chicagotribune--2020-05-07--Mother’s Day to the rescue for struggling florist

The state ’ s rule allowing nonessential businesses to offer curbside pickup , which went into effect May 1 , @ @ @ @ @ run-up to Mother ’ s Day , Fortineaux said .
He is trying to figure @ @ @ @ @ flowers in the window or on a table by the door so people can see @ @ @ @ @ .

Marek Fortineaux, owner of Leo's Metropolitan Florist in Chicago, takes a phone order at his store May 6, 2020. Fortineaux is looking forward to a busy Mother's Day after sales fell by half when the lockdown took hold. His shop, staffed mostly by family members, has been offering delivery since the pandemic began — there was strong demand for funeral flowers — and now, with the extended order and eased restrictions, is also offering curbside pickup. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
For florist Marek Fortineaux, no prom has meant no corsages. Postponed weddings have meant canceled bouquets. Closed churches meant no Easter lilies.
But Mother’s Day, by far his shop’s biggest holiday, gives him hope. Online orders have been strong as families unable to gather in person show their love from afar. Despite the tumult and tragedy spring has wrought — maybe because of it — people seem keen on ensuring mom knows she’s appreciated.
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“I got a good feeling,” said Fortineaux, 39, owner of Leo’s Metropolitan Florist in the Park Manor neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. “It’s not like people don’t want to spend money, even with everything going on.”
Fortineaux grew up working in his father’s flower shop. Twelve years ago, he took over Leo’s, which has been part of the community since the 1950s. Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic has been a personal as well as a business challenge.
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[ Pandemic pivot: How Chicago-area businesses and workers are managing the coronavirus crisis ]
He had a stem cell transplant a year ago, as treatment for leukemia, and must shield his weakened immune system from the new coronavirus.
On the bright side, wearing a face mask, which he has done since his surgery, no longer draws stares —because he looks like everyone else.
But the pandemic stalled his plans to restore some normalcy in his life.
Fortineaux has limited his movements to his home in Evergreen Park and his flower shop, where he estimates business has been down 30% to 40% most weeks since the shutdown.
Forced to close his doors to walk-in customers and focus on delivery, he’s watched people instead buy flowers during their many trips to grocery stores, whose floral departments have been a thorn in the side of independent florists for years.
Fortineaux issued refunds as events were canceled and regular orders from schools and churches went dry. For a while he encountered shipment problems.
But the pandemic has also revealed opportunities.
Fortineaux has seen an uptick in orders for funeral arrangements, as mourners not permitted to attend burials because of social distancing rules send their condolences with sympathy blooms. Easter proved surprisingly busy because people who couldn’t go to church or go out to eat with family sent flowers to mark the occasion.
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The notes that people write on their delivery cards are telling of the times. Happy Birthday, look forward to celebrating together when we can, read some. Get Well Soon, hope you beat this COVID thing, read others.
His business is holding on, and he is heartened that people still are willing to spend money on a luxury such as flowers, which was not the case during the Great Recession.
The state’s rule allowing nonessential businesses to offer curbside pickup, which went into effect May 1, is very helpful in the run-up to Mother’s Day, Fortineaux said. He is trying to figure out a strategy to display flowers in the window or on a table by the door so people can see what they’re buying.
Meanwhile, he is waiting for federal or local small-business relief. Fortineaux, who normally employs six people but now just has family members helping out, didn’t get PPP funding in the first round and hasn’t received an update on whether he will get anything under the second.
Whether he can continue to withstand the disruption depends on how long it lasts.
“I stopped paying attention to all the articles I see that say it could go on for a year, two years,” he said. “I just try to have faith that it will resolve itself sooner than later."
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aelejalderuiz@chicagotribune.com
The coronavirus pandemic is forcing Chicago-area companies and workers to face harsh realities about their paychecks and their place in the local economy. The Tribune is reaching out to hear, and share, their stories.


chicagotribune--2020-05-07--Illinois congressional delegation seeks extension of 2,000 National Guard troops to assist with pand

Illinois congressional delegation seeks extension of 2,000 National Guard troops to assist with pandemic through June

“ We have made progress , in no small part due to the Illinois National Guard .
Gov .
( @ @ @ @ @ , must continue to call on our neighbors in uniform ; his plan to reopen @ @ @ @ @ to help combat the spread of COVID-19 in ‘ hard hit areas such as prisons @ @ @ @ @ congregate housing facilities , ’ ” the delegation letter to Esper said .

The Illinois National Guard convoy prepares to roll out from the Rivers Casino parking lot in Des Plaines to their coronavirus testing site on Chicago's Northwest Side. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
A unified state congressional delegation Thursday asked Defense Secretary Mike Esper for a one-month extension of federally funded Illinois National Guard activations to assist in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic in congregate settings such as prisons and nursing homes.
“We have made progress, in no small part due to the Illinois National Guard. Gov. (J.B.) Pritzker, however, must continue to call on our neighbors in uniform; his plan to reopen the state relies on them to help combat the spread of COVID-19 in ‘hard hit areas such as prisons, nursing homes and other congregate housing facilities,’” the delegation letter to Esper said.
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“This crisis is not yet over and we cannot let up now. We are indebted to the sacrifices of the men and women of the Illinois National Guard and grateful for their work yet to be done,” the members wrote.
The letter notes that the original federally paid activation of 4,000 Guard members expires at the end of May. It requests an extension of 2,000 Guard activations through the end of June.
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The letter from the state’s congressional delegation follows a similar request from Pritzker to President Donald Trump last Sunday.
“Although Illinois is starting to bend the curve, as you are keenly aware, we still have a significant requirement for community-based testing and support in hard-hit areas,” Pritzker’s letter said.
“I will ensure our response force is based on critical needs to fight this pandemic and only utilize the funding where necessary,” the governor said. “I will continue to assess the situation in Illinois and only request additional resources as required.”
The congressional letter was signed by Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and the state’s 13 Democratic and five Republican House members.
rap30@aol.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-07--Where to shop during the meat shortage, from wholesalers to farms to barbecue joints

Lem ’ s Bar-B-Q .
At the legendary South Side barbecue stand , you can buy their hot links uncooked @ @ @ @ @ pounds original pork , $ 35 for 8 pounds turkey ) .
While you ’ @ @ @ @ @ to order a rib tips and hot link combo , to be eaten in your @ @ @ @ @ as you get home .
Those are just the unwritten rules at the award-winning house @ @ @ @ @ 75th St. , 773-994-2428 , lemsque.com

Meat shortages have been widely reported. Costco has limited fresh meat purchases to three per member for some items. Some other Chicago-area supermarkets have similar restrictions. Even Wendy’s has been leaving some burger lovers asking, “Where’s the beef?”
Yet, retailers say there’s no need to stockpile. The limits are temporary. There still seem to be plenty of Popeyes fried chicken sandwiches.
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In Chicago, once hog butcher for the world, you can still buy hot dogs at factory stores, pizza sausage by the case, Italian beef by the tub, hot links by the pound, farmers market meat CSAs and discounted steakhouse rib-eyes to grill at home.
That said, if you’re looking for great vegetarian recipes, we have those too.
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A finished order of rib tips and links combo with a scoop of barbecue sauce at Lem's Bar-B-Q on June 15, 2019. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
But if supermarket butcher cases are picked over, you may want to turn to alternative sources. Here’s a taste of Chicago meat sources in the city, suburbs and beyond, plus a local plant-based meat alternative maker, all with plenty in stock right now, listed alphabetically.
The Chefs’ Warehouse. Shop like a chef for Allen Brothers steak deals and more at the Chicago location of the national specialty food distributor. Actually better than a chef, because the new website offers easy online ordering for pickup or home delivery. Free delivery kicks in for orders over $250, but that’s easy with a filet mignon box, beef short rib for pot roast and Angus rib-eyes. 2801 S. Western Ave., 888-333-0318, shop.chefswarehouse.com/collections/chicagoland
Chicago Oriental Wholesale. The Chinatown-based wholesaler now allows the public to shop for far more than Asian produce, grocery and meat. The online sample catalog includes boneless, skinless chicken breast, but in 40-pound cases. You have to shop in person, so go after 10 a.m. after the wholesale rush. 1902 S. Lumber St., 800-808-8997, cowminc.com
Finn’s Ranch. You may have bought from the Michigan steak and eggs ranch at local farmers markets. Now sign up for their meat CSA (community supported agriculture) package with beef, pork, chicken, duck, turkey and goat. Order by item through the WhatsGood app, also used by Green City Market. Home delivery is available for $10, or free if you pick up at a location near you. 13559 Coveney Road, Buchanan, Michigan; 773-616-0251; finnsranch.com
Gene’s Sausage Shop & Delicatessen. The Lincoln Square store, founded by Polish immigrant brothers John and Gene Luszcz in 1972, remains open. You can order some of the house-made sausages and deli meats online. For the rest, call ahead or just visit the butcher counter yourself in the stunning and spacious European goods market. 4750 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-SAUSAGE (773-728-7243), genessausage.com
Gibsons. The half-price cook-at-home steaks sold out, but a raw W.R.'s Chicago-cut bone-in rib-eye still sells for $48 instead of $63. By the way, that 22-ounce steak immortalizes the late Tribune food and wine journalist William Rice. Pork chops, lamb chops and a burger kit with buns, cheese and toppings are also available. 1028 N. Rush St., 312-266-8999; 5464 N. River Road, Rosemont, 847-928-9900; 2105 Spring Road, Oak Brook, 630-954-0000; gibsonssteakhouse.com
Harrison’s Poultry Farm. “There’s no sign of any shortages,” said Kyle Zimmerman, fourth-generation owner with brother Kevin Zimmerman. They are asking for one-day notice for the first time ever, because they need the time to process all the orders. Products include all kinds of poultry, from chicken to quail, plus beef and pork. 1201 Waukegan Road, Glenview; 847-724-0132; harrisonspoultryfarm.com
KEY FOODServices. Located in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, site of the former meatpacking Stockyards, this food distributor now has opened its doors to the public. Get all kinds of fresh and frozen meat, including alligator, or any kind of food service supplies, including paper products. Go after 10 a.m., since most business deliveries go out early in the morning. 4130 S. Morgan St., 312-225-0225, keyfoodservices.com
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Lem’s Bar-B-Q. At the legendary South Side barbecue stand, you can buy their hot links uncooked ($30 for 7 pounds original pork, $35 for 8 pounds turkey). While you’re there, you have to order a rib tips and hot link combo to be eaten in your car, or as soon as you get home. Those are just the unwritten rules at the award-winning house of smoke. 311 E. 75th St., 773-994-2428, lemsque.com
Local Foods. The market is closed to the public, as one of the first contact-free grocery stores in the country. Order by phone or online for curbside pickup or delivery from the sustainable whole animal butcher counter, The Butcher & Larder, or anything in the store. From house-made sausages to ground beef to whole Gunthorp Farms chickens, the focus is Midwestern sources within 350 miles. 1427 W. Willow St., 312-432-6575, localfoods.com
Mint Creek Farm. In the before times, you could visit and even camp at the small family farm about 80 miles southwest of Chicago. They still raise organic pastured beef, pork, lamb, goat, chicken and duck. Look for their stand at the Evanston farmers market so far, or sign up for a meat CSA. 1693 E. 3800N Road, Cabery, 815-953-5682, mintcreekfarm.com
Peoria Packing. The last big butcher shop in the West Loop might have lines outside, but that’s not because of a meat shortage. Long time regulars know they’re waiting because of weekly specials, primarily for pork, but there’s beef, chicken, catfish and shrimp too. A little warning for the uninitiated, you might not want to wear white shoes. 1300 W. Lake St., 312-738-1800, peoriapacking.com
Publican Quality Meats. Beloved PQM just reopened the cafe with a digital butcher shop on Monday. The virtual case is stocked with meat selected by head butcher Rob Levitt, including house-made charcuterie and sausages, plus beef, pork, chicken and more. Remember the outstanding Publican Quality Bread when ordering for curbside pick up or delivery. 825 W. Fulton Market, 312-445-8977, publicanqualitymeats.com
Restaurant Depot. The restaurant supply store with five locations in the city and suburbs opened its doors to the public nationwide due to the pandemic. You’ll find so much meat, but most importantly the coveted Anichini Brothers fennel pizza sausage. It’s a minimum 10 pound case, so that’s enough for about three or four — OK, maybe more — deep dish pizzas. 1030 W. Division St., 312-255-0403; 12665 S. Pulaski Road, Alsip, 708-824-9999; 2166 Mannheim Road, Des Plaines, 847-827-5511; 1000 S. Rohlwing Road, Lombard, 630-543-3700; 5836 N. Pulaski Road, 773-539-5059; restaurantdepot.com
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Smoking Goose. The Indiana-based maker of salumi, sausages and ham is holding its biggest sale ever. Stock up at the Hoosier meatery with 50% off nearly everything. Sampler packs and orders of $75 or more qualify for free shipping. 411 Dorman St., Indianapolis; 317-638-6328; smokinggoose.com
Tempesta Market. The artisan salumi and sandwich shop may be best known for its 'nduja, the spicy spreadable pork sausage. Fifth generation Italian salami maker Tony Fiasche though has created a renaissance world filled with coppa, soppressata and more, that once supplied chefs and even cruise ships around the world. Explore his exquisite cured meat creations, sliced thin, arranged like an artist’s palette and meant to be savored. 1372 W. Grand Ave., 312-929-2551, tempestamarket.com
Underground Meats. Nothing says Mother’s Day quite like a meaty stay-at-home package. The Madison, Wisconsin, collective includes its fantastic Wisco Old Fashioned sausage made with allspice, brandied cherries, orange peel and a hint of chile. Look for them with lots of dried sausages that will keep at the Logan Square farmers market on Sunday too. 931 E. Main St., Madison; 608-467-2850; undergroundmeats.com
Upton’s Naturals. The company in West Town makes a plant-based meat alternative with jackfruit, the giant Asian tropical fruit. The ready-to-eat products are available at grocery stores in seasonings including barbecue and chile lime. They’re mindblowingly delicious when pan fried to crispy bits, then sandwiched like pulled pork or tucked in tacos with great bread or the best corn tortillas. 2054 W. Grand Ave., 312-666-7838, uptonsnaturals.com
Vienna Beef Factory Store & Cafe. Chicagoans probably eat most of their meat as hot dogs anyway so buy them in bulk from the factory store. While manufacturing moved from the North Side location, across the river from Costco, down to the South Side in Bridgeport, both sites still have a cafeteria open to the public. Get sausages, corned beef and Italian beef with gravy by the tub too. 2501 N. Damen Ave., 773-278-7800; 3847 S. Morgan St., 773-435-2298; viennabeef.com
Whittingham Meats. The suburban meat wholesaler has rethought its business model in a few weeks, going from mostly supplying steakhouses and country clubs to a retail focus, offering free delivery. Choose Corona Care Packages (a mix of beef filets, chicken breasts, pork tenderloins, bratwurst and bacon, $80) or the Steak Lovers Dream (13 cuts of steak, $270), among other options, with free delivery throughout the Chicago area. The retail butcher shop also is open. 4134 W. 127th Street, Alsip, 708-371-1650, whittinghammeats.com. For more on Whittingham Meats, see the story here.


chicagotribune--2020-05-07--Willie Wilson moves 5 million face mask giveaway to three Chicago churches

“ I received some notification yesterday from Dr. Wilson about something he planned in the future , ” Lightfoot said @ @ @ @ @ series of questions , which you would expect me to ask , which was : @ @ @ @ @ permit ?
What ’ s the security plan ?
’ And when you talk about @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a lot of people coming together , and probably , my concern was @ @ @ @ @ order .
”

Willie Wilson arrives at the Cook County Jail to pay bail for and give masks to detainees who have been charged with nonviolent misdemeanors amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Chicago on April 30, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)
Former mayoral candidate Willie Wilson will donate up to 5 million disposable face masks at three South and West side churches on Saturday after the United Center backed out of the giveaway event, he said.
Wilson reached out to Mayor Lori Lightfoot via text on Tuesday to see if she wanted to appear at a Wednesday news conference to promote the event, he said. The mayor responded with questions about whether he had adequate security, he said.
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On Wednesday morning, Wilson said United Center representatives called him and said they no longer wanted to hold the mask giveaway.
Lightfoot on Wednesday was asked whether she told the United Center to kibosh Wilson’s plan and said she merely raised some questions about it with Wilson.
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“I received some notification yesterday from Dr. Wilson about something he planned in the future,” Lightfoot said. “I asked a series of questions, which you would expect me to ask, which was: ‘Do you have a permit? What’s the security plan?’ And when you talk about 5 million masks, that’s a lot of people coming together, and probably, my concern was, violating the state stay-at-home order.”
“God bless Willie Wilson for his generous heart,” Lightfoot added. She said anybody making contributions has to do it “in a way that puts public health and public safety first and foremost.”
The timing of the cancellation struck Wilson as peculiar. “We were ready to go, and then suddenly they canceled after I reached out to the mayor,” he said.
But the United Center’s chief operating officer, Terry Savarise, released a statement saying officials reviewed Wilson’s proposal and decided it simply didn’t meet the facility’s “critically important safety guidelines.”
“While we appreciate what Dr. Wilson is doing for our community, we have the utmost responsibility to protect the United Center personnel working on behalf of the same community,” Savarise’s statement reads in part.
Instead, Wilson said the Saturday mask giveaways will take place at the House of Hope and Apostolic Church of God churches on the South Side and the Mount Vernon Baptist Church on the West Side.
The mask question has become an increasing point of contention between the mayor and Wilson, a business owner who distributes medical supplies and who had a falling-out with Lightfoot after she took office.
Last month, Lightfoot accused Wilson of requesting millions of dollars from the city in upfront cash to help buy protective masks from him. “Millions of dollars in cash is not something I’m ever going to do with taxpayer dollars," Lightfoot said then.
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In response, Wilson denied wanting the money in cash and said the city didn’t get back to him about his proposal.
Then Far South Side Ald. Anthony Beale called on Lightfoot to allow aldermen to use local infrastructure funds to buy masks from Wilson, an idea the mayor has not embraced. Wilson subsequently gave away thousands of masks to aldermen at an event at the Thompson Center across the street from City Hall.
Lightfoot then sent a letter to aldermen saying she would be sending out a request for proposals to try to find companies to make reusable cloth masks for the city, to be distributed to residents to help them comply with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s order requiring people to wear a face covering or mask while inside stores and other places where they can’t maintain safe social distancing.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-05-07--A Chicago nurse vacationed with other nurses every year. She died from COVID-19 before they could pl

A Chicago nurse vacationed with other nurses every year. She died from COVID-19 before they could plan their next trip

“ I am happy that she did get to do so much with the life she was given , ” @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t just sit at home and , I ’ m going to work @ @ @ @ @ work , work , and then when I go on retirement , then I ’ @ @ @ @ @ traveling .
”

Every February, Maria Lopez and a group of fellow Chicago nurses from the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago would board a plane to someplace warm.
For about a decade, they’d traveled to different locales, including Lopez’s beloved Mexico, where she is from. This year, they went to the Dominican Republic.
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As the group of friends took a dip in the ocean, Lopez, who was recovering from knee surgery, did not go wading.
“She’d say, ‘That’s OK, amiga, next year ... I’m going in,’” said her friend and fellow nurse traveler Mary Ann Zervakis Brent.
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But “there’s not going to be a next year,” Zervakis Brent said.
Maria Lopez was a nurse at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago. (Family photo)
Lopez, 63, died Monday, after testing positive for the coronavirus. Her sudden death shocked co-workers, who lovingly referred to her as “amiga” and “mama.”
“She has an enormous heart of gold,” said Zervakis Brent, a nurse anesthetist. “She was like a mama to everybody.”
She was the third employee at UI Health to die after testing positive for COVID-19. Colleagues Joyce Pacubas-Le Blanc and Juan Martinez died last month.
In a message to staffers, Michael Zenn, CEO of University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics, noted resources available for emotional support. “It is with the utmost respect for her service and a deep sense of sadness that I ask everyone to join me in keeping Maria’s family and friends in our thoughts,” he said. “The losses we and our entire community are experiencing due to COVID-19 are heartbreaking.”
In a statement for a fundraiser for the family, her daughter Carina Rodriguez said her mother was scared by coronavirus but, “She told us she couldn’t let fear stop her from doing what she was put on this earth to do.“
Lopez was set to retire April 30. After her knee surgery, she returned to work for one last month, only to get sick. She was a mother to two daughters, and a grandmother to two cherished granddaughters, and every Sunday was a day focused on family. She loved to travel and dance, requesting anything from mariachi music to the Beatles at hospital parties. Even the knee issues didn’t stop her.
“She just would not stop dancing,” said her daughter, also named Maria Lopez. “She would pull up a chair and use it for support and not stop dancing.”
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She was a “life saver” not only as a nurse but also for everyone in the family. The oldest of nine siblings, “Basically since she was born, she’s been taking care of people,” her daughter said.
When the younger Maria Lopez was 3 months old, her mom moved to the U.S. from Guadalajara, Mexico. After becoming a nurse in her home country, her mom learned English and became certified in America.
At UIC, she worked alongside her brother, Jose Lopez. She was a patient, experienced nurse who worked in robotic surgery for decades, constantly learning and teaching in a growing field that was considered experimental 20 years ago. She assisted surgeons during procedures.
“She loves the robot,” Zervakis Brent said. “I used to tease her and tell her she liked the robot better than me.”
When medical teams visited from other countries, it was Lopez they learned from. Ivo Tzvetanov, chief of the division of transplantation at UI Health, said people would quickly realize it was Lopez who was the expert. After speaking with her, they would often send nurses to Chicago to learn from her.
“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Maria was probably one of the first and one of the most experienced nurses when it comes to robotics technology in the country,” he said.
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Maria Lopez, foreground, sits with her daughter Maria Lopez, from left, granddaughter Areli, granddaughter Anahi Maria, and daughter Carina Rodriguez. (Family photo)
With a cheerful, colorful personality, she made patients feel safe as well as handle the intricate work involved in procedures like organ transplants. If a challenge arose, Tzvetanov would say, “Where is Maria? She can fix it.”
“It’s not easy for surgeons to get emotional,” Tzvetanov said. Her death, he said, is “an incredible loss in every aspect.”
Pier Giulianotti, chief of general surgery and robotics at UI Health, said the skills she brought to surgeries calmed tense environments and offered a wealth of knowledge.
“She was making the atmosphere more serene,” he said. “There will really be an empty space, and we will miss her a lot.”
During their last shared text messages, he said, she said she was feeling better but asked him to pray for her. “I told her, you are such a good person and of course I will pray for you.”
In a profession where he is able to save many patients, he said, this loss hurts. “I wish I could have done something for her.”
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Fellow UIC nurse Jose Moreno said Lopez defied the stereotype of nurses squabbling with surgeons that people are used to seeing on TV. Instead, she was so beloved that while she was sick, everyone asked about her.
“She was one that brought all people together,” Moreno said. “She was an incredible, intelligent, hardworking nurse, and that’s how she was treated at work by all her colleagues.”
Maria Lopez in scrubs in an undated photo. (Family photo)
When Zervakis Brent first started at UIC, she was nervous about being the new person. But Lopez quickly enveloped her with her warmth. Year after year, she would invite her to join the trips until she accepted.
“She took care of everybody,” Zervakis Brent said. “She knew the value of getting people to do their best work by making them happy.”
After entering the hospital, Lopez was placed in intensive care, but seemed to be improving, her daughter Maria Lopez said. She and her sister were planning a welcome home party with a banner, balloons, flowers and a home-cooked meal.
“She fought to the very end,” her daughter said. “If she ever thought that she wasn’t going to make it, she didn’t express that to us at all.”
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Her daughter is pained that after years of saving for a comfortable retirement, she never made it. But she said her mother set an example of enjoying life to the fullest.
“I am happy that she did get to do so much with the life she was given,” she said. “She didn’t just sit at home and, I’m going to work, work, work, work, work, and then when I go on retirement, then I’ll go and do my traveling.”
abowen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-07--COVID-19 in Illinois, the U.S. and the world: Timeline of the outbreak

Starting at a live fish market in Wuhan , China , outbreaks have hit across Europe , the Mideast and @ @ @ @ @ , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker has directed a response that closed schools and nonessential workplaces @ @ @ @ @ and public spaces have been closed .

Six months have passed since the hectic weeks when most of life as it was before COVID-19 shut down. Spring gave way to summer and work, school, sports and entertainment all radically transformed as the pandemic became the driving force behind nearly everything. Of course, before Gov. J.B. Pritzker shut down the state, instituted a reopening plan and shut some things down again; before case counts, positivity rates, N-95s, nasal swabs and other new words entered the public vocabulary, coronavirus was already spreading around the globe with a devastating impact.
The virus exacted a frightening toll with more than 29 million cases 900,000 deaths worldwide as of Sept. 14, according to data tracked by Johns Hopkins. In Illinois, 8,314 have lost their lives and 262,744 have been confirmed with the virus.
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Starting at a live fish market in Wuhan, China, outbreaks hit across Europe, the Mideast and the U.S. Countries shut down, opened up and shut down again.
[ Subscribe here to the Chicago Tribune ]
Here are key points in the outbreak of COVID-19 in Illinois, the U.S. and the world, in politics, education, business and sports.
2019
January 2020
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September


chicagotribune--2020-05-07--A family with a wide reach in Illinois nursing homes has links to severe COVID-19 outbreak in New Je

A family with a wide reach in Illinois nursing homes has links to severe COVID-19 outbreak in New Jersey

Beyond homes and the real estate around them , the Rothners also have ties to a consulting firm , Extended @ @ @ @ @ employed by 18 facilities in the Chicago area and Indiana , including Chateau and other @ @ @ @ @ s members own , according to the organization ’ s website and state records .
@ @ @ @ @ the same address on Main Street in Evanston used by other Rothner-managed companies , and @ @ @ @ @ Rothner Health Ventures , according to state records .
Eric Rothner manages the company that @ @ @ @ @ the Evanston building , state and Cook County records show .

Medical workers load a body into an ambulance at Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center on April 16, 2020, in Andover, New Jersey. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / Getty Images)
A pair of New Jersey nursing homes where at least 66 people have died of COVID-19 — one of the country’s worst such outbreaks — are connected to a Chicago-area family with a broad reach in the business of long-term care, including ownership ties to more than a dozen Illinois facilities.
One of them, in west suburban Willowbrook, had one of the state’s earliest serious COVID-19 outbreaks.
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The homes in Andover, New Jersey, are on property owned by companies managed by William Rothner, whose website states that he “built his family’s leased nursing home portfolio” and “directed purchases, in ten states, of nearly fifty facilities totaling over three hundred million dollars." The Andover homes had 236 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Wednesday — 85 more than Illinois has reported for the hardest-hit local facility.
In Illinois, Rothner’s father, Eric, has a history of ties to troubled nursing homes, including one shut down a decade ago by state authorities after repeated inspections found violence, abuse and mistreatment of residents. Chateau Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Willowbrook, which had 58 COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths as of Friday, is owned by Evanston-based Rothner Health Ventures, a company managed by Eric Rothner, according to state records.
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That’s more reported cases than 92% of the 348 Illinois long-term care facilities reporting at least one, and more deaths than 88% of the 223 facilities listing at least one fatality.
A Tribune review of 2018 Illinois public health reports — the most recent available — showed that Chateau was one of at least 18 facilities in the state partially or completely owned by Eric, William or other Rothners, or trusts or companies in their names.
The Chateau Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Willowbrook on March 17, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Advocates for nursing home residents noted that the new coronavirus, which thrives in group settings and preys aggressively on the elderly and infirm, can devastate the best-run homes. But they also say poorly staffed facilities are worse equipped to fight outbreaks, and both the Willowbrook and New Jersey homes received substandard ratings on staffing levels from the federal government’s Nursing Home Compare website.
Chicago nursing home resident advocate Wendy Meltzer described the Willowbrook home’s historic performance — including its “below average” staffing rating — as “mediocre at best.” But Meltzer noted that a lack of personnel would make the home fairly typical in a state with lots of poorly staffed homes.
“It’s not like they’re average, good average. It’s like they’re in the range Illinois accepts as acceptable nursing home care, which is actually scarier,” she said.
Chicago attorney Steven Levin, who frequently sues nursing homes on behalf of residents, said he generally viewed facilities tied to Eric Rothner as “very poor performers.”
“Over the years we have filed and successfully resolved numerous, numerous cases with different care problems that occurred at their homes," he said.
Across Illinois, the Tribune found that facilities owned at least in part as of 2018 by various Rothners or trusts or businesses in their names had reported a total of 192 cases and 33 deaths related to COVID-19 as of Friday. None of those facilities other than Chateau was near the top of the state lists of outbreaks and deaths, but the family has ownership ties to three other places that reported more than 30 cases each.
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In response to detailed questions from the Tribune, Eric Rothner issued a general written statement praising the work Chateau had done with federal, state and county officials and defending his homes. “The facilities that I have operating ownership in provide a quality program of care and services,” he wrote.
William Rothner, generally known as “Avi,” wrote in an email to the Tribune that as a landlord to the New Jersey homes, his companies “have no responsibility for the operations at the facility.”
“As the lessor, the operations are not in our control, and we do not have personal knowledge or control over the day to day operations. However, we are very concerned about the situation and have been proactive in trying to help the operator stabilize the situation,” he wrote.
A visitor tries to get the attention of a resident of the Chateau Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Willowbrook on March 17, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
It is difficult to account precisely for all the holdings of the family’s members, given the complex ownership structures. Records show the Illinois facilities are owned by various Rothners, often including Eric or William; trusts in their names; companies, and other individuals. Neither Eric nor William Rothner responded to questions about the extent of their holdings.
That complexity is not unique to the Rothners. Though large companies and nonprofit groups own some Illinois homes, Levin said that many Illinois homes are held by groups of people or trusts, which can make it difficult to determine who is responsible for the homes’ conditions. Facilities often do little to advertise their ownership, and people frequently don’t know who owns the homes where their loved ones reside, Levin said.
Speaking generally, he said, “The lack of transparency in nursing home ownership is because the owners and operators of the nursing home want to limit their liability.”
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Beyond homes and the real estate around them, the Rothners also have ties to a consulting firm, Extended Care Clinical, that is employed by 18 facilities in the Chicago area and Indiana, including Chateau and other homes that the family’s members own, according to the organization’s website and state records. The firm is based at the same address on Main Street in Evanston used by other Rothner-managed companies, and it shares a co-manager with Rothner Health Ventures, according to state records. Eric Rothner manages the company that in recent years has owned the Evanston building, state and Cook County records show.
The building also houses Altitude Health Services, founded by William Rothner, who wrote on his website that he was “originally lured into the healthcare field by his father," Eric. Altitude gives “consulting and support services to skilled nursing facilities,” the website states.
In 2017, two other companies managed by William Rothner bought real estate that included two nursing home facilities across the street from each other in Andover, about 50 miles from New York City, records from New Jersey show. The facilities, Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center I and II, are leased to a New Jersey company, Alliance Healthcare, according to the company’s website and Rothner, who declined to say how much his companies charge in rent.
Andover Subacute II, large by the standards of nursing homes at 543 certified beds, had a record of problems predating the purchase, and the federal government’s nursing home comparison website shows an overall rating of one out of five stars for staffing, quality of care and other measures — “much below average.” The smaller facility holds a rating of three stars, “average.”
Starting last month, the coronavirus stormed through the homes, and The New York Times wrote that police, acting on a tip, found 17 bodies in a small room. The larger home has taken the brunt, with 183 cases and 53 deaths there as of Wednesday, according to the New Jersey health department. There had been 52 cases and 13 deaths at the other facility.
An office building at 2201 Main Street in Evanston, shown on April 28, 2020, is home to Extended Care and Altitude Heath Services. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
As news of the crisis at the homes emerged, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he was “outraged” about the reported treatment of the dead and promised an investigation.
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While placing responsibility for conditions at the homes on their operators, William Rothner said his companies had offered help with protective gear, guidance and consulting personnel.
“We have maintained daily contact with the operator over approximately the last two weeks, and they have been cooperative and forthcoming with requested information,” he wrote in an email.
Efforts to reach Alliance officials for comment were unsuccessful.
The numbers from New Jersey overshadow those of any reported at a facility in Illinois. Still, facilities across Illinois have proved vulnerable to the virus, with 7,542 cases and 1,082 deaths reported as of Friday. State officials have acknowledged there may be more.
Advocates have pointed to the industry’s history of safety violations, and workers have complained they lack gear, training and information. At the same time, industry groups have said they’re doing their best but need more testing of residents and staff. State officials have said they’re focused on guiding homes to follow safety rules, ensure transparency and boost testing.
Family members of nursing home residents across the state have complained it can be difficult to get information on their loved ones, and that’s also true of Chateau, owned by the group managed by Eric Rothner.
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Donna Armellino of Darien said her 93-year-old mother lives at Chateau and her roommate died of the virus in March, which Armellino learned by contacting the woman’s family. Armellino said that after her mother was tested last month, she started hearing through other families that they had received test results. She tried in vain for about 90 minutes to get through by phone to Chateau, then went to the facility but couldn’t get a prompt answer there either, she said.
She eventually heard from personnel at the home that her mother had tested negative. Still, her mother has recently experienced irregular breathing and Armellino was invited into the home in protective gear to say goodbye, she said. But as of this week her mother was feeling better, Armellino said.
Her mother had not been retested since March, her daughter said. Armellino worried that she might not promptly find out if her mother’s condition changed.
Extended Care Clinical CEO Ron Nunziato acknowledged that communicating with families was “difficult” early on but said it had improved and noted posts on the facility’s website. More broadly, he said he did not feel the facility was understaffed, though he added that hiring certified nursing assistants can be hard when they could make similar wages working in retail.
Nunziato said the federal government should have provided stronger guidance to homes sooner and he complained that the facilities were being blamed when they have been victims.
"We don’t blame victims of hurricanes and tornadoes like we’re blaming nursing homes in this perfect storm,” he said,
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A decade before the pandemic, nursing homes linked to Eric Rothner drove controversy and state action.
The Tribune’s “Compromised Care” series in 2009 found that Somerset Place was one of a cluster of homes in Chicago’s Uptown and Edgewater neighborhoods housing large populations of loosely supervised mentally ill residents and felons who engaged in panhandling, prostitution, drug-dealing and assault. At the time, Rothner had an ownership or consulting role in Somerset and more than a dozen other facilities in the state.
Following those reports, federal health care authorities cut off funding, saying that systemic violence, abuse and mistreatment put “the health and safety of ... residents in immediate jeopardy.” The state announced in 2010 it would close the home, which has been converted into apartments.
The state pushed to close another facility tied to Eric Rothner, Rainbow Beach Care Center, that was the source of numerous allegations of sexual assault or abuse. The state assigned two monitors to ensure patient safety, but the facility’s lawyers pushed back and a judge temporarily barred the monitors from the facility in 2012. Located in in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, the center remains open, and records show that as of 2018 it was owned by Eric Rothner and his wife, Gale.
The Rothner family’s record has continued to be a topic of debate in recent years.
A 2018 bid involving William Rothner to buy Champaign County’s publicly run nursing home spurred pushback from union leaders and advocates who cited the reported problems of other homes linked to the family and voiced concerns that the facility would decline in quality.
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During that battle, Claudia Lennhoff, executive director of Champaign County Health Care Consumers, researched homes tied to the Rothners and concluded that she didn’t want William Rothner involved in the facility.
Over the objections of Lennhoff and others, the county board sold the home.
dhinkel@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-07--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--2020-05-07--Pritzker’s 5-phase plan a ‘gut punch’ to restaurants desperate to open

“ The people ’ s health has to be the No .
1 priority , ” he said , “ @ @ @ @ @ the weight of these decisions .
But after hearing a best-scenario date of June 26 @ @ @ @ @ unemployed — every month this goes on adds another six months it ’ ll take @ @ @ @ @ having any certainty to occupancy restrictions makes it hard to make plans .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ with how big parties and weddings will be down .
But now , you can @ @ @ @ @ birthday party .
”

Dave Nalezny looks out at the patio of his restaurant Park & Field in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood on May 21, 2020. He hopes restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic will be loosened and he will to be able to open the patio for business during the crucial summer months. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
When Illinois restaurants were ordered shuttered by Gov. Pritzker in mid-March, restaurant owners, chefs and workers braced for several weeks of zero income.
When the order was extended through April, and then May, the industry pointed to June.
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But Pritzker’s five-phase plan, announced Tuesday, set the earliest-possible day for reopening at June 26, and that date is by no means definite.
For an industry already struggling to hang on, the news was devastating.
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“It hasn’t been the best 24 hours for me,” said R.J. Melman, president of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. “I’ll preface everything by saying, at the end of the day, the health and safety of our guests and employees is truly No. 1.”
“But this was a gut punch,” he said. “I think all of us were in an emotional state to get going by June 1; we were marching in that direction. It’s devastating to be told that ain’t gonna happen until maybe July 1.”
Friday afternoon, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Public Health unveiled a framework for re-opening the city's economy. Like the state's plan, with which the city framework aligns, openings would be gradual and cautious, while attention continues to focus on decreasing the rate of virus spread, testing and contact tracing, support systems for vulnerable populations and healthcare surge capacity.
The framework includes no specific dates; Lightfoot said that any dates “would be aribitrary,” and all opening decisions would be “science and data-driven.” “Select businesses” would open gradually, increasing as safety data permits, but the framework did not specify any businesses, nor the order in which they might open.
“Illinois, where the vast majority of (Lettuce Entertain You) businesses are, was one of the first states to close restaurants, and now will be one of the last three to open,” Melman said. “Best I can see, our restaurants will be closed for 17 weeks. I don’t know how we survive that. It’s not about loans, or grants, or anything; many Illinois restaurants won’t survive.”
[ What the future of restaurants could look like in Chicago. ]
Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, said the announcement caught him, and other industry leaders, flatfooted.
“The state did not really collaborate with us,” Toia said, “and we’re the largest private-sector employer in the state of Illinois. We’re having some communication now, but the plans are already out there.”
According to Pritzker’s phased plan, restaurants would not be able to reopen until Phase 4. The state is currently at Phase 2; Phase 3 would permit manufacturing, offices, retail, barbershops and salons to reopen (subject to safety guidelines and limited capacity).
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Restaurateurs ask: Why can’t we be part of Phase 3?
“Remember, if we go to June 25, some restaurants will have been closed for 16 weeks,” Toia said. “And others (those offering takeout and delivery) are down 70 to 80 percent in sales. That’s not a pretty picture. The state is underestimating our ability to operate safely.”
“We’re one of the most highly regulated businesses in the state,” Toia said. “We’re very progressive when it comes to health and safety — food-handling certificates, management certificates, sanitation — all the restaurants care about the safety and health of their team members and customers.”
“But what about financial health?” Toia asked. “At the beginning of the year, the restaurant industry had 594,000 workers. As of last week, 321,000 were on unemployment or furlough.”
Toia said restaurant openings should be part of Phase 3, which would allow some restaurants to open as soon as June 1.
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan ]
“Even if it’s slowly,” he said. “Let restaurants open June 1 at 25 percent capacity, then 50 percent by June 28. Some states are already open — Indiana, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee. So we’re going to see in another 10 days if there’s a spike in cases. If there is, OK, but if not, why can’t we look at June 1?”
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“And when he’s saying the earliest date is the 26th, he’s not saying which region this is,” Toia said. (Pritzker’s plan divides the state into four regions.) “Is it the South? Does that mean Northeast (which includes Chicago) waits even longer?”
“We need more guidelines,” Toia said. “There are a lot of unanswered questions.”
“I’d say (the announcement) was surprising,” said Scott Weiner, co-founder of the Fifty/50 restaurant group and member of the Illinois Restaurant Association Board. “But I’m less calm than I was a day ago, and I don’t have any more knowledge as to when we’ll be able to open to customers.”
“The people’s health has to be the No. 1 priority,” he said, “and I definitely empathize with the weight of these decisions. But after hearing a best-scenario date of June 26, with 28 million people unemployed — every month this goes on adds another six months it’ll take to recover. And not having any certainty to occupancy restrictions makes it hard to make plans. We’ve already come to terms with how big parties and weddings will be down. But now, you can’t even have a birthday party.”
“I think the disappointment started when we heard that the Illinois Restaurant Association and City Hall hadn’t been consulted,” said Kevin Boehm, co-founder of the Boka Resturant Group and one of the founders of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, which is directing its advocacy work to Congress. “It’s just so very arbitrary, and disconnected to us.”
“Get us on the phone,” Boehm said. “Those of us who’ve done this for a long, long time; give us the opportunity to build SOPs (standard operative procedures) to make restaurants safe. I truly believe they underestimate what we can do.”
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Boehm echoed others in expressing dismay over the requirement that transitions, from one phase to the next, wait at least 28 days.
“Twenty-eight days between determinations, and in New York it’s 14 days?” he asked. “New York was hit the worst; why is it 14 days there and 28 days here? And there’s no guarantee we can open June 26; do we have to wait 28 more days? If we don’t open until July 24, the number of restaurants going out of business will be staggering.”
“And (Pritzker’s) Stage 4 doesn’t specify restaurant occupancy,” Boehm said, “which means there’s no opportunity for planning.”
“We are all for safety,” Boehm said. “We’re just asking for the governor to give us a voice.”
Boehm said he feels equally frustrated dealing with Congress.
“There are some small changes that, if they could happen, could change the landscape,” he said. “If we change the origination date for the Payroll Protection Program to Aug. 30, that would be a game-changer. A stabilization fund for restaurants that aren’t public, a (monetary) carve-out dedicated to restaurants, that’s a game-changer. And I don’t know why we can’t get these things done.”
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“Our entire restaurant world is based on a sense of urgency,” he said, “and to see how little urgency there’s been, it’s tough not to feel forgotten about. I spend 10 hours a day talking to senators.”
“It’s planting flowers that may never bloom,” he said, “and it just makes me crazy.”


chicagotribune--2020-05-07--When Chicago steakhouses closed, a suburban supplier had to think fast. Now it offers Corona Care me

When Chicago steakhouses closed, a suburban supplier had to think fast. Now it offers Corona Care meat packages for home delivery

“ We had to scramble so quickly , ” says Bobby Whittingham on the phone .
“ Originally , on @ @ @ @ @ we ’ d have to let some employees off.
” Even though customers could always @ @ @ @ @ ’ s retail shop , most of Whittingham Meat ’ s business came from selling @ @ @ @ @ .
Now many of those were either closed or buying much less than before .
@ @ @ @ @ out 10 trucks a day to deliver meat , to only needing three .

On an episode of NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” Ron Swanson, the mustachioed libertarian and proud meat eater, broke down crying when his favorite steakhouse closed unexpectedly. “What happened to the steaks that were in there when they closed?” he asked. “Do you think they got eaten?”
There are far more serious matters to worry about during the coronavirus pandemic, but I have wondered about where all the meat meant for Chicago steakhouses has gone since Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered the closing of restaurant dining rooms in March.
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So has Rick Whittingham, president and CEO of Whittingham Meats, and his son Bobby Whittingham, vice president. Open since 1947, the family-owned business located in suburban Alsip has had to completely rethink its business model in a few weeks.
“We had to scramble so quickly,” says Bobby Whittingham on the phone. “Originally, on the first day we thought we’d have to let some employees off.” Even though customers could always purchase meat at the company’s retail shop, most of Whittingham Meat’s business came from selling to restaurants and country clubs. Now many of those were either closed or buying much less than before. The company went from sending out 10 trucks a day to deliver meat, to only needing three.
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[ Meat shortage means Chicago shoppers face buying limits, higher prices, fewer choices as coronavirus stresses supply ]
Richard Whittingham, CEO and president of Whittingham Meats, selects a box of meat for a customer. He and his son Bobby refocused the company from mostly wholesale to mostly retail, offering free home delivery. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
“One morning we were focused on wholesale,” says Whittingham. “Now retail is our bread and butter.” But with people trying their best to stay home, he knew that people were less likely to visit the retail butcher shop. He and his dad had to figure out a way to get the meat to the customers safely.
That’s when Whittingham came up with the idea of selling what he’s calling Corona Care Packages. “It’s like a meat subscription, where you can get locally sourced fresh meat that’s never frozen,” says Whittingham. The boxes of vacuum-packed meat start at $80 for Tier D (which includes a mix of beef filets, chicken breasts, pork tenderloins, bratwurst and bacon) and go up to $270 for the Steak Lovers Dream (which has 13 cuts of steak).
Instead of paying another company to deliver all the boxes, Whittingham decided to put those idle trucks to use.
“To keep it affordable, we decided to offer free delivery,” says Whittingham. “We want to keep people home.” Asked about the delivery zone, Whittingham said that basically all of Chicagoland is available. “We won’t be out in Rockford,” adds Whittingham, but if you order meat in the morning, you should get it by the next day. He adds that for some northern suburbs like Skokie , “We’ll get it out, but it might be a couple days or more.”
[ 11 vegetarian recipes to try during the meat shortage ]
Customers shop for fresh meat at Whittingham Meats in Alsip on May 6, 2020. The family-owned company now offers free home delivery of its popular Corona Care Packages and other meats. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
While the boxes have helped the company continue to operate, they require a lot more effort to put together than what the employees used to do for wholesale accounts.
“We’re busy, but the margin is lower,” admits Whittingham. The company was used to doing large orders, but now the average bill is only about $100 an order.
“It’s exhausting,” says Whittingham. “It’s a scramble every day to try and adapt. I came in every day for the first month, because I was trying to get the assembly line down for the boxes.” But Whittingham says it’s all worth it because he’s able to keep all his employees.
Whittingham is also dealing with keeping some meat in stock. “At first it was chicken,” says Whittingham. “It was ridiculous. We couldn’t keep it on the shelves. My mom was even calling me and asking me to bring two boxes of chicken home.” Then it was hard to get enough pork loins. Whittingham admits that there will likely be more shortages with the closing of some slaughterhouses because of outbreaks of COVID-19.
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While he hopes that life can get back to normal, he’s not planning on it returning soon. “It could be the whole year, or could be two years,” says Whittingham. “The mentality needs to be that we have to approach this like it’s going to last forever.”
You can purchase one of Whittingham Meats corona care packages at whittinghammeats.com.


chicagotribune--2020-05-07--Illinois cold case: Detectives looking at serial killing suspect in 1992 death of Tammy Zywicki

Court documents say that Baldwin allegedly raped a female hitchhiker from Kansas in Wheeler County , Texas , at gunpoint @ @ @ @ @ .
The 21-year-old woman told police that Baldwin struck her on the head , bound @ @ @ @ @ tried to choke her to death .
He allegedly admitted to the assault but was @ @ @ @ @ .
Ultimately , he was n't prosecuted .

Tammy Zywicki disappeared in Illinois on Aug. 23, 1992. Her body was found nine days later and her killing remains unsolved. (Family photo)
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Investigators from multiple states were looking Thursday into whether a long-haul trucker from Iowa who's implicated in at least three women's slayings in the 1990s could be responsible for other unsolved homicides.
Officers arrested Clark Perry Baldwin, 58, in Waterloo on Wednesday after new DNA evidence allegedly tied him to three women whose bodies were dumped in Wyoming and Tennessee. Court documents allege that he also raped and choked a woman in Texas in 1991.
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Detectives with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are “looking at any connections” that Baldwin may have to cold cases from that era, special agent Mike Krapfl said. He said other agencies were scrutinizing Baldwin given that he traveled the country.
“Obviously there are several cases that need to be followed up on,” Krapfl said.
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One case of interest is the 1992 death of Tammy Zywicki, 21, an Iowa college student who was last seen after her car broke down on an Illinois highway. A man driving a semitrailer was seen near her vehicle. Zywicki’s body was found in rural Missouri.
Another involves Rhonda Knutson, 22, a truck stop convenience store clerk in northern Iowa who was bludgeoned to death during an overnight shift in 1992. Investigators have released sketches of two men who were in the store, including one trucker. Baldwin lived in nearby Nashua, Iowa.
Clark Perry Baldwin, of Waterloo, Iowa. (Iowa Department of Public Safety)
In Wyoming, Baldwin is charged in the deaths of two women whose bodies were found in 1992 roughly 400 miles (645 kilometers) apart. Investigators never identified the women, nicknaming them “Bitter Creek Betty” and “I-90 Jane Doe.” In Tennessee, Baldwin is charged with two counts of murder in the 1991 killing of a 32-year-old pregnant woman from Topping, Virginia, Pamela McCall, and her fetus.
A Tennessee crime lab developed a DNA profile of the suspect in McCall's death last year after a cold case investigator submitted evidence for analysis. A check in a national database matched the profile to one that had been developed years earlier linking the two Wyoming deaths.
Investigators zeroed in on Baldwin after finding DNA in commercial genealogy databases of someone related to the suspect’s profile, court documents say. Last month in Waterloo, the FBI secretly collected DNA from Baldwin’s trash and a shopping cart he used at Walmart and testing revealed that it was a match.
Tennessee District Attorney General Brent Cooper praised investigators for “bringing this serial killer to justice.”
“I'm also very happy to be able to give Rose McCall's mother a chance to see justice for her daughter's and granddaughter's murders,” he said. “As she put it in a recent phone call, ‘At least I have a grave to visit, some moms don’t even that.'"
A similar allegation of violence against Baldwin also helped investigators make their case.
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Court documents say that Baldwin allegedly raped a female hitchhiker from Kansas in Wheeler County, Texas, at gunpoint in his truck in 1991. The 21-year-old woman told police that Baldwin struck her on the head, bound her hands and mouth and tried to choke her to death. He allegedly admitted to the assault but was released pending grand jury proceedings. Ultimately, he wasn't prosecuted.
Baldwin, who has previously lived in Nashua, Iowa, and Springfield, Missouri, was a cross-country truck driver for Marten Transport.
Baldwin's name also surfaced during a 1992 homicide investigation in Iowa. His ex-wife told police then that Baldwin once bragged about “killing a girl out west by strangulation and throwing her out of his truck,” court documents say.
In 1997, Secret Service agents raided Baldwin’s apartment in Springfield, Missouri, after learning he was making counterfeit U.S. currency on a personal computer. He and two female associates were indicted on counterfeiting charges. Baldwin was sentenced to 18 months in prison and released in 1999.
Baldwin is being held at the Black Hawk County jail pending extradition proceedings to Tennessee.
The charges stunned Jazz Baldwin, 32, of New Hampton, Iowa, who said she learned two years ago that Baldwin was her father after he purchased a DNA test kit. The two had been in contact over Facebook since then, she said.
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“I heard rumors about his ‘possible crimes’ but always thought they were bogus,” she wrote in a Facebook message. “Murder was NOT on the list of things we thought he had done and gotten away with.”
Associated Press journalists Rhonda Shafner in New York City and Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming contributed to this report.


chicagotribune--2020-05-07--Chicago doctors — mostly moms — join together to advise officials and the public. ‘We can’t not say

Chicago doctors — mostly moms — join together to advise officials and the public. ‘We can’t not say something.’

While two of the group ’ s doctors are still seeing patients for office visits in person , Jain and @ @ @ @ @ called to serve in COVID units at their hospitals .
In the meantime , they @ @ @ @ @ responsibility to pass along what they believe is the best , science-based information .
And @ @ @ @ @ virtual treatment of their patients and parenting during quarantine .

In between telehealth appointments with patients, preschool Zoom calls, daily household tasks and, in one case, childbirth, a group of doctors — mostly moms, all with young children — are making sure the public and policymakers have the latest advice for fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s important to not only disseminate information to the public, but it’s also really important to utilize our platforms and our education ... to help our government on how to come up with plans to manage the pandemic in Illinois,” said Dr. Shikha Jain, 39, an oncologist and hematologist at Rush University Medical Center.
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Shikha Jain of the Illinois Medical Professionals Action Collaborative Team adjusts the mask of her 2-year-old son Krish Kumar as his twin, Bodhi Kumar, and sister Anika Kumar, 5, stand by May 4, 2020, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Jain and five other Chicago-area physicians, from varied and expansive medical backgrounds, joined together in mid-March after noticing the information they’d heard from colleagues in other states and overseas didn’t seem to be resonating in the Chicago area.
The tipping point in forming the group, they said, was seeing, on television, Chicago crowds celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, as well as the packed international terminal at O’Hare International Airport. And their current goal is to urge public officials to tread carefully in making decisions to reopen businesses and other public places.
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Eve Bloomgarden plays with her two children, Claire Pfanzelter, 5, and Ben Pfanzelter, 3, at their Northbrook home on May 5, 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
“We can’t not say something,” said Dr. Eve Bloomgarden, 38, an endocrinologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “We’re measuring this in the lives of our colleagues ... and people we care about across the country who will be on front lines taking care of these people. It’s personal in a lot of ways.
“We were getting details from our colleagues in real time,” she said, referencing warnings of the severity of the virus. “The reason that brought us together was nobody was doing anything with this information in a way that was going to be fast enough.”
The group calls itself IMPACT, which stands for Illinois Medical Professionals Action Collaborative Team. Its members have been writing op-eds, circulating petitions and starting social media campaigns, all in an effort to spread the word about the latest scientific findings and the best preventative measures for COVID-19. Other physicians across the country have joined their effort, and the website includes the group’s initiatives, along with regular blog posts and other resources, like how to thank health care workers.
They’ve also reached out to contacts working in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office, state lawmakers and representatives in Congress to offer guidance.
The message seems to be getting through. Twitter hashtags they’ve coined, #6FtApartNotUnder and #TestTraceTreat, have been mentioned in media briefings by public officials.
While two of the group’s doctors are still seeing patients for office visits in person, Jain and Bloomgarden have yet to be called to serve in COVID units at their hospitals. In the meantime, they said it’s their responsibility to pass along what they believe is the best, science-based information. And they do this while juggling virtual treatment of their patients and parenting during quarantine.
Shikha Jain watches her children May 4, 2020, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Jain, who lives in the West Loop, has a 5-year-old daughter and twin 2½-year-old sons. Bloomgarden, of Northbrook, has a 5-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son. The six founders of the group all have young children. One is a dad and five are moms — one of whom gave birth last month. Bloomgarden said Zoom calls with the group can be “really interesting.”
“We’re alternating who mutes and who doesn’t,” she said. “There’s laughs, screams, giggles and ‘what did you just throw at me.’”
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Some are also married to other physicians who are treating coronavirus patients. Jain said her husband has been forced, at times. to isolate at his parents’ empty condo to protect his family, but that means Jain has to balance all of her responsibilities alone.
But they say the extra work this group takes on is their duty.
“When we saw people not understanding the big deal that coronavirus was, we felt it was our responsibility to take the information we were learning and disseminate it in a quick, effective way,” Jain said.
“There’s a lot of misinformation out there,” she added. “COVID is a very complex and complicated virus that we are learning about on a daily basis. So the importance of having physicians who are able to synthesize the data has been a big part of our mission.”
State Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, first heard from Bloomgarden, who lives in his district on March 15. He said he remembers the date because her conversation caused him to cancel his plans to play hockey.
“It was one of those scared straight moments,” he said. “She called me ... to kind of go through really what she saw, what she knew of COVID-19 and how dangerous it is and how much it’s spreading.”
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Eve Bloomgarden stands at her Northbrook home on May 5, 2020, with her 3-year-old son, Ben. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Carroll said Bloomgarden’s information caused him and his family to rethink their own precautions, even ahead of Illinois’ stay-at-home order.
Now, he regularly talks with Bloomgarden and passes along information from IMPACT to Pritzker’s office. “She’s had my ear from day one.”
Now IMPACT is focusing on responsible reopening of the state, and the country.
Jain said Tuesday’s announcement on how to reopen the state in phases is the right approach, but much is needed before moving on to the next phase, like more testing and tracing, particularly in hot spots like nursing homes.
“When we talk about reopening the country and states, the challenge is it’s not going to be going back to business as usual. A vaccine is at least a year away,” Jain said. “So the chance of reopening the country and having to go back to the normal we knew six months ago is not practical or realistic.”
The group worries about warm weather luring more people together, and the public’s patience wearing thin. They also worry about politics or public pressure getting in the way of science.
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Eve Bloomgarden, a founding member of Illinois Medical Professionals Action Collaborative Team, plays with her daughter, Claire. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
“Nobody wants to stay home; the economic devastation we understand,” Bloomgarden said. “But epidemiologists, physicians, scientists and the experts, everyone is in agreement if we just reopen, this will come back with a vengeance and we will all be New York.”
“The chance of a second surge is pretty high,” added Jain. “We just need to be very careful when we talk about reopening the country and how we do it safely.”
kthayer@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-07--Map: Chicago’s ghost bikes

Map: Chicago’s ghost bikes

They lean quietly , ashen monochrome standing out among stickered newspaper boxes and rusting metal .
Flowers , dead or @ @ @ @ @ ' spokes .
Weather-beaten notes and photographs remain — signs the structure is not abandoned @ @ @ @ @ behind .
These `` ghost bikes , '' old bicycles stripped of extraneous parts and @ @ @ @ @ near the site of fatal cycling crashes .
They serve as memorials to the deceased @ @ @ @ @ statement for cyclist rights in areas where bikers share close quarters with faster , heavier @ @ @ @ @ , and despised by others , ghost bikes have become a fixture of streetscapes in @ @ @ @ @ .
Note : No single entity governs the installation of all ghost bikes , and @ @ @ @ @ those who dislike the practice .
As such , this map is a best possible @ @ @ @ @ and previously installed , but it may not be comprehensive .
If you know of @ @ @ @ @ up-to-date information about one on this map , please email the reporter below .

They lean quietly, ashen monochrome standing out among stickered newspaper boxes and rusting metal. Flowers, dead or dying, dot the wheels' spokes. Weather-beaten notes and photographs remain — signs the structure is not abandoned so much as purposefully left behind.
These "ghost bikes," old bicycles stripped of extraneous parts and painted white, are chained near the site of fatal cycling crashes. They serve as memorials to the deceased, but also as a statement for cyclist rights in areas where bikers share close quarters with faster, heavier automobiles. Sacred to some, and despised by others, ghost bikes have become a fixture of streetscapes in Chicago and around the world.
Note: No single entity governs the installation of all ghost bikes, and they are sometimes removed by those who dislike the practice. As such, this map is a best possible accounting of bikes both currently and previously installed, but it may not be comprehensive. If you know of additional bikes, or have up-to-date information about one on this map, please email the reporter below.
Sources: Tribune reporting, ghostbikes.org, Chicago Sun-Times, thechainklink.org, bedno.com.
--
charjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @Charliemagne


chicagotribune--2020-05-07--Illinois nursing home strike averted as tentative agreement reached, including hazard pay for worker

Illinois nursing home strike averted as tentative agreement reached, including hazard pay for workers during COVID-19 outbreak

They note that they serve a population that is by default among the most vulnerable , due to residents ’ @ @ @ @ @ like lung and heart problems that make their complications more severe .
In addition , @ @ @ @ @ that workers , visitors and residents may have been spreading the virus without showing symptoms @

Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas, Robert McCoppin

Members of the SEIU Healthcare Illinois union cheer as motorists honk during their news conference outside Alden Wentworth nursing home on West 69th Street in Chicago on April 27, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Nursing home workers declared victory in getting a new contract that narrowly avoid a strike scheduled for Friday, saying they made progress in improving long-standing problems in the industry.
The two-year contract covers the 10,000 members of SEIU Healthcare Illinois who work at 100 nursing homes statewide. The deal provides base pay of at least $15 an hour for all employees by the second year, expanded sick leave, and $2 per hour extra pay for working during the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home order, union officials said.
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The deal also includes a provision that employees do not have to work without sufficient protective equipment.
The deal, reached near midnight Wednesday and announced Thursday, covers certified nursing assistants who provide much of the day-to-day care of residents, including dressing, eating and going to the bathroom. It also covers housekeeping workers, and dietary, restorative and activity aides.
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Lavern Johnson, a 65-year-old laundry worker at Wentworth Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Chicago, said she was happy that the agreement meant she might be able to retire in the future.
“We were tired of being overworked and underpaid and disrespected,” she said, adding that the deal “means victory.”
Bob Molitor, CEO of the Alden Network and board member for the Illinois Association of Healthcare Facilities, issued a statement calling the deal the largest wage hike ever for its employees.
“We are grateful a walkout was avoided,” he said, “and that our heroic staff members will continue caring for our vulnerable seniors as we fight this battle together.”
The previous contract expired April 30. Workers at 64 nursing homes had voted to go on strike, and must still vote on whether to ratify the agreement, which was overwhelmingly supported by the bargaining committee.
Previously, starting pay for the lowest pay grade, according to the Service Employees International Union, was $13.10 in Chicago and $12.10 an hour outside the city, and $13.50 for certified nursing assistants.
About three-quarters of the workers are black or Latino, and about 4 out of 5 are women.
Nursing homes nationwide have become the single most common point identified for infections by the virus. In Illinois, as of May 1, there were more than 7,500 cases involving nursing home residents at 348 facilities, and 1,082 nursing home residents had died with the virus, nearly double the number than a week prior.
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Nursing home workers have complained about a lack of staffing and personal protective equipment such as masks and gowns. Families have complained about a lack of information from the homes. Advocates say a lack of staffing and low pay resulting in high turnover have been consistent problems in the industry.
For their part, nursing home officials have conceded they’ve been affected by the nationwide shortage of protective equipment, saying they’ve often had to buy equipment at marked-up prices on the private market. But they say it’s gotten better in Illinois, with the government supplying more in recent weeks.
They note that they serve a population that is by default among the most vulnerable, due to residents’ advanced age and medical conditions like lung and heart problems that make their complications more severe. In addition, it’s now known that workers, visitors and residents may have been spreading the virus without showing symptoms.
In an effort to minimize the spread of the disease, homes in Illinois banned visitors beginning in March, and officials say they have separated residents who test positive or show symptoms from residents who do not, while keeping the staff in each unit separate.
Nursing home officials have also called for the government to provide frequent testing for all workers.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said the Illinois Department of Public Health is ramping up tests at nursing homes, but officials have shared no statistics on how many homes have been tested. After calls for greater transparency, the state has begun posting weekly updates of the numbers of cases and deaths at each nursing home.
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U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat from Evanston, attended a union news conference Thursday to say the agreement benefits residents as well as workers, but said problems are ongoing.
She introduced federal legislation that would require testing for the virus, reporting of cases, and sufficient protective gear, among other measures.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-07--Parolee who allegedly pulled identity switch to walk out of Cook County Jail joins roll of creative

Parolee who allegedly pulled identity switch to walk out of Cook County Jail joins roll of creative escapes

in that case , a juvenile court judge ordered Scott taken into custody , and he began to attack three @ @ @ @ @ were trying to take him into lockup , authorities said .
When a court clerk @ @ @ @ @ pushed her in the chest several times .
All four went to the hospital , @ @ @ @ @ .

Jahquez Scott approached Quintin Henderson in a dingy jailhouse receiving tunnel, authorities said, and made a proposition.
Within days, Scott was a fugitive with multiple warrants hanging over his head and the FBI offering $2,000 for tips on his location — which was no longer inside the Cook County Jail. Henderson was still behind bars, but accused of abetting a bizarre escape as the Cook County sheriff’s office launched an investigation to find out how, exactly, Scott had slipped from custody.
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Scott became the latest escapee to draw attention in a long and colorful history of Chicago jailbreaks, but authorities warned that the 21-year-old parolee should be considered armed and dangerous.
His chance encounter with Henderson came after both men went through bond court Saturday — with very different outcomes.
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Already on parole, Scott was set to say behind bars. He was hit with a gun case over the weekend, records show, and in addition was held without bail for violating bond on a separate pending drug charge.
Authorities are searching for Jahquez Scott, who escaped from the Cook County Jail on May 2, 2020. (Cook County sheriff)
Henderson, on the other hand, was about to walk, having been released on his own recognizance on his own drug charge. All he needed to do was step up, sign the paperwork and go free.
Surveillance cameras caught the pair interacting in a receiving tunnel on Saturday after their bond hearings. Scott made Henderson an offer, authorities allege: Scott would give Henderson $1,000, at some later date, in exchange for swapping identities so Scott could be “released” instead.
And Henderson went for it, prosecutors said. They even exchanged hoodies.
So when a jail guard called out Henderson’s name, the parolee stepped forward, identifying himself as Henderson, while the real Henderson stayed put, prosecutors said.
A mask — now a common sight as the facility fights the coronavirus — covered the distinctive tattoos on both sides of Scott’s face. It likely aided his mistaken-identity scheme, perhaps along with the long-held thought that no partner in such a trick would volunteer to stay behind in Cook County Jail.
Scott allegedly used the real Henderson’s inmate number and signed release documents as him, and after retrieving the real Henderson’s personal property, walked freely through secure doors along with the rest of the inmates being released that day.
Not the first vanishing act
Scott’s alleged unauthorized exit is perhaps the sneakiest escape in recent memory, but the jail is no stranger to bizarre getaways.
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In 2006, a detainee who had been working on a loading dock hid in a truck full of dirty laundry to slip through the gates of a maximum-security wing.
That same year, a correctional officer helped six detainees escape — letting one of them borrow his uniform and keys, then handcuffing himself in a cell to make it look like he had been overpowered. An inmate wearing the uniform tricked another correctional officer into opening a door.
Joseph "Jose" Banks and his cellmate escaped the Metropolitan Correctional Center in the Loop in 2012 using a rope of sheets stitched with floss. (Jos M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
A surveillance video shows a man police believe may be escaped prisoner Randy Rencher robbing the First American Bank, 50 E. Adams St., in 2005, shortly after he fled Cook County Jail. (First American Bank)
The men were able to find a small gap in barbed wire where a fence met a building and scramble out onto 26th Street and into the Little Village neighborhood. All were found within about 24 hours, and the correctional officer, Darin Gaiter, was convicted on six counts of official misconduct in 2010 and sentenced to 2 ½ years in prison.
The year before, inmate Randy Rencher escaped by donning a guard’s uniform while on a work detail and spent four months on the run — during which he allegedly robbed as many as five banks in three states.
His escape was the first at the facility in a decade. He managed to avoid arrest for months, but eventually seemed to give up, telling authorities they could find him at a bar in Cleveland. The FBI nabbed him as he sat drinking a Long Island iced tea.
And lest Chicago’s federal officials should laugh, they have not been immune to theatrical escapes.
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In 2012, two federal convicts made a daring escape from the Metropolitan Correctional Center downtown. In an almost cartoonish move, they made a rope out of bedsheets and climbed out a window of the federal facility. It was only the second successful jailbreak there in the past three decades.
Unique status update?
As for Scott, the identity ruse got him outside, but things soon began to fall apart when the real Henderson finally approached a jail guard, claiming that he’d fallen asleep and wondering when his name and number would be called, prosecutors said in court this week.
Authorities quickly realized what occurred and sought an emergency arrest warrant for Scott. He is facing a warrant for escape and another for violating his bond on this weekend’s gun case, and will be held without bail if captured.
Scott evidently may have spent his first few days on the lam posting to Facebook — including a meme that said, “Congratulations! Your prayer has been answered. Receive it!”
Another post reads as an instruction and a taunt: “Don’t Let NOBODY Know How You About To Come, Just Come With EXTRA Pressure‼”
The 21-year-old has a felony conviction on his record dating from 2017, when he pleaded to four counts of aggravated battery.
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In that case, a juvenile court judge ordered Scott taken into custody, and he began to attack three sheriff’s deputies who were trying to take him into lockup, authorities said. When a court clerk tried to assist, Scott pushed her in the chest several times. All four went to the hospital, and were treated and released.
He was sentenced to two years of probation, records show — but soon violated that probation and was sent to prison instead. Then late last year, he picked up a charge for allegedly dealing heroin, and over the weekend picked up the additional gun charge.
That brought him back to Cook County court, and to his encounter with Henderson.
Henderson was charged with aiding the escape and went before Judge Mary Marubio on Tuesday. Not only did he help a defendant wrongly get out of jail, the judge said, he helped a violent felon who was convicted of battering peace officers.
“The nature of the offense isn’t just aiding and abetting. It’s who you aided and abetted — a violent person, and a dangerous person on parole — and that’s weighing heavily against you,” Marubio said, ordering Henderson held on $25,000 bail, as well as a no-bond hold for violation of bail bond on his original drug case.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the FBI announced a $2,000 reward for tips about Scott’s whereabouts. He “should be considered armed and dangerous,” according to an FBI flyer offering money for information leading to his arrest
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Scott has gone silent on Facebook, but someone on his page Thursday posted a link to a news story about the FBI’s reward.
The message carried a warning not to snitch on “lil bro” and “try to back door him” — a warning to protect the man who got into trouble by walking out the front door.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-07--Illinois’ convention industry reopens last under Pritzker’s plan. A dark McCormick Place could mean

Illinois’ convention industry reopens last under Pritzker’s plan. A dark McCormick Place could mean a $923 million economic hit in the year’s second half.

There ’ s no telling how long it might take to reach the fifth phase , and increases in cases @ @ @ @ @ .
As a result , organizations are unsure whether they should cancel events later this @ @ @ @ @ of thousands of people to the Chicago area , staying in hotels , taking cabs @ @ @ @ @ their expense accounts to dine in the best restaurants .

Ally Marotti, Mary Wisniewski, Lori Rackl

Before Illinoisans were working from home, before restaurants had shut down and before the stay-at-home order was in place, the coronavirus pandemic was already ravaging the state’s convention business.
Now it appears the industry that sustained the pandemic’s first economic blows might be one of the last to recover.
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Under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s five-phase plan to reopen the state, conventions cannot be held until the final phase of recovery. To reach that phase, a vaccine must be developed, a treatment option must be readily available or no new cases must arise over a sustained period.
There’s no telling how long it might take to reach the fifth phase, and increases in cases or hospitalizations could hamper progress. As a result, organizations are unsure whether they should cancel events later this year that would bring tens of thousands of people to the Chicago area, staying in hotels, taking cabs and ride-share vehicles and using their expense accounts to dine in the best restaurants.
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Pritzker’s plan, announced Tuesday, has put The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies in an impossible situation, said President and CEO Jim Pittas.
The group’s annual Pack Expo is scheduled for Nov. 8-11 at McCormick Place, and last year drew about 71,000 people. Pittas said he doubts a vaccine will be available by then, and is unsure what would constitute a readily available treatment option.
Pittas said he is worried that canceling without a specific mandate from the city or state might make it harder to file an insurance claim. “Right now, we can’t plan for a show and we can’t cancel it. We’re right in between with no clear direction," he said. “We’re in no man’s land right now.”
Between July and December, McCormick Place is scheduled to host 67 events with an expected attendance of 781,168 people, said spokeswoman Cynthia McCafferty. Those meetings and conventions translate to 585,199 nights in hotel rooms and generate $922.7 million in economic impact, including spending on food and entertainment.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 32 A mock patient room in Hall C of the McCormick Place coronavirus field hospital is shown April 17, 2020. (Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times)
McCormick Place had its first event cancellation related to the COVID-19 outbreak March 3. As of April 20, 65 events that would have drawn 656,668 attendees had been canceled or postponed at the facility, delivering an economic hit to the city of $897 million.
The economic ripple that follows an event cancellation weighs on Mark Watson, executive director of the Radiological Society of North America.
The Oak Brook-based society’s annual meeting is scheduled for Nov. 29-Dec. 4 at McCormick Place and in a normal year draws more than 50,000 attendees, Watson said.
“The biggest concern I have if we have to make the decision to not hold a physical meeting … (is) how many people this impacts throughout the city,” he said.
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With convention and trade show business on an indefinite pause, the forecast for an already beleaguered hotel industry looks even bleaker.
“It will certainly prolong the recovery much longer than we even thought," said Michael Jacobson, CEO and president of the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association, which represents about 500 of the state’s 1,500 hotels.
The pandemic has caused demand for hotel rooms to hit historic lows, prompting many properties to go dark.
Among hotels still open in the city’s central business district, the occupancy rate was a paltry 13.4% for the week ending May 2, according to figures released Wednesday by the hospitality industry data firm STR.
At least 131,000 out of 292,000 hospitality jobs tied to the state’s hotel industry have been lost to layoffs and furloughs, Jacobson added, calling it a “fairly conservative” estimate.
Hotel bookings that result from conventions, trade shows and other large meetings make up a significant piece of the reservation pie. So-called group travel, which includes overnight lodging reservations tied to conventions and big meetings held at hotels, accounts for 30% of room nights in the city, Jacobson said, citing data from Choose Chicago, whose job is to bring business and leisure travelers to the city.
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But the economic impact of those overnight stays is even greater. Big conventions raise the rates for other people coming into the city, meaning group travel ultimately accounts for 50% of revenue in terms of average daily rate, Jacobson said.
He said he’s hopeful the timeline to restart convention business could move quicker based on scientific developments and new safety protocols. He’s concerned about being put in a position where other states are allowing conventions to take place while Illinois is not.
“Our biggest fear is that if we lose some of these conventions, we lose them for good,” he said. "Once a show leaves, it’s hard to convince them to come back to a host city.”
Chicago-based charter bus company Aries Charter Transportation also has taken a hit from the loss of convention center business, said sales and marketing manager Sam Trevino.
The company hasn’t had any private charters, group business or convention work since St. Patrick’s Day weekend, when the parade and river dyeing were canceled.
"That was really the last straw. That’s when everyone started putting their cancellations in,” he said. “It’s really a shame what’s going on.”
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Aries lost about $850,000 from cancellations this year, about $150,000 of which was convention work, Trevino said. The company had to furlough half of its roughly 100 employees.
The company has about 100 motor coaches and mini-buses. It is still handling contracts at O’Hare International Airport — they are among the buses replacing the People Mover, which is down for renovation, and they also carry Transportation Security Administration employees around the airport.
Christopher Stephens, executive director of Rosemont's Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, stands on the center's empty Hall A, May 6, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
In Rosemont, the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center is focused on working with show organizers to either cancel or reschedule, said Executive Director Christopher Stephens. But without a firm reopening date from the state, it’s impossible to be certain when an event can happen, he said.
“This changes everything, because we’re back to wait and see again," he said. "The only thing you can really hope for I guess is the vaccine or the highly effective treatment.”
Stephens said clients will have a lot of questions. The main one: How do you encourage people to participate if it’s unclear whether the event will happen?
The convention center has rescheduled about 10 events for the fall, another eight to next year, and has lost one or two completely. At its conference center, it has deferred about 35 to 40 corporate events, meetings, banquets and proms and lost one event.
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Stephens said that if the center couldn’t do any more events this year, the financial impact would be “dramatic.” Even reaching phase four of Pritzker’s plan, which allows for gatherings up to 50 people, wouldn’t help much.
“Fifty people doesn’t allow you to do much," he said.
amarotti@chicagotribune.com
lrackl@chicagotribune.com
mwisniewski@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @AllyMarotti


chicagotribune--2020-05-07--Shooting victim who survived Markham double homicide was fugitive wanted on attempted murder charges

“ He would also be at a higher risk , not only for the gunshot wound , but also for @ @ @ @ @ the situation in the jails for COVID-19 , ” she said , according to the @ @

A Country Club Hills man who survived a deadly shootout in Markham last month that killed two of his associates was a fugitive who had skipped bail six months earlier in an attempted murder case, court records show.
Brandon Sims, 28, had been on the lam since failing to appear for court in November, about the same time he was identified as a “possible subject” in another shooting, police said.
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Brandon J. Sims (Cook County Sheriff's Office)
Sims was apprehended late last month after being shot multiple times in what a witness told police was a shootout between vehicles on 159th Street in Markham, according to a police report obtained by the Daily Southtown.
He was found April 19 in the backseat of a black Lexus NX200t that was resting in a field off of 159th Street, riddled with bullet holes, and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
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Two other men who had been in the vehicle with Sims were killed.
One man was found unresponsive in the driver’s seat and another was found unresponsive on the ground outside the vehicle, according to the police report.
Police recovered two guns from inside the vehicle and one from the grass outside the driver’s side door, according to the report. Officers also found illegal drugs inside the vehicle, city spokesman Michael Taylor said.
Sims provided Markham police a fake name, according to the report, but was later identified following an informant’s tip and determined to be a suspect in an April 2019 Country Club Hills shooting.
Court records show he was charged last May in that case, bonded out a couple days later and had not attended a court appearance since mid-September. A judge issued a bond forfeiture warrant for Sims in January.
After a Country Club Hills detective working the attempted murder case identified Sims at the hospital April 21, he was placed in the custody of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, according to a police report.
Sims attended a hearing the following day on his failure to appear for the attempted murder case.
At the hearing, a prosecutor detailed the circumstances of that case, in which Sims allegedly drove one of two vehicles that pursued an SUV through Country Club Hills while his passenger sprayed the fleeing vehicle with bullets, according to a transcript of the proceedings.
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He was later recorded discussing the shooting “at length” on a phone call with a Cook County Jail detainee and subsequently picked out of a lineup by the victim, prosecutors said.
While in custody last May on a separate matter, Sims gave police a statement indicating that he had been driving one of the vehicles during the Country Club Hills shooting and said he made the jailhouse phone call that authorities intercepted, according to prosecutors.
Based on his involvement in this case and his prior criminal history of allegedly possessing guns, “we believe that he poses a threat to public safety,” assistant state’s attorney Torrie Corbin told the judge at Sims’ failure to appear hearing.
She said Sims had no prior felony convictions, but did have three misdemeanor convictions and had twice been charged with unlawful use of a weapon. He also had two prior bond forfeitures, Corbin said.
The public defender representing Sims at the hearing asked the judge to release him on account of his being a recent gunshot victim who had just been released from the hospital, according to a court transcript.
“He would also be at a higher risk, not only for the gunshot wound, but also for his asthma, based on the situation in the jails for COVID-19,” she said, according to the transcript.
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Judge Daniel Maloney said he appreciated those concerns, but had to factor in Sims’ failure to appear in court for almost six months on a Class X felony and set his bond at $100,000.
“You can’t do it lower?” Sims asked the judge, according to the court transcript. “You can’t go lower?”
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Maloney did not respond.
Despite his protestations over the bond, Sims quickly obtained the $10,000 necessary to secure his release and bonded out of Cook County Jail the next day, records show. He’s due back in court July 1.
When asked about Sims’ bond amount, a spokesman for the chief judge’s office said he could not comment on cases pending before the court.
Country Club Hills Public Safety Director William Brown offered no opinion on Sims’ bond or his release from custody.
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“We have to accept what the court renders as the bond,” he said in a statement. “And if the individual fails to appear for his/her hearing, we start over again, investigate, arrest and turn over to the courts.”
zkoeske@tribpub.com
Twitter @ZakKoeske