chicagotribune--2020-06-12--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 766 new known COVID-19 cases and 91 additional deaths reported as v

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 766 new known COVID-19 cases and 91 additional deaths reported as virus survivor in Chicago receives double lung transplant

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A person rides the Metra Electric District line, May 11, 2021, in Chicago. With some coronavirus pandemic restrictions lifted, some people may be returning to public transit. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
State officials announced Thursday there had been 91 additional fatalities related to COVID-19 confirmed, for a statewide death toll of 6,185.
Officials also reported 766 new known cases, pushing the statewide total to 130,603.
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Earlier Thursday, it was announced that about 1.5 million laid-off workers applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, evidence that many Americans are still losing their jobs even as the economy appears to be slowly recovering with more businesses partially reopening.
In Illinois, 44,814 people filed initial claims for jobless benefits in the week ended June 6, a slight decline from the 46,385 claims filed the previous week.
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[ When can Illinois move to phase 4? Here's where each region stands. ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
10:50 p.m.: Chicago’s Riverwalk set to reopen on Friday with restrictions
The city of Chicago’s Riverwalk will officially reopen on Friday, with restrictions aimed at limiting activity and crowds, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office announced.
Lightfoot ordered the Riverwalk closed in March as part of a broader effort to curb the spread of coronavirus. Now, with the city easing restrictions on the public and allowing more businesses to reopen, the mayor’s office said it will allow people to visit the Riverwalk through limited access points on Lake Street. Read more here. — Gregory Pratt
7:32 p.m.: Lakeview set to be first in the city to test street closures for pilot dining program this weekend
As outdoor dining in Chicago continues into its second weekend, the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce is taking it a step further through Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s pilot program, with plans to be the first area in the city to shut down a main street for outdoor dining.
Tomorrow, from noon until 10 p.m., Broadway will be open only to pedestrians between Belmont Avenue and Diversey Parkway, and again from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Read more here. — Grace Wong
5:29 p.m.: Trial in Dennis Hastert hush-money lawsuit delayed by coronavirus
The trial over hush-money payments by former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert to a man who accused him of sexual abuse won’t begin this summer after all because of ongoing concerns over the coronavirus.
Kendall County Chief Judge Robert Pilmer, who is presiding over the long-simmering lawsuit, cited social distancing concerns for potential jurors as the reason for the delay during a court hearing Thursday.
Lawyer had been expected to begin jury selection next month.
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“The plaintiff is anxious to move forward and have this matter heard and resolved, as is the defendant, and I can assure you I’d like to have it resolved as well,” the judge said. “But today the only thing I can tell you with any degree of certainty is we’re not going to have a trial in July.”
This is at least the second time the trial has been postponed. Pilmer did not immediately set a new date. He noted continued concerns, such as a second wave of the virus causing further disruptions. The Yorkville courthouse resumed operations June 1, though some restrictions remain in place.
Lawyers in the lawsuit are due back in court Sept. 25, when another trial date may be set. Read more here. — Christy Gutowski
5:28 p.m. (Updated): Advocates call for more permanent housing units for vulnerable homeless Chicagoans as COVID-19 crisis eases: ‘An issue of racial justice’
More rental units are needed to shield vulnerable Chicagoans without a home from the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report released by a coalition of doctors and advocates for homeless people.
The city of Chicago proposed spending a total of almost $40 million in federal funding, combining money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act and federal block grants. The money would go toward homelessness services including prevention efforts, emergency rental assistance and spacing out of current shelters to maintain social distance measures. The city earmarked $15.7 million for 1,250 “shield housing” units to prevent COVID-19 infection among older or medically vulnerable homeless individuals.
But the proposal falls 500 units short of recommendations by the Chicago Homelessness and Health Response Group for Equity, which includes doctors who work in homeless shelters where people sleep in gymlike dormitories.
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“The ask of 500 additional rapid rehousing units is a drop in the bucket when it comes to the need,” David Ansell, president of Rush University Medical Center’s community health equity, said during a news conference Thursday. “We should not leave the opportunity to house these 500 additional households on the table.” Read more here. — Cecilia Reyes
5:24 p.m.: Woman on the brink of death receives first known double lung transplant due to COVID-19 in US
Doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Friday performed the first known double lung transplant in the United States for a COVID-19 patient whose lungs were severely damaged by the disease, saving the woman in her 20s from almost certain death.
Speaking outside of the Prentice Women’s Hospital on Thursday, the doctors called the surgery a “milestone" in care for patients who are critically ill from the virus which has killed more than 6,000 people in Illinois. The hospital has already received calls from across the country about the procedure.
At least two other transplants have been performed in Austria and China.
“This is an important development that could help a number of patients who have sustained severe and irreversible lung damage as a result of COVID-19,” said Ankit Bharat , chief of thoracic surgery and surgical director of the Northwestern Medicine Lung Transplant Program. Read more here. — Madeline Buckley
5:23 p.m.: As US lockdowns roll back, there’s been an alarming rise in coronavirus cases. Here’s what’s driving surges in some states.
States are rolling back lockdowns, but the coronavirus isn't done with the U.S.
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Cases are rising in nearly half the states, according to an Associated Press analysis, a worrying trend that could intensify as people return to work and venture out during the summer. Read more here. — Associated Press
4:18 p.m.: Chicago’s farmers markets start to reopen with new safety protocols, beginning in neighborhoods with less access to food
Slowly, and under strict COVID-19 safety protocols, Chicago’s city-run and independent farmers markets are opening.
“It’s happening more slowly than we would have liked it, or would in a normal year, but everybody has to adjust to what they’re doing, and how they’re doing it,” said city markets program director Alisa Baum. “It’s been slow rolling, but we’re getting there.”
A couple of independent markets — in Andersonville and Back of the Yards — have opened this week. Starting Saturday, the city-operated markets will start opening, specifically targeting areas designated as low-income, low-access by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
First up is the West Humboldt Park market (3601 W. Chicago Ave.) on Saturday, followed by the Division Street market (30 W. Division St.) on June 20 and the Pullman Market City market (11100 S. Cottage Grove Ave.) on July 1. Eight more city-run markets will open in the following weeks. Read more here. — Phil Vettel
3:21 p.m.: Cook County to spend $41 million on COVID-19 contact tracing, but won’t be fully staffed until fall
Cook County will spend nearly $41 million to dramatically beef up its contact tracing program in an effort to limit future COVID-19 case surges, but won’t have the program fully staffed until fall, County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced Thursday.
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The program — which involves identifying people afflicted with the disease, ensuring they can isolate and asking people with whom they recently had significant contact to quarantine themselves — is widely viewed as a key element in limiting future outbreaks of the disease. Read more here. — Hal Dardick
3:11 p.m.: Some south suburban pools are reopening, but you might need a reservation
With new guidelines laid out by state health officials, some south suburban public pools are reopening, but with a bevy of restrictions.
Oak Lawn Park District officials recently reopened the district’s Central Park pool, and Orland Park is opening its indoor pool at its Health & Fitness Center on Friday followed by the outdoor pool at Centennial Park on Monday. Read more here. — Mike Nolan
2:38 p.m.: 766 new known COVID-19 cases, 91 additional deaths
State officials announced Thursday there had been 91 additional fatalities related to COVID-19 confirmed, for a statewide death toll of 6,185.
Officials also reported 766 new known cases, pushing the statewide total to 130,603.
12:23 p.m.: Advocates call for more permanent housing units for vulnerable homeless Chicagoans as COVID-19 crisis eases: ‘An issue of racial justice’
More rental units are needed to shield vulnerable Chicagoans without a home from the pandemic, according to a report released by a coalition of doctors and advocates for the homeless.
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The city of Chicago proposed spending $23.7 million from federal funding for homelessness services, which includes prevention efforts and spacing out of current shelters to maintain social distance measures. The city destined $15.7 million for 1,250 “shield housing” units to prevent COVID-19 infection among older or medically vulnerable homeless individuals.
But the proposal falls 500 units short of recommendations by the Chicago Homelessness and Health Response Group for Equity, which includes doctors who work in homeless shelters where people sleep in gymlike dormitories.
“The ask of 500 additional rapid rehousing units is a drop in the bucket when it comes to the need,” David Ansell, president of Rush Universtity Medical Center’s community health equity, said. “We should not leave the opportunity to house these 500 additional household on the table.” Read more here. —Cecilia Reyes
10:29 a.m.: Musicians, local sports stars fill lineup for Chicago’s citywide virtual graduation
As Chicago prepares to honors its high school graduates with a virtual ceremony, DJ Khaled, Common and a host of other celebrities and sports figures have joined the lineup, with Oprah Winfrey headlining.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the additional participants Thursday, ahead of the hourlong citywide commencement airing at 1 p.m. Sunday, to be followed by a party with an array of musical performances. Read more here. —Ariel Cheung
9:48 a.m.: Food prices jump in May, led by 40% surge in meat costs, as US wholesale prices rise
U.S. wholesale prices rose 0.4% in May, led by gains in the cost of food and energy.
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The Labor Department said Thursday that its Producer Price Index, which measures inflation pressures before they reach the consumer, showed an increase after three straight months of declines. Those declines had reflected in part the steep drop in demand caused by government-ordered shutdowns to deal with the coronavirus.
The cost of food rose a sharp 6%. Food costs have been rising due to high demand from Americans cooking more at home, but also because of lost production following virus outbreaks at food processing facilities. Energy prices, which had fallen for three straight months, increased 4.5%. Read more here. —Associated Press
7:49 a.m.: 1.5 million new unemployment claims — a high number of layoffs, but 10th straight weekly decline
About 1.5 million laid-off workers applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, evidence that many Americans are still losing their jobs even as the economy appears to be slowly recovering with more businesses partially reopening.
The latest figure from the Labor Department marked the 10th straight weekly decline in applications for jobless aid since they peaked in mid-March when the coronavirus hit hard. Still, the pace of layoffs remains historically high.
In Illinois, 44,814 people filed initial claims for jobless benefits in the week ended June 6, a slight decline from the 46,385 claims filed the previous week.
Nationally, the total number of people who are receiving unemployment aid fell slightly, a sign that some people who were laid off when restaurants, retail chains and small businesses suddenly shut down have been recalled to work. Read more here. —Associated Press
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7:02 a.m.: Coronavirus survivor in Chicago receives double lung transplant
Surgeons in Chicago have given a new set of lungs to a young woman with severe lung damage from the coronavirus.
Only a few other COVID-19 survivors, in China and Europe, have received lung transplants.
The patient, who is her 20s, was on a ventilator and heart-lung machine for almost two months before her operation last Friday at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Read more here. —Associated Press
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Here are five things that happened Wednesday in the Chicago area related to coronavirus:


chicagotribune--2020-06-12--The Spin: Lightfoot, Rush united against cops’ alleged lounge act | Woodlawn residents push for CBA

The Spin: Lightfoot, Rush united against cops’ alleged lounge act | Woodlawn residents push for CBA | Cook County looks to beef up coronavirus contact tracing

“ This election is really about what type of police force we ’ re going to have in the city @ @ @ @ @ who votes for Lori , the blood of the next young black man or black @ @ @ @ @ the police is on your hands , ” Rush said in March 2019 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ police brutality and murder , you ought to be for Toni Preckwinkle .
She ’ @ @ @ @ @ is going to have the police under her control .
”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot listens as Congressman Bobby Rush announces during a press conference at City Hall, Thursday, June 11, 2020, on how Chicago police officers made popcorn and coffee in his office while nearby businesses were being looted last month. Image in background shows police officers lounging about in the congressman's office. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Once political enemies, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush let bygones be bygones today and stood united in their outrage over a handful of Chicago police officers recorded on video who they say were lounging in the congressman’s office while nearby businesses were being looted amid unrest nearly two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, Cook County announced plans to spend $41 million on COVID-19 contact tracing, an effort that won’t be fully staffed until this fall.
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And, members of the Obama Community Benefits Agreement Coalition and ally groups took over a vacant Woodlawn lot Thursday with a makeshift settlement of gray tents. It was a symbolic message to Lightfoot about their concerns that homelessness could worsen there without a community benefits agreement.
Welcome to The Spin.
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U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush watches as Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a news conference on June 11, 2020. Chicago police officers allegedly made popcorn and coffee in Rush's office while nearby businesses were being looted last month. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
During last year’s mayor’s race, U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush backed Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle over now-Mayor Lori Lightfoot. At the time, Rush mocked Lightfoot’s call to transform Chicago’s political climate as “chump change” and said she was representing the city’s Fraternal Order of Police.
“This election is really about what type of police force we’re going to have in the city of Chicago, and everyone who votes for Lori, the blood of the next young black man or black woman who is killed by the police is on your hands,” Rush said in March 2019. “If you’re against police brutality and murder, you ought to be for Toni Preckwinkle. She’s the only one who is going to have the police under her control.”
But on Thursday, Rush stood with Lightfoot in announcing their joint outrage over new allegations of Chicago police misconduct — this time inside the congressman’s South Side campaign office.
Lightfoot and Rush on Thursday said new images depicted Chicago police officers making popcorn, drinking coffee and sleeping on a couch in the congressman’s campaign office while nearby businesses were being looted nearly two weeks ago.
Rush said surveillance footage showed officers “lounging in my office,” including three supervisors, with their feet up on desks and another asleep on the couch. “They even had the unmitigated gall to go and make coffee for themselves and to pop popcorn, my popcorn, in my microwave while looters were tearing apart businesses within their sight and within their reach,” Rush said.
Regarding their past history, Rush said he didn’t give Lightfoot the benefit of the doubt before but now believes “without any doubt, any doubt, any doubt in my heart, in my mind and in my spirit that she is absolutely committed to the well-being of all Chicagoans, bar none."
He also said: “This is the era of Lori Lightfoot and I intend to do all that I can within my capabilities to make this era of Lori Lightfoot the absolutely best era that this city has seen.”
Lightfoot, meanwhile, said they were together against the alleged police misconduct.
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“We haven’t always agreed on every issue, but today, we are in total alignment in our righteous anger and our steadfast determination, and I want to make sure that’s very clear,” Lightfoot said. “What I know of Congressman Rush is this — he has committed his life to calling out and fighting against injustice, and this presents exactly one of those moments.” Read the rest of the Tribune’s team coverage here.
Lakeview march planned to press aldermen to support civilian police oversight proposal — Read John Byrne’s story here.
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Customers at The Herbal Care Center, on Chicago's West Side, keep their distance as they wait in line to take their orders on March 31, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Robert McCoppin: "Recreational marijuana sales in May set another monthly record in Illinois, with more than $44 million in transactions, state officials reported Thursday, despite limitations due to the coronavirus.
"State residents spent about $34 million on cannabis, and out-of-state visitors purchased an additional $10 million, for a total of $44.3 million.
"That surpassed the previous record of $39 million set in January, the first month of legal adult use recreational sales.
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“Nearly 1 million individual products were sold, also a record, according to figures provided by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.” Read the rest of the story here.
Pedestrians are seen at Belmont Avenue and Clark Street in Chicago on May 26, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Hal Dardick reports: "Cook County will spend nearly $41 million to dramatically beef up its contact tracing program in an effort to limit future COVID-19 case surges, but won’t have the program fully staffed until fall, County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced Thursday.
“The program — which involves identifying people afflicted with the disease, ensuring they can isolate and asking people with whom they recently had significant contact to quarantine themselves — is widely viewed as a key element in limiting future outbreaks of the disease.” Read the rest of the story here.
Drummers from the group Ayodele Drum & Dance play for activists calling for the development of affordable housing near the proposed site of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago during a rally at 63rd Street and Blackstone Avenue in Chicago on June 11, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Alice Yin: "Two men helped ease Sharon Payne out of her chair before she strode toward the news microphones with her walking stick.
"With health issues affecting her hip and back, the 71-year-old Payne knew the risks of showing up to a public protest, much less during the coronavirus pandemic. But the longtime Woodlawn resident said she had to speak up as an activist calling for more affordable housing around the planned Obama Presidential Center because she fears the rising rents will push her out of her subsidized, one-bedroom apartment.
"'This community is a black community,' Payne said during the news conference. ‘Why should they be put out and pulled out because they want to make this Gold Coast?’
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“Payne joined about 50 other members of the Obama Community Benefits Agreement Coalition and ally groups as they took over a vacant Woodlawn lot with a makeshift settlement of gray tents on Thursday — a symbolic message to Mayor Lori Lightfoot of their concerns that homelessness could worsen there without a community benefits agreement. More than a dozen community groups have joined or allied with the Obama CBA Coalition to clamor for a pause in the city planning process for Woodlawn and surrounding areas until a community benefits agreement can be reached.” Read the rest of her story here.
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chicagotribune--2020-06-12--Man critically wounded Thursday evening, among 1 dead, 2 wounded on West, South sides

About 6 p.m. , the man was in the 1600 block of South Homan Avenue , when he was approached @ @ @ @ @ a gun and fired shots , striking him three times to the neck .
He @ @ @ @ @ to Mount Sinai Hospital , police said .

A 35 year-old man was listed in critical condition Thursday evening, following a shooting in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side, Chicago police said.
About 6 p.m., the man was in the 1600 block of South Homan Avenue, when he was approached by someone who pulled out a gun and fired shots, striking him three times to the neck. He was taken in critical condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, police said.
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Earlier Thursday, two gunmen traveling in a red truck opened fire, fatally shooting a 19-year-old man and wounding another on the South Side in the Englewood neighborhood, police said.
Shortly before noon, two men, 19 and 21, were sitting in a vehicle in the 1100 block of West 71st Street, when a red truck approached and two gunmen opened fire in their direction, Chicago police said.
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The victims fled the scene to 81st and Loomis Boulevard where an ambulance was called. The younger victim suffered wounds to his face and neck, and was pronounced dead. The older victim was struck in the forearm, and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, police said.
No one was in custody, and detectives were investigating.


chicagotribune--2020-06-12--Lakeview march planned to press aldermen to support civilian police oversight proposal

“ First and foremost , we just wanted to voice our concerns with ( Tunney ) about the racial profiling @ @ @ @ @ our own backyard , ” Trewn said .
“ And we wanted to hear from @ @ @ @ @ avenues we have to hold people accountable .
And he did , I think , @ @ @ @ @ was someone in his office directed us to COPA .

A Lakeview man who says Chicago police officers racially profiled him outside his home near Wrigley Field is planning a march Friday to press local aldermen to support a police reform proposal that would give a civilian board a great deal of authority over the Police Department.
Jay Trewn, who is African American, said officers followed him into his backyard a few blocks from the ballpark on a May 2019 morning and demanded to see ID, saying they had reports of burglaries in the area.
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When he refused to present ID, Trewn said one of the officers called him a profanity.
“At another point they said, ‘You’d better hope you never get robbed, because we won’t be here to help you,'” he said.
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Trewn said he eventually filed a complaint about the incident with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability at the recommendation of Wrigleyville Ald. Tom Tunney’s office, but only after he and his wife tried in vain to get a meeting with Tunney, 44th, about their concerns.
A COPA spokesperson could not be reached for comment Thursday.
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“First and foremost, we just wanted to voice our concerns with (Tunney) about the racial profiling that occurred, literally in our own backyard,” Trewn said. “And we wanted to hear from him, what are the avenues we have to hold people accountable. And he did, I think, the bare minimum, which was someone in his office directed us to COPA.
“We expected and hoped for more, and now we are going to go to the station and to his office to let them know that we expect them to be more accountable to us,” he said.
At 5 p.m. Friday, Trewn said, he and others plan to march from the Town Hall District police station to Tunney’s office and on to Lincoln Park Ald. Michele Smith’s office, to make their case for the Civilian Police Accountability Commission.
CPAC is a police oversight proposal that gained the support of many grassroots organizations in the city in the aftermath of the 2014 Laquan McDonald police shooting, but has not been backed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot or a majority of the City Council. It calls for the creation of a civilian board with the power to investigate and fire police officers.
Tunney said he’s sorry the COPA investigation into Trewn’s complaint is taking so long, and he’s committed to Police Department reforms such as controlling overtime spending and putting in place stronger safeguards to prevent minorities from getting mistreated by officers anywhere in the city.
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“I’m ready for reform, more accountability, and I’m working with the mayor and the (City Council) Black Caucus on that,” Tunney said. “We have a mayor who’s been working on police accountability for more than a decade, and she’s firmly committed to it. I’m in favor of that effort.
“But to tear the whole system up and start from scratch, I don’t think that’s what my residents want, and probably not what the whole city wants,” he said.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-06-12--‘Take your knee off my neck,’ chant marchers during new round of George Floyd-inspired demonstration

‘Take your knee off my neck,’ chant marchers during new round of George Floyd-inspired demonstrations in Chicago

“ I ’ ve worked in middle and high schools and I know that it ’ s not a pleasant @ @ @ @ @ come to school and the first thing they see is a police officer , ” @ @ @ @ @ not give her last name because she is looking for work and felt her attendance @ @ @ @ @ used against her .
“ The part of the movement that speaks to me is @ @ @ @ @ schools to where we actually need it , like teachers and counselors and social work @ @

Alice Yin, Nausheen Husain, Javonte Anderson

West Side religious leaders, politicians and officials from the Chicago Police Board and the Civilian Office of Police Accountability convened on Friday to cry for a remedy to what they say is America’s enduring systemic racism and police brutality, a prelude to a third weekend of worldwide demonstrations since the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
The march was one of several that took place throughout the city Friday, with more planned over the weekend. Most of them were directly sparked by the death of Floyd, a black man who gasped, “I can’t breathe,” while a white police officer knelt on his neck, or by proposals for police reforms in Chicago.
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The group stepped off about noon from near Independence Boulevard and the Eisenhower Expressway and strode south to where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. lived at 1550 S. Hamlin Ave. during the Chicago Freedom Movement in 1966.
Civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson was waiting for the crowd at the Dr. King Legacy Apartments and roused them with a speech calling for not just disrupting the police status quo, but also for an economic, health care and housing revolution in the black community.
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“The police must enforce the law, not make the law as they go,” Jackson said. “Their racism is bone-deep. Bone-deep, not skin-deep.”
Jackson, a two-time Democratic presidential candidate and founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, made fun of the controversy brewing with Chicago police and U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush. Images apparently depicted officers making popcorn, drinking coffee and sleeping on a couch in the congressman’s campaign office while nearby businesses were being looted amid unrest nearly two weeks ago.
“The 13 police that (were) sent to Bobby Rush’s office, Lori Lightfoot, she can’t find them,” Jackson said, of Chicago’s mayor. “Their laws must go because black lives matter.”
With a crowd of at least 100 people repeating after him, Jackson chanted, “I’m in Lawndale. I matter. West Side. Black people matter. Black lives matter. Black lives matter.”
A scuffle in the beginning between Chicago activist Mark Carter and People’s Church of the Harvest pastor Michael Eaddy briefly disrupted the first round of speeches. Through a loudspeaker, Carter ordered Eaddy, who serves on the Police Board, to “take a step back.” He also blared a foghorn as Ald. Michael Scott, 24th, played a recorded message from Mayor Lightfoot, effectively drowning out her words.
After the ruckus died down, Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin addressed the crowd.
“Fifty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King marched through these neighborhoods for justice," Durbin said. “Today, in his memory and in the tradition of an America always seeking to better itself, we march these same streets in the name of Dr. Martin Luther King, George Floyd, Laquan McDonald. The list goes on and on.”
As the march continued, a song rang out: “Everybody say black lives matter … everybody say, I can’t breathe. Hands up, don’t shoot,” from a truck as a Chicago police bike unit followed.
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Sen. Dick Durbin: “Dr. Martin Luther King marched through these neighborhoods for justice. Today, in his memory & in the tradition of an America always seeking to better itself we march the same streets in the name of Dr. Martin Luther King George Floyd laquan McDonald.” pic.twitter.com/Z1xlKfYYWC — Alice Yin (@byaliceyin) June 12, 2020
As the marchers arrived at the historic Stone Temple Baptist Church, shortly after 1 p.m., Bishop Derrick Fitzpatrick led the crowd in a chant:
“Take your knee off my neck. Black lives matter.”
Deborah Wesley, vice president for community outreach at Sinai Health Systems, recalled witnessing King say, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane,” in Chicago during the 1960s.
That injustice continues today with disparities in COVID-19 and maternal deaths among black people, Wesley said.
“We will no longer tolerate a society that accepts it as inevitable that black people are sicker and are just gonna die,” Wesley said. “We deserve and we demand healthy communities and a health care system that treats us equally, with compassion and dignity.”
The crowd erupted in applause when Wesley promised her community will not stand aside as the brown community suffers barriers to health care because of immigration status.
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Pastor Ira Acree warned that Thursday’s revelation of the Chicago cops caught sleeping and eating popcorn at Rush’s office was the tip of the iceberg in police misconduct.
Dubbing Chicago a "tale of two cities,” Acree asked: “If they do this in the middle of a riot, what are they doing in normal conditions? This behavior coupled with the abysmal homicide clearance rate, it’s no wonder that our people on the West Side feel abandoned and all they own when it comes down to public safety in our community.”
State Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, was also on hand to show solidarity with the movement.
“When you walk in peace, things get done,” Lilly told the marchers. “Together we must have the vision for the black community. Together we must work with all the elected officials at every level of government,” Lilly said.
“I stand with you. We will get this done.”
In a cameo appearance, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle reminded the group of the weight of black history in America, summarizing the arc of their arrival as slaves in 1619 to the passage of the 13th Amendment freeing them about 250 years later to modern-day protests against police brutality.
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“We’re not in the battle of a moment, we’re in the battle of a lifetime,” Preckwinkle said. “We’re in the battle of our lifetime and the change we seek is not going to come tomorrow or the next day, but it will come if we spend our lives working for it.”
Ephraim Eaddy, spokesman for the police accountability office, also delivered remarks during the march, saying that as a black man raised in Chicago he was taught that anything was possible.
“I want you to know, West Side of Chicago, we hear you,” Eaddy said. “What you need to continue to do is hold us accountable. We are the agency that will conduct the investigations. … I was born in the city of Chicago and I was taught we don’t hide, and we don’t run.”
Chicago Police Board President Ghian Foreman, who said last week that police battered him with batons the previous weekend, echoed the need for accountability and stressed the board is independent of the mayor. “No amount of effort is adequate until it’s effective.”
Chicago Police board president Ghian Foreman, who stated last week that Chicago police battered him with batons the previous weekend, echoes need for accountability and stresses the board is independent of the mayor. “No amount of effort is adequate until it’s effective.” pic.twitter.com/bKsi4iDApY — Alice Yin (@byaliceyin) June 12, 2020
Addressing the crowd at Stone Temple Baptist Church, U.S. Rep. Danny Davis had an uplifting message.
US Rep Danny Davis: “Good fruit keeps on falling. ... All of the young ppl will continue to express hope faith and belief that only is change on the way but change is right now.“ Says police dep needs more representation of Black people pic.twitter.com/ZauADgrvaC — Alice Yin (@byaliceyin) June 12, 2020
“Good fruit keeps on falling. … All of the young people will continue to express hope, faith and belief that not only is change on the way, but change is right now.“
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Friday midafternoon, another rally unfolded in Bronzeville, where Believers Bail Out, a bail fund organization, and a handful of Chicago Muslim organizers hosted a march and rally that concluded with Friday prayers being held directly in front of Chicago police headquarters.
The “Muslims for Abolition” march started on 37th and Martin Luther King Drive, near a rock honoring Ida B. Wells, a pioneering investigative reporter who wrote about lynchings in the U.S.
“The reason we’re here is because George Floyd was lynched,” said Iesa, one of the organizers of the rally who did not want to give his last name. “Lynching has always meant to keep black and brown people oppressed, to terrify you.”
Those marching held signs that quoted the Prophet Muhammad, saying, “Fear the prayer of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah,” and signs that denoted support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Food, water and wheelchairs were donated to those who needed them, speakers encouraged attendees to wear masks, and marchers carried prayer mats with them. Inaya Salaam from Roseland, a volunteer for Believers Bail Out, brought her kids — her baby daughter wearing a “Black Girl Muslim” shirt — and said she was happy to see people being more vocal about the issue of police and prison abolition.
“Bailing people out is still feeding a system that is unjust,” Salaam said, “so seeing the movement over the past three years and the conversation happening now about abolition feels like real progress.”
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Jessica from Hyde Park said she has seen firsthand the negative effects of having police in schools.
“I’ve worked in middle and high schools and I know that it’s not a pleasant thing for a kid to come to school and the first thing they see is a police officer,” said Jessica, who did not give her last name because she is looking for work and felt her attendance at a rally would be used against her. “The part of the movement that speaks to me is the redistribution of funds in schools to where we actually need it, like teachers and counselors and social work.”
The group marched up Martin Luther King Drive and gathered for Friday prayers in the middle of the street outside police headquarters, at 3510 S. Michigan Ave. Organizers said the group grew to around 300 people by the time prayers were completed.
A handful of officers stood at the front entrance of the station, and attendees not participating in prayers stood between the officers and the group praying. The khutba, or sermon, focused on the requirement of all believers to fight for justice outside of just their places of prayer.
The group’s goal is to call for a complete abolition of police and prisons, said another organizer, Hoda Katebi.
Muslims for Abolition is planning to hold an abolition-focused event every Friday in a different city.
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"We have a tradition that is so deeply rooted in mercy and compassion. How many times a day do we say ‘Bismillahir Rahman Rahim?’” said Katebi, referencing an oft-repeated line of the Quran that describes God as “the most merciful.” “We’re trying to build a world that reflects what we’re called to.”
Meanwhile, Friday evening on the Northwest Side hundreds more demonstrators marched through the Jefferson Park neighborhood to protest peacefully.
As they rallied for justice and called for racial equality, speakers addressing the crowd first highlighted racial issues they’ve experienced in their own neighborhood.
Standing in front of Ald. James Gardiner’s office, Dawn Nettnin, a member of the Northwest Side Coalition Against Racism and Hate, urged the majority white crowd to fight against racism.
“For those neighbors who feel marginalized, especially our black neighbors, the allied voices of your white Northwest Side neighbors like me need to be louder. We need to be more active. We need to be committed to tangible solutions to keep you safe and are welcoming to you and your family.”
Danielle Bridges said she never experienced racism until moving to Jefferson Park from Evanston 22 years ago.
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”I spent that time trying to stay as small as possible to avoid the racism that I was getting just by existing,” Bridges said. ”But that day is over. I’m here to stand up, and I’m here to use my voice.”
The crowd, holding signs that read ”Black Lives Matter,” ”Silence Is Violence” and ”Black Lives Are Beautiful,” began chanting, “ Silent police are guilty too!” as they approached the 16th District police station, 5151 N. Milwaukee Ave.
They stayed about 10 minutes before marching back to Gardiner’s office, where the crowd ultimately dispersed about 6:45 p.m.
A couple of hundred protesters, some from End Racism in Lakeview, disbanded about 7:30 p.m. in front of the 19th District police station, 850 W. Addison St., after marching through the Lakeview area.
ayin@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-06-12--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 595 new known COVID-19 cases reported as public health commissioner

