chicagotribune--2020-09-08--Kentucky added to Chicago’s travel order as California, Puerto Rico removed. Here’s what you need to

Kentucky added to Chicago’s travel order as California, Puerto Rico removed. Here’s what you need to know to avoid a large fine.

There are limited exceptions to the quarantine order for essential workers who have to travel for work .
Travelers who @ @ @ @ @ Chicago but who have to be in Chicago to work and who traveled to a @ @ @ @ @ not need to quarantine .
Travelers who live in Chicago and who travel to a @ @ @ @ @ not have to quarantine , according to the order .

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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--2020-09-08--Naperville Animal Control to house Shih Tzu dog beaten with belt; Matteson man charged with cruelty

Naperville Animal Control to house Shih Tzu dog beaten with belt; Matteson man charged with cruelty to animals, officials say

They were told the owner and her boyfriend , later identified as Irmani , brought the dog in for treatment @ @ @ @ @ said she arrived home from work Saturday to find the dog lying lifeless in the @ @ @ @ @ take her and Bella to the vet , the release said .

Lewiel Irmani, 25, of Matteson, was charged with one count of felony aggravated cruelty to animals in connection with the beating of his girlfriend's dog in Woodridge. (Woodridge Police Department)
A 7-year-old Shih Tzu dog beaten with a belt over the weekend is expected to be housed at the Naperville Animal Control office after it’s treated and released from an area animal hospital, a city official said.
A second dog removed from the same household is already in the office’s custody, a DuPage County news release said.
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Lewiel Irmani, 25, of Matteson, was charged with one count of felony aggravated cruelty to animals in connection with the incident, according to a joint statement released by State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Woodridge Chief of Police Brian Cunningham.
Police officers were called to the VCA Arboretum View Animal Hospital in Downers Grove about 7:30 p.m. Saturday on a report of an abused Shih Tzu named Bella, the news release said.
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They were told the owner and her boyfriend, later identified as Irmani, brought the dog in for treatment. Irmani’s girlfriend said she arrived home from work Saturday to find the dog lying lifeless in the corner and asked Irmani to take her and Bella to the vet, the release said.
According to police reports, Irmani was home alone with the dog when the animal went to the bathroom on the floor. In response, Irmani “whooped her in the mouth” five times with a belt, the release said.
Veterinarian reports show the dog has rib fractures on both its left and right sides, a fracture to the left eye socket, a bleeding broken incisor tooth, bruising around the dorsal pelvis and a bleeding back molar tooth that was broken in the gum, the release said.
The injuries prevent Bella from closing her mouth and the dog can only take food or water via a syringe, police said.
The American Kennel Club says the Shih Tzu is toy breed of dog with long, silky hair. It typically weighs between 9 and 16 pounds and stands between 8 and 11 inches tall.
Joanne Aul, supervisor of Naperville Animal Control, said Bella remains under the care of the animal hospital and her agency may temporarily hold Bella once she recovers.
The Woodridge woman’s other dog is already in their care, Aul said.
“The fact that someone would strike a defenseless animal is incomprehensible,” Berlin said in the statement.
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“What is particularly alarming in this case is the allegation that Mr. Irmani struck Bella numerous times with a belt causing extremely serious injuries,” he said. “We take charges of animal cruelty very seriously and anyone accused of such acts will face serious felony charges.”
Cunningham said he was happy an arrest has been made.
“I’m pleased that the person allegedly responsible is being held accountable for his actions,” Cunningham, a former Naperville deputy police chief, said in the statement.
subaker@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-08--Ronny’s Steakhouse and Ramen Misoya are among the latest Chicago restaurants to close permanently du

Ronny’s Steakhouse and Ramen Misoya are among the latest Chicago restaurants to close permanently due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic toll. Here’s our running list.

La Sardine , which has been a fixture in the West Loop for nearly 22 years , has closed for good .
“ It ’ s sad , ” said partner and executive chef Oliver Poilevey about closing La Sardine , founded by his parents , along with Le Bouchon in Bucktown .
“ A month , month-and-a-half ago , I thought we were going to make it.
” La Sardine has no outdoor space in which to set up tables , but had eked by with meals-to-go and , eventually , indoor dining with the 25 % capacity limitation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unthinkable happened : The air conditioning broke down .
Looking at $ 80,000 in repairs , Poilevey knew he could not risk taking on the cost .
“ There ’ s no way we could pay for that , heading into the fall with no rent abatement , ” Poilevey said .
“ Throwing 80K at something and then having to close — that ’ s not a good plan.
” Le Bouchon remains open for pickup and indoor dining , though space inside is limited .
For the full story , @ @ @ @ @ @

The statewide shutdown of restaurants and bars for on-premise service took effect March 16. Since then, several restaurants and bars have reopened for dining and drinking, as Chicago and the state have rolled out gradual reopening plans. But not all of them have made it.
This article lists bars and restaurants that have been forced to close due to the financial strain of COVID-19 regulations. Note that these closures are strictly finance-related and are not due to illness among any of the business’ staff.
We will update the list, sorted alphabetically, as needed.
NEW CLOSINGS
Lagunitas taproom likely won’t reopen in 2021
Lagunitas Brewing likely won’t reopen its Chicago taproom until at least 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the brewery’s chief marketing officer said Thursday. The taproom, which opened in 2014, is situated directly above the brewery, in the center of Lagunitas’ South Side building. Lagunitas CMO Paige Guzman said she’d “be surprised” if it reopened this year due to concerns about virus spread. The taproom has been closed since the pandemic took root in the U.S. in March. Lagunitas is among the first Chicago bars or restaurants to acknowledge a 2021 reopening as unlikely. See the full story here.
— Josh Noel
FULL RESTAURANT CLOSINGS LIST
25 Degrees
The downtown restaurant and bar did not mention the pandemic shutdown specifically, but a Facebook post announcing its closure noted that it was “due to our current situation.”
Arlington Cake Box Bakery
Chicagoland residents have been celebrating special occasions with the baking of Arlington Cake Box Bakery for 71 years, but the bakery announced in a Facebook post last week that it closed Sept. 20. “We are so grateful for the level of support you have shown us, not only in these unprecedented last six months, but also in the past 71 years,” read the post. The bakery first opened in 1949 and had been on its third generation as a family business.
Bad Hunter
The dining room at Bad Hunter is reflected in a mirror on the back wall. (Anthony Souffle / Chicago Tribune)
Bad Hunter — known for its vegetable-and-grains-forward menu — and its second-floor event venue, The Herbarium, closed for good because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The West Loop restaurant, which survived a fire and re-opened in 2019, was voted the Chicago restaurant with the best plant-based menu in the Chicago Tribune Readers’ Choice Dining Awards earlier this year. — Grace Wong
Band of Bohemia
Band of Bohemia, which announced in July that it was closing temporarily, first earned a Michelin star in 2016 and had retained it every year since through 2019. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Five-year-old Band of Bohemia, whose pioneering vision of brewing beer and serving creative, ambitious food was ultimately rewarded with a coveted Michelin star, is going out of business after filing for bankruptcy. The Ravenswood brewpub filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation Oct. 16 in the Northern District of Illinois. According to court records, Band of Bohemia is more than $1 million in debt. But in a statement Oct. 21, Band of Bohemia founders Michael Carroll and Craig Sindelar blamed the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic for the closure. The restaurant has been closed since July, when owners said it would be shuttering temporarily. See the full story here. — Josh Noel
Baobab BBQ
The barbecue spot, which used South African flavors to riff on traditional ‘cue, announced in May on its Facebook page that it would close permanently due to the effects of the shutdown, writing: “When a small business’s revenue is interrupted it is devastating; when it’s a restaurant, earth shattering best describes it.”
Bar Biscay
An array of "pintxos," popular small bites offered at Bar Biscay. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Bar Biscay, the restaurant that lit up West Town with coastal-Spain sunshine, has closed, for keeps, after a 2½-year run. Partner Scott Worsham said in a posting on Facebook that, “The time has come to say goodbye to our groovy, Atlantic-coast inspired French-Spanish-Basque funhouse, our Oasis of Joy. He blamed COVID-19 and “factors beyond our control.” See the full story here. — Phil Vettel
Bite Cafe
Noah Sandoval (Oriole, Kumiko/Kikko) will join with friend Bruce Finkelman, managing partner of the 16″ On Center restaurant group (Longman & Eagle, Dusek’s Board & Beer, Revival Food Hall), to create Pizza Friendly Pizza, opening later this summer in the Bite Cafe space. Finkelman said, “Once the quarantine hit, I realized that that type of restaurant wouldn’t be able to exist in the post-COVID culinary scene.” — Phil Vettel
Blackbird
Blackbird restaurant in Chicago on Monday June 29, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The highest-profile Chicago restaurant victim of coronavirus to date has been Blackbird, closing for good after more than 22 years as one of the area’s finest restaurants. “We’ve labored long and hard over this decision,” said partner Paul Kahan. “But in an incredibly small, tight dining room — operating at only 25% capacity for who knows how long — and removing the opportunity to do private dining, it becomes incredibly difficult to manage.” — Phil Vettel
Blue Nose Brewery
Small southwest suburban Blue Nose Brewery has closed due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. Blue Nose co-founder Jordan Isenberg said he made the decision in late October 2020, after the state ordered suburban Cook County bars and restaurants to close for indoor business for a second time to stem the spread of COVID-19. He kept the decision largely to himself while winding down the business, he said. See the rest of the story here. — Josh Noel
Bonci (Wicker Park)
Three different options at Bonci (Arugula, dried tomatoes and bufala mozzarella) (zucchini, ricotta, lemon zest and black pepper) and (prosciutto and fior di latte mozzarella). (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
The second Chicago location of the world famous pizzeria was located in Wicker Park, but Eater Chicago reported that Bonci’s director of U.S. operations said consolidating to one location (West Loop) was necessary in light of the pandemic.
Bonfire
The no-frills steakhouse in Homer Glen confirmed via Facebook message that it has closed for good due to the effects of the pandemic shutdown.
Bottled Blonde
Bottled Blonde has closed after years of legal drama. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)
Bottled Blonde, the River North bar better known for its legal drama than pizza, closed permanently July 27, due to the coronavirus — but COVID-19 violations are not among the complaints against it. The business “surrendered their business licenses, permanently closing the River North bar after a series of serious nuisance conditions dating back to 2017,” according to a statement from the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. The bar had not received any citations related to COVID-19, wrote the department spokesperson.
The district manager of Bottled Blonde said, “It’s been an uphill battle since we came into this neighborhood. We had fights with the city, fights with the neighborhood. With the COVID thing, you need revenue to keep up those fights. We can’t stay open and operate at limited capacities.” See the full story here. — Louisa Chu
Boulangerie (Belmont Avenue)
La Boulangerie closed its location at 915 W. Belmont Ave. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
The French bakery chain La Boulangerie has closed the Lakeview location on Belmont Avenue. The Logan Square and Ravenswood bakeries remain open, but for pickup and delivery only.
Bridgeport Coffee Co. (Loop)
The Chicago coffee roaster closed its Loop location in June, confirming the shuttering as a result of COVID in a blog post. Its other three in Bridgeport, Hyde Park and the South Loop remain open.
Cactus Bar & Grill
The Cactus Bar at 404 S. Wells St. in Chicago. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)
The recent closure of Cactus Bar & Grill leaves the South Loop financial district without a 31-year-old standby. Cactus confirmed the closure with a note on its website, writing that they knew in the middle of August that the bar wouldn’t make it: “With few offices in the Loop occupied, and a challenging situation with our land lord, the crisis’s financial devastation became insurmountable.” The bar was a staple for lunches and drinks in the Loop.
Cafe Marie-Jeanne
The announcement that Cafe Marie-Jeanne will close drew lines outside the Humboldt Park restaurant Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. By Saturday, owners had to close early after running out of food. The wait Sunday was four hours. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Cafe Marie-Jeanne (1001 N. California Ave.), co-owned by the husband and wife team of Michael Simmons and Val Szafranski, announced Nov. 19 on Instagram that they would close permanently: “The string has run out for CMJ. We hung in as long as we could and it’s time to let go. Everything must end. WE WILL MISS YOU ALL!” Over the following weekend, fans flocked to the Humboldt Park restaurant known for its French-influenced dishes for one last taste. Lines stretched down the block, and Simmons had to shut down early Nov. 20 because he ran out of food. On that Saturday, the wait in line took four hours. The restaurant closed Nov. 23. See the full story here. — Nick Kindelsperger
Candyality
Candyality is known for its collection of retro candies, among hundreds of other confections.
Andersonville has one less spot to sate your sweet tooth, as Candyality has announced in a Facebook post that it will be closing its location in the neighborhood at the end of September. The closing comes “with great sadness” after spending more than 5 years in that space, the post reads. The Chicago-based candy store — which has also had locations in Wicker Park and Water Tower Place during the past several years — is still open at its Lakeview location, 3737 N. Southport Ave., and offers local delivery.
Cafe Cancale
The strawberry sundae with sea salt ice cream at Cafe Cancale. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The One Off Hospitality property in Wicker Park was another casualty of the pandemic, closing at the same time as Blackbird.
California Clipper and coffee shop C.C. Ferns
Detail of the Vesper at California Clipper in 2017. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Both the Clipper and attached cafe C.C. Ferns shuttered permanently due to the COVID shutdown. However, there have been conflicting accounts between Hogsalt Hospitality owner Brendan Sodikoff and landlord Gino Battaglia as to how the fallout was navigated, according to reports from Eater Chicago and Block Club Chicago, respectively.
Chicago House Of ‘Za
The North Center spot for all-vegan pizza shared an Instagram post announcing its permanent closure, citing the financial effects of the pandemic shutdown as part of the reason: “With the current pandemic, as well as the enormous cost of operating a business in Chicago, we are unable to stay open for business any longer.”
City Mouse
City Mouse restaurant in the Ace Hotel opened in 2017. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
City Mouse, the Ace Hotel restaurant operated by the team behind Giant and Chef’s Special, is closing after three years. Sunday, Oct. 18, will be the last day, the restaurant announced Wednesday in a statement. Jason Vincent, one of the partners at Giant and Chef’s Special, declined further comment. Giant and Chef’s Special bar announced just Tuesday it was launching a food truck to get their creative cooking to a larger audience. The space is going to be occupied by the Alinea Group, starting in November; owner Nick Kokonas confirmed that Alinea has leased the space for a three-month residency, but offered no additional details. For more details, see the story here. — Phil Vettel
Conga’s
The Norwood Park restaurant, which also featured music and dancing, announced it would be closing on Facebook. The post read, “I’m deeply saddened to announce Congas Restaurant will not be opening again. Covid-19 made me realize the most important things in life.” Another post teased a return for the Congas name, but as more of a venue-esque space.
Danny’s Tavern
After rumors of a closure had persisted on social media for weeks, Danny’s Tavern has confirmed it closed permanently. The Bucktown dive was well-known for its dance floor and its popular party celebrating The Smiths. The closure comes five years after the bar nearly shuttered once before and ends the bar’s 34-year stay on Dickens Avenue.
Davanti Enoteca
Davanti Enoteca in Little Italy.
The Little Italy location of Davanti Enoteca has closed for good, and, according to a report from the Sun-Times, it appears finances were a factor: “A demand letter dated June 12 from the landlord ... said the establishment was nearly $60,000 behind on rent.” The letter was posted on the window of Francesca’s, a sister restaurant also owned by chef David Harris.
Ditka’s in Chicago
Mike Ditka lookalike Don, center, and his wife Marian Feuling eat during a birthday party dinner at Ditka's restaurant in 2019. (Camille Fine / Chicago Tribune)
The economic effects of the mandated shutdown were a contributing factor in the closure of Mike Ditka’s Chicago restaurant in May. Other locations remain open, including Ditka’s in suburban Oakbrook Terrace and Grill 89 in suburban Westmont.
Eden
People settle in for dinner at the restaurant called Eden, 1748 W. Lake St. in Chicago, on Wednesday, March 15, 2017. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Eden, a Cal-Mediterranean restaurant popular with pre- and post-event United Center crowd (among others), closed in mid-July after a run of just over 3½ years. Eden opened on west Lake Street in December 2016 and made friends quickly, both for its pretty, bright-white interiors and Devon Quinn’s skillful cooking. The owners said in a release that “While we recently reopened our doors to an immensely positive response, the larger economic impact resulting from the coronavirus pandemic has made it impossible for us to sustain operations.” Read the full story here. — Phil Vettel
Emerald City Coffee Shop (Sheridan)
The Emerald City Coffee Shop location on Sheridan Road closed permanently Oct. 31, according to a post on the cafe’s Instagram page: “The uncertainty of the pandemic and other financial stressors were too much to bear and we’re so, so bummed to see ECC Sheridan go, but it’s the tough choice we had to make.” Emerald City, which was also known for its breakfast burritos, occupied a noticeable space below the Sheridan Red Line stop for years and was a neighborhood favorite. The Emerald City Coffee in Uptown, at 1224 W. Wilson Ave., remains open.
A Go Fund Me campaign launched earlier to save the Sheridan location has been taken down. But a new Go Fund Me has been launched, this one to help laid-off baristas. “The purpose of this fundraiser is to help cushion the blow that our ECC Sheridan staff will experience in the coming days,” the campaign reads. It seeks $5,000 and by the afternoon of Nov. 4 had raised $2,100. — Adam Lukach
Fahlstrom’s Fresh Fish Market
Owner Glenn Fahlstrom confirmed that he would be closing the Lakeview seafood spot in an online post shared on the restaurant’s website and social media pages. The post, in part, read: “The new restaurant model is asking owners to put employees in harm’s way so that their business can possibly survive. That is an ‘acceptable risk’ I cannot take. The restaurant business as I know it is gone and will not return for years. It was hard enough when the playing field was supposedly level, now it is tilted beyond recognition. So, I am closing Fahlstrom’s Fresh Fish Market.”
Fat Rice / Super Fat Rice Mart
At the beginning of the pandemic shutdown, Fat Rice pivoted to become Super Fat Rice Mart, a market for meal kits and various grocery goods. Later, current and former Fat Rice employees went public with allegations of harassment and mistreatment by owner Abe Conlon, and the location has been closed ever since, with no public mention of a reopening date.
Fat Willy’s Rib Shack
Rib tips at Fat Willy's Rib Shack, 2416 W. Schubert Ave. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)
The North Side is losing another barbecue spot after Fat Willy’s Rib Shack announced Thursday evening that it will close Sept. 27. The Logan Square restaurant has been in the neighborhood for more than 19 years and has a loyal following of diners who go there for baby back ribs, pulled pork, brisket and mac and cheese. See the full story here. — Grace Wong
Finom Coffee
Cream and sugar station at Finom Coffee in the Old Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)
Finom Coffee — the popular two-year-old cafe in Old Irving Park known for serving Hungarian small plates, along with coffee, tea and baked goods, out of a snazzy art-deco storefront, has closed. Chef Rafa Esparza posted an upbeat message on Instagram: “It was a beautiful moment in time and the whole crew slayed from day one!” See the full story here. — Adam Lukach
Foodlife
The multi-station food concept located in Water Tower Place confirmed its closing in early June, although owner Lettuce Entertain You declined to comment exactly why. — Nick Kindelsperger
Fountainhead
Guests sit on the popular rooftop patio at Fountainhead in Ravenswood in this 2015 photo. (Lenny Gilmore / RedEye)
For the past 10 years, Fountainhead bar and restaurant has occupied the northeast corner of Damen and Montrose, one of Ravenswood’s essential intersections, bringing an enviable selection of whiskey and barrel-aged spirits to the neighborhood. In late September, the restaurant announced in social media posts that its run will come to an end Nov 14. “The past year has been difficult for everyone but pressures facing our industry at this time make it financially impossible to operate past the roof deck season. We made every effort to make adjustments to operate in this ‘new normal’ but with limitations restricting revenue and without funding to offset this condition it is impossible to continue,” read the post. Fountainhead owners are working with building ownership to find the “right concept” for the prominently situated storefront. Rhe Fountainhead Market — located next door — will remain there. — Adam Lukach
Francesca’s On Taylor
As with Taylor Street’s Davanti Enoteca — the two restaurants share ownership — the Italian restaurant in Little Italy has closed permanently, with reports indicating that rent-payment issues were at least partly to blame.
Gino’s East
The Gino’s East restaurant at 500 N. LaSalle St. has closed, a victim of a decline in business downtown, according to Jordan Himmel, chief information officer for Chicago-based Bravo Restaurants (which owns Gino’s East, Ed Debevic’s, Edwardo’s Pizza and Eduardo’s Enoteca.) The location closed in March, but other Chicago locations remain open.
Guthrie’s Tavern
Ron DeNicolo and his wife, Cynthia, take a photograph outside Guthrie's Tavern, 1300 W. Addison St., on July 21 in Chicago. DeNicolo said he and Cynthia had their first date at the bar 10 years ago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Guthrie’s Tavern, one of Chicago’s oldest and most popular neighborhood bars, announced it would be closing permanently, citing the city’s rollback of phase four rules for bars as a primary cause. Guthrie’s has occupied the corner of Addison Street and Lakewood Avenue for 34 years. It closed July 23. See the complete story here. — Adam Lukach
Habana Libre
Per a post on its website, Habana Libre closed permanently “due to the impact of coronavirus.” The Cuban restaurant had been in West Town since 2007.
Hamburger Mary’s
Hamburger Mary's opened on a key corner in Andersonville in 2006. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)
Andersonville’s Hamburger Mary’s — the only remaining city location of the nationwide network of independent franchises — announced Sunday on Facebook that it would be closing Nov. 1. Ownership listed the building for sale last year, and the lease ends at the end of December, but the coronavirus pandemic expedited the closing process, according to the post. The burger-focused restaurant, an outlet of the San Francisco-based chain, opened on a high-profile in Andersonville in June 2006, featuring drag shows, karaoke and bingo, along with the burgers. The closing announcement also teased ownership interest in reopening at another location: “We feel it’s best to wait until spring before we look for a possible new space.” The restaurant will host regular business hours until its final day of service Nov. 1. — Adam Lukach
Hot “G” Dog
Duck sausage, topped with lobes of foie gras and sea salt flakes, from Hot "G" Dog (5009 N. Clark St.). (Kevin Pang / Chicago Tribune)
Andersonville lost a hot-dog joint — at least the rest of 2020 — from the former Hot Doug’s chef with the closure of Hot “G” Dog. A Facebook post from the restaurant said its owners hope to return eventually, but the COVID shutdown had made business unsustainable for now.
Imperial Lamian
After more than four and a half years of serving rainbow-colored soup dumplings, roast duck and vegan spring rolls, Imperial Lamian is closing its doors in River North. The Chinese restaurant cited pandemic-related challenges as its reason for closing. Imperial Lamian, which opened in the spring of 2016, was lauded by the Chicago Tribune as having the best xiaolongbao (or XLB for short) in the city. Dozens of people expressed how much they would miss the restaurant in the comments section of the social media posts. See the full story here. — Grace Wong
Income Tax
Income Tax brought a much-needed wine bar to Edgewater, furthering the trend of easy-drinking, non-pretentious wine lists. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)
Ownership for the laid-back Edgewater wine bar confirmed via email that the pandemic’s effect on Income Tax’s financials led to its closing. It had been open since 2016.
Jeri’s Grill
The diner on Western Avenue was a monument to greasy spoons of yore, open for 57 years and 24 hours a day, and was cut down by COVID-19, reported Block Club Chicago in May. “If there was no COVID, we’d be open,” owner Frank Di Piero told the publication.
Katana
Katana brought its robatayaki-style restaurant to the River North neighborhood in 2017. (Katana)
A spokesperson for the parent company of the River North sushi restaurant wrote in an email: “Yes, the COVID closure was a devastating financial hit for us and the reason behind our closure … The Chicago location was very special to us, and we were sad to close.”
Kiki’s Bistro
Diners raise a toast during a wine dinner at Kiki’s Bistro, 900 N. Franklin St., May 4, 2006. The restaurant announced it would close permanently at the end of September 2020. (Wes Pope / Chicago Tribune)
Earlier this summer, changes to the OpenTable website for Kiki’s Bistro caused some confusion over whether or not the beloved River North spot had closed for good. The restaurant shared a clarification that, for now, it would be open for business. Sadly, however, Kiki’s website changed late last week, indicating that the restaurant will close permanently after the final day of service Sept. 30. “We appreciate the birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions and everyday meals that you spent dining and laughing with us. Those memories have sustained us through the last few months, as your visits did for those many years,” read the post. It wasn’t all bad news, though, mentioning that a small-time operation remains on the radar for Kiki’s founder Georges “Kiki” Cuisance: “Kiki, 87, is attempting retirement with an open eye for a potential petite Kiki’s — a tiny, cozy reboot with the potential to offer authentic French fare you love on a very intimate scale.” See the full story here. — Adam Lukach
Kroll’s South Loop
One of the South Loop’s signature sports bars, Kroll’s South Loop, announced in a Facebook post that it would be closing its doors at the end of the summer. “We fought hard,” read the announcement. “The burden of operating under the current conditions is too great and, come fall, will be impossible to continue under the current indoor capacity restrictions of 50 patrons. … We do not know whether this closure will last until next spring or forever. Only time will tell.” Kroll’s will remain open for dinner service Thursdays through Sundays until it concludes its 15-year run at the end of summer.
La Buona Vita
La Buona Vita, a Northern Italian restaurant in downtown La Grange closed its doors after a six-year run. In a message posted on the restaurant’s now-defunct website, owner Jim Barron named COVID-19 as the proximate cause of his restaurant’s demise. — Phil Vettel
La Fontanella
The owners of the longtime Italian restaurant had already planned to sell the building and restaurant prior to the pandemic, according to Block Club Chicago.
Lawry’s The Prime Rib
Lawry's, known by generations of Chicagoans for its prime rib, steaks and lush steakhouse trappings inside a former mansion, will close after service Dec. 31, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Lawry’s The Prime Rib, which has been a fixture on Ontario Street (just west of Michigan Avenue) for 46 years, called it quits at the end of 2020. The coronavirus, last summer’s civil unrest and an expiring lease all contributed to the decision, said Ryan Wilson, CEO of Lawry’s Inc. “In a year of incredible turmoil, this is a tough one for sure,” he said. “But with the industry in general in such a state of flux, we felt we had to push the pause button,” he added, leaving room for Lawry’s to reopen. “I think there’s a future for Lawry’s in the Chicago area,” Wilson said. See the full story here. — Phil Vettel
Links Taproom
Links Taproom. (Leigh Loftus / ThinkLeigh Photography)
Michael Quinlan, owner of the Milwaukee Avenue beer bar in Wicker Park, wrote in an email that Links was planning to move out of its storefront at some point in 2020 due to an acrimonious relationship with its landlord. Due the the COVID-19 shutdown, he decided to pull the plug on Links in March. As of late July, Quinlan indicated that ownership is “going to wait until things stabilize until we make our next move.”
Mesa Urbana
The Mexican restaurant will be consolidating operations, closing its Glenview restaurant and moving everything to its location in Portage Park, per a note on its website. The note cited the “situation” from COVID-19 as the impetus for the decision.
Mity Nice Bar & Grill
Along with Foodlife, this Water Tower Place restaurant from Lettuce Entertain You closed in early June. Ownership declined to disclose specific reasons.
Monty Gaels Tavern & Grill
The Irish tavern in Ravenswood closed permanently due to the burden of the pandemic shutdown, ownership confirmed in a Facebook message.
Passerotto
Passerotto in Andersonville in July 2018.
The Andersonville restaurant announced over Labor Day weekend that it would be closing its doors permanently, in part due to the coronavirus pandemic. Passerotto’s last day is Sept. 12. Chef Jennifer Kim said the decision to close was a result of multiple conversations with staff and investors, and ultimately they decided that “operating a restaurant safely in the midst of multiple pandemics was going to negatively affect our community in the long run.” A pop-up project was also teased on the restaurant’s profile. See the full story here. — Grace Wong
Pepper Canister
The casual River North bar announced June 15 via Facebook it would be permanently closing, although it did not specifically reference the costs of shutting down for the pandemic as a reason.
Rainforest Cafe
Rainforest Cafe at the corner of Ohio and Clark Streets in Chicago on Thursday, August, 13, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The Rainforest Cafe in the Near North neighborhood has closed sooner than expected after it shut down during the coronavirus pandemic. The restaurant at 605 N. Clark St. was expected to close within two years, when its lease expired. That timeline was accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic, which has left the Chicago restaurant closed since March, said building owner Sean Conlon. He recently negotiated an early termination of the lease with parent company Landry’s Restaurants. He plans to redevelop the site. See the full story here. — Ryan Ori
Ramen Misoya (Streeterville)
Tonkotsu ramen at Ramen Misoya. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)
The Loop lost one of its best bets for ramen in August with the closing of Ramen Misoya’s storefront in Streeterville. “Due to a loss in business caused by the Covid-19 shutdown, we can no longer justify continuing operations at this time,” read a post on its Facebook page. On the bright side, the Mount Prospect location of Misoya remains open.
Redmond’s Ale House
Remond’s Ale House has closed due to the financial stress of the COVIID-19 restrictions. The Wrigleyville bar, which had been at the corner of Sheffield and Roscoe for years, was known for offering an abundance of drink deals and for being an area staple for game-watching due to plenty of TVs and good sightlines.
Rickshaw Republic
Owners confirmed via email that the state’s COVID-19 shutdown caused financial losses that required the Indonesian restaurant in Lincoln Park to permanently close.
Ronny’s Steakhouse
Ronny’s, a cafeteria-style “steakhouse” that had occupied two separate downtown corners for years, announced plans to close due to the coronavirus in a Facebook announcement over Labor Day weekend. “We won’t say ‘good bye’ but rather ‘until we meet again,’” read the post. The Loop staple began 63 years ago at the corner of State and Randolph and, in recent years, operated at the corner of Clark and Lake.
La Sardine
La Sardine's terrine de foie gras featured layers of creamy foie gras mixed with thinly sliced black truffle, drizzled with a tart and slightly sweet cherry sauce and crowned with slices of extra buttery brioche. (Nick Kindelsperger/Chicago Tribune)
La Sardine, which has been a fixture in the West Loop for nearly 22 years, has closed for good. “It’s sad,” said partner and executive chef Oliver Poilevey about closing La Sardine, founded by his parents, along with Le Bouchon in Bucktown. “A month, month-and-a-half ago, I thought we were going to make it.” La Sardine has no outdoor space in which to set up tables, but had eked by with meals-to-go and, eventually, indoor dining with the 25% capacity limitation. Then the weather turned warm and the unthinkable happened: The air conditioning broke down. Looking at $80,000 in repairs, Poilevey knew he could not risk taking on the cost. “There’s no way we could pay for that, heading into the fall with no rent abatement,” Poilevey said. “Throwing 80K at something and then having to close — that’s not a good plan.” Le Bouchon remains open for pickup and indoor dining, though space inside is limited. For the full story, go here. — Phil Vettel
Siam Rice
Siam Rice, 117 N. Wells St., has called it quits after 18 years. (Alex Garcia / Chicago Tribune)
Siam Rice (117 N. Wells St.) has closed after 18 years in the Loop, according to a note posted on the Thai restaurant’s window. "Unfortunately, we have come to the decision that it is no longer viable to operate our business during these uncertain times,” the note said. “This was a difficult decision for us, however, recent events and current pandemic conditions have left us concerned for the safety of our customers as well as our staff.” The note ends with an apology to customers and the hope that the restaurant will be able to return in the future. The restaurant’s last day Sept. 15.
Simply It
The Vietnamese restaurant, which had been in Lincoln Park for nearly 14 years, closed permanently in April, reported Block Club Chicago. COVID-19 restrictions and unworkable margins gave owner Tuan Nguyen “no choice” but to close, he told Block Club.
People eat and drink as others pass by Southport Lanes in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood on Sept. 17, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Southport Lanes
Southport Lanes has lasted nearly a century by evolving, at various times serving as a tavern, bowling alley, speak-easy, brothel and illegal off-track horse betting venue. But the Lakeview mainstay, which opened not long after another pandemic, couldn’t survive COVID-19. Read the full story here. — Ryan Ori
Step Down Cafe
The Pilsen coffee shop announced on its Facebook page that it would close permanently due to the effects of the pandemic.
Taco in a Bag
The Big Jim Reeves was a big hit at Taco in a Bag. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
Taco in a Bag has closed after five years in Lincoln Square. The shop specialized in playful versions of walking tacos, a dish where components one would normally find on a taco are instead poured into a bag of corn chips. The restaurant announced the closure on Facebook with a surprisingly irreverent, if slightly hopeful video. The owners assured fans that, “we will be back...promise!!!!” Block Club Chicago first reported the closing.
Taqueria Sabor y Sazon
The popular Pilsen taqueria closed permanently in May. The financial difficulties of trying to survive the pandemic’s hospitality restrictions were insurmountable, the owners said.
Tin Fish
The Tin Fish restaurant closed in Tinley Park. (Bob Bong / Daily Southtown)
The coronavirus claimed another high-profile restaurant victim with the permanent closure of Tin Fish, a highly regarded restaurant in south-suburban Tinley Park. A sign on the front door of the seafood restaurant and oyster bar thanked customers “for 18 great years,” and said the decision to close came “with a heavy heart.” “I’m not happy, but it’s something a lot of us are going through,” said partner Curtis Wierbicki, who launched the restaurant in September 2002 with partner Colin Turner. The restaurant closed in July. See the full story here. — Phil Vettel
Tintos & Tapas
Laura Rivera, the owner of the Spanish small plates restaurant, confirmed via email that the closing of Tintos & Tapas was due to the financial strain of the COVID-19 shutdown, as well as its effects on how it operated: “My chef and I cried the last day we were there to clean up,” she wrote. “Carryout is not a model that works for my type of operation at all. Frankly, it is demoralizing to become a fast food.”
Toast Restaurant
Owner Jeanne Roeser confirmed in a Facebook message that she had closed both the Bucktown and Lincoln Park locations of the 24-year-old breakfast favorite: “I couldn’t imagine reopening and surviving with reduced capacity and putting my staff and their families at risk of harm.” Roeser also posted a goodbye note on Facebook, which reads in part: “Nothing lasts forever in this world and it is time to move forward and see what this next phase will bring. I wish you peace and good health, my friends.”
Trattoria No. 10
A goodbye post on the reliable Italian restaurant’s website alluded to the pandemic shutdown as cause for its shuttering, reading, “With no theater and no convention/tourism business for the foreseeable future, there was just no way we could realistically reopen.”
Two Lights Seafood & Oyster
A post on the Old Town restaurant’s Facebook page confirmed that Two Lights has closed, although it did not mention whether or not the shuttering was due to the financial effects of COVID.
U.B. Dogs
U.B. Dogs served classic Chicago hot dog stand fare with serious culinary ambitions. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
U.B. Dogs (185 N. Franklin St.), a stellar hot dog joint that served a flawless fully loaded Chicago hot dog, freshly grilled burgers and great fries, has closed. With the coronavirus pandemic forcing countless downtown office workers to telecommute from home, the Loop-based U.B. Dogs decided it was time to close for good. Owner Joe Plonka announced the decision on Facebook: “While it breaks our hearts to announce our permanent closure, we wanted to take the time and properly thank our customers and family for their support over these last 10 years. Unfortunately, it’s time for us to end this chapter.” See the full story here. — Nick Kindelsperger
Unicorn Cafe
Unicorn Cafe had been serving coffee to Evanston for almost 30 years before the coffee shop closed permanently due to the financial effects of COVID-19, reported the Daily Northwestern earlier in September. According to the Daily report, ownership said the cafe was getting only 8-10 customers per day. Aside from being a local staple, Unicorn Cafe was one of only a handful of area coffee shops that offered the highly touted Sparrow Coffee.
Wells St. Market
Wells Street Market, which reopened July 6 after weathering the first three months of the coronavirus shut down (and was the first Chicago food hall to resume service) announced it will close for keeps Sept. 18. “From all of us at the Wells Street Market, it has been an honor and a joy to serve Chicagoans every day,” the company said in a release. The food hall made its debut, at 205 W. Wacker Drive, in June 2018. The food hall format had enjoyed a boom in Chicago in recent years. But most have not reopened since the coronavirus shutdown. Only Time Out Market has reopened. But a new market, Dr. Murphy’s Food Hall, launched in early August in the former Cook County Hospital. — Phil Vettel
The Whale closing indefinitely
The Whale (2427 N. Milwaukee Ave.), the glitzy Logan Square restaurant named for what casinos call an obscenely wealthy gambler, closed indefinitely last week. In a message posted on Facebook, the owners blamed the closing on the tight restrictions the state has imposed on restaurants. “Today we were forced to make the decision to lay off all our team members and close our doors to service. The restrictions that have been put on us by the elected officials are suffocating our industry and leaving us no choice. There has been no plan in place or system for relief.” The Whale opened last year, quickly amassing a strong following, though we found the food to be less than stellar. While it’s unknown how long the restaurant will be closed, the owners promise it will eventually return. “We WILL re-open and come back strong. We look forward to serving you again when that time comes.” — Nick Kindelsperger


chicagotribune--2020-09-08--Number of active COVID-19 cases in Naperville tops 230, higher than previous peak in May

“ At the beginning of this pandemic , it was our understanding that we all needed to accept the responsibility @ @ @ @ @ the healthcare system and decrease the death rate .
With that said , we believe @ @ @ @ @ more than adequate resources and availability to serve those in need , ” the letter @ @ @ @ @ , we do not see an increase in the death rate in this region and @ @ @ @ @ be steadily decreasing .
”

Naperville saw 235 active cases of COVID-19 Sept. 4, a new case record and a 42% increase in active cases from the city’s previous peak at the end of May.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in Naperville has steadily increased since June 28 when there were 49 active cases in the city, Naperville’s COVID-19 dashboard shows.
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Naperville passed the previous May 24 record of 166 active cases on Aug. 14 when the city had 173 active cases of COVID-19, the most recent data on the city’s coronavirus shows.
The numbers do not yet include data from Labor Day weekend and come as most of the city’s restaurants and bars have been offering indoor service for months. The Will County portion of Naperville is under more stringent restrictions.
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Naperville officials are not aware of any outbreak situations like the city saw with long term care facilities early on in the pandemic, said Linda LaCloche, spokeswoman for the city of Naperville. The city is continuing its public education campaign to protect residents from COVID-19 and released its second PSA video on mask-wearing Tuesday.
“We stand by the campaign and believe it is important to share with the community that masking up is important,” LaCloche said.
The city’s goal in stressing safety measures is “saving lives and saving livelihoods,” she said.
The southern portion of Naperville is in Will County which, along with Kankakee County, is under stricter rules to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 after finding positivity rates higher than has been deemed acceptable by the state.
Will and Kankakee counties make up Region 7 in Illinois' 11-region map that divides the state into areas monitored individually for coronavirus transmission rates. The state can implement more restrictive reopening measures when a region’s testing positivity rate hits 8% or higher for three consecutive days.
The new restrictions in Will County, including a ban on indoor dining and drinking, were triggered after Region 7 saw testing positivity rates of 8% on Aug. 19 and 8.3% on Aug. 20 and 21. Mitigation efforts were put in place Aug. 26.
Steve Brandy, spokesman for the Will County Health Department, said it is unknown whether the restrictions on Region 7 will remain as they are or be increased.
The testing positivity rate in DuPage County is 5.5%, the most recent data from the Illinois Department of Public Health shows. That rate indicates the county is seeing stable COVID-19 metrics. DuPage County is at a warning level for the number of new cases reported per 100,000 people, state data shows. The most recent data from the state shows DuPage is seeing 77 cases per 100,000 people, more than the recommended target of 50 or fewer cases per 100,000.
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The testing positivity rate in Will County is 9%, the most recent data from the Illinois Department of Public Health shows. That rate means there is a warning of increased risk of COVID-19 in the county. Will County is also at a warning level for the number of new cases reported per 100,000 people. The most recent data from the state shows Will is seeing 99 cases per 100,000.
At the same time, the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce last week along with 10 other area chambers of commerce sent a letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker urging him to allow indoor dining in Will and Kankakee county restaurