chicagotribune--2020-08-18--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,740 new known COVID-19 cases and 27 more deaths reported as Wisco

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,740 new known COVID-19 cases and 27 more deaths reported as Wisconsin removed from Chicago’s travel quarantine order

People who travel to and from Wisconsin to Chicago received good news on Tuesday .
The state , along with Nebraska , was removed from the 14-day travel quarantine order that Mayor Lori Lightfoot implemented in July .
Kansas and Iowa , which had been removed last week , were added back to the list .
The announcement came as Illinois health officials on Tuesday reported 1,740 new known cases of COVID-19 and 27 additional fatalities , bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 209,594 and the statewide death toll to 7,782 .
Meanwhile , Navy Pier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight for the comparatively few visitors willing to venture onto the partially reopened lakeside destination amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The tourist mecca will close on Sept. 8 and stay shut until spring , pier officials planned to announce .
Senior citizens waiting weeks for life-sustaining medication .
Renters and homeowners nervous that their bills won ’ t arrive on time , cornering them into paying late fees .
A nonprofit held up in efforts to raise money for a food pantry because the mail was delayed .
And , the growing fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their mail-in ballots counted for the Nov. 3 election .
Those are some of the stories and concerns that members of Illinois ’ Democratic congressional delegation said they have fielded from constituents who are alarmed about the state of the U.S .
Postal Service in recent months .
Just on Monday , the office of Rep. Brad Schneider received about 600 such calls , the Deerfield Democrat said .
“ Seeking to dismantle the Post Office services during a pandemic is nothing less than criminal intent to destroy an institution that is constitutionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , ” Democratic U.S. Rep. Jesús “ Chuy ” García of Chicago said .
5:20 p.m. : Deadline for suburban residents to apply for Cook County rental assistance extended to next week Suburban Cook County residents now have until 4 p.m. on Monday , Aug. 24 , to apply for grants to cover rent amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The deadline was extended from Tuesday , Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced that afternoon .
She wrote in a statement that the decision came after brutal high-wind storms left many county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In addition to the ongoing Cook County emergency support , it is important to ensure a fair opportunity for residents to take full advantage of the critical Cook County relief services — such as our Rental Assistance program , ” Preckwinkle wrote .
Up to $ 4,500 is available per household to pay between one to three months of rent thanks to $ 20 million in federal CARES Act funds .
5:05 p.m. : Notre Dame moves classes online for two weeks after COVID-19 cases more than double in one day ; campus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Notre Dame is shifting its classes online for a two-week period in response to a spike of COVID-19 cases on campus since classes started a week ago .
The Rev .
John Jenkins , Notre Dame ’ s president , announced the change in a livestreamed video for students Tuesday afternoon .
It came after cases on campus jumped from 58 to 147 in just one day .
“ We have decided to take steps short of sending students home , at least for the time being , while protecting the health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Jenkins said .
“ For at least the next two weeks , we will move undergraduate classes to remote instruction , close public spaces on campus and restrict residences halls to residents only.
” Jenkins said the school was prepared to send students home altogether but decided to enact this stricter trial period at the advice of the county ’ s public health department .
Tuesday ’ s one-day increase marked the largest surge in cases since students returned to campus Aug. 3 .
At that point , only 33 of about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were assessed prior to arriving .
The measure will also include $ 10 billion for the embattled Postal Service , said one top GOP aide .
The agency has become the focus of a campaign-season battle over whether it will have enough resources to handle an expected flood of mail-in ballots for this November ’ s presidential and congressional elections .
The fight between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats over weathering the pandemic has become a critical battle that ’ s highlighted Trump ’ s troubled handling of an outbreak that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of millions of jobs and shuttered businesses in virtually every community .
2:35 p.m. : Big Ten football parents will gather Friday outside Rosemont HQ in ‘ peaceful show of force ’ Then Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields launched a # WeWantToPlay petition , which has garnered more than 270,000 e-signatures .
And Big Ten officials didn ’ t respond to that either .
Randy Wade , the father of Ohio State star cornerback Shaun Wade , is organizing a rally outside Big Ten headquarters .
He is calling the gathering a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a big turnout at 8 a.m. Friday in Rosemont .
“ This is not an Ohio State thing , ” Wade said .
“ This a Big Ten thing .
Come on out wearing the jersey of your favorite team .
Mask up and be respectful.
” Facing public pressure and state lawsuits , the Postmaster general announced Tuesday he is halting some operational changes to mail delivery that critics warned were causing widespread delays and could disrupt voting in the November election .
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he would “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election “ to avoid even the appearance of impact on election mail.
” The abrupt reversal comes as more than 20 states , from New York to California , announced they would be suing to stop the changes .
The states , along with lawmakers and others , want to ensure voters are able to use mail-in ballots if they prefer to avoid polling places due to health risks from COVID-19 .
1:10 p.m. : 1,740 new known COVID-19 cases and 27 more deaths reported Illinois health officials on Tuesday announced 1,740 new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fatalities , bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 209,594 and the statewide death toll to 7,782 since the start of the pandemic .
Officials also reported 34,175 new tests in the last 24 hours .
The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 4.3 % .
12:40 p.m. : Milwaukee adding dozens of drop boxes for voters to drop off absentee ballots Milwaukee plans to install more than a dozen secure drop boxes to make it easier for voters to drop off their absentee ballots before Election Day to combat a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Mayor Tom Barrett told Wisconsin Democrats on Tuesday .
Barrett spoke to around 90 Democratic activists , office holders and others in conjunction with the second day of the Democratic National Convention .
He described drop boxes as one way to fight back in battleground Wisconsin against President Donald Trump ’ s opposition to mail-in voting .
“ As hard as the president is working to make it less appealing for people to use absentee balloting , we are doing everything we can to be make it convenient for people because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , because it ’ s the right thing to do , ” Barrett said .
12:35 p.m. : New cases of COVID-19 reported among staff , youth at Kane County Juvenile Justice Center Two more staff members and one additional youth resident have tested positive for COVID-19 at Kane County ’ s juvenile detention center following a second round of testing , Court Administrator Doug Naughton said Tuesday .
Previously , four staff and four youth had tested positive for the virus , and those eight people have recovered , Naughton said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive are the only cases currently active at the Kane County Juvenile Justice Center , he said .
The youth resident is in medical isolation , and the staff are self-isolating at home , Naughton said in a statement .
12:15 p.m. : Chicago removes Wisconsin , Nebraska from mandatory travel quarantine list — but Iowa and Kansas are going back on The city of Chicago has removed Wisconsin and Nebraska from its mandatory quarantine order , but putting Iowa and Kansas back on this Friday .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14-day self-quarantine order in late July .
Kansas and Iowa were pulled from the list earlier this month , but will be back on as of Friday , according to the mayor ’ s office .
Lightfoot ’ s self-quarantine requirement was first implemented during the Fourth of July weekend , though it is generally not being enforced aside from signs and billboards telling people that they must self-quarantine .
The order drew much attention with Wisconsin , given its proximity and the high number of people from Illinois who spend weekends and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents , including Gov .
J.B. Pritzker , have homes there .
The order requires people who have spent more than 24 hours in high-risk states to self-quarantine for 14 days after entering Chicago .
Exceptions to the self-quarantine order include essential workers , those coming here for medical treatment and those for whom “ self-quarantine is not possible , practicable or advisable.
” The order also does not apply to people who are at the airport for a connecting flight , or are driving through the city on their way elsewhere .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ finally been scheduled to face a jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago in October on charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of underage girls .
But in a brief hearing Tuesday , U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber sided with prosecutors in delaying the trial due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic , saying that asking out-of-state witnesses to travel , and possibly spend time in quarantine , would be an undue hardship .
Leinenweber also said that after months of being virtually shut down amid the health emergency , the Dirksen U.S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the capacity to hold such a lengthy trial with three criminal defendants .
“ Physically , it seems to be virtually impossible to proceed to trial in October , ” Leinenweber said .
He set a status date for the case for Oct. 13 to discuss a possible new trial date .
10:50 a.m. : Notre Dame football has a COVID-19 backup plan that even covers coach Brian Kelly The Veep can step in for POTUS .
Michael Keaton , George Clooney and Val Kilmer all played Batman .
And Notre Dame has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Asked Monday whether he has altered practice to reflect the threat of potential coronavirus cases on top of the usual injuries , the coach replied yes .
“ You have to be aware of that , ” Kelly said .
“ I ’ m not paralyzed by it , but you have to be realistic .
I have to have a replacement for me and our coaches all have replacements if they were to get sick .
We have to think in those lines as it relates to our starters as well.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deadline for tenants to apply for aid through a state rental assistance program for people whose income has declined due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The deadline for tenants who were affected by severe storms that tore through the region last week will now be noon on Aug. 28 , and landlords will have until Aug. 30 to complete their required part of the application for aid .
With some tenants and landlords without power for almost a week following the derecho that passed through northern Illinois on Aug. 10 , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to file and complete application for assistance , ” Illinois Housing Development Authority Executive Director Kristin Faust said in a statement .
Eligible tenants who have seen their income decline due to COVID-19 can apply for $ 5,000 through the Emergency Rental Assistance program .
9:40 a.m. : With few visitors , Navy Pier to close down again to save money Navy Pier will close again rather than fight for the comparatively few visitors willing to venture onto the partially reopened lakeside destination amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The human-made structure jutting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , carnival rides and cultural destinations — many of them still closed — will shut down again Sept. 8 and stay shut until spring in order to save money and protect the attraction ’ s long-term financial health , pier officials planned to announce Tuesday morning .
“ We are only seeing about 15 to 20 percent of the attendance that we would typically see this time of year , which is also typically our busiest time of the year , ” said Marilynn Gardner the pier president and CEO .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the other side of the pandemic.
” Closing as the weather turns colder and visitorship typically decreases will help the pier limit its losses in a year when the not-for-profit entity was already projecting falling $ 20 million short of anticipated revenues .
That ’ s more than a third of last year ’ s $ 58.9 million take , according to the executive .
Millions of people forced to work out of the office during the pandemic took on new projects at home and Home Depot is supplying a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Home Depot stores open at least a year , sales surged an remarkable 25 % in the U.S. during the second quarter , the Atlanta company reported Tuesday .
8:25 a.m. : America ’ s shopping at Walmart during COVID-19 pandemic — Online sales nearly double , in-store sales soar 9.3 % Americans established trusted supply lines as the virus surged in new regions of the U.S. over the past few months and millions did so at Walmart , where online sales nearly doubled in the second quarter .
They shopped in Walmart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at U.S. locations opened at least a year jumped 9.3 % , the company reported Tuesday .
Walmart quickly became a lifeline for consumers early this year when COVID-19 first began to spread in the U.S .
In the first quarter , online sales spiked 74 % .
That trend accelerated in the second quarter and broadened the gap between traditional retailers , many of them anchor stores at the mall , and big box operators like Walmart and Target .
8:15 a.m. : Potbelly , which returned a $ 10 million PPP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one .
This time it ’ s for keeps .
Illinois public health officials on Monday launched a COVID-19 hotspot map for travelers to assess their risk before leaving the state .
The online map shows which U.S. states have an average daily case rate of at least 15 cases per 100,000 people , which is considered higher risk .
Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike urged travelers to factor in details like how to safely manage airport terminals and rest areas .
“ This virus does not recognize borders and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop at the edge of a region or a county , ” Ezike said at an East St. Louis news conference .
“ We know that people may have to travel , but potentially based on where you may go that travel may increase your risk of exposure to COVID-19.
” 6:15 a.m. : Engineering firm leaving downtown high-rise , headed to North Side to spread out A Chicago-based engineering firm is moving from a downtown office tower to a smaller loft building on the North Side in search of more space and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
KDM Engineering leased 35,000 square feet in the five-story loft building at 1308 N. Elston Ave. , where the firm plans to move by April , founder and President Kimberly Moore said .
The 10-year lease is one of the first known examples of a company choosing to move away from the dense downtown Chicago office market , which has operated at a limited capacity since March because of COVID-19 .
The deal is a big expansion from the firm ’ s 20,000-square-foot space in the Jewelers Building , a 40-story landmark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. : Man threatened to ‘ shoot up ’ Niles restaurant after entering without mask , police say A man is accused of threatening to shoot up a Niles restaurant after he entered without wearing a mask , according to police .
Eric Sunlly , 44 , from Des Plaines , was charged with assault and disorderly conduct in connection with the Aug. 8 incident at Portillo ’ s , 8832 W. Dempster St. in Niles , police said .
A Portillo ’ s employee told police that Sunlly was told he needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entered the restaurant .
He asked the employee to call an ambulance for him , and when the employee asked Sunlly to step outside , Sunlly became angry , police said .
The employee told police Sunlly threatened to come back and “ shoot up ” the restaurant , police said .
Here are five things that happened Monday related to COVID-19 .
Coronavirus clusters erupted at U.S. universities as a new semester begins .
The Bears announced they are not currently planning to have fans at games at Soldier Field this season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that last-minute Illinois ballot requests may not be turned around fast enough to be counted in the November election .
Chicago closed 5 more restaurants and bars for COVID-19 guideline violations .
At virtual Democratic convention , Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says President Trump is mounting ‘ full-out assault ’ on the Postal Service , election and democracy .

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Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
People who travel to and from Wisconsin to Chicago received good news on Tuesday. The state, along with Nebraska, was removed from the 14-day travel quarantine order that Mayor Lori Lightfoot implemented in July. Kansas and Iowa, which had been removed last week, were added back to the list.
The announcement came as Illinois health officials on Tuesday reported 1,740 new known cases of COVID-19 and 27 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 209,594 and the statewide death toll to 7,782.
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Meanwhile, Navy Pier officials decided to close again rather than fight for the comparatively few visitors willing to venture onto the partially reopened lakeside destination amid the coronavirus pandemic. The tourist mecca will close on Sept. 8 and stay shut until spring, pier officials planned to announce.
Here’s what’s happening Tuesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
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8:05 p.m.: CPS fall plan includes full days of remote and live learning, but prompts union grievance
Chicago Public Schools had barely released its fall remote learning plan Tuesday when the Chicago Teachers Union announced it had filed grievance over the guidance that union President Jesse Sharkey said was made “without imagination or input from teachers.”
“Today, we filed the first in a series of grievances against CPS for issuing remote learning guidance that fails to provide our school communities with the instructional tools necessary to deliver proper instruction in a remote context required by the labor contract,” Sharkey said in a statement. “The Union is demanding that CPS provide educators and students with the infrastructure necessary to conduct remote learning, and the increase of professional development time to allow for training and collaboration with parents, caregivers and students on remote learning best practices.”
The fall plan has a stricter structure and more accountability measures than the spring, when schools were suddenly forced to figure out remote learning amid an evolving pandemic.
Under the fall framework, students in kindergarten through 12th grade will get at least three hours of live instruction from their teacher. Between that, small group activities with classmates and independent learning, the district is expecting students to “be engaged” for the entire length of a typical school day, Monday through Friday. Other expectations include daily attendance and graded assignments.
Since district officials backtracked from their hybrid reopening proposal at the beginning of the month, educators and parents had grown impatient for more information on remote learning, and the plan’s release so close to the first day of school on Sept. 8 leaves them little time to figure things out. Officials delayed the release of the plan after initially promising to have it ready the first week of August.
The “entirely digital” approach does not include paper work packets offered in the spring to families without digital access or who preferred that method of learning. The plan states that “the district will ensure all students have the tools they need to succeed.”
But CTU leaders said the district has not done enough to meet students’ needs and that CPS didn’t spend enough time on their remote learning plan because they so badly wanted to include in-person classes.
Read more here. —Hannah Leone
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5:50 p.m.: Fearing an undermined election, Illinois Democrats sound alarm over USPS
Senior citizens waiting weeks for life-sustaining medication. Renters and homeowners nervous that their bills won’t arrive on time, cornering them into paying late fees. A nonprofit held up in efforts to raise money for a food pantry because the mail was delayed.
And, the growing fear that millions of Americans might not get their mail-in ballots counted for the Nov. 3 election.
Those are some of the stories and concerns that members of Illinois’ Democratic congressional delegation said they have fielded from constituents who are alarmed about the state of the U.S. Postal Service in recent months. Just on Monday, the office of Rep. Brad Schneider received about 600 such calls, the Deerfield Democrat said.
Gathered in front of Chicago’s Postal Service headquarters, eight congressmen blamed the White House.
“Seeking to dismantle the Post Office services during a pandemic is nothing less than criminal intent to destroy an institution that is constitutionally authorized and serves all of the American people,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García of Chicago said.
Read more here. —Alice Yin
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5:20 p.m.: Deadline for suburban residents to apply for Cook County rental assistance extended to next week
Suburban Cook County residents now have until 4 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 24, to apply for grants to cover rent amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The deadline was extended from Tuesday, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced that afternoon. She wrote in a statement that the decision came after brutal high-wind storms left many county residents without power or internet.
“In addition to the ongoing Cook County emergency support, it is important to ensure a fair opportunity for residents to take full advantage of the critical Cook County relief services — such as our Rental Assistance program,” Preckwinkle wrote.
Up to $4,500 is available per household to pay between one to three months of rent thanks to $20 million in federal CARES Act funds.
Suburban residents can apply at www.cookcountyil.gov/recovery.
—Alice Yin
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5:05 p.m.: Notre Dame moves classes online for two weeks after COVID-19 cases more than double in one day; campus public spaces also shut down
The University of Notre Dame is shifting its classes online for a two-week period in response to a spike of COVID-19 cases on campus since classes started a week ago.
The Rev. John Jenkins, Notre Dame’s president, announced the change in a livestreamed video for students Tuesday afternoon. It came after cases on campus jumped from 58 to 147 in just one day.
“We have decided to take steps short of sending students home, at least for the time being, while protecting the health and safety of the campus community,” Jenkins said. “For at least the next two weeks, we will move undergraduate classes to remote instruction, close public spaces on campus and restrict residences halls to residents only.”
Jenkins said the school was prepared to send students home altogether but decided to enact this stricter trial period at the advice of the county’s public health department.
Tuesday’s one-day increase marked the largest surge in cases since students returned to campus Aug. 3. At that point, only 33 of about 12,000 students had tested positive when they were assessed prior to arriving.
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
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5 p.m.: Senate Republicans are preparing a $500 billion coronavirus relief proposal
Senate Republican leaders are preparing a slimmed-down coronavirus relief package of roughly $500 billion that will include extended payments for unemployed people and smaller businesses, a GOP senator said Tuesday.
The measure will also include $10 billion for the embattled Postal Service, said one top GOP aide. The agency has become the focus of a campaign-season battle over whether it will have enough resources to handle an expected flood of mail-in ballots for this November’s presidential and congressional elections.
The fight between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats over weathering the pandemic has become a critical battle that’s highlighted Trump’s troubled handling of an outbreak that has killed over 170,000 Americans, cost tens of millions of jobs and shuttered businesses in virtually every community.
Read more here. —The Associated Press
2:35 p.m.: Big Ten football parents will gather Friday outside Rosemont HQ in ‘peaceful show of force’
First came the open letters, which the Big Ten ignored.
Then Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields launched a #WeWantToPlay petition, which has garnered more than 270,000 e-signatures. And Big Ten officials didn’t respond to that either.
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The next step is a bit more, well, in-your-face.
Randy Wade, the father of Ohio State star cornerback Shaun Wade, is organizing a rally outside Big Ten headquarters. He is calling the gathering a “peaceful show of force” and hopes for a big turnout at 8 a.m. Friday in Rosemont.
“This is not an Ohio State thing,” Wade said. “This a Big Ten thing. Come on out wearing the jersey of your favorite team. Mask up and be respectful.”
Read more here. —Teddy Greenstein
1:45 p.m.: Postal Service halts some operational changes amid outcry before November election
Facing public pressure and state lawsuits, the Postmaster general announced Tuesday he is halting some operational changes to mail delivery that critics warned were causing widespread delays and could disrupt voting in the November election.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he would “suspend” his initiatives until after the election “to avoid even the appearance of impact on election mail.”
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The abrupt reversal comes as more than 20 states, from New York to California, announced they would be suing to stop the changes. The states, along with lawmakers and others, want to ensure voters are able to use mail-in ballots if they prefer to avoid polling places due to health risks from COVID-19.
“The Postal Service is ready to handle whatever volume of election mail it receives,” DeJoy said in a statement.
Read more here. —The Associated Press
1:10 p.m.: 1,740 new known COVID-19 cases and 27 more deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Tuesday announced 1,740 new known cases of COVID-19 and 27 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 209,594 and the statewide death toll to 7,782 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 34,175 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 4.3%.
—Chicago Tribune staff
12:40 p.m.: Milwaukee adding dozens of drop boxes for voters to drop off absentee ballots
Milwaukee plans to install more than a dozen secure drop boxes to make it easier for voters to drop off their absentee ballots before Election Day to combat a “full-scale attack on voting by mail,” Mayor Tom Barrett told Wisconsin Democrats on Tuesday.
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Barrett spoke to around 90 Democratic activists, office holders and others in conjunction with the second day of the Democratic National Convention. He described drop boxes as one way to fight back in battleground Wisconsin against President Donald Trump’s opposition to mail-in voting.
“As hard as the president is working to make it less appealing for people to use absentee balloting, we are doing everything we can to be make it convenient for people because of the health reasons, because of COVID-19, because it’s the right thing to do,” Barrett said.
—The Associated Press
12:35 p.m.: New cases of COVID-19 reported among staff, youth at Kane County Juvenile Justice Center
Two more staff members and one additional youth resident have tested positive for COVID-19 at Kane County’s juvenile detention center following a second round of testing, Court Administrator Doug Naughton said Tuesday.
Previously, four staff and four youth had tested positive for the virus, and those eight people have recovered, Naughton said. The three people who have newly tested positive are the only cases currently active at the Kane County Juvenile Justice Center, he said.
The youth resident is in medical isolation, and the staff are self-isolating at home, Naughton said in a statement.
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Read more here. —Sarah Freishtat
12:15 p.m.: Chicago removes Wisconsin, Nebraska from mandatory travel quarantine list — but Iowa and Kansas are going back on
The city of Chicago has removed Wisconsin and Nebraska from its mandatory quarantine order, but putting Iowa and Kansas back on this Friday.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration added Wisconsin and Nebraska to the 14-day self-quarantine order in late July. Kansas and Iowa were pulled from the list earlier this month, but will be back on as of Friday, according to the mayor’s office.
Lightfoot’s self-quarantine requirement was first implemented during the Fourth of July weekend, though it is generally not being enforced aside from signs and billboards telling people that they must self-quarantine.
The order drew much attention with Wisconsin, given its proximity and the high number of people from Illinois who spend weekends and vacations there. Many Illinois and Chicago residents, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker, have homes there.
The order requires people who have spent more than 24 hours in high-risk states to self-quarantine for 14 days after entering Chicago.
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Exceptions to the self-quarantine order include essential workers, those coming here for medical treatment and those for whom “self-quarantine is not possible, practicable or advisable.” The order also does not apply to people who are at the airport for a connecting flight, or are driving through the city on their way elsewhere.
Also exempted, according to the mayor’s office, are sports teams.
Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
[ Here's what states, territories are on Chicago's travel quarantine order ]
11:10 a.m.: COVID-19 scuttles R. Kelly’s Chicago trial on sex-abuse related charges - again
In what sounds like a broken record, R. Kelly’s federal trial has once again been postponed.
After numerous previous delays, Kelly had finally been scheduled to face a jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago in October on charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of underage girls.
But in a brief hearing Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber sided with prosecutors in delaying the trial due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, saying that asking out-of-state witnesses to travel, and possibly spend time in quarantine, would be an undue hardship.
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Leinenweber also said that after months of being virtually shut down amid the health emergency, the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse simply doesn’t have the capacity to hold such a lengthy trial with three criminal defendants.
“Physically, it seems to be virtually impossible to proceed to trial in October,” Leinenweber said. He set a status date for the case for Oct. 13 to discuss a possible new trial date.
Read more here. —Jason Meisner
10:50 a.m.: Notre Dame football has a COVID-19 backup plan that even covers coach Brian Kelly
We’re all replaceable, right?
The Veep can step in for POTUS. Michael Keaton, George Clooney and Val Kilmer all played Batman. And Notre Dame has a COVID-19-related plan regarding coach Brian Kelly.
Asked Monday whether he has altered practice to reflect the threat of potential coronavirus cases on top of the usual injuries, the coach replied yes.
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“You have to be aware of that,” Kelly said. “I’m not paralyzed by it, but you have to be realistic. I have to have a replacement for me and our coaches all have replacements if they were to get sick. We have to think in those lines as it relates to our starters as well.”
Read more here. —Teddy Greenstein
10 a.m.: State extends deadline on rental assistance applications
The Illinois Housing Development Authority extended a deadline for tenants to apply for aid through a state rental assistance program for people whose income has declined due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The deadline for tenants who were affected by severe storms that tore through the region last week will now be noon on Aug. 28, and landlords will have until Aug. 30 to complete their required part of the application for aid.
With some tenants and landlords without power for almost a week following the derecho that passed through northern Illinois on Aug. 10, “it’s important we provide additional time to file and complete application for assistance,” Illinois Housing Development Authority Executive Director Kristin Faust said in a statement.
Eligible tenants who have seen their income decline due to COVID-19 can apply for $5,000 through the Emergency Rental Assistance program.
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—Jamie Munks
9:40 a.m.: With few visitors, Navy Pier to close down again to save money
Navy Pier will close again rather than fight for the comparatively few visitors willing to venture onto the partially reopened lakeside destination amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The human-made structure jutting into Lake Michigan and lined with restaurants, carnival rides and cultural destinations — many of them still closed — will shut down again Sept. 8 and stay shut until spring in order to save money and protect the attraction’s long-term financial health, pier officials planned to announce Tuesday morning.
“We are only seeing about 15 to 20 percent of the attendance that we would typically see this time of year, which is also typically our busiest time of the year,” said Marilynn Gardner the pier president and CEO. “We need to do this now to get to the other side of the pandemic.”
Closing as the weather turns colder and visitorship typically decreases will help the pier limit its losses in a year when the not-for-profit entity was already projecting falling $20 million short of anticipated revenues. That’s more than a third of last year’s $58.9 million take, according to the executive.
Read more here. —Steve Johnson
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9:10 a.m.: With millions stuck at home, DIY projects fuel Home Depot surge
Millions of people forced to work out of the office during the pandemic took on new projects at home and Home Depot is supplying a lot of the DIY material they need.
At Home Depot stores open at least a year, sales surged an remarkable 25% in the U.S. during the second quarter, the Atlanta company reported Tuesday.
Read more here. —The ssociated Press
8:25 a.m.: America’s shopping at Walmart during COVID-19 pandemic — Online sales nearly double, in-store sales soar 9.3%
Americans established trusted supply lines as the virus surged in new regions of the U.S. over the past few months and millions did so at Walmart, where online sales nearly doubled in the second quarter.
They shopped in Walmart’s stores, too. Sales at U.S. locations opened at least a year jumped 9.3%, the company reported Tuesday.
Walmart quickly became a lifeline for consumers early this year when COVID-19 first began to spread in the U.S. In the first quarter, online sales spiked 74%. That trend accelerated in the second quarter and broadened the gap between traditional retailers, many of them anchor stores at the mall, and big box operators like Walmart and Target.
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Read more here. —The Associated Press
8:15 a.m.: Potbelly, which returned a $10 million PPP loan in April, just got another one. This time it’s for keeps.
Potbelly has secured another $10 million Payroll Protection Program loan, and this time the Chicago-based sandwich chain plans to keep it.
The company, which returned a $10 million PPP loan it received in April under public pressure, disclosed it obtained the new loan in a filing Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The loan was approved Aug. 7 — one day before the extended PPP program expired — through Harvest Small Business Finance, a California-based nonbank lender.
“While we qualified for a loan in the first round of the Payroll Protection Program, we returned it when it looked like many other companies would be left without help,” Potbelly said in a statement. “In the next round, the program was about to close with billions of dollars in available funds still remaining.”
Read more here. —Robert Channick
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6:30 a.m.: Illinois launches online COVID-19 hotspot map for travelers
Illinois public health officials on Monday launched a COVID-19 hotspot map for travelers to assess their risk before leaving the state. The online map shows which U.S. states have an average daily case rate of at least 15 cases per 100,000 people, which is considered higher risk.
Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike urged travelers to factor in details like how to safely manage airport terminals and rest areas.
“This virus does not recognize borders and specific regions and it doesn’t stop at the edge of a region or a county,” Ezike said at an East St. Louis news conference. “We know that people may have to travel, but potentially based on where you may go that travel may increase your risk of exposure to COVID-19.”
—The Associated Press
6:15 a.m.: Engineering firm leaving downtown high-rise, headed to North Side to spread out
A Chicago-based engineering firm is moving from a downtown office tower to a smaller loft building on the North Side in search of more space and fewer office neighbors during the coronavirus pandemic.
KDM Engineering leased 35,000 square feet in the five-story loft building at 1308 N. Elston Ave., where the firm plans to move by April, founder and President Kimberly Moore said.
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The 10-year lease is one of the first known examples of a company choosing to move away from the dense downtown Chicago office market, which has operated at a limited capacity since March because of COVID-19.
The deal is a big expansion from the firm’s 20,000-square-foot space in the Jewelers Building, a 40-story landmark at 35 E. Wacker Drive.
Read more here. —Ryan Ori
6 a.m.: Man threatened to ‘shoot up’ Niles restaurant after entering without mask, police say
A man is accused of threatening to shoot up a Niles restaurant after he entered without wearing a mask, according to police.
Eric Sunlly, 44, from Des Plaines, was charged with assault and disorderly conduct in connection with the Aug. 8 incident at Portillo’s, 8832 W. Dempster St. in Niles, police said.
A Portillo’s employee told police that Sunlly was told he needed to put on a mask after he entered the restaurant. He asked the employee to call an ambulance for him, and when the employee asked Sunlly to step outside, Sunlly became angry, police said.
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The employee told police Sunlly threatened to come back and “shoot up” the restaurant, police said.
Read more here. —Jennifer Johnson
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Here are five things that happened Monday related to COVID-19.
Coronavirus clusters erupted at U.S. universities as a new semester begins.
The Bears announced they are not currently planning to have fans at games at Soldier Field this season.
The U.S. Postal Service warned that last-minute Illinois ballot requests may not be turned around fast enough to be counted in the November election.
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Chicago closed 5 more restaurants and bars for COVID-19 guideline violations.
At virtual Democratic convention, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says President Trump is mounting ‘full-out assault’ on the Postal Service, election and democracy.


chicagotribune--2020-08-18--Viral video claims people were caught on Chicago River bridge as it was being raised. City says they

Viral video claims people were caught on Chicago River bridge as it was being raised. City says they actually climbed up.

“ I post content all the time and I try to make sure it all is thought-provoking , ” he @ @ @ @ @ follows and is followed by “ a diverse crowd from different backgrounds , which I @ @ @ @ @ as to why this went viral .
”

The video is jarring yet jovial: Six people laughing and joking at the edge of a raised bridge, the Merchandise Mart behind them, the Chicago River far, far below.
The footage as of Tuesday afternoon had been shared more than 42,000 times after it was posted to Twitter with the caption, “Chicago officials raised the bridge not knowing a group was still crossing.”
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Except that’s not what happened, Chicago police and transportation officials said Tuesday.
They believe the people in the video — decidedly carefree despite their precarious position — actually climbed the upraised bridge, probably along the railings, to shoot the video.
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Chicago officials raised the bridge not knowing a group was still crossing
pic.twitter.com/tgEzb70RcM — Drone Talk (@udylanme) August 17, 2020
Michael Claffey, a representative of the Chicago Department of Transportation, called the action “extremely reckless and potentially deadly behavior.” It’s also illegal.
Claffey said the department is working with Chicago police to “investigate the incident and hold all individuals participating in this ... behavior accountable for trespassing.”
It wasn’t immediately clear how investigators determined the people were not accidentally carried up with the bridge span, but an official insisted, “The claim that they were on the bridge when it was raised is not credible.”
A Chicago police spokeswoman, Maggie Huynh, said the transportation department and police “became aware of the incident through the video posted to social.”
Chicago police did not answer questions about the investigation, including whether they’ve used surveillance video to identify the people in the video and if they intend to seek charges.
“At this time, specifics of the incident are under investigation by Chicago Police Department,” Huynh said.
It’s not clear what day or time the video was made. Huynh said downtown bridges were up nightly from Aug. 10 to Aug. 16, “to prevent looting in the downtown area.” Authorities also refute claims on social media that the group was stuck and waiting for help.
“There were no calls of service to the bridge during this time frame,” Huynh said.
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The video was posted Monday by Dylan Brandon, a Hyde Park resident who said he found it on Twitter, where he has a few hundred followers. He said he posts interesting content he finds to his Twitter and YouTube pages.
“I post content all the time and I try to make sure it all is thought-provoking,” he said, adding that he follows and is followed by “a diverse crowd from different backgrounds, which I think is a vital detail as to why this went viral.”
He said he doesn’t know the people in the video “at all,” and said he tweaked and reworded the caption for clarity, which proved a recipe for success.
Still, Brandon said he didn’t expect his post to get the traction it did. “This is my biggest post but I’ve had similar numbers before,” he said. “I had no idea it would get this much response.”
The power of a headline.
74,000 followers: post video with reservations about bridge climbing story. 469 retweets, 727 likes
579 followers: post same video stating "Chicago officials raised the bridge not knowing a group was still crossing": 31,800 retweets, 125,000 likes pic.twitter.com/4WtIAcC9I1 — CWBChicago (@CWBChicago) August 18, 2020
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
@312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-08-18--‘Nothing less than criminal’: Fearing an undermined November election, Illinois Democrats sound alar

‘Nothing less than criminal’: Fearing an undermined November election, Illinois Democrats sound alarm over US Postal Service

“ When faced with the imminent filing of this lawsuit , the Postmaster General today announced his intention to pause @ @ @ @ @ the election , ” Raoul said in the news release .
“ But make no @ @ @ @ @ in a press release is inadequate in providing assurance to the millions of Americans relying @ @ @ @ @ he will not reverse course — again .
I am filing this lawsuit to ensure @ @ @ @ @ be held accountable to a federal court .
The right to vote is too important @ @ @ @ @ statement in a press release .
”

Vehicles are seen at the U.S. Postal Service Chicago headquarters in Chicago on Aug. 18, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Senior citizens waiting weeks for life-sustaining medication. Renters and homeowners nervous that their bills won’t arrive on time, cornering them into paying late fees. A nonprofit held up in efforts to raise money for a food pantry because the mail was delayed.
And, the growing fear that millions of Americans might not get their mail-in ballots counted for the Nov. 3 election.
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Those are some of the stories and concerns that members of Illinois’ Democratic congressional delegation said they have fielded from constituents who are alarmed about the state of the U.S. Postal Service in recent months. Just on Monday, the office of Rep. Brad Schneider received about 600 such calls, the Deerfield Democrat said.
Gathered in front of Chicago’s Postal Service headquarters, eight congressmen blamed the White House.
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U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, wearing a "Good Trouble" mask, listens to speakers as she joins others outside of the USPS Chicago headquarters in Chicago on Aug. 18, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
“Seeking to dismantle the Post Office services during a pandemic is nothing less than criminal intent to destroy an institution that is constitutionally authorized and serves all of the American people,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García of Chicago said.
Hours later, Trump’s appointed postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, released a statement saying he will suspend some operational changes until after the election. He assured that retail hours will not change, collection boxes and other equipment won’t be moved, mail processing facilities won’t close and overtime will be approved when necessary.
“The United States Postal Service will play a critical role this year in delivering election mail for millions of voters across the country,” DeJoy wrote. He defended his previous decisions but contended “to avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail, I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded.”
During the news conference, the group of Illinois Democrats accused President Donald Trump’s administration of attempting to sway the election in his favor by hampering mail-in voting efforts during the coronavirus pandemic and sapping away funding that is critical to reliable service. Last week, Trump acknowledged in an interview on Fox Business Network that without additional money for the Postal Service, “(Democrats) can’t have universal mail-in voting; they just can’t have it.”
The Postal Service warned on July 30 that Illinois voters making late requests for mail-in ballots likely won’t get them in time, joining states across the U.S. grappling with similar crises. Later that day, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot painted Trump and Republicans as “enemies of democracy” mounting a “full-out assault” on the integrity of the election.
The news conference was held one day after the Postal Service warned that Illinois voters making late requests for mail-in ballots likely won’t get them in time, joining states across the U.S. grappling with similar crises. Later that day, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot painted Trump and Republicans as “enemies of democracy” mounting a “full-out assault” on the integrity of the election.
U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, right, is joined by Rep. Mike Quigley, from left, and Rep. Danny Davis outside of the U.S. Postal Service Chicago headquarters. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
“Every child learns it’s illegal to tamper with mail,” Schneider said. “The president himself has admitted that he opposes funding the United States Postal Service because he wants to stymie mail-in voting for this election.”
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Despite DeJoy’s announcement, U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, a Chicago Democrat, who kicked off the earlier news conference, said in a statement that although the postmaster general made the right choice, “it is far too soon to declare victory.”
He and the other congressmen promised results for Saturday’s scheduled House session that Speaker Nancy Pelosi called amid a summer recess to vote on legislation that would inject the Postal Service with $25 billion in emergency funds and prohibit changes to its operations or services. But they face an uphill fight in the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate, which previously refused to vote on a stimulus package with that same figure after it cleared the House.
Still, they hope that the situation this time will bristle their colleagues on the other side of the aisle.
“I’m going to use the word ‘gangster.’ President Trump is attempting to ‘gangster’ the Postal Service and use it for his own political purposes,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Danny Davis of Chicago, a longtime ally of unionized Postal Service workers. “We will be in Washington on Saturday to make sure that we vote to prevent the president from playing Al Capone with our postal service.”
U.S. Representative Danny Davis (IL-07) speaks outside of the USPS Chicago Headquarters. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
A White House spokeswoman declined to comment.
The congressmen also pointed their fingers at DeJoy, with Schneider calling for Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul to launch a criminal investigation into what he alleged was DeJoy’s and the USPS Board of Governors’ “willful delay” of mail and “pernicious” work to undermine the Postal Service. Schneider’s spokesman Matt Fried said a letter addressed to Raoul will still go out after DeJoy’s Tuesday announcement.
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Raoul announced on Tuesday that Illinois would join 13 other states in a federal lawsuit challenging the Postal Service’s planned changes and seeking to block their implementation. The other states include Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, according to a news release.
“When faced with the imminent filing of this lawsuit, the Postmaster General today announced his intention to pause his disruptive actions until after the election,” Raoul said in the news release. “But make no mistake, a statement issued in a press release is inadequate in providing assurance to the millions of Americans relying on the Postal Service that he will not reverse course — again. I am filing this lawsuit to ensure that the Postmaster General can be held accountable to a federal court. The right to vote is too important to be contingent on a statement in a press release.”
Others at Tuesday’s news conference vowed to put DeJoy on the hot seat during Monday’s scheduled House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing, in which he is expected to testify. He is also set to appear before the Senate on Friday.
“This is just a heads-up to the postmaster general: Be ready to answer all the questions that my colleagues have,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, of Matteson, said. “And I hope we like the answers.”
Keith Richardson, president of the American Postal Workers Union’s Chicago-area chapter, blasted DeJoy as well, saying, “If we have to, we will call on Louis DeJoy to resign because we cannot have him make a mockery of our service.”
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-18--U.S. Reps. Foster, Underwood, Casten rally to support U.S. Postal Service at Aurora facility

She added that similar shutdowns along the way have meant delays along the line too – mail is delayed for @ @ @ @ @ spot , then delayed for two more days at the post office , which adds @ @ @ @ @ days of delay , Savage said .

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, speaks outside the Aurora Post Office Tuesday about the importance of the U.S. Postal Service. Joining her at the press conference are, from left, U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, D-Downers Grove, and U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Three members of Congress from Chicago’s western suburbs held a press conference in Aurora Tuesday to support the U.S. Postal Service, and decry any attempt to gut its services.
U.S. Reps. Bill Foster, D-Naperville; Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville; and Sean Casten, D-Downers Grove, criticized President Donald Trump for what they said was politicizing the governmental service by purposefully instructing his postmaster general to cutback and slow down work to hinder mail-in ballots for the upcoming national election.
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U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, speaks to reporters outside the Aurora Post Office Tuesday about the necessity of funding the U.S. Postal Service and halting cutbacks in service. Also attending the press conference and standing behind Foster are, from the right, U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, D-Downers Grove, and U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville. (Steve Lord / The Beacon-News)
“This should not be about President Trump trying to seize political advantage,” Foster said. “In the midst of the worst public health crisis in our lifetime, people should not have to choose between protecting their families and voting in the election.”
Joining the trio were several representatives of unions representing U.S. Postal Service workers who detailed some of the hardships workers are experiencing because of cutbacks in delivery service.
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One union representative, Valerie Savage, said she was aware of a sorting machine that was working well and was well-maintained being taken down, costing several delivery days because workers had to now sort the mail by hand.
“I don’t understand why that was done (to the machine),” she said. “It was far more efficient.”
She added that similar shutdowns along the way have meant delays along the line too – mail is delayed for two days at one sorting spot, then delayed for two more days at the post office, which adds to up four or five days of delay, Savage said.
Trump made it clear last week that he was blocking $25 billion in emergency aid to the Postal Service, as well as a Democratic proposal to provide $3.6 billion in additional election money to the states to help process an expected surge of mail-in ballots. Trump has denied he is seeking to slow down mail service.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is calling the House back to Washington Saturday to vote on legislation that would prohibit changes at the agency.
During Tuesday’s press conference, word came out that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he would delay changes at the Postal Service until after the election. He has said changes are necessary for the economics of the Postal Service.
The three members of Congress said that despite what DeJoy said, they still support emergency U.S. Postal Service financial aid.
“They’re going to be judged on one thing: getting things delivered on time,” Foster said.
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Underwood said that while delaying is good, “it is not enough.”
“We’ve seen significant changes already,” she said. “We need to return to the normal operations back on Jan. 1, 2020.”
Casten said that by saying he can delay changes until after the election, DeJoy is admitting “he was lying when he said he needed to do this.”
Underwood pointed out that Kane County has received a record number of mail-in ballot requests. But all three representatives pointed out that cutting the Postal Service is about more than the ballots.
Constituents have reported that they need the Postal Service for delivery of medications, particularly senior citizens and military veterans. Underwood said 80% of veterans receive medications by mail.
They also pointed out that small businesses often rely on the Postal Service for deliveries to and from their workplaces. To accentuate that point, Underwood mentioned Carol Green, of Elburn, who told her she relies on the Postal Service for the important part of her business that delivers funeral urns.
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Underwood said that’s why she will be back in Washington Saturday “to vote to protect the United States Postal Service.”
slord@tribpub.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.


Corrections and clarifications

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Our editorial code of principles governs professional behavior and journalism standards .
Everyone in @ @ @ @ @ live up to this code of conduct .
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· The byline was missing on an op-ed in Monday’s Perspective section. Marc Ayers wrote “ ‘Rescues’ or puppy mill dogs? City ordinance would close loophole, deter scofflaws.”
· In a Heidi Stevens column on Sunday, Democratic strategist Richard Goodstein’s name was misspelled.
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The Tribune regrets the errors.
Publishing information quickly and accurately is a central part of the Chicago Tribune’s news responsibility and a value shared in all our publications. Our editorial code of principles governs professional behavior and journalism standards. Everyone in our newsroom must agree to live up to this code of conduct. Download the file.
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chicagotribune--2020-08-18--‘You can’t possibly imagine.’ Family talks about woman who was killed by SUV driver who hit her, the

‘You can’t possibly imagine.’ Family talks about woman who was killed by SUV driver who hit her, then  circled and hit her again

“ It is gut-wrenching , ” Logue said .
“ You can ’ t possibly imagine what would possess this @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Hey , let me just try to kill these two people on this corner.
@ @ @ @ @ was standing outside waiting on an Uber , that ’ s the only reason they @ @ @ @ @ ”

Police work the scene where a woman was killed after being struck by a vehicle on Hubbard Street late Aug. 10, 2020, in Chicago. The driver fled the scene. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Birthday dinners were an important tradition for Zoraleigh Ryan.
“No matter how old you are ... it’s just something she always did with us,” said Ryan’s older daughter Amber Logue.
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Last week, Ryan celebrated her youngest daughter Shannon turning 20 with a dinner at a steakhouse in downtown Chicago. The two left the restaurant and were walking down Hubbard Street about 11 p.m. Aug. 10 when an SUV drove straight at them, struck them, circled the block and hit Ryan a second time, killing her.
Prosecutors say the driver, Edgar Roman, 25, admitted to police that he hit the women and has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. But prosecutors gave no motive for the brutal attack.
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“It is gut-wrenching,” Logue said. “You can’t possibly imagine what would possess this person to just say, ‘Hey, let me just try to kill these two people on this corner.’ All they were doing was standing outside waiting on an Uber, that’s the only reason they were standing right there.”
Zoraleigh Ryan, 55, was killed after being struck by a vehicle on Hubbard Street on Aug. 10, 2020. Ryan and her daughter, Shannon, were leaving a celebratory dinner downtown, when a SUV drove straight at the pair, hitting them both before circling the block and driving toward them again. (Family photo)
Ryan, 55, was born in the Chicago area and raised her family here until moving to Arizona several years ago. Ryan was back in Chicago this month to attend her stepdaughter’s baby shower and celebrate her youngest’s birthday.
Logue described her mother as “top-notch.” She graduated from Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, where she was an honor roll student and member of the track team. Ryan worked her way up to an accounting job at Arthur Andersen and later Accenture. Ryan was a single mother and moved her family from Chicago to south suburban Crestwood.
Ryan and her children became very involved in their church. And it was there that Ryan met her husband, Michael Ryan, in the late 1990s. “We were literally there every Sunday and Wednesday,” Logue said. “She was a Sunday school teacher, she helped with tutoring after school.”
The family lived in the south suburbs until around 2014 when her son was in a serious motorcycle accident in Arizona, and they relocated to help him through recovery.
Ryan had a large family with six children and stepchildren and about 13 grandkids. “We like big families,” Logue said with a laugh. “My grandmother was one of 13, so it’s funny that mom had the same amount of grandkids.”
Ryan’s mother, Stephanie Logue Smith, lives just 10 minutes away from the family in Arizona. The two were like best friends, Logue said, and Ryan’s sudden death has taken a toll on her grandmother, who lost her other child to leukemia decades ago.
“They could talk about anything,” Logue said. “They had such a remarkable bond.”
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Ryan liked to stay busy, according to her family. She visited her mother every day and loved to exercise and go on long walks. Logue said her mother was like Wonder Woman, taking care of everyone in the family and always working to lift others up.
“Put your mind to something and do it, that was her biggest saying,” Logue said. “She was very positive.”
When Ryan and her daughter were hit by the SUV, a bystander later identified as Adonnis Taylor ran to help the two. Shannon Ryan told Logue the man was able to shield her and push her away as the SUV approached a second time.
Logue did not know much about the man but was grateful Shannon Ryan was kept safe.
She suffered a broken wrist and an injury to her ankle but is recovering. “She is physically healing. ... She’s doing better, she’s going to be OK,” Logue said. “Mentally, because she hasn’t grown up here, she’s not familiar with the violence. That’s not normal to her, hearing something, seeing something, like she’s broken right now.”
The family has planned a small service for Ryan in Chicago and a second memorial in Arizona. After the funeral services, the family hopes to have Ryan buried next to her brother and father in West Virginia.
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ssherry@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-18--Union Station concourse closed for nearly an hour as Chicago police bomb squad investigates suspicio

Union Station concourse closed for nearly an hour as Chicago police bomb squad investigates suspicious package

About 2 p.m. , a person traveling through the south concourse of Union Station agreed to a bag search by @ @ @ @ @ Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari .
After the agent noticed “ something suspicious , ” the @ @ @ @ @ the agent was taking an interest in him ” and he ran away , Magliari @ @

A person left behind a suspicious bag in Union Station Tuesday after running from a law enforcement agent, causing nearly an hour of train delays before police determined there was no bomb threat, officials said.
About 2 p.m., a person traveling through the south concourse of Union Station agreed to a bag search by the agent, according to Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari. After the agent noticed “something suspicious,” the person “determined somehow that the agent was taking an interest in him” and he ran away, Magliari said.
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The person ran west through the north concourse and escaped, but he dropped a bag and Chicago police bomb squad officers were called to screen it, Magliari said. After confiscating what “appeared” to be marijuana and an unloaded weapon from the bag, police cleared the scene at the north concourse.
No one was in custody.
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Chicago police did not have information beyond bomb squad officers responding to the station.


chicagotribune--2020-08-18--With few visitors, Navy Pier to close down again to save money

Navy Pier received $ 2.5 million in federal paycheck protection funds , which allowed it to pay staff through the @ @ @ @ @ late July , as the visitorship trends were becoming clear , the pier announced it @ @ @ @ @ % of its staff , while Gardner herself had already taken a 44 % pay @ @ @ @ @ belt tightening she could , she said at the time .

Navy Pier will close again rather than fight for the comparatively few visitors willing to venture onto the partially reopened lakeside destination amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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The human-made structure jutting into Lake Michigan and lined with restaurants, carnival rides and cultural destinations — many of them still closed — will shut down again Sept. 8 and stay shut until spring in order to save money and protect the attraction’s long-term financial health, pier officials announced Tuesday morning.
“We are only seeing about 15 to 20% of the attendance that we would typically see this time of year, which is also typically our busiest time of the year,” said Marilynn Gardner, pier president and CEO. “We need to do this now to get to the other side of the pandemic.”
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Closing as the weather turns colder and visitorship typically decreases will help the pier limit its losses in a year when the not-for-profit entity was already projecting falling $20 million short of anticipated revenues. That’s more than a third of last year’s $58.9 million take, according to the executive.
People walk past an empty beer garden at Navy Pier on Aug. 13, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
One new business may open, however. The new 222-room Sable Hotel atop an existing pier building is nearing completion, and pier officials said it could go ahead and open while the rest of the pier is closed, according to Robert Habeeb, CEO of Maverick Hotels and Restaurants, the developer of the property that will operate under the Curio Collection by Hilton umbrella.
“As of today our goal is to open the hotel on time Nov. 1,” Habeeb said Monday evening, although he emphasized that, as with everything during the pandemic, plans are subject to revision.
“We understand their rationale for closing,” he added, speaking of pier officials. “It’s a very sad circumstance for all of us, but we get it. We now have to step back and assess our own position.”
One of the pier’s main cultural tenants, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, said that it still hopes to reopen ahead of the pier’s general return to business next spring.
Executive Director Criss Henderson said in a statement the theater, which has been closed since March, “has exciting plans in place to welcome audiences back to the theater for the return of live, in-person performances as soon as it is safe to do so in early 2021.”
Navy Pier’s plan to go back into shutdown mode marks the most notable retreat by a Chicago institution in the battle to restart public life amid the economic devastation wrought by COVID-19, which forced most city and state public spaces to close in mid-March in order to try to stop the spread of the virus.
When community spread was greatly diminished, Chicago and Illinois moved into phase four of their five-phase reopening plans in June. Through June and July, most tourist attractions, including big museums and nature and animal institutions, reopened with limited attendance, with the notable exception of Adler Planetarium, which plans to remain closed until phase five, when a COVID vaccine or effective treatment is in place.
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Navy Pier was early to reopen, on June 10, at first using only its outdoor spaces, except for the parking garage and some bathrooms. When the city officially reached phase four June 26, the pier’s indoor shops and restaurants were allowed to reopen.
But what was typically the most popular tourist spot in the Midwest — or second most popular after Chicago’s Millennium Park, if you believe a high-tech crowd count commissioned by the city — has struggled since allowing people back almost three months after the pier’s March 16 closure.
The limited reopening, with masks and distancing required throughout, meant revenue was always going to be a challenge, Gardner said, as was the unwillingness of people to travel.
People just weren’t coming back in the kind of numbers that would make the destination viable, a testament to ongoing pandemic worries, to the minuscule numbers of tourists visiting Chicago and to the pier’s challenges, despite concerted public relations efforts and a remaking of its restaurant tenants in recent years, in selling itself as a destination for Chicagoans.
Marilynn Gardner, president and CEO of Navy Pier, announced that the popular destination will shut down on Sept. 8 and stay shut until spring in order to save money and protect the attraction’s long-term financial health. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Visits are down 93% year-to-year from the Pier’s 8 key “feeder states” of Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin, said Gardner. The visits from Illinois are down 79%, while the proportion of in-state visitors is up by 66%. Those who are coming, in other words, are primarily locals.
In raw numbers, she said Monday, “we have been grateful to welcome about half a million guests since we reopened. But we would (normally) see more than 3.5 to 4 million during that same time period. So while that number seems significant and is far greater than any other destination locally … through the pandemic, it just isn’t sustainable.”
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Pier revenue comes 90% from operations, 10% from philanthropy and corporate partnerships, she said, and the operations breakdown shows losses across the board.
Pier Park, featuring rides including the giant Millennium Wheel Ferris wheel, never reopened to start contributing its usual 23% of revenue. Events, another 13%, did not resume. Parking typically kicks in 20% of revenue and was “only delivering about 50% of that,” Gardner said.
And revenues from the pier’s 70 tenants chip in another 26% in a normal year, but since the March shutdown, the pier has been working with the shops, restaurants and the two big cultural institutions, the never-reopened Chicago Children’s Museum and Chicago Shakespeare, to provide rent relief.
Even those restaurants with outdoor spaces that have been able to open back up from the June 10 restart have not drawn enough business to reach the points in their contracts where the pier starts getting a percentage of revenues, Gardner said.
People on an oversized bench at the entrance to Navy Pier on Aug. 13, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
One of them is Tiny Tavern, which came onto Navy Pier during the push to get restaurants that might attract Chicagoans.
“I’m relieved, quite frankly, with Navy Pier’s decision to temporarily close,” said Colleen Flaherty, a partner in Tiny Tavern and its sibling business, Tiny Tapp & Cafe on the Chicago Riverwalk. (The group at the end of 2018 closed its original Tiny Lounge in North Center.)
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“We’re seeing 14% of last summer’s sales,” she said, noting that almost all the business came from an outdoor bar and patio rather than its bigger, main space inside.
“We’ve all been receiving extended rent relief since the initial temporary closure back in mid-March. With the upcoming closure, we’re still in negotiations to determine how that’s going to work,” said Flaherty. “It’s certainly better than operating because the number it takes to operate is going to be larger than the revenue that would be coming in.”
The Riverwalk location, she said, is doing better, earning about 25% of last year’s sales, but that business will close for the season once the weather turns too cold.
Closing Navy Pier, she said, is being done “for the long-term stability of the pier and its (tenant) partners versus thinking short term.”
Through the cooler months it would cost Navy Pier about $3 million a month to stay open, spokeswoman Payal Patel said, an operational tab that will be cut in half or more when it closes. To cover its losses, the pier is using cash reserves and hoping for a big rebound when life returns to pre-pandemic norms.
Officials declined to specify how much money it has in reserve. A pier financial statement covering through the end of 2018 listed “total financial assets available to meet cash needs for general expenditures within one year” of just under $18 million. Navy Pier Inc. also has other unspecified assets that “could be made available for current operations, if necessary,” the report says.
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Navy Pier received $2.5 million in federal paycheck protection funds, which allowed it to pay staff through the end of June. In late July, as the visitorship trends were becoming clear, the pier announced it was laying off some 20% of its staff, while Gardner herself had already taken a 44% pay cut and done what other belt tightening she could, she said at the time.
Now, however, more cuts are likely to follow.
“As we look at our financials,” Gardner said Monday, “it will be very difficult to avoid additional layoffs or additional furloughs.”
sajohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @StevenKJohnson


chicagotribune--2020-08-18--Chicago man charged in scam saying he was testing water at a Hobart home for COVID-19: police

While inside the home , the man asked the woman for a bucket .
She went outside to get the @ @ @ @ @ , she thought there was something not right about the situation and told the man @ @ @

Hobart Police have identified and charged a man accused of using COVID-19 water testing as a ruse to gain access to a home to rob it.
Rudy Miller, whose last known address was listed as 3633 W. Palmer St., Apt. No. 2, in Chicago, was charged Aug. 6 through the Lake County Prosecutor’s office with one count of Class A misdemeanor theft. There is an active warrant for Miller’s arrest.
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The theft occurred July 31 in the 400 block of Crestwood Drive. The victim was outside mowing her lawn when a four-door tan vehicle parked near her residence. A short, heavyset, Hispanic looking male, who walked with a limp exited the vehicle and approached her, according to Capt. James Gonzales with the Hobart Police Department.
The man talked his way into the woman’s home by using a story about water testing for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, Gonzales said.
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While inside the home, the man asked the woman for a bucket. She went outside to get the bucket and when she returned, she thought there was something not right about the situation and told the man to leave.
After the man left, Gonzales said the woman noticed her bedroom had been rummaged through and several hundred dollars had been taken.
The case was assigned to Detective Zachary Crawford who shared information with the suspect with other local police agencies. A detective from the Oak Lawn, Illinois, police department responded with a similar case, Gonzales said.
The Oak Lawn detective had identified the man after a similar crime in that city, Gonzales said. Crawford was able to obtain a photo of the man and the victim of the Hobart theft was able to pick the man’s picture from the photo lineup.
Gonzales advised residents to be wary of unsolicited visitors.
“If you aren’t expecting visitor(s) don’t answer your door and don’t engage in any conversation with them, be rude if necessary and dial 9-1-1,” he said.
Residents can also install video and audio surveillance at their in front of their homes or at access points. If someone forces their way into your home, seek and safe area and dial 911 if possible, he said.
If you are approached outside by an unknown person, do not talk to them, go inside, lock your doors and call 911.
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Gonzales suggests residents gather as much information about a potential suspect as possible including a physical description and vehicle description.
“If possible, do not escalate to a physical encounter, your health and well-being aren’t worth being jeopardized,” Gonzales said.
Anyone with information about Miller’s whereabouts is asked to call 911 or contact Detective Zachary Crawford at zcrawford@cityofhobart.org.
Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-08-18--16-year-old charged in the Glenview stabbing death of 15-year-old Elias Valdez, police say

Second-degree murder is defined as a person committing the act of a first-degree murder but that , at the time @ @ @ @ @ person is acting under “ sudden and intense passion ” wrongly believing the action to @ @ @ @ @

Three days after 15-year-old Elias Valdez was laid to rest by friends and family, Glenview police on Tuesday announced that an arrest has been made in his death.
A 16-year-old boy from an unincorporated area near Glenview surrendered himself to investigators at the Glenview Police Station just after 9 a.m. Monday, police said in a news release.
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The 16-year-old was charged with second-degree murder, processed and transported to the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center in Chicago as he awaited a hearing, according to police.
Second-degree murder, a lesser charge of first-degree murder, was previously called voluntary manslaughter in Illinois. Illinois law defines first-degree murder, in part, as intending to kill or do great bodily harm to another person — knowing that act would cause death — without lawful justification.
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Second-degree murder is defined as a person committing the act of a first-degree murder but that, at the time of the killing, the person is acting under “sudden and intense passion” wrongly believing the action to be in self defense.
The Cook County state’s attorney’s office said in an email that the juvenile appeared in court before Judge Steven Bernstein in Skokie on Tuesday.
The court placed the 16-year-old in the electronic monitoring program, outfitting him with an ankle bracelet. He will return to juvenile court for a status hearing Sept. 9, according to the state’s attorney’s office.
Glenview police said they would not release further information while the case is being processed.
Valdez was found the evening of Aug. 5 in a grassy area in the 1200 block of Greenwood Road with a stab wound to his chest. He was transported to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge and later died in surgery, police said.
An autopsy determined the death was a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
The teenager was found lying near a patch of tall grass between a subdivision, a few homes and a water pumping station in Glenview shortly after 7 p.m. on Aug. 5. A passerby called 911, police spokesman Sgt. Jim Foley said.
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A funeral service for the teenager took place Friday. Carlos Guadagno, pastor at Corona de Amor in Palatine, said the boy would be missed and prayed that his loved ones would eventually feel peace.
Valdez, of the 10400 block of Dearlove Road, was was a rising sophomore at Glenbrook South High School.
Elias Valdez, 15, died Aug. 5, 2020, in what Glenview police describe as a homicide. (Glenbrook District 225)
Glenbrook South High School principal Lauren Fagel wrote a message to families announcing the loss of Valdez shortly after he died. She described the student as “a kind, charismatic young man who exhibited great leadership qualities.” She said he loved his mom and family and that he had an “endearing spirit.”
She also said Valdez had joined the wrestling team in the previous school year. His coaches, in a statement provided by the school, said they recognized natural ability, drive and work ethic in him.
“The many adults who worked with Elias appreciated his devotion to his family, his kindness to others and his ability to quickly make friends and make others feel welcome,” she wrote.
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kedquist@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @kaitlinedquist


chicagotribune--2020-08-18--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

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

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-08-18--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

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

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