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 595 new known COVID-19 cases reported as public health commissioner says Chicago could further reopen on July 1, allow indoor dining at restaurants

According to guidelines also detailed on the chain ’ s website , the reopening is dependent on health metrics remaining @ @ @ @ @ Illinois moving to Phase 4 reopening .
There may be new protocols spelled out by @ @ @ @ @ current thinking is for auditoriums to be no more than 50 % filled , with @ @ @ @ @ .
Those without recliner seating , which Classic Cinemas says are already six feet apart @ @ @ @ @ row blocked off .
Concessions will be open .
Patrons will be required to follow @ @ @ @ @ , but only until seated .
There will be additional cleaning services and employees will @ @ @ @ @ masks and gloves .
Read more here .
—Doug George

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
A person rides the Metra Electric District line, May 11, 2021, in Chicago. With some coronavirus pandemic restrictions lifted, some people may be returning to public transit. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
The city of Chicago is on pace to further reopen its economy on July 1, with restrictions potentially being loosened on indoor dining at restaurants, museums and gyms, public health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said.
Arwady made the comments at a Friday afternoon news conference where she unveiled a new coronavirus data portal.
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State officials also announced Friday there had been 75 additional fatalities related to COVID-19 confirmed, for a statewide death toll of 6,260.
Officials also reported 595 new known cases, pushing the statewide total to 131,198.
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[ When can Illinois move to phase 4? Here's where each region stands. ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
Here’s what’s happening Friday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7:49 p.m.: Another week, another grim toll in Illinois nursing homes
Another 349 people living and working in Illinois long-term care facilities died of the novel coronavirus since the last weekly update and another 1,700 were confirmed to be infected, the state reported Friday.
That brings the total number of reported infections inside the state’s nursing homes and other larger congregate settings to 20,550. Cases from long-term care facilities account for about 16 percent of the more than 130,000 confirmed infections statewide and nearly 55 percent of all deaths.
Updated Illinois Department of Public Health data on Friday showed that 3,433 residents and workers connected to long-term care centers have died of COVID-19.
Although the numbers still are growing, the pace at which infections were reported did slow a bit. Since the last data report on June 5, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases among workers and residents of nursing homes and other institutional settings rose by about 9 percent. The number of cases had grown by about 10 percent the previous week and by 15 percent between May 23 and May 30.
Across Illinois, 580 long-term care facilities — nursing homes, assisted living settings and centers for adults with developmental disabilities — have had confirmed COVID-19 cases. Residents or workers have died as a result of the virus in more than 400 of those facilities; 152 facilities have had 10 or more deaths.
Most of the hardest-hit homes are in Cook County and surrounding counties. No facility has had more confirmed cases than the Elisabeth Ludeman Developmental Center in Park Forest, where 325 people have tested positive. Ludeman serves adults with developmental disabilities. And no facility has had more COVID-19 related deaths than the Villa at Windsor Park on Chicago’s South Side, where 43 people now have died of the virus. —Jennifer Smith Richards
6:37 p.m.: Business is picking up in Chicago, but for some minority-owned shops and restaurants, ‘it’s still not enough.’
It’s been a rough three months for Roberto Gomez, who owns Don Pepe, a Mexican restaurant in the city’s Little Village neighborhood.
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Gomez was getting ready to open for outdoor dining after months of relying on sales from carryout orders when widespread unrest hit the city over the death of George Floyd, a black man killed last month at the hands of Minneapolis police. Several businesses on the South and West Side were hit by looting. The response scared a lot of diners, and Gomez closed early three days, causing sales to drop to 10% of normal pandemic levels.
As protests remain peaceful and Chicago begins a phased reopening, Gomez said “it’s still not enough” for his business to recover to the way it was before the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses like his have been hit with a double whammy the past few months, struggling to make it through a statewide shutdown and civil unrest. Now some are struggling to open with capacity limits and other coronavirus restrictions.
Some business owners of color say they are getting left behind. Read more here. —Abdel Jimenez
6:23 p.m.: Lawsuit claims Symphony of Joliet nursing home failed to protect residents from coronavirus
A lawsuit has been filed against Symphony of Joliet on behalf of an 84-year-old man who died of COVID-19, alleging the nursing home failed to protect him against the coronavirus.
David Mitchell began suffering a fever, loss of appetite and difficulty breathing in late March, according to the suit filed Thursday in Will County. Even though the nursing home said it was keeping residents isolated in their rooms, Mitchell was served breakfast in the communal dining room on March 28.
That afternoon, Mitchell underwent a chest X-ray and an EKG to check his suit, the suit states. On March 30, he was transferred to Amita Health St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, where he tested positive for the coronavirus. He died on April 7.
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The suit alleges that several members of the staff, including a maintenance worker, began showing symptoms of COVID-19 in early March, but were told to continue to work without protective equipment.
Even after federal authorities issued guidelines on March 13 to screen all nursing home workers for fever or respiratory problems, the suit claims Symphony of Joliet failed to do so and staff members continued working with residents without masks or other protective gear.
Nursing home officials have said the maintenance worker went from room to room, assembling tables for residents, after the main dining room was closed. He showed no symptoms at the time, but later became sick with COVID-19 and died. He is believed to have been a “super spreader” of the virus, the home has said. Read more here. —Robert McCoppin
3:41 p.m.: Lightfoot to introduce coronavirus tenant protection ordinance
Mayor Lori Lightfoot plans to introduce a package next week designed to give renters who’ve lost income due to the coronavirus pandemic a measure of protection against evictions, even as some housing advocates hope to strengthen it in the coming days to do more for tenants.
The mayor’s latest proposal comes a month after progressive aldermen ripped another Lightfoot tenant protection ordinance as inadequate and blocked it, at least temporarily, from getting approved.
The new measure sets rules to follow for people who can’t make their rent payments because of the economic upheaval and rash of layoffs due to the coronavirus.
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Under the guidelines the Lightfoot administration plans to submit to the City Council Housing Committee on Monday, tenants who inform landlords they’ve been financially impacted by the pandemic would get seven days to try to engage in some kind of “good faith negotiations” to come to a “mutually satisfactory agreement for repayment of the unpaid rent.”
According to the ordinance, the landlord would have the option to offer to spread out repayment of each month’s unpaid rent over 60 days, to submit the matter for mediation, to apply the tenant’s security deposit toward the unpaid amount, to offer to waive all or part of the unpaid rent if the tenant moves out, or to enter into some other agreement with the renter.
In a letter to Housing Committee Chairman Ald. Harry Osterman, 48th, the Chicago Housing Justice League said the mayor’s plan has “some promising language that will benefit renters, but its effectiveness is undermined by a few loopholes and otherwise unenforceable provisions.”
In particular, the letter predicted unscrupulous landlords would circumvent the rules by simply terminating month-to-month leases with 30 days notice.
And it raised concerns that the good faith negotiations would be “mere recommendations and the bill places no meaningful obligation on the landlord."
David Zoltan of the Housing Justice League said Osterman has been open to discussions about making the ordinance better. “We need this bill to be strong to protect as many Chicagoans as possible,” Zoltan said.
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In May, Lightfoot introduced to the City Council a separate ordinance to require more notice and in some cases payments to renters from landlords who are not renewing their leases.
Opponents said it didn’t go nearly far enough to protect tenants’ rights, and used a parliamentary procedure to shunt it to the Rules Committee, a sort of legislative purgatory. Rules is set to meet Tuesday, however, and Lightfoot could seek to get it voted out of that committee and back on the council docket.
The mayor in May said she was confident she had the votes to pass that legislation without making changes. “I have no expectations that the proposal will be revised,” the mayor said then. —John Byrne
2:56 p.m.: Chicago could further reopen on July 1, allow indoor dining at restaurants, reopen gyms and museums, public health commissioner says
The city of Chicago is on pace to further reopen its economy on July 1, with restrictions potentially being loosened on indoor dining at restaurants, museums and gyms, public health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said.
Arwady made the comments at a Friday afternoon news conference where she unveiled a new coronavirus data portal.
Despite the potentially good news for restless Chicagoans, Arwady said city officials remain concerned about COVID-19 spikes around the country in other cities and 20 states that reopened before Illinois.
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With Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order lifted and more people getting out, Arwady said, “We are concerned and watching closely.”
“COVID-19 has not gone away," Arwady said. "We’re not out of this yet.” Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
2:41 p.m.: Chicago-area chain Classic Cinemas reopening June 26 at half capacity and showing ‘old-favorite’ movies
Classic Cinemas, which runs 10 cinemas in the Chicago area, has announced it will reopen its movie theaters June 26 with limited capacity.
It will be a gradual reopening, said chain CEO Chris Johnson Friday, a toe in the water to test Illinoisians’ appetite to sit and watch a movie in a theater. “I think our message is, come back when you’re ready," he said. He doesn’t expect to sell out any theaters, even at half capacity. “We don’t expect to be turning people away.”
The point is more to build trust and get the movie-going public used to the idea again.
New releases will wait until later in July — biggest releases in the pipeline are director Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” scheduled for July 17 and Disney’s live-action adaptation of “Mulan” on July 24. For now, the biggest pictures on most of his screens will be 2017′s “The Greatest Showman,” “Zootopia” and, coming a bit later, “The Empire Strikes Back.” A Classic Cinemas theater in Beloit, Wisc. has already reopened and currently is showing such titles as “Back to the Future,” “Footloose” and one of the early “Harry Potter” films.
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“That’s the general flavor,” Johnson said. “In Woodstock, we might do ‘Groundhog Day.’”
According to guidelines also detailed on the chain’s website, the reopening is dependent on health metrics remaining positive and the State of Illinois moving to Phase 4 reopening. There may be new protocols spelled out by the state, but the current thinking is for auditoriums to be no more than 50% filled, with most seats sold as reserved-seating. Those without recliner seating, which Classic Cinemas says are already six feet apart, will have every other row blocked off. Concessions will be open. Patrons will be required to follow social-distancing guidelines including wearing masks, but only until seated. There will be additional cleaning services and employees will undergo health screening and wear masks and gloves. Read more here. —Doug George
2:30 p.m.: 595 new known COVID-19 cases, 75 additional deaths
State officials announced Friday there had been 75 additional fatalities related to COVID-19 confirmed, for a statewide death toll of 6,260.
Officials also reported 595 new known cases, pushing the statewide total to 131,198.
2:24 p.m.: Ex-Northwestern professor charged in alleged fetish slaying turned away in request for release to fight coronavirus
The ex-Northwestern professor accused of stabbing his boyfriend to death in what prosecutors have said was an attempt to fulfill a sexual fetish was again denied release from Cook County Jail on Friday, but not before new allegations were revealed about the slaying and the professor’s time on the lam.
Wyndham Lathem sent a video to his mother after the slaying with a straightforward confession: “I killed him, I did do it, it wasn’t an accident but it was a mistake,” Assistant State’s Attorney Craig Engebretson said during a hearing on Lathem’s bond.
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“This was a thrill kill,” Engebretson continued, alleging that Lathem got “despondent” and killed his boyfriend to get a rush. “He may do this again if he gets sad or depressed and wants that thrill again; this is an extremely random, frightening murder."
Lathem’s attorneys have argued for weeks that Lathem, a microbiologist and immunologist who previously studied the plague, should be released so that he can help research COVID-19. Read more here. —Megan Crepeau
2:17 p.m.: Indiana casinos set to open Monday as Illinois gaming remains on hold
While Illinois has yet to set a date for reopening its casinos, Chicagoans can roll the dice in Indiana beginning Monday, as the Horseshoe Hammond welcomes gamblers with masks, sanitizing stations and plenty of freshly-washed chips.
The casino, which is located about 20 miles from downtown Chicago, is set to open at 6 a.m. — the earliest allowed by the state of Indiana as part of its COVID-19 reopening plan. To maintain social distancing and meet uncertain demand, about 40% to 50% of the casino’s gaming positions will be open Monday.
“We are going to ease into the full business that we had,” said Dan Nita, regional president of Caesars Entertainment, the parent of Horseshoe Hammond. “It’s going to be a moving target as we learn about customer demand.”
The Horseshoe Hammond has been closed since March 16 and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Indiana has joined a growing list of states allowing casinos to reopen — with restrictions.
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At Horseshoe, some slot machines will be turned off to allow for social distancing. No more than three players at a time can sit at a blackjack table, with masks required for both dealers and guests. All table games will be non-smoking, with limited seating.
Hand sanitizing wipes will be available at slot machines and table games, with stepped up cleaning procedures across the casino, Nita said.
“We’ll be disinfecting the chips on a regular basis and changing out our cards more regularly,” Nita said. Read more here. —Robert Channick
1:41 p.m.: Illinois State Fairs in Springfield, Du Quoin canceled due to coronavirus
This summer’s state fairs in Springfield and Du Quoin have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Friday.
The announcement made official what had long been expected, as many large-scale gatherings, events and festivals in Illinois and nationwide have been called off this summer over concerns of the spread of COVID-19.
The annual fairs, which combined attracted more than 600,000 visitors last year, are set to return in August 2021.
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The Illinois State Fair, held annually in August in Springfield, was canceled from 1942 to 1945 during World War II, and the fairgrounds were used as a supply center for the Army Air Forces.
This year is the first time the Du Quoin State Fair has been canceled since the state took over the fairgrounds in 1986. Camping at the fairgrounds in Du Quoin will still be allowed.
The state Department of Agriculture will host a Junior Livestock Expo in Springfield in September for exhibitors aged 8 to 21 to show their animals, and the 4-H General Project Show will take place virtually.
Anyone who has purchased Illinois State Fair passes or admission booklets can contact the State Fair office at (217) 782-6661 or email agr.fairinfo@illinois.gov. —Jamie Munks
1:38 p.m.: Chicago City Council sued over conference calls where Mayor Lori Lightfoot and alderman exchanged profanities
In a newly filed lawsuit, the Better Government Association alleges that the Chicago City Council violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act by hosting conference calls with aldermen and Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Under Lightfoot, the city has hosted a number of briefings for Chicago aldermen to detail her administration’s coronavirus response and discuss other matters such as the recent wave of protests and looting.
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The BGA, a watchdog group that does investigative journalism, alleges that the City Council’s conference calls “violated nearly every meaningful OMA requirement, including the statutory obligation to provide notice of meetings, to allow public comment at meetings, and to make meetings ‘convenient’ and ‘open’ to the public.” Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
1:34 p.m.: Seeking to cut wait times, Illinois Secretary of State’s office launches online pre-registration for licenses, ID cards
The Illinois Secretary of State’s office is launching an online preregistration program for driver’s licenses and ID cards in an effort to speed up wait times at driver’s service facilities.
Residents can access a preregistration application for a driver’s license or identification card at www.cyberdriveillinois.com. The form covers some of the information that a Secretary of State’s office employee would normally have to take down during a visit to a state facility.
The preregistration process is only available to those who have an Illinois driver’s license or ID card that is not suspended, canceled, revoked or expired for more than a year. Read more here. —Jamie Munks
1:33 p.m.: After a few lawsuits and defiant services, more Chicago-area houses of worship gradually reopening after months of COVID-19 shutdown
After months of virtual services, and faith leaders scrambling to adjust during a public health crisis, religious leaders are now shifting their focus to how to safely resume in-person services and accommodate the faithful eager to gather for worship again.
During the state’s stay-at-home order, there has been conflict between some faith leaders and city and state officials over church closures, which some religious leaders believed infringed on their constitutional rights. As faith leaders complained about hardware and liquor stores remaining open during the pandemic shutdowns, a handful of Illinois churches sued Gov. J.B. Pritzker and and held services, with three Chicago churches being cited by the city.
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Now that Pritzker has moved to lift restrictions after reclassifying religious activities as essential, religious leaders across all denominations and faiths are working to find a balance between meeting people’s desire to worship together and guarding against spreading COVID-19. Read more here. —Javonte Anderson
12:49 p.m.: New coronavirus testing sites open in Fox Valley
CVS Health on Friday opened three new COVID-19 testing sites in the Fox Valley area.
The nationwide drug store chain opened a testing site at 644 N. Route 59 in Naperville, 1500 Lincoln Highway in St. Charles and at 1099 Army Trail Road in Bartlett.
According to a CVS press release, the company said it is opening the testing sites “as part of our ongoing commitment to Illinois by helping to slow the spread of the virus and to support communities as they begin to safely reopen.”
In all, CVS Health has expanded its COVID-19 testing program by opening 17 additional test sites at CVS Pharmacy drive-thru locations across the state. The openings add to 40 locations previously opened by CVS Health across Illinois.
The new sites began seeing patients Friday. Read more here. —Beacon-News staff
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9:39 a.m.: Architecture tour boats return to the Chicago River today after being sidelined by the virus
It’s one of the signature images of summer in Chicago: Architectural tour boats plying the skyscraper canyons of the Chicago River, their guides spitting out facts to packed crowds as the low-slung craft slip beneath river bridges.
The coronavirus pandemic erased such vibrant scenes, turning the docks along the river’s main branch into mini-ghost towns and costing tour operators thousands of dollars in lost revenue.
Today, however, a hint of normalcy returns to the river as some tour boat operators reopen for the first time since the pandemic forced them to shut down in mid-March.
The resumption comes as the city opens the downtown Riverwalk today, with restrictions aimed at limiting activity and crowds.
“We thought it was important to get back on the water, even as a sign of hope,” said Amy Hartnett, director of sales and marketing for Shoreline Sightseeing.
Wendella river cruises, which leave from the Wrigley Building, also restart today. The Chicago Architecture Center, whose river tours depart from the downtown Riverwalk, expects to reopen those cruises June 26.
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But this is anything but a full-fledged return to normal. Tourists must wear masks on the boats. And in keeping with state requirements during the pandemic, seating arrangements have been rejiggered to enforce social distancing. That hurts the operators’ ability to cover costs. Read more here. —Blair Kamin
7:16. a.m.: Teachers retiring during the pandemic leave their schools on a bittersweet note
About 1,600 public school teachers in Illinois are retiring this spring – under circumstances not a single one likely expected when they began their careers decades ago.
While much attention has been paid to how high school seniors are missing out on typical end-of-year rituals, teachers who are capping their careers during the coronavirus pandemic this spring are also having to forgo traditional opportunities to say goodbye. Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta
5:15 a.m.: Chicago’s Riverwalk reopens today with restrictions
Chicago’s Riverwalk officially reopened at 5 a.m. Friday, but with restrictions aimed at limiting activity and crowds.
Those using the space must wear face coverings and maintain social distance. In order to control crowd sizes, the city is creating designated hours for recreation and concessions. Between the hours of 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., people will be allowed to run, jog, walk and bike along the path between Lake Shore Drive and Lake Street. At 10 a.m. the Riverwalk will be closed for cleaning. Starting at 11 a.m. through 9 p.m., the Riverwalk’s concessions will be open by reservation only. In addition to requiring reservations, each establishment must space tables 6 feet part.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot ordered the Riverwalk closed in March as part of a broader effort to curb the spread of coronavirus. Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
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5:10 a.m.: Illinois sees a full week of fewer than 100 COVID-19 deaths reported daily
The number of deaths in Illinois attributed to the coronavirus now stands at 6,185, with 91 more deaths reported Thursday.
The state has now seen a full week of fewer than 100 deaths reported daily by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The department also reported 766 people tested positive for COVID-19 from among the 22,000 people tested. The number that have tested positive since January totals 130,603. The 625 new cases announced Wednesday was the lowest daily count in Illinois since March 30.
Health officials say the recovery rate for people who contract COVID-19 stands at 92 percent.
The Department of Health is also reporting probable COVID-19 cases, with 178 probable deaths and 724 non-fatal infections. The probable victims and patients were never tested. —Associated Press
5 a.m.: Lollapalooza promoter to pay Chicago Park District $750,000 for canceled fest
Lollapalooza promoter C3 Presents will pay the Chicago Park District $750,000 for this year’s canceled fest, per the terms of their contract, the Park District said in a statement.
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Earlier this week, the city announced that Lollapalooza, Taste of Chicago and other special summer events are canceled this year because of concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus.
According to the contract C3 and the Park District signed in 2012, the Texas-based promotion company owes $750,000 to the Park District if the cancellation is caused by “force majeure,” which covers fire, hurricane, flood, tornado, “act of God,” terrorist act, mechanical or structural failure, civil commotion and any law or order from a public or military authority stemming from certain occurrences that are “not reasonably foreseeable” and are beyond “reasonable control.” Read more here. —Tracy Swartz
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Here are five things that happened Thursday related to COVID-19 in the Chicago area:


chicagotribune--2020-06-12--Chicago could further reopen on July 1, allow indoor dining at restaurants, reopen gyms and museums,

Chicago could further reopen on July 1, allow indoor dining at restaurants, reopen gyms and museums, public health commissioner says

“ I want to bring back indoor dining as much as anybody , ” Pritzker said Monday at a news @ @ @ @ @ that there are others who have allowed 50 % or 25 % seating .
That @ @ @ @ @ to get to , there ’ s no doubt .
And we think about it @ @ @ @ @ , I push on the epidemiologists for the right answers here .
”

Gregory Pratt, Jamie Munks, Dan Petrella

The Fulton Market area of Chicago is no longer the ghost town it was during the depths of the COVID-19 virus pandemic shutdown. As restrictions on restaurants are eased, a worker takes a woman's temperature before she can enter Federales restaurant on Morgan Street on July 1, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The city of Chicago is on pace to further reopen its economy on July 1, with restrictions potentially being loosened on indoor restaurant dining, museums and gyms, public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said.
Arwady made the comments at a Friday afternoon news conference where she unveiled a new coronavirus data portal.
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Despite the potentially good news for restless Chicagoans, Arwady said city officials remain concerned about COVID-19 spikes around the country in other cities and 20 states that reopened before Illinois.
With Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order lifted and more people getting out, Arwady said, “We are concerned and watching closely.”
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“COVID-19 has not gone away," Arwady said. "We’re not out of this yet.”
[ As US lockdowns roll back, there’s been an alarming rise in coronavirus cases. Here’s what’s driving surges in some states. ]
State officials announced 595 newly confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday, marking the seventh straight day with fewer than 1,000 new cases. It’s the first time that the daily number of new cases has remained below 1,000 for a whole week since March 22-28. There now have been 131,198 known cases of COVID-19 in Illinois since the pandemic began.
With 77 additional fatalities also announced Friday, the statewide death toll stands at 6,260. There have been fewer than 100 deaths each for the past eight days, marking the longest stretch without a triple-digit daily death toll since the state surpassed 100 fatalities in a day on April 16. Officials reported 125 deaths that day.
Despite recent protests over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, Arwady said, the city has still not seen an uptick in cases but officially will continue monitoring for at least 28 days.
The earliest any of the four regions of Illinois as defined by Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” reopening plan can move to the next phase is June 26, and Pritzker said this week that “all regions of the state seem to be moving well toward phase four.”
[ When can Illinois move to phase 4? Here’s where each region stands. ]
Phase four, coined “Revitalization” in Pritzker’s plan, would allow “nonessential” businesses to open more fully, with some restrictions in place meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus. In phase four of Pritzker’s plan, social life would begin to look more normal than it has in months, with limited indoor dining at restaurants, gatherings of up to 50 people allowed to resume, and cinemas and theaters allowed to reopen.
Under Pritzker’s rules, face coverings and social distancing in public would continue to be required.
Each move forward to a new phase comes with a warning, that the regions could regress if there’s a backslide in the metrics used to determine whether a region can advance to the next phase.
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All four regions of the state moved into the current phase of reopening, phase three, on May 29, when salons and barbershops were allowed to reopen. Nonessential manufacturing and retail also were allowed to resume with distancing requirements and other restrictions, and restaurants were allowed to offer outside dining. Chicago followed the rest of the state into its phase three days later.
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has the authority to set stricter rules for Chicago than Pritzker’s statewide framework, but she can’t enact looser ones. That has led to tension over restaurants — Lightfoot has urged Pritzker to allow limited indoor restaurant dining, which the governor has refused.
Lightfoot has repeatedly pushed for indoor dining, saying “no restaurant I know of is going to be able to survive dependent upon what the weather is going to be like on a particular day in Chicago.”
But the governor has resisted loosening that restriction ahead of schedule.
“I want to bring back indoor dining as much as anybody,” Pritzker said Monday at a news conference. “I get that there are others who have allowed 50% or 25% seating. That’s something I want to get to, there’s no doubt. And we think about it every day, and again, I push on the epidemiologists for the right answers here.”
Arwady said it’s possible the city could enter phase four at the same time as the rest of the state but more directly pointed to July 1.
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[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, speaks at a news conference at City Hall on May 8, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Laying out Chicago’s coronavirus data, Arwady said the city’s caseload peaked in early May and has been on a decline since. The city would like to get to fewer than 100 new cases per day, she said.
When the city enters phase four of Lightfoot’s reopening plan, capacity restrictions currently in place also could be lifted, Arwady said. If a type of business is allowed to have 25% capacity now, she said, it may be allowed to expand to 50%. Gyms could reopen with capacity restrictions in phase four.
Other possible changes include the reopening of museums and zoos “in a limited, careful kind of way," Arwady said. And, social gatherings, currently capped at 10 people, could be allowed to have up to five times more guests, she said.
Last month, Lightfoot announced specific rules for the reopening of restaurants, child care facilities and some industries as part of phase three of Chicago’s reemergence from the coronavirus stay-at-home order.
Guidelines at child care facilities included the expectation that parents and employees wear facial coverings at all times with the requirement that children only be expected to do so outside their classrooms.
Restaurants, meanwhile, are called on to limit seating to no more than six people per table, limit gatherings to no more than 10 people and space tables 6 feet apart or take them out of commission if they can’t be moved.
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Correction: A previous version of this story said Friday marked the first week without 100 deaths in a single day since officials reported 125 on April 16. The first seven-day stretch without a single daily death toll of 100 or more ended Thursday.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com
jmunks@chicagotribune.com
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-12--Business is picking up in Chicago, but for some minority-owned shops and restaurants, ‘it’s still no

Business is picking up in Chicago, but for some minority-owned shops and restaurants, ‘it’s still not enough.’

Gomez said he spoke with other restaurant owners on 26th Street about asking the city to close the street for @ @ @ @ @ doubted it would help .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot launched the Expanded Outdoor Dining Permit in @ @ @ @ @ businesses to offer temporary outdoor dining in the street or on private property such as @ @ @ @ @ North Side , Lakeview was the first in the city to test street closures from @ @ @ @ @ for outdoor dining , starting Friday .

Jesus Quiroz and his wife Mercedes Cruz in front of their Mexican restaurant Taqueria Sabor y Sazon, which they owned and operated for seven years in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. They were forced to close the business on May 15 because the coronavirus pandemic shut down nearby schools, which were a major source of revenue. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
It’s been a rough three months for Roberto Gomez, who owns Don Pepe, a Mexican restaurant in the city’s Little Village neighborhood.
Gomez was getting ready to open for outdoor dining after months of relying on sales from carryout orders when widespread unrest hit the city over the death of George Floyd, a black man killed last month at the hands of Minneapolis police. Several businesses on the South and West Side were hit by looting. The response scared a lot of diners, and Gomez closed early three days, causing sales to drop to 10% of normal pandemic levels.
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As protests remain peaceful and Chicago begins a phased reopening, Gomez said “it’s still not enough” for his business to recover to the way it was before the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses like his have been hit with a double whammy the past few months, struggling to make it through a statewide shutdown and civil unrest. Now some are struggling to open with capacity limits and other coronavirus restrictions.
Some business owners of color say they are getting left behind.
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Taqueria Sabor y Sazon co-owner Mercedes Cruz shows photos and videos of events her restaurant catered. The business was forced to close after seven years because the coronavirus pandemic shut down nearby schools, which were a major source of revenue. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Under Chicago’s phased reopening, restaurants can serve customers with outdoor seating. But in some neighborhoods like Little Village, where sidewalk space is tight, owners say al fresco dining isn’t possible, or the costs associated with the permit aren’t worth it because of the limited space.
Others have already closed for good.
For seven years, Mercedes Cruz and her husband Jesus Quiroz operated Taqueria Sabor y Sazon in the city’s Pilsen neighborhood.
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The restaurant, known for its tacos and signature mole sauce, was the realization of a dream for Cruz, 48, who spent 15 years in Chicago’s restaurant industry. She and Quiroz, 43, used their savings to open the establishment.
But the coronavirus pandemic put the restaurant in a financial bind. With the state’s stay-at-home order in place, sales from carryout and delivery orders weren’t enough to sustain the restaurant, Cruz said. On May 15, Taqueria Sabor y Sazon permanently closed.
The restaurant’s debts were too large to overcome, Cruz said. “We would’ve had to increase our prices more, and nobody (in the area) wants to buy an overpriced taco,” Cruz said.
According to a joint report by nonprofits UnidosUS and Color of Change, 45% of 500 black and Latino small business owners in the U.S. who were surveyed in early May said they expected to close by the end of the year.
“It’s been extremely difficult for restaurants and retailers, but almost every industry has been hit,” said Alexander Bartik, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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“As long as demand is depressed for businesses that require a lot of personal interactions, those businesses will face a lot of distress,” Bartik said.
Gomez’s Little Village restaurant has a small outdoor seating area that allows for two tables to be spaced 6 feet apart to support social distancing. Without any restriction, he said his restaurant can accommodate 50 guests inside, plus 12 outside.
Gomez said he spoke with other restaurant owners on 26th Street about asking the city to close the street for outdoor seating, but they doubted it would help. Mayor Lori Lightfoot launched the Expanded Outdoor Dining Permit in late May, which allows businesses to offer temporary outdoor dining in the street or on private property such as parking lots. On the North Side, Lakeview was the first in the city to test street closures from Belmont Avenue to Diversey Parkway for outdoor dining, starting Friday.
“Ultimately, it wasn’t going to work for us. We still get a lot of carryout orders, and if we were to shut down the street, we would’ve made it difficult for drivers to access our restaurants for pickup orders,” Gomez said.
Jaime di Paulo, chief executive officer of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, estimates the state will lose 15% to 20% of its Hispanic-owned businesses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Retail will be a sector most damaged as a result of the pandemic. Bridal stores are hurting a lot because there are no quinceañeras going on,” he said.
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It’s unclear when quinceañeras, Mexican cultural celebrations of a girl’s 15th birthday that are typically large gatherings, will be allowed to take place under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s five-phase reopening plan. Phase four of the plan — called “Revitalization” — will permit large gatherings of up 50 people. The state is expected to enter phase four no earlier than the end of June.
Ariella Santoyo, owner of My Quinces World, a bridal shop in Little Village, hoped to reopen and take customers by appointment last week, but postponed her plans as protests broke across the city a couple weeks ago.
“It was best if we didn’t open right away, just to allow things to calm down for the safety of ourselves and our customers,” said Santoyo, 33.
Santoyo has two full-time workers, whom she was able to keep using funds from the Payroll Protection Program, a federal program administered through the U.S. Small Business Administration that offers forgivable loans to companies employing fewer than 500 workers. She said she was approved for a $5,000 PPP loan.
As of June 6, the SBA approved more than 4.5 million PPP loans worth $511 billion. In Illinois, there have been 186,337 PPP loans approved for more than $22 billion, according to Rob Scott, administrator for the SBA’s Great Lakes Region.
The SBA currently does not have data on the ethnic or racial demographics of borrowers. But getting information on PPP loans has been a challenge for some small-business owners of color, experts say.
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For nearly two weeks, Santoyo conducted her own research to see if her business qualified. Santoyo said there wasn’t enough outreach in Latino communities, and the language barrier kept some of her friends in the business community from applying.
“There isn’t enough information for Latinos. A lot of businesses in Little Village have predominantly Spanish-speaking owners, and they face barriers in trying to access capital,” she said.
Cruz, who owned Taqueria Sabor y Sazon, said she tried to apply for a loan, but was unsure how her business could meet the criteria to have her loan forgiven, and she didn’t want to take on more debt.
Initially, businesses were required to spend 75% of their PPP funds on payroll within eight weeks in order to have the loan forgiven. Congress has since lowered the percentage to 60%, and extended the time in which the money can be used from eight to 24 weeks.
But early confusion and banks allegedly prioritizing existing clients dissuaded some smaller businesses from applying, said Ashley Harrington, a federal advocacy director for the Center for Responsible Lending, a Durham, North Carolina-based nonprofit that advocates for fair and inclusive lending.
“By having large financial institutions distribute these loans, you are placing these businesses at a disadvantage,” Harrington said.
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Most business owners of color typically don’t have a prior relationship with a larger bank, she said. Owners had a lot of questions and didn’t know what documents they needed to receive a loan, which held them back as banks were swamped with applications, Harrington said.
“Those businesses don’t have a legal team or a team of accountants to line up documents,” said Michele Green, founding attorney at G & G Law, a law firm helping small-business owners in the city’s Ravenswood neighborhood.
Meanwhile, some entrepreneurs of color looking to expand this year have been forced to shelve those plans.
LaShaun Clay, 47, owner of Jazzy Jewels by LaShaun Marie, planned to rent a kiosk at River Oak Center in Calumet City and hire a couple of employees before the pandemic hit. She was selling jewelry at parties and through her friends earlier this year, but under the state’s stay-at-home order, Clay was forced to sell her pieces online.
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She, too, said she was ineligible for a PPP loan. She couldn’t provide a tax return from last year, one of the criteria of the program, because she started her business this year, she said.
“It was a bigger profit possibility for me (to open up the kiosk) because I would have had more exposure to customers at the mall,” Clay said. “All of that money I would’ve invested on it is gone. I had to live off that. Getting a loan would have helped me put that money aside.”
Chicago Tribune’s Robert Channick contributed.
abjimenez@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @abdel1019


chicagotribune--2020-06-12--Chicago City Council sued over conference calls where Mayor Lori Lightfoot and alderman exchanged pr

Chicago City Council sued over conference calls where Mayor Lori Lightfoot and alderman exchanged profanities

“ These updates were arranged and carried out solely for the administration to convey information about the status of COVID-related @ @ @ @ @ those efforts , ” the statement said .
`` For a meeting to be subject @ @ @ @ @ , it must include deliberation ( for example , legislative debate ) and/or action ( @ @ @ @ @ ) , which did not occur on these calls .
”

In this file photo, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot arrives for the first-ever virtual City Council meeting on April 15, 2020, at City Hall. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
In a newly filed lawsuit, the Better Government Association alleges that the Chicago City Council violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act by hosting conference calls with aldermen and Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Under Lightfoot, the city has hosted a number of briefings for Chicago aldermen to detail her administration’s coronavirus response and discuss other matters such as the recent wave of protests and looting.
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The BGA, a watchdog group that does investigative journalism, alleges that the City Council’s conference calls “violated nearly every meaningful OMA requirement, including the statutory obligation to provide notice of meetings, to allow public comment at meetings, and to make meetings ‘convenient’ and ‘open’ to the public.”
Earlier in the week, the mayor’s office denied violating the act. A Lightfoot administration spokeswoman released a statement Wednesday saying telephone conference calls with aldermen “were organized and hosted by various administration officials to provide COVID-related informational updates to the aldermen.”
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“These updates were arranged and carried out solely for the administration to convey information about the status of COVID-related efforts and field questions on those efforts,” the statement said. "For a meeting to be subject to the Open Meetings Act, it must include deliberation (for example, legislative debate) and/or action (for example, a vote), which did not occur on these calls.”
The lawsuit disputed the Lightfoot administration’s explanation.
In a follow-up statement released Friday, Law Department spokeswoman Kathleen Fieweger said the city would defend its position.
“We do not agree with the claims in this lawsuit and maintain that the informational conference calls were not subject to the Open Meetings Act,” Fieweger said. “We will defend our position accordingly.”
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Lightfoot’s calls with aldermen have been under public scrutiny in recent days as media reports focused on a tense exchange between Lightfoot and Southwest Side Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th.
During the height of civil unrest in Chicago neighborhoods following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, Lightfoot hosted a call with all 50 aldermen that devolved after Lopez complained about what he said was an inadequate response by the city to looting.
When Lopez finished his comments, Lightfoot tried to move on without answering him and Lopez insisted that she address his questions.
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“I think you’re 100% full of s---, is what I think,” Lightfoot responded.
Lopez replied, “Well, f--- you then.”
Asked at an unrelated news conference earlier this week whether she regrets “using such colorful language,” Lightfoot said the entirety of the conversation went for an hour and a half.
“Unfortunately one of the aldermen, and I think we know who it is, illegally taped and then shared only that portion of the conversation that served his purposes,” Lightfoot said.
She added that during “tough and difficult times, we ought to be able to have candid conversations.”
“There are a lot of incredible emotions that were shared on that call by fellow aldermen. Now all of them don’t feel secure or safe coming together with their colleagues because of one individual who decided to illegally tape a conversation that was intended to be a private conversation among all of us,” Lightfoot said. “Shame on him. Shame on him. That’s what I say.”
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The conversation, first reported by the Sun-Times then reported in greater detail by WTTW, has been making the rounds on conservative cable news, including being featured by Fox News hosts Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @royalpratt


chicagotribune--2020-06-12--Joliet pastors continue call for Mayor Robert O’Dekirk to resign

O ’ Dekirk has been under fire since the video of the May 31 incident surfaced .
In the video @ @ @ @ @ was dressed in plain clothes , can be seen grabbing a protester around the collar @ @ @ @ @ toward a police car before he is jumped from behind by the protester ’ s @ @

Three Joliet pastors Friday continued their call for Joliet Mayor Robert O’Dekirk to resign, saying a 25-year-old video from his days as a police officer shows aggressive behavior.
The video was played during a news conference called by pastors Warren Dorris, Herbert Brooks and Steven Evans. The pastors held a news conference earlier this month about a video from a May 31 skirmish between O’Dekirk and a protester.
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“We believe this video shows a pattern of behavior while he was a police officer that continues to this day,” said Evans, pastor of Leap of Faith Ministries.
In a text message Friday, O’Dekirk said the newly unearthed video had been edited, and he described it as the latest attempt to smear his name.
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“I left the Police Department 17 years ago and have been an elected official for the last nine years,” he said. “There has been an ongoing attempt to smear my name (and) the latest is to release an edited video from 25 years ago.
“As I said at the press conference, I was a highly decorated police officer,” O’Dekirk said, referring to a news conference he held Tuesday. “Please include the commendations I listed in your story.”
O’Dekirk said he was nominated four times for officer of the year and in 1995 he was awarded the Martin S. Murrin Labor Award.
City Councilman Pat Mudron, who has been a critic of O’Dekirk, attended the news conference and watched the latest video.
“Every day it’s a little more disturbing on what’s coming out,” Mudron said.
O’Dekirk has been under fire since the video of the May 31 incident surfaced. In the video, the mayor, who was dressed in plain clothes, can be seen grabbing a protester around the collar and forcefully walking him backward toward a police car before he is jumped from behind by the protester’s brother.
O’Dekirk, who said he was out with police on May 31 as they patrolled the city during protests and looting, maintains he acted in self-defense. Attorneys for the two men said O’Dekirk was the aggressor and that they intend to file a lawsuit against the mayor and the city.
The three pastors Friday also questioned why O’Dekirk’s police personnel file is not complete and questioned how documents related to his suspensions “magically” disappeared.
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“The dog ate all the records at City Hall,” said Dorris, a former city councilman and former mayoral candidate.
Through a Freedom of Information Act request the Tribune obtained personnel orders showing O’Dekirk was suspended for a total of 49 days when he was a police officer. The orders, signed by former police Chiefs Joseph Beazley and David Gerdes, do not indicate if O’Dekirk appealed the suspensions or the rulings on any appeals. The Tribune also requested the complaints or documents related to the suspensions, but a response from the Joliet Police Department said the records did not exist.
A request to the city’s human resources department for such information is still being processed. Joliet police Chief Al Roechner and Deputy Chief Darrell Gavin said documents related to any suspensions should be in their personnel files and that such records are kept indefinitely. Neither knew why the records were not in the file or when they may have been removed.
Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-06-12--The Spin: Chicago could further loosen coronavirus restricts on July 1 | Former Ald. Burton Natarus

The Spin: Chicago could further loosen coronavirus restricts on July 1 | Former Ald. Burton Natarus dies at age 86 | Lightfoot to introduce tenant protection ordinance

That infamous call in which Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Southwest Side Ald .
Raymond Lopez swore at each other — @ @ @ @ @ an alderman illegally recorded — is the subject of a lawsuit .
The Better Government @ @ @ @ @ alleging the entire call , along with others like it , violated the Illinois Open @ @ @

In this file photo, former Chicago Ald. Burt Natarus, 42nd Ward, is surrounded with papers, documents and memorabilia from his career on May 7, 2007, in Chicago. (Chuck Berman / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago could further reopen on July 1, about five days after the rest of the state moves on to phase four. That would mean looser restrictions on dining, museums and gyms, among other things.
That infamous call in which Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Southwest Side Ald. Raymond Lopez swore at each other — the one the mayor said an alderman illegally recorded — is the subject of a lawsuit. The Better Government Association filed a lawsuit today alleging the entire call, along with others like it, violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
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And Chicago is remembering former Ald. Burton Natarus, who represented the city’s 42nd Ward for 36 years. Natarus has died at the age of 86.
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Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, speaks during a news conference at Chicago City Hall on May 8, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
"The city of Chicago is on pace to further reopen its economy on July 1, with restrictions potentially being loosened on indoor restaurant dining, museums and gyms, public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said.
"Arwady made the comments at a Friday afternoon news conference where she unveiled a new coronavirus data portal.
“Despite the potentially good news for restless Chicagoans, Arwady said city officials remain concerned about COVID-19 spikes around the country in other cities and 20 states that reopened before Illinois.
“With Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order lifted and more people getting out, Arwady said, ‘We are concerned and watching closely.’” Read the rest of the Tribune’s team coverage from Gregory Pratt, Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella here.
Indiana casinos set to open Monday as Illinois gaming remains on hold — Read Robert Channick’s story here.
Ald. Burton Natarus speaks during a Chicago City Council meeting on April 11, 2007. (Chuck Berman / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Rick Pearson: "Burton Natarus was alderman of Chicago’s 42nd Ward for 36 years, delivering a scrappy, stream-of-consciousness style leadership to a bustling downtown ward with an oratory that marked a bygone era of a more colorful City Council.
“Natarus, 86, who won nine elections from 1971 until his defeat in 2007 and was among the city’s longest-serving aldermen, died Thursday. His family did not provide a cause of death.” Read the rest of the story here.
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Members of the Lift the Ban Coalition gather at Daley Plaza in Chicago on April 30, 2020, calling for the repeal of the state’s ban on rent control. (Jos M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s John Byrne: "Mayor Lori Lightfoot plans to introduce a package next week designed to give renters who’ve lost income due to the coronavirus pandemic a measure of protection against evictions, even as some housing advocates hope to strengthen it in the coming days to do more for tenants.
“The mayor’s latest proposal comes a month after progressive aldermen ripped another Lightfoot tenant protection ordinance as inadequate and blocked it, at least temporarily, from getting approved.” Read the rest of the story here.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot arrives for the first-ever virtual Chicago City Council meeting on April 15, 2020, at City Hall. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
"In a newly filed lawsuit, the Better Government Association alleges that the Chicago City Council violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act by hosting conference calls with aldermen and Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
"Under Lightfoot, the city has hosted a number of briefings for Chicago aldermen to detail her administration’s coronavirus response and discuss other matters such as the recent wave of protests and looting.
"The BGA, a watchdog group that does investigative journalism, alleges that the City Council’s conference calls ‘violated nearly every meaningful OMA requirement, including the statutory obligation to provide notice of meetings, to allow public comment at meetings, and to make meetings ‘convenient’ and ‘open’ to the public.’” Gregory Pratt has the rest of the story here.
Protesters demonstrate during the March of Justice after reaching Cabrini-Green on June 6, 2020 to demand police accountability. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, one concept that’s been discussed nationally and here in Chicago has been the notion of “defunding” police departments.
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The Tribune’s Dan Hinkel and Annie Sweeney explore the issue. As they report: "The idea of ‘defunding the police’ quickly got at least limited traction in other big cities as mayors in New York and Los Angeles vowed to reroute policing money to social programs. That leaves Chicago as the biggest U.S. city that hasn’t made such a move.
“Local activists and a few aldermen have argued that Chicago should also cut the law enforcement budget to fight police abuse and bolster programs that could help black and brown neighborhoods. But the idea of reducing police funding, and calls for even more drastic change, may face a greater challenge in Chicago than in other cities.” Read the rest of their story here.
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