chicagotribune--2020-07-16--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened July 15 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

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Mayor Lori Lightfoot sounded a stern warning Wednesday morning that Chicago is “on the precipice,” saying she may soon need to roll back parts of the city’s reopening if COVID-19 cases continue to increase, particularly among young people flocking to bars and restaurants.
“Some of you have joked that I’m like the mom who will turn the car around if you’re acting up,” Lightfoot said with Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady at her side. “No, friends. It’s actually worse. I won’t just turn the car around. I’m going to shut it off, I’m going to kick you out and I’m going to make you walk home. That’s who I am. That’s who I must be.”
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In the afternoon, Gov. J.B. Pritzker laid out a targeted approach for the state’s response to upticks in coronavirus cases, saying it was the best way to attack outbreaks while keeping most of Illinois as free of restrictions as possible. The governor also said that going forward the state would be divided into 11 Emergency Medical Services regions, and that Chicago and suburban Cook County would each be an individual region.
At the same news conference, Illinois officials reported 1,187 new known COVID-19 cases, as well as 8 additional fatalities. That brings the total number of cases to 156,693 and death toll to 7,226 since the beginning of the pandemic.
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[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ Illinois schools reopening: Here's what suburban Chicago districts are planning for the fall ]
[ 20 questions about assessing your COVID-19 risk at restaurants, gyms, the office and more ]
[ Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus ]
Here’s what’s happening Wednesday regarding COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
9:38 p.m.: Illinois’ new COVID-19 plan: How the state will manage any outbreaks in 3 charts
Amid an uptick of COVID-19 cases over the past month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker laid out a new approach Wednesday to managing any resurgence across the state.
The new approach is more surgical, dividing the state into 11 regions — Illinois’ existing Emergency Medical Services regions — and tightening the metrics officials will watch to determine if any action is warranted.
The plan also includes mitigation steps unique to different categories, like restaurants and bars, offices or salons, that could be used to specifically respond to a type of outbreak in a specific part of the state.
Here is a breakdown of the plan. —Chicago Tribune staff
8:43 p.m.: ‘I don’t think about it a ton.’ Chicago’s young adults react to COVID-19 uptick among their peers.
There’s a lot of attention focused on 18- to 29-year-olds right now. And not in a good way.
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the U.S. and Chicago, leaders are zeroing in on this demographic and pleading with young people to wear masks and social distance.
For some young adults, that’s a tough sell. It’s summer, and many are out in restaurants and bars and on the lakefront with no regard to the guidelines. Others are trying to stay safe and keep friends and family safe, and it’s hard for them to hear their generation chastised as a whole.
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On Wednesday, when the city revealed that 30% of the previous day’s COVID-19 cases in Chicago were among people age 18 to 29, the Tribune spread out across the city to talk to young adults about the uptick in cases among their peers.
Read more here. —Chicago Tribune staff
7:32 p.m.: Remote learning must continue in CPS this fall, CTU says
Saying there is no way to reopen schools safely this fall, the Chicago Teachers Union Wednesday evening called for virtual learning to continue in Chicago Public Schools when the new year begins after Labor Day.
“We stand for a safe and equitable reopening of the schools, but today COVID-19 cases are soaring instead of dissipating,” CTU President Jesse Sharkey said in a release Wednesday. “There is simply no way to guarantee safety for in-school learning during an out-of-control pandemic — and that means we must revert to remote learning until the spread of this virus is contained.”
While CPS officials have already committed to measures like mandatory face masks, temperature checks and sanitizing protocols for when schools do reopen, the teachers union has said more needs to be done to reduce the health risks, including safe transportation plans for students and nurses in every school.
But Wednesday, the CTU went further, calling for virtual instruction to continue into the fall. Sharkey noted two big-city school systems in California — Los Angeles and San Diego — have made the decision to continue with remote learning for nearly all instruction this fall. “But whether the mayor and the school board in Chicago will implement these common-sense measures isn’t yet known,” Sharkey said.
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CPS leaders have said they’re preparing for different scenarios for the fall — including in-person and remote instruction — but Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday that a decision might not come until late August. She said more discussions and input from teachers, parents, students and public health experts are needed.
But the union — whose contentious relationship with the mayor was on daily display during last fall’s 11-day teachers strike — contends it’s already too late to contemplate reopening schools without firmer plans in place now.
Read more here. —Chicago Tribune staff
6:53 p.m.: Cook County crafts formula for CARES Act funding distribution with emphasis on struggling areas
Cook County government officials are expected to consider an “equitable funding formula” that guides how $51 million in federal stimulus money will be distributed among suburban municipalities, with a focus on historically neglected communities confronting a greater peril of financial wreckage from the coronavirus pandemic, the board president said.
The formula places a significant weight on municipalities with economically struggling areas, and mostly will lead to south and west suburbs receiving the largest amount of funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, according to a Cook County government document. Close to 130 cities, towns and villages will share in the $51 million for COVID-19 expenses under the formula, which the Cook County Board is set to vote on during a Thursday special meeting.
“I always say that this country struggles with endemic racism, and that’s reflected in both public and private sector actions,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle told the Tribune on Wednesday. “If you’re talking about housing, if you’re talking about education, if you’re talking about employment opportunities, communities of color across the county have struggled.”
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Read more here. —Alice Yin
4:43 p.m.: Art Institute to reopen July 30 — and will be free the first week
The Art Institute, Chicago’s popular encyclopedic art museum, plans to begin its limited reopening beginning July 30, the institution announced Wednesday.
Like the MCA, which announced its July 24 reopening Tuesday, the Art Institute will be free initially (for Illinois residents, through Aug. 3) and will have new, limited weekday hours (closing Tuesdays and Wednesdays).
The reopening plans have him feeling “cautiously optimistic and energized,” said President and Eloise W. Martin Director James Rondeau. “We’re going to come back obviously intact, but looking a little bit different.”
Read more here. —Steve Johnson
3:29 p.m.: Indiana governor extending limits for 2 more weeks due to rising COVID-19 cases
Indiana will extend its current capacity limits for restaurants and bars and other restrictions for at least another two weeks because of an increasing number of coronavirus cases across the state, Gov. Eric Holcomb said Wednesday.
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Holcomb first delayed lifting those limits two weeks ago, but he said that a continuing volatile environment in Indiana and other states prompted him to keep them in place for at least two more weeks.
Holcomb’s decision means Indiana restaurants will continue to be allowed 75% capacity in their dining rooms, while bars, nightclubs, bowling alleys, museums and movie theaters can be open at half capacity.
The state will also continue its current 250-person limit on social gatherings unless health officials have approved safety plans for those gatherings.
Read more here. —Associated Press
1:15 p.m.: Pritzker outlines targeted approach to COVID-19 spikes in Illinois, lays out criteria for state to take action
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday laid out a targeted approach for Illinois’ response to upticks in coronavirus cases around Illinois, saying it was the best way to attack outbreaks while keeping most of the state as free of restrictions as possible.
Pritzker said industry-specific mitigations will be employed as the state reviews COVID-19 data. The governor also said that going forward Illinois would be divided into 11 Emergency Medical Services regions, and that Chicago and suburban Cook County would each be an individual region.
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The state will take action if data shows a sustained rise in the positivity rate of people being tested, along with an increase in hospital admissions or a reduction in hospital capacities that threatens the ability to handle a surge in cases, Pritzker said. In addition, mitigation will be applied for any region that shows three consecutive days of a positivity rate higher than 8%.
”This plan ensures we are looking at all available data to make timely decisions to protect the health of our communities,” Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a statement.
”By assessing key metrics that indicate both the disease burden and the capacity of each COVID-19 region to respond, we can then take targeted actions within specific regions to help mitigate the spread of this deadly disease while keeping as much of our state open as possible,” Ezike said.
Read more here. —Chicago Tribune staff
12:11 p.m.: 1,187 new known COVID-19 cases, 8 additional deaths
Illinois officials reported 1,187 new known COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, as well as 8 additional fatalities.
That brings the total number of cases to 156,693 and death toll to 7,226 since the beginning of the pandemic.
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—Chicago Tribune staff
(Updated at noon) 10:45 a.m.: Chicago ‘on the precipice’ of returning to tougher COVID-19 restrictions, Lightfoot warns
Mayor Lori Lightfoot sounded a stern warning Wednesday that Chicago is “on the precipice,” saying she may soon need to roll back parts of the city’s reopening if COVID-19 cases continue to increase, particularly among young people flocking to bars and restaurants.
While the mayor consistently has cautioned the city is far from free of the grip of the pandemic, she struck a particularly dire tone at a morning news conference.
“Some of you have joked that I’m like the mom who will turn the car around if you’re acting up,” Lightfoot said with Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady at her side. “No, friends. It’s actually worse. I won’t just turn the car around. I’m going to shut it off, I’m going to kick you out and I’m going to make you walk home. That’s who I am. That’s who I must be.
“But I don’t want to be that person if I don’t have to, but I will if you make me, and right now we are on the precipice,” she added. “We are dangerously close to going back to a dangerous state of conditions.”
Lightfoot pointed to Chicago’s daily average number of new cases, which sat at 192 on Wednesday. Once that number gets over 200, which Arwady said likely will happen, the city will look at where there are increases and consider taking steps to slow the rise, the mayor said.
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“If we see an uptick, if we go above 200, of course we are going to be interested and concerned about what’s driving those numbers, and then we will take measures as appropriate to address particular areas where we’re seeing the new cases coming from,” Lightfoot said.
Read more here. —John Byrne
11:33 a.m.: New CDC review finds Cook County sheriff, staff successfully stemmed rising tide of COVID-19 cases at jail
The Cook County Jail successfully beat back its outbreak of COVID-19 even as the virus spread dramatically outside its walls, according to a new paper authored by medical officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and various county offices.
Early in the pandemic, the jail had “one of the largest outbreaks of COVID-19 in a congregate setting described to date,” according to the document.
But after expanded testing, mask-wearing, limiting detainee movement and opening up previously unused buildings to allow for greater distancing, the spread within the jail slowed down significantly compared with Chicago at large, the paper said.
While officials could not pinpoint exactly which action was most effective, the cumulative result was successful, according to the examination of the jail.
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Read more here. —Megan Crepeau and Annie Sweeney
11:13 a.m.: How will Chicago artists make it through the pandemic? 85 years ago the Feds had an answer. Could it work again?
How essential is an artist?
Art, you’ve noticed, has been idle.
The artist, in pandemic Chicago, has been stripped of stages, classrooms, materials. Many, who were already working two or three jobs for supplemental income, were stripped of second and third jobs. Some, seeing little light at the end of the COVID tunnel, have probably given up already.
Even a starving artist can last only so long.
And yet, remarkable as it may be seem in 2020, there was a moment, about a decade long, when this country and its White House, eager to get Americans to work, considered its artists essential.
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You live everyday with that legacy.
Read more here. —Christopher Borrelli
11:08 a.m.: Unraveling the deadly new coronavirus: ‘There’s light at the end of tunnel, but it’s a very, very long tunnel’
Seven months after the first patients were hospitalized in China battling an infection doctors had never seen before, the world’s scientists and citizens have reached an unsettling crossroads.
Countless hours of treatment and research, trial and error now make it possible to take much closer measure of the new coronavirus and the lethal disease it has unleashed. But to take advantage of that intelligence, we must confront our persistent vulnerability: The virus leaves no choice.
“It’s like we’re in a battle with something that we can’t see, that we don’t know, and we don’t know where it’s coming from,” said Vivian Castro, a nurse supervisor at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers, just north of New York City, which struggled with its caseload this spring.
Read more here. —Associated Press
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10:26 a.m.: Walmart will require customers to wear masks at all its stores nationwide
Walmart will require customers to wear face coverings at all of its namesake and Sam's Club stores, making it the largest retailer to introduce such a policy that has otherwise proven difficult to enforce without state and federal requirements.
The company said the policy will go into effect on Monday to allow time to inform stores and customers. The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company said that currently about 65% its more than 5,000 stores and clubs are located in areas where there is already some form of government mandate on face coverings.
The retailer also said it will create the role of health ambassador at its Walmart stores and will station them near the entrance to remind customers without masks of its new requirements. These workers, who will be wearing black polo shirts, will receive special training to “help make the process as smooth as possible for customers.”
Read more here. —Associated Press
10:11 a.m.: At least 36 Lake Zurich High School students test positive for COVID-19, infections traced to three sports camps
At least 36 students at Lake Zurich High School have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Lake County health officials, who say they have traced the infections to three summer athletic camps and “recent social gatherings.”
The county said Wednesday there had been health screenings at the camps, which opened July 6, and several students had been turned away because of COVID-19 symptoms.
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“Other students began experiencing symptoms during the day and were sent home,” the county health department said on its Facebook page. “The school district was notified that evening that multiple students who attended camps across multiple sports later developed symptoms and received positive test results for COVID-19 later that afternoon.”
The next day, the health department said it met with officials from School District 95 and decided to close the camps while following up on the testing.
Read more here. —Chicago Tribune staff
8:43 a.m.: America’s unemployed are about to lose $600-a-week coronavirus lifeline. ‘I don’t know what will happen.’
Soon millions of Americans could lose a crucial economic lifeline of this pandemic: $600 a week in extra federal unemployment benefits.
The scheduled end will ripple through households and the entire economy. The program accounts for a big chunk of the Treasury Department’s record jobless payments last month, which exceeded $100 billion. Without the additional cash, some of the hardest-hit households may be forced to choose which bills to pay and which to let slide.
Read more here. —Bloomberg News
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6:40 a.m.: Cook County opioid deaths tell ‘grim story’ as fatalities skyrocket during coronavirus outbreak, chief medical examiner says
Cook County is grappling with twice the amount of reported opioid-related deaths compared with this period last year, the medical examiner’s office announced Tuesday amid skyrocketing caseloads during the coronavirus outbreak.
In 2020, the county’s deaths ruled as opioid overdoses are on track to double last year’s total number of opioid-related cases, the chief medical examiner, Dr. Ponni Arunkumar, said at a Tuesday news conference. The fatalities, similar to those from the coronavirus and gun violence crises, are disproportionately affecting Black people, she added. The majority stem from Chicago’s West Side neighborhoods.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said the briefing was convened “to sound the alarm” as the three overlapping epidemics devastate the county’s most vulnerable populations.
Read more here. —Alice Yin
6:35 a.m.: ‘We are drilling down’: As Chicago lags in U.S. census response, outreach groups use current crises to show importance of being counted
Hoping to get more minorities in Chicago to participate in the U.S. census, outreach groups say they are using the coronavirus pandemic and the fallout from the police killing of George Floyd to impress the importance of being included in the national count.
“Encouraging people to participate in a way that feels close to home for them is something that we feel is going to have the most payoff in the end and get the most people to respond,” Kareem Butler, a policy coordinator for the Chicago Urban League, said during a conference call with census officials Tuesday. “Especially at a time like this when there’s a lot of uncertainty.”
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Chicago is lagging other large cities in census response rates, with only about 55% of residents recorded compared with the national rate of 62%. The response rate among Hispanic and Black people in Chicago is about 51%, compared with 69.6% among whites and 64.1% among Asians, according to Marilyn Sanders, regional director for the U.S. census in Chicago.
Read more here. —Kelli Smith
6:30 a.m.: No more delays: What to know about today’s tax deadline
As the coronavirus pandemic took hold this spring, the federal government postponed the traditional April 15 filing deadline until July 15.
The move provided some economic and logistical relief for taxpayers dealing with the disruptions and uncertainty brought on by lockdowns, school closures and shuttered businesses. But now that new deadline is rapidly approaching.
Taxpayers must file or seek an extension by the new deadline or face a penalty. The IRS is expecting about 150 million returns from individuals and as of last count, it had received almost 139 million.
So for those of you still waiting to file, make a payment or with other questions, here are few answers.


chicagotribune--2020-07-16--Illinois’ new COVID-19 plan: How the state will manage any outbreaks in 3 charts

The plan also includes mitigation steps unique to different categories , like restaurants and bars , offices or salons , @ @ @ @ @ specifically respond to a type of outbreak in a specific part of the state .
@ @ @ @ @ s plan here .

Jemal R. Brinson, Nausheen Husain, Jonathon Berlin

Amid an uptick of COVID-19 cases over the past month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker laid out a new approach to managing any resurgence across the state.
The new approach is more surgical, dividing the state into 11 regions — Illinois’ existing Emergency Medical Services regions — and tightening the metrics officials will watch to determine if any action is warranted.
The plan also includes mitigation steps unique to different categories, like restaurants and bars, offices or salons, that could be used to specifically respond to a type of outbreak in a specific part of the state. Read more on Pritzker’s plan here.
Check our tracker for daily metrics for each region.
Here is a breakdown of the plan.


chicagotribune--2020-07-16--Willie Wilson launches cable ads for third-party challenge of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin

“ I ’ m appealing to you and appealing to everyone in the state to join me and making certain @ @ @ @ @ get 5 % of the vote before it ’ s all said and done .
@ @ @ @ @ work hard to make sure that that doesn ’ t happen .
I hope you @ @ @ @ @ that effort , I need your help , ” he said .

Willie Wilson speaks at a news conference at the Thompson Center in Chicago on May 12, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Willie Wilson, who lost twice in bids to become Chicago’s mayor and who also failed in a long-shot bid for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, is kicking off his third-party bid to challenge U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin with a series of ads on cable TV.
Wilson, a wealthy glove and medical supply importer who also promotes his Gospel singing on television and through advertising, is spending nearly $30,000 on more than 1,000 half-minute TV ads that are scheduled to begin airing on Thursday, industry records showed.
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Most of the ads are scheduled to air in the Chicago market, though ads also were placed in the Peoria, Bloomington and Rockford markets. The ad was not immediately available for viewing.
Wilson, who became an ally of former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, has gained attention for using his personal wealth to help pay jail bond payments and tax payments for residents living in impoverished communities of Chicago.
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Last month he formed a political action committee to oppose Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s push for a graduated-rate income tax amendment, which goes before voters on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Wilson said he recently made a sizable loan to his independent bid to challenge Durbin, but the amount was not disclosed on the most recent Federal Election Commission filing for the period that ended June 30.
Durbin, the second-highest ranking Democrat in leadership in the Senate, has been able to maintain a multimillion-dollar war chest. Former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran is the Republican nominee.
Under a federal court ruling in mid-May, third-party and independent candidates have until Monday to submit candidacy petitions for the Nov. 3 ballot, with reduced signature requirements, as a result of personal distancing rules imposed by Pritzker due to the pandemic.
In 2015, Wilson finished third with 10.7% of the vote for mayor. Four years later, he finished fourth with 10.6% of the ballots. His quixotic bid for the 2016 presidential nomination found him failing to meet filing deadlines in several states.
In Springfield on Wednesday, where members of the Democratic State Central Committee met, Durbin credited Wilson with trying to help impoverished members of the Black community but also warned that he was a Republican who backed President Donald Trump.
Durbin also warned that if Wilson receives 5% of the vote, under state law his third party would automatically become an “established” political organization in future elections, with vastly lower signature requirements granting easier ballot access.
“What’s at stake here is not just his candidacy for the Senate, but the establishment of a new political party and a new political dynamic in the state,” Durbin told top Democrats.
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“I’m appealing to you and appealing to everyone in the state to join me and making certain that he doesn’t get 5% of the vote before it’s all said and done. I’m going to work hard to make sure that that doesn’t happen. I hope you’ll join me in that effort, I need your help,” he said.
Durbin also encouraged a symbolic endorsement among the state’s top Democrats for presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden to pick the state’s junior U.S. senator, Tammy Duckworth, as his running mate. Biden, the former vice president, has had Duckworth under active consideration.
Party leaders also selected 10 members to the Democratic National Committee for a four-year term that begins following the party’s virtual convention in Milwaukee next month, including state chairman and veteran House Speaker Michael Madigan and former state Senate President John Cullerton.
They also picked the 20 people who would serve as members of the Electoral College from Illinois if it backs Biden over Trump in the general election. The electors include Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and current state Senate President Don Harmon.
rap30@aol.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-16--New CDC review finds Cook County sheriff, staff successfully stemmed rising tide of COVID-19 cases a

New CDC review finds Cook County sheriff, staff successfully stemmed rising tide of COVID-19 cases at jail

“ When this thing hit , I just threw everything I could come up with ( at it ) , @ @ @ @ @ in an interview late Tuesday after the paper was initially made public .
“ … @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ ve got to find out what we can do , and we @ @ @ @ @ it in the quickest and most massive way .
”

Detainees held at Division 16, the Cook County Jail's isolation and quarantine facility for detainees who have tested positive for COVID-19 on May 20, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The Cook County Jail successfully beat back its outbreak of COVID-19 even as the virus spread dramatically outside its walls, according to a new paper authored by medical officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and various county and city offices.
Earlier in the pandemic, the jail had “one of the largest outbreaks of COVID-19 in a congregate setting described to date,” according to the document.
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But after expanded testing, mask-wearing, limiting detainee movement and opening up previously unused buildings to allow for greater distancing, the spread within the jail slowed down significantly compared with Chicago at large, the paper said.
“We not only bent our curve, we killed off the curve,” Sheriff Tom Dart said at a news conference Wednesday.
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While officials could not pinpoint exactly which action was most effective, the cumulative result was successful, according to the examination of the jail.
“When this thing hit, I just threw everything I could come up with (at it),” Dart told the Tribune in an interview late Tuesday after the paper was initially made public. “… it was like, no, we’ve got to find out what we can do, and we’ve got to do it in the quickest and most massive way.”
The paper has not yet undergone peer review, and its authors include medical experts from the jail’s health center and the sheriff’s office, along with investigators from the Chicago Department of Public Health, the CDC and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Even to an outsider’s eye, however, the drop in COVID-19 cases at the jail is significant. In March and April, the jail counted more than 900 cases among detainees and staffers, and seven detainees died at local hospitals after testing positive.
But as of Tuesday, only 11 detainees out of about 4,800 are positive, Dart said, and eight or nine of them entered the jail with the virus.
“We’re testing at the door now,” he said. “You could literally say being in the jail is one of the safest places to be right now.”
Detainees are tested upon intake, kept separate from the general population for two weeks and tested again before moving to a regular tier, said Dr. Chad Zawitz, lead physician for infectious diseases at the jail and one of the paper’s authors.
Since May, the jail has had only one symptomatic detainee who tested positive from within the regular jail population — the rest were asymptomatic, and the vast majority of positive cases were detected at intake, Zawitz said in an interview with the Tribune.
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After widespread efforts among prosecutors, judges and defense attorneys to get more detainees out on bond, the jail population dropped significantly — enough to facilitate the social distancing that was effective in slowing the virus’s spread, Dart noted.
A lawsuit filed this spring by the Loevy and Loevy law firm and the MacArthur Justice Center at Northwestern University alleged Dart failed to stop a “rapidly unfolding public health disaster” at the jail, which at the time had been identified as one of the nation’s leading hot spots for coronavirus infections.
As a result, a federal judge mandated several reforms, including increased testing and social distancing.
Alexa Van Brunt, part of the team that brought the lawsuit, said the CDC review should have mentioned that a judge ordered several of the interventions.
“This wasn’t a matter of voluntary compliance or voluntary initiative,” she told the Tribune. “We should really be honest about what it took to get the infection to get under control and what it will take if there is another outbreak.”
In a statement, the sheriff’s office maintained that effective infection-control measures were in place prior to the lawsuit — a point Van Brunt has disputed — and said it was “laughable” to think that the attorneys should get credit.
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“If anything, the plaintiffs’ attorneys only contribution was to hinder our ability to do more, forcing our staff to divert valuable time and energy to respond to their baseless complaints,” the statement read.
Dart this week warned the progress could be reversed if the population increases much more. There are about 438 people in county jail simply awaiting transfer to state prisons, which are still not taking new transfers due to the pandemic, he said.
“I’ve tested every one of them, they’re in quarantine, isolation,” Dart said, “… these people are free of COVID, they’re not going to present a problem in downstate Illinois.”
A spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Corrections refused to comment on the continued need to bar transfers, citing pending litigation. The Illinois Sheriffs’ Association has filed suit against IDOC over the issue.
The new paper also noted that jail staffers played an “important role” in bringing the virus into the jail — echoing what several activists alleged in their efforts to empty the facility. Not all staffers were tested because it was not mandatory given a national shortage of tests.
Positive COVID-19 cases among staffers “often preceded cases in detained persons,” the CDC review states. Most of the jail’s buildings saw a staff member test positive first, and then, a median of three days later, a detainee.
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Dr. Chris Beyrer, a professor of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said it is true testing all staff would have been ideal, but agreed it was not possible due to the shortage. Beyrer, who reviewed the CDC conclusions, also said the paper made clear that measures inside the jail did work to stop the outbreak.
Details from the paper also illuminated other concerns about the national response to the pandemic, Beyrer said, including turnaround times for test results. The first test at the jail required 10 days to get a result, for example.
County health officials have always acknowledged that a shortage of tests and lack of fast testing was an issue for the public response from the start. Early public health guidelines did not require staff to be tested, in part because of that shortage.
All staff were required to wear protective gear at the jail, have their temperatures checked and be screened — measures that appeared to work, county officials said.
“We clearly demonstrated that even without such testing (of staff), the outbreak was contained,” Zawitz said.
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Zawitz warned that it would be wrong to conclude that the outbreak among detainees could directly be traced to staffers. For example, officers in the general public had access to testing before detainees, he said, “so of course we’re going to detect disease in a population that had access to tests first.”
“It’s reasonable to assume that COVID entered the jail from the outside, but it is a muddier picture to conclude that it came from staff,” he said.
Dart said it was not within his power to force correctional officers to get tested, though his office encouraged and facilitated as much testing as it could.
Dr. Connie Mennella, chair of correctional health at the jail’s health service and one of the study’s authors, emphasized in an interview with the Tribune that the jail cannot be untangled from the outside community.
“The jail may have barbed wire, it may have concrete walls, it may feel like a very secluded place, (but) it is the community,” she said. “... We are part of the community. How we can slice and dice and understand where that line is drawn? It’s impossible.”
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
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asweeney@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-16--Joliet police release videos of man in custody after drug arrest hours before his death

According to a timeline provided by police , the squad car Lurry was in parked in the booking area of @ @ @ @ @ minutes after officers left the scene where Lurry had been taken into custody .
In @ @ @ @ @ 37 seconds , officers opened the door and retrieved drugs out of Lurry ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Lurry before calling for Joliet paramedics , noting that Lurry was not breathing and had @ @ @

In this image from a police video, two Joliet police officers attempt to remove what they say were bags of narcotics from the mouth of Eric Lurry during an arrest in May. Lurry later died and the Will County coroner’s office said Lurry’s death was caused by an accidental drug overdose. (Joliet Police Department)
Joliet police officials this week released about three hours of video in connection with the drug arrest in January of a Joliet man who died after he was in police custody.
Eric Lurry, 37, died Jan. 29 in a Joliet hospital 11 hours after his arrest. His death and officers’ actions during his arrest have been under review since January.
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Part of the video had earlier been leaked to Chicago media. That brought the arrest and death to light and prompted protests and calls for change within the police department and the resignation of officials including the police chief. Two officers have been placed on administrative duty pending an investigation.
The Will County coroner’s office said Lurry died of an accidental drug overdose.
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The footage released Tuesday includes video from the squad car Lurry was in and from other squad cars involved in a drug investigation that led to his arrest. Police released a total of four videos — three unedited dashcam videos and one edited video that is a compilation of the other three videos. The edited video includes text from Joliet police explaining some of what is seen in the video.
The release came five days after police officials met with members of the Lurry family to review the video. Lurry’s widow, Nicole Lurry, and other family members could not be reached for comment. An attorney representing Nicole Lurry also could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
After part of the video originally had been leaked, Joliet police earlier this month showed video from the squad car in which Lurry was riding to reporters and some community leaders. Police at the time would not allow the media to copy the video.
The video shows Lurry riding in the back of the squad as he is being transported from the scene to the police station after he was taken into custody. In the video, Lurry appears to be chewing on something and appears to lose consciousness once at the police station.
The video shows that once at the station an officer, who police officials had identified as Sgt. Doug May, slaps Lurry once and uses profane language in an attempt to “stun” Lurry and rouse him.
When officers notice Lurry has what they believe to be drugs in his mouth, another officer uses the end of a collapsible baton to get the drugs out of his mouth. The officer removes multiple plastic bags, including one larger one, which appeared to have been broken open and contains a white powdery substance. May also is seen holding Lurry’s nostrils closed as drugs are recovered from Lurry’s mouth.
Lurry’s family members and Nicole Lurry’s attorney have questioned the tactics used by police ― specifically May’s move to pinch Lurry’s nostrils closed. Police have said holding Lurry’s nostrils closed is a tactic used to help keep a person who is overdosing from ingesting more drugs.
According to a timeline provided by police, the squad car Lurry was in parked in the booking area of the police station about eight minutes after officers left the scene where Lurry had been taken into custody. In the next three minutes and 37 seconds, officers opened the door and retrieved drugs out of Lurry’s mouth and tried to rouse Lurry before calling for Joliet paramedics, noting that Lurry was not breathing and had swallowed drugs.
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In the three minutes and 34 seconds it took paramedics to arrive, Joliet police officers retrieved automated external defibrillator machines and began CPR. Lurry arrived at the hospital nearly 21 minutes after paramedics were called. Video released Tuesday depicts officers removing Lurry from a squad car and placing him on the pavement. It also shows officers retrieving defibrillators.
The Will/Grundy Major Crimes Task Force in January was asked to review Lurry’s death. Its findings were turned over to the Will County state’s attorney’s office, which this month issued a statement that Joliet police were not at fault for Lurry’s death.
The Will County coroner’s office noted paramedics administered multiple doses of Narcan, a drug that is used to try to reverse overdoses.
Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-07-16--The Spin: Lightfoot, Pritzker bracing for reopening retreat? | Trump hints at ‘help’ for Chicago, ot

The Spin: Lightfoot, Pritzker bracing for reopening retreat? | Trump hints at ‘help’ for Chicago, other cities struggling with violent  crime | Casten, Underwood lead opponents in fundraising

Lightfoot among dozen other Illinois mayors who say local governments are in “ dire ” need of financial assistance from @ @ @ @ @ of Illinois and each municipality within it are in dire need of federal funding or @ @ @ @ @ or laying off workers , both of which are not only our last resort but @ @ @ @ @ , ” Lightfoot and others wrote in a letter sent to Illinois ’ congressional delegation @ @ @ @ @ delivered under the federal CARES Act but adding that it ’ s not enough as @ @ @ @ @

Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks alongside Gov. J.B. Pritzker at the Thompson Center on Sunday, May 31, 2020 the day after protests led to widespread damage downtown. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
In separate news conferences today, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot were clearly bracing residents, particularly Chicagoans, for the possibility that certain coronavirus restrictions could return if new COVID-19 cases don’t calm down soon.
Pritzker also announced he’s recalibrating his five-phase “Restore Illinois” plan by breaking the state into 11 smaller regions — from four larger ones. The move could appease Republicans who didn’t like the previous regional map, and allow the state to deal with outbreaks on a more local level.
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Chicago is now its own region and the mayor warned this morning that the city is “dangerously close” to sliding backward. Echoing the governor’s comments yesterday, congregating in bars seems to be a big concern as newly diagnosed cases among the young, fun, 18- to 29-year-old age group rise. Roughly 30% of all cases are in that demographic, city public health records show, the largest percentage of any age group in the city.
And President Donald Trump made a sufficiently vague comment this afternoon that could affect Chicago. During an unrelated news conference, he said his administration intends to announce as soon as next week how it will deal with crime and gun violence in Democrat-led cities such as Chicago.
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Welcome to The Spin.
Wearing a mask with the State of Illinois emblem, Gov. J.B. Pritzker talks with essential workers providing coronavirus tests at Coles Elementary School on the Southeast Side July 8, 2020. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday laid out a targeted approach for his administration’s response to upticks in coronavirus cases around Illinois, saying it was the best way to attack outbreaks while keeping most of the state as free of restrictions as possible, my Tribune colleagues report.
The state will take action if data shows a sustained rise in the positivity rate — that is, the percentage of tests that come back testing positive for the virus — along with an increase in hospital admissions or a reduction in hospital capacities that threatens the ability to handle a surge in cases, Pritzker said. In addition, mitigation will be applied for any region that shows three consecutive days of a positivity rate higher than 8%.
While the daily count of confirmed cases has been creeping up, the percentage of COVID-19 tests returning positive results is 3.1% statewide. More details here.
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Mayor Lori Lightfoot takes off her face mask for a Q&A after announcing a new broadband initiative for students during a news conference at Evergreen Academy Middle School on June 25, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
“While the mayor consistently has cautioned the city is far from free of the grip of the pandemic, she struck a particularly dire tone at a morning news conference,” my Tribune colleague John Byrne writes.
She said the city is “dangerously close” to reversing course, then tried to soften it somewhat with a “mom joke” aimed at the 18- to 29-year-old demographic that’s seeing a rise in cases. Byrne digs into the data and other details here.
The quote: “Some of you joke that I’m like the mom who will turn the car around when you’re acting up. No, friends. It’s actually worse. I won’t just turn the car around. I’m going to shut it off. I’m going to kick you out, and I’m gonna make you walk home. That’s who I am. That’s who I must be for you and everyone else in the city to make sure that we continue to be safe.”
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A new marketing campaign: As I noted in The Spin yesterday, the city will be rolling out a new “campaign” aimed at 18- to 29-year-olds, the mayor told reporters this morning. I can see the PSA now: The finger-wagging mayor behind the wheel of a parked minivan in Lincoln Park — hey, the 60614 area code has seen the biggest spike in coronavirus diagnoses among young adults — as a crew of maskless hipsters pile out.
Lightfoot among dozen other Illinois mayors who say local governments are in “dire” need of financial assistance from Washington: “The state of Illinois and each municipality within it are in dire need of federal funding or we risk cutting critical services or laying off workers, both of which are not only our last resort but worse, our only options,” Lightfoot and others wrote in a letter sent to Illinois’ congressional delegation, thanking them for money delivered under the federal CARES Act but adding that it’s not enough as the pandemic wears on.
Congress eyes new virus aid as school, health crisis deepens: With the virus show no signs of letting up and the November election looming, it’s not a question of if, but when a new rescue package will be inked. The Associated Press has the details here.
Related — Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in Chicago, says Dr. Fauci remains a “trusted adviser” and blames spike in cases on personal behavior, particularly among younger people: The Tribune’s Rick Pearson has the details here.
Donald Trump is profiled against his 92-story Trump International Hotel & Tower in May 2017 during a news conference on construction progress in Chicago. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)
From the Tribune’s John Byrne and Rick Pearson: “President Donald Trump on Wednesday vaguely referenced an upcoming announcement on how his administration intends to deal with crime in Democrat-led cities, again citing Chicago’s violence as a problem he will tackle.”
Trump told reporters at the White House that “he would have more to say next week ‘with the attorney general, the FBI and others concerning our cities, because the left-wing group of people that are running our cities are not doing the job that they’re supposed to be doing, and it’s not a very tough job to do if they knew what they were doing.‘” Read the full story here.
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Pritzker said Trump’s declaration was “a sign of desperation” to somehow improve his standing. Instead, the president could help secure federal funding for violence prevention programs and mental health initiatives, Pritzker said.
After Trump on Monday again likened Chicago to Afghanistan, Mayor Lightfoot sounded a familiar response during an appearance yesterday on MSNBC, accusing the president of political posturing. Lightfoot said Trump won’t take steps needed to deal with the proliferation of illegal guns that would really help drive down Chicago violence.
Related: Police Superintendent David Brown announces wide-ranging leadership changes as department battles violence spike: The Tribune’s Annie Sweeney has the details here.
New CDC review finds Cook County sheriff, staff successfully stemmed rising tide of COVID-19 cases at jail: The Tribune’s Megan Crepeau and Annie Sweeney break it down here.
Congressman Sean Casten speaks at a news conference calling for an end to the federal government shutdown at O'Hare International Airport on Jan. 14, 2019, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
First-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Sean Casten’s campaign continues to hold a fundraising advantage over his Republican challenger, taking in nearly $750,000 during the second quarter of 2020 as he prepares to go toe-to-toe in November with former state Rep. Jeanne Ives in the west and north suburban 6th Congressional District.
Records show Casten, of Downers Grove, raised just over $4 million so far this election cycle, his campaign reports, and after expenses has $3-plus million in cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission campaign reports.
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Ives, a Wheaton resident who narrowly lost to Gov. Bruce Rauner in the 2018 GOP gubernatorial primary, pulled in just over $483,000 to her congressional campaign during the same three-month stretch, FEC records show. She’s reporting just over $500,000 cash on hand.
Casten, along with neighboring U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, also a Democrat, of Naperville, rode the blue wave into office in 2018, beating out GOP incumbents in reliably Republican districts.
Underwood’s campaign raised $1.27 million during the second fundraising quarter of 2020, federal campaign records show, and she has more than $3 million cash on hand.
She’s running against wealthy dairy magnate and state Sen. Jim Oberweis whose campaign reported raising just over $250,00 for the quarter, records show, and has more than $373,000 cash on hand.
A campaign message on tax day: Vote Yes for Fairness, the main political organization largely bankrolled by Gov. Pritzker behind a November ballot initiative to change the state’s income tax system from a flat rate to a graduated system with higher rates for higher incomes, launched a one-day digital ad for their cause. The theme? Tax day.
The ad, going up on news websites including the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times, reads in part: “By next Tax Day, millionaires and billionaires could finally be paying their fair share.”
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Reminder: If voters approve it, new tax rates passed by the legislature in 2019 would take effect Jan. 1, with rates staying the same or going down for individuals earning $250,000 a year or less and going up for others — the wealthiest 3% of taxpayers.
Opponents, including Republican lawmakers and pro-business groups, argue that the Democratic-controlled legislature eventually will raise rates on middle-class taxpayers to address the state’s fiscal woes.
EMBARGOED FOR USE AFTER 6 A.M. CDT, OCT. 27, 2019 -- A new version of the proposed Obama Presidential Center has emerged. This artist's rendering shows a south-facing view of the public plaza and museum building. Credit: Obama Foundation User Upload Caption: - Original Credit: (Obama Foundation/HANDOUT)
The Tribune’s Alice Yin writes: “A lengthy federal review surrounding the proposed Obama Presidential Center is inching along, following the federal government’s release of a draft agreement on ways to mitigate adverse effects the controversial project could have on Chicago’s historic Jackson Park.
“The Federal Highway Administration released a memorandum of agreement draft as part of what’s called the ‘Section 106′ review process that outlines certain stipulations for how to pursue the project. A Thursday webinar meeting will invite discussion from dozens of consulting parties on the memorandum.The Obama Foundation welcomes the thorough review.'
What it means, Part I: Mayor Lightfoot’s office sees the highway administration’s draft memorandum as a welcome sign that the planning surrounding the presidential center will address preservation issues, spokeswoman Eugenia Orr said.
What it means, Part II: “It’s what we feared,” Brenda Nelms, president of the nonprofit Jackson Park Watch, said of the memorandum. She doesn’t want the presidential center to be located in the park, a sanctuary in the city. “None of the mitigation proposals really addressed the adverse effects at all. There’s no substantive addressing of that and nothing that would really preserve the lived experience of Jackson Park as it is now. So it’s a disappointment.”
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Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-07-16--1 dead, 5 others wounded in shootings Wednesday, police say

