chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Coronavirus vaccine could be days away from arriving in Illinois as state reports 145 more COVID-19

Coronavirus vaccine could be days away from arriving in Illinois as state reports 145 more COVID-19 deaths

Although it was developed and tested in a matter of months , the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech , which @ @ @ @ @ from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration soon after an advisory panel meets Thursday , @ @ @ @ @ research on coronaviruses and has been thoroughly reviewed by teams of experts , Pritzker said @ @ @ @ @ .

CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
With the first shipment of a new coronavirus vaccine to Illinois possibly just days away, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the state’s top public health official on Tuesday sought to allay fears about the safety of an immunization developed under intense pressure on an expedited schedule.
Although it was developed and tested in a matter of months, the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, which could receive emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration soon after an advisory panel meets Thursday, is based on decades of research on coronaviruses and has been thoroughly reviewed by teams of experts, Pritzker said at his daily COVID-19 briefing.
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The governor’s remarks came the same day the FDA released its initial review of data on the Pfizer vaccine and as the immunizations began in the United Kingdom. While Pfizer’s own study is still in progress, the FDA analysis of the company’s data found that, so far, the vaccine appears safe and more than 90% effective.
Still, Illinois, like other states, has its own panel of experts reviewing the FDA’s analysis, Pritzker said.
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“We all want to make sure this vaccine is safe, and additional sets of eyes on the evidence can only be helpful,” he said.
Pending FDA authorization later this week, the state expects to receive a shipment of 109,000 doses of the vaccine next week, although it’s possible that could come as soon as the weekend, Pritzker said.
[ If Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine receives FDA approval, here’s what it will mean for Chicago and the rest of Illinois ]
A second vaccine, produced by Moderna, is scheduled for possible emergency use authorization by the FDA on Dec. 17.
The University of Illinois at Chicago participated in the clinical trial for that vaccine, and trial participant Bonnie Blue, a 68-year-old with severe asthma, spoke via video at the governor’s briefing.
“For me to take part in this trial was a huge risk, a risk that my family and friends were not happy that I was facing,” said Blue, a former HIV case manager at Provident Hospital in Chicago. She doesn’t know yet whether she was given the actual vaccine or a placebo as part of the trial.
While she initially thought she’d wait a year or two before getting a newly developed vaccine, Blue said she was motivated to participate in the trial by the growing number of people in Illinois who’ve died from COVID-19.
“Please take it,” she said. “Do your research, find out more about it. Don’t just take my word for it.”
Despite the words of encouragement, it will be many months before most Illinois residents will be able to get vaccinated.
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The state’s initial shipment of the Pfizer vaccine from the federal government will go to health care workers and long-term care residents in the 50 counties with the highest per capita death rates from the virus. Subsequent allotments, which are expected to be much larger, also will go to those groups until the vaccine is more widely available.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said her agency is working with organizations across the state to make the vaccine as accessible as possible once the state has enough doses to immunize anyone who wants it. That includes plans in the works for drive-thru vaccination clinics, she said.
As state and local officials prepare for the vaccine’s arrival, Illinois continues to see some positive trends in its fight against the pandemic compared with the past month, when cases, hospitalizations and deaths were rising rapidly, though officials still are bracing for a possible post-Thanksgiving spike.
State health officials reported 7,910 new confirmed and probable cases Tuesday, bringing the total number COVID-19 cases statewide to 804,174 since the pandemic began.
The number of new COVID-19 cases as a share of total tests reached an average of 9.9% for the week ending Monday, the first time the statewide case positivity rate has fallen below 10% since the week ending Nov. 5. The average reached a high of 13.2% on Nov. 12.
The seven-day average of new confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus now has remained below 10,000 for 11 straight days, with the average standing at 9,333 cases per day as of Tuesday. The average peaked at 12,384 daily cases during the week ending Nov. 16.
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But the state is still experiencing the most dire consequences of the fall surge, with 145 more fatalities reported Tuesday, bringing the statewide death toll to 13,487 since the first reported casualty in March. Illinois is averaging 155 deaths per day over the past week, well above the spring peak of 118 deaths per day in mid-May. A record average has been set each of the past six days.
The Associated Press contributed.
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--The Spin: If FDA OKs Pfizer vaccine, Chicago distribution could start next week | Ald. Tunney’s Ann

The Spin: If FDA OKs Pfizer vaccine, Chicago distribution could start next week | Ald. Tunney’s Ann Sather cited for indoor dining | Is an economic shot in the arm on the horizon?

Yesterday , Pritzker and Ezike found themselves defending the state ’ s plan to distribute the first vaccines to 10 @ @ @ @ @ the 50 Illinois counties with the highest per capita COVID-19 death rates , my Tribune @ @ @ @ @ Several of the hub hospitals are in counties not on the Top 50 list , @ @ @ @ @ ’ s least populous counties that are on the list don ’ t have a @ @ @ @ @

British health officials launched their COVID-19 vaccine program today, and that photo beamed around the world of a 90-year-old woman getting the first inoculation feels like a bit of hope for a planet that’s seen 1.5 million lives — and counting — lost to the virus.
With Illinois reporting another 7,910 new cases and 145 deaths in the last 24 hours, Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady told listeners during her weekly question-and-answer session on social media that if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration green lights “emergency use authorization” for the Pfizer vaccine in the coming days, the first shots could be given as early as next week or early the following week.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker along with the state’s public health Dr. Ngozi Ezike similarly said vaccines could begin arriving next week — if approved — while reminding that front-line hospital and health care workers will be getting the first doses.
Yesterday, Pritzker and Ezike found themselves defending the state’s plan to distribute the first vaccines to 10 regional hospitals that would serve the 50 Illinois counties with the highest per capita COVID-19 death rates, my Tribune colleague Jamie Munks reports. Several of the hub hospitals are in counties not on the Top 50 list, while some of the state’s least populous counties that are on the list don’t have a hospital within their border.
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Tweaks will be necessary, but the goal is to get the vaccines to geographical locations close to communities that have suffered most during the pandemic, Ezike said. She also said patience is key as it will take months to get enough doses of the vaccine to administer to Illinoisans.
And North Side Ald. Tom Tunney’s Ann Sather restaurant is facing up to $10,500 in possible fines from the city after the Chicago alderman acknowledged letting people eat inside the Belmont Avenue location in violation of city and state rules designed to curb the spread of coronavirus, the Tribune’s Gregory Pratt and John Byrne report.
Welcome to The Spin.
In this University of Oxford photo, a volunteer is administered the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, in Oxford, England. (John Cairns /AP)
The FDA — the federal regulatory body that must sign off on the vaccine’s distribution here — released an analysis today that showed the Pfizer vaccine appears safe and effective, multiple outlets are reporting.
That’s a good sign ahead of a highly anticipated Thursday meeting where the FDA’s independent advisers will debate if the evidence is strong enough to recommend vaccinating millions of Americans, the AP notes. A final FDA decision and the first shots could follow within just days; read the full AP story here.
Illinois officials have estimated that the state will see 109,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses in an initial shipment, and could see hundreds of thousands of doses by Jan. 1, with top priority given to front-line health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities, the Tribune’s Munks reminds.
The federal government is directing vaccines to be delivered to the states and, separately, some of the nation’s largest cities. That means Chicago would get 23,000 vaccines in the first shipment with the balance of the 86,000 doses going to the rest of the state, Pritzker said last week.
Other data points: There are an estimated 655,000 front-line health care workers in Illinois, with 192,000 in Chicago. Some 110,000 adults are living in long-term care facilities or nursing homes statewide, with 16,000 in Chicago.
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The city and state are working “in tandem” on getting out the vaccines, Pritzker said Friday.
Things aren’t automatically going to snap back to normal once the vaccine is rolled out. And you may still need to wear a face mask even after the vaccine, the New York Times reports.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Dr. Ngozi Ezike on April 19, 2020 at the Thompson Center in Chicago. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Munks wrote yesterday: Pritzker and Ezike defended the state’s plan for initial distribution of coronavirus vaccinations to 50 of Illinois’ 102 counties with the highest per capita death rates, which they presented publicly on Friday.
The state’s plan identified 10 regional hub hospitals from which the vaccine’s initial shipment will be distributed to those 50 counties, with front-line health care workers considered the top priority for being inoculated. But several of the downstate hub locations, including hospitals in Peoria, Springfield and Champaign, are in counties that aren’t on the list of 50.
And some of the state’s least populous counties that are among the 50 don’t have a hospital within their borders. Ezike said officials can identify which hospitals residents from those counties use and distribute the vaccine to front-line health care workers there.
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There may be more tweaks to the state’s distribution plan before vaccines, which still await the required federal approvals, actually arrive. The intention behind designating the 50 counties with the highest per capita death rates was to prioritize the areas of the state that have suffered the most during the pandemic, Ezike said.
History: Vaccine shortages have led to theft, smuggling and doses going to the famous instead of the needy. Will it happen again with COVID-19? The Tribune’s John Keilman has the story here.
The future: Joe Biden vows to reopen most of the nation’s schools, distribute at least 100 million vaccines in 1st 100 days as president, Associated Press is reporting.
Indeed, school employees should be a priority in COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Illinois teachers unions say. And rapid testing should be on the table, too, the Tribune’s Karen Ann Cullotta reports.
Meantime, as CPS parents face decision day on sending their kids back to school, CTU seeks legal action to stop ‘arbitrary’ reopening plan — Union leaders are balking at the plan for a return to in-person classes, which would have students in prekindergarten and moderate to severe special education cluster programs go back Jan. 11, the Tribune’s Hannah Leone reports. Other students in kindergarten through eighth grade enrolled in elementary schools would return in a hybrid model Feb. 1.
Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson warned that teachers without preexisting conditions who simply “don’t show up” to school buildings will be fired, the Sun-Times’ Nader Issa reported.
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And in suburban District 203 parents deluge school board with letters demanding students return to in-person classes, the Naperville Sun’s Rafael Guerrero reports.
Testing: O’Hare, Midway plan to open COVID-19 testing sites next week as American Airlines widens access to at-home tests, the Tribune’s Lauren Zumbach reports.
Illinois to expand testing of prison workers as inmate deaths, infections surge, the Tribune’s Christy Gutowski reports.
Next door: Indiana has nation’s 2nd highest per capita COVID-19 spread, CDC says. The Post-Tribune’s Meredith Colias-Pete has the details here.
Other news: State senators from north, northwest suburbs calls on Pritzker to formally halt utility shut-offs amid pending winter, COVID-19 pandemic, but a spokeswoman for the governor says his authority is limited, Pioneer Press is reporting.
Ald. Tom Tunney in his main Ann Sather restaurant on Sept. 1, 2020, in Chicago. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)
How much Chicago Ald. Tom Tunney’s Lakeview restaurant ultimately gets fined will be determined by the Department of Administrative Hearings at a later date, the Tribune’s Pratt and Byrne report.
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For now, his Ann Sather restaurant is facing two citations, one that could result in a fine of up to $10,000 and the other up to $500, a spokesman for the city’s Business Affairs and Consumer Protection department said.
Tunney, a key member of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s City Council leadership team as her hand-picked chair of the Zoning Committee, previously acknowledged diners have been eating inside his Belmont Avenue restaurant and called it an “error in judgment.”
Add him to the list of Democratic politicians who’ve landed in trouble for not following COVID-19 rules: Recently, California Gov. Gavin Newsom was widely ridiculed for attending a fancy dinner at The French Laundry.
In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot was criticized early in the pandemic for getting her hair done after Pritzker issued a stay-at-home order that also closed down hair salons and barbershops. Read the full story here.
Eterra Plus proposes two towers that would replace a parking structure at 525 S. Wabash Ave. That proposal includes a 23-story building with 314 hotel rooms and 261 residential units and a 36-story tower with 516 residential units. (BKV Group / HANDOUT)
COVID-19 has slowed Chicago’s economy, but two bullish developers have drawn up ambitious plans that would bring a combined 1,200 apartments in the South Loop and Near West Side, the Tribune’s Ryan Ori reports. Could it be a sign of things to come for the local economy?
Congress buys time for COVID-19 relief talks; some lawmakers balk at lack of direct payments to Americans — Read the latest from The Associated Press here.
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How soon will the economy recover from COVID-19? A panel of 48 top experts is getting optimistic, Associated Press reports.
Other news: Rockford community fights to keep Exelon nuclear plant open — The school district’s budget relies on $19.1 million a year in property revenue generated by the plant, which accounts for more than 70% of its budget.
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--COPA employee arrested in looting case, released

“ COPA is separately reviewing this as an internal personnel matter and if misconduct has occurred , the employee will @ @ @ @ @ the agency said in a statement .
“ As an agency with high accountability standards @ @ @ @ @ conduct , we take these matters very seriously and will work with the Office of @ @ @ @ @ it may undertake .
”

Chicago’s civilian police investigative agency was reviewing a “personnel matter” of an employee who was arrested Tuesday, but later released without charges, on accusations he was involved in the looting of a downtown department store over the summer, officials said.
The employee of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability was arrested shortly before 8 a.m. near 29th Street and Michigan Avenue by members for the Chicago police fugitive apprehension section, police said. Sources familiar with the situation said the person arrested is not an investigator for COPA.
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The looting in question took place at a Macy’s department store in Chicago’s Loop on Aug. 10, a day when hundreds of people ran amok in the downtown area, looting, vandalizing and ransacking stores in the center of the city.
City Inspector General Joseph Ferguson was notified of the arrest. But on Tuesday afternoon, COPA officials said the employee had been released without charges.
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“COPA is separately reviewing this as an internal personnel matter and if misconduct has occurred, the employee will be held accountable,” the agency said in a statement. “As an agency with high accountability standards and a strict code of conduct, we take these matters very seriously and will work with the Office of Inspector General in any review it may undertake.”
Chicago police did not immediately provide a reason why the employee was released without being charged. A spokesperson for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office said the office was not asked by Chicago police to review the incident for felony charges, nor was the COPA employee charged by police with a misdemeanor.
jgorner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Ricardo Alanis, founder of first pilgrimage from Chicago to Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine in Des Plai

Ricardo Alanis, founder of first pilgrimage from Chicago to Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine in Des Plaines, died of COVID-19. His family will walk 15 miles to honor him.

Although the traditional overnight celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe from Dec. 11-12 at the shrine and @ @ @ @ @ , some of Ricardo Alanis ’ family will make their way to the shrine on @ @ @ @ @ as close as they can after taking the same route he followed for nearly 20 @ @

Maria Alanis, from left, her mother Guadalupe Alanis, father Ricardo Alanis and sister Lucia Garcia outside Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church holding a banner with the Virgin of Guadalupe in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood on Dec. 8, 2019. (Camille Fine / Chicago Tribune)
Guadalupe Alanis saw how her husband’s devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe intensified over the years after the couple married nearly 45 years ago in Michoacán, Mexico.
The Virgin Mary blessed the couple with “countless miracles,” she said.
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Just like with everything else, the two shared the same faith in Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“I often prayed that we left this world together,” Guadalupe Alanis said.
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But that didn’t happen.
Her husband, Ricardo Alanis, founder of the first and largest yearly pilgrimage from Chicago to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, died of COVID-19 in September at age 63.
“I learned that death is part of life; I now pray to her that just like she taught me how to love that man, she helps me to learn and gives me the strength to live without him,” Guadalupe Alanis said.
Although the traditional overnight celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe from Dec. 11-12 at the shrine and all pilgrimages have been canceled, some of Ricardo Alanis’ family will make their way to the shrine on foot starting Friday, getting as close as they can after taking the same route he followed for nearly 20 years.
His brother Victor Alanis, who accompanied Ricardo Alanis the first year, said the family wanted to walk in memory of Ricardo Alanis even after it was announced that the shrine will be closed until Sunday.
“We owe this to our Morenita, and for the love he had for her,” he said, referring to Mary using a common name used in Mexico.
The family will offer their sacrifice for the healing of those suffering from COVID-19, after another of their brothers died from COVID-19 in November and a third is in the hospital recovering, said Victor Alanis.
“We cannot let fear overcome us, our faith helps to endure the pain and we need to believe that she will look after us,” Victor Alanis said.
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The group of about 10 to 15 people will begin their nearly 15-mile journey from Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 4640 N. Ashland Ave., Friday night. The family will stop along the way to pray outside the cemetery where Ricardo Alanis is buried.
“My father would have wanted this,” said Maria Guadalupe Alanis, 34, Ricardo Alanis’ youngest daughter, in Spanish.
She walked beside her father for many years and he taught her how fulfilling it was to venerate the mother of Jesus, she said..
Last year, Ricardo Alanis told Tribune that his faith in the Guadalupana was solidified about 35 years ago when he prayed that his youngest daughter be born healthy after doctors advised the couple to abort her because it was a high-risk pregnancy.
Both his wife and his daughter, who they named in honor of the Blessed Mother, survived. Then in 2011, his prayers helped cure his wife of lymphoma, he said.
After he arrived in Chicago in 1999, he, his brother and a cousin walked from Chicago to the shrine to estimate how long it would take to get there. The next year, he led about 60 people on the first-ever pilgrimage.
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The procession grew to be the largest pilgrimage to Des Plaines, said shrine spokesman Ignacio Perez.
As she has for 20 years, Guadalupe Alanis will follow her family in a car Friday to feed the pilgrims and pray along with them. This year she also will pray for her husband.
“Amid so much pain, I feel at peace knowing that I will see him again one day,” said Guadalupe Alanis.
larodriguez@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Ill. Appellate Court upholds Deerfield’s ban on assault weapons, partially overturning a lower court

Ill. Appellate Court upholds Deerfield’s ban on assault weapons, partially overturning a lower court ruling

In the months that followed , gun advocacy groups , including Guns Save Life , the Illinois State Rifle Association @ @ @ @ @ , battled the village in court , filing two lawsuits and claiming the ban was @ @ @ @ @ s home rule abilities since the Illinois legislature had since made the ability of regulating @ @ @ @ @ power .
Since the original filings , those cases have been consolidated .

A state appellate court has upheld the village of Deerfield’s power to ban assault weapons, reversing part of a lower court ruling that had thrown out an amended village ordinance.
With the reversal, which was rendered Friday, the order goes into effect in the village immediately, as the permanent injunction meant to prevent the village from enforcing the ordinance has been removed, officials said.
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Now the case will go back to the lower Lake County court for “further proceedings,” the appellate court’s opinion states.
Deerfield passed an ordinance in 2013 after Illinois lawmakers gave home rule municipalities a 10-day window to regulate assault weapons before the Illinois Concealed Carry Act overrode their ability to do so.
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The Deerfield Village Board took action within that window to regulate such weapons, but only created requirements for storage and transportation of them within the village. They did not, however, ban the weapons at the time.
That 2013 ordinance, though, included a provision that preserved Deerfield’s right to amend the ordinance at a later time, which Mayor Harriet Rosenthal said was within the right of the village.
“If within that 10-day window, (a municipality) had passed any type of ordinance on assault weapons, it would then have the right to go back and amend that ordinance,” she said.
The village amended the ordinance a few years later, in 2018, banning the possession, sale and manufacturing of certain types of assault weapons within the village. The move to an outright ban was in response to the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida where 17 people were killed.
Deerfield trustees unanimously approvedthe ban in 2018. The amended ordinance defines models such as AR-15s, AK-47s and Uzis as assault weapons included in its ban.
The village also passed a second amendment to the ordinance that explicitly banned large-capacity magazines, defined as “any ammunition-feeding device” that holds more than 10 rounds, the applellate court opinion document states. This was added after the trial court found the original amendment did not cover them.
The court’s opinion on Friday was split, with Appellate Judge Robert McLaren dissenting. In his dissent, he cited that the original ordinance in 2013 did not regulate ownership of such a weapon, and instead laid out restrictions on how to store, keep and transport assault weapons, according to the court’s opinion from Friday.
John Boch, the executive director of Guns Save Life, an organization involved in one of two original lawsuits, said it was outside of Deerfield’s jurisdiction to amend the ordinance in those ways.
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“They didn’t ban those weapons in that 10-day window,” he told Pioneer Press. “But a few years later, they came back and completely rewrote a local ordinance ... to turn it into a gun ban.”
In the months that followed, gun advocacy groups, including Guns Save Life, the Illinois State Rifle Association and the Second Amendment Foundation, battled the village in court, filing two lawsuits and claiming the ban was an overstep of Deerfield’s home rule abilities since the Illinois legislature had since made the ability of regulating assault weapons an exclusive state power. Since the original filings, those cases have been consolidated.
Last year, a Lake County Circuit judge ruled the village had overstepped its home rule authority, and placed a permanent injunction that blocked the village from enforcing the order. Rosenthal said it was a surprise when the circuit court blocked the ban.
“We acted in a way that we were told was the correct way to act,” Rosenthal told Pioneer Press. “The fact that we put a placeholder basically … and came back to amend it was something we were told we could do.”
In a village news release announcing the appellate court decision, officials said Deerfield will enforce the ordinance in a similar way to other local ordinances, saying police will not go “door-to-door” to ensure compliance. Initially, it will be enforced through education and voluntary compliance, the release states.
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“We were troubled with the legal interpretations and legal reasoning set forth in the trial court’s opinion, and we are please that the Appellate Court corrected the analysis, as a matter of law,” village attorney Steve Elrod said in the release.
Boch said he sees a lane for an appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court, and said he is cautiously optimistic it will be appealed.
“Of course we are unhappy with this,” Boch said. “And I think everybody is unhappy one way or another with this decision, so I think it’s highly likely this will be appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court. And whether or not they accept it is anybody’s guess at this point.”


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Connor Kerner gets 179 years for killing two teens, setting bodies on fire at Hebron-area home after

Connor Kerner gets 179 years for killing two teens, setting bodies on fire at Hebron-area home after drug deal gone bad

The victims ’ families poured their grief into the courtroom before Kerner was sentenced , noting his apparent lack of @ @ @ @ @ which included graphic photos of Grill ’ s and Lanham ’ s burned remains , @ @ @ @ @ was the victim , which they said was on display during recordings of three jail @ @ @ @ @ , Roxann Kerner , played during the sentencing .

Connor Kerner was sentenced to 179 years in prison for the deaths of two Lake County teens. (Porter County Sheriffs Dept. / P / Chicago Tribune)
Connor Kerner was sentenced to 179 years in prison Tuesday for the deaths of two Lake County teens last year.
“Unfortunately, there are no winners in a case such as this but it does provide justice to the families for the loss of Thomas Grill and Molley Lanham,” Porter County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Armando Salinas said after the sentencing. “This was an outstanding investigation by the Porter County Sheriff’s Department and a victory for the community.”
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Kerner said at the end of the sentencing, held before Porter Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford, that he plans to appeal.
A jury took less than 4.5 hours on Oct. 22 to convict Kerner on seven of eight felony charges related to the killing of the two teens.
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Kerner, 19, of the 100 block of Kinsale, was found guilty of two counts of murder; two counts of murder in the perpetration of a robbery; two counts of robbery; and a single felony count of arson. The jury found him not guilty on a felony charge of intimidation.
Kerner was 17 when he killed Lanham, 19, of St. John, and Grill, 18, of Cedar Lake, on Feb. 25, 2019, at his grandparents’ Hebron-area home after a drug deal went bad, then loaded their bodies into the Honda Civic they arrived in and set fire to the vehicle in a wooded area a couple miles away.
Kerner, Salinas said during the sentencing hearing, seemed to have everything going for him, including a great set of grandparents and parents who, though divorced, were supportive.
“He threw it all away. He is spoiled, entitled and made excuses for his behavior. As evident on the call with his mother (from jail), he never took it seriously,” he said.
The victims’ families poured their grief into the courtroom before Kerner was sentenced, noting his apparent lack of emotion during the trial, which included graphic photos of Grill’s and Lanham’s burned remains, and his attitude that he was the victim, which they said was on display during recordings of three jail phone calls with his mother, Roxann Kerner, played during the sentencing.
Lindsey Lanham, Molley Lanham’s older sister, said when her sister and Grill were reported missing, she had no idea if she was hurt or even alive, not knowing that her sister’s remains were in a cold field.
“Connor Kerner thought he could kill my sister and throw her away like garbage and walk away,” Lindsey Lanham said. “I’m sure she was so scared and so alone as she was killed senselessly by Connor Kerner.”
Lindsey Lanham said she endured photos of her sister’s burned remains and an audio recording of Kerner killing Thomas Grill during Kerner’s trial.
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“I really wished he would show an inkling of emotion, but no, nothing,” she said, adding later, “I’m terrified of what he is capable of doing if given the chance.”
Stacy Spejewski, Molley Lanham’s mother, said justice may have been served and while that was a victory it would never bring her daughter back. Kerner burned her daughter’s body beyond recognition after killing her with a gun he never should have had, she said.
“Rehabilitation is not an option for you. You are beyond evil,” she said.
Spejewski said she doesn’t know how to go on without her daughter and is unrecognizable from her former life.
“I am now the mother of a murdered child,” she said.
Patricia Grill, Thomas Grill’s mother, said Kerner was not the victim and called him a coward.
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“You tried to erase Thomas and Molley. You cannot. You have taken Thomas and Molley from their families but they are forever in our hearts. You will live in prison the rest of your life. You did that to yourself,” she said.
Murder victims Thomas M. Grill Jr. and Molley R. Lanham. (St. John Police)
Thomas Grill, father of Thomas Grill, said Kerner disgusted him.
“You disgust me as a father, talking to your mother as you did on the phone. You’re a little punk, a twerp. Big, bad Kerner shot my kid and then beat him with a wrench,” he said, noting the cost of the trial and his own lost time attending hearings and the trial. “You’re a time thief and guess what? Your time is up.”
Chief Deputy Prosecutor Armando Salinas requested a sentence of 172 years. Bradford, noting several aggravating circumstances surrounding Kerner’s crimes, sentenced him to 179 years in the Indiana Department of Correction, adding the crimes justify sentencing enhancements, “reserved for the worst of the worst.”
“The brutal nature of the killings is among the worst I’ve seen,” said Bradford, noting the burned remains of the victims had an “extreme effect” on the victims’ families.
Bradford also noted how Molley Lanham, led into the garage by Kerner to see Thomas Grill’s body, turned around to leave and was shot in the back of the head.
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“That’s almost Mafioso style,” he said.
Among the aggravating circumstances brought up during the sentencing, over the objections of defense attorneys James Voyles of Indianapolis and Mark Thiros of Merrillville, was a stabbing in October 2018 in Kerner’s home. The victim, stabbed in the stomach, initially would not tell police who stabbed him because he feared for his life.
The victim came forward after Kerner was arrested in the murder case and said Kerner stabbed him because Kerner owed him $10,000 for drugs and Kerner didn’t have the money.
Prosecutor Gary Germann said three families lost a child in this incident, two of whom will not be physically present in the lives of their loved ones, and said he hoped the community appreciated how much work went into the case, particularly by Salinas, Deputy Prosecutor Christopher Hammer, Det. Sgt. Brian Dziedzinski with the sheriff’s department, and other officers.
“Because of their hard work our entire community is much safer. I cannot thank them enough for the hours and hours of hard work leading up to and during the trial,” Germann said. “In the end the sentence was totally justified by the facts and the law.”
During the trial, Voyles and Thiros tried to place the crimes on co-defendant John Silva II, 20, of Hamlet, who has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of murder and two counts of murder in the perpetration of a robbery and remains in Porter County Jail without bond. Silva was charged May 22 with the alleged crimes and is awaiting the scheduling of a trial date.
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Kerner’s mother, Roxann Kerner, 47, of Chesterton, was charged last month with felony counts of perjury and obstructing justice and a misdemeanor charge of false informing related to her son’s case. She is scheduled for an initial hearing before a magistrate Wednesday.
Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Indiana reports 124 more COVID-19 deaths, toll passes 6,400; Lake County says 500 dead from virus

Indiana ’ s hospitals are currently treating more than quadruple the number of COVID-19 patients that were under care in @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s recent steep increase in hospitalizations and deaths began .

Indianapolis — Another 124 Indiana residents have died from COVID-19, pushing the state’s pandemic death toll past 6,400, state health officials said Tuesday.
The newly recorded deaths occurred over several days, including 34 deaths on Monday, and raised Indiana’s toll to 6,410, including both confirmed and presumed infections, the Indiana State Department of Health said.
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The state agency also reported 5,457 new coronavirus infections, increasing number of Indiana residents known to have had the novel coronavirus to 392,663.
The department’s daily statistics update also shows that 3,250 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday at Indiana’s hospitals — an increase from the 3,214 hospitalized as of Sunday.
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Lake County hit a bleak milestone Tuesday — more than 500 virus deaths. It reported six new deaths, totaling 501. Porter County reported 126 deaths to date on its county health department dashboard.
Northwest Indiana’s intensive care unit beds are low. District 1, which includes Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Jasper and Newton hospitals, reported only 16.7%, or 41 open ICU beds in the 5-county area.
Indiana’s COVID-19 hospitalizations reached a peak of 3,460 on Nov. 30, but have fallen slightly since that time, according to the agency’s coronavirus dashboard.
Health officials across the state remain worried about hospitals being overwhelmed by the recent influx of severely ill patients.
Indiana’s hospitals are currently treating more than quadruple the number of COVID-19 patients that were under care in late September, when the state’s recent steep increase in hospitalizations and deaths began.
Staff reporter Meredith Colias-Pete contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--School employees should be a priority in COVID-19 vaccine rollout, say Illinois teachers unions, whi

School employees should be a priority in COVID-19 vaccine rollout, say Illinois teachers unions, which also seek rapid testing in schools

The two largest teachers unions in Illinois are calling on the state legislature to put educators on the shortlist for @ @ @ @ @ are asking for rapid testing at schools and guidance they say is essential to ensure @ @ @ @ @ in-person student learning .

The two largest teachers unions in Illinois are calling on the state legislature to put educators on the shortlist for the COVID-19 vaccine, and are asking for rapid testing at schools and guidance they say is essential to ensure school buildings are safe for in-person student learning.
Officials with the Illinois Education Association and the Illinois Federation of Teachers said school districts’ failure to follow Illinois Department of Public Health guidance and requirements for schools has put “the health of teachers, students, and communities at risk.”
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“If schools are to reopen safely, education workers should be prioritized to receive the vaccine,” IFT President Dan Montgomery said in a statement.
“The set of legislation we are calling for will put science and medicine in the driver’s seat as we all try to resume in-person schooling,” Montgomery said.
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School districts are currently “free to ignore science and thus endanger our students’ and staff’s health and well-being,” Montgomery said, adding that the situation is “especially dangerous in Black and Brown communities whose residents have been hardest hit by the pandemic.”
“We must ensure that schools do not become epicenters of virus spread, so we need our lawmakers to step in to establish clear metrics,” Montgomery said.
People hold signs during a protest hosted by the Chicago Teachers Union outside the Thompson Center on Aug. 3, 2020, in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
In addition, the unions are asking the state to provide rapid COVID-19 testing in schools so infected students and staff can be identified, and to ensure that school districts are following the IDPH and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and recommendations.
And if another round of federal coronavirus relief funding is not approved, officials say the state should step in to ensure education workers are not forced to work while ill.
Officials said some Illinois counties have more than 1,700 cases per 100,000 residents and positivity rates at more than 24%. But according to health department guidelines, safe levels of community spread are lower than 70 cases per 100,000 and lower than 8%, officials said.
“If the state Legislature sets metrics for what keeps school doors open or triggers remote learning, it will help communities police themselves,” Kathi Griffin, IEA president, said in a statement.
“If they see their numbers are broaching dangerous levels, they can control, by their own behavior, whether schools stay open,” Griffin said.
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Chicago police officer funeral

Chicago police officer funeral

Treja Kelley had been hesitant to come forward after witnessing the murder of her 17-year-old cousin .
But she found @ @ @ @ @ stand last year and helped secure a guilty verdict .
Her testimony , though , @ @ @ @ @ head , prosecutors said .
Just a few months after testifying , Kelley was shot @ @ @ @ @ not far from where her cousin had been slain .
She was 18 and pregnant @

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chicagotribune--2020-12-08--‘Another young life cut short by senseless violence.’ Chicago’s cardinal mourns slaying of 15-year-o

‘Another young life cut short by senseless violence.’ Chicago’s cardinal mourns slaying of 15-year-old sophomore on Far South Side.

The school released a statement saying “ may the Saints of Carmel welcome Isaiah into eternal life and may Our @ @ @ @ @ over Isaiah ’ s family and friends during this most difficult time .
Isaiah will @ @ @ @ @

A sophomore at Mount Carmel High School was shot to death outside his Far South Side home, prompting Chicago’s cardinal to release a statement mourning “another young life cut short by senseless violence.”
Isaiah Wade, 15, was shot in the head just before 2:30 p.m. Monday in the 10000 block of South Perry Avenue where he lived in the Fernwood neighborhood, police said.
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Isaiah Wade (Mount Carmel High School handout/Mount Carmel High School handout)
Responding officers found him lying in an alley near his home. Five shell casings were found in a backyard nearby and there were bullet holes in several garages, police said.
The boy’s mother told police she believed her son was chatting with someone on social media and might have been lured outside. Police said they recovered the boy’s cellphone.
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“Another family left to mourn, forever altered,” Cardinal Blase Cupich said in a statement. “Mt. Carmel High School is a close community and we keep Isaiah, his family, friends and school staff in our prayers during this unimaginably heartbreaking time.”
The school released a statement saying “may the Saints of Carmel welcome Isaiah into eternal life and may Our Lady of Mount Carmel watch over Isaiah’s family and friends during this most difficult time. Isaiah will be greatly missed.”
No suspects were in custody. Anyone with information can leave an anonymous tip at cpdtip.com.


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--‘She is with us wherever we are’: Believers find ways to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe for annual feas

‘She is with us wherever we are’: Believers find ways to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe for annual feast despite COVID-19 restrictions

For centuries , celebrations of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe have been ubiquitous in the Mexican community because @ @ @ @ @ mother of God appeared to St. Juan Diego , an Indigenous man , five times @ @ @ @ @ hill of Tepeyac , which is now in Mexico City .
Our Lady of Guadalupe @ @ @ @ @ the Catholic Church as the patron saint of Mexico and all of the Americas .

The Rev. Manuel Padilla, left, and the Rev. Esequiel Sanchez carry the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe after it was removed from the the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, Dec. 11, 2020. Religious leaders have urged devotees to avoid pilgrimages to the site. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Every year, Eusebia Flores prays the novena for Our Lady of Guadalupe in the days leading up to the feast in her honor on Dec. 12, a prodigious celebration for Catholics in Mexico and the United States.
That day, Flores said, it is essential to thank the mother of Jesus for all that she has done, but this year is special: Flores, who is a few months shy of 95, survived the coronavirus.
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“I prayed to her with love and now I’m grateful that we are all healthy once again,” Flores said in Spanish.
For many Catholics, the feast this year will be more significant, despite changes in celebrations brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. While some, like Flores, thank the Virgin Mary for being healthy, others pray for the strength to deal with the pain of losing a loved one to COVID-19, said the Rev. Thomas J. Boharic.
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“But it is the faith that has helped to carry them through regardless,” said Boharic, the pastor at Our Lady of Tepeyac, Assumption and St. Roman Parish on the West Side.
Driven by that faith, devotees in the Chicago area have found ways to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe despite the COVID-19 restrictions, which led to the cancellation of the Dec. 11-12 overnight celebration at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, the largest one outside Mexico City.
Saturday night, Pablo Rodriguez and his 13-year-old son held two lanterns as they led the procession for a novena for the Virgin Mary through the streets of the Little Village neighborhood, sponsored by Boharic’s parish. Others took turns holding a pennant with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe while some, bundled up to protect themselves from the cold and wearing face masks, prayed and sang as they walked to Mass at Our Lady of Tepeyac Church, at 3047 W. Cermak Road.
Pablo Rodriguez, left, and his son, Pablo Jr., 13, lead a procession on South Washtenaw Avenue from the former St. Roman Catholic Church to Our Lady of Tepeyac Church in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood on Dec. 5, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
For decades, the processions have been an essential part of how Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Chicago celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, said Juan Araiza, a member of Our Lady of Tepeyac, Assumption and St. Roman Parish.
Araiza, an organizer of the processions since the early 1990s, said that although all pilgrimages and events with large gatherings to pay homage to the Virgin Mary have been canceled, he is glad the parish was able to work to keep the processions, adapting them to the COVID-19 restrictions.
Each day of the novena, the procession has a different route, each a symbolic one. On Thursday, Boharic blessed the start of the novena at the Little Village Arch, where around 30 people gathered, then walked through the neighborhood to Our Lady of Tepeyac for Mass.
A procession has a similar significance to a pilgrimage, said Araiza. In Mexico, tens of thousands make pilgrimages of many sorts to the Basilica De Guadalupe, where the original image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is housed. This year, those pilgrimages have also been banned and the basilica will be closed.
For centuries, celebrations of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe have been ubiquitous in the Mexican community because it is believed that the mother of God appeared to St. Juan Diego, an Indigenous man, five times in December 1531 on the hill of Tepeyac, which is now in Mexico City. Our Lady of Guadalupe has since been recognized by the Catholic Church as the patron saint of Mexico and all of the Americas.
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In rural towns in Mexico, the novena for Our Lady of Guadalupe leading up to the feast is also celebrated with processions, Araiza said. The faithful decorate the streets where the group walks through with colorful lights and festive papel picado.
In Chicago, the novenas also serve to bless the neighborhood and inspire hope and faith in others in Our Lady of Guadalupe, said Boharic. This year’s routes in Chicago have been strategically chosen to pray for those who have been the most affected by the pandemic and street violence.
On Tuesday, the Little Village procession will take off from Kolbe House, the Archdiocese of Chicago’s jail ministry, and people will then pray in front of the Cook County Jail and the Leighton Criminal Court Building. On Friday, the procession will be dedicated to medical staff and those suffering from COVID-19, kicking off at Mount Sinai Hospital, walking to St. Anthony Hospital and ending with a Mass at Our Lady of Tepeyac.
Over the years, devotion for our Lady of Guadalupe has grown, said Araiza.
Before a replica of the Hill of Tepeyac was erected in Des Plaines, many parishes in the city already held their own celebrations, including through novenas, processions and Las Mañanitas, an early morning Mass on the feast day.
Pablo Rodriguez, left, holds a lantern as Juan Araiza lights a candle in preparation for a procession from the former St. Roman Catholic Church to Our Lady of Tepeyac Parish in the Little Village neighborhood Dec. 5, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Because of COVID-19, religious leaders urged the faithful to attend local celebrations or online novenas, or to celebrate at home.
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“This year, those who cannot participate in the pilgrimage have found some comfort in joining the processions,” said Boharic, who has been a pastor in predominantly Latino parishes. An estimated 50% of Catholics in the Archdiocese of Chicago are Latinos, according to a spokesman for the archdiocese.
Boharic said he has seen firsthand the way COVID-19 has disproportionately hit Black and other minority communities and “for many, it has been faith which has carried them through it.”
Since the pandemic started, Boharic has been one of the priests on call to perform the Sacrament of the Sick on those ill with the coronavirus. Many times, those dying and their families have turned to the Virgin Mary for strength and comfort, he said.
Eusebia Flores’ daughter, Olivia Flores-Godinez 69, said she prayed beside her mother when COVID-19 infected many of their family members.
“Faith gives us the strength to keep going,” she said.
It was her mother and father who taught Flores-Godinez, beginning when she was a little girl growing up in Durango, Mexico, to honor the Mother of God on Dec. 12. Now that she takes care of her mother, she has made sure to find a way to continue that tradition in as special a way as she remembers.
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Though she can’t take her mother to processions or Masses, at 6 p.m. every day the family honors the novena by gathering online to pray together using Facetime. A couple of days before the feast, Flores-Godinez planned to decorate the wooden carved image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that her mother adorns each year with red and white roses and votive candles.
On Saturday, they plan to sing their own Mañanitas.
Flores-Godinez said it will be hard to not be able tobe with other faithful at a church or the shrine in Des Plaines because of the indescribable feeling of coming together with other believers.
“But she is with us wherever we are,” she said.


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--O’Hare, Midway plan to open COVID-19 testing sites next week as American Airlines widens access to a

O’Hare, Midway plan to open COVID-19 testing sites next week as American Airlines widens access to at-home tests

Many international destinations and some domestic ones , including Hawaii , have put in place travel restrictions that require passengers @ @ @ @ @ flying .
Some require PCR tests , which can take up to 72 hours to @ @ @ @ @ test results can be available within 20 minutes .

Chicagoans heading to destinations with COVID-19 travel restrictions are getting more testing options before flying.
The Chicago Department of Aviation plans to begin offering testing at O’Hare and Midway airports next week, in time for the traditional December holiday travel period. Separately, American Airlines is expanding access to at-home testing kits.
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Many international destinations and some domestic ones, including Hawaii, have put in place travel restrictions that require passengers test negative for COVID-19 before flying. Some require PCR tests, which can take up to 72 hours to return results. Rapid antigen test results can be available within 20 minutes.
The Aviation Department’s testing sites will offer both types to all passengers, airline employees and others working at the airport, making them the most comprehensive of any airport system in the U.S., spokesman Matt McGrath said in an email Tuesday.
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Travelers make their way through Terminal 1 at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Nov. 20, 2020 in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The testing is not available to everyone. Passengers must show proof they plan to fly within the next 72 hours, or that they took a flight within the past five days.
Medical experts say testing doesn’t guarantee a traveler won’t spread COVID-19, though some say testing can add some protection if people also quarantine before traveling.
O’Hare will have a walk-up testing site and a drive-up site in a remote parking lot. Midway will have a walk-up testing site in the terminal.
People will be charged no more than $150 per test and the PCR test is expected to cost slightly more than the antigen test. Testing facilities will accept insurance, according to the Aviation Department.
The department chose Doctors Test Centers, working with Simple Laboratories, to administer the tests. Doctors Test Centers is looking to hire 100 people to work at the testing sites.
Some airlines also have begun offering passengers COVID-19 testing, including American Airlines, which will let any passenger flying to a U.S. destination with COVID-19 travel restrictions purchase an at-home testing kit starting Wednesday, the airline said.
LetsGetChecked, American Airlines’ at-home testing provider, recommends travelers order the PCR test kits, which cost $129, at least five days before their flight. A LetsGetChecked employee will observe the test on a video call if the traveler’s destination requires it.
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Eligible destinations include Chicago, because the city exempts travelers from certain states from self-quarantine requirements if they test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of arrival. Chicago does not require video confirmation of a test.
American said it encourages travelers to contact their insurance providers with questions regarding whether insurance will cover a COVID-19 test.
Other airlines offer testing for travelers on certain routes with COVID-19 travel restrictions. United Airlines offers mail-in testing for travelers going from Houston to certain destinations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, and in-airport testing for passengers heading from San Francisco to Hawaii.
lzumbach@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Chicago police release video of suspects in deadly carjacking of retired firefighter.

Chicago police released video Monday evening that showed the gunmen who fatally shot a 65-year-old retired firefighter Dwain Williams on @ @ @ @ @


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Santa Claus mall visits will be different during the pandemic. Here’s how.

Centennial , which owns Fox Valley Mall in Aurora and Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills , adapted the 30-minute interactive @ @ @ @ @ visit with Santa it started holding last year to spread out visitors , said Chief @ @ @ @ @ The tours , based on popular holiday books and movies like “ Elf ” and @ @ @ @ @ ” still will offer selfie opportunities , and when it ’ s time for a @ @ @ @ @ will stay at least 6 feet apart , she said .

A family arrives to pose for a photo with Santa Claus, who is on the other side of a plexiglass shield on Nov. 24, 2020, at Bass Pro Shops in Gurnee. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Santa won’t be quarantining at the North Pole to escape the coronavirus pandemic. But that doesn’t mean he’s ready to let thousands of kids hop on his lap.
Visiting Santa is yet another holiday tradition getting tweaked during what is shaping up to be a COVID Christmas.
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Many Chicago-area malls still plan to hold in-person events where kids can share what’s on their wish list and pose for a photo, but only from a distance. Want more distance? Santa’s also doing virtual visits this year.
Exactly what a contactless visit with Santa looks like will vary.
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At Oakbrook Center, Santa will sit in a vintage sleigh in a heated tent that’s more spacious than his usual Airstream trailer, and kids will sit on presents placed at a safe distance to chat and have their photo taken.
Santa’s lap is also off-limits at Water Tower Place, but families can sit in his sleigh and take a virtual ride, watching sights fly by on a screen, before talking to Santa and having a picture taken from a safe distance. The sleigh will be cleaned after each ride.
“Because Christmas is so important and that visit with Santa is such an important tradition for families, we wanted to make sure we were able to keep that,” said Rocell Viniard, director of portfolio marketing at Brookfield Properties, which owns more than 170 shopping centers and malls, including Water Tower Place and Oakbrook Center.
Centennial, which owns Fox Valley Mall in Aurora and Hawthorn Mall in Vernon Hills, adapted the 30-minute interactive tours leading up to a visit with Santa it started holding last year to spread out visitors, said Chief Operating Officer Whitney Livingston. The tours, based on popular holiday books and movies like “Elf” and “The Polar Express,” still will offer selfie opportunities, and when it’s time for a photo with Santa, everyone will stay at least 6 feet apart, she said.
The sets are designed to make socially distanced poses look natural, Viniard and Livingston said.
Some retailers will put clear plastic between Santa and kids, but photographers can take pictures so the barrier isn’t obvious, said Mitch Allen, owner of HireSanta, a staffing agency that arranges Santa visits at stores, company parties and other events.
“It’s not going to be perfect. You’re not sitting on Santa’s knee this year," he said. “We think it’s a great compromise to have the same tradition without putting the child and Santa’s health in danger.”
Under Illinois' current regulations, both Santa and kids will need to wear masks during in-person visits.
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Families trying to get an in-person visit at the mall will likely have a tougher time getting a slot without booking in advance, with some setting aside more limited time for walk-up visits to keep lines under control.
Brookfield Properties' malls will be promoting virtual visits through JingleRing, an online service.
Seeing Santa on a screen may not replace the thrill of seeing him in person, but JingleRing founder Walt Geer thinks virtual visits can feel more personal since parents can choose the language Santa speaks, his ethnicity, whether they want a “faith-based” visit, one where Santa reads kids a story, or brings Mrs. Claus.
Geer is also the CEO of PictureU, which operates holiday photo programs for Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s. He and his wife, Sarah Blackman, started JingleRing earlier this year, when it was unclear whether face-to-face visits would happen this season.
Mitch Baines brings Wyatt, 4 months, and Hayden, 1, to meet Santa Claus on Dec. 19, 2019 at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
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Virtual visits also help out Santa.
Santas are in an age group at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, and many initially weren’t comfortable working in person, HireSanta’s Allen said. Some changed their minds after learning more about planned safety precautions, but it has been harder to find people willing to travel for the job, he said.
As of the end of September, more than 300 had signed up to work with JingleRing.
Still, even experienced Santas need a little extra prep before making the switch — no surprise to anyone who has been part a Zoom meeting or happy hour that fell flat.
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“We have tech support to help with the setup, but to convey the energy and magic of Christmas on a virtual call takes some additional training,” Allen said.
lzumbach@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Watch live: Gov. J.B. Pritzker gives a COVID-19 update

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker will give an update on the state ’ s response to the coronavirus in a briefing @ @ @ @ @ the latest updates on COVID-19 in Illinois here .


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

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

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 145 new deaths, 7,910 new confirmed and probable cases and 95,825

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 145 new deaths, 7,910 new confirmed and probable cases and 95,825 new test results

Illinois announced 7,910 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Tuesday for a total of 804,174 .
The state also @ @ @ @ @ a total of 13,487 and 95,825 new test results for a total of 11.27 million @

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


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Chicago alderman’s Ann Sather restaurant facing up to $10,500 in possible fines for indoor dining vi

Chicago alderman’s Ann Sather restaurant facing up to $10,500 in possible fines for indoor dining violations

In Chicago , Lightfoot was criticized early in the pandemic for getting her hair done after Pritzker issued a stay-at-home @ @ @ @ @ hair salons and barbershops .
Lightfoot , who justified her decision in part by saying @ @ @ @ @ the city and does national media appearances , also had done a public service announcement @ @ @ @ @ roots done isn ’ t an essential service .

Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont Avenue in Lakeview on Dec. 7, 2020. Wrigleyville Ald. Tom Tunney’s Ann Sather restaurant is facing up to $10,500 in possible fines from the city. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Wrigleyville Ald. Tom Tunney’s Ann Sather restaurant is facing up to $10,500 in possible fines from the city after the Chicago aldermen acknowledged letting people eat inside the establishment in violation of city and state rules designed to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
How much Tunney’s Lakeview restaurant ultimately gets fined will be determined by the Department of Administrative Hearings at a later date.
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The city also cited an unlicensed event at 1257 N. Milwaukee Ave in Wicker Park. Officials responded to a call early on Dec. 5 and found “a bouncer outside of an event billed as the ‘Wicker Loft,’ ” Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office said in a statement.
There were 142 people in the building who either weren’t social distancing or wearing face coverings and the city cited them for operating an illegal, unlicensed club, officials said.
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City officials also cited River North CrossFit for allegedly conducting indoor fitness classes, Randy’s Lounge on Cottage Grove for allegedly holding an indoor event with 42 attendees, Volare restaurant on Grand and Firewater Saloon on Oliphant for allegedly allowing indoor dining. Another business, Flava Luxx on Madison, was cited for allegedly holding an indoor event with 22 attendees eating and drinking without social distancing or face coverings, the city said.
A spokesman for the city’s Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Department said Tunney’s restaurant is facing two citations, one that could result in a fine of up to $10,000 and the other up to $500.
Tunney, a key member of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s City Council leadership team as her hand-picked chair of the Zoning Committee, previously acknowledged diners have been eating inside his Belmont Avenue restaurant and called it an “error in judgment.”
“We’ve been sporadically letting some people in, regulars at the restaurant, to accommodate them from time to time,” Tunney said Monday. “It’s done. It will not continue, as of today.”
Tunney on Tuesday declined to comment about the citations, beyond acknowledging he had received them and has a hearing date early next year. The alderman also declined to comment about whether he had spoken to Lightfoot about the violations.
Tunney is the latest Democratic politician to get in trouble for not following social distancing rules. Recently, California Gov. Gavin Newsom was widely ridiculed for attending a fancy dinner at The French Laundry.
In Chicago, Lightfoot was criticized early in the pandemic for getting her hair done after Pritzker issued a stay-at-home order that also closed down hair salons and barbershops. Lightfoot, who justified her decision in part by saying she is the face of the city and does national media appearances, also had done a public service announcement advising residents that getting their roots done isn’t an essential service.
Lightfoot also was criticized for joining street celebrations after Joe Biden was declared the winner of last month’s presidential election.
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Earlier in the week Tunney said that the dining room was never crowded at Ann Sather’s and that diners were kept apart at socially distanced tables.
Tunney last month voted against Lightfoot’s 2021 budget package and its $94 million property tax increase. The alderman, whose ward includes some of the highest property values in the city, said he couldn’t support another hike on his constituents. The tax hike passed by a 28-22 vote, and the budget passed by a vote of 29-21.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said Ann Sather could be facing a fine of up to $10,000. It is facing fines up to $10,500.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Convenience store clerk shoots teen and woman who tried to rob shop, Round Lake Beach cops say

A 16-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman entered a food and liquor store in the 1000 block of Fairfield Road @ @ @ @ @ 10:45 p.m. Monday , with at least one of them armed , Round Lake Beach @ @ @ @ @ in an email .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear whether both were armed or @ @ @ @ @ but police said in a news release that the pair “ ordered the employees behind @ @ @ @ @ It wasn ’ t clear how many employees were working at the time .

Round Lake Beach police officers on the scene investigate after a robbery and shooting at One Stop Food and Liquor in Round Lake Beach on Dec. 8, 2020. (Joe Shuman / Pioneer Press)
Held up at gunpoint Monday night, a convenience store clerk drew a weapon and shot the would-be robbers, who fled but later were caught and treated for their injuries after their getaway driver left them wounded in a car, Round Lake Beach police said.
A 16-year-old boy and a 20-year-old woman entered a food and liquor store in the 1000 block of Fairfield Road in the north suburb about 10:45 p.m. Monday, with at least one of them armed, Round Lake Beach Deputy Chief Wayne Wilde said in an email. It wasn’t immediately clear whether both were armed or who announced the robbery, but police said in a news release that the pair “ordered the employees behind the counter at gunpoint.” It wasn’t clear how many employees were working at the time.
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One employee “was able to access a firearm” and opened fire on the would-be robbers, according to the release. Both the teen and the woman were shot at least once, but details about the number of gunshot wounds each suffered and the extent of their injuries were not released.
Please see the attached press release regarding the incident on Fairfield that occurred on 12/7/20. The investigation is ongoing. Posted by Round Lake Beach Police Department on Tuesday, December 8, 2020
A getaway car was waiting outside with two other people inside, police said. The injured man and woman got inside the vehicle and the driver took off, headed north on Fairfield.
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Officers from a neighboring police department caught up with the car on a nearby dead-end road, according to the news release, which did not name that agency. The driver and a passenger took off running, leaving behind the injured boy and woman who had tried to rob the store.
The teen and the woman were found inside the vehicle and taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. Wilde said the teen was treated and released from the hospital early Tuesday. He was charged with armed robbery and transported to the Depke Juvenile Detention Center in Vernon Hills, Wilde said.
Wilde said the woman was “still in the hospital with non-life threatening injuries” Tuesday morning. It wasn’t immediately clear whether she faced charges.
A K-9 unit had been dispatched to the area in an attempt to track down those who fled. Despite their efforts, which included setting up a perimeter, officers were unsuccessful in locating the others, police said.
The search for the two people who fled was ongoing Tuesday.
Anyone with information should contact Deputy Chief Wayne Wilde at 847-546-2127.
Check back for updates.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Woman charged with pulling away from traffic stop on Near North Side, dragging Chicago police office

Woman charged with pulling away from traffic stop on Near North Side, dragging Chicago police officer

Instead , Smith drove off and dragged one of the officers who was on the passenger side of her car @ @ @ @ @ stopped after “ a short distance ” and was taken into custody .

A woman has been charged with pulling away from a traffic stop on the Near North Side, dragging a Chicago police officer and injuring him.
Jasmine Smith, 28, was stopped for a registration violation in the 700 block of North State Street about 4 p.m. Monday, police said. When she was unable to provide a driver’s license or proof of insurance, officers asked her to step out of the car.
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Instead, Smith drove off and dragged one of the officers who was on the passenger side of her car, police said. She stopped after “a short distance” and was taken into custody.
The officer was taken to a hospital for an injury to his knee.
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Smith was charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer, aggravated fleeing and reckless driving. She was also cited for disobeying police, failure to carry her driver’s license and having no valid registration.


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Mexican restaurants pivot to COVID-19 test sites to increase access for communities in need

It took him four days to be able to get a test , for which he paid $ 150 .
@ @ @ @ @ with his staff , encouraging them all to get tested , too .
For some @ @ @ @ @ it took two weeks to get tested and receive results , preventing them from working @ @ @ @ @ to pivot his business for the second time since March and to reopen the two @ @ @ @ @ 2 as COVID-19 testing sites .

You may be familiar with the tacos and margaritas at Moe’s Cantina, but perhaps not with the restaurant chain’s latest line of business. The two locations of the Chicago restaurant have nixed Northern Mexican fare (for now) to transform into COVID-19 testing facilities. Owner Sam Sanchez has partnered with medical professionals to oversee the testing and hired former employees to take care of the nonmedical aspects.
The venture marks the second big pivot for Sanchez’s restaurant group, Third Coast Hospitality, which includes two Moe’s Cantinas and also two locations of Old Crow Smokehouse. At the River North location of the latter, Sanchez has been manufacturing and selling masks since June while simultaneously running restaurant operations. But after the second indoor dining shutdown ordered by the state took effect in late October, Sanchez closed both locations of Moe’s Cantina. Then, in November, something happened to make Sanchez see a new need: He began exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.
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It took him four days to be able to get a test, for which he paid $150. He shared his positive result with his staff, encouraging them all to get tested, too. For some of them, however, it took two weeks to get tested and receive results, preventing them from working. The experience convinced Sanchez to pivot his business for the second time since March and to reopen the two Moe’s restaurants Dec. 2 as COVID-19 testing sites.
“There’s no way that should take that long,” Sanchez said of the extended waits people have endured to get tested. “People need to work, see their parents and travel. ... People need tests now.”
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Employees at Old Crow Smokehouse, owned by Sam Sanchez, manufacture and package face masks at the River North restaurant Dec. 7, 2020. The Moe's Cantina next door has turned into a COVID-19 testing site. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Sanchez, who is still making masks on top of the COVID-19 testing endeavor, said he saw a gap in available testing, especially for hospitality workers, some of whom don’t have insurance or are undocumented and face challenges in health care access. People need to know as quickly as possible if they’re negative for COVID-19, he said, so that they can return to work, earn money and provide for their families.
“The demand that we’re trying to fill are those people who need results very quickly for the reason of getting back to work, or traveling, or feeling a sense of calm as they’re trying to visit family,” said Korina Sanchez, Sam Sanchez’ daughter and the general counsel for Third Coast Hospitality.
By tapping their existing connections with Ronnie Mandal, an internal medicine doctor at Swedish Covenant Hospital, and the medical supplier they’ve been working with for mask manufacturing, Sam Sanchez turned the River North and Wrigleyville Moe’s Cantina locations into COVID-19 testing facilities.
Mandal said access to testing is a huge issue right now, even for medical professionals, and praised the new testing sites as a benefit to the community.
“I think it’s unique,” Mandal said. “Hopefully other physicians will get on board and see if this is something they can do for the community.”
With nurses doing the actual testing, and some of the restaurant’s managers helping check in patients and doing other nonmedical tasks, the team at Moe’s Cantina is using the CareStart COVID-19 rapid antigen test. The tests are analyzed in-house. Patients can register online or walk in, paying $135 for the test with a $25 discount for hospitality workers who bring proof of employment.
Patient contacts and test results are reported to the state daily and they’re fully in compliance with all the Illinois Department of Public Health requirements, Mandal said. They haven’t met their capacity yet — 200 tests a day — but anticipate more patients during the holidays.
Moe's Cantina manager Liz Duff has been trained as a COVID-19 training tech as the restaurant has turned two of its locations into COVID-19 testing sites. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Sam Sanchez, who is also the first vice chairman of the Illinois Restaurant Association, believes that this could be a successful strategy for other large restaurants who remain closed because of state orders.
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Korina Sanchez cautioned that this business model would probably be viable only for a few months and would require finding a medical practitioner to oversee the operation on top of a legal expert to help navigate the paperwork.
However, Sam Sanchez encouraged any restaurant that is interested in setting up a COVID-19 testing site to reach out to him for help. “I hear every story of people going under and losing everything they have,” Sam Sanchez said. “People have to make a living and we try to find a way to help them out.”
Ultimately, Korina Sanchez said, the switch is to ensure that one day they’ll be able to reopen the restaurants. Mandal said the increased testing will help achieve this goal in the long run.
“We want to encourage people to come out to Moe’s or any other local site to just get tested often,” Mandal said. “That’s the key to helping us get back to normal life.”
gwong@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-12-08--Tracking Chicago homicide victims

Tracking Chicago homicide victims

Though there are homicides recorded throughout the city they are most concentrated in the South and West sides .