chicagotribune--2020-10-13--Dozens of lives have been lost at dams on Illinois waterways. Now efforts are underway to remove the

Dozens of lives have been lost at dams on Illinois waterways. Now efforts are underway to remove them for safety and the good of the environment.

Batavia resident Jason Grimes occasionally takes his two young boys for walks along the river , and was concerned to @ @ @ @ @ on the dam after the incident .
When the river is low , he said @ @ @ @ @ its exposed top and fish off it .
When the water is high , he @ @ @ @ @ the dam can be dangerous .

People visit the DuPage River dam at the Hammel Woods Forest Preserve in Shorewood on Oct. 8, 2020. Forest preserve commissioners approved contracts to remove the dam where a young couple drowned last year. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
A close call at the Batavia dam helped trigger plans for big changes there.
In August, a couple on a pontoon boat lost power, floated down the Fox River, and got stuck on top of the dam, City Administrator Laura Newman said. A woman on the boat fell into the water and got pulled into the churning undertow on the dam’s downstream side before rescuers were able to pull her out.
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“It became a life-or-death situation,” Newman said. “The sooner that dam comes out, the better.”
Dozens of boaters, anglers, children and would-be rescuers have drowned in recent decades at similar “low head” dams or weirs, which let water spill over the top and create a dangerous trap. Now, after years of such tragedies, authorities are acting to remove the hazards and promising benefits for the environment and fishing as well.
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During the next three years, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources plans to remove dams in Batavia, Carpentersville, North Aurora and Montgomery on the Fox River; the Touhy Avenue Dam near Park Ridge and Dam No. 4 near Rosemont on the Des Plaines River; and dams at the Chick Evans Golf Course in Morton Grove and the Tam O’Shanter Golf Course in Niles on the North Branch of the Chicago River. Other projects are planned elsewhere in Illinois.
With their dad, Jason Grimes, nearby, brothers Logan Grimes, right, 10, and Wyatt Grimes, 7, play at the Batavia dam on Oct. 8, 2020. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources plans to remove the dam. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The Challenge Dam in Batavia was built well over a century ago to provide power, first for a flour mill, then for a windmill factory. Like many dams, it is a focal point of its city’s downtown.
Residents voted against removing the dam in an advisory referendum in 2003. But after years of debating what to do, in response to the dangers posed by the crumbling structure, the city and the Batavia Park District recently agreed to do engineering work in anticipation of removing the dam, possibly as soon as 2022.
Next to the dam lies Depot Pond, the site of a museum and a park where people rent paddle boats and kayaks and go ice skating in the winter. Residents want to make sure any dam removal saves the pond, perhaps by building a berm across its opening to the river and installing pumps to keep it filled.
Batavia resident Jason Grimes occasionally takes his two young boys for walks along the river, and was concerned to see the boat hung up on the dam after the incident. When the river is low, he said, fishermen often walk along its exposed top and fish off it. When the water is high, he said, the backwash behind the dam can be dangerous.
“The pond is a great asset,” he said. “I’m confident they can maintain it, so I don’t have a problem taking out the dam. If anybody were to fall in, those are dangerous spots.”
The Challenge Dam in Batavia is a cement wall riddled with fissures and crumbling sections. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Many dams, like Batavia’s, were built around a century ago to power mills. But environmentalists have been urging for decades to remove the structures, saying they’ve become obsolete safety hazards that build up silt and algae, and keep fish from migrating.
State naturalists say studies show that removing dams generally increases the number and types of fish and improves water quality, while maintaining similar water levels and not affecting flooding. In light of the problems they pose, about 1,700 dams have been removed nationwide in about the past century.
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In 2012, then-Gov. Pat Quinn launched a program to remove or modify 16 low-head dams throughout the state. Such removals can cost millions of dollars, and funding for the work dried up during budget impasses between Democrats and then-Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. This year, the state budget includes $20 million to pay for removals around the state, and more local governments are taking steps to get rid of their dams.
In Will County, forest preserve commissioners Thursday approved contracts to remove a dam on the DuPage River where a young couple drowned last year. The dam, located in Hammel Woods Forest Preserve in Shorewood, was constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
The project involves removal of the 4-foot-high dam and an adjoining concrete structure, placing rocks and boulders in the river stream, stabilizing the bank and building a new canoe and kayak launch area.
The total cost is estimated at about $455,000. The Lower DuPage River Watershed Coalition, a group of local governments aiming to improve water quality in the area, plans to fund most of the cost from fees paid by Naperville in 2019 when it got a new wastewater discharge permit.
If permits are obtained this year, officials hope to get the work done before the end of the year. If the permits are not secured in time, the work would probably take place next year.
Once the 110-foot-long dam is removed, natural river rocks will be added near the banks to create “riffles” and help oxygenate the water. Native plantings will be added to the riverbanks. . A new canoe and kayak launch will be built downstream of the existing launch, which will be removed.
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Andrew Hawkins, director of planning and development for the Forest Preserve District of Will County, said the project will help improve water quality and aquatic life along the river, and will make the river safer for paddlers who will no longer have to get out to portage around a dam. Water levels are predicted to be 2 to 4 feet deep.
While there have been objections in the past to the dam’s removal, Hawkins said that seems to be changing.
“Now people seem to recognize the environmental health and safety benefits of removing the dam,” he said.
Nevertheless, many people like the dams, and are opposed to taking them out. One dam in particular — the Graue Mill Dam on Salt Creek in Oak Brook ― is the focus of a fight. On Tuesday, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County voted for a plan to remove the dam, based in part on a study that found the dam created some of the poorest habitat on the creek.
Former Oak Brook Village President Karen Bushy started an online petition to save the dam, which has gathered 14,000 signatures.
Bushy argued that the dam has more than 150 years of history, and enabled the grist mill that brought new settlers, and still operates as part of a museum. The dam keeps the mill water wheel turning and provides deep-water habitat for fish, birds and other animals, she said.
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“There is simply NO good and sensible reason to remove the dam," Bushy wrote on the petition site. "Future generations of children deserve to see what the beginnings of our area looked like!”
State Rep. Deane Mazzochi, a Republican from Elmhurst, said the community wants to keep the dam. She recently filed a bill to prevent destruction of the mill and dam without approval by an oversight board.
Farther south, residents of a city with a dam notorious for drownings appear ready to make a change. In Wilmington, a city of about 6,000 near Joliet, at least 22 people have died since 1982, according to a lawsuit filed over some of the latest deaths.
Abigail Arroyo and brother Eder Arroyo drowned at the Wilmington dam in 2016. (Family photo)
In 2016, 13-year-old Abigail Arroyo died when she tried to save her 12-year-old brother, Eder, who went into the river to try to touch the waterfall. The following year, Elizabeth Larson, 36, died after she and a 6-year-old girl went over the dam in a rented inflatable raft. Larson helped rescuers pull the girl to safety, but couldn’t save herself, attorney Katherine Cardenas said.
In the past, people resisted calls to remove the dam. Some felt that the victims should have known better than to go near the dam, especially with many large warning signs, though boaters may not have seen them.
Now, the city is conducting a public survey through the end of October, and so far, the majority of people want to let the state take possession, with plans to remove the structure, City Administrator Joie Ziller said. The City Council is expected to consider the matter Wednesday.
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Some residents in places with dams would prefer to build steps down the backside of the dam to eliminate the backwash, and add a fish ladder and a white-water bypass for kayakers, as was done in Yorkville. But that generally would cost millions of dollars that small towns do not have.
In 2018, Wilmington created an exclusionary zone that prohibits people from fishing or going in the water near the dam, under threat of being ticketed. That has made fishing near the dam largely a moot point, frustrating many who used to go there.
The river already runs dry in spots, so locals hope there will be enough water and dredging to maintain fishing and boating.
“Citizens take a lot of pride in having the dam here,” said Eric Fisher, publisher of the Wilmington Free Press Advocate newspaper. “But we’re talking about lives. It is time to make a decision and move on.”
Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter. Pioneer Press reporter Chuck Fieldman contributed.
rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-13--Column: A pre-election/pre-Halloween tour of the  Reader Fan Mail Dungeon, where decency goes to die

In response to a column about the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha , Wisconsin : “ Since you @ @ @ @ @ Blake was reaching for a knife , how I wish it had been you he @ @ @ @ @ the gut .
Then we could have watched a ( expletive ) libtard bleed out @ @ @ @ @ are .
And quit being a racist ( expletive ) hole .
He would have @ @ @ @ @ he were White .
Cops don ’ t look at skin color when their lives @ @ @ @ @ ’ s just that ( racial slur ) never listen to cops dip ( expletive @ @

As we find ourselves at the quadrennial confluence of Halloween season and election season, it seems an ideal time to offer a spoooooooooky tour of my Reader Fan Mail Dungeon, noting that each correspondence comes from someone whose vote counts as much as yours.
As usual, I am withholding the names of the senders out of respect for their families, ancestors, community faith leaders and employers. And the only changes made to the notes are to cover up profanity that might offend people who aren’t used to being called a (expletive) (even worse expletive) (slur) (slur) (unspeakable expletive) moron. (I can handle it all just fine, as I’ve developed calluses on my ego and am also extremely handsome and delightful.)
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Some brief responses are offered and, where necessary, I provide context on the column the fan is referencing.
With that, follow me now into the deep, dark corners of my dungeon, a dank place of ghouls and trolls, shadows and groans, gnashing teeth and the skeletal remains of decency. And please don’t touch anything. It has been a while since I dusted.
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“Rexy, you are an elitist, leftist (expletive)whole! Please update me on the Clinton Foundation investigation? Please update me on the Russian Hoax you lying (expletive)whole! #MAGA, #Keep America Great, Candace Ownes, #Howling at the sky again in 2020, #Finish the Wall, #Promises Made Promises Kept, #If you have to put a color in front of Lives Matter it is Racist”
I appreciate the note and thank you for acknowledging that I represent the whole of the (expletive). I would never want to be an (expletive)partial. Also, mad respect for your innovative use of hashtags in an email. That is trendsetting.
“There is no way the government has the right to shut down private businesses especially from this minor flu pandemic.”
Thank you for taking the time to write. I will pass your note along to the nearly 220,000 Americans who have died and the more than 7 million infected during this minor flu pandemic.
“Your article today has demonstrated you have reached a level of unbelievable insanity. You are a complete spineless beta boy (vulgar slang for a woman’s genitals). You are vile and disgusting and should actually get your ass kick, but in the pc gutless world we currently live in, just communicating to your will have to be enough.”
This is excellent news. For too long I was stuck on “believable insanity.” This marks a perusal best. Also, that should be “you’re ass kick.”
“More dribble from a real Trump hater,,,so childish and lacking anything new to say from your squirrel mouth”
I try to be polite in my responses, but as a squirrel-mouth sufferer, I must protest your use of the word “dribble.” People with squirrel mouth do not dribble. In fact, we’re able to hold an inordinately large number of objects in our mouths at any time. Please get your facts straight.
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In response to a column about Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s convention speech: “Hey (expletive)nut, it only proves Joe can read he still can’t think. Get joes (slang for male genital) out of your mouth so you can think clearly”
Your critique is appreciated. I would like to make one small grammatical correction. When you describe getting Biden’s (slang for male genital) out of my mouth, it should be possessive: “Joes’ses (slang for male genital).” Trust me. I’m a (expletive)nut writer.
“Get ready for 2020 — we will won again — thank goodness most real Americans ate smarter than you are — besides running your stupid mouth what have you done to fix your pathetic city — With that BLM socialist crap and criminals..”
There is little question that most Americans ate smarter than I are.
“I got to say this… You are a (expletive) idiot. How much money did you get this piece of (expletive) article? $50.00? I doubt it was that much.”
Thank you for your inquiry. As journalists, we are not paid in traditional American currency. Instead, we receive “antifa bucks,” which can be exchanged for protein pellets (non-GMO, of course).
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In response to a column about the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin: “Since you don’t care that Blake was reaching for a knife, how I wish it had been you he turned around and stabbed in the gut. Then we could have watched a (expletive) libtard bleed out like the little pig you are. And quit being a racist (expletive)hole. He would have been shot 7 times if he were White. Cops don’t look at skin color when their lives are in danger. It’s just that (racial slur) never listen to cops dip(expletive)”
OK.
“I believe you are an idiot. You referred to yourself as a white ‘man’. You’re not a man. You’re a typical soy boy (slang for a woman’s genitals) liberal”
How dare you! I do not, in any, way, shape or form, like soy. If you want to call me “a typical beef boy (slang for a woman’s genitals) liberal” or a “a typical ham boy (slang for a woman’s genitals) liberal,” that’s fine. But don’t ever associate me with soy. A boy has to have his standards.
Well, that wraps up this Reader Fan Mail Dungeon tour. I hope you enjoyed the pre-Halloween/pre-election frights and scares!
And please, for the love of squirrel-mouth sufferers everywhere, vote. Vote, you (expletive)wholes!
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rhuppke@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-13--Baby survives after mother shot to death on Far South Side, police say

A 35-year-old woman who was 8 months pregnant was fatally shot in the back early Tuesday on the Far South @ @ @ @ @ able to deliver her baby at the hospital , according to Chicago police .

A 35-year-old mother who was eight months pregnant with another child was fatally shot in the back early Tuesday on the Far South Side, but doctors were able to deliver her baby at the hospital, according to Chicago police.
Just after midnight, officers responded to an alert from the city’s gunshot tracking system, ShotSpotter, for three gunshots in the 2100 block of East 95th Place in the Jeffery Manor neighborhood, police said. They found a woman lying on the side of her home, unresponsive, with several gunshot wounds to the back.
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The woman later was identified as Stacey Jones, who was wounded on the same block where she lived, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Jones was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said. She was pronounced dead at 1 a.m., and doctors delivered her child.
The baby, who according to a law enforcement source was not struck by gunfire, was transferred to Comer Children’s Hospital in critical condition, police said.
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Jones has two other children who were found inside the home, unharmed, according to the source. Jones worked as a probation officer in the adult probation department, according a memo sent by chief Judge Timothy C. Evans.
Jones, who has a valid concealed carry license, also was found to be carrying a loaded gun in her pocket.
The home in the 2100 block of East 95th Place in the Jeffery Manor neighborhood where police said they found a pregnant mother fatally shot on Oct. 13, 2020. When police arrived, they found racist graffiti on the victim’s home but it did not appear to point toward a motive for the killing, authorities said. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
When they arrived, police found that there was racist graffiti on Jones' home, but it did not appear to point toward a motive for the killing, authorities said.
“At this time, based on information and additional evidence gathered by detectives, we do not believe this crime was racially motivated or a random act," police spokesman Don Terry said in a statement.
Chicago Tribune’s Rosemary Sobol and Jessica Villagomez contributed.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-10-13--1 in custody after shot fired at police on Far South Side

An officer pulled a man , in his late 20s , over for a traffic stop at an intersection in @ @ @ @ @ Lowe Avenue in the West Pullman neighborhood , a police spokesman Officer Guadalupe Sanchez said @ @ @ @ @ up to the vehicle , the driver put the vehicle in reverse and hit a @ @

A man was in custody after one shot was fired while an officer was conducting a traffic stop Monday night on the Far South Side, according to Chicago police.
The officer pulled over a man, in his late 20s, at an intersection in the 11900 block of South Lowe Avenue in the West Pullman neighborhood, Officer Guadalupe Sanchez said. When the officer walked up to the vehicle, the driver put the vehicle in reverse and hit a pole.
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The driver then reached for a gun and fired one round, Sanchez said. No one was hit by the gunfire and police did not return fire. After a struggle, the man was taken into custody.
A handgun was found and taken into evidence at the scene, Sanchez said.
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pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-10-13--One city, two celebrations: While some call for the preservation of Columbus Day, others want the ho

One city, two celebrations: While some call for the preservation of Columbus Day, others want the holiday to honor Indigenous people

“ But what we can not accept is disrespect to our community .
To be dictated on who or what @ @ @ @ @ unacceptable , as it would be to any other ethnic group , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ Proud and Positive , ” which was followed by a car caravan in the Little @ @ @

A makeshift statue of Christopher Columbus appears at Chicago's Arrigo Park on Columbus Day on Oct. 12, 2020. Italian Americans gathered at the park, where a Columbus statue was removed earlier this year. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Amid scattered storms, a woman wearing a traditional poncho led a ceremony Monday at Pilsen’s Plaza Tenochtitlan to pay respect to the contributions of Indigenous people.
A mile away, at Arrigo Park in Little Italy, Italians and Italian Americans celebrated their heritage and advocated for the preservation of Columbus Day in Illinois. They also urged the city to return the Christopher Columbus statue removed from the park earlier this year.
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Despite the contrast between the celebrations, people at both rallies agreed they intend to embrace each other’s culture and history. They also urged public officials to address the issues surrounding proposals to reframe and rename the federal holiday, keeping both sides at the table.
Susana Angelica Ollin Kuikatl Bañuelos says a prayer during a gathering in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood on Indigenous Peoples Day, Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
“There have been recent actions in an effort to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. We welcome Indigenous people, we want you to have your day,” said Ron Onesti, the vice president of the Joint Civic Committee of Italians Americans.
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“We just don’t believe that the day that celebrates your culture needs to come with a price tag and at the expense of our federal holiday,” Onesti added, as a crowd cheered while holding Italian flags and wearing the flag’s colors.
Inspired by Black Lives Matter demonstrations, hundreds rallied in July to demand the removal of the monuments of the Italian explorer, blaming him for the genocide of Indigenous people and denouncing him as a symbol of racism.
After protesters clashed with police, Mayor Lori Lightfoot ordered the temporary removal of two Columbus statues in Chicago, one at Arrigo Park and another in Grant Park.
Onesti said that he welcomed the “opportunity to discuss actions that happened 500 years ago.”
“But what we cannot accept is disrespect to our community. To be dictated on who or what should be our icons is unacceptable, as it would be to any other ethnic group,” he said during the program labeled “Proud and Positive,” which was followed by a car caravan in the Little Italy neighborhood.
Representatives of various Italian-based organizations and several City Council members attended the event and echoed Onesti’s perspective.
The president of the Italian American committee, Sergio Giangrande, said the Columbus Day Parade was not canceled due to civil unrest, but because the city canceled all parades in 2020. He also applauded the Chicago Police Department for its work and added that the organization is waiting for the mayor to order the statues returned to their place.
“For those people trying to erase history I say to you: History is here for us to learn. We need to know where we came from to know where we are going,” Giangrande said.
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But redefining the federal holiday and recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day — as other states and cities across the country have done — “is not meant to erase history,” said Susana Angelica Ollin Kuikatl Bañuelos, an Aztec dancer from Chihuahua, Mexico, who led the Indigenous ceremony. We Got Us, an organization that supports the Black Lives Matter movement and is pushing the Black and Latino communities to vote in the upcoming elections, hosted the rally.
“Replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day is meant to finally recognize what really happened in history, and honor those who have been oppressed for centuries because people like Columbus attempted to get rid of our Indigenous heritage and culture,” said Ollin Kuikatl Bañuelos.
In some Latin American countries, Oct. 12 is observed as El Dia de La Raza, which translates to The Day of Race. It honors Indigenous communities but is also used to raise awareness of the abuse and exploitation of Indigenous communities conquered by European explorers like Columbus, explained Jose Lopez, a history professor at University of Illinois at Chicago and Columbia College.
Lopez is optimistic that Italian and Indigenous people’s heritage can both be celebrated, “but it wouldn’t be possible to reach an agreement under Columbus’ name,” he said.
“Preserving Columbus Day means the further perpetuation of modern colonization, which is structural racism and the ultimate form of white supremacy,” he said.
At Arrigo Park, Mo Bella, who is half Italian and half Native American, stopped by with a sign that read: “This is Stolen Land.”
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The sign angered Carlo Vaniglia, who said he welcomed different opinions regarding Columbus, “but this is not the time or place.
“It’s a nonintelligent sign because if you live here then you’re on stolen land too, give it back,” he said.
Every Sunday for the last 19 weeks, Vaniglia said he and other Italians and Italian Americans have gathered where the Columbus statue used to be to share Columbus' history and what it means to them.
“I’ve had Indigenous people come here and we’ve discussed this respectfully, the pros and cons, and that’s what we’re supposed to do, we’ve had great conversations,” he added.
Bella said she felt compelled to go because she cannot “let people celebrate without being unbothered, ignoring the truth and everything that is going on.”
“They need to recognize what Christopher Columbus did and what he represents as an explorer who perpetrated the mass murdering of Indigenous people and stole their land,” Bella said.
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Onesti said he and others are committed to protecting their culture and their icons.
“We just want the same respect you give to African American, Latin American and Indigenous Americans,” Onesti said, reiterating the event was meant to “spread positivity” among the Italian community and encourage conversations with those who disagree with their views.
Ald. Jason C. Ervin, 28th, told the crowd at the Positive and Proud rally that he did not agree with the way Lightfoot removed the monuments and added that he is working to “find an equitable solution for all of us and celebrate the heritage of not just the Italian culture but all the cultures that make up this ward.”
At the Indigenous Peoples Day rally, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, whose ward includes part of Little Italy, said the two events represent Chicago as a “tale of two cities."
“This should allow for a deep reflection of what we need to do to address these systemic issues that keep dividing us so that we can fight to readjust this and create a society that is based on solidarity and humanity," he said.
larodriguez@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-14--Suspect wanted to strand Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in Lake Michigan, others discussed kidnappin