The victim was sitting on a porch when a dark-colored Nissan sedan drove through and exited an alley .
Someone @ @ @ @ @ and fired , striking the man in the right arm .
He was taken to @ @ @ @ @ was listed in good condition , police said .

A male victim was pronounced dead, and five others were wounded in shootings Wednesday on the South and West sides, Chicago police said.
The fatal and most recent shooting happened shortly after 3:40 p.m. in the West Englewood neighborhood in the 6900 block of South Throop Street, police said.
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The victim and another person, whose ages were not immediately available, were traveling in an alley when they were shot. One of them suffered a wound to the neck and was taken in critical condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center.
The other man was shot in the head, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
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About 5:45 p.m., a 31-year-old man was shot in the 5900 block of South Hermitage Avenue in the same neighborhood as the fatal shooting, police said.
The victim was sitting on a porch when a dark-colored Nissan sedan drove through and exited an alley. Someone got out of the Nissan and fired, striking the man in the right arm. He was taken to Holy Cross Hospital where he was listed in good condition, police said.
A 15-year-old boy was shot shortly after 2 p.m. in the Lawndale neighborhood. Police said a boy was in the 1200 block of South Lawndale Avenue when he heard shots and felt pain.
He was taken in good condition to Stroger Hospital, police said.
Wednesday morning, a man and a woman were wounded in two separate shootings on the South Side.
Shortly before 11 a.m., a 28-year-old man was driving in the 100 block of West Marquette Road when the driver of a dark-blue sedan, possibly an Audi, started shooting at him, police said.
The man drove to St. Benard Hospital, where doctors found bullet fragments in the back of his head, police said.
Shortly before 8:45 a.m., a 56-year-old woman was outside in the 8900 block of South Throop Street when two people approached and opened fire, then got into a four-door silver sedan and fled south.
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The woman suffered a wound to the left calf, and was taken in good condition to Little Company of Mary Hospital, police said.
No one was in custody.


chicagotribune--2020-07-15--Yearslong federal review of the Obama Presidential Center inches forward

Brenda Nelms , president of the nonprofit Jackson Park Watch , said she doesn ’ t want the presidential center @ @ @ @ @ finds to be a nature sanctuary in a bustling city .
As one of the @ @ @ @ @ the federal review process ’ memorandum , Jackson Park Watch plans to oppose it , @ @ @ @ @ is expected to clamor for the FHWA to reconsider the 235-foot-tall museum ’ s design @ @ @ @ @ s location entirely , as well as demand more public parkland to make up for @ @ @ @ @ would take up , she said .

An aerial view of the proposed site for the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park in Chicago on May 13, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)
A lengthy federal review surrounding the proposed Obama Presidential Center is inching along, following the federal government’s release of a draft agreement on ways to mitigate adverse effects the controversial project could have on Chicago’s historic Jackson Park.
Last week, the Federal Highway Administration released a memorandum of agreement draft as part of what’s called the “Section 106″ review process that outlines certain stipulations for how to pursue the project. A Thursday webinar meeting will invite discussion from dozens of consulting parties on the memorandum.
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The FHWA began the Section 106 process because the National Historic Preservation Act requires it consider the implications of roadway changes resulting from the presidential center, such as the closures of swaths of the Midway Plaisance and Cornell Drive, before the FHWA approves funding for the transportation projects. The memorandum’s execution is the final stage of the federal review that was spurred shortly after the 2016 announcement of the center’s planned location in Jackson Park.
“We appreciate the thorough review process overseen by the federal agencies to date,” an Obama Foundation spokesperson wrote in a statement. “We look forward to the completion of the federal review process which will make way for the Obama Presidential Center and its many benefits to the community.”
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The $500 million Obama Presidential Center is expected to be a sprawling campus that will house the Obama Foundation offices and include spaces for large gatherings, an athletic center and a public library branch. In addition, the campus will have outdoor recreation areas including a sledding hill and walking paths.
Both the city and advocates have touted the project as a jobs creator that has the potential to be a beacon of the South Side by attracting tourists and possible investors. But after winning approval from City Council, the project has been mired in four years of stops and starts, including legal challenges and the Section 106 federal review. Opponents have painted the proposed center as an encroachment on the park designed by renowned architect Frederick Law Olmsted more than a century ago.
Brenda Nelms, president of the nonprofit Jackson Park Watch, said she doesn’t want the presidential center to take over what she finds to be a nature sanctuary in a bustling city. As one of the 88 consulting party groups in the federal review process’ memorandum, Jackson Park Watch plans to oppose it, Nelms said. The group is expected to clamor for the FHWA to reconsider the 235-foot-tall museum’s design and the presidential center’s location entirely, as well as demand more public parkland to make up for the 19.3 acres the center would take up, she said.
“It’s what we feared,” Nelms said about the memorandum. “None of the mitigation proposals really addressed the adverse effects at all. There’s no substantive addressing of that and nothing that would really preserve the lived experience of Jackson Park as it is now. So it’s a disappointment.”
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 10 A new version of the proposed Obama Presidential Center has emerged. This artist's rendering shows a south-facing view of the museum building and a public plaza. (Obama Foundation)
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office, however, sees the FHWA’s proposed memorandum as a welcome sign that the planning surrounding the presidential center will address preservation issues, spokeswoman Eugenia Orr said.
“The draft memorandum of agreement is the result of two and a half years of thoughtful, comprehensive discussions between project partners and consulting parties at the local, state and national level,” Orr wrote in a Tuesday statement. “The City supports the Memorandum of Agreement’s proposed mitigations to preserve and enhance Jackson Park while accommodating one of the most exciting cultural and institutional investments in South Side history.”
The memorandum would hold the Chicago Department of Transportation and Chicago Park District to various measures to preserve Jackson Park’s treasured features such as its wildlife, and Statue of the Republic and the English Stone Comfort Station. The city departments also would have to work up materials for museums and schools to educate the community about the significance of the park as well as cull feedback about a “play area” on the eastern end of the Midway Plaisance, under the agreement.
The presidential center’s location on parkland is at the heart of another fight, this time in the courts. The community group Protect Our Parks contends in a lawsuit that the city illegally handed over the slice of Jackson Park to the Obama Foundation, which, among other issues, violated the public-trust doctrine governing use of public land for the greater good of citizens. A decision by the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals is pending.
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ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-15--At least 36 Lake Zurich High School students test positive for COVID-19 infections, traced to sports

At least 36 Lake Zurich High School students test positive for COVID-19 infections, traced to sports camps and social gatherings

All camp participants have been instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days from their last possible exposure .
Still , the @ @ @ @ @ to athletics , as Goering says there were a number of people who went to @ @ @ @ @ not attend camp .

A mobile COVID-19 testing site was set up July 12, 2020, at Lake Zurich High School. At least 36 students at the northwest suburban high school have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Lake County health officials. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)
At least 36 students at Lake Zurich High School have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to Lake County health officials, who have traced the infections to summer athletic camps and recent social gatherings.
Officials say this is part of a larger trend in the area, as a growing number of cases are linked back to young people.
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“We need people to take a real hard look at their own individual behavior,” said Lake County health spokeswoman Hannah Goering. “Schools can’t bear the whole burden of keeping students from getting infected with COVID-19.”
The county said Wednesday there had been health screenings at the sports camps, which opened July 6, and several students had been turned away because of COVID-19 symptoms.
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“Other students began experiencing symptoms during the day and were sent home,” the county health department said on its Facebook page. “The school district was notified that evening that multiple students who attended camps across multiple sports later developed symptoms and received positive test results for COVID-19 later that afternoon.”
The next day, the health department said it met with officials from School District 95 and decided to close the camps while following up on the testing. The district has not yet decided if those camps will eventually reopen, according to a statement Wednesday from Superintendent Kelley Gallt.
Goering notes the start of camp was immediately following the Fourth of July holiday, when it is possible many students and their families were interacting in large groups.
As of Tuesday, 36 Lake Zurich High School students have tested positive for COVID-19. This includes students who received results on the day of camp or the weekend before, according to Goering.
All camp participants have been instructed to self-quarantine for 14 days from their last possible exposure. Still, the outbreak is not specifically tied to athletics, as Goering says there were a number of people who went to these social gatherings but did not attend camp.
Goering argues students need to better understand the way their actions affect the larger community and work to keep the risk of exposure low. It is not only large parties leading to an uptick in cases but also small gatherings among different groups of friends, Goering adds.
“We have to continue to approach our lives with caution,” Goering said. “Just because we are in phase four, and you can gather with a group of 50, that doesn’t mean it’s the safest thing to do.”
This past Sunday, the Illinois Department of Public Health contracted with a private company to run a mobile testing site at the high school. “Despite high demand for testing which resulted in long wait times, 355 individuals were tested throughout the day,” the county said.
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[ Illinois schools reopening updates: What suburban Chicago districts plan for fall ]
The mobile testing site will next be available from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday at Lake Zurich High School’s Performing Arts Center parking lot for high school students and staff. Testing for the public will be offered from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. but may close early once 500 tests have been completed.
“Testing is first come, first served, and long wait times are expected due to high demand for testing,” the county cautioned. “A medical professional administers the tests, and results are provided by phone in four to seven days.”
The school district is still working to develop a plan for fall learning, as the number of cases in the area continues to increase.
The county said anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should contact their health care provider or call the county’s communicable disease program at 847-377-8130.


chicagotribune--2020-07-15--Cook County crafts formula for CARES Act funding distribution with emphasis on struggling areas, aim

Cook County crafts formula for CARES Act funding distribution with emphasis on struggling areas, aims to right inequities among suburbs during COVID-19 pandemic

“ There ’ s a number of areas within southern and southern western parts of the county that have had @ @ @ @ @ of reasons , ” county Chief Financial Officer Ammar Rizki said .
“ They were @ @ @ @ @ when it comes to having dealing with these issues around COVID-19 and their first responders @ @ @ @ @ , but they did not have the resources available to do that .
”

Cook County government officials are expected to consider an “equitable funding formula” that guides how $51 million in federal stimulus money will be distributed among suburban municipalities, with a focus on historically neglected communities confronting a greater peril of financial wreckage from the coronavirus pandemic, the board president said.
The formula places a significant weight on municipalities with economically struggling areas, and mostly will lead to south and west suburbs receiving the largest amount of funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, according to a Cook County government document. Close to 130 cities, towns and villages will share in the $51 million for COVID-19 expenses under the formula, which the Cook County Board is set to vote on during a Thursday special meeting.
“I always say that this country struggles with endemic racism, and that’s reflected in both public and private sector actions,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle told the Tribune on Wednesday. “If you’re talking about housing, if you’re talking about education, if you’re talking about employment opportunities, communities of color across the county have struggled.”
Railing against long-standing inequities among Black and Latino communities, which have experienced a disproportionate amount of COVID-19 deaths, has been a hallmark message of Preckwinkle’s throughout the pandemic. She said the formula under consideration Thursday will ensure more of the $51 million in federal funds will go to municipalities that need it the most.
The top recipient of the CARES Act funding would be Cicero at about $1.1 million, followed by Berwyn, Harvey, Dolton and Chicago Heights with amounts above $700,000. After that, Calumet City, Blue Island, Maywood, Oak Lawn and Markham would follow. Some suburbs without high thresholds of socioeconomic and public health needs, such as Evanston and Des Plaines, were in the top 20 municipalities because of their population size and would receive amounts greater than $600,000.
The formula weighs four components in varying degrees. The factors are: 40% for the percentage of population located in economically disconnected or disinvested areas, as defined by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning; 30% for median income; 20% for COVID-19 deaths per capita; and 10% for tax base per capita.
Such economically distressed areas, referred to as EDAs, typically have concentrated low-income households and either minority or limited English proficiency populations, according to CMAP. These regions suffer from disadvantages such as higher unemployment, lower education levels among residents and longer commute times. The document states that most Cook County suburbs either have all or none of their populations in EDAs.
“There’s a number of areas within southern and southern western parts of the county that have had historical disinvestment for a number of reasons,” county Chief Financial Officer Ammar Rizki said. “They were facing pretty much an onslaught when it comes to having dealing with these issues around COVID-19 and their first responders working with their community members, but they did not have the resources available to do that.”
Two-thirds of the $51 million allocation was multiplied by the proportion of the municipality’s score to total scores across Cook County municipalities. The other one-third was weighed based on how the municipality’s population ranks with suburban Cook County’s total population.
The formula is unlike any known in other counties, according to National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase.
“The way they did it I think meets the times and really reflects that this pandemic is hitting different parts of our communities very differently,” Chase said. “I’ve not seen anything like it. I’ve seen counties use an equity lens but have not seen it to this extent.”
Last week, Preckwinkle announced that the influx of funding, which makes up 12% of the total $429 million coronavirus relief fund given to Cook County under the CARES Act, will begin landing in the coffers of over 100 cities, towns and villages.
The federal aid comes with the stipulation that local governments may only use it for direct COVID-19-related expenses, such as reimbursements for personal protective equipment or other costs incurred responding directly to the pandemic. Lost revenue such as decreased yields from sales, amusement and other nonproperty taxes throughout the outbreak cannot be offset by CARES Act funding.
Preckwinkle said the $51 million is “of course” not nearly enough to right historic unequal investment across the suburbs. She is optimistic more relief will come from the federal government. The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives has approved another round of stimulus funding, but the U.S. Senate has not.
The resolution on the formula, which eight out of 17 Cook County commissioners have co-sponsored, is expected to pass on Thursday, Preckwinkle said.
“There were communities, even before COVID-19 hit, that were already struggling in terms of income levels, economic issues, health care issues, disparities.” Rizki said. “What the pandemic did was just made it worse. … Trying to look at that from a data standpoint is what the goal was for us.”
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-15--Former Chicago cop sentenced to almost 6 years after stealing cash, drugs with fraudulently obtained

Former Chicago cop sentenced to almost 6 years after stealing cash, drugs with fraudulently obtained search warrants

Salgado , 39 , and Elizondo , 48 , both of Chicago , were assigned to a gang team in @ @ @ @ @ produce false information to state judges in order to get search warrants to enter properties @ @ @ @ @ , officials said .

A former Chicago police officer was sentenced Wednesday to almost 6 years in prison after being convicted earlier of fraudulently obtaining search warrants and stealing cash and drugs from places he was searching, officials said.
U. S. Judge Matthew F. Kennelly handed out a 71-month sentence to David Salgado after a hearing in Chicago. Last month, Salgado’s former partner was sentenced to seven years and three months, officials said.
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Salgado, 39, and Elizondo, 48, both of Chicago, were assigned to a gang team in the Tenth District conspired to produce false information to state judges in order to get search warrants to enter properties to seize cash and drugs, officials said.
The officers would then steal the cash and drugs, then falsify reports to cover up the thefts, officials said.
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A jury found them both guilty of charges brought against them in October 2019, including conspiracy to commit theft, deprivation of civil rights, embezzlement, and obstruction of justice, officials said.
Salgado also was convicted of making false statements to the FBI.


chicagotribune--2020-07-15--Pritzker lays out targeted approach to COVID-19 spikes in Illinois; Lightfoot warns Chicago on ‘prec

Pritzker lays out targeted approach to COVID-19 spikes in Illinois; Lightfoot warns Chicago on ‘precipice’ for renewed restrictions

“ When you go out without a mask , or host secret parties , stuff your bar or restaurant to @ @ @ @ @ ignore common sense in your worship practices , it ’ s not a political statement @ @ @ @ @ “ You ’ re hurting your neighbor who is desperate to keep their business open @ @ @ @ @ has an immune-compromised child who has been inside for months , or your parents who @ @ @ @ @ same defenses against this virus that you may .
”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday laid out a targeted approach to address serious spikes in coronavirus cases, segmenting the state into 11 zones to more tightly aim efforts to curb the disease’s spread without resorting to widespread restrictions and shutdowns.
Pritzker and his administration also echoed concerns voiced earlier in the day by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and city officials over the increasing number of positive test results among younger people, which could lead to reimposing bans on bars, indoor dining and youth sports activities.
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The governor said his efforts were aimed at using a “surgical ability” developed from increased testing to act on a more localized basis to deal with any outbreaks, and using smaller geographic zones than the four originally created to track Illinois’ regional progress in fighting the pandemic.
Rather than grouping Chicago, suburban Cook County, the collar counties and exurban counties into one large health care region as in the original reopening blueprint, the new plan makes Chicago and suburban Cook each a separate zone. DuPage and Kane counties also will be one zone, Lake and McHenry counties will be another and Will and Kankakee counties will comprise a third zone.
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[ Illinois’ new COVID-19 plan: How the state will manage any outbreaks in 3 charts ]
Using an admittedly “complex” set of metrics, Pritzker said restrictions would be placed on any zone that showed a sustained rise in the positivity rate of testing — a rolling average compiled over seven days in a 10-day period — coupled with a sustained increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations or a reduction in the capacity of hospitals to handle a surge.
The governor said restrictions also would be placed in a zone if the positivity testing rate, which has crept up to 3.1% statewide, exceeds 8% for three consecutive days.
Such findings, Pritzker said, would automatically trigger mitigation efforts from a menu that includes closing bars, which are limited to 25% capacity, ending limited indoor dining and likely lowering the current 50-person limit for meetings, social events, religious gatherings and organized group sports for adults and children.
Other steps could include restrictions on retail stores, fitness centers, salons and personal care businesses, and potentially other industries, the administration said.
“Remember, the degree to which we can reduce risk and restore aspects of our daily lives is still unfolding. We’re continually evaluating what works and what doesn’t work,” Pritzker said.
The new strategy comes as the nation has seen huge surges in coronavirus cases in the South and West and as Illinois has become among 37 states reporting an uptick of cases.
[ Chicago ‘on the precipice’ of returning to tougher COVID-19 restrictions, Mayor Lori Lightfoot warns ]
On Wednesday, the state announced 1,187 new cases of the coronavirus, including eight deaths. The state’s total case count is now at 156,693 and the death toll stands at 7,226.
For the week that ended Tuesday, the state averaged 1,008 new known cases per day, an increase of about 34% from a week earlier, according to an analysis of preliminary Illinois Department of Public Health data. That’s the highest seven-day average since June 8, when the state was averaging 1,026 cases per day.
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Illinois moved into its current reopening phase on June 26 and Pritzker reiterated the state could not move into the final fifth phase until the development of a vaccine or significant advances in treatment.
Pritzker said Illinois has been successful in curbing the disease, with an infection rate several times lower than surrounding states. He credited residents for following the guidelines of wearing face coverings, physical distancing and washing hands but urged continued vigilance and struck back against those whose view opposing mask wearing as a political statement.
“When you go out without a mask, or host secret parties, stuff your bar or restaurant to capacity despite the warnings, ignore common sense in your worship practices, it’s not a political statement,” he said. “You’re hurting your neighbor who is desperate to keep their business open, or your friend who has an immune-compromised child who has been inside for months, or your parents who don’t have the same defenses against this virus that you may.”
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
The prospect of new restrictions wasn’t lost on Illinois’ business community. A diverse coalition of business groups reinforced the call for wearing face masks in public.
“Wearing masks is not a Republican issue or Democrat issue — it’s a public health issue and a jobs issue. We must unite for the sake of our families, businesses and our communities,” said Mark Denzler, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “If we do not act strongly and quickly, we’ll see manufacturing facilities close and supply chain reductions that will impact consumers across the globe.”
Both the Pritzker and Lightfoot administrations expressed concerns about an uptick in the spread of the disease among younger people after seeing success in curbing infections among a more vulnerable elderly population.
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Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the state’s public health director, said the positivity rate among 10- to 19-year olds was “at the highest rate that they’ve ever had” since the beginning of the pandemic. Such statistics add to questions about reopening schools.
“We know that if schools are to happen, there has to be masking and distancing, but to get there, we have to not have widespread community transmission at rates that are not sustainable to even safely do school,” she said. “So that’s why our actions today, right now, will determine what school even looks like.”
[ 20 questions about assessing your COVID-19 risk at restaurants, gyms, the office and more ]
From July 8 through Tuesday, Illinois reported more than 110 cases a day among people age 10-19, reaching a high of 158 cases last Friday and an additional 150 on Tuesday before dropping to 58 on Wednesday. The previous recent high for cases among that age group was 147 on June 2.
In Chicago, Lightfoot cited an increase in COVID-19 cases among people age 18-29 in sounding a stern warning that the city is “on the precipice” and may soon need to roll back parts of the its reopening.
“Some of you have joked that I’m like the mom who will turn the car around if you’re acting up,” Lightfoot said, with Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady at her side. “No, friends. It’s actually worse. I won’t just turn the car around. I’m going to shut it off, I’m going to kick you out and I’m going to make you walk home. That’s who I am. That’s who I must be.
“But I don’t want to be that person if I don’t have to, but I will if you make me, and right now we are on the precipice,” she added. “We are dangerously close to going back to a dangerous state of conditions.”
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[ Illinois schools reopening updates: What suburban Chicago districts plan for fall ]
Lightfoot pointed to Chicago’s daily average number of new cases, which was 192 on Wednesday. Once that number gets over 200, which Arwady said likely will happen, the city will look at where there are increases and consider taking steps to slow the rise, the mayor said.
“If we see an uptick, if we go above 200, of course we are going to be interested and concerned about what’s driving those numbers, and then we will take measures as appropriate to address particular areas where we’re seeing the new cases coming from,” Lightfoot said.
With lots of Chicagoans in their 20s heading to reopened bars and restaurants, Lightfoot said the city will continue to crack down on establishments that are flouting the capacity rules and could take tougher steps to restrict those types of businesses.
On Tuesday, there were 192 new known cases of COVID-19 in Chicago. Thirty percent of those, or 58 cases, were among people age 18 to 29, according to city statistics.
That age group made up 21% of cases on June 3, when Chicago entered phase three of Lightfoot’s pandemic reopening plan. And on June 26, when the city adopted its current phase four reopening rules that allowed indoor seating at bars and restaurants and gym openings, people in that age group made up 27% of cases, according to the city.
The next highest category of new infections is among people between the ages of 30-39, followed by those between ages 40-49, Arwady said.
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chicagotribune--2020-07-15--President Donald Trump says announcement coming on dealing with crime in Chicago, other Democrat-run

President Donald Trump says announcement coming on dealing with crime in Chicago, other Democrat-run cities

“ If you go back over many years , President Trump has said a lot of disparaging things about the @ @ @ @ @ likes to use us as a political punching bag , ” Lightfoot said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ really committed to helping us deal with our violence , he would do some easy @ @ @ @ @ push for is universal background checks , he would push for an assault weapons ban @ @ @ @ @ make sure that people who are banned from getting on airplanes can ’ t get @ @ @

President Donald Trump on Wednesday vaguely referenced an upcoming announcement on how his administration intends to deal with crime in Democrat-led cities, again citing Chicago’s violence as a problem he will tackle.
In a briefing with reporters about his ongoing efforts to deal with the MS-13 gang, Trump said he would have more to say next week “with the attorney general, the FBI and others concerning our cities, because the left-wing group of people that are running our cities are not doing the job that they’re supposed to be doing, and it’s not a very tough job to do if they knew what they were doing.”
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He later said, “We’re going to straighten things out” in cities where leaders have lost control but did not offer specifics.
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When a reporter asked at the end of the event whether he planned to follow through on a recent statement that the federal government might take over cities such as Chicago to deal with crime, Trump didn’t answer directly.
But he cited recent issues with protesters in Seattle, Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon, before pointing to violence in Chicago.
“We have other cities that are out of control, they’re like war zones,” Trump said. “And if the city isn’t going to straighten it out, if local politicians or in this case, let’s say this for political reasons, they’re all Democrats. They’re liberal left-wing Democrats. And it’s almost like they think this is going to be this way forever.”
“Where in Chicago, 68 people were shot and 18 died last week. We’re not going to put up with that,” he said.
After Trump on Monday again likened Chicago to Afghanistan, Mayor Lori Lightfoot sounded a familiar response during a Tuesday appearance on MSNBC, accusing the president of political posturing. Lightfoot said Trump won’t take steps needed to deal with the proliferation of illegal guns that would really help drive down Chicago violence.
“If you go back over many years, President Trump has said a lot of disparaging things about the city of Chicago. He likes to use us as a political punching bag,” Lightfoot said. “But if the president was really committed to helping us deal with our violence, he would do some easy things. What he would push for is universal background checks, he would push for an assault weapons ban, he would push to make sure that people who are banned from getting on airplanes can’t get guns.”
At an unrelated news conference, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Trump’s declaration was “a sign of desperation” to somehow improve his standing. Instead, the president could help secure federal funding for violence prevention programs and mental health initiatives, Pritzker said.
The governor also said Trump has acted irrationally, citing the federal government’s decision to call in the military to disperse peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square across from the White House in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death while in the custody of Minneapolis police.
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“I fear that the president is really thinking about other things and not thinking about what really would help,” Pritzker said.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
rap30@aol.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne
Twitter @rap30


chicagotribune--2020-07-15--Man convicted of murder as a teen says in lawsuit that notorious Chicago detective framed him

But witnesses failed to identify the suspect as the gunman , according to a report written on the day of @ @ @ @ @ who was the lead detective on the case .
Johnson was arrested weeks later after @ @ @ @ @ information that he was the gunman , the lawsuit states .

Demetrius Johnson walks with attorney Josh Tepfer, right, following a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court building in Chicago on Sept. 18, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
A man convicted of murder as a teenager has filed a federal lawsuit claiming notorious Chicago police Detective Reynaldo Guevara buried a lineup report identifying someone else as the gunman in the 1991 shooting, then lied about it at the trial.
The lawsuit by Demetrius Johnson, now 44, is among dozens that have been filed against the now retired Guevara, who has been accused by more than 40 men of manipulating witnesses, fabricating evidence and framing suspects over the course of his career.
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Convictions tainted by the allegations against Guevara have been tossed out against a dozen men in Cook County since mid-2016. He has repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when asked under oath about the accusations.
Johnson was 15 when he was charged in the killing of Edwin Fred, who was shot in a drive-by attack in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. Convicted the next year, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison and released on parole in 2004.
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Fred’s killing took place on the night the Chicago Bulls won the first of six NBA championships in June 1991. Shortly after the shooting, police arrested a suspect near the scene who was getting out of a van with a loaded gun, according to Johnson’s lawsuit.
But witnesses failed to identify the suspect as the gunman, according to a report written on the day of the shooting by Guevara, who was the lead detective on the case. Johnson was arrested weeks later after Guevara claimed to have new information that he was the gunman, the lawsuit states.
Three witnesses picked Johnson out of a lineup — even though none of them had given police any descriptions of the shooter at the time of the attack, according to the lawsuit.
A police report uncovered last year, however, revealed that a second police lineup had been conducted on the night of the shooting and a witness did identify the man arrested near the scene. The lawsuit alleges Guevara buried the second report in a secret “street file” that was never turned over to prosecutors or Johnson’s attorneys.
Johnson denied involvement in the killing, and told police he was with two friends watching the Bulls game at the time.
During the trial, Johnson’s assistant public defender raised the issue of an alternate suspect. But without the evidence of the second lineup, Judge Thomas Cawley believed Guevara’s testimony and convicted Johnson of first-degree murder, according to the lawsuit.
The lineup report identifying an alternate suspect was uncovered in a civil lawsuit filed by Jacques Rivera, who was awarded $17 million by a federal jury that found Guevara had framed him for a 1988 killing on Chicago’s West Side.
As the allegations piled up against Guevara, Cook County prosecutors agreed in November last year that Johnson’s conviction should be thrown out. But they did not drop the charges. They finally agreed to do so the following month after reviewing the new evidence.
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In announcing the lawsuit Wednesday, his attorneys said they had tried to reach a settlement but legal action “became necessary when the city of Chicago refused Mr. Johnson’s efforts to resolve his case.” The lawsuit named Guevara as well as other officers who worked on the case and the city of Chicago.
The city released a statement saying it had found “serious inconsistencies in the allegations being made by Demetrius Johnson.” A spokeswoman for the Law Department declined to elaborate.


chicagotribune--2020-07-15--Police Superintendent David Brown announces wide-ranging leadership changes as department battles vi

Police Superintendent David Brown announces wide-ranging leadership changes as department battles violence spike

Chief Fred Waller , who oversees patrol operations , leaves after serving 34 years in the department .
He was @ @ @ @ @ Wentworth and Gresham districts and later was in charge of five South Side districts before @ @ @ @ @ the highest-ranking positions in the department .
As chief of the bureau of patrol , @ @ @ @ @ crime response in all of the city ’ s 22 police districts .

Departing First Deputy Superintendent Anthony Riccio, left, congratulates Eric Carter as the new first deputy superintendent as Carter's wife, Saadia, looks on during a ceremony July 15, 2020, at Chicago police headquarters. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago police Superintendent David Brown on Wednesday announced significant department leadership changes, including the retirement of a second veteran member and naming his second-in-command.
The announcements come as the department is battling a troubling uptick in violence here and as law enforcement nationally is facing intense, sustained criticism in the wake of a series of high-profile excessive-force incidents.
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In welcoming the new commanders, Brown adamantly expressed confidence that Chicago police are ready to face the challenges.
“It is time for the next generation to cement its mark on history,” Brown said. “This is a pivotal time for CPD and for law enforcement, no doubt. I am confident — confident — that this new group of leaders will bring us into the future.”
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Chief Fred Waller, who oversees patrol operations, leaves after serving 34 years in the department. He was a district commander in the Wentworth and Gresham districts and later was in charge of five South Side districts before being promoted to one of the highest-ranking positions in the department. As chief of the bureau of patrol, Waller was in charge of crime response in all of the city’s 22 police districts.
The moves also included the naming of Eric Carter, a 28-year department member, to first deputy superintendent. Carter had been serving as the chief of the bureau of counterterrorism and special operations.
Carter replaces Anthony Riccio, a 33-year veteran, who announced last month that he would be retiring from his position. The post of first deputy superintendent is an assignment traditionally considered the second most important job in the department.
In his new position, Carter’s critical role includes managing all patrol operations, deployments and criminal investigations at a time when violent crime in Chicago has spiked to alarming highs.
Carter addressed the assembled group of newly promoted commanders after the announcement concluded, calling on them to remain confident that the violence can be reversed.
Departing First Deputy Superintendent Anthony Riccio, left, congratulates Dion Boyd after he was sworn in as the new deputy chief of criminal networks on July 15, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
“The superintendent is right — the violence in Chicago is not normal,” he said. “We need to begin by believing that we can reduce the number of shootings and murders.”
In recent weeks, the exiting Waller has responded to multiple blocks to address the public in the wake of fatal shootings of young children. At the start of last week, the city’s 353 homicides was close to a 40% increase over this time last year, and overall shootings were up by 42%, official Chicago police statistics showed.
Waller will be replaced by Brian McDermott, a 25-year member, who previously was commander of the Chicago Lawn District.
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Brown also announced several other command changes, including naming four new district commanders as well as new heads of internal affairs and the narcotics division.
In brief remarks before the new command staff was sworn in by Riccio and Waller, Brown also spoke briefly about new units he is rolling out, as he offered some more details into how he is shaping the department.
The community safety team, previously announced, will consist of officers with specialized training in gangs, guns and saturation patrols — but they will also be working one day a week inside the neighborhoods they are assigned to on community policing projects.
The newly formed critical incident response team will be tasked with responding to “critical incidents” to “help protect the rights of peaceful protesters,” Brown said, without providing further details.
In his closing remarks, Brown acknowledged the steep challenges law enforcement face as well as mistakes that must be fixed in a rousing charge to the new command staff.
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“This country needs you to endure through the criticisms, through our flaws, through our mistakes,” Brown said. “Endure. History will look back on us and say, ‘How in the world did the men and women in blue endure this time?’ We are writing that answer now. It’s through our high level of integrity, our accountability to one another and our unmatched efforts to make the city of Chicago the safest city in the country.”


chicagotribune--2020-07-15--Art Institute to reopen July 30 — and will be free the first week

The museum has increased text size on some signage in order to make distancing easier , and frontline staff have @ @ @ @ @ to help keep patrons safe in the museum ’ s roughly 1 million square feet @ @ @ @ @ will follow city guidelines and be kept at no more than 25 percent of capacity @

The Art Institute, Chicago’s popular encyclopedic art museum, plans to begin its limited reopening beginning July 30, the institution announced Wednesday.
Like the MCA, which announced its July 24 reopening Monday, the Art Institute will be free initially (for Illinois residents, through Aug. 3) and will have new, limited weekday hours (closing Tuesdays and Wednesdays).
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The reopening plans have him feeling “cautiously optimistic and energized,” said President and Eloise W. Martin Director James Rondeau. “We’re going to come back obviously intact, but looking a little bit different.”
New will be the five-day-a-week schedule, running from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. the other three days. Each day’s first hour will be for museum members only.
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Masks, of course, will be required and social distancing encouraged, even in front of such star attractions as “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte” and “Nighthawks,” Rondeau said. Some smaller galleries will remain closed because it would be difficult for people to maintain separation inside them.
The museum has increased text size on some signage in order to make distancing easier, and frontline staff have been trained in physical distancing to help keep patrons safe in the museum’s roughly 1 million square feet of gallery space. Attendance will follow city guidelines and be kept at no more than 25 percent of capacity.
While July 30 is the scheduled reopening date, Rondeau did emphasize that it remains, to a degree, provisional because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that forced the museum to close in mid-March.
“We’re confident in our ability to to open a safe and healthy museum July 30th,” he said, “and we’re just trying to have that message feel a little bit nuanced relative to the city, the county, the state, the nation.”
Coronavirus case counts have risen severely in many states in recent weeks, and even Illinois has seen recent increases, although in no way as dramatic as in Arizona or Texas, for example
The museum said it has extended into the fall its major special exhibition, “El Greco: Ambition and Defiance,” which was only open a week before the closure came; there will no longer be an upcharge for “El Greco.”
And the postponed special exhibit “Monet and Chicago,” which was to open in May, will now likely debut right after Labor Day, the director said.
The museum requires advanced ticket purchasing to keep person-to-person transactions to a minimum. The gift shops will be open, but the restaurants and coat check will remain closed during the initial phase of reopening, the museum says.
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In additions, some galleries will have new, one-way pathways. And new cleaning and disinfecting protocols have been established. A list of the new visiting protocols is on the museum’s website.
“We’re in the business of sharing our collection and our exhibitions with our visitors,” said Rondeau. “I hope we’re not just going to help people navigate a safe visit to the museum. I hope we’re going to help people navigate a safe return to some of our former commitments (throughout society). So that feels like the super energizing part of it.”
sajohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @StevenKJohnson


chicagotribune--2020-07-15--Man seriously injured after being dragged by Jeep during argument over horn

A man was struck and seriously injured by a Jeep on the West Side after getting into an argument about @ @ @ @ @ , according to Chicago police .

A man was struck and seriously injured by a Jeep on the West Side after getting into an argument about the driver honking his horn, according to Chicago police.
The 28-year-old man confronted the driver shortly before 3:45 a.m. Wednesday at the mouth of an alley in the 4800 block of West Potomac Avenue in the North Austin neighborhood, police said.
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The driver struck the man and dragged him for a short distance before fleeing the scene in the gray Jeep, police said. No other details of the vehicle were released.
The man was taken in serious condition to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park.