chicagotribune--2020-01-16--5 injured when Dodge Ram leaves roadway, crashes into Starbucks in McHenry, police say

Five people were injured .
Four were transported to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital , and one of the four was @ @ @ @ @ Medical Center .
One patient was released on scene .
The patient transported to Advocate @ @ @ @ @ in critical condition at the time of their transport .
The other three patients were @ @ @ @ @ condition , police said .

McHenry police officers and firefighters process the scene of an incident involving a pickup truck that crashed into a Starbucks on Jan. 16, 2020, in McHenry County. Five people were injured at the scene. (Joe Shuman / For the Chicago Tribune)
The driver of a pickup truck that crashed into a McHenry Starbucks Thursday afternoon had a medical emergency that led to the crash that injured himself and four others, McHenry police said.
The 53-year-old Lakemoor man was not cited or charged after the crash at the shop at 4305 W. Elm St., police said in a news release Friday. Police did not disclose the nature of the emergency.
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About 4:40 p.m., the man’s “full-size” Ram left the roadway east of the intersection of Elm and Oak Drive after traveling west on Elm. The vehicle continued west while off the roadway and crashed into the northeast corner of the Starbucks after striking a vehicle in the drive-thru.
Four people were taken to nearby hospitals and one person was treated at the scene. Fire and rescue personnel extricated one patient from under the vehicle, police said.
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A 21-year-old Starbucks employee was rushed to a hospital in critical condition, but has since been upgraded to fair condition. He is now being held for observation at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he was taken by helicopter Thursday.
A second Starbucks employee, the driver of the Ram and the driver of an SUV were taken to Northwestern Medicine Hospital McHenry for minor injuries.
McHenry officials are assessing the damage to the building.


chicagotribune--2020-01-16--At Hinsdale murder trial, daughter of victim Andrea Urban recalls last day she spent with her mom —

At Hinsdale murder trial, daughter of victim Andrea Urban recalls last day she spent with her mom — trip to farmers market, ride to school

Joy Lawrence , pastor at Hinsdale Covenant Church , said she and Urban were planning on getting together that afternoon @ @ @ @ @ had met at a Bible study class , and Lawrence said she and Urban had @ @ @ @ @ Christian faith .
Urban had texted her a little after 10 a.m. to say she @ @ @ @ @ minutes , so she could pick up her daughter at school .

Jurors in the Dominic Sanders murder trial heard nine more witnesses Thursday, including the daughter of Andrea Urban who described the last day she spent with her mother in the hours before Urban was killed.
Daria Kuznetsova, now 14, told the jurors that her mother drove them to a farmers market in La Grange on the morning of May 4, 2017, so Daria could interview a farmer for a school project. Urban dropped her off at her Hinsdale school about 9:20 a.m., the girl said.
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Andrea Urban of Hinsdale was killed in her house May 4, 2017. (Babes 'n Beaus)
Daria said Urban always picked her up about 3 p.m. after school but wasn’t there that day and couldn’t be reached by phone. By the time her grandmother brought her home, the street in front of her home was crowded with police and other vehicles responding to the crime scene of Urban’s murder, she said.
Authorities say Sanders, 32, of University Park, killed Urban, 51, during a break-in at her home in the 700 block of Town Place in Hinsdale.
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Other witnesses Thursday described routine interactions with Urban that bore no foreshadowing of the events that would happen that day.
Joy Lawrence, pastor at Hinsdale Covenant Church, said she and Urban were planning on getting together that afternoon at 2 p.m. They had met at a Bible study class, and Lawrence said she and Urban had been meeting to talk about Christian faith. Urban had texted her a little after 10 a.m. to say she could only meet for 50 minutes, so she could pick up her daughter at school.
Dominic Sanders, of University Park, charged with May 4, 2017, murder of Andrea Urban. (DuPage County Sheriff's Office)
An office manager at a music school said she and Urban texted that morning to reschedule a piano lesson for Daria. An electrician working at a house under construction next to Urban’s said he saw her pulling some weeds that morning in her backyard.
Two other witnesses testified that around that same time they saw man who authorities say was Sanders in the area.
Urban’s daughter also testified that a chest of drawers in her mother’s bedroom was closed that morning, and that Urban kept a family heirloom wedding ring set in it. Police say a drawer was open and contents spilled on the floor when they canvassed the crime scene. Daria said the open drawer was where her mother kept the ring set.
Prosecutors say Sanders sold the rings hours later at a pawn shop. His attorneys admitted in their opening statement that Sanders stole the rings, but say he did not kill Urban, who was found stabbed and with her throat slashed in her kitchen.
According to authorities, Sanders has said he reached into Urban’s home and stole the rings from a ledge on a half-wall just inside the front door. But Daria testified that her mother never put the rings there.
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The trial in the DuPage County courtroom of Judge Brian Telander will resume Friday.


chicagotribune--2020-01-16--Amid worries about health care access for foster kids, DCFS delays Medicaid managed care changes — a

Amid worries about health care access for foster kids, DCFS delays Medicaid managed care changes — again

Golbert also raised concerns about the progress of promised health screenings for youth who are set to enroll in the @ @ @ @ @ children with the highest needs were supposed to be completed before the full rollout , @ @ @ @ @ , only 6,580 children out of the 17,000 in foster care had been assessed , @ @ @ @ @ screenings are being conducted so IlliniCare can create treatment plans for each child .

The state’s child welfare agency is delaying the rollout of a new Medicaid plan for thousands of youth in its care by at least another two months amid ongoing concerns from advocates about whether it will hinder health care access for foster children.
About 13,000 foster children who were set to be enrolled in a Medicaid managed care plan Feb. 1 will now have until April 1 to get set up for the new system, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services announced Thursday.
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DCFS negotiated the new date with the American Civil Liberties Union, which had objected to the implementation next month. Later Thursday, DCFS and the ACLU presented the plan in front of a federal judge presiding over the matter, who lauded the agreement and scheduled another hearing in March to monitor the progress.
“This date is part of an agreement between state agencies and the ACLU designed to ensure the transition for youth in DCFS’ care to managed care best meets the needs of these children and families,” the statement said. “This agreement is part of ongoing work between the state agencies and the ACLU to identify any challenges that may arise in this transition and ensure effective steps are taken to address those challenges.”
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This is the second time since September that DCFS and the state Department of Healthcare and Family Services are changing the launch date. Despite efforts to shore up the new system since then, the agencies have faced tough questions about the number of participating doctors, communication with foster parents and the quality of health assessments.
In a November letter to DCFS and HFS, ACLU attorney Heidi Dalenberg urged the agencies to slow the implementation, saying more time was needed to ensure that children with specialized medical and mental health conditions have all their needs met.
“The February 1, 2020 target date simply makes no sense for DCFS children or for Illinois — it will result in chaotic disruption in children’s care, wasted time, and wasted money,” the letter said. “We repeatedly have said that we do not object to the concept of managed care. Our goal instead is to prevent a rushed, disorderly and counterproductive rollout.”
The biggest difference about the new Medicaid plan is that it will be operated by a private contractor — IlliniCare Health — and not DCFS or HFS, which were previously responsible for reimbursing Medicaid providers under a fee-for-service model.
By contrast, IlliniCare is paid a fixed rate per child to run the program and must build the provider network from scratch, even though doctors are not required to join. IlliniCare already operates a general Medicaid plan for low-income and disabled people who qualify for the federal program, though some hospital systems have cut ties with IlliniCare.
Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert, whose office represents about 6,000 children in DCFS care during custody hearings, has also objected to the Feb. 1 implementation date.
Scores of concerned foster parents have written to his office, Golbert said in a letter filed in the federal court case Wednesday. Some of the foster parents said they still don’t know if they need to switch doctors and have received little information from DCFS about the change.
Among many other problems, Golbert wrote, “the provider network is wholly inadequate, foster parents have no idea what is going on, and medically vulnerable children face severe disruptions in their critical care.”
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Golbert also raised concerns about the progress of promised health screenings for youth who are set to enroll in the plan. Health screenings for children with the highest needs were supposed to be completed before the full rollout, but as of last week, only 6,580 children out of the 17,000 in foster care had been assessed, Golbert wrote. The health screenings are being conducted so IlliniCare can create treatment plans for each child.
The IlliniCare plan, dubbed YouthCare, will cover about 17,000 minors who are Medicaid eligible while in DCFS custody. YouthCare is also available to 19,000 former foster children who were adopted or remained in a DCFS placement at age 18.
Since November, IlliniCare has been piloting the youth plan by serving about 4,000 children with advanced needs. During that time, YouthCare coordinators have been contacting foster parents by phone to complete a 20-minute health assessment and gather information about current medical providers.
Sheila Krogh, a foster parent in Lake County, said her experience with the health screening was troubling. The IlliniCare representative didn’t ask enough questions or seem to understand the complexities of care for her foster daughter, who has a genetic disorder and requires the attention of specialists like a cardiologist and neurologist.
None of the specialists Krogh relies on is part of the YouthCare network, meaning she’ll have to find new ones who are likely to be farther from home, Krogh said.
“Right now I have a team of pediatricians and specialists and therapists that all know my little girl, and that’s part of being able to provide her the best possible care,” said Krogh, 58, who’s been a foster parent in Illinois for more than a decade. “To have to begin those kinds of relationships from scratch, in my mind, is a health risk to her.”
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Krogh said she talked with the IlliniCare representative in November and was told another coordinator would reach out about her concerns, but that never happened.
As of November, YouthCare had contracted with more than 20,000 providers, accounting for 80% of Medicaid dollars spent on the youth in recent years, according to HFS and IlliniCare.
The state has shifted about 80% of its Medicaid recipients to managed care over the last decade. Proponents of managed care say private companies can run Medicaid programs more efficiently than government by cutting costs and improving care.
echerney@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-16--‘You may be able to save a life’: Deaths from falls at Water Tower Place raise questions about suici

‘You may be able to save a life’: Deaths from falls at Water Tower Place raise questions about suicide prevention

“ It ’ s kind of up to the architects to find something that fits with the design and has @ @ @ @ @ ” said Steve Moore , co-chair of the Illinois chapter of the American Foundation for @ @ @ @ @ Water Tower Place , they have to look at what they currently have , and @ @ @ @ @ make it difficult for people .
”

After a man fell to his death at Water Tower Place the night before, a security guard stood on the seventh floor of the busy mall Thursday morning and shooed away shoppers who stepped too close to the railing.
The deceased man was the second person killed in a fall in the past two months at the popular Magnificent Mile shopping center, which appeared to prompt a stepped-up security presence on the mall’s upper floors.
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But the deaths, ruled suicides by the Cook County medical examiner’s office, raise questions about whether businesses and building owners should take more permanent precautions to prevent suicide deaths. Such measures are in place at some other public sites.
In San Francisco, officials are working on building a net under the Golden Gate Bridge, where hundreds of people have died of suicide since it opened in 1937. Large plastic signs displaying a suicide prevention hotline phone number are a common site at Chicago CTA stations, where some people have died after jumping in front of trains.
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Such measures, though, are less common in private buildings than in public ways, experts say. A request for comment sent to Brookfield Properties, which owns Water Tower Place, went unanswered.
“It’s kind of up to the architects to find something that fits with the design and has some discouragement to it,” said Steve Moore, co-chair of the Illinois chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “For Water Tower Place, they have to look at what they currently have, and what can they do to make it difficult for people.”
Deterrents are especially important, experts say, because research shows that most suicides are impulsive in a moment of crisis. Most people who survive an attempt do not try again, studies show.
“If you take away an easy way, you may save a life,” Moore said.
The latest incident happened about 5 p.m. Wednesday when a 25-year-old man fell from the seventh floor of the mall in the 800 block of North Michigan Avenue, a Chicago police spokesman said. Paramedics took the man to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:42 p.m., according to information from Chicago police and the medical examiner’s office. He lived in West Rogers Park.
A 65-year-old woman died Nov. 24 when she also fell from the seventh floor of the mall. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mark Heyrman, a retired University of Chicago Law School professor and a board member of Mental Health America of Illinois, said building owners can install netting to prevent deaths from falls, but many are reluctant to do so because of aesthetic issues. He noted that years of fighting and controversy preceded the official decision to install a net below the Golden Gate Bridge.
“People will think it looks horrible,” he said, adding that the government couldn’t legally compel owners to do it.
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Heyrman also said signs like those in CTA stations can be cheap and effective for building owners to use, but he said there isn’t much research about how many people may be deterred by the signage.
He emphasized, though, that most people do not try again after a suicide is prevented.
That’s why Moore said it’s especially important to work to prevent falling deaths because there is less of a chance in such instances that life-saving attempts from first responders will be successful. A report on suicide lethality from the Harvard School of Public Health notes that “jumping from a great height shares two elements in common with firearms as a suicide method: it is a highly lethal method and once the attempt is begun (the person jumps or pulls the trigger) it cannot be stopped.”
“Reducing access to lethal means is one very effective method of suicide prevention,” Moore said. “You may be able to save life permanently.”
For 24/7 help, call the free and confidential National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
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mabuckley@chicagotribune.com
pfry@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-16--Former Outcome Health analysts change pleas to guilty, are cooperating with investigation

Choi and Han served as senior analyst and analyst at the company , respectively , for about three years until @ @ @ @ @ in late 2017 .
They worked under Ashik Desai , who served as Outcome ’ @ @ @ @ @ business growth and analytics .

Former Outcome Health employee Kathryn Choi appears at Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Jan. 16, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Two former Outcome Health employees pleaded guilty to charges of felony conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with their work at the Chicago-based company.
The former employees, Kathryn Choi and Oliver Han, are cooperating with the government’s investigation. The two pleaded not guilty last month and were released on a condition of bond. They changed their pleas Thursday.
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The charges against Choi, 29, and Han, 29, were filed in November and allege the purpose of the conspiracy was to defraud Outcome’s pharmaceutical clients. The maximum term of imprisonment for the charge is five years if convicted.
If Choi and Han continue to cooperate throughout the investigation, that sentence could be shorter.
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Outcome Health installs screens in doctor’s offices and waiting rooms that combine health information with drug advertising. Pharmaceutical companies pay Outcome to run the ads and other content on screens.
Choi and Han served as senior analyst and analyst at the company, respectively, for about three years until Outcome placed them on leave in late 2017. They worked under Ashik Desai, who served as Outcome’s executive vice president of business growth and analytics.
Former Outcome Health employee Oliver Han, center, walks through the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, Jan. 16, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Desai also faces criminal charges, along with former executives Rishi Shah, Shradha Agarwal and Brad Purdy, for their alleged roles in what authorities say was a nearly $1 billion fraud scheme.
Desai pleaded guilty last month and is also cooperating with the government’s investigation. Agarwal, Shah and Purdy pleaded not guilty.
“Higher-ups put Mr. Han in a terrible position at Outcome,” Leigh Roadman, an attorney representing Han, said after Thursday’s court proceeding. “Good people sometimes make bad decisions. He’s owned up to what he did.”
An attorney representing Choi declined to comment.
The charges against Han and Choi were filed in a criminal information, a charging document that in a felony case typically indicates a defendant has been working with prosecutors on a plea deal.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Madden told Judge John J. Tharp Jr. in court Thursday that Han and Choi agreed to delay sentencing until after their cooperation with the investigation concludes.
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amarotti@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @AllyMarotti


chicagotribune--2020-01-16--Column: Jessica Mendoza just gave ESPN a new reason to dump her when she criticized the whistleblowe

Column: Jessica Mendoza just gave ESPN a new reason to dump her when she criticized the whistleblower in the Astros cheating scandal

“ I mean , this wasn ’ t something that MLB naturally investigated or that even other teams complained about @ @ @ @ @ it and then investigations happened , but it came from within .
It was a @ @ @ @ @ of it but benefited from it during the regular season when he was a part @ @ @ @ @ I totally get telling your future teammates , helping them win , letting people know @ @ @ @ @ with it , call them out and start all of this , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @

Baseball has been rocked by a cheating scandal, and you know what ESPN analyst Jessica Mendoza said “doesn’t sit well with” her and makes her “sad for the sport"?
That former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers told The Athletic about the team’s elaborate system for stealing opposing catchers’ signs and alerting batters when a breaking ball was on the way.
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Talk about a Mendoza line no one in baseball should go near. That’s crazy.
The sport’s integrity was compromised, yet Thursday on ESPN’s “Golic and Wingo,” Mendoza said what made her queasy was that Fiers discussed it on the record with reporters Ken Rosenthal (no relation) and Evan Drellich.
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Their story precipitated a Major League Baseball investigation that, as of Thursday, has resulted in sanctions against the Astros and cost three managers and a general manager their jobs. But Mendoza thinks Fiers was wrong?
If ESPN was looking for one more excuse to blow up its “Sunday Night Baseball” announcing team, Mendoza gave it to them.
One “SNB” analyst, Alex Rodriguez, cheated as a player. The other, Mendoza, thinks telling reporters about cheating is wrong.
Hard to believe these two haven’t meshed better on telecasts. They both need to go.
This is not a corked bat or spitball we’re talking about. The 2017 World Series champion Astros broke the rules to gain an unfair edge for their batters. They stole and decoded opposing catchers’ signs to pitchers through use of a TV monitor, conveying the information to the dugout by banging on a trashcan.
“If you’re with the Oakland A’s and you’re on another team I mean, heck yeah, you better be telling your teammates, ‘Look, hey, heads-up, if you hear some noises when you’re pitching, this is what’s going on.’ For sure,” Mendoza said to Mike Golic, who merits criticism for failing to challenge her. “But to go public? Yeah, that didn’t sit well with me and, honestly, it made me sad for the sport that that’s how this all got found out.
“I mean, this wasn’t something that MLB naturally investigated or that even other teams complained about because they naturally heard about it and then investigations happened, but it came from within. It was a player that was a part of it but benefited from it during the regular season when he was a part of that team. … I totally get telling your future teammates, helping them win, letting people know. But to go public with it, call them out and start all of this, it’s hard to swallow.”
“To go public with it and call them out and start all of this, it’s hard to swallow.”
-@jessmendoza on former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers revealing the Astros sign-stealing scheme. pic.twitter.com/LSQY6B0dSC — Golic and Wingo (@GolicAndWingo) January 16, 2020
It helps not one iota that Mendoza also works for the Mets as a baseball operations adviser, as the Mets have become at least peripherally involved in this scandal through Carlos Beltran.
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The commissioner’s report identified Beltran as involved in the Astros’ cheating scheme as a player. He was named the Mets manager on Nov. 4, and his departure from the team was announced Thursday not long after Mendoza’s remarks.
ESPN has never seemed to mind that its announcers have conflicts along these lines. It should. It’s nuts that someone such as David Ross was paid to both work as a supposedly neutral TV analyst and as a Cubs special assistant to baseball operations before going all-in as Cubs manager this offseason.
So ESPN has only itself to blame for feeding viewers viewpoints and suspect rationales that risk appearing compromised, whether they are or not.
Mendoza issued a statement via Twitter after Beltran’s exit in which she sought to clarify her remarks and independence.
“My advisory role with the team does not shape my opinion in any way," she said in her statement.
Yet she simultaneously drove home even more forcefully that she has no concept what her role as a media figure should entail.
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"I believe it’s very critical that this news was made public; I simply disagree with the manner in which that was done,” Mendoza tweeted. “I credit Mike Fiers for stepping forward, yet I feel that going directly through your team and/or MLB first could have been a better way to surface the information.”
That’s right. Mendoza believes the people she’s supposed to cover for the benefit of her media outlet and its audience should not be open, forthright and transparent with the media.
There is no good argument for sitting on information in the Astros cheating scandal. The idea that what’s said and done in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse, no matter how poisonous or illicit, has the potential to hide far too many transgressions from investigation and punishment.
MLB has steered clear of punishing players for the systemic cheating, but its sanctions to date have included season-long suspensions for Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch, which spurred their dismissal by the team.
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In addition to Beltran’s exit, Alex Cora, an Astros coach involved in the scandal before managing the Red Sox to the 2018 World Series title, has resigned. There may be more fallout ahead.
ESPN already was said to be moving toward to revamping “Sunday Night Baseball,” though the original New York Post report on overhauling its announcing crew curiously said Rodriguez’s job was supposedly safe. There’s no question it merits a major makeover.
Mendoza’s misguided remarks should reduce the flak ESPN executives might face for dropping her from the high-profile prime-time sportscasting gig.
Dump her from “Sunday Night Baseball.” Dump Rodriguez too. Give play-by-play man Matt Vasgersian new partners or blow up the whole booth and start from scratch. Whatever.
Keeping this group intact can’t sit well with viewers. It will just make everyone sad for the sport.


chicagotribune--2020-01-16--Mother rages at gang member given 60 years in prison for killing 7-year-old Heaven Sutton. ‘Maybe Go

Mother rages at gang member given 60 years in prison for killing 7-year-old Heaven Sutton. ‘Maybe God can forgive y’all, but I can’t.’

Heaven ’ s brother , Malik Ellis , who was 15 at the time of the shooting , testified for @ @ @ @ @ that night when neighbors of all ages were outside enjoying the mild summer weather before @ @ @ @ @ everyone scrambling .

Heaven Sutton, 7, at the candy stand in front of her house on June 27, 2012, the day she was shot. (Family photo)
Ashake Banks approached the witness stand at the sentencing of her 7-year-old daughter’s killer with tears in her eyes.
She held a crumpled tissue in her right hand as she raised that arm to be sworn in.
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She sat down and hung her head. When she finally began to speak, her voice trembled.
“My only daughter, my beautiful butterfly ... was taken from me way too soon,” she said of Heaven Sutton. “The loss has broken our family.”
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Moments later, her tears turned to rage.
Jerrell Dorsey was convicted in the June 2012 murder of 7-year-old Heaven Sutton. (Cook County sheriff's office)
She looked directly at Jerrell Dorsey, who was found guilty of shooting Heaven Sutton in a senseless gang attack outside the family home on Chicago’s West Side.
“Maybe God can forgive y’all,” the mother told him. “But I can’t. Ever. … You’re going to hell.”
Judge Ursula Walowski sentenced Dorsey, 33, to 60 years in prison for the attack that also wounded one of Dorsey’s alleged intended targets, a rival gang member.
A Cook County jury convicted Dorsey in April of murder, aggravated battery and aggravated discharge of a firearm in the June 2012 shooting.
Prosecutors said Dorsey and an uncharged accomplice shot at a rival gang member near one of Heaven’s favorite places: the snack stand that her mother set up in the front yard of their home in the North Austin neighborhood to sell candy and snow cones to neighbors.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 23 Family of Heaven Sutton, including mother Ashake Banks, center, and uncles Tavares and Richard Harrington, leave the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Thursday, April 18, 2019 minutes after a guilty verdict was announced in the 2012 killing of the 7-year-old girl. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
The rival was shot in the ankle, but another bullet struck Heaven in the back as she tried to flee the gunfire. She had been playing in the yard, prosecutors said.
At the sentencing Thursday, Walowski noted the many letters sent in by Dorsey’s supporters.
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“You are highlighted as a great father,” she said. “Yet you were found guilty of taking a child away from a mother that it doesn’t seem will ever be able to recover from that.”
Prosecutors argued that Dorsey, a reputed Four Corner Hustlers street gang member, could have been sentenced to as many as 109 years in prison for the slaying.
Both prosecutors and the defense noted that Dorsey had a relatively stable upbringing and a devoted family.
“He had a lot to live for, and all he did was go out there and gangbang,” Assistant State’s Attorney Nina Ricci said.
But Dorsey’s attorney, Michael Walsh, called his client’s behavior that night an “aberration” while asking the judge for leniency.
Dorsey spoke as well, saying, “I just want to say my heart goes out to the family.”
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He then maintained his innocence in a voice that was nearly inaudible.
Heaven’s brother, Malik Ellis, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, testified for the prosecution at trial about that night when neighbors of all ages were outside enjoying the mild summer weather before the barrage of gunfire sent everyone scrambling.
“Once I seen a gun, it all happened so fast, and all the shots rung out,” he said.
Ellis said he realized Heaven was shot, grabbed towels and tried to help Banks stop the bleeding. But his sister was pronounced dead within an hour.
Two reputed members of a gang that feuded with the Four Corner Hustlers told authorities in 2012 that they saw Dorsey at the scene with a gun. One even said he was so close he saw the muzzle flash as Dorsey fired.
But in testimony at the trial, both backed away from those statements.
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In closing arguments, prosecutors characterized their backtracking as an attempt to avoid retaliation for cooperating with law enforcement.
Jurors deliberated just 2½ hours before convicting Dorsey on all counts.
On Thursday, following Dorsey’s sentencing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, Heaven’s mother told reporters that the 60-year sentence amounted to a slap on the wrist compared with the loss of her daughter. He would be in his mid-80′s if he completed the sentence.
“I wanted life,” Banks told reporters. “I didn’t want 60 years. I’m doing life myself. … You kill a 7-year-old, a little girl, I rather wanted it to be spelled out. L-I-F-E.”
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-16--Ex-city investigator meddled in police shooting case in hopes of profiting, city watchdog says

The inspector general ’ s office did not identify the investigator in its summary report released Thursday , but sources @ @ @ @ @ him as Kelvin Lett , who was an $ 88,044-a-year public records officer for the @ @ @ @ @ fired in November .
He is fighting his firing .
Lett had earlier been dismissed @ @ @ @ @ investigator with IPRA in 2017 .

Police work the scene where Kajuan Raye was fatally shot by Sgt. John Poulos in November 2016. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability cleared Poulos of wrongdoing last year. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
A former investigator for a city agency that looked into Chicago police shootings sought to make money on the side by connecting a lawyer with the family of a teen fatally shot by a sergeant during a foot chase, the city’s government watchdog disclosed Thursday.
The investigation by the city Inspector General Joseph Ferguson’s office found that the investigator for the now-defunct Independent Police Review Authority gave the home address for the teen’s family to an attorney referral service and arranged for its business owner and a lawyer to meet with the family.
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The investigator sought a fee for the referral, Ferguson’s office determined.
Based on the alleged misconduct, Ferguson recommended the man, by then a civilian Chicago police employee, be fired and placed on the city’s ineligible-for-rehire list — steps that the Police Department has taken, according to the report.
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The inspector general’s office did not identify the investigator in its summary report released Thursday, but sources familiar with the case identified him as Kelvin Lett, who was an $88,044-a-year public records officer for the Police Department when he was fired in November. He is fighting his firing. Lett had earlier been dismissed from his job as an investigator with IPRA in 2017.
Lett could not be reached for comment.
Lett had gained attention in 2018 when he filed a federal lawsuit alleging that when he was working for IPRA, the agency’s top boss had forced him to find an officer’s actions unjustified in a shooting, contrary to the findings of Lett’s investigation. However, a judge threw out that suit. Lett’s appeal of that decision was rejected last week by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
While still with IPRA, Lett obtained “sensitive information” from an officer who’d responded to the scene of the November 2016 police shooting of 19-year-old Kajuan Raye. Though Lett was not assigned to investigate that shooting, he failed to promptly disclose any of the information — including the potential location of a gun — to IPRA.
Raye’s death marked the second fatal shooting involving Sgt. John Poulos in three years.
Family members of Kajuan Raye pray Nov. 29, 2016, outside Chicago police headquarters after announcing a lawsuit. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
No gun was initially found in Raye’s possession. But about three months later, a handgun was found along the path of the foot chase in the South Side’s West Englewood neighborhood. IPRA’s successor, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, cleared Poulos of wrongdoing last year.
“The then-investigator never informed anyone at IPRA of contact with the attorney referral service or the victim’s family, waited four days to inform IPRA of the information received from the CPD officer, and repeatedly called members of the victim’s family after their meeting,” Ferguson’s report said.
Ferguson’s office also found that Lett lied or omitted pertinent information in interviews with his bosses as well as investigators for Ferguson’s office and the FBI.
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Raye’s mother ended up filing a federal lawsuit but did not choose the attorneys Lett tried to line her up with, the sources said.
jgorner@chicagotribune.com
tlighty@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-01-16--A 5-year-old boy from Libertyville asked for bedding for his birthday. He then donated the gifts to

A 5-year-old boy from Libertyville asked for bedding for his birthday. He then donated the gifts to help other kids in need.

When the moment arrived to open up gifts during his birthday party last fall , Tyler , a Libertyville resident @ @ @ @ @ what to expect after he made the unusual request of his friends .
After all @ @ @ @ @ nothing to do with sheets , blankets and pillows .

Five-year-old Tyler Sliz pushes a cart full of bedding that he collected as he delivers the donations to the Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter in Libertyville. (Brian OMahoney / Pioneer Press)
All 5-year-old Tyler Sliz wanted for his birthday was bedding.
When the moment arrived to open up gifts during his birthday party last fall, Tyler, a Libertyville resident, didn’t know what to expect after he made the unusual request of his friends. After all, most 5-year-old kids want nothing to do with sheets, blankets and pillows.
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“I started to open them and everyone brought bedding," Tyler recalled recently. "I felt happy.”
But for Tyler, his request came with a purpose in mind. The birthday party started an ongoing charitable project after he learned about the bed ministry at his church in Libertyville, St. Joseph Catholic Church.
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The church sponsors a local chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit with chapters in 44 states and three countries that builds and delivers beds, complete with all the materials, for children who don’t have them at home.
Tyler was eager to help the cause and wanted his friends to join him, prompting the birthday request, his parents, Jackie and Brad Sliz, said.
Tyler said he decided to collect and deliver donated bedding to the local chapter after he was told he could not help build the actual beds until he was 12 years old.
“I help carry it in,” he said, describing how he pushes laundry carts full of bedding into the building. “Five-year-olds can put bolts (for the beds) in bags.”
Tyler had his own goal of collecting 100 items for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, the family said. By early January, he and his family delivered 119 pillows, blankets or sets of sheets.
Dan Harris, who started the Libertyville chapter in 2018, said the donated beds are delivered mostly to homes in Lake and McHenry counties but also some shelters, helping out kids who range in age from 3 to 17.
Five-year-old Tyler Sliz (center) helps Dan Harris (right) unload donations at the Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter in Libertyville as his mother, Jackie Sliz, and sister, Addison Sliz, 2, look on. (Brian OMahoney / Pioneer Press)
The timing of Tyler’s birthday idea and his subsequent donations also have assisted the chapter greatly by helping cut down the number of kids waiting to receive beds in the area, Harris said.
“We want to make sure no kid sleeps on the floor in our town,” Harris said of the mission of the local chapter.
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Jackie and Brad Sliz also have had the pleasure of watching firsthand Tyler’s commitment to the cause.
They’ve helped him shop for materials and they assist him on his donation drop-offs. His grandmother, Sherry Ziegler, who lives in Deerfield, also has helped with collecting donations and taking Tyler on shopping trips.
When planning the birthday party, Tyler was adamant about receiving bedding as gifts, according to Jackie Sliz.
“He didn’t want anything else,” she said.
Steve Sadin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.


chicagotribune--2020-01-17--Nearly one-third of all CPS students missed school on the strike makeup days after winter break

The educator walkout lasted for 11 days and ended on Oct. 31 after the Chicago Teachers Union and Mayor Lori @ @ @ @ @ make up five of the days .
It was the final hangup before the two @ @ @ @ @ with the union pushing to get all the days made up and the mayor initially @ @ @ @ @ .

More than 100,000 students did not attend class on Jan. 2, which initially was part of winter break but was turned into an attendance day to make up for one of the days missed during the October strike. (José M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Nearly 1 out of 3 students in Chicago Public Schools were absent from class during the two most recent makeup days for the teachers strike this fall.
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The educator walkout lasted for 11 days and ended on Oct. 31 after the Chicago Teachers Union and Mayor Lori Lightfoot reached a compromise to make up five of the days. It was the final hang-up before the two sides settled their differences, with the union pushing to get all the days made up and the mayor initially insisting there would be none.
More than 100,000 students failed to show up for school on Jan. 2, for an attendance rate of about 63%. The following day, a Friday, was slightly better, with about 67% of students attending classes. Those were originally the final two days of the winter break but were turned into attendance days to make up for the strike.
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The percentages, provided by CPS on Friday, were based on a total enrollment of roughly 293,000 students, which does not include charter, contract and options schools.
The first of the makeup days — Nov. 27, the day before Thanksgiving — had an attendance rate of 78%, which exceeded the 70% of students who were present on Nov. 1, the first day back to school after the strike.
By comparison, the average daily attendance for the previous school year was 93% for students, according to the district.
The two remaining makeup days have been added to the end of the school year on June 17 and June 18.
For teachers and other school-based staff, the makeup day rates were a little higher, at 87% on Nov. 27, 83% on Jan. 2 and 84% on Jan. 3. Nearly 95% of teachers turned out on Nov. 1.
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Presented with attendance data for the three makeup days so far, CTU spokesman Ronnie Reese brought up the reasons teachers went on strike in the first place. “The mayor forced educators and school staff to picket lines last October to fight for what should have been basic rights — nurses and social workers in every school," Reese said. "The union advocated for instructional days to be made up, she was only willing to provide five of those days and Chicago Public Schools decided that this was its best attempt to make up the time.”
When CPS announced the plan to cut into Thanksgiving, winter and summer breaks to make up days lost to the teachers strike, they were met with criticism by the teachers union and mixed reaction from parents. Some families said they had travel plans they weren’t willing to cancel — and seemingly many of them didn’t. But other families said they were glad the school year didn’t get extended into July.
“We understand that modifications to the school calendar can create real challenges for our families, and we have worked to add makeup days in a manner that prioritizes student learning and minimizes disruption to the fullest extent possible,” CPS Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade said in a statement announcing the plan in November.
The loss of six school days reduces spending by $68 million, according to CPS.
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-17--After a hiatus in 2019, Women’s March Chicago returns Saturday to Grant Park. Supporters pledge to t

After a hiatus in 2019, Women’s March Chicago returns Saturday to Grant Park. Supporters pledge to turn out despite cold, wet forecast.

During the same time period , several leaders of a separate national women ’ s march group faced accusations of @ @ @ @ @ part over ties to Louis Farrakhan , whose Chicago-based Nation of Islam is considered to @ @ @ @ @ by the Southern Poverty Law Center .
The more controversial leaders have since stepped down @ @ @ @ @ established a new board that `` consists of leaders from a wide variety of communities @ @ @ @ @ religious beliefs , gender identities and experiences , ” the group said in a news @ @

Thousands of people walk on West Adams Street in support of several issues including the 2020 Census, gun violence prevention, climate justice, health care access and voting during the Women's March Chicago on Jan. 18, 2020. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
As a drizzling rain mostly subsided, Women’s March Chicago supporters and elected officials marched from Grant Park to Federal Plaza before moving on to Trump Tower, where it ended about 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
Officials began arriving at Grant Park around 10:30 a.m., and the march formally stepped off shortly after 11 a.m.
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Organizers clarified their crowd estimate, putting it at about 10,000 for the event, which had largely concluded by 1 p.m.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, at the front of the procession, said as a “mother of a daughter,” she wants to work to ensure her daughter inherits a “better, stronger” world.
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“We cannot rest on our laurels,” she said, standing under a bright purple “Start” banner.
Unlike in past years, Women’s March Chicago 2020 didn’t include a formal rally or scheduled programming beforehand. This year’s march-only format included what organizers dubbed a “gallery of issues,” with each block of the procession dedicated to a different cause: the 2020 census, health care access, gun violence, climate change and encouraging voting.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle joined Lightfoot near the front.
She urged people to participate in the November elections.
“I think this march is a good beginning,” Preckwinkle said.
As the procession moved west on Adams Street and passed the Climate Justice signs, a man yelled: “It shouldn’t be raining in January!''
Marchers arrived at Federal Plaza shortly after 11:30 a.m., chanting “Trump Pence Out Now,” “This is what a feminist looks like,” and “Vote him out!”
Standing in the plaza with two friends, 24-year-old Elena Vera said she felt energized by the march and what she felt were important issues on display, like immigration.
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Vera said she feels Illinois has an important place in the movement, as it sits surrounded by mostly red states.
“There are so many important issues,” she said.
The crowd began to disperse from Federal Plaza shortly before noon, though many headed to Trump Tower.
“We are marching to Trump Tower,” a woman shouted from a megaphone as marchers moved headed east on Jackson Boulevard.
As marchers got closer to the tower, police officers on bicycles moved the crowds to the sidewalk as they marched north on State Street. They chanted: “Trump says America first. We say humanity first.”
State Street remained mostly open, with officers directing traffic.
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Around 12:15 p.m., the marchers swarmed the area around Trump Tower, chanting: "Trump Pence Out Now." Horse patrols arrived as a large crowd stayed in place.
Gigi Jaback, 56, wore a pink hat outside Trump Tower and held a large sign that said: “The future is female.” The Joliet resident has been to the past Women’s Marches in Chicago and said the turnout this year felt smaller than in past years.
"Maybe people are just tired," she said.
The crowd at Trump Tower mostly dispersed by 1 p.m.
The decision of many marchers to head to Trump Tower was organic and not part of the formal program, organizers said, but also wasn’t surprising given the fervent opposition against President Donald Trump.
Women’s March Chicago board member Harlene Ellin described the energy level as high along the march route, and said it seemed anecdotally that more men appeared to participate compared with past events.
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“I felt the presence of more men in the crowd,” she said “I know men come as allies. But I also felt that our focus on universal issues — climate justice, the census, voting — might have driven even more to join in.”
Before the march began, police officers on bicycles began lining up near the start line, as several dozen people began crowding near the front of the march.
Two men with megaphones and signs of their own were calling on “all of the sinners” to repent. A brass and percussion band drowned them out, playing Michael Jackson’s “Beat it.”
Kristina Reis and Bridget Hayman gathered near the start line, marching as part of Access Living, a disability services organization.
The Chicago-area women use wheelchairs and said the Women’s March is one of the biggest gatherings in the area that does a better job with disability access.
Hayman said other large Chicago-area events, like those after the Cubs won the World Series, were more difficult to navigate.
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“It’s nice that they’re being more inclusive,” Reis said.
About a half-hour before kickoff, a crowd of hundreds — some keeping warm in iconic pink cat-eared hats — waited at Grant Park.
A loud beating of drums pulsated at the scene as supporters maneuvered around several inches of snow on the ground, raising their homemade signs in the light drizzle.
As Highland Park natives Rami Apelian and his 9-year-old son Jaser waited for things to begin near Columbus and Jackson drives, the boy held a sign that urged men to stand up with women.
“It’s my generation’s duty to teach the next generation,” Rami Apelian said. “Equal means equal.”
Nine-year-old Jaser Apelian marching with #WomensMarchChicago2020. “Equal means equal,” says his dad. pic.twitter.com/Q5TD6mfXwJ — AngieLeventisLourgos (@angie_leventis) January 18, 2020
Despite the cold, damp weather, two teens from suburban Mundelein said they were excited to attend their first Women’s March.
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“It’s a big year for both of us, it’s the first year we’ll be able to vote,” said Nicole Nowicki, 17, holding a poster with the slogan “Grow a pair” adjacent to a pink glitter uterus and ovaries.
Her friend Hannah Stanley, 17, said her dad was a major influence in her decision to take part Saturday, fight for women’s rights “and be politically active.”
Nicole Nowicki and Hannah Stanley from Mundelein, excited for their first Women’s March. And the first election year the teens will be old enough to cast their ballots. pic.twitter.com/SNpT2EjIC8 — AngieLeventisLourgos (@angie_leventis) January 18, 2020
Earlier, other online supporters pledged to turn out.
“I just read there’s going to be rain? Time to convert my umbrella into a sign!” one marcher said on Facebook.
“No matter what the weather we will be there!” another responded.
“I look at less than ideal weather as a portent ... perhaps the avalanche all us snowflakes have been marching for? The House. The Senate. The Presidency,” a third supporter posted.
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A group of people gathered at the DuPage Township Democratic Organization office on Jan. 12, 2020, in Bolingbrook to make signs for the Women's March Chicago. (Mark Black / Chicago Tribune)
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In January 2017, following the inauguration of Trump, the first local Women’s March unexpectedly drew an estimated 250,000 supporters to Grant Park, shutting down parts of downtown. The event was held in concert with other women’s marches internationally.
An anniversary march in January 2018 brought a crowd of some 300,000 to Grant Park, according to organizer estimates. Then Women’s March Chicago hosted a solely local march in October 2018, to encourage midterm election voting, and decided not to organize a traditional January march at Grant Park in 2019, due to the large cost and resource burden of hosting two events in such a short time.
During the same time period, several leaders of a separate national women’s march group faced accusations of anti-Semitism and infighting, in part over ties to Louis Farrakhan, whose Chicago-based Nation of Islam is considered to be an anti-Semitic hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The more controversial leaders have since stepped down, and the national organization recently established a new board that "consists of leaders from a wide variety of communities, disciplines, ethnicities, religious beliefs, gender identities and experiences,” the group said in a news release.
Women’s March Chicago is also scheduling another march in mid-October to encourage voting in the 2020 elections.
Organizers believe everyday news events will help spur marchers to attend these events.
“Momentum comes from 10,000 tiny cuts,” said organizer Ann Scholhamer. “Everything creates momentum in someone. I’m sure uncovering fraud, illegal activity, misogynistic behavior, exclusion, racial events which happen everyday will continue. We wish we could all take a break because this stops. We won’t.”
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eleventis@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-17--A busy Bears offseason continues with changes to the offensive coaching staff. The Bear Download pod

A busy Bears offseason continues with changes to the offensive coaching staff. The Bear Download podcast breaks it down.

Rich and Dan break down a newsy offseason week , starting with Matt Nagy ’ s changes to his offensive @ @ @ @ @ down the arrivals of coordinator Bill Lazor , quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo and the promotion @ @ @ @ @ Ragone .
They wonder how all the new coaches ’ responsibilities will fit together and @ @ @ @ @ affect the 2020 offense .
They question Anthony Davis ’ attire and rooting interest on @ @ @ @ @ the divisional round of the playoffs .
They wax nostalgic about Bourbonnais ( with passing @ @ @ @ @ golf game ) and think aloud about public access to training camp at Halas Hall @ @ @ @ @ newest Hall of Famers and look ahead to Sunday ’ s conference title games .

Welcome to the Bear Download podcast.
Listen below or subscribe and listen on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play
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Rich and Dan break down a newsy offseason week, starting with Matt Nagy’s changes to his offensive coaching staff. They break down the arrivals of coordinator Bill Lazor, quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo and the promotion of passing game coordinator Dave Ragone. They wonder how all the new coaches’ responsibilities will fit together and how the new group will affect the 2020 offense. They question Anthony Davis’ attire and rooting interest on the Lambeau Field sideline for the divisional round of the playoffs. They wax nostalgic about Bourbonnais (with passing mention to Dan’s golf game) and think aloud about public access to training camp at Halas Hall. They crown the Bears newest Hall of Famers and look ahead to Sunday’s conference title games.


chicagotribune--2020-01-17--A day after U. of I. hikes tuition, Urbana-Champaign campus announces broader eligibility for free t

A day after U. of I. hikes tuition, Urbana-Champaign campus announces broader eligibility for free tuition

“ A central priority for me in this office is making college affordable for those who can least afford it @ @ @ @ @ at an unrelated event .
“ That means now more than half of the households @ @ @ @ @ for free tuition .
”

The main quad on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus on April 19, 2019. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is raising the minimum income to qualify for its free tuition program, one day after university trustees raised in-state tuition for the first time in six years.
The Illinois Commitment program, first implemented in the fall, awards four years of full tuition and fees for admitted in-state students whose family income is $61,000 or less.
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Now students will be able to qualify if their family makes up to $67,000.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday the move to raise the income threshold by 10% came at his request to the board of trustees. The new eligibility rules go into effect for the fall 2020 academic term.
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“A central priority for me in this office is making college affordable for those who can least afford it,” Pritzker said Friday at an unrelated event. “That means now more than half of the households in the state will qualify for free tuition.”
U. of I. officials confirmed Pritzker’s announcement in a press release later Friday. More than 30% of students in the current freshman class and new transfer students were eligible for the program this year, according to the press release.
Illinois Commitment covers tuition for any program — areas like engineering typically charge more — but not room and board, books and course or laboratory fees, which can nearly double the cost of college.
For instance, the posted tuition and fees for an Illinois resident at Urbana-Champaign this year ranges from $16,000 to $21,000. Once you add room and board, course materials and other expenses, the total cost is from $31,000 to about $36,000.
The funding is good for up to four years of uninterrupted enrollment for new students and three years for transfer students, provided they make satisfactory progress toward a degree.
The U. of I. is spending $4 million each of the next four years to support Illinois Commitment, officials have said. Funding comes from a mix of university, state and federal dollars.
“We are grateful for the partnership and continued support from the state that will allow us to continue to raise the qualifying income level to ensure that modest and middle-income families in Illinois had access to an affordable Illinois education,” officials said in a news release.
drhodes@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-17--Brandon Saad on the cusp of returning to Blackhawks after the longest injury break of his career: ‘I

Brandon Saad on the cusp of returning to Blackhawks after the longest injury break of his career: ‘It’s tough sitting and watching from home’

“ It ’ s tough sitting and watching from home , ” Saad said .
“ Mentally , the biggest @ @ @ @ @ season because you ’ re ( not ) going to the rink every day .
@ @ @ @ @ rehab , you ’ re away from the guys .
It almost feels like you @ @ @ @ @ or the season ’ s over .
But there ’ s still lots of hockey @ @ @ @ @ the biggest thing is staying mentally focused .
”

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — When Brandon Saad hurt his right ankle Dec. 19, the Blackhawks were nursing a one-goal lead against the Jets and reeling from what seemed to be the latest in a season’s worth of destructive injuries.
So what did the Hawks do without Saad? They finished off a 4-1 win over the Jets and, including that victory, have gone 9-4 to save their season from ruin.
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With Dominik Kubalik emerging, Jonathan Toews playing his best hockey of the season, Patrick Kane as good as ever and four lines rolling as strong as they have all season, what do you do with Saad?
You get him back in as fast as you can.
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“It’s not like we don’t want to touch the lineup,” coach Jeremy Colliton said after practice Friday at the Ford Performance Center outside Toronto. “It’s just whether he’s ready to play or not. Then we’ve got the back-to-back as well, so that’s something we’ll consider.”
Saad skated well during practice and is in line to return against the Maple Leafs on Saturday after missing 12 games, the most he has lost to injury in his career. Since 2012-13, his first full season, Saad had missed a total of 12 games and never more than four in a season.
Until getting hurt, Saad had been the Hawks’ best all-around player. He was a fierce penalty killer, playing a tireless 200-foot game, and his 11 goals were second on the team at the time of his injury.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 51 Blackhawks left wing Brandon Saad skates toward the puck during the first period against the Ducks on Oct. 23, 2018, at the United Center. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Despite a strong record while Saad has been out, the Hawks missed him. And he missed them.
“It’s tough sitting and watching from home,” Saad said. “Mentally, the biggest thing is staying in the season because you’re (not) going to the rink every day. You’re doing your rehab, you’re away from the guys. It almost feels like you’re in summer training or the season’s over. But there’s still lots of hockey to be played, and the biggest thing is staying mentally focused.”
Saad has moved all over the lineup this season, and the way Kubalik has blossomed while playing with Toews — especially when Kane has jumped on their line during games — it doesn’t seem likely Colliton would break up that combo.
“Whoever (Saad) plays with, he seems to help them,” Colliton said. “So it’s a good piece to move around.”
Saad said he’ll be happy anywhere as long as he’s playing again.
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“I don’t really have too many expectations,” he said. “I just want to come in and, wherever they slot me, play your best and help the team win.
“They have that chemistry right now, they’re producing, and it’s not like you take offense to anywhere you’re going. The team’s winning, so you want to contribute and help continue that trend.”
While Saad likely will be activated this weekend, Colliton said Dylan Strome (right ankle) is “very questionable” to return before the All-Star break begins Tuesday.
Brandon Hagel could make NHL debut
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It was a little more than a year ago that forward Brandon Hagel became a free agent after going unsigned by the Sabres, who drafted him in the sixth round in 2018, and he started to wonder what might come next after hockey.
It wasn’t like he was ready to quit the game, but having a backup plan is never a bad thing. So he started to look at classes and wonder where he might go to college.
That was a smart move, but it turns out he can hold off on his education for a bit. On Thursday, less than 15 months after signing Hagel, the Hawks called him up from Rockford, and Colliton said “it’s possible” Hagel, 21, will make his NHL debut Saturday against the Maple Leafs.
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“It’s been crazy ups and downs in my career,” Hagel said. “But I finally got here and I’ve just got to roll with it.”
Hagel has a team-high 13 goals for the IceHogs, but he won’t be asked to take on a scoring role when he gets in a game with the Hawks.
“He brings something similar to (Matthew) Highmore in his work ethic,” Colliton said. “He’s a great skater, he wins races, he plays with a little edge. He does have some skill. He showed he can produce in the Western (Hockey) League last year (with 102 points). We like that mentality in our team: relentless, hard to play against.
“He’s got a little bit of rat in him, and we like that. When he gets in, I don’t know exactly, but (we) definitely brought him here with the intention that he would get in at some point.”


chicagotribune--2020-01-17--Beloved black cosmetics brand Fashion Fair is planning its comeback ... and a showdown with Rihanna

That creates a challenge for Rogers and MayberryMcKissack , who will compete against the likes of mega-watt celebrity Rihanna , @ @ @ @ @ to her high-end Fenty Beauty brand , a partnership with LVMH .
Fenty turned the @ @ @ @ @ the fall of 2017 , introducing 40 shades of foundation — there are now 50 @ @ @ @ @ other makeup products designed to illuminate a diversely-hued cosmetics audience that was often ignored or @ @ @ @ @ .
Forbes predicted Fenty ’ s sales would soar to more than $ 200 billion @ @ @

Cheryl Mayberry McKissack, left, and Desiree Rogers, are the new chiefs of Fashion Fair Cosmetics, a legacy makeup brand geared toward women of color. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Growing up in Trinidad in the ’80s, Patrice Grell Yursik remembers her mother smoothing on Fashion Fair face powder and popping the pink compact into her purse before leaving for work. Sometimes, she organized her mom’s collection of pink-lidded Fashion Fair lipsticks lined up on a mahogany dressing table.
The lipsticks and powder matched her mother’s skin perfectly, said Yursik, now 40 and a well-known beauty blogger based in the South Loop.
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Back then, the iconic makeup brand, launched in 1973 by Ebony and Jet magazine publisher Johnson Publishing, was well-known as the best and nearly only option for black women looking for cosmetics made to flatter their skin tones.
Today, Fashion Fair — affectionately known as the makeup your grandmother and mother wore — only can be found on resale sites like eBay.
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Makeup artist Amelia Washington applies makeup at the Fashion Fair cosmetics counter at the former Carson's store at North Riverside Park Mall on July 16, 2014. (Alex Garcia / Chicago Tribune)
In April, Johnson Publishing went bankrupt and took Fashion Fair Cosmetics, which had struggled for years, with it.
Last month, former Johnson Publishing executives Desiree Rogers and Cheryl MayberryMcKissack, with the help of Alec Litowitz, founder and CEO of Evanston-based hedge fund Magnetar Capital, acquired Fashion Fair for $1.85 million. They are promising to breath new life into the brand for the modern consumer.
The group already had purchased Black Opal, a mass-market cosmetics brand for women of color, for an undisclosed amount in September. It is sold locally at Walmart and CVS. Rogers and MayberryMcKissack, who work out of an office in the Merchandise Mart, said they plan to have new Fashion Fair products on the market by the holiday season.
But as they work to revive Fashion Fair for a new generation of buyers, they are dealing with a much-changed industry.
A Fashion Fair product display on July 16, 2013. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Women of color, and particularly black women, have an almost mind-numbing selection of makeup brands in drugstores, specialty stores such as Ulta and Sephora and on the Internet to give their lips that perfect tint and their complexions a smooth, polished look. By next year, black consumers are expected to spend $2.25 billion annually on beauty products, according to research firm Mintel.
That creates a challenge for Rogers and MayberryMcKissack, who will compete against the likes of megawatt celebrity Rihanna, who has successfully wooed women to her high-end Fenty Beauty brand, a partnership with LVMH. Fenty turned the industry on its head in the fall of 2017, introducing 40 shades of foundation — there are now 50 — highlighters, lipsticks and other makeup products designed to illuminate a diversely hued cosmetics audience that was often ignored or marginalized by other beauty brands. Forbes predicted Fenty’s sales would soar to more than $200 billion by 2025.
And it’s not just Rihanna who Rogers and MayberryMcKissack have to reckon with.
View of Sephora loves Fenty Beauty by Rihanna store event on April 5, 2018, in Milan, Italy. (Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Sephora loves Fenty Beauty by Rihanna)
What started as a few brands that catered to women of color has morphed into a showdown in which deep-pocketed cosmetics giants such as L’Oreal and Estee Lauder are battling upstart, trendy brands like Mented Cosmetics and PAT McGrath Labs that have cultlike followings, and others, like Juvia’s Place, launched by entrepreneurs of color.
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Rogers and MayberryMcKissack say they are undaunted, armed with a brand rich in history that will deliver products designed for black women by black women.
“We think it’s important for women of color to not only be consumers of the product, but we need to have a seat at the table by owning these products,” said MayberryMcKissack, 64, who served as chief operating officer and digital media chief at Johnson Publishing from 2013 to 2016.
“For us, it’s a bit personal,” added Rogers, who was CEO of Johnson Publishing from 2010 to 2017. “We are old enough to remember when we couldn’t find our own shades of (foundation)."
“We’re not doing makeup for everyone," said Rogers, 60. “The fact is that women of color are still having trouble finding the right shade.”
The duo have been tight-lipped about their plans for Fashion Fair.
The brand, which previously was sold by well-appointed women at department store beauty counters, is starting from scratch, Rogers said.
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Rogers and MayberryMcKissack said the ultimate goal, between Fashion Fair and Black Opal, is to provide options for a range of budgets.
To succeed and attract younger consumers, industry insiders say Rogers and MayberryMcKissack will have to embrace the realities of the beauty industry.
Today’s beauty ecosystem is ruled by “influencers” like Yursik who share their thoughts about products and demonstrate their application on websites and YouTube channels with their thousands, and sometimes millions, of followers.
Black beauty influencers have given a face to consumers who for years had never seen their images reflected in the cosmetics they purchased. In turn, the influencers' audiences — people of color — have flocked to the makeup, skin care and hair brands they see on women who look like them.
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A model has her makeup done with Fenty Beauty products backstage at the Fenty Puma by Rihanna Spring/Summer 2018 Collection at Park Avenue Armory on Sept. 10, 2017, in New York City. ( Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Fenty Puma by Rihanna)
While older consumers of black beauty products rely on advertising to help them decide what makeup to buy, younger consumers — the coveted “GenZennials" between the ages of 18 and 34 — are buying what their friends and family are wearing and favorite beauty bloggers are buying, said Toya Mitchell a senior consumer analyst at Mintel.
Sales channels will be another challenge. Fashion Fair, Mitchell noted, was primarily sold in department stores, some of which have closed.
Yursik, who has more than 247,000 followers on her Facebook page, regularly tries out beauty brands and shares her thoughts with her audience. She said she’s excited to see what her 80-year-old mother’s favorite makeup has in store for her.
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“Fashion Fair will have a different road ahead of them,” Yursik said. “They could benefit from celebrating what they used to do and partnering with influencers in a smart way ... change their approach to marketing, to product development and launching new products."
Rogers and MayberryMcKissack said they are already tackling these challenges. They are well-equipped with market research, even taking notes from women who’ve stopped them on the street with questions and suggestions. Rogers said they are also working on developing eco-friendly products with top-notch ingredients and are crafting a message they are certain will speak to black women.
At Black Opal, a new website is in the works, along with new marketing to speak to customers, Rogers said. A new line of skin care products is scheduled to launch in 2020. They are reaching out to makeup artists for feedback and to promote their products.
In the meantime, MayberryMcKissack and Rogers are betting black women will be excited to support two black women rebuilding two decades-old brands to make them look good.
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That’s a smart strategy, according to Ahmad Islam, CEO of Near North Side-based marketing and advertising firm Ten35. The legacy of being an iconic black-owned brand is one of Fashion Fair’s greatest strengths, he said.
“It’s a brand that has a strong legacy of being relevant in the black community, which is a solid place from which to build,” Islam said. “Any time you’re trying to bring a brand back, you have to understand where the brand was, what it stood for and why it was successful."
Mintel’s Mitchell agreed.
“There is a level of trust we share with black-owned beauty businesses,” Mitchell said. “If you are creating for me and mine and we share the same issues, I trust that you got it right."
crshropshire@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-17--Ex-state Rep. Luis Arroyo likely to plead guilty in federal corruption probe, new charge indicates

According to the charges , Arroyo had sought an undisclosed state senator ’ s support on legislation involving video gambling @ @ @ @ @ one of Arroyo ’ s lobbying clients .
The state senator was wearing a wire @ @ @ @ @ delivered the first of the promised $ 2,500 checks at a restaurant in Skokie on @ @ @

Former state Rep. Luis Arroyo leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on Oct. 28, 2019. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Federal prosecutors have filed a criminal information against former state Rep. Luis Arroyo — a likely indication he intends to plead guilty to an alleged scheme to pay a state senator $2,500 a month in kickbacks in exchange for support on legislation that would benefit an Arroyo lobbying client.
The one-page information charging Arroyo with a single bribery count was filed in U.S. District Court on Friday afternoon. While no new details about the alleged scheme were revealed, an information typically means a defendant has agreed to waive an indictment and plead guilty.
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Arroyo’s attorney, Michael Gillespie, did not return calls seeking comment.
Arroyo, 65, a Chicago Democrat who was an assistant majority leader, was originally charged in a criminal complaint in late October. He resigned Nov. 1, one week after his arrest and just hours before a legislative committee was set to consider his ouster from the General Assembly.
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According to the charges, Arroyo had sought an undisclosed state senator’s support on legislation involving video gambling sweepstakes games that would benefit one of Arroyo’s lobbying clients. The state senator was wearing a wire for the FBI when Arroyo delivered the first of the promised $2,500 checks at a restaurant in Skokie on Aug. 22.
“This is, this is the jackpot,” the complaint quoted Arroyo as telling the senator as he handed over the check.
Additional $2,500 payments were expected to be made over the next six to 12 months, federal authorities alleged.
The Chicago Tribune has previously identified the state senator as Terry Link, a Democrat from Vernon Hills. Link has denied being the cooperating witness mentioned in the complaint.
Also involved in the alleged scheme was businessman James Weiss, the son-in-law of former Cook County assessor and county Democratic Party boss Joseph Berrios, whose house was raided by the FBI shortly before the charges against Arroyo were unsealed, the Tribune has reported.
In addition, Weiss’ business partner, John Adreani, opened V.S.S. Inc., a sweepstakes machine company that hired Arroyo as a lobbyist, after his firing as a Chicago police officer for consorting with a drug trafficker, the Tribune reported.
Neither Weiss nor Adreani has been charged.
The development in Arroyo’s case marked the latest in a series of ongoing federal probes that have rocked political circles from Chicago to Springfield. Arroyo was the third elected official to be charged so far, joining longtime Chicago Ald. Edward Burke and state Sen. Thomas Cullerton.
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Records show the FBI is also investigating former state Sen. Martin Sandoval, Cook County Commissioner and McCook Mayor Jeff Tobolski, Lyons Mayor Christopher Getty, Chicago Ald. Carrie Austin and officials in the suburbs of Oakbrook Terrace, Summit and Cicero.
A separate probe delving into the lobbying practices of utility giant Commonwealth Edison has led to FBI raids on current and former lawmakers and political operatives, including several who are close confidants of House Speaker Michael Madigan.
None of those officials has been charged.
The charges against Arroyo center on his work as manager of a lobbying firm called Spartacus 3 LLC, which included V.S.S. and other sweepstakes gaming machine companies as clients.
Sweepstakes machines, sometimes called “gray machines,” allow customers to put in money, receive a coupon to redeem for merchandise online and then play electronic games like slot machines. Critics contend the largely unregulated devices, which operate in cities such as Chicago that have banned video gambling, are designed to skirt the law.
According to the criminal complaint, the cooperating state senator told the FBI that Arroyo had approached him about “the passage of sweepstakes-related legislation” during the House’s 2019 spring session.
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In early August, Arroyo texted the senator asking to meet at a restaurant in Highland Park, according to the complaint. Also at the meeting was the company owner, identified only as Individual A, as well as one of the owner’s associates.
During the meeting, Arroyo said he was going to introduce a “trailer bill” in the veto session expanding the use of sweepstakes games and offered to make periodic payments to the senator in exchange for his support, according to the complaint.
Arroyo then asked the senator to “carry the bill,” explaining that he had “nobody in the Senate.”
After the senator told Arroyo to send him some language for the proposed bill, the two politicians left the table to speak privately, carrying on their conversation outside the restaurant as FBI agents conducted surveillance, according to the complaint.
During their purportedly private talk, the senator told Arroyo he was “in the twilight” of his career and was “looking for something” to bolster his income. Arroyo said he would “make sure that you’re rewarded for what you do, for what we’re gonna do moving forward,” the complaint alleged.
Three weeks later, Arroyo and the senator met at the Skokie restaurant, where Arroyo made the “jackpot” comment as he handed over the $2,500 check — written to a third party to disguise the purpose for the payoff, according to the charges.
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“I’m not too happy about doing this, but I’m doin’ it for ya,” the senator said near the end of the conversation.
“I know you’re not,” Arroyo allegedly replied.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-01-17--Crowds at Women’s March Chicago on Saturday expected to close parts of downtown to traffic; city pla

Crowds at Women’s March Chicago on Saturday expected to close parts of downtown to traffic; city plans warming buses for participants

“ I felt so connected with everyone else who was marching , ” he said .
“ Many of us @ @ @ @ @ of the 2016 election , and we wanted the world to know .
Everyone at @ @ @ @ @ with a tremendous amount of respect , and although it was wildly busy and energetic @ @ @ @ @ incredibly safe environment .
”

Buttons for the 2020 Women's March Chicago were available for all attending a sign-making party at the DuPage Township Democratic Organization office on Jan. 12, 2020, in Bolingbrook. (Mark Black / Chicago Tribune)
When Women’s March Chicago kicks off at Grant Park on Saturday, Eric Tenfelde plans to march alongside his wife and daughters to be “part of humanity and making history," he said.
This will be his third Women’s March, and he describes the event as a visceral experience:
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“Being outside in January and feeling warm on the inside from energy and people around me expressing their American freedom. Expressing myself with costume and signage and witnessing and celebrating everyone else’s expressions. Praising others and being praised. Leading chants and shouting the chants of others.”
Among the crowd at every Women’s March are the many men and boys who attend as allies, supporting the movement’s many causes including gender equality, climate change and access to health care.
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Andrew Clancey also plans to march Saturday. The 30-year-old from the Rogers Park neighborhood recalled attending the first Women’s March at Grant Park in 2017. Clancey said he held a sign with the slogan “I (heart) Nasty Women,” and one of his favorite march memories was taking a picture with a woman wearing a shirt that said “Nasty Woman” on it.
“I felt so connected with everyone else who was marching,” he said. “Many of us were angry about the results of the 2016 election, and we wanted the world to know. Everyone at the march treated one another with a tremendous amount of respect, and although it was wildly busy and energetic, it felt like an incredibly safe environment.”
Women’s March Chicago organizers have planned a revival of the January march at Grant Park after a hiatus in 2019. The event has attracted hundreds of thousands and shut down parts of the Loop in the past. The march will be held in concert with similar events and rallies across the nation and globe.
City officials say that with thousands expected to attend the event, parts of downtown will be closed to traffic in the morning and afternoon. From 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, closures are expected from Columbus Drive to Monroe Street to Ida B. Wells Drive, as well as Columbus to Lake Shore Drive.
Then once the march begins at 11 a.m., rolling closures will be implemented along Michigan Avenue from Randolph to Van Buren streets, and closures on Jackson Street are anticipated as far west as LaSalle Street. Additional street closures may be implemented to ensure public safety, city officials said.
“As always, the city will ensure the First Amendment rights of those participating in the march as well as the safety and security of residents and visitors in the area,” said Executive Director of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications Rich Guidice.
Four Chicago Transit Authority warming buses will be available in the area if weather conditions warrant them, according to Emergency Management and Communications officials.
March organizers predict that many supporters will be inspired to attend this weekend’s march by “just about anything you hear on the news."
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“Immigration, separating children from parents, children dying at the borders, tariffs affecting small family-owned farms, sexual predators in government, business (and) entertainment‚” said Women’s March Chicago organizer Ann Scholhamer. “There is a long list.”
This year’s local event will honor marchers with disabilities, who will lead the procession to Federal Plaza. Volunteers will help marchers needing assistance by clearing paths, walking alongside participants with disabilities and escorting them to transportation hubs or meeting points, organizers said.
The march will also be led by many elected female politicians, including Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford.
Unlike past Women’s March events, the one on Saturday won’t include a rally or any scheduled programming before the march at Grant Park.
The 2020 march will feature a new format, which organizers call the “Gallery of Issues.” Women’s March Chicago selected five major topics to focus on this year: the 2020 census, climate change, gun violence prevention, health care access and encouraging voting in the 2020 elections. Organizers say each block of the march route will be dedicated to a different cause.
“As marchers move block by block through the route, they will learn more about these key issues and ways they can effect change,” according to the Women’s March Chicago website. “During this lively and interactive ‘Gallery of Issues’ experience, our partner organizations will cheer on marchers, display banners and signage, engage in text message campaigns, hand out branded swag and more.”
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The first local Women’s March in January 2017 unexpectedly brought an estimated 250,000 supporters to Grant Park, shutting down parts of downtown, following the inauguration of President Donald Trump. The event was held in solidarity with other women’s marches internationally.
An anniversary march in January 2018 — at the height of the #MeToo movement — topped attendance with some 300,000 marchers in Chicago.
Then Women’s March Chicago organizers hosted a solely local march in October 2018, to encourage midterm election voting, and opted to forego the traditional January march at Grant Park in 2019, citing the high costs of crafting two events so close together. Instead, supporters were encouraged to host their own community-based events dispersed around Chicagoland.
Around the same time, several leaders of a separate national women’s march group had faced claims of anti-Semitism and infighting, in part over ties to Louis Farrakhan, whose Chicago-based Nation of Islam is considered to be an anti-Semitic hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The national organization recently established a new board that "consists of leaders from a wide variety of communities, disciplines, ethnicities, religious beliefs, gender identities and experiences,” and the more controversial original leaders have stepped down.
Local organizers say they don’t believe the absence of a 2019 march in Chicago — or the national controversy — will dampen enthusiasm for the event this weekend.
“Our marchers know that we are an independent organization, solely dedicated to the issues in our communities, and supported by organization and marchers locally,” Scholhamer said.
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Women’s March Chicago also plans to host another local event in mid-October to encourage voting.
As for Clancey, he said he’s excited for this weekend’s event.
“I want to support the women and all of their allies and advocates who are marching," he said, “and voice my frustrations with the way we vote and how it can leave so many people feeling left behind and unrepresented.”
eleventis@chicagotribune.com
Details
What: Women’s March Chicago 2020
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When: Saturday. Grant Park opens for the event at 9 a.m. and the march begins at 11 a.m. (This year’s event is a march-only format, with no formal rally or other programming preceding the march.)
Where: Main entrance at Ida B. Wells and Columbus drives. Accessible entrance at Columbus Drive and Monroe Street.
March route: The march will begin at Columbus Drive and Jackson Street, ending at Federal Plaza. The city has asked that marchers disperse immediately afterward.
Social media: #WomensMarchChicago2020, #WomensMarchChi2020, #MakeItCount
March route: Participants will gather on Jackson Street at Columbus Drive. They will march west on Jackson to Michigan Avenue, then north to Adams Street and then west on Adams to Federal Plaza. Organizers expect marchers to disband at Federal Plaza.
Street closures: Columbus Drive from Monroe Street to Ida B. Wells Drive, and Columbus to Lake Shore Drive will be closed from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, according to the city. Once the march begins, rolling closures will be implemented along Michigan Avenue from Randolph Street to Van Buren Street, and closures on Jackson Street are expected to be implemented as far west as LaSalle Street. Additional street closures might be implemented to ensure public safety.
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Public transportation: Metra isn’t adding any service but conductors have been notified that more patrons with disabilities might be traveling. The Chicago Transit Authority will have longer trains on the Brown, Blue, Orange, Green and Purple lines, as well as more frequent service on the Red Line. There will be additional bus service on the 147 Outer Drive Express route.
ADA Paratransit drop-off/pick-up: The location for participants with disabilities is on Monroe Street, east of Columbus Drive.
Ride services: Drop-offs and pickups are prohibited on Lake Shore Drive, and the city says this will be strictly enforced. Ride-share vehicles can’t stop, stand or park in bus or bike lanes, sidewalk crossings, bridges or any other areas.
Weather: Forecasts say several inches of snow accumulation is possible Friday. On Saturday, the high temperature is expected to be 37 degrees, with rain possibly mixed with snow showers before 2 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. The city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications has arranged for four CTA warming buses to be available at the event if conditions warrant.
Security: The Chicago Police Department will have uniformed and plainclothes officers at the event to ensure the safety of participants, pedestrians and motorists. The Office of Emergency Management and Communications will also be monitoring the event.
For more information: www.womensmarchchicago.org


chicagotribune--2020-01-17--Former Bull Eddy Curry discusses the trials and tragedies of his NBA career in video interview: ‘It’

Former Bull Eddy Curry discusses the trials and tragedies of his NBA career in video interview: ‘It’s not meant to end like this’

“ In New York , though , it was different .
It was way different , ” Curry said .
@ @ @ @ @ into in New York , it was totally different from Chicago because these guys were @ @ @ @ @ to Philippe Chow or something like that and spend $ 2,000 on a meal .
@ @ @ @ @ , I ’ m going to Harold ’ s Chicken .
I ’ m spending @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Billed as the next Shaquille O’Neal, Eddy Curry entered the NBA as a 19-year-old millionaire with immeasurable hype and a contract with his hometown team.
Curry, whom the Bulls drafted with the No. 4 pick in 2001 out of Thornwood High School in South Holland, appeared to have a storybook career ahead of him. He and No. 2 pick Tyson Chandler were the crown jewels of the “Baby Bulls,” expected to help the team transition from the end of the Michael Jordan era.
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But while Curry had all the pieces in place, he didn’t reach the heights projected for him. In an extensive interview with The Players’ Tribune, Curry discussed the struggles he faced on and off the court.
Curry was brutally honest in the 15-minute video, which features clips from his career and moments at home with his family. He touched on the murder of his ex-girlfriend and infant daughter, infidelities in his marriage and financial troubles he faced as his career came to a close.
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“Some people are able to just keep ascending and just keep getting better and better and better and better,” Curry told The Players’ Tribune. “But for some people it don’t happen like that.”
"Some people are able to just keep ascending and just keeps getting better, and better and better and better. But for some people it don't happen like that."
This is the real @Eddy_Curry.
🎥: https://t.co/e1vJxmRj1Y pic.twitter.com/SNuXYuPKfP — The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) January 17, 2020
Curry was besieged by fame starting in his junior year of high school, when NBA scouts started to show up at games. The Calumet City native was featured on a local TV show called “Preps” and played before sellout crowds every week.
Both of Curry’s parents were present in his life, but he said advice on how to function as a teenage phenom was hard to come by.
“I didn’t have examples close by of people being successful at basketball,” Curry said. “We had the real (expletive).”
That inexperience didn’t stop Curry from reaching his goal of becoming the best player in the state or from dreaming about a future in basketball.
“At 16 or 17, I’m looking at the NBA,” he said. “I’m feeling like this is no longer the Michael Jordans, Charles Barkleys and all of that. This is the youth running stuff right now — and not even because they’re winning, just because they’re entertaining or fun.”
That statement fit Curry’s early years in the NBA. The Bulls failed to eclipse 30 wins in his first three seasons. They did reach the playoffs in 2004-05, his final season in Chicago, and he contributed 16.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in one of the best years of his career.
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A trade to the Knicks before the next season started the downward trend for Curry, who found distractions off the court in his first real foray from home.
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“In New York, though, it was different. It was way different,” Curry said. “The things people got into in New York, it was totally different from Chicago because these guys were personalities. They would go to Philippe Chow or something like that and spend $2,000 on a meal. When I was in Chicago, I’m going to Harold’s Chicken. I’m spending $8 on a meal.”
Curry, who made more than $70 million in his career, also mentioned how his generosity led to financial issues.
“I kind of fell in love with helping people,” Curry said. “I couldn’t say no. ... But when you’re doing that to 15 different people, it adds up.”
Curry played two solid seasons for the Knicks despite the transition to a new city and lifestyle before injuries limited his production. He won a title with the Heat in 2011-12 but played in only 26 games over his final four NBA seasons with the Knicks, Heat and Mavericks.
“Anytime something gets really bad or I start thinking bad (expletive),” Curry said, “I just start feeling like: ‘Man, this is not my story. It’s not meant to end like this. My Wikipedia is not meant to be, like, toward the bottom it’s not supposed to be like this.’
“The middle will be whatever it will be, but it’s not the end of the world. It’s not the end and it doesn’t have to be your story.”


chicagotribune--2020-01-17--Kensington School looks to build daycare on vacant site in Park Ridge

One concern involved the location of a proposed exit — and right turn only sign — from the parking lot @ @ @ @ @ residents of Tomawadee Drive , which is located west of the property , said the @ @ @ @ @ to their street that it would be difficult for them to exit onto Northwest Highway @ @ @ @ @ of the parking lot .

A company’s plan to build a daycare center on the site of a dilapidated shopping center in Park Ridge was met with neighbor concerns about how the business might impact their area.
Kensington School, which operates daycare centers in 11 suburbs, presented to the Park Ridge Planning and Zoning Commission on Jan. 14 plans to build a one-story 15,000 square-foot building at 805 N. Northwest Highway. The property is currently home to a long-vacant shopping center which once housed JD Kadds Pizza, a barber shop, dry cleaners and dance school.
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Charles Marlas, CEO and owner of Kensington School, said the company is the contracted purchaser of the property, but the sale has not been completed, pending soil testing and possible remediation that might be required due to the dry cleaning business that had operated there.
According to the application submitted to the city, the school will serve about 150 students and be open between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on weekdays. Parents will be required to park in the parking lot and walk their children into the school, Marlas said.
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Plans call for demolition of the existing buildings and installation of an underground stormwater detention vault and new storm sewers for flood mitigation, the city said.
A daycare center is permitted on the site under the city’s zoning ordinance and does not require special approval from the City Council, said City Planner John Carlisle.
While residents who addressed the commission said they welcomed the removal of the vacant buildings that currently occupy the site, several expressed concerns largely related to how additional traffic from parents dropping off and picking up their children might affect their streets and their ability to access Northwest Highway.
One concern involved the location of a proposed exit — and right turn only sign — from the parking lot onto Northwest Highway. Two residents of Tomawadee Drive, which is located west of the property, said the exit would be so close to their street that it would be difficult for them to exit onto Northwest Highway if cars were turning out of the parking lot.
“If you put that volume of cars there, it’s going to make it dangerous for us to come out, especially with the right turn only,” said resident Andrew Mose.
An artist rendering shows what the front of the proposed Kensington School daycare center could look like if built at 805 N. Northwest Highway in Park Ridge. (City of Park Ridge / HANDOUT)
Brian Franczyk, who lives next door to the site, presented a list of concerns, including noise from the playground, how the property would be lit, the amount of traffic that might be generated, and whether stormwater runoff and flooding would be adequately addressed.
“I’m hoping we don’t have a whole line of cars blocking our driveway while we’re trying to get out in the morning,” he said.
David Glusic said the proposed exit from the parking lot onto Western Avenue was right in front of his house, which would result in headlights from exiting cars shining into his windows.
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Concerns about additional traffic on Western Avenue were also expressed, and some residents said a traffic signal should be added.
“I do think a stop light would be the absolute best thing you can do at the corner of Western and Northwest Highway,” said resident Cynthia Gullo.
Residents were told that it is up to the Illinois Department of Transportation to approve traffic signals, not the city, though city officials can make a request, said 7th Ward Ald. Marty Joyce.
Planning and Zoning Board Chairman Jim Argionis said the board cannot mandate that a traffic signal be installed in order for the daycare center to open. He encouraged residents interested in a signal make their requests known to the City Council.
Argionis also pointed out that because the property is zoned for business, other developments that generate more traffic would be allowed there.
“There certainly can be other permitted uses for this property that are going to be more intense than a child day care,” he said.
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Michael Werthmann, of KLOA, the engineering firm that performed a traffic study for the daycare center applicant, said the study determined the area can accommodate the additional cars from the daycare center and that a traffic signal was unlikely to receive approval from IDOT.
“The (traffic) volumes right now don’t warrant a traffic signal,” he said.
Some residents objected to traffic crash data that was provided in the traffic study, saying there were far more crashes at the intersection than were reported.
Marlas said his company is willing to work with the city and comply with everything required under city ordinances.
“We realize this is a first attempt at seeing how the city feels about this plan,” he said. “We’re happy to make the change necessary to make this work.”
The planning and zoning commission voted unanimously to approve a site plan for the project, which is final action that will not require a vote from City Council, Carlisle said. The plan must still go before the Park Ridge Appearance Commission for review.
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According to its website, Kensington School has locations in Arlington Heights, Elmhurst, Geneva, Glenview, La Grange Highlands, La Grange, Naperville, South Naperville, St. Charles, Western Springs and Wheaton. It is a family-owned company that has been in business for 50 years, Marlas said.
Kensington School's location at 425 Spring Road in Elmhurst. (Kimberly Fornek / Pioneer Press / Pioneer Press)
jjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @Jen_Tribune


chicagotribune--2020-01-17--Cubs acquire right-handed reliever Casey Sadler from the Dodgers

Sadler , 29 , was 4-0 with one save and a 2.14 ERA in 33 games ( 32 relief appearances @ @ @ @ @ Dodgers in 2019 .
He limited right-handed hitters to a .230 average and lefties to @ @ @ @ @ could be helpful with the new rule stating a reliever must face at least three @ @

The Cubs added bullpen depth Friday, acquiring right-hander Casey Sadler from the Dodgers in exchange for minor-league infielder Clayton Daniel.
Sadler, 29, was 4-0 with one save and a 2.14 ERA in 33 games (32 relief appearances) with the Rays and Dodgers in 2019. He limited right-handed hitters to a .230 average and lefties to a .241 mark, which could be helpful with the new rule stating a reliever must face at least three batters.
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Sadler, a 25th-round pick of the Pirates in 2010 out of Western Oklahoma State, had a 1.86 ERA in nine games with the Rays before he was designated for assignment June 29 and traded three days later to the Dodgers, with whom he posted a 2.33 ERA in 27 innings.
Sadler has a 3.55 ERA in 42 major-league appearances with the Pirates (2014-15, 2018), Rays and Dodgers. Sadler missed all of 2016 because of Tommy John surgery.
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Daniel, 24, a 31st-round pick in 2018, hit a combined .305 with 21 RBIs in 67 games with Class A South Bend and Double-A Tennessee in 2019.
The Cubs’ 40-man roster stands at 39.