backed down. Hopkins said he anticipates challenges to his proposal when it reaches public debate this summer.
“I imagine some of the same lawyers will be back,” he said. “There’s so much money in this industry. They can muster up the legal resources they need to push back against any efforts. But that’s fine. We have lawyers, too.”
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cmgutowski@chicagotribune.com
sstclair@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-27--Daywatch: Lightfoot releases phase 3 of reopening plan, deadliest Memorial Day weekend in 5 years an

Daywatch: Lightfoot releases phase 3 of reopening plan, deadliest Memorial Day weekend in 5 years and the search for sitters who will social distance

Four-year-old Tessa Reynolds-Tyler sits on the porch with her mother , Tina Reynolds-Tyler , right , and aunt , Trina @ @ @ @ @ Micquel Hart , not seen , as a potential in-home teacher for Tessa at their @ @ @ @ @ , in Chicago .
The coronavirus pandemic has both women working from home , but @ @ @ @ @ on Tessa , so they are seeking help for the summer .
( Erin Hooley/Chicago @ @

Want Daywatch delivered to your inbox? Sign up here. | Get the top Tribune stories of the day on your smart speaker | Here’s how to get the most out of your Tribune subscription | Got something to say? Join the conversation on our Facebook page
Good morning, Chicago. Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Illinois officials on Tuesday announced 1,178 new known cases of the coronavirus and 39 additional deaths, bringing the statewide case total to 113,195 and the death toll to 4,923 since the pandemic began. The state’s Northeast region — which includes Chicago and its suburbs — has a 14.5% positivity rate.
Curious about what restaurants will look like when they reopen? Find out in this week’s Food & Dining newsletter. Sign up today.
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In this file photo, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks at a news conference at City Hall on May 8, 2020, while Dr. Allison Arwady, left, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, listens. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday announced industry-specific rules for the reopening of restaurants, child care facilities and some industries as part of phase three of Chicago’s reemergence from the coronavirus stay-at-home order.
Though Lightfoot has said she expects Chicago to take that step in early June, she has not yet announced a date. Her guidelines come two days after Gov. J.B. Pritzker released his statewide guidelines and said the state is on track to advance to phase three on Friday.
Chicago releases rules for restaurants to reopen, but no date yet
One way of measuring the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak is positivity rate. For Illinois’ four regions to move to the next phase of the reopening plan, the positivity rate in each must remain below 20%. Currently all regions meet that criteria. Here’s a daily breakdown of where each region stands.
Chicago Fire Department workers transport a victim from the scene where four people were stabbed near West 77th Street and South Union Avenue in the Gresham neighborhood on May 24, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot publicly scolded her new police superintendent Tuesday for not coming up with a good enough strategy to contain violence over the Memorial Day weekend, the deadliest in five years, though she acknowledged the department is facing its greatest challenge in decades.
Chicago-area native Alison Victoria Gramenos hosts "Windy City Rehab" on HGTV. (HGTV)
A Wicker Park couple is suing “Windy City Rehab” host Alison Victoria Gramenos over home renovations “perhaps out of a hope” that Gramenos would be “bullied” into paying a settlement to avoid legal fees and bad press, her attorneys said Thursday in a court filing asking for the claims against her to be tossed from the lawsuit.
Four-year-old Tessa Reynolds-Tyler sits on the porch with her mother, Tina Reynolds-Tyler, right, and aunt, Trina Reynolds-Tyler, as they interview Micquel Hart, not seen, as a potential in-home teacher for Tessa at their home May 24, 2020, in Chicago. The coronavirus pandemic has both women working from home, but not enough time to focus on Tessa, so they are seeking help for the summer. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
It’s the question that has vexed Chicago-area parents for months: With no school, uncertainty about camps and parents working remotely, who’s watching the kids this summer?
Many families have found themselves scrambling for options to keep children entertained and the coronavirus at bay.


chicagotribune--2020-05-27--Mayor scolds new police superintendent after Chicago sees deadliest Memorial Day weekend in five yea

Mayor scolds new police superintendent after Chicago sees deadliest Memorial Day weekend in five years: ‘Whatever the strategy is, it didn’t work. … We have to do better’

She noted that federal agents who usually work with officers “ have been on the sideline now for weeks .
@ @ @ @ @ really aren ’ t taking a lot of criminal cases .
That ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ jails that are effectively closed to new persons , so we have officers that are @ @ @ @ @ arresting people who are absolute drivers of violence , and they ’ re cycling in @ @ @ @ @ , out of the court system , in 24 to 48 hours .
”

Officials examine a car with bullet holes at the scene where four people were shot, one fatally, on Hamlin Avenue just north of Madison Street on May 26, 2020, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot publicly scolded her new police superintendent Tuesday for not coming up with a good enough strategy to contain violence over the Memorial Day weekend, the deadliest in five years, though she acknowledged the department is facing its greatest challenge in decades.
“While I know that there was a lot of energy and coordination among a variety of groups, what I said to the superintendent this morning is this was a fail,” Lightfoot said. “And whatever the strategy is, it didn’t work … This weekend’s violence was out of control.”
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At least 10 people were shot to death and at least 40 others were wounded by gunfire over the long weekend, despite a statewide stay-at-home order and a plan by Superintendent David Brown to step up patrols and better coordinate their deployment across the city.
The death toll nearly matched the long holiday weekend of 2015 when 12 people were killed. Last year, seven people were fatally shot and 36 others were wounded.
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Lightfoot said department brass were “hard at work and looking at the data,” adding, “I have a meeting with them later this afternoon. But we have to do better. We cannot have weekends in the summer turn into a bloodbath.”
Yo I seen HUNDREDS of ppl at millennium park and and pics of even more at the parks on the north side. Outside, no masks, no social distancing, enjoying themselves. Please stop sending large groups of militarized police into our neighborhoods exclusively https://t.co/mnAUSCsevy — Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 25, 2020
Despite her harsh words, Lightfoot said she understood this was “one of the most difficult times” for the department in the 20-plus years she’s followed it.
She noted that federal agents who usually work with officers “have been on the sideline now for weeks. We have the courts that really aren’t taking a lot of criminal cases. That’s a problem. We have the jails that are effectively closed to new persons, so we have officers that are risking life and limb and arresting people who are absolute drivers of violence, and they’re cycling in and out of the jail, out of the court system, in 24 to 48 hours.”
“The Police Department really is effectively on its own in fighting (for) public safety across the city,” Lightfoot continued. “And we have officers, and I understand this, who are concerned themselves with getting COVID and whether or not they’re going to be sick themselves or take that to their family members. So this is probably one of the most difficult times for policing that we’ve experienced in this city.”
Hours earlier, at a separate news conference, Brown called the violence “nothing short of alarming” and “unacceptable.” Still, he said he was not discouraged going into the summer months, typically the most violent time of year in Chicago.
I have seen a widely shared video of an incident in the 007th District. We will continue to investigate the incident to ensure proper tactics were used—ensuring constitutional rights are protected—and that CPD officers are wearing face coverings to maintain public health. — Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) May 25, 2020
“My resolve (hasn’t) been shaken at all in making Chicago the safest city in the country, and neither should yours,” Brown said as he was flanked by other top officers at police headquarters. “We are committed and dedicated to making this city the safest in the country. This was a challenging weekend. But we are not shaken. We are not going to ... give up on our city.”
The weekend’s shootings began within hours after Brown spoke to reporters on Friday about his plans to contain the violence, which included a new “summer operations center” that would rely on police cameras and other technology to deploy officers where needed.
Those plans, however, depended on different staffing levels than in the past. “We did not utilize the normal 1,000 additional officers,” Brown said. “We had several hundred that were dedicated and coordinated a little bit better with (the summer operations center). ... But the level of officers ... was different than previous years.”
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More than 1,000 people have been shot this year in Chicago, about 100 more than this time last year, according to data compiled by the Tribune.
Brown said the weekend shootings stemmed from disputes between rival gang factions, as well as clashes involving the sale of drugs. He said the coronavirus outbreak, which prompted the stay-at-home order more than two months ago, has made people eager to spend time outdoors and likely added to the violence.
“People are feeling restless after being cooped up for weeks,” said Brown.
Chief of Operations Fred Waller, one of Brown’s top deputies, told reporters that police responses to the violence and the dispersals in places like Englewood and in the downtown area — where a group demanded that businesses reopen during the pandemic — showed how officers were where they were needed during the long holiday weekend.
“As you can see, our officers were busy in all parts of the city this weekend,” Waller said. “Yes, we need to do better. And we will do better.”
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Lightfoot indicated morale problems may be worsening the department’s problems on the street.
During her news conference, she noted that many officers were dissatisfied when they were sent from the bureau of organized crime — which includes covert narcotics units and officers who do long-term gang investigations — to uniformed patrol assignments. This was part of the reorganization plan of former interim Superintendent Charlie Beck.
Just last week, Brown demoted to the rank of lieutenant two top-ranking organized crime unit officials, Ronald Kimble, who was commander of the narcotics unit, and William Bradley, deputy chief of the entire bureau, law enforcement sources said. One of the sources said Kimble’s demotion to lieutenant in the Rogers Park patrol district occurred after Lightfoot became dissatisfied with him during a meeting with top police brass.
“They’re used to being by themselves as a separate organization, frankly with not a lot of accountability,” Lightfoot said. “I’ve been asking for a year, ‘What do they do?’ And they haven’t been able to demonstrate what they’re doing to really significantly aid in the crime fight.
“So what’s happened over the last couple of weeks is these officers have either been taken out of plainclothes, put into uniform and back in the districts under the control of district commanders and deputy chiefs. Or, if they’re staying in plainclothes, they have to be actively involved in supporting district efforts at crime suppression,” Lightfoot continued. “They don’t like that, and I get that.”
In the midst of the weekend shootings, a viral video showed a scuffle between police officers and a large gathering on the South Side on Sunday night that caught the attention of everyone from Chance the Rapper to Lightfoot.
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Officers were called to the 7000 block of South Lowe Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood to disperse a crowd that had gathered on the street. The video shows a chaotic scene as officers struggled to break up the crowd, grabbing some of the people and chasing off others.
During the incident, an officer saw a man take a handgun and put it in front of a car before running south on Lowe, according to police. Police chased him down and arrested him. Sedrick Monroe, 42, was charged with one count of being an armed habitual criminal. Police said a loaded Glock handgun was recovered.
Not long afterward, officers responded to a “10-1” call — an officer needing immediate assistance — when shots were fired in the area.
Jaquan Hayden, 21, of Homewood, was arrested about 10:45 p.m. in the 7000 block of South Lowe Avenue after he was seen grabbing his waistband and running through a vacant lot, police said. After a short chase, he was taken into custody and a loaded revolver was recovered.
He is facing charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest, police said. He did not have a valid firearm owner’s identification card or concealed carry license.
Two officers were taken to a hospital in good condition for minor injuries, police said. It was unclear what their injuries were.
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Chance the Rapper shared the video and asked the city to “stop sending large groups of militarized police into our neighborhoods exclusively.” He noted that photos had been posted of large gatherings in North Side neighborhoods and in the downtown area without similar police action.
Lightfoot tweeted that she was aware of the video and said, “We will continue to investigate the incident to ensure proper tactics were used — ensuring constitutional rights are protected — and that CPD officers are wearing face coverings to maintain public health.”
Brown said the video from the Englewood incident highlighted how officers are facing challenges on two fronts: fighting violence and getting the public to adhere to the stay-at-home order.
“Officers were challenged with saving lives,” Brown said, reacting to the video. “Because (these) crowds spread the virus. While at the same time there were guns and shots fired in that crowd and our officers had to take action to save lives of people in the crowd that may have been victims of the shots that were being fired . ... We recovered two guns that were in the crowd. ... It’s a twofold challenge that happened.”
Lightfoot said police enforcement should be the last resort to ensure social distancing, but “for the greater good, when absolutely necessary, we will — no matter which neighborhood large crowds are gathering in.” She added that police responded to dozens of reports of social distancing violations across the city, from Lincoln Park and Humboldt Park to Andersonville and Auburn Gresham.
The Englewood district, where the scuffle occurred, logged two fatal shootings over the weekend, the second most gun homicides in the city. The West Side’s Harrison district, one of the most violent in the city, had the most with three. Five other districts — Morgan Park, Grand Crossing, Shakespeare, Gresham and Calumet — all had one homicide each.
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Three teenagers were shot over the weekend, including 16-year-old Darnell Fisher, who was killed Saturday night in the Washington Park neighborhood. Police took someone in custody for a weapons charge, but the person was released about 4 a.m. Sunday because prosecutors denied charges.
A 15-year-old boy was shot in the face, chest and abdomen early Saturday in the South Shore neighborhood and taken to a hospital in critical condition. A 15-year-old girl was grazed in the leg by a bullet early Monday in the West Pullman neighborhood while sitting on a porch.
The tally of shootings doesn’t include an attack in which four people were stabbed at 9:15 p.m. Sunday after an argument erupted with tenants of a Gresham apartment building in their backyard, police said. A 46-year-old woman took out a knife and stabbed three men before someone stabbed her, police said. They were all taken to hospitals with injuries that were not life-threatening. Charges were pending against the woman.
The last homicide of the weekend was about 8:30 p.m. Monday in the 2800 block of West Wilcox Street in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side, police said. Two men, 45 and 52, were standing on the sidewalk when someone in a white sedan fired shots at them, police said.
The younger man was shot in the head and torso. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The older man was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center in good condition with a gunshot wound to the left leg, police said. No arrests have been made.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-05-26--Racist, gang graffiti found on Naperville park property days after city council resolution denouncin

Racist, gang graffiti found on Naperville park property days after city council resolution denouncing racism

“ At no time and in no way is this behavior condoned , ” Chirico said on Facebook .
“ @ @ @ @ @ as a community in recent months to address this head-on , and we have more @ @ @ @ @ like these can be solved when the community and the police work together .
”

City and park officials and community groups denounced the racist graffiti spray painted over the Memorial Day weekend on a divider between Cantore Park and Welch Elementary School near Route 59 on Naperville's south side. (Dianne McGuire)
Racist and gang graffiti scrawled on a Naperville park partition over the Memorial Day weekend was condemned Tuesday by local officials and community groups.
The words “white pride," gang symbols and derogatory messages to police were spray painted sometime between Sunday evening and 6:45 a.m. Monday on a large Naperville Park District divider that separates Cantore Park from adjacent Welch Elementary School on Leverenz Road, east of Route 59.
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Park district Executive Director Ray McGury said park crews temporarily covered the partition Monday until the graffiti could be removed permanently Tuesday.
McGury, who also is serving as acting park district police chief, denounced the vandalism and racist messages, which are driven by hatred and ignorance.
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“I live in this community. I raised my kids in this community," McGury said in a statement. "I, along with my fellow Napervillians, have no toleration for this … none.”
The vandalism comes less than a week after the Naperville City Council adopted a resolution stating the city “denounces all acts of racism, intolerance and unlawful discrimination and will not tolerate them of any kind.”
The council’s action was provoked by a woman who called Asian residents supporting a ban on selling recreational marijuana in Naperville “roving carpetbaggers” as well as several other racist incidents over the last two years.
Gang graffiti was painted on one side of a Naperville Park District partition in Cantore Park in Naperville over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. (Dianne McGuire)
Naperville Neighbors United, a community group that encourages discussions of racial issues and promotes inclusion, said in a statement that it “strongly denounces the hateful symbols” and supports the city’s resolution that “celebrates the diversity of our community.”
“We commit to supporting our community and providing a safe space to foster courageous conversations,” the statement said.
The Parent Diversity Advisory Council of Indian Prairie School District 204 also issued a statement, saying it will continue to speak out on behalf of equity and diversity and will not "tolerate acts of hate.”
The neighborhood near Cantore Park and Welch Elementary is diverse. According to demographic data from the Illinois Report Card for the elementary school, 48% of Welch students are Asian, 31% are white, 9% are black, 8% are Hispanic, 3% are mixed race and 1% are American Indian.
Mayor Steve Chirico Tuesday repeated a message Tuesday that he’s expressed many times in response to racial incidents in the city: racism in any form is unacceptable.
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Gang messages left on a structure in Cantore Park in Naperville over the Memorial Day weekend were removed Tuesday by the Naperville Park District. (Dianne McGuire)
“At no time and in no way is this behavior condoned,” Chirico said on Facebook. “We have made great strides as a community in recent months to address this head-on, and we have more work to do. Cases like these can be solved when the community and the police work together.”
Naperville police Chief Robert Marshall said his department is actively investigating the crime.
“Spray painting phrases like ‘white pride,’ gang symbols, and other inappropriate phrases is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Marshall said in statement.
“Cases like these are often solved when the community and the police work together to identify those responsible,” he said.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Naperville Crime Stoppers at 630-420-6006 or www.napervillecrimestoppers.com. Tips can be left anonymously and still receive an reward of up to $1,000 if the informations lead to a suspect’s arrest.
McGury said he’s personally adding $500 to the Crime Stoppers reward.
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Information also can be provided by calling the Naperville Police Department’s Investigations Division at 630-305-5276.
subaker@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-28--Here’s what will be different Friday, when most  of the state (but not Chicago) moves into phase thr

Here’s what will be different Friday, when most  of the state (but not Chicago) moves into phase three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan

· Child care centers that have been open during the first two phases of Pritzker ’ s stay-at-home order to @ @ @ @ @ of essential workers will be allowed to expand service .
Centers reopening in phase three @ @ @ @ @ infants or 10 children per classroom for the first four weeks .

Bow and Arrow salon owner Riley Craig-Shaffer colors the hair of client Maggie Smith on May 21, 2020, in Springfield, Illinois. Craig-Shaffer reopened the salon and sees one client at a time. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
All four regions of the state are poised to move into the next phase of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan Friday, which means many restaurants will be back open for outdoor service and “nonessential” retailers will be open to shoppers.
Except in Chicago, where Mayor Lori Lightfoot said on Thursday the city won’t advance to the next phase of reopening until Wednesday, June 3, when retail, hotels and restaurants will be allowed to open under guidelines.
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The opening of libraries and park buildings will happen on June 8.
The city (and all cities and counties) can enact tighter guidelines than the state, but not looser ones. For the most part, Chicago’s guidelines are similar to the state’s.
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While the state’s opening up a bit, don’t throw away those masks yet, they’ll continue to be required in public.
After being in almost total shutdown for more than two months, here are the new coronavirus rules of the road in phase three of Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” plan.
Restaurants and bars
· Outdoor dining and drinking will be allowed, but limited to parties of six or fewer, with tables spaced at least 6 feet apart from one another and from customer service areas. Rooftop establishments are included, but retractable roofs have to stay open.
· Businesses are advised to implement a reservation or call-ahead system, and customers are asked to wear a mask over their nose and mouth except for when they are eating and drinking at a table.
— In Chicago,
· The application process for restaurants to reopen is pending.
Retail
· “Nonessential” retailers — such as those that don’t sell necessities like food and medicine — will be able to open to customers for the first time since mid-March, as will shopping malls. Customers and employees have to wear face coverings.
· Statewide, retailers will have to limit the number of customers in a store at one time to half the usual capacity, or five customers per 1,000 square feet of retail space. That’s similar to the rules that have been in place for grocery stores and other “essential” retailers since May 1.
· Fitting rooms have to be disinfected after each use or must remain closed. Returned items must be disinfected or quarantined for 72 hours before going back on the rack.
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— In Chicago,
· Nonessential retailers will be limited to 25% of normal capacity.
Personal care services
· Hair salons, barbershops, hair braiders, spas, tattoo parlors, nail salons, waxing centers and cosmetology schools are among the personal care services that can reopen, but they must limit services to those that can be performed with both the customer and the employee wearing a facial covering over their nose and mouth.
· Reservations only, no walk-ins.
· Massages and other body treatments must be 30 minutes or less.
— In Chicago,
· Salons and other businesses will be limited to 25% of normal capacity.
Child care
· Child care centers that have been open during the first two phases of Pritzker’s stay-at-home order to provide care for the children of essential workers will be allowed to expand service. Centers reopening in phase three will be limited to eight infants or 10 children per classroom for the first four weeks.
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· Children and staff will have to change shoes upon arrival, and anyone with a temperature of 100.4 or higher must not be admitted.
· Staff must wear masks. Children older than 2 must wear masks when entering and exiting, in hallways and whenever possible in the classroom. Masks will be optional for staff and children during outdoor play.
· Licensed and license-exempt home day cares can reopen. License-exempt homes will be limited to three unrelated children, and licensed homes will be limited to either their licensed capacity or 10 children, whichever is smaller.
· Home day cares have to be able to provide sleep space for each child with 6 feet of separation.
Recreation and fitness
· Outdoor recreation businesses such as driving ranges, outdoor shooting ranges and adventure courses can reopen, with individual stations spaced 10 feet apart. Group sizes will be limited to 10 or fewer people, following social distancing guidelines. Clubhouses and communal gathering spots must remain closed.
· Health clubs and gyms can reopen for one-on-one personal training and outdoor classes with 10 or fewer participants. Workout equipment must be spaced 10 feet apart or 6 feet apart with barriers. Locker rooms must be configured to allow for 6 feet of distance between members.
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· While some state parks reopened as the state moved into phase two on May 1, all state parks and concessions will reopen in phase three, with concessions operating under the same guidelines as other restaurants and retailers.
· Golf courses will be able to allow foursomes, and use of carts can resume, with one person per cart, unless they are members of the same household.
· Camping and boating will be allowed in groups of 10 or fewer, with social distancing and other precautions.
— In Chicago,
· The lakefront will remain closed for the time being, according to Lightfoot’s office, as will playgrounds. Noncontact sports will be permitted in parks.
Youth sports and day camps
· Youth sports may resume noncontact practices, drills and lessons that allow for 6 feet of distance between participants. Competitive games will be prohibited.
· There must be one adult per 10 participants, and there should be no mixing of participants between teams for the duration of a season.
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· Handshakes are out, and participants are required to bring their own water. Spectators are prohibited unless required for parental supervision or social distancing guidelines can be followed.
· Indoor facilities may open at 50% capacity.
· Overnight camps are prohibited, but day camps will be allowed, with enough space for 6 feet of distance between participants for all activities.
· Camp activities that require physical exertion should take place outdoors, but all camps should have enough indoor space to accommodate all participants with 6 feet of distance and groups of 10 or fewer.
— In Chicago,
· Guidelines for summer programs and youth activities “will be available later in phase three when those entities are predicted to begin reopening,” according to the mayor’s office.
Offices
· While offices can reopen at 50% capacity, all employees who can continue working from home should be allowed to do so.
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· Employees should wear face coverings when within 6 feet of co-workers.
· Employers should space out occupied workstations by at least 6 feet or install impermeable barriers between workstations. The use of shared desks and workspaces is discouraged.
· Vending machines should be sanitized after each use.
Manufacturing
· Factories, plants and mills can resume operations with either 6 feet of distance or impermeable barriers between employee workstations, and ramped-up cleaning and disinfecting between shifts.
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-28--Divvy biker thrown onto car after stolen SUV with 16-year-old behind the wheel plows into him in Wes

Divvy biker thrown onto car after stolen SUV with 16-year-old behind the wheel plows into him in West Town

The boy was driving east on Hubbard Street at a “ high rate of speed ’ ’ when he crashed @ @ @ @ @ Avenue about 6:15 p.m .
The biker was ejected and flew onto a gray , @ @ @ @ @ of traffic , police said .

A 16-year-old boy was behind the wheel of a speeding stolen sport utility vehicle when it slammed into a Divvy bicyclist, hurling him onto the hood of another car on Wednesday night in West Town.
The boy was driving east on Hubbard Street at a “high rate of speed’’ when he crashed into the biker near Ogden Avenue about 6:15 p.m. The biker was ejected and flew onto a gray, four-door car in another lane of traffic, police said.
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The biker, a male of an unknown age, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition had stabilized, police said.
Police caught up to the white Chevrolet Tahoe the teen was driving and took two suspects into custody: the boy and another person who suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.
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Police learned the Tahoe was reported stolen in a carjacking that happened about a mile and a half away, three hours earlier, in the 1200 block of North Cleaver Avenue, in the Noble Square neighborhood.
Two guns were confiscated, and charges were pending, police said.
Charles J. Johnson contributed to this report.