Suspect wanted to strand Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in Lake Michigan, others discussed kidnapping Virginia’s governor, FBI agent says

But the mention of another governor who , like Whitmer , has drawn attacks from President Donald Trump — and @ @ @ @ @ out the kidnapping shortly before the bitterly divisive U.S. election — escalated political tension surrounding @ @ @ @ @ supporters to “ LIBERATE ” Michigan , Virginia and Minnesota in a series of tweets @ @ @ @ @ who turned up at state Capitols to oppose restrictions aimed at minimizing the spread of @ @ @

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Members of anti-government paramilitary groups implicated in an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor ahead of the November election because of her measures to slow the coronavirus also discussed abducting Virginia’s governor, an FBI agent testified Tuesday.
The disclosure came during a federal court hearing in Grand Rapids, where agent Richard Trask revealed new details about investigators' use of confidential informants, undercover agents and encrypted communication to thwart the purported scheme to abduct Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
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A judge ordered three of six men charged in the case held without bond until trial, delaying rulings on two defendants. Another was ordered returned to Michigan from Delaware.
“They discussed possible targets, taking a sitting governor, specifically issues with the governor of Michigan and Virginia based on the lockdown orders” they had issued to deal with the pandemic, Trask said, referring to a June 6 meeting in Dublin, Ohio, attended by roughly 15 members of anti-government groups from “four or five states.” A criminal complaint said at least two of the defendants were among them.
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It wasn’t immediately clear if talk of targeting Virginia’s Democratic governor, Ralph Northam, continued beyond the meeting. Nothing from the complaint or Trask’s testimony indicated that anyone had been charged with plotting against Northam.
But the mention of another governor who, like Whitmer, has drawn attacks from President Donald Trump — and the alleged intent to carry out the kidnapping shortly before the bitterly divisive U.S. election — escalated political tension surrounding the case. Trump urged supporters to “LIBERATE” Michigan, Virginia and Minnesota in a series of tweets in April, encouraging protesters who turned up at state Capitols to oppose restrictions aimed at minimizing the spread of the virus.
Trump falsely claimed in a recent interview on Fox News that Northam, a supporter of abortion rights, had “executed a baby.”
The president “regularly encourages violence against those who disagree with him,” Northam’s spokeswoman, Alena Yarmosky, said in a statement Tuesday. “The rhetoric coming out of this White House has serious and potentially deadly consequences. It must stop.”
Whitmer and others have similarly accused Trump of emboldening extremists.
Following the arrests last week, the White House said the president has condemned hate, and Trump tweeted: “I do not tolerate ANY extreme violence.”
A combo image provided by the Kent County Sheriff shows mugshots of, from left, Brandon Caserta, Adam Fox, Kaleb Franks, Ty Garbin and Daniel Harris, the five men from Michigan who were charged by federal authorities with plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The sixth man charged by the federal authorities, Barry Croft, lives in Delaware. (Kent County Sheriff)
Northam said during a news conference he and his family felt safe with security Virginia’s state police provide, and that he had been threatened before. His protection was tightened this year after he signed gun control legislation.
“I’m continuing my work for the commonwealth as I would any other day,” he said.
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Yarmosky said the FBI had alerted key members of Northam’s security team during the investigation. But in keeping with security protocols for highly classified information, neither the governor nor members of his staff were informed.
During the hearing in Grand Rapids, Magistrate Judge Sally Berens ordered Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta held without bond. She said she would rule later on Adam Fox and Ty Garbin. All five are from Michigan.
The sixth defendant, Delaware resident Barry Croft, was ordered transferred to Michigan during a separate proceeding.
Trask, the FBI agent, testified that authorities learned of the June meeting in Ohio while investigating various anti-government groups. Authorities have said the men wanted to retaliate against Whitmer because of what they considered her “uncontrolled power” during the coronavirus outbreak.
Trask said Fox, whom investigators describe as a ringleader and was the only defendant without a mask at the hearing, had said during a post-arrest interview he’d considered taking Whitmer from her vacation home out onto Lake Michigan and stranding her there on a disabled boat.
According to the complaint, Fox also spoke of taking her to “a secure location in Wisconsin for ‘trial.’”
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Some defendants conducted surveillance of her northern Michigan house in August and September, according to the complaint. Authorities said four of the men had planned to meet last week to pay for explosives and exchange tactical gear.
Several defense attorneys suggested during cross-examination that their clients were “big talkers” who didn’t intend to follow through with action.
When investigating paramilitary-type groups, “you find a lot of people who talk about things, but they’re never a threat to do anything. It’s fairly common in these groups?” Scott Graham, attorney for Franks, asked Trask. “Big talk between crackpots — you’ve seen that, haven’t you? People who talk a lot, brashly, boldly, but are never going to do anything about that talk.”
Graham described Franks as a “follower, not a leader” and argued he shouldn’t be detained before trial. He said Franks was a drug addict but had turned his life around and posed no flight risk.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler countered that Franks should not be released. “There’s a serious public safety risk,” he said, although not disputing that Franks was more of a follower in the matter.
The judge also acknowledged some of the defendants did not have leadership roles, but said their participation in repeated discussions about kidnapping Whitmer and in surveillance of the governor’s home indicated they should remain locked up until trial.
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“It is the plot along the way that is clearly very dangerous,” Berens said. “This is a very, very serious crime.”
The men could get up to life in prison if convicted.
“Anyone who is facing a charge like this would be very concerned,” Gary Springstead, an attorney for Garbin, told reporters outside the courthouse. “Literally your life and liberty are on the line.”
During the brief hearing in Wilmington, Delaware, Croft waived his right to a detention hearing there but reserved his right to one in Michigan.
Whitmer, who was considered as Joe Biden’s running mate and is nearly halfway through a four-year term, has been widely praised for her response to the virus outbreak but also criticized by Republican lawmakers and people in conservative areas of Michigan. The state Capitol has been the site of many rallies, some with gun-toting protesters demanding her ouster.
Michigan, and particularly the Detroit area, were hit hard early during the pandemic, leading Whitmer to tightly restrict personal movement and the economy. Many of the limits have been lifted since spring.
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Seven other men linked to a paramilitary group called the Wolverine Watchmen were charged in state court with allegedly seeking to storm the Michigan Capitol and providing material support for terrorist acts by seeking a “civil war.”
The investigation is ongoing.
Foody reported from Chicago, and John Flesher reported from Traverse City. Associated Press writer Alan Suderman in Richmond, Virginia, also contributed to this report.


chicagotribune--2020-10-13--Chicago adds Indiana to travel quarantine list; city health commissioner says ‘I just want you and y

Chicago adds Indiana to travel quarantine list; city health commissioner says ‘I just want you and your families to be able to avoid COVID’

“ I just want you and your families to be able to avoid COVID , ” Arwady said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ ways you can do that is to not have unnecessary exposure to high-risk settings for @ @ @ @ @ , different than Chicago , loosened all restrictions related to COVID-19 .
And so it @ @ @ @ @ their rates are higher , although they are , it ’ s that a lot @ @ @ @ @ we have in place here , ranging from masks , to sizes of gatherings , @ @ @ @ @ , are currently not in place ( there ) .
”

Chicago made it official Tuesday, adding neighboring Indiana to its emergency travel order that requires travelers returning to the city from there to stay inside for two weeks because of high COVID-19 case counts.
The Hoosier State’s inclusion on Chicago’s self-quarantine list was expected.
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The city last week “strongly advised” Chicago residents against traveling to Indiana, pointing to the fact the state had already passed the bench mark of more than 15 new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period that warrants getting added to the list.
“I am very concerned that Indiana is a state that is wishing that COVID were over, and it’s not,” city Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said then.
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[ Indiana, 3 other states added to Chicago’s travel quarantine list this week. Here’s what you need to know to avoid a large fine. ]
Starting Friday, people traveling into Chicago from Indiana will be expected to quarantine themselves for 14 days. Violators can face a fine, though the city has taken few steps to enforce the rules.
“I just want you and your families to be able to avoid COVID,” Arwady said. “And one of the best ways you can do that is to not have unnecessary exposure to high-risk settings for COVID. And Indiana has, different than Chicago, loosened all restrictions related to COVID-19. And so it’s not just that their rates are higher, although they are, it’s that a lot of the science-based things that we have in place here, ranging from masks, to sizes of gatherings, to distance at a restaurant, are currently not in place (there).”
Indiana joins Wisconsin, which was placed back on Chicago’s travel warning list three weeks ago amid skyrocketing coronavirus numbers there.
[ Wisconsin hits pair of grim COVID-19 milestones, with record highs for positive cases and deaths ]
Chicago Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady answers questions during a news conference at the Greater Western Community Development Project in Chicago Sept. 14, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
And like with Wisconsin, people who commute across the Indiana state line to or from Chicago to work or go to school will be exempt from the quarantine rule, a nod to the symbiotic relationship between the neighboring states. But workers in Chicago from Indiana will be expected to avoid restaurants, bars and other public spaces in the city.
Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said he and his wife, Marissa, were in downtown Chicago just last weekend having dinner. Any quarantine action Chicago imposes against its northwest Indiana neighbors would be shortsighted, he said, if it were actually something the city could do with any might behind it.
[ COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital data in your area ]
“Unless the city is going to put barriers up between the two states, people are still going to do what they want to do,” McDermott said. "We’re still going to drive back and forth unfettered. I’m still going to ride my bike on the trails downtown. I’ll wear a mask and social distance because I’m an adult, but what (Lightfoot) is doing is scaring people, and that isn’t going to help the city.
“We’re a republic, and I have a right to drive to Illinois as much as someone else has a right to drive to Indiana. If she wants to test that issue, that’s entirely up to her, but it’s an advisory opinion that’s not really going to do anything.”
South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Speros Batistatos agreed, saying the edict is “unenforceable.”
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“Unless they’re going to put Illinois State Police at (Interstate) 80-94, the toll road and all other points in between, who’s going to stop anyone?” Batistatos said. “It’s laughable.”
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
Batistatos also noted that because of Chicago’s and Illinois' restrictions, Illinois residents have come to Indiana in droves, so any restrictions on traveling between the two defy entertaining, especially when the economies are so intertwined.
“This isn’t the Great Wall of China,” he said.
Whiting Mayor Steve Spebar said he was disappointed to hear about Indiana being added to Chicago’s travel quarantine list, but said he understands given the circumstances.
“I’m not happy about it, but it’s obviously their decision,” Spebar said. “I don’t know if it will change people’s behavior or traffic patterns.”
In all, there are now 26 states or territories on Chicago’s self-quarantine list: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
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Arwady on Tuesday noted the other areas of trouble around Chicago. “Wisconsin has a very poorly controlled outbreak. Indiana has a poorly controlled outbreak,” Arwady said. “Iowa, Missouri and parts of Downstate Illinois are not in as strong control as we are here in Chicago. And we are not in as strong control in Chicago this week as we were last week.”
Michelle L. Quinn is a Post-Tribune freelance reporter.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
akukulka@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-13--Kyle Rittenhouse, accused in Kenosha shootings, will not face gun charges in Lake County over AR-15-

Kyle Rittenhouse, accused in Kenosha shootings, will not face gun charges in Lake County over AR-15-style rifle, prosecutors say

The Antioch teen , however , still faces a gun charge in Wisconsin , as Kenosha County prosecutors have charged @ @ @ @ @ dangerous weapon by a person under 18 , a misdemeanor .
His attorney , John @ @ @ @ @ News host Tucker Carlson ’ s show in late August that the charge is “ @ @ @ @ @ state law ” and that the U.S. Constitution and federal law protect the teen ’ @ @ @ @ @ gun , though he did not go into detail on that legal argument .

From left, Matt Muchowski, Vance Wyatt, and Donald Blake hold signs outside the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan on Sept. 25, 2020. Kyle Rittenhouse, accused of killing two protesters days after Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis., faces a hearing to return him to Wisconsin to face trial on homicide charges that could put him in prison for life. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Kyle Rittenhouse will not face gun charges in Lake County related to the AR-15-style weapon he is charged with using to kill two men and wound a third during violent protests in Kenosha in August, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
An Antioch police investigation found that the Smith & Wesson .223 caliber rifle “was purchased, stored and used in Wisconsin” and turned up no evidence the 17-year-old “physically possessed” the weapon in Illinois, according to a news release from the office of Lake County State’s Attorney Mike Nerheim. The news release does not reveal who is believed to have bought or held the gun before the shooting.
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The Antioch teen, however, still faces a gun charge in Wisconsin, as Kenosha County prosecutors have charged him with possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18, a misdemeanor. His attorney, John M. Pierce argued on Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s show in late August that the charge is “incorrect as a matter of state law” and that the U.S. Constitution and federal law protect the teen’s right to have the gun, though he did not go into detail on that legal argument.
In an Aug. 25, 2020, photo, Kyle Rittenhouse carries a weapon as he walks along Sheridan Road in Kenosha during a night of unrest following the weekend police shooting of Jacob Blake. (ADAM ROGAN/AP)
Little has been made public about the gun’s history or the teen’s potential licensure to have firearms, so it’s unclear what — if any — charges Rittenhouse or anyone else might have faced here if the investigation had found he possessed it locally. An attorney working with Rittenhouse’s legal team has said the gun belonged to an unidentified friend of the teenager.
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Antioch police could not be reached for comment. His attorney, Pierce, declined to comment.
Along with the gun charge, Kenosha County prosecutors have charged him with murder and other counts alleging he shot three men with the rifle Aug. 25 during violent protests over white police Officer Rusten Sheskey’s shooting of 29-year-old Black man Jacob Blake a couple of days earlier.
Rittenhouse’s lawyers have argued he shot the three men in self-defense.
Prosecutors and Rittenhouse’s lawyers are currently battling over whether he’ll be returned to Wisconsin to face those charges. His attorneys argued against his extradition in a petition last week, contending in part that sending the teen to adult jail in Kenosha County would endanger him. Lake County prosecutors are due to file their counterarguments this week and Judge Paul Novak has scheduled a hearing on the matter for Oct. 30.
Videos show that Rittenhouse was among numerous civilians armed with rifles who interjected themselves into the protests, property destruction and looting that followed Blake’s shooting.
Kenosha County prosecutors wrote that video showed the teen running across a parking lot, trailed by Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, of Kenosha. Video showed Rosenbaum appearing to throw a plastic bag at Rittenhouse and missing him, prosecutors wrote. A witness told police that Rosenbaum, who appeared on video to be unarmed, had tried to grab the gun before he was fatally shot, prosecutors wrote.
The teen’s lawyers contended in their petition last week that someone other than Rosenbaum had fired a gun in Rittenhouse’s direction just before the confrontation that killed Rosenbaum. The filing alleged that Rosenbaum had threatened Rittenhouse before chasing the teen and lunging for his rifle. The teen fired “under grave risk of immediate harm,” the petition stated.
Rittenhouse then ran before someone knocked off his hat, and he tripped and fell, prosecutors wrote. Then, Anthony Huber, 26, of Silver Lake, Wisconsin, approached Rittenhouse with a skateboard as the teen was still on his back, prosecutors wrote. Huber tried to grab the gun as the skateboard “(made) contact” with Rittenhouse’s shoulder before the gunman fired one shot, and Huber collapsed and died, prosecutors alleged.
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Rittenhouse’s lawyers argued in their filing that the skateboard hit Rittenhouse’s head and he shot Huber as they wrestled for control of the rifle.
Prosecutors wrote that Rittenhouse then shot a man who had approached him, Gaige Grosskreutz, of West Allis, Wisconsin. Grosskreutz appeared to be holding a handgun when he was wounded in the arm, prosecutors wrote.
The filing the teen’s lawyers made alleged Grosskreutz “lowered his handgun in Rittenhouse’s direction.”
dhinkel@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-13--Sen. Dick Durbin asks Supreme Court nominee Barrett if she places restoring gun rights to felons abo

Sen. Dick Durbin asks Supreme Court nominee Barrett if she places restoring gun rights to felons above restoring voting rights

But Barrett said if the “ gang members and thugs buying guns in Indiana and taking them across the border @ @ @ @ @ felony convictions for doing the kinds of things that members of gangs and thugs do @ @ @ @ @ court ’ s ruling in the Wisconsin case ) says that the government can ’ @ @ @ @ @ , and nothing says in my opinion that the government can ’ t deprive ( @ @ @ @ @ felony ) of having firearms .

President Donald Trump watches as Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administers the Constitutional Oath to Amy Coney Barrett on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, after Barrett was confirmed by the Senate earlier in the evening. (Patrick Semansky/AP)
Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, citing Chicago’s history of gun violence, asked Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on Tuesday whether she considered restoring gun ownership to felons a greater right than restoring their ability to vote.
Citing her dissent in a Wisconsin case while on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Durbin said Barrett indicated that only felons convicted of violent crimes should lose gun rights granted by states, though he said that studies have shown those who have committed felonies of any kind have a propensity to commit violent crimes in the future.
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Barrett said her dissent in the case meant that government should determine the dangerousness of the felon seeking to have their gun rights restored. “I think we could all agree we ought to be careful that saying because someone is a felon they lose any of their individual rights simply because someone has a felony conviction," she said.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the second day of Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Oct. 13, 2020, in Washington, D.C. (Pool/Getty Images)
Questioning Barrett on the second day of her confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Durbin noted that more than 3,200 people had been shot in Chicago this year and that a previous city gun-trace report showed the majority of illegal firearms that had been recovered came from states such as Indiana, where Barrett lives.
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He said gun shows in places including Gary, Indiana, sell firearms without background checks. "Unfortunately, these gangbangers and thugs fill up the trunks of their cars with firearms and head into the city of Chicago and kill everyone from infants to older people,” Durbin said.
He then questioned whether Barrett’s reasoning to disqualify only violent felons from gun ownership and not all felons wasn’t “opening up more opportunities for people to buy firearms.”
But Barrett said if the “gang members and thugs buying guns in Indiana and taking them across the border” to Illinois "had felony convictions for doing the kinds of things that members of gangs and thugs do, nothing in (the court’s ruling in the Wisconsin case) says that the government can’t deprive them of firearms, and nothing says in my opinion that the government can’t deprive (someone convicted of a nonviolent felony) of having firearms.
“They simply had to make a showing of dangerousness before they did so, and nothing in the opinion opines at all on the legality of background checks, and gun licensing. Those are all separate issues,” she said.
Durbin noted Barrett considered herself as an “originalist” who defines the Constitution from the time in which it was written.
“I’m going to take you back in history for a moment and note that when that Second Amendment was written, and you did the analysis of it, we were talking about the likelihood that a person could purchase a muzzle-loading musket,” Durbin said.
“We are now talking about virtual military weapons that can kill hundreds of innocent people. It is a much different circumstance, maybe an originalist pins all their thinking to that musket, but I’ve got to bring it to the 21st century. And the 21st century has people being killed in the streets of Chicago because of the proliferation of deadly firearms,” he said.
Durbin said Barrett, in her dissent, said that disqualifying a felon from having voting rights was proper. But he also said studies have shown many voting bans on felons were approved in the post-Civil War years of Reconstruction, and such bans remain prevalent today as tools for suppressing the vote of African Americans.
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“In your dissent, you said disqualifying a person from voting because of a felony is OK. But when it comes to the possession of firearms, wait a minute, we’re talking about the individual rights (under) a Second Amendment,” he said. “I just don’t see it. I think the right to vote should be given at least as much respect as any Second Amendment right. Do you?”
Barrett said that the Constitution “contemplates that states have the freedom to deprive felons of the right to vote” but did not express a view on “whether that was a good idea whether states should do that.”
“The Supreme Court has repeatedly said that voting is a fundamental right,” she said, contending Durbin was taking a “descriptive statement” in her dissent that compared stripping voting rights and gun rights from felons “out of context."
“I expressed no view,” she said about felon voting rights. “Obviously that’s a contested issue in some states that are considering it right now, and I have no view on that.”
Durbin also asked Barrett if she had seen the video of George Floyd, the African American man who was killed by Minneapolis police.
Barrett, the mother of two adopted Black children, said she was with her 17-year-old daughter, Vivian, when “all of this was erupting.”
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“It was very difficult for her. We wept together in my room. It was also difficult for Juliet, who is 10. I had to try to explain some of this to them,” she said
Durbin followed up by asking Barrett her view, as an originalist, of where the country is today on the issue of race and how she feels about the idea of systemic racism.
“I think it is an entirely uncontroversial and obvious statement given, as we just talked about the George Floyd video, that racism persists in our country,” Barrett said.
“As to putting my finger on the nature of the problem, whether as you say it’s just outright or systemic racism, or how to tackle the issue of making it better, those things, you know, are policy questions. They’re hotly contested policy questions that have been in the news and discussed all summer,” she said.
But, she said “giving broader statements or making broader diagnoses about the problem of racism is kind of beyond what I’m capable of doing as a judge.”
rap30@aol.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-13--Blackhawks anniversary sculpture outside the United Center covered in graffiti and red paint on Indi

Blackhawks anniversary sculpture outside the United Center covered in graffiti and red paint on Indigenous Peoples Day

“ The Chicago Blackhawks name and logo symbolizes an important and historic person , Black Hawk of Illinois ' Sac @ @ @ @ @ leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans , veterans and the public , @ @ @ @ @ read .
“ We recognize there is a fine line between respect and disrespect , @ @ @ @ @ for their willingness to engage in that conversation .
Moving forward , we are committed @ @ @ @ @ higher to expand awareness of Black Hawk and the important contributions of all Native American @ @ @

A group of males vandalized a sculpture outside the United Center early Monday morning, according to Chicago police.
The incident occurred in the 1900 block of West Madison Street about 1:30 a.m., said police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli. Four white males in black clothing were seen walking up to a statue outside the stadium and covering it with graffiti and red paint, according to police. The offenders fled northbound. No one is in custody at this time.
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A worker covers up a Blackhawks' sculpture outside Chicago's United Center, Oct. 13, 2020, after it was vandalized Monday. (Youngrae Kim / Chicago Tribune)
The vandalism occurred as many celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day, a day meant to reframe Columbus Day and honor Native American history and culture.
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The statue vandalized was the sculpture commemorating the Blackhawks' 75th anniversary season in 2000, said Adam Rogowin, a spokesman for the Blackhawks. It is currently under a tarp for protection and will be sent off to be repaired in the near future, he said.
The Blackhawks name, logo and imagery, which Native American advocates have challenged for decades, have come under increased scrutiny because of actions by other sports teams, such as the NFL’s Washington Football Team, which dropped the Redskins name in July and Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians, which is reviewing possibly changing its name.
The Blackhawks, who are named after Sac and Fox Nation warrior Black Hawk, issued a statement in July addressing their stance on changing the name.
“The Chicago Blackhawks name and logo symbolizes an important and historic person, Black Hawk of Illinois' Sac & Fox Nation, whose leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans, veterans and the public,” the statement in part read. “We recognize there is a fine line between respect and disrespect, and we commend other teams for their willingness to engage in that conversation. Moving forward, we are committed to raising the bar even higher to expand awareness of Black Hawk and the important contributions of all Native American people.”
Chicago Tribune’s Phil Thompson contributed.
jvillagomez@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-13--Baby survives after mother shot to death on Far South Side

The woman later was identified as Stacey Jones , who was wounded on the same block where she lived , @ @ @ @ @ medical examiner ’ s office .
Jones was taken to the University of Chicago Medical @ @ @ @ @ police said .
She was pronounced dead at 1 a.m. , and doctors delivered her @ @


chicagotribune--2020-10-13--Cook County working through backlog of 20,000 mail-in ballot applications

“ We ’ ve had to work through this to come to the point where … we are going to @ @ @ @ @ have mailed to every single voter a timely mail ballot for them , ” he @ @ @ @ @ s no small feat .
… Our employees have been working around the clock , @ @ @ @ @ coming in on Sundays .
People are coming in all the holidays .
It has @ @ @ @ @ , but we ’ re up for getting these out on time .
”

With just three weeks to go until Election Day, Cook County election officials said Tuesday that they are working through a backlog of roughly 20,000 vote-by-mail applications and should have ballots in the mail to those voters by the weekend.
Under a new state law that expanded mail voting for the Nov. 3 election, any voter who applied by Oct. 1 should have received his or her blank ballot in the mail “no later than Oct. 6." The law also requires local election authorities to mail out blank ballots to anyone who applies after Oct. 1 within two business days.
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But Edmund Michalowski, Cook County’s deputy clerk of elections, said the timeline laid out in the law is “not reasonable" for a county the size of Cook, which has 1.6 million registered voters outside of Chicago.
As of Tuesday, the Cook County Board of Elections had received more than 458,000 applications for mail-in ballots.
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A Cook County clerk's office center in Cicero, shown Oct. 13, 2020, for processing mail-in ballots. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
About 163,000 of those were submitted on paper rather than online, Michalowski said, and the county had yet to send ballots to about 20,000 of those applicants.
Processing paper applications was slowed, in part, by the fact that the clerk’s office received both its own application form and forms distributed by third-party organizations such as backers of the proposed graduated-rate income tax amendment, Michalowski said. The clerk’s office also was shut down for a period in mid-August due to COVID-19 cases among staff, he said.
“We’ve had to work through this to come to the point where … we are going to be able to produce and have mailed to every single voter a timely mail ballot for them,” he said. “It’s no small feat. … Our employees have been working around the clock, on weekends. People are coming in on Sundays. People are coming in all the holidays. It has been a very arduous task, but we’re up for getting these out on time.”
But the delay has left some voters worried about whether they’ll be able to cast their ballots on time.
Chloe Solon, 20, a Glencoe native attending Cornell University in New York, has been waiting nearly three weeks for her ballot to arrive. An online tracking system created by the Cook County clerk’s office shows her application was received Sept. 24. As of Tuesday, her ballot hadn’t been mailed back.
“I’m just worried that once I do get my ballot, if it’s taking this long, how do I know and how can I be sure that it gets there by Election Day?” Solon asked.
A first-time voter in a general election, Solon said she realized something might be amiss after her college friends from other states started receiving their absentee ballots.
“I wasn’t sure if this was just standard and everyone was experiencing this or if it was just me. … It was sort of frustrating for me because I didn’t really get any feedback, I didn’t get any emails,” she said.
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Voters still have a fairly wide window to cast their ballots by mail. To be counted, a mail-in ballot must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by the local election authority no later than Nov. 17. Voters can request a ballot by mail through Oct. 29 and in person through Nov. 2.
The State Board of Elections and local election authorities are encouraging those who want to vote by mail to get their applications in by Thursday.
DuPage County Clerk Jane Kaczmarek on Tuesday urged those who want to vote by mail to apply by Thursday, noting that it takes a week to 10 days for voters to receive their ballots after applying.
“Mail ballot voting is a challenge for procrastinators,” Kaczmarek said in a statement. “You need to complete and return the ballot application, then make your election choices and return the completed mail ballot to my office, by each deadline. More people than ever are choosing to vote by mail this election, so whether you complete a mail ballot application online or sign and return your application by mail, get it done today.”
DuPage County had received more than 195,000 vote-by-mail applications as of Tuesday.
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
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kelsmith@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-13--Guilty plea entered for South Haven man charged with mutilating neighbor’s dog

The dog , according to a report from the Porter County Sheriff ’ s Department , “ did not impose @ @ @ @ @ or harm to the subject and further was not running at large .
The K-9 @ @ @ @ @ a fenced in yard belonging to its owner .
”

A South Haven man charged with torturing an animal after he allegedly beat his neighbor’s dog so badly it lost an eye in August 2019 has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge in exchange for prosecutors dropping a misdemeanor count against him.
Ronald Johnson, 56, of the 300 block of Pinewood Drive, submitted the plea Monday to Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer. Clymer, according to court documents, has taken the matter under advisement pending the submission of a pre-sentence investigation report and set sentencing for 10 a.m. Nov. 23.
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Under the terms of the plea agreement, Johnson will plead guilty to one count of mutilating a vertebrate animal, a Level 6 felony, and a second count, a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to an animal, will be dismissed.
“The parties agree the cap on incarceration is 90 days but no limit on probation other than statutory,” notes the plea agreement. “The defendant may request the court enter judgment of conviction as a Class A misdemeanor. The State of Indiana will oppose that request.”
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The proposed plea also calls for Johnson to pay the owner of the dog $1,100 at the time of sentencing.
The charges came after Johnson allegedly reached over the fence and struck his neighbor’s beagle-dachshund mix, Echo, on the head with a log while the dog was in the neighbor’s yard on Aug. 28, 2019.
The dog, according to a report from the Porter County Sheriff’s Department, “did not impose an immediate threat of danger or harm to the subject and further was not running at large. The K-9 was in fact located inside a fenced in yard belonging to its owner.”
Johnson was released from Porter County Jail on a $1,500 cash bond in the days after his arrest.
The neighbor has said the dog’s right eye socket was fractured and he had hemorrhaging behind his eye, which was later removed. The incident, she said, also changed the dog’s behavior.
At a June court hearing, Clymer urged a resolution in the case and said if one couldn’t be reached, the case would be scheduled for trial “because this is getting old.”
Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-10-13--The Spin: Pritzker vs. Pritzker on income tax ballot question  | Nodding to Chicago violence, Durbin

The Spin: Pritzker vs. Pritzker on income tax ballot question  | Nodding to Chicago violence, Durbin questions SCOTUS nominee Amy Coney Barrett on gun rights case | Kanye West puts up first ad in long-shot presidential bid

Barrett responded : “ Well , Senator , you referred to gang members and thugs buying guns in Indiana and @ @ @ @ @ .
And certainly ... if they had felony convictions for doing the kinds of things @ @ @ @ @ thugs do , nothing in ( the appeals court ’ s decision in the Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ government can ’ t deprive them of firearms.
” Likewise , “ nothing ” in @ @ @ @ @ government can ’ t deprive ( a nonviolent offender like the one in the case @ @ @ @ @ of having firearms .
They simply had to make a showing of dangerousness before they @ @ @ @ @ said .

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker speaks to the media after holding a ceremony wherein he signed the state budget and fair tax legislation at the State of Illinois Building in Chicago on Wednesday, June 5, 2019. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Invoking Chicago’s spiking gun violence, Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin challenged U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett during today’s confirmation hearing over a court opinion she wrote last year arguing nonviolent felons shouldn’t automatically be prohibited from owning a gun.
While Barrett’s colleagues on the Chicago-based 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Wisconsin’s law barring felons from having firearms was constitutional, Barrett wrote a dissenting opinion that since the plaintiff had been convicted of a white-collar crime, he was not inherently dangerous.
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Durbin argued that such a stance is counterproductive to stemming the flow of firearms from states such Indiana — where Barrett and her family live — to Chicago, whose homicide numbers are reaching a high not seen in 25 years.
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s cousin Jennifer Pritzker has donated $500,000 to a group trying to sink his signature agenda item on the Nov. 3 ballot — a proposed state constitutional amendment to impose a graduated-rate income tax, the Tribune’s Rick Pearson writes.
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Both billionaire heirs to the Hyatt Hotel fortune, the cousins sit on opposite ends of the political spectrum with Jennifer Pritzker donating some of her wealth to Republican campaigns and causes.
And Chicago rapper Kanye West has dropped the first campaign ad of his wobbly presidential bid, saying God, faith and prayer are the bedrock of making the country better but that Americans also must “be servants to each other ... help each other, to lift up each other” so “that we may all prosper together.” He also asked voters in states where he didn’t make the ballot — including his home state of Illinois — to write him in.
Welcome to The Spin.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., speaks during a confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Oct. 13, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Demetrius Freeman/AP)
Illinois’ senior senator and the second ranking Democrat in the Senate asked Amy Coney Barrett, Republican President Donald Trump’s pick to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death, about an opinion she wrote in 2019 on a Wisconsin gun rights case, known as Kanter v. Barr.
She argued in a dissenting opinion against an all-out ban on nonviolent felons owning guns.
Durbin questioned whether opening up gun ownership to nonviolent felons would mean more guns in circulation via gun shows, which he said often serve as a pipeline for gang members perpetrating gun crimes in Chicago to obtain their weapons.
Barrett responded: “Well, Senator, you referred to gang members and thugs buying guns in Indiana and taking them across the border. And certainly ... if they had felony convictions for doing the kinds of things that members of gangs and thugs do, nothing in (the appeals court’s decision in the Wisconsin case) says that the government can’t deprive them of firearms.” Likewise, “nothing” in her opinion suggests “the government can’t deprive (a nonviolent offender like the one in the case she weighed in on) of having firearms. They simply had to make a showing of dangerousness before they did so," Barrett said.
But Durbin says that’s “impractical” and that her colleagues in the appellate court agree.
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The George Floyd case: Durbin also asked Coney Barrett whether she saw video footage of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on the neck of a handcuffed and prone George Floyd, who pleaded for air until he stopped breathing. The case touched off protests around the country and renewed calls for police reform.
Barrett, who has two Black adopted children, said she had viewed it, that it was “very, very personal” for her family and that they “wept together.”
In answering the question, Barrett made a distinction between her feelings as a person and her role as a judge, refusing to give her thoughts on systemic racism as Durbin had requested, The Associated Press notes. She said commenting on what policies should be used to combat racism would be “kind of beyond what I’m capable of doing as a judge.”
Billionaire Chicago native Jennifer Pritzker. (KRISTAN LIEB / Chicago Tribune)
Jennifer Pritzker, a retired Army colonel, and founder and chair of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago, donated $500,000 to the Coalition to Stop the Proposed Tax Hike, a group that has received nearly $48.9 million to fight the proposed amendment, the Tribune’s Rick Pearson writes.
“There is evidence that the tax hike amendment could eventually raise taxes on the middle and working classes. With so many families and small businesses struggling to recover from the ravages of the pandemic, raising taxes is not a financial solution Illinoisans can afford to enact,” said Jennifer Pritzker, president and CEO of private wealth management firm Tawani Enterprises.
Her contribution is the second largest to the group after the $46.75 million given by Ken Griffin, the billionaire founder and CEO of the Citadel hedge fund and investment firm. “Gov. Priitzker has donated $56.5 million to the Vote Yes for Fairness group supporting voter ratification of the proposed amendment, which would replace the state’s mandated flat-rate tax with a tax with varying rates that increase with income,” Pearson writes. Read the rest of his story here.
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The pandemic left Illinois election officials scrambling for judges in March. But extra pay and a law that allows younger workers has them optimistic about Nov. 3, the Tribune’s Dan Petrella and Kelli Smith write. Read the full story here.
Where does Illinois early voting and vote-by-mail stand? My Tribune colleagues Chad Yoder and Jonathon Berlin have put together the latest data here.
Wisconsin absentee ballot case may be headed to the US Supreme Court: The Associated Press has the story here.
Penny Pritzker gives Biden campaign an assist tomorrow: The former Commerce Secretary in the Obama White House and sister to Illinois’ governor, along with campaign officials, will be giving business leaders talking points on “the economic case for why Joe Biden is the right leader to rescue and rebuild our economy” and how they can mobilize their networks to get out and vote. The Wednesday virtual event gets underway at 4 p.m. Chicago time. More details here.
National, local teachers unions rally around Pritzker’s tax initiative: American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten along with Chicago Teachers Union officials will hold a news conference tomorrow morning on the South Side in a show of strength in support of the top-of-the-ballot graduated tax question before voters and remind people to also support Biden for president. Pritzker says switching from a flat tax to a graduated tax is fairer to lower- and middle-income residents in the state — drawing union support.
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Registered nurse Lupe Duran, of Family Christian Health Center, administers a free COVID-19 test outside Apostolic Faith Church on S. Indiana Avenue in Chicago on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020. Clinics from the South and West Sides of Chicago are hosting free COVID testing and flu vaccinations at churches in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Jamie Munks writes: "The number of deaths attributed to the coronavirus in Illinois surpassed 9,000 on Tuesday amid a recent uptick in new cases as the state continues to struggle to contain the highly contagious virus.
“State public health officials on Tuesday reported 2,851 newly diagnosed cases and 29 additional deaths of people with COVID-19, raising the death toll to 9,026 throughout the course of the pandemic. There now have been 324,743 known cases of the coronavirus in Illinois.” Read the full story here.
Update: Illinois U.S. Rep. Mike Bost of downstate Murphysboro, who announced last week that tested he positive for the coronavirus, offered an update on his health in a video posted on Twitter. Bost said he’s only had a few minor symptoms but is “getting over it fairly quickly.” The GOP congressman is facing Democratic challenger Ray Lenzi in the November election. Watch the full video here.
Chicago adds Indiana to travel quarantine list: Starting Friday, people traveling into Chicago from Indiana will be expected to quarantine themselves for 14 days. Violators can face a fine, though the city has taken few steps to enforce the rules, the Tribune’s John Byrne writes.
Related: Pandemic leaving its mark on downtown Griffith, Indiana: 5 businesses temporarily shut down for cleaning — The Post-Tribune’s Michelle L. Quinn has the story here.
Chicago Public Schools will announce ‘very soon’ whether in-person classes will resume next quarter: The Tribune’s Hannah Leone has the details here.
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New Trier High School halts in-person instruction as region sees hike in COVID-19 cases: Karen Ann Cullotta has the story in the suburban Winnetka Talk.
Pandemic opens door for Southwest Airlines to take off at O’Hare: “The pandemic reduced flights out of O’Hare, which give Southwest an opening, said Andrew Watterson, Southwest’s chief commercial officer.” The Tribune’s Lauren Zumbach has the full story here.
Abbott gets emergency FDA approval for antibody test that detects recent COVID-19 infections: The Tribune’s Lisa Schencker has the details here.
Iowa, the 4th-highest state for COVID-19 infections, surpasses 100,000 cases as Trump plans rally there this week: Read the rest of The Associated Press story here.
Other news - Amazon’s Prime Day starts today, and it may drive nearly $10 billion in sales: And that doesn’t even include rivals getting in on the action, the Tribune’s Katie Surma writes. Read more here.
DuPage River dam at the Hammel Woods Forest Preserve in Shorewood on Oct. 8, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
In a new piece, the Tribune’s Robert McCoppin and freelance reporter Alicia Fabbre examine how dozens of boaters, anglers, children and would-be rescuers have drowned in recent decades at “low head” dams or weirs, prompting officials to push for removal of the hazards. They also tout the benefits to the environment and fishing.
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Not everyone is on board. The DuPage County Forest Preserve OK’d a plan to remove the Graue Mill Dam on Salt Creek in Oak Brook while state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, a Republican from Elmhurst, recently filed a bill to prevent destruction of the mill and dam without approval by an oversight board. Oak Brook’s former mayor launched an online petition to save the dam.
Money matters: “This year, the state budget includes $20 million to pay for removals around the state, and more local governments are taking steps to get rid of their dams,” McCoppin and Fabbre note. Read the full story here.
Other news – Chicago aldermen reject Mayor Lightfoot’s proposed ordinance that would roll back part stricter City Hall lobbying rules: The Tribune’s John Byrne writes, “The City Council Ethics Committee voted 16-0 not to send the measure brought forward by Lightfoot months ago to the full council. It would have once again allowed elected officials from outside Chicago to lobby the mayor, aldermen and other city government agencies on behalf of private clients, as long as the public body they represent doesn’t have pending or recurring legislative or contractual matters involving the city of Chicago.” Read the full story here.
Ex-state Representative, Berrios' son-in-law plead not guilty to federal bribery charges: Jason Meisner has the Tribune story here.
Blackhawks statue outside United Center covered in graffiti and red paint on Indigenous Peoples Day: Police – The Tribune’s Jessica Villagomez has the details here.
President Donald Trump, center, along with then-Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, left, and then-Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou participate in a groundbreaking event for the new Foxconn facility in Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin, on June 28, 2018. Wisconsin told Foxconn on Oct. 12, 2020, that it won't qualify for billions of dollars in state tax credits unless it strikes a new deal for the now scaled-back factory complex that was originally negotiated in 2017. (Evan Vucci/AP)
From the Wisconsin State-Journal: Wisconsin is denying Foxconn Technology Group billions of dollars in state tax credits for a planned campus between Chicago and Milwaukee until company officials come to the table to draw up a new contract for a project President Donald Trump once touted as the “eighth wonder of the world.”
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The president even participated in a groundbreaking ceremony in Wisconsin in 2018.
The technology giant was in line under a deal struck under then-GOP Gov. Scott Walker for incentives totaling $3 billion over 15 years if the company reaches the 13,000-employee bench mark and makes a $10 billion capital investment in the state.
“While originally promised as a Generation 10.5 facility that would build larger panels for TV screens, the project has downsized to Generation 6, which would manufacture small screens for mobile phones, tablets, notebooks and wearable devices,” the State-Journal reminds. For that reason, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' administration told the company it no longer was eligible for tax subsidies under the existing contract and discussions about an amended contract began more than a year ago with no result. Read the full story here.
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-10-13--Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s latest campaign ad highlights 4 men wrongfully convicted in

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s latest campaign ad highlights 4 men wrongfully convicted in 1980s murder prosecuted by her opponent

“ He ’ s running on a campaign that you got to look out for victims , ” Omar Muhammad @ @ @ @ @ “ And here this guy is running for office knowing that he sent four innocent @ @ @ @ @ the killer of the victim to roam free .
”

Four men wrongfully convicted in a murder decades ago endorsed Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx for reelection in her latest digital ad on Tuesday, pinning the blame for their ordeals on her opponent who tried the case before DNA evidence later exonerated them.
Marcellius Bradford opens up the 2½-minute video before the other three men who were also wrongfully convicted in the 1986 murder of medical student Lori Roscetti introduce themselves. One by one, they argue that O’Brien’s involvement in their prosecution disqualifies him to be Cook County state’s attorney.
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“He’s running on a campaign that you got to look out for victims,” Omar Muhammad says in the ad. “And here this guy is running for office knowing that he sent four innocent teenagers to prison and allowed the killer of the victim to roam free.”
In a phone interview Tuesday, Republican Patrick O’Brien said his procedure in the case was based on confessions and testimonies available at the time.
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“There was never any credible allegation that I had done anything wrong, and given the evidence that was before me, I essentially did what a prosecutor should do,” O’Brien said.
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The four men were held in prison for about 14 years before their convictions were vacated in 2001. Two other men later connected to the sex slaying through DNA evidence pleaded guilty in 2004 and received 75-year prison sentences.
In the ad, one of the wrongfully convicted men says that O’Brien’s focus on the wrong suspects allowed the real killer to “roam free.” Another says he should have known to back off from prosecuting them.
In 1988, Calvin Ollins, Larry Ollins, Marcellius Bradford, and Omar Muhammad were wrongfully convicted of a horrific crime they did not commit. They spent nearly 14 years of their lives in prison until DNA evidence confirmed their innocence. Pat O’Brien oversaw the case. pic.twitter.com/xskSdkw3yr — Kim Foxx (@KimFoxxforSA) October 13, 2020
“Now, Patrick O’Brien was in the position to declare us innocent,” Calvin Ollins says. “But instead of doing that, they decided to allow the blood of this beautiful lady to be pinned on us.”
O’Brien said he believed the men were guilty when he prosecuted them and that he was working within a larger criminal justice system that failed those four men.
“There really wasn’t much choice other than to prosecute them,” O’Brien said. “It just turned out that the system failed and as a part of that system, I guess I failed them too. But at every point in the case, I believed they were guilty.”
The ad closes with the men making the case for Foxx, who they say embodies the honor that a state’s attorney needs to enact justice and allow people a chance to better their lives.
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“A state’s attorney should stand for fairness and justice and ethics,” Muhammad says. “And that’s what Kim Foxx represents. She actually represents integrity.”
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-10-13--Indiana, 3 other states added to Chicago’s travel quarantine list this week. Here’s what you need to

Indiana, 3 other states added to Chicago’s travel quarantine list this week. Here’s what you need to know to avoid a large fine.

States are added to the list when they have an infection rate higher than 15 cases per 100,000 residents and @ @ @ @ @ average remains below that rate for two consecutive weeks .
According to an order from @ @ @ @ @ city ’ s Department of Public Health , those who travel to any of the @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 risk must then quarantine for two weeks upon their return or face hefty fines @ @ @ @ @ not issued any since the policy was put in place early in the summer .

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Dick DeGray, of Brattleboro, Vt., puts on his mask before going into the Municipal Building, in Brattleboro, as the town started to require visitors and staff to put their masks back on Aug. 11, 2021, due to COVID-19 virus numbers increasing in Windham County. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer)
Chicago has revamped its travel quarantine order to reflect rising rates of the coronavirus in Chicago and the rest of Illinois, moving from a blanket list of states to a color-coded list comparing the rate of infection here with that in other states.
On Tuesday, the city added New York, California and Washington, D.C., to its orange list, requiring all travelers from those states to either quarantine or prove they have had a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before arriving in Chicago. Idaho was moved from the stricter red list to the orange list.
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Under the original version of the emergency travel order, states had been added to the list when they reached an infection rate greater than 15 cases per 100,000 residents and removed once the daily case average remains below that rate for two consecutive weeks.
Now, the city is using a color-coded list, which will be updated every two weeks.
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“First and foremost, I would like people to avoid travel at this time if at all possible. But by creating a tiered system and using Chicago’s case rate as a category threshold, it allows us to be responsive to the changing dynamics of the pandemic,” said city health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.
States that weren’t on the quarantine list that were added to the orange list the first week were Michigan, Connecticut, Arizona, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Oregon, Washington and Louisiana.
Yellow-coded states are those with a rolling seven-day average below 15 cases per day per 100,000 residents. Anyone returning from these states doesn’t have to quarantine. Three states qualified as of Tuesday.
Orange-coded states are those with a rolling seven-day average between 15 cases per day per 100,000 residents and Chicago’s rolling seven-day average, which was 60 as of Tuesday. People traveling from these states must either quarantine for 14 days or show they had a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours before arrival in Chicago. There were 35 orange states, plus Washington, D.C., as of Tuesday.
Red-coded states are those with a rolling seven-day average above Chicago’s. Anyone traveling from these states has to quarantine. There were 11 red-coded states as of Tuesday.
People who commute across the Indiana or Wisconsin state lines to or from Chicago to work or go to school will be exempt from the quarantine rule, a nod to the symbiotic relationship between the neighboring states. But workers in Chicago from Indiana will be expected to avoid restaurants, bars and other public spaces in the city.
Here’s what you need to know about the city’s quarantine policies:
City says people will be fined
Anyone who visits red-listed states should stay inside for two weeks upon their return or risk a fine of $100 to $500 per day, according to the city. Those who visit orange-listed states are subject to the same fines if they don’t have a negative COVID-19 test or quarantine.
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Despite the list’s fluctuating size, enforcement of the order so far has been nonexistent, save for some billboards and signs that Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said are intended to “educate” people into compliance.
Lightfoot’s initial self-quarantine requirement was implemented during the Fourth of July weekend.
If city contact tracers get information that people who’ve caught the virus were in proximity to someone from a quarantine state and flouted the rules, they’ll issue a citation, Arwady has said.
They’ll also be on the lookout for people who are on social media “flagrantly posting their social activities, clearly out and about in Chicago after being in settings that are subject to our quarantine order, within the time frame,” she said. Investigators will look into any reports about city workers not following the guidelines, the health commissioner said.
Arwady has since clarified that the city “is not Big Brother,” nor does it have the resources to dedicate anyone to aimlessly scroll feeds from Chicagoans.
But if the agency receives a tip or is already looking into someone to determine whether to fine them, that’s when the city may scour social media.
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“One of the easiest ways to sort of get enough proof … without me having to send out an inspector … is to look at social media,” Arwady said.
Details for travelers
The order has plenty of exceptions for different types of workers and depending on how long travelers spend in the listed states.
If someone drives through a state on the list but does not stay more than 24 hours, that person does not need to quarantine. But a city employee clarified that Chicagoans who choose to drive into Wisconsin and go out in public, regardless of whether they return later in the same day, do need to quarantine after such voluntary activities.
For example, Chicagoans who drive through Indiana (a red-listed state), Ohio and New York (orange-listed states) to spend a week in Vermont (a yellow-listed state) but who did not stay in Indiana and Ohio more than 24 hours do not need to quarantine. There are similar restrictions for air travelers. .
Travelers visiting Chicago from red- or orange-listed states also are subject to the order if they are staying longer than a day. Everyone older than age 2 who lands at a Chicago airport is required to wear a mask, then quarantine if they’ve come from a listed state.
If someone is staying with a Chicago resident after traveling to an affected state, the traveler must quarantine, but other people in the home who did not travel to a listed state are not required to quarantine. The resident should follow guidance for being around someone who has potentially been exposed.
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Travelers or area residents who leave a Chicago airport and immediately travel to a suburb or outside Chicago limits are not required to quarantine — unless their municipality also has a travel restriction in place. The order also states that face coverings should be worn and that public transportation should not be used by those headed outside city limits.
Testing and exceptions to quarantine requirements in the revised rules
Under the guidance revised in November, Chicago residents returning from travel in red states or residents of red states who travel to the city are required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival here, according to the city travel order website.
People in similar circumstances entering Chicago from orange states must either quarantine for 14 days or, with a “pre-arrival negative test result” from no more than three days before traveling to Chicago, may choose instead to employ “strict masking, social distancing and avoidance of in-person gatherings.”
There also is an option for those who can’t get a test while visiting an orange state, such as a visit not much longer than 24 hours. Someone can quarantine upon arrival in Illinois until a test can be arranged locally, according to the city’s travel order website. The test needs to be issued by a private provider because of concerns about limited capacity at public health testing sites.
“If you cannot be tested for COVID-19 prior to arriving in Chicago and do not take a post-arrival test, you must quarantine for 14 days (or the duration of your stay, whichever is shorter),” according to the website.
Essential workers and other exceptions
For those who live outside Chicago but work in the city, it’s important to determine whether you’re an essential or nonessential worker according to the executive order.
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There are limited exceptions to the quarantine order for essential workers who have to travel for work. Travelers who don’t live in Chicago but who have to be in Chicago to work and who traveled to an orange- or red-listed state for work do not need to quarantine. Travelers who live in Chicago and who travel to a listed state for work do not have to quarantine, according to the order.
But if workers go to a listed state when they didn’t have to, or for medical care, or because of parental shared custody, they would be subject to quarantine.
People who work in Chicago and live elsewhere can do so if they haven’t traveled to a high-incidence state. If they have traveled to a high-incidence state, they are subject to requirements regarding essential workers who are Chicago residents.
For the purposes of the order, an “essential worker” is a person who works in any one of the 16 critical employment sectors. The term also includes any government workers traveling in their official capacities. Essential workers must:
Avoid any nonessential interactions until the quarantine period has ended. They must limit themselves to work-related activities and related functions, and avoid public spaces as much as possible.
Monitor temperature and signs of symptoms, wear a face covering when in public, maintain social distance, and clean and disinfect workspaces.
Avoid as much as possible extended periods in public, contact with strangers and large congregate settings.
What does quarantine mean?
According to the emergency travel order, quarantine means staying at one place for 14 days before doing any activities outside of the home. Included in the restrictions:
Not go out in public or otherwise leave home, unless seeking medical care or COVID-19 testing.
Wear a face covering and do not use public transit if seeking medical care or testing, or when traveling to or from an airport, train station or bus station.
Don’t go to the grocery store; instead have food and other supplies delivered.
Stay in separate quarters with a separate bedroom and, if possible, use a separate bathroom than non-traveling household members.
Travelers still must quarantine even if they had a negative COVID-19 test because people “can develop symptoms and become contagious up to 14 days from their last exposure.”
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Are the rules different for each state or territory?
Generally, the emergency order is applied uniformly to any state or territory on the list. However, with neighboring states, travelers should pay close attention to what constitutes a visit and distinctions between essential and nonessential workers.
What are the state lists?
The following is a rolling list of states on Chicago’s red, orange and yellow lists. The lists will be updated every two weeks:
Red-listed states (11): Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Orange-listed states and Puerto Rico (36): Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.
Yellow-listed states (3): Hawaii, Maine and Vermont.
Chicago Tribune’s Alice Yin, John Byrne and Gregory Pratt contributed.
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kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-10-13--North Side man and woman, both 69, dead in homicide-suicide, Chicago police say

Officers were called to the 2200 block of North Racine about 8 p.m. Monday .
A friend of Judith Thompson @ @ @ @ @ reach her and went to the building to check on her .
That friend was @ @ @ @ @ , where she came upon the two bodies .

Authorities are investigating as a homicide-suicide the deaths of a man and woman at a Sheffield Neighbors apartment who were found dead by a friend who was concerned when she couldn’t reach the woman, Chicago police said Tuesday.
George Thomson and Judith Thomson, both 69, were pronounced dead at 8:29 p.m. Monday in their apartment in the 2200 block of North Racine Avenue, according to information from the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
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Judith Thomson’s death was being investigated as a homicide and George Thomson’s death had been determined to have been through suicide, police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli said in an email. Police do not believe anyone else was involved and there are no outstanding suspects, she said.
George Thomson died from multiple sharp force injuries in a suicide, while Judith Thomson died from multiple injuries in an assault and her death was ruled a homicide, the medical examiner’s office determined Tuesday.
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Officers were called to the 2200 block of North Racine about 8 p.m. Monday. A friend of Judith Thompson’s was unable to reach her and went to the building to check on her. That friend was able to enter the apartment, where she came upon the two bodies.
“The acquaintance found the two people unresponsive and called 911,” Bartoli said.
Judith Thomson suffered blows to the head as well as multiple stab wounds, according to police. George Thompson suffered “multiple self-inflicted stab wounds.”
“There are no specifics on the weapon(s) at this time,” Bartoli wrote in an email.
Bartoli said she could not disclose the relationship between the two people.
Check back for updates.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews