chicagotribune--2020-08-16--17 cops hurt, 24 people arrested following violent demonstrations in downtown Chicago

Police Supt .
David Brown said the morning began peacefully on the South Side , with no arrests in an @ @ @ @ @ downtown , “ multiple agitators ’ ' had “ hijacked this peaceful protest , ’ @ @ @ @ @ to reporters outside of Chicago police headquarters , 3510 S. Michigan Ave. , on Saturday @ @ @ @

Police use pepper spray on protesters at the corner of Randolph and Dearborn streets in downtown Chicago on Aug. 15, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Violent clashes Saturday between protesters and Chicago police were followed on Sunday by news conferences, the circulation of numerous videos from the scene and a barrage of social media posts blaming the opposing side.
The city’s top cop blamed “agitators” for “hijacking” a demonstration and protesters blamed officers for violating their rights and blocking their march, hitting them with batons. Mayor Lori Lightfoot seemed to align herself with the Police Department, while other politicians signed a statement saying they stood with protesters, alleging officers “kettled, pepper sprayed, and beat demonstrators — some of them as young as 17.”
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Hundreds of protesters had gathered in Millennium Park about 4 p.m. Saturday in what began as a call to defund Chicago police and divert the money to the South and West sides — issues that have dominated demonstrations in Chicago and across the country since the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. The demonstration was organized by GoodKids MadCity, Blck Rising, Chicago Freedom School, Fuerte, March For Our Lives Chicago and Increase the Peace.
But what happened next varies depending on whom you ask.
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Protesters clash with police officers Aug. 15, 2020, in downtown Chicago. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Authorities said protesters charged toward officers. At least 17 officers were injured, including a cop repeatedly hit in the head with a skateboard and another officer who may have suffered a broken hand, according to Chicago police Superintendent David Brown, who briefed reporters at CPD headquarters Saturday night.
“To protect the peaceful protesters as well as their fellow officers, our officers responded proportionally to get the situation under control,” Brown said.
Chicago police released video footage Sunday that they say shows “the initial incident that sparked yesterday’s violence and arrests, as well as the aggravated battery against a CPD officer with a skateboard.” In the annotated video, some protesters can be seen opening umbrellas, and then the group advances on the police line.
Protesters had a vastly different account from police of the events, described at news conferences held Sunday by at least two groups that had organized the Saturday protest, GoodKids MadCity and Increase the Peace.
Organizers for GoodKids MadCity tagged Lightfoot on Sunday in a post on Twitter, saying, “We want @chicagosmayor to know your fascist police beat us, unconstitutionally arrested us violating our first amendment rights, & we won’t stop until we #DefundCPD!”
Taylore Norwood of GoodKids MadCity is emotional as she speaks Aug. 16, 2020, outside the Wentworth District police station about the treatment of young Black women by the city. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago police officers are lined up outside the Wentworth District station Aug. 16, 2020, during a news conference held by activists in response to violence clashes between police officers and protesters downtown. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Berto Aguayo, executive director of Increase the Peace, a community activist who worked on Lightfoot’s mayoral campaign and has in the past been a supporter, was among those who said officers were the aggressors.
He said he has been organizing his whole life and had never been met with so much violence.
“We would like to see an apology from the mayor’s office and the Chicago Police Department ... for the violence they used to attack Chicago residents,” he said. “Before anything else happens, that’s the prerequisite.”
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Neither Brown nor Fire Department officials discussed injuries among the protesters, but a Tribune reporter witnessed dozens of demonstrators being treated for cuts and exposure to pepper spray.
About two dozen people were arrested as the confrontation stretched into the night, and four were charged with felonies, including aggravated battery to a police officer, officials said.
On Sunday, as opposing videos and information spread online, Lightfoot appeared on national television echoing Brown. Yet even before Lightfoot’s appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” a group of lawmakers put out a joint statement denouncing the actions by police and Lightfoot’s seeming support.
The letter, posted online by United Working Families, a quasi-political party that often criticizes the mayor, said Chicagoans are told it takes spending 40% of the city budget on police to prevent violence, yet after more shootings occurred this weekend in other parts of town, Lightfoot and Brown “stationed thousands of officers downtown.”
Police surround two protesters on the ground in downtown Chicago on Aug. 15, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
“We once again condemn Mayor Lightfoot and Superintendent Brown for their use of police force against these demonstrators Saturday night, and for the continued escalation of surveillance, violence, and detention of protesters. We question the logic of spending police dollars on social media surveillance, pepper spray, and riot gear to beat teenagers while the directives of the federal consent decree go unmet and the murder clearance rate remains abysmally low,” the letter said.
Among those who signed the open letter were state Sens. Robert Peters and Celina Villanueva; state Rep. Theresa Mah; Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, Ald. Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez and Ald. Andre Vasquez; and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson. More names were added throughout the day.
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BREAKING: Elected officials condemn police crackdown on young protesters Saturday evening. Full statement ⬇ pic.twitter.com/X5ZmFq1Gh9 — United Working Families (@UWFIllinois) August 16, 2020
The following video footage shows the initial incident that sparked yesterday's violence and arrests, as well as the aggravated battery against a CPD officer with a skateboard. More video will be released throughout the day as it is received. pic.twitter.com/oW7Z3oGKSZ — Chicago Police (@Chicago_Police) August 16, 2020
It was the second straight weekend during which there have been clashes downtown. On Aug. 9 and 10, hundreds of people swept through the Magnificent Mile and elsewhere downtown and looted stores. Around a dozen officers were injured and more than 100 people were arrested.
This weekend, police said they had taken precautions against further unrest by raising bridges over the Chicago River and deploying more officers. Brown declined to give an exact number of cops assigned to Saturday’s protests.
As about 250 protesters started marching north Saturday on Michigan Avenue, officers began pushing those at the back of the group who were still near Millennium Park, according to Andrea Cespedes, 15, one of the organizers of the protest. She joined other protesters at the Wentworth District station Sunday morning to demand the release of those who had been arrested.
Cespedes said the protest escalated again at Wacker Drive and Michigan Avenue around 6 p.m. when the demonstrators were stopped by a raised bridge, preventing them from crossing the Chicago River. Officers then prevented them from turning onto Wacker Drive toward Lake Shore Drive.
“We started to chant, ‘Let us through,’ but that didn’t work,” said Cespedes, of Chicago Lawn. “A few police officers came up from behind us and began pushing a bunch of the protesters. ... They started beating our protesters with batons. … They started pepper-spraying them and trying to arrest people.”
Things just got really violent really quick when police rushed the protester line. #ChicagoScanner #ChicagoProtests pic.twitter.com/YVKLm5Bmc4 — Paige Fry (@paigexfry) August 16, 2020
Protesters soon began retreating south on Michigan Avenue as officers advanced toward them. “Y’all gotta not be brave!” one protester shouted, encouraging them to back up and get behind the protesters’ line of bikes.
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Dozens of officers wearing helmets with face shields, and carrying batons and shields, walked along a line south on Michigan, pushing the protesters toward Randolph Street.
The cops shouted, “Move back!” as protesters yelled back, “Our streets!”
Protesters stopped at Michigan and Randolph, and police forced them west on Randolph. The two sides kept their distance for some time until police suddenly rushed the protesters, knocking at least one to the ground, arresting him and using pepper spray on others.
One officer is filming all the protesters who are walking through this checkpoint. #ChicagoScanner #ChicagoProtests pic.twitter.com/Dcz2ZMZFkr — Paige Fry (@paigexfry) August 16, 2020
Police chased protesters toward LaSalle and Adams streets.
A line of officers trapped a group of protesters and media at the intersection. Some of the protesters were allowed through the police line after opening their bags for inspection. One officer was seen recording the protesters with a portable camera as they left.
“Our intentions were simply to get our voices to be heard and to be peaceful,” Cespedes said. “We did not expect our protest to go this way.”
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Among those taken into custody was Jalen Kobayashi, a 19-year-old organizer with GoodKids MadCity. He said police were patting down his girlfriend, Alycia Kamil, when she complained about how she was being treated.
Both Kobayashi and Kamil were taken to the Wentworth District station, where they were released Sunday morning. Kobayashi said he was charged with disorderly conduct. “They weren’t working with us,” Kobayashi said. “Absolutely despicable behavior I saw tonight.”
Brown called the clashes “a very, very difficult and tenuous event” but said he was proud of the officers’ actions.
Some protesters were seen changing their appearances by concealing themselves with black umbrellas, Brown said. It was a tactic used by some demonstrators in July when they clashed with police in Grant Park while demanding the removal of a Christopher Columbus statue.
Brown said an officer filmed the entire protest and it would be used “to support any of the investigations that might come out of the actions of protesters or officers.”
From about 4 a.m. this morning:
Alycia Kamil, with @GKMC18, was released. Her boyfriend, Jalen Kobayashi, who was released earlier after being detained, embraces her. pic.twitter.com/sp53vNmIiU — Paige Fry (@paigexfry) August 16, 2020
During Lightfoot’s appearance on “Face the Nation,” host Margaret Brennan asked the mayor about various issues, including the violent clashes as well as the federal government response to the pandemic.
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Brennan began her questions by noting Lightfoot put out a message ahead of the protest Saturday saying she hoped it would remain peaceful, “and that you wouldn’t see a repeat of what happened last Sunday. You called that, last Sunday, a planned attack. Is that what happened this time?”
“No, look, unfortunately, what we’ve seen in cities all across the country, not just Chicago, is a continuing wave of protests. The vast majority of these have been peaceful. But what we’ve also seen is people who have embedded themselves in these seemingly peaceful protests and come for a fight,” Lightfoot began.
“So what happened yesterday was really over very fairly quickly because our Police Department is resolved to make sure that we protect peaceful protests. But we are absolutely not going to tolerate people who come to these protests looking for a fight and are intending to injure our police officers and injure innocent people who just come to be able to express their First Amendment rights,” she said.
.@chicagosmayor on #ChicagoProtests:
"What we've seen is people who have embedded themselves in these seemingly peaceful protests and have come for a fight."
On Saturday, 17 officers were injured and 24 arrested after protests turned violent in Mayor Lightfoot's city pic.twitter.com/1Zw1mcyiHS — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) August 16, 2020
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-08-16--Accusations fly between police and protesters one day after violent clash injured dozens

“ So what happened yesterday was really over very fairly quickly because our police department is resolved to make sure @ @ @ @ @ .
But we are absolutely not going to tolerate people who come to these protests @ @ @ @ @ are intending to injure our police officers and injure innocent people who just come to @ @ @ @ @ First Amendment rights , ” she said .


chicagotribune--2020-08-16--Young organizers demand the release of arrested protesters and call on Chicago to address police vio

Young organizers demand the release of arrested protesters and call on Chicago to address police violence

“ You can ’ t just throw felonies on everybody for speaking their mind , ” said Taylore Norwood , @ @ @ @ @ Shaundric has not been processed , he has not been released , we ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ and she ( Mayor Lori Lightfoot ) still has said nothing , nothing to the @ @ @ @ @ Black organizers who were brutalized .
We haven ’ t heard anything .
”

Alycia Kamil of GoodKids MadCity speaks on Aug. 16, 2020, during a news conference outside the Wentworth District police station held in response to violence clashes between police officers and protesters in downtown Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Young organizers stood outside the Wentworth District police station Sunday morning to demand the release of fellow activists arrested at Saturday’s protest and draw attention to the violent tactics they say officers employed that evening.
By noon Sunday, some activists had been outside the station for more than 12 hours, with plans to remain until all arrested protesters were released.
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Alycia Kamil, 19, a leader with GoodKids MadCity, was one of about 24 people arrested Saturday night at the downtown protest calling to defund the Chicago Police Department and abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“As a Black person, as a Black woman, this s--- has been personal,” she said.
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Kamil said she was attempting to leave Saturday’s protest when she was thrown on the ground, beaten by six police officers and arrested.
Activists listen to speakers during a news conference Aug. 16, 2020. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
“You all want to know what makes a protest not peaceful? Police officers,” Kamil said. “You all want to know what makes a protest not peaceful? Pepper spray, batons, tear gas.”
Kamil and fellow GoodKids MadCity member Jalen Kobayashi, 19, were released from police custody early Sunday.
Shaundric Mann, another young activist, remained in custody as of 2 p.m. Sunday. GoodKids MadCity members said Mann is facing possible felony charges, and they have urged people to call the station and state’s attorney’s office to demand the young man be released without charges.
“You can’t just throw felonies on everybody for speaking their mind,” said Taylore Norwood, of GoodKids MadCity. “Shaundric has not been processed, he has not been released, we’ve been here for 12-plus hours and she (Mayor Lori Lightfoot) still has said nothing, nothing to the community, nothing to the Black organizers who were brutalized. We haven’t heard anything.”
Young activists like Kamil and Norwood have been out in the streets for months, calling on the city to defund its Police Department and reallocate resources to communities in the South and West sides.
“In the past two months, three of my sisters, my friends, have been arrested and brutalized by the Chicago Police Department,” Norwood said. “Our mayor has said nothing about it.”
Taylore Norwood of GoodKids MadCity is emotional as she speaks about the treatment of young black women in the city during a news conference Aug. 16, 2020. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
At a protest in July, Norwood’s friend and fellow GoodKids MadCity leader Miracle Boyd said officers hit her in the face and knocked out her front teeth. Other members who spoke Sunday said they, too, had been brutalized by Chicago police officers while attending past protests, including the one Saturday night.
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“While we were running for our lives, police officers were chasing us and proceeded to attack us,” India Jackson, of GoodKids MadCity, said about Saturday’s protest. “I was hit multiple times with a baton and I was tear-gassed, all while trying to escape the area.”
Jackson said that officers prevented protesters from leaving Saturday and that she and other organizers were specifically targeted.
Once taken into custody Sunday, Kamil said it took five hours for police to tell her what she had been arrested for and nearly eight hours before she was allowed to contact someone. Kamil said she was charged with misdemeanor mob action.
“Officers sat and they laughed at us and they called us names, they called us prisoners — for protesting, for peacefully protesting.”
As Kamil spoke Sunday, a large group of police officers stood in front of the Wentworth District police station.
Chicago police officers are lined up outside the Wentworth District station Aug. 16, 2020, during a news conference held by activists in response to violence clashes between police officers and protesters downtown. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Two people stand together during a news conference Aug. 16, 2020. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago police released a video Sunday afternoon saying it showed outside agitators in rain ponchos and umbrellas instigated the violence Saturday, but organizers pushed back on the narrative.
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“They come out with a gun and a baton and pepper spray and Mace and they get mad about some water bottles? They get mad at umbrellas?” Kamil said.
Still, the young organizers say they will continue to protest until they see change.
“We are not protected by police officers,” Kamil said. “They beat us up every single day. Not even just at protests, every single day we are targeted and profiled. Not just at rallies, every single day we are arrested and locked up and not given our rights.”


chicagotribune--2020-08-16--After putting sons through college in Mexico by selling sweet nuts for decades, Little Village vendo

After putting sons through college in Mexico by selling sweet nuts for decades, Little Village vendor killed by car fleeing police: ‘He never returned home’

Almanza , 67 , known as “ el señor de los cacahuates , ” ( “ the man who sells @ @ @ @ @ three days after he was run over by a car pursued by Chicago police the @ @ @ @ @ according to police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli .
Now , after a memorial service in Chicago @ @ @ @ @ to be able to send his body back to his birthplace to be buried .

Maria Ruiz, center, widow of Jose Almanza, thanks those in the community taking the time to say goodbye to her husband during his funeral service on Aug. 15, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
The same table Jose Almanza used to sell his homemade garapiñados — caramelized peanuts and pecans — outside a restaurant in Little Village for more than 25 years now is adorned with flowers and votive candles.
Almanza, 67, known as “el señor de los cacahuates,” (“the man who sells peanuts”), died three days after he was run over by a car pursued by Chicago police the night of Aug. 2, according to police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli. Now, after a memorial service in Chicago, his family is hoping to be able to send his body back to his birthplace to be buried.
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[ Para leer en Español, haga click aquí ]
“He leaves a great void in our lives, but I’m at peace because he was a good man and people seem to have noticed that,” said his wife, Maria Ruiz, who said she’s found the strength to deal with Almanza’s death through prayer.
“He made a lot of sacrifices for me and for my sons, but he never returned home, to Mexico, to see them again,” she said.
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The last time that Almanza saw his sons was 20 years ago, when he briefly returned in 2000 after his father died.
Like any Sunday night, on Aug. 2 Almanza came home from selling his peanuts after 9 p.m., when the restaurant closes.
He got home, dropped off his leftover merchandise and headed to the Walgreens at 26th Street and Pulaski Road, three blocks from their home, to buy water bottles.
When his wife noticed he was taking too long, she looked outside. Police were already approaching her home to give her the news that Almanza had been struck by a driver.
Cortez Williams. (Chicago Police Department)
According to police, officers in an unmarked car tried to pull over Cortez Williams, 26, for a traffic violation in the 2200 block of South Springfield Avenue when he fled the stop. Williams was arrested near where police say he hit Almanza, 2600 S. Pulaski Road, and faces multiple charges, including fleeing the police, reckless driving causing bodily harm and possession of a firearm.
Almanza was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition but died Aug. 5 after suffering multiple injuries in the crash, according to the Cook County’s medical examiner’s office.
“I hope people remember him for his honesty and work ethic. He did everything for his family,” Ruiz said.
It was to provide for his family that he came to the United States. In 1995, Almanza made the tough decision to leave his hometown of Salamanca, Guanajuato — a small city in central Mexico — to move north because his business selling fruit and other goods was failing and the family lived in borderline poverty, Ruiz recalled.
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Almanza was afraid they wouldn’t be able to afford a healthy upbringing and good education for their two sons, Sergio and Oliver Jose Almanza, she said.
Jose Almanza, from left, Oliver Jose Almanza, Maria Ruiz and Sergio Almanza are shown in their native Salamanca, Mexico. (Family photo)
“We wanted to make sure our sons attended college, that was our only goal,” said Ruiz, who joined her husband in Chicago a few years after he established himself in the Little Village neighborhood.
Almanza learned his trade from his father and began selling peanuts and pecans almost immediately after arriving in the U.S.
In Mexico, garapiñados are traditional and can be found just about anywhere, Ruiz said. So when Almanza noticed that they were hard to find, even in Little Village, he asked a family member for a recipe and began experimenting after his factory job.
At the beginning, he walked through the 26th Street corridor offering samples to neighbors.
“He noticed that people liked them because, for many, it reminded them of home,” Ruiz said.
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Eventually, he perfected his recipe and asked the owner of Taqueria Atotonilco, 3916 W. 26th St., if he could stand outside the restaurant to sell.
The owner agreed and since then, Almanza had spent nearly every day of the last 25 years selling there.
“People would come here and look or ask for Don Almanza, el señor de los cacahuates,” said Raul Muñoz, manager of Taqueria Atotonilco.
Both Almanza and Ruiz held various manufacturing jobs over the years. But it was Almanza’s peanuts that ensured they had enough money to pay for their sons’ college careers in Mexico.
Jose Almanza is shown selling peanuts and pecans in Mexico before moving to the United States in 1995. (Family photo)
Sergio Almanza got a degree in computing and is a teacher at a school in their town in Guanajuato. Oliver Jose Almanza received a technical degree in the business industry and is a merchant like his father was, Ruiz said.
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“At least his dream of sending them to college came true and the sacrifice of moving to this country was worth it,” she said.
When their mother called to give them the news of his death, they broke.
“He gave up his entire life for us,” Oliver Jose Almanza, 39, wrote in Spanish in an email to the Tribune. “I learned from him, his dedication to his profession, a merchant at heart, but he also taught us to be honest.”
Though Muñoz closed the restaurant for a few weeks after the coronavirus pandemic hit Chicago, Almanza continued selling the peanuts outside through it all, until his death, Muñoz said.
“It’s a loss for the whole (neighborhood) because he was vastly loved,” Muñoz said. “He was an example for many of us, born in this country, of why people migrate here and what one must do to succeed.”
Many people have stopped by to drop off flowers and votive candles at a memorial Muñoz set up for Almanza outside the restaurant. A local pizzeria where Almanza used to watch TV sent some slices of pizza to place on the table, and local mechanics sent a flower arrangement.
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A GoFundMe created by his niece Alma Ruiz has raised over $13,000 to cover a funeral and other costs.
His wife, sons and other family say that although they knew Almanza was appreciated by many, they were surprised by the outpouring of love and support. It gives them some peace and consolation amid so much pain, Ruiz said.
“I hope I can grant him his last wish: to take him back to our hometown,” she said.
He longed to return all his life, she said. He often looked for things that reminded him of home — in food, in music, in people, his wife said.
Like Almanza, many immigrants die without returning to their native countries because of economic hardships or immigration status after decades in the U.S.
Nearly 800 Mexican nationals’ bodies were sent back home from Chicago in 2019, with more than 550 so far in 2020, according to Reyna Torres Mendivil, the consul general of Mexico in Chicago.
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Mexican consulates must be notified of an attempt to send a body home, called repatriation, to process permits with U.S. and Mexican agencies. Consulates also can provide financial assistance to families in need.
The wish to repatriate a loved one is based on religion, culture and nostalgia, Medivil said.
Juan Vega relaxes beside a small memorial for Little Village resident Jose Almanza on Aug. 8, 2020, outside Taqueria Atotonilco on 26th Street. Vega, also a street vendor, had known Almanza for over 10 years. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
A few years ago, Almanza and Ruiz had talked about returning to Mexico to live with their two sons, but she suddenly fell ill in 2019 and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She had to begin chemotherapy and has been in treatment since then, making it impossible for them to return.
“He never left my side while I was in the hospital because he was afraid of something happening to me,” Ruiz recalled. “The least I can do for him now is make sure that I take him back.”
The process of returning Almanza’s body home has been especially difficult and costly, said Alma Ruiz, who is helping her aunt arrange the return.
Because of the pandemic, a process that normally takes one or two weeks is taking much longer, because agencies are closed and travel is limited, said a spokesperson for Martinez Funeral Home, 2534 S. Pulaski Road.
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Ruiz said she’s found strength in the “amount and quality” of the people who have shown respect for her husband.
“May God bless them,” she said. “Because all these people offered him affection and solidarity, and that’s what one needs when one is far from our home country. We need the love of our people here.”


chicagotribune--2020-08-16--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-08-16--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

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

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-08-16--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,562 new known COVID-19 cases and 18 additional confirmed deaths r

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,562 new known COVID-19 cases and 18 additional confirmed deaths reported Sunday

Pressure is increasing on DeJoy , a major Republican donor and ally of the president , who has said he @ @ @ @ @ to make it more efficient .
DeJoy has made cuts in overtime for postal workers @ @ @ @ @ and reduced of the quantity and use of mail-processing equipment .
Read more here .
@ @ @

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois public health officials Sunday announced 1,562 new known cases of COVID-19 and 18 additional confirmed deaths.
The state has now logged 206,081 cases overall, and has reported 7,744 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
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[ Have a question about coronavirus testing? Submit it here and local health experts will provide the answer. ]
Additionally, 14 of Illinois’ 102 counties were deemed at “warning level” for a resurgence of COVID-19 on Friday, with the state blaming the virus’s spread in part on poor messaging from local elected officials in “communities where there is little public concern for consequences or enforcement” of social distancing and isolation orders.
The state Department of Public Health said some of the cases and outbreaks seen in the 14 counties stem from long-term care facilities, businesses, bars and sports camps and gatherings such as weddings or parties.
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Here’s what’s happening this weekend with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
Sunday
USPS leaders summoned to testify before House Democrats about mail delays
The Democratic-run House on Sunday demanded that leaders of the U.S. Postal Service testify at an emergency oversight hearing Aug. 24 on mail delays as concerns grow that the Trump White House is trying to undermine the agency during the coronavirus pandemic while states expand mail-in voting options for the November presidential election.
The House Oversight and Reform Committee said it wants to hear from new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and from the chair of the Postal Service board of governors, Robert Duncan.
Pressure is increasing on DeJoy, a major Republican donor and ally of the president, who has said he is modernizing the money-losing agency to make it more efficient. DeJoy has made cuts in overtime for postal workers, imposed restrictions on transportation and reduced of the quantity and use of mail-processing equipment. Read more here. —The Associated Press
Cubs remain firm they won’t be slowed by COVID-19 — even after a Reds player tests positive
The Chicago Cubs aren’t scheduled to face the Cincinnati Reds for another two weeks, but they remain confident they will complete the season despite a positive COVID-19 test by a Reds player.
“I think we’re going to play this season,” Anthony Rizzo said Saturday. “This season is getting played. And that’s our mindset. That’s our mentality, and just button everything up. Be as safe as possible. That’s what (our) guys have been doing. And doing a good job.
“It’s very unfortunate for the Reds for that to happen. It’s scary, the unknown. The Cardinals, with their schedule coming up (with two doubleheaders against the Cubs next week), it’s tough. But that’s what it is, and six more weeks of a sprint.” Read more here. —Mark Gonzales
Saturday
1,828 new known COVID-19 cases and five additional deaths
Illinois public health officials Saturday announced 1,828 new known cases of COVID-19 and five additional confirmed deaths.
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The state has now logged 204,519 cases overall, and has reported 7,726 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
—Chicago Tribune staff
Friday
Illinois puts 14 counties on COVID-19 warning list, blames local officials for failing to enforce social distancing and isolation orders
Fourteen of Illinois’ 102 counties were deemed at “warning level” for a resurgence of COVID-19 on Friday, with the state blaming the virus’s spread in part on poor messaging from local elected officials in “communities where there is little public concern for consequences or enforcement” of social distancing and isolation orders.
The warning level designation means those counties have surpassed a threshold for at least two coronavirus indicators, such as the number of deaths, weekly hospital admissions for people with COVID-19-like illness and availability of intensive care beds.
The counties on the state’s latest warning list are Bureau, Cass, Clinton, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Jefferson, Kane, LaSalle, Moultrie, Perry, Union and Will. It’s largely different from the list issued last week, when 13 counties were put at warning level.
Cass County in central Illinois and Perry County in southern Illinois have appeared on the warning list three weeks in a row, while Grundy and Union counties made their second consecutive appearance on the weekly list on Friday.
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The other 10 counties did not appear on the list last week.
The state Department of Public Health said some of the cases and outbreaks seen in the 14 counties stem from long-term care facilities, businesses, bars and sports camps and gatherings such as weddings or parties.
Without offering specifics, the department laid some of the blame for the spread on local elected officials.
“Inconsistent messaging from local elected leaders are contributing to ongoing transmission in some communities where there is little public concern for consequences or enforcement of social distancing, banning large gatherings, or quarantine/isolation orders,” the department said in a news release.
Read more here. —Jamie Munks
Facing a no-visitor hospital policy due to coronavirus, Lakeview woman begs to see her terminally ill husband
Christine Jeras just wanted to hold her terminally ill husband’s hand.
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Kevin Jeras has been fighting pancreatic cancer, which is now at stage 4, for almost two years. On Monday, after he experienced trouble breathing, he was hospitalized at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Lakeview.
The hospital has a no-visitor policy because of the coronavirus pandemic. Christine Jeras felt helpless Monday, she said, because she wasn’t permitted to see her husband. She spent the whole day pleading with anyone she could get on the phone.
“He didn’t survive 22 months to go out in a hospital by himself,” she said.
Read more here. —Alison Bowen


chicagotribune--2020-08-16--Illinois coronavirus graphs: 7,744 deaths, 206,081 confirmed cases and 3.37 million tests

• How are Illinois regions doing ?
Check our daily charts on where each region stands on positivity rate and @ @ @ @ @ .

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


chicagotribune--2020-08-16--Group tries to stop arrest of man charged with spitting on a police officer in downtown Elgin park,

Group tries to stop arrest of man charged with spitting on a police officer in downtown Elgin park, police chief says

“ There are no injuries to any officers or subjects , ” Lalley said in the letter .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ you as there were several people recording the incident and I want to ensure you @ @ @ @ @ what occurred , ” Lalley said .

A mob of people tried to block Elgin police from arresting a man who reportedly spat on a police officer in a downtown park Thursday, officials said.
Joel Vargas, 33, address unavailable, was charged with felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor resisting/obstructing a peace officer, according to police reports. Two people in the crowd were also arrested and charged.
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The incident occurred about 5:30 p.m. at Carleton Rogers Park on North Spring Street when ROPE Officer Ryan Nelis saw someone having a medical issue and called for an ambulance, Police Chief Ana Lalley said in an email to Elgin City Council members.
While waiting for EMTs to arrive, Vargas started verbally assaulting Nelis, spat on him and told him he had a communicable medical condition, Lalley said.
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When Nelis attempted to arrest Vargas, about 10 people shielded him and threatened Nelis and other officers who arrived to assist, Lalley said.
Vargas was taken into custody and charged, she said. Two others were arrested later, one on an obstructing a police officer charge and the other for obstructing a police officer and battery to a peace officer, Cmdr. Jim Bisceglie said. Their names were not available Monday, he said.
Nelis did not require medical attention in connection with the spitting incident, Bisceglie said.
“There are no injuries to any officers or subjects,” Lalley said in message to the council. “I am sharing this information with you as there were several people recording the incident and I want to ensure you have accurate information as to what occurred.”
Police are continuing the investigation and may make more arrests, Lalley said Monday. People in the crowd weren’t arrested at the scene because officers were trying to defuse the situation, she said.
Nelis was assigned in April to be the downtown officer for the ROPE (Resident Officer Program of Elgin) division. The police department also has a 24/7 detail to handle issues stemming from an increase in downtown crime and issues with homeless people in the park.
While the police department typically posts serious crime incidents on its social media pages, the one at Carleton Rogers Park didn’t rise to that level because it was considered a misdemeanor battery arrest, Lalley said. The information she emailed to council members was related to the council discussion last week on the city’s downtown homeless issues, she said.
The council is planning a summit to look for solutions to some of those issues at a date not yet set. Thursday’s incident is among several that have occurred recently, including one in which a man beaten in the nearby Spring Street parking deck last month.
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Lalley said she anticipated council members would receive phone calls or emails about the spitting/mob arrests since it attracted a lot of attention downtown. She wanted her note to be “preemptive” because things can take on a life of their own when misinformation gets out, she said.
Such was the case earlier this month when an accident involving a barbecue utensil at the park was reported as a stabbing, she said.
Despite the perception, Carleton Rogers Park is safe and situations like the one Thursday are unusual, Lalley said. If they were happening all the time, she’d be concerned, she said.
“You can’t predict when things like this happen,” Lalley said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.


chicagotribune--2020-08-16--Historic Long Grove bridge dating back to 1906 damaged within a day of reopening when a school bus g

Historic Long Grove bridge dating back to 1906 damaged within a day of reopening when a school bus gets stuck in the structure

Driving the tractor is Country House of Long Grove business owner John Kopecky of unincorporated Lake Villa , raised in @ @ @ @ @ driving passengers across the bridge during the first ceremonial crossing of the bridge .
On @ @ @ @ @ are passengers Amy Gayton of Long Grove , Long Grove village clerk and John Kuhlmann @ @ @ @ @ the Robert Parker Coffin Road Bridge reopening on Aug. 14 , 2020 in Long Grove @ @ @ @ @ County News-Sun )

The Robert Parker Coffin Road Bridge in Long Grove was damaged Aug. 15, 2020 when a chartered school bus struck the historic structure. (Bill Jacob)
Within 24 hours of reopening, Long Grove’s Robert Parker Coffin Road Bridge was damaged when a yellow school bus struck the historic structure, officials said Saturday.
The bridge, which was seriously damaged in 2018 when an overweight box truck plowed into the structure, reopened Friday to fanfare and celebration.
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Around noon Saturday, a bus driver turned from Route 53 on to eastbound Robert Parker Coffin Road and disregarded an alert to stay off the bridge, said Sgt. Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
“Her GPS warned her she should not proceed with the type of vehicle she was driving,” Covelli said via email. “The occupants on the bus convinced her to proceed, which she did, and subsequently struck the bridge.”
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The bus was rented for hire. Charges are pending against the driver, a 44-year-old from Chicago, Covelli said via email Saturday.
A tow truck removes a school bus that became stuck and caused damage to the the Long Grove covered bridge Saturday. (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun) (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)
No injuries were reported, and motorists were still able to drive through the damaged bridge on Saturday.
Damage was visible on bridge roof rims. The school bus tires had to be deflated for removal. A tow truck hauled the bus away several hours later.
“There were some folks taking bets on when the first person was going to hit it, but no one thought it would happen that quick, right?” said Long Grove Village President Bill Jacob.
Jacob said the school bus was chartered for a golf outing, transporting golfers.
“Unbelievable. I got a text at 12:30 (p.m.), I was cutting my grass and said, ‘You’re not going to believe this, you’ve got to come down here, there’s a school bus stuck underneath the bridge.’
“The good news is though that the steel structure we put in place, there’s really limited damage to the bridge.”
Jacob, who took a photo on arrival, said boards are going to have to be replaced.
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“The structure that we put in there to reinforce it protected the bridge,” Jacob said.
“It’s going to get repaired and we’re going to take some other measures to try to prevent it,” he said about future possible accidents.
Country House of Long Grove business owner John Kopecky drives passengers across the bridge during the first ceremonial crossing on Aug. 14, 2020 in Long Grove. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)
The moss green bridge was officially revealed in its new state on a Friday blue sky afternoon at 1:30 p.m. Neighbors, elected officials and members of community organizations attended, with many taking part in a ceremonial first crossing of the bridge by walking on it, or riding on a vintage tractor.
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“I think this is like one of those total win, win situations,” Jacob said Friday.
The Robert Parker Coffin Road Bridge was constructed by the Joliet Bridge and Iron Company in 1906 and is one of the two remaining bridges of its kind in the Chicago area. June 11, 2018 was the date the covered bridge was formally listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
During an Old McHenry Road reconstruction project, an overweight limit box truck plowed into the structure on June 27, 2018, requiring its immediate closure. Restoration and improvements to the bridge included new steel frame along with a timber cover.
The bridge reopened without its timber cover in the winter of 2018 before the holiday shopping season and was closed in the summer of 2019 for Robert Parker Coffin Road reconstruction.
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“It’s taken a long while to get here,” Jacob said.
The Village of Long Grove invested nearly $600,000 in the bridge restoration project.
Annis and Ron Guenther of Long Grove emerge from under the covered bridge, holding hands during the first ceremonial crossing of the bridge as a village and community. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)
In burgundy shirt, Long Grove Village President Bill Jacob welcomes attendees before leading the group of event attendees across the covered bridge during the ceremonial and first crossing of the bridge as a village and community. Images from the Robert Parker Coffin Road Bridge reopening on Aug. 14, 2020 in Long Grove. (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun) (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)
That, along with a state grant, insurance proceeds from the truck driver’s insurance company and $53,000 raised by the Historic Downtown Long Grove Business Association (HDLGBA) and the Long Grove Historical Society, combined support funds, “have made this entire project possible,” Jacob said.
The grant from the state totaled $250,000, and the truck driver’s insurance company paid $200,000 toward renovation costs.
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On Friday, Jacob offered a few remarks and then invited attendees to walk with him across the bridge as a ceremonial crossing.
Emerging from the shade of the bridge into the downtown business district were two Long Grove residents holding hands. They are Annis and Ron Guenther of Long Grove.
Annis Guenther said she followed the progress of the bridge construction.
“I watched them put the roof on, I watched them put the siding on, I walk and I see it every morning,” she said. “I love it.”
“It’s absolutely great,” Ron Guenther said.
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Riding on a tractor driven by Country House of Long Grove business owner John Kopecky of unincorporated Lake Villa, raised in Long Grove, are, from left, passengers Amy Gayton of Long Grove, Long Grove village clerk and John Kuhlmann of Wrigleyville. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)
After people walked across the bridge, the tractor crossed as the first ceremonial vehicle to traverse the structure.
The tractor was driven by Country House of Long Grove business owner John Kopecky of unincorporated Lake Villa, raised in Long Grove.
“I am ecstatic,” Kopecky said on Friday. “Now we’ve got to plan for something else that’s cool.
“I believe this is a very good omen for things to come.”
Karie Angell Luc is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-08-16--Column: In Skokie, an architecturally arresting pot shop reveals how marijuana has gone mainstream

The exuberant design is even more startling when you realize that this is not a new building , but the @ @ @ @ @ : a former Bank of America branch that , according to Skokie associate planner Mike @ @ @ @ @ L. Rothschild & Co. store when it was built in 1956 .
Around 1971 , @ @ @ @ @ turned into a Vignola furniture store , it was a laughably bad example of the @ @ @ @ @ with a cartoonish clock tower and weather vane .

Chicago and its suburbs have long been fertile ground for cultivating architectural superlatives. Now they’re vying for a new one: The world’s most visually arresting pot shop.
To say that the soon-to-open Greenhouse cannabis dispensary in north suburban Skokie is startling would be an understatement. Amid the banality of a suburban commercial strip — the Old Orchard mall is across the street — a bright white, pleated facade sweeps across the building’s front like a rising theater curtain.
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The Greenhouse cannabis dispensary was a Vignola furniture store in 1971. (Mike Voitik/Village of Skokie/Village of Skokie)
The exuberant design is even more startling when you realize that this is not a new building, but the renovation of an old one: a former Bank of America branch that, according to Skokie associate planner Mike Voitik, was a Maurice L. Rothschild & Co. store when it was built in 1956. Around 1971, when the building had been turned into a Vignola furniture store, it was a laughably bad example of the Colonial Revival style, complete with a cartoonish clock tower and weather vane.
How the times, our attitudes toward a once-illegal drug and architecture, have changed.
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As the Tribune’s Ally Marotti reported last Sunday, sales of recreational marijuana have exceeded expectations since Illinois made them legal Jan. 1. The drug has moved out of the shadows and into the mainstream. Pot shops can now be found near suburban shopping malls; another recreational dispensary just opened near Schaumburg’s Woodfield Mall.
As dispensaries open around the country, architects and designers are abandoning the cluttered look of hippie head shops for clean-lined interiors that have been compared to Apple stores, art galleries and high-end ski lodges. But those are interiors, tucked into quiet facades. Now we have a dispensary that fairly trumpets its identity. It’s no masterpiece, but its energy and presence are undeniable.
The main floor checkout area is seen inside the soon-to-open Greenhouse dispensary in Skokie. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Designed by CT architects of Des Plaines and scheduled to open Sept. 3, the roughly $3.5 million renovation is at its most striking at night, when a thin white LED light accents the lip of its curtainlike facade. But whether it’s viewed at night or during the day, it’s a head-turner for drivers passing through the busy intersection of Skokie Boulevard and Old Orchard Road.
A spokesman for the Skokie Police Department, Eric Swaback, said he was ”unaware of any increase in traffic crashes near that intersection due to the building design.”
The architects, Peter Theodore and Stephen Coorlas, clearly were inspired by the fluid forms of the late Iraqi-born British architect, Zaha Hadid, the first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize. They also credit their client, Mitchell Kahn, co-founder of Chicago-based Grassroots, which was acquired last month by cannabis industry giant Curaleaf, for encouraging them to do something outside the box.
There is definitely no box here.
Handed the vacant Bank of America branch, the architects sheared off its faux peaked roof and gutted most of the interior. Yet they wisely retained useful things, like a tall, light-emitting wall of steel and glass that faces the intersection and flanking towers that now contain restrooms and other uses. Most important, they kept the building’s curving geometry, though they gave it an entirely new spin with computer-aided design and digital fabrication techniques.
The contractor, Chicago-based Pacific Construction, cut foam into hundreds of pieces of varying widths, lengths and depths. They were arranged like a jigsaw puzzle, then covered with an acrylic-based finish that hides seams between the pieces and keeps out the rain. As the building took shape, the architects began to speak of it metaphorically, as if they were lifting the curtain on what once was an underground business.
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The sweeping curtainlike feature of the Greenhouse cannabis dispensary is seen in Skokie. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
The exterior of Greenhouse cannabis dispensary is seen in the evening at Old Orchard Road and Skokie Boulevard. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
A view from the second level of the Greenhouse cannabis dispensary in Skokie. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
But the metaphor is less important than the outcome: A jolt of creativity in a context where that quality is conspicuously lacking. Some may complain the building doesn’t “fit in.” Yet what’s the point of replicating boring commercial design? Curving landscaping by the architects, which consists of stripes of blue slate and fescue grass, extends the design’s dynamism beyond the facade.
The design also strikes a successful balance between projecting a sense of openness and maintaining security — no small thing in light of the fact that several Chicago-area dispensaries have been hit by the recent waves of looting. The tall steel-and-glass wall, for instance, is covered with films that make it both opaque and hard to break. Yet the building appears anything but fortresslike.
If there’s a fault here, it’s that the dazzling wall is essentially decorative. It’s a stage set, one that’s applied to the building behind it, not a true integration of form and function.
At the former Crate & Barrel flagship on Michigan Avenue, now the world’s largest Starbucks, the big architectural move, a glass-enclosed corner cylinder, serves as both an entrance and a circulation route. At the dispensary, in contrast, the wall’s archlike form suggests a grand gateway, but you actually enter the dispensary through a modest foyer off the parking lot.
I don’t mean to be too hard on the architects. Retail design is not forever, as the just-announced closing of the 27-year-old downtown Rainforest Cafe — and the loss of the hideous green frog on its roof — reminds us. The architects deserve credit for their bold strokes, including their design of the dispensary’s interior, a two-level space that is far more airy and expansive than a typical storefront.
A curved staircase is seen inside the Greenhouse cannabis dispensary. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
The interior was unfinished when I saw it Wednesday, but the basic layout was in place.
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According to Theodore, the first floor will have display cases filled with imitation versions of cannabis products (the real thing is kept in vaults) as well as a demonstration area (shades of Apple stores) where customers can learn how to do things like infuse their food with cannabis. Walk-up sales will occur at a long counter. Customers will go to the second floor, a mezzanine, to pick up preordered merchandise.
The most striking interior feature consists of white walls that frame a curving staircase between the two floors and the edge of the mezzanine. At their best, they’re beautifully smooth and seem to float, extending inside the lighter-than-air quality of the exterior. The walls, which owe a debt to Frank Lloyd Wright’s spiraling Guggenheim Museum in New York, also are likely to distract customers from the myriad security cameras that train an eye on them.
Still, the interior lacks the refinement of a 2015 Chicago-area medical marijuana dispensary, Perimeter Architects’ Dispensary 33 in Andersonville, which won win a small-projects award from the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Among that project’s signature features: specially cut white oak transaction counters that create an atmosphere that’s healing, not sterile.
Nothing could be more different from the head shops of the past. For better or worse, pot has gone mainstream, and architects are both expressing and enabling what amounts to a major cultural change.
Blair Kamin is a Tribune critic.
bkamin@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @BlairKamin


chicagotribune--2020-08-17--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: New restrictions being imposed on counties near St. Louis as more p

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: New restrictions being imposed on counties near St. Louis as more people testing positive

For the 182 Illinois delegates and 13 alternates , the social event will be attempted virtually by the state party @ @ @ @ @ the two-hour national prime-time festivities .
There will be no raucous nightly parties , no @ @ @ @ @ interest groups and no morning breakfast rallies where guest speakers and surrogates from the national @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s delegates in a rallying mood .
Read more here .
—Bill Ruthhart @ @ @

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The Metro East region outside St. Louis on Tuesday becomes the first in Illinois to be put back under stricter rules meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 after surpassing a state positivity rate threshold.
The step backward in reopening in the Metro East comes as the state on Monday reported 1,773 newly confirmed coronavirus cases and 12 deaths of people with COVID-19. The state has now logged 207,854 cases overall, and has reported 7,756 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic
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Meanwhile, five Chicago restaurants and bars were closed down over the weekend after investigators from the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection found them to be in violation of reopening requirements. All of the businesses were closed for one night.
Here’s what’s happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
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8:55 p.m.: Schools begin a new year, many with remote learning and a different feel due to impact of coronavirus
Arya Jennens was looking forward to meeting other students on her first day of high school Monday. That became impossible when Evanston Township High School canceled in-person classes in favor of remote learning due to the coronavirus.
School officials tried to make the best of it by holding breakout Zoom meetings for small groups to introduce themselves. Arya described herself as a cross-country runner, with two turtles and a dog, whose favorite color is purple.
“It’s a little awkward to try to get to know your classmates, so freshman year it’s going to be a lot more difficult than if we were in person,” she said. “People just aren’t very comfortable talking on camera.”
Thousands of school kids across Illinois have begun sharing the experience of returning to school remotely, though some are attending in person. Not all Illinois public school students were back in class by Monday. Most Chicago-area schools will be starting in the days ahead — and in the case of Chicago Public Schools, on Sept. 8.
Read more here. —Robert McCoppin, Kelli Smith and Karen Ann Cullotta
7:25 p.m.: Bears announce they currently are not planning to have fans at games at Soldier Field this season
The Chicago Bears are not planning to have fans at games at Soldier Field this season because of concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, the team announced Monday.
After discussing a plan with Chicago health officials, the Bears and the city agreed that health data showed it is not safe to host fans at games as of now. The Bears will put a plan in place “once it is deemed safe and appropriate,” according to the statement.
The Bears open their season on the road against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 13, and their home opener is scheduled for Sept. 20 at noon.
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Read more here. —Colleen Kane
6:48 p.m.: Multiple COVID-19 cases reported at Chicago fire academy
The Chicago Fire Department has temporarily suspended training at the Quinn Fire Academy after multiple cases of coronavirus were reported, according to the department. It did not specify the number of people who tested positive.
“The health and safety of Chicago’s firefighters, paramedics and recruits are our utmost priority,” Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said in a statement. The department plans to clean and disinfect the facility, including all work areas and equipment used.
The current class of recruits will continue to train via remote learning, Langford added. Those who tested positive for COVID-19 will remain in isolation and close contacts of those affected will quarantine.
No individuals who have tested positive have required hospitalization, according to the Fire Department.
—Jessica Villagomez
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6 p.m.: Postal Service warns last-minute Illinois ballot requests may not be turned around fast enough to be counted
The U.S. Postal Service has warned Illinois state election officials that there’s a “significant risk” voters who make late requests for mail-in ballots for the Nov. 3 election won’t get them in time to be counted.
Election authorities said the timing issue is not new and that voters who want a mail-in ballot have always been urged not to wait until the final days before an election to make their request.
But some privately expressed concerns that the Postal Service notice of “delivery standards” and recommendations could be an attempt by the agency to inoculate itself from criticism if ballots are late arriving and can’t be counted.
The Postal Service’s warnings to states, along with concerns about equipment changes, cuts to overtime and the speed of mail delivery, prompted U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to call the chamber into session this week to consider legislation to return postal operations to the status quo.
Read more here. —Rick Pearson
5:50 p.m.: Wilmette boys nurture garden, and friendship, with 81-year-old neighbor during COVID-19 pandemic: ‘You’ve got to let stuff grow’
When Wilmette resident Barbara Offenberg gifted a few hosta plants to a neighbor earlier this summer, the conversation between the 81-year-old master gardener and the young mother who lives across the street was overheard by two curious 11-year-old boys.
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With the COVID-19 pandemic scuttling their summer youth baseball team, and now with plenty of free time on their hands, rising sixth graders Evan Rick and Jensen Knox wandered over to Offenberg’s house later that afternoon and politely inquired, “How can we start a garden?”
Two months later, Evan and Jensen are nurturing a flourishing perennial garden along with a growing friendship with their octogenarian neighbor, who they call Barb.
“I was very much surprised, because at their age, most boys are interested in video games, not starting a garden,” said Offenberg, a retired church office manager.
“When they asked me for help in starting a garden, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh ... these boys are so polite!’ There just couldn’t be anything better than this,” Offenberg said.
Before long, Evan, Jensen, and Evan’s 7-year-old brother, Owen, trundled over to Offenberg’s backyard, pulling a red wagon loaded with gardening tools, and anxious to start digging.
Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta
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4:15 p.m.: Illinois orders stricter rules for bars in Metro East area outside St. Louis in effort to slow surge in COVID-19 positivity rate
The Metro East region outside St. Louis on Tuesday becomes the first in Illinois to be put back under stricter rules meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 after surpassing a state positivity rate threshold.
The step backwards in reopening in the Metro East comes as the state on Monday reported 1,773 newly confirmed coronavirus cases and 12 deaths of people with COVID-19.
The statewide totals now stand at 207,854 known cases and 7,756 deaths throughout the course of the pandemic.
The restrictions that take effect in the Metro East region on Tuesday include an 11 p.m. closing time for bars, capping gathering sizes at the lesser of 25 people or 25% of a room’s capacity and a requirement for no seating or congregating at a bar.
Read more here. —Jamie Munks
4:13 p.m.: Chicago closes 5 more restaurants and bars for COVID-19 guideline violations
Five businesses were closed down over the weekend after investigators from the City of Chicago’s department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection found them to be in violation of reopening requirements.
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Barba Yianni (4761 N. Lincoln Ave.) was closed and issued two citations for having more than 80 people inside, operating after midnight, and violating social distancing and face covering guidelines
Juanita’s Restaurant #2 (6539-6541 W. 63rd St.) was closed and issued two citations for having more than 70 people inside, operating after midnight, and violating social distancing and masking guidelines
Retro Cafe and Restaurant (3246 N. Central Ave.) was closed and issued two citations for operating after midnight and violating social distancing and masking guidelines
La Estrella Blanca Nightclub (3049 N. Cicero Ave.) was closed and issued two citations for allowing guests to drink alcohol inside without a retail food license and for violating masking guidelines
Second Time Around (8303 W. Irving Park Road) was closed and issued two citations for operating after midnight
All of the businesses were closed for one night.
Read more here. —Grace Wong
3:47 p.m.: What you need to know about heading back to school, from pre-K to college
Much like everything else, back-to-school has a very different feeling in 2020. The excitement about starting a new school year has been overshadowed by changes and restrictions prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. From remote learning to gap years and everything in between, our 2020 back-to-school guide will help you navigate this unprecedented return to school.
—Chicago Tribune staff
1:52 p.m.: Little Beans Cafe closes Chicago location in hopes of keeping Evanston play space afloat. ‘We need this to work.’
With more and more schools starting the year with virtual learning, working parent-friendly child care has never been more in demand.
That should be good news for Little Beans Cafe, which Shannon Valko launched a decade ago after making the rounds of kids’ play spaces with her oldest child and failing to find one that didn’t make parents feel like an afterthought — especially working parents.
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But now, restrictions designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have limited their business so much that Valko said she and her brother Rob Spengler, Little Beans Cafe’s co-owner, have no choice but to close the North Side play space where Little Beans Cafe began in hopes of keeping their second site, in Evanston, afloat.
“We want to get to the other side of this because it’s so important for families,” said Valko, who has never been more worried for kid-oriented businesses like hers — even competitors.
“It would be a shame to see us all leave,” she said. “If everything fun for kids ends, why raise kids in the city?”
At Little Beans Cafe, kids can take classes or explore a child-size village with a grocery store and firehouse, or play with blocks, puzzles and ride-on cars. Parents can join in or get work done in the cafe.
In March, when Little Beans Cafe decided to close for two weeks as a precaution, staff members cracked open Coronas and told each other it would be a well-deserved break. Valko had no idea it would be the last time she saw kids playing in the Chicago location she considers Little Beans Cafe’s “heart and soul.”
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
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1:15 p.m.: Staff, instructors at City Colleges of Chicago vote no confidence
An overwhelming majority of unionized instructors, clerical workers and adjunct faculty at the City Colleges of Chicago have issued a vote of no confidence in the school’s administration, contending its plan to keep some facilities open during the coronavirus pandemic is misguided.
Tony Johnston, president of the Cook County College Teachers Union, said Monday that 96 percent of his members and those of Local 1708, which represents clerical and technical employees, said they had no confidence in the leadership of Chancellor Juan Salgado.
Though largely symbolic, the vote marked the first time since 2015 that faculty members sent this forceful of a message to leaders of the city’s seven-campus community college network. Among many issues, the unions object to the need for some college advisors and support staff to work in person at campus buildings, which began Aug. 3.
"We are here again today to urge the City Colleges administration to return to full remote student support immediately, and more importantly, halt the reopening of the City Colleges to our students and our communities," Johnston said.
A spokeswoman for City Colleges said only a limited number of in-person services are being offered during the peak enrollment period and the school’s operational plan has been approved by public health experts. Classes, about 80 percent of which are virtual, begin Aug. 24.
“This is an unprecedented time, and we share our unions’ concerns for the health and safety of our staff, faculty, students, and community,” spokeswoman Katheryn Hayes said in an emailed statement.
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After Aug. 21, when the busiest enrollment period has ended, all student services will revert to remote delivery, though computer labs and some in-person tutoring will remain available, according to CCC. College buildings will also be open as study spaces and for technology and Internet needs.
But right now, Local 1708 President Delores Withers said the network’s safety precautions are inadequate. Withers said the installment of plexiglass barriers is sporadic and the administration has denied requests to purchase face shields for staff interacting with students.
About 96 percent of adjunct faculty and adult education instructors also voted for no confidence in Salgado, according to their unions.
—Elyssa Cherney
12:50 p.m.: At virtual Democratic convention, Lightfoot says Trump is mounting ‘full-out assault’ on Postal Service, election and democracy
Mayor Lori Lightfoot cast President Donald Trump and Republicans as “enemies of democracy” who are mounting a “full-out assault” on the integrity of the November election by undermining the U.S. Postal Service and making it more difficult for people to vote by mail amid a pandemic.
Lightfoot made the comments Monday morning during a virtual round table discussion at the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee focused on protecting the right to vote this fall.
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“Every day the importance of this fall’s election grows and grows, and every day unfortunately, we see increasing evidence that this administration is mounting a full out assault on every pillar of our democracy, including the integrity of our elections,” Lightfoot said. “This is real folks. It’s not an exaggeration. It’s not a conspiracy theory.”
The former federal prosecutor then went on to hammer the Trump administration and Republicans for draconian cuts at the Postal Service that have disrupted the delivery of mail in recent days.
Read more here. —Bill Ruthhart
12:45 p.m.: Why is it deemed safe to play high school football in Ohio — but not in the Big Ten?
The Ohio High School Athletic Association’s plan for high school football calls for a modified schedule — six games with every team making the playoffs. Every player has his own water bottle and they can spread out on the sidelines by watching from the 15-yard line. Practices have less physical contact. And games essentially have eight quarters because there’s a two-minute mini-break built in, the idea being linemen should not breathe on each other for such extended periods.
Are all the players being tested for COVID-19? Nope. That is deemed too expensive.
Contrast all that with the Big Ten Conference, a financial behemoth where Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin combined to produce $427 million in football revenues in 2018-19.
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Wait, which is the group that’s not playing in 2020?
And sticking with college football, how come Iowa State has not canceled football but Iowa has? Why is Notre Dame practicing but not Purdue?
It’s no wonder parents are seeking answers, and many players want the Big Ten’s decision to be overturned.
Read more here. —Teddy Greenstein
9:30 a.m.: Edie’s Cafe opens today, bringing a new working space and cafe to River North, a rarity these days
During a time when public gathering areas are at a premium, a new restaurant is trying to restore at least one such space in the Wells Street corridor.
Edie’s All Day Cafe and Bar opens Monday in the former Limitless Coffee space on Wells Street in River North. The project comes in part from Limitless founder Matt Matros, who approached co-founder Arturo Gomez about helping Matros convert one of his existing storefront locations to something different.
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The result is an all-day cafe that follows COVID-19 safety protocols. Edie’s boasts a 55-seat outdoor patio, plus indoor seating for up to 30 socially dstanced patrons. The space boasts a flexible daytime menu featuring brunch and snacks, plus a beverage program that includes beer, wine and cocktails, plus Matros’ coffee.
Read more here. —Adam Lukach
6:40 a.m.: For Illinois delegates, a ‘totally bizarre’ Democratic convention from the couch
When the 2020 Democratic National Convention gets underway Monday, no delegates will be traveling to Milwaukee Wisconsin for it, with the coronavirus pandemic still coursing through the country. Neither will any of the speakers. Not even Joe Biden will accept the party’s nomination in the key swing state’s largest city.
Instead, virtually all of the convention will be held remotely — four nights of solely -for-TV festivities, capped by Biden’s speech on Thursday night.
For the 182 Illinois delegates and 13 alternates, the social event will be attempted virtually by the state party on a nightly basis before the two-hour national prime-time festivities. There will be no raucous nightly parties, no lunches paid for by special interest groups and no morning breakfast rallies where guest speakers and surrogates from the national campaign aim to put the state’s delegates in a rallying mood.
Read more here. —Bill Ruthhart, Rick Pearson
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6:30 a.m.: Coronavirus brings unlikely classroom: A 56-story apartment tower in Streeterville
A 56-story apartment tower in the Streeterville neighborhood plans to convert some of its office space to small classrooms, betting that frazzled families will seek space outside the home to conduct remote learning amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The 490-unit Optima Signature, a skyscraper at 220 E. Illinois St. known for its bright red lower levels, is no ordinary schoolhouse.
Yet with many parents working from home since March amid COVID-19, and with many schools planning to conduct classes virtually this fall, the building’s owner believes there will be a demand for learning pods. So-called “pandemic pods” and “micro-schools” allow small groups of kids from close-knit families to study together in person with a teacher, tutor or parent.
Widespread closures of schools and day cares has left Chicago-area workers and employers scrambling for solutions.
Glencoe-based architecture and development firm Optima, which completed the Streeterville high-rise in 2017, last week began marketing four of its 25 office suites for educational purposes.
Read more here. —Ryan Ori
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6:15 a.m.: Can little kids really social distance? Lessons from child care centers that have stayed open during the pandemic, and why it might not work in schools
Earlier this summer, when Chicago Public Schools still planned to reopen in September, Chicago’s top public health official said even elementary-age children are capable of following measures to fight the spread of COVID-19, such as social distancing and wearing face masks.
“I have nieces and nephews this age, and when you model this behavior for children and set it as an expectation, they actually do very well with it in my experience,” Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the city’s Public Health Department, said at a July news conference.
Some parents and teachers — otherwise the biggest believers in their kids and students — were less optimistic. They said social distancing goes against the very nature of very young children.
Although CPS has since reverted to all remote learning at least until November, the decision will undoubtedly send more Chicago children into day care or other group settings, and many private and suburban schools still intend to open their doors. CPS leaders have also said it’s likely schools will reopen before a vaccine is developed and completely rolled out.
So the question still remains: Even if kids sometimes slip up in following public health guidelines, how can we keep them safe?
Read more here. —Claire Hao
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Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Here are three stories from the weekend about COVID-19.
Facing a no-visitor hospital policy due to coronavirus, a Lakeview woman begs to see her terminally ill husband.
House Democrats summoned USPS leaders to testify this month about mail delays across the country.
Illinois puts 14 counties on COVID-19 warning list, blames local officials for failing to enforce social distancing and isolation orders.


chicagotribune--2020-08-17--Daywatch: Accusations fly between protesters and police, Illinois delegates begin ‘bizarre’ Democrat

Daywatch: Accusations fly between protesters and police, Illinois delegates begin ‘bizarre’ Democratic convention and an apartment tower becomes an unlikely classroom

When the 2020 Democratic National Convention gets underway Monday , no delegates will be traveling to Milwaukee Wisconsin for it @ @ @ @ @ still coursing through the country .
Neither will any of the speakers .
Not even @ @ @ @ @ party ’ s nomination in the key swing state ’ s largest city .
Instead @ @ @ @ @ convention will be held remotely — four nights of solely -for-TV festivities , capped by @ @ @ @ @ Thursday night .

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Good morning, Chicago. Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Protesters calling to defund the Chicago Police Department and to abolish ICE clash with Chicago police in downtown Chicago on Aug. 15, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Violent clashes Saturday between protesters and Chicago police were followed on Sunday by news conferences, the circulation of numerous videos from the scene and a barrage of social media posts blaming the opposing side.
The city’s top cop blamed “agitators” for “hijacking” a demonstration and protesters blamed officers for violating their rights and blocking their march, hitting them with batons. Mayor Lori Lightfoot seemed to align herself with the Police Department, while other politicians signed a statement saying they stood with protesters, alleging officers, “kettled, pepper sprayed, and beat demonstrators — some of them as young as 17.”
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Young organizers demand the release of arrested protesters and call on Chicago to address police violence
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Democratic Party will hold a largely virtual convention this week. A more traditional convention had been planned at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, pictured here on Aug. 5, 2020. (Morry Gash/AP)
When the 2020 Democratic National Convention gets underway Monday, no delegates will be traveling to Milwaukee Wisconsin for it, with the coronavirus pandemic still coursing through the country. Neither will any of the speakers. Not even Joe Biden will accept the party’s nomination in the key swing state’s largest city. Instead, virtually all of the convention will be held remotely — four nights of solely -for-TV festivities, capped by Biden’s speech on Thursday night.
Ahead of national convention, Illinois Democrats push aside internal strife, call for united front to oust Trump
How to watch the Democratic National Convention
The Illinois Institute of Technology amended its form to make clear it was not a waiver "by which you are agreeing not to sue the University." (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Many of the documents students, faculty and staff are being confronted with before they head to campus for the fall semester don’t explicitly waive liability or prevent the signer from filing a lawsuit if they get infected with COVID-19 on campus, according to experts.
But no matter what the forms are called — acknowledgments, codes of conduct, student compacts — some attorneys say they can help universities avoid financial repercussions of a COVID-19 outbreak on campus.
Maria Ruiz, center, widow of Jose Almanza, thanks those in the community taking the time to say goodbye to her husband during his funeral service on Aug. 15, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
The same table Jose Almanza used to sell his homemade garapiñados — caramelized peanuts and pecans — outside a restaurant in Little Village for more than 25 years now is adorned with flowers and votive candles.
Almanza, 67, known as “el señor de los cacahuates,” (“the man who sells peanuts”), died three days after he was run over by a car pursued by Chicago police the night of Aug. 2, according to police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli. Now, after a memorial service in Chicago, his family is hoping to be able to send his body back to his birthplace to be buried.
The 56-story Optima Signature apartment tower in Streeterville is offering some of its office suites as small classrooms. (Optima)
A 56-story apartment tower in the Streeterville neighborhood plans to convert some of its office space to small classrooms, betting that frazzled families will seek space outside the home to conduct remote learning amid the coronavirus pandemic. Glencoe-based architecture and development firm Optima, which completed the Streeterville high-rise in 2017, last week began marketing four of its 25 office suites for educational purposes.


chicagotribune--2020-08-17--Can little kids really social distance? Lessons from child care centers that have stayed open during

Can little kids really social distance? Lessons from child care centers that have stayed open during the pandemic, and why it might not work in schools

“ We have to constantly remind them to cover their sneezes , use their elbows , to wash their hands @ @ @ @ @ an interview prior to CPS ’ change of plans .
“ Even sometimes when they @ @ @ @ @ they will come out and try to go back and play .
And we have @ @ @ @ @ , wash your hands .
’ ”

Children, from 6 to 9, exercise in their classroom during "superhero day" at Carole Robertson Center for Learning in Chicago on Aug. 7, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Earlier this summer, when Chicago Public Schools still planned to reopen in September, Chicago’s top public health official said even elementary-age children are capable of following measures to fight the spread of COVID-19, such as social distancing and wearing face masks.
“I have nieces and nephews this age, and when you model this behavior for children and set it as an expectation, they actually do very well with it in my experience,” Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the city’s Public Health Department, said at a July news conference.
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Some parents and teachers — otherwise the biggest believers in their kids and students — were less optimistic. They said social distancing goes against the very nature of very young children.
“I love my kids. They’ve got a lot of strengths, but social distancing is not one of them,” said Angie Gazdziak, a Chicago parent of two young children.
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If her 4-year-old son wears a mask in the first place, “we’re lucky to get 10 or 15 minutes with him wearing it before he takes it off, saying it bothers his ears, or his nose, or his chin,” Gazdziak said. “There’s always something. There’s always a reason he has to take it off.”
Shavonne Gillette, a prekindergarten teacher at Burnham Anthony Elementary School, said that even pre-pandemic, it was a challenge to get her 3- and 4-year-old students to keep their hands germ-free.
“We have to constantly remind them to cover their sneezes, use their elbows, to wash their hands,” she said in an interview prior to CPS’ change of plans. “Even sometimes when they go use the bathroom, they will come out and try to go back and play. And we have to be like ‘No, wash your hands.’ ”
Sarai Aldana takes the temperature of Kendyl Williams, 5, as her mother Kenish Williams looks on at Carole Robertson Center for Learning in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Linda Passamentt helps wash a young child's hands at Carole Robertson Center for Learning, which has locations in Lawndale and Little Village. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Although CPS has since reverted to all remote learning at least until November, the decision will undoubtedly send more Chicago children into day care or other group settings, and many private and suburban schools still intend to open their doors. CPS leaders have also said it’s likely schools will reopen before a vaccine is developed and completely rolled out.
So the question still remains: Even if kids sometimes slip up in following public health guidelines, how can we keep them safe?
Carole Robertson Center for Learning has been asking that question ever since the nonprofit closed in March. And it has some answers, having reopened its Little Village and Lawndale locations in late June for the families of essential workers, serving about 140 children at each center.
The centers’ employees have found that children — particularly those younger than 7 — do need to be encouraged to wash their hands, maintain distance, and wear a mask, said Sonja Crum Knight, vice president of programs.
But the center puts more emphasis on making sure adults are following proper protocols, such as regular cleaning throughout the day and health screenings at the door.
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“What you have to focus on for children is making sure they come back to that safety and comfort and the mitigation is the back office that they don’t see,” Knight said.
Latoya Hazzard works with children in a prekindergarten pod as they do a word exercise at Carole Robertson Center for Learning in Chicago's Lawndale neighborhood recently. There are 10 kids in the classroom. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Knight emphasized that kids going back into child care centers or other places of learning should not be met by fear. Instead, she said, children of all ages will be better at sticking to public health guidelines if they are reinforced for doing well and are told why these actions are necessary.
South Loop Montessori School, which has been open since April to provide child care services to essential workers, has about 160 kids enrolled right now, said executive director Mahdi Dadrass. Children are seated at their own desks spaced at least 6 feet apart working on individualized lesson plans, with teachers nearby.
“And let’s say a child were to wander off of their individualized workspace and maybe encroach on somebody else’s workspace. There’s a teacher there to help guide them back to where they were,” Dadrass said.
There is one teacher for every four students for the day care’s youngest children, Dadrass said. The highest student-to-teacher ratio for older elementary-age children is still less than 7 to 1.
South Loop Montessori classrooms average 1,200 square feet, Dadrass said.
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In CPS — where many classrooms are considerably smaller — administrators had planned to group students in “pods” of 15 that would have rotated into schools two days a week. But Mayor Lori Lightfoot and district officials decided to move online because current COVID-19 conditions would not allow the district “to reopen schools in a safe and responsible manner given the sheer number of people we serve every day,” according to an email to parents. Knight agreed, noting that child care centers are “much smaller ecosystems.”
But even at schools without the same resources or infrastructure at hand, Dadrass said he thinks his day care’s adherence to social distancing and other health protocols could be scaled up at public schools.
“I think a lot of compromises are going to have to be made in the public sector to make those numbers work, and a lot more design and thought on how children are avoiding comingling while moving about the school,” Dadrass said. “But, yes, it can be scaled up with proper planning and budget.”
However, Knight said she is “deeply worried about the association” between schools and child care centers, which she said is a false comparison. Her center does not add additional pressure on children already trying to follow health guidelines by grading them or preparing them for standardized exams.
“By virtue of the size and the fact that you have to address all these developmental levels in terms of your approach makes opening a school as quickly as had been suggested very dangerous,” Knight said.
The X marks help make sure children are sufficiently distanced from each other in a classroom at Carole Robertson Center for Learning. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Another way in which the Carole Robertson centers and South Loop Montessori are different from many public schools is that classrooms have their own bathrooms.
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Children are dropped off to both child care centers individually by their parents with health screenings and check-in at the door.
“We have enough staff on hand to conduct the screening, not just of families but also of our employees, so what does that look like in an elementary school building?” Knight said. “And many of our teachers are actually greeters, help children wash their hands, walk them to their classroom.”
With pandemic showing few signs of slowing, Gazdziak said her children have adapted to new ways of learning and seeing their friends, even if they don’t like it. Whether at home, in schools or at day care this fall, she said she trusts kids can be resilient.
“I think they’re all counting on the adults in the room to help see them through it,” Gazdziak said. “It’s certainly not going to come without some emotional baggage. ... Are they going to feel comfortable hugging people again in a year or two?”
chao@chicagotribune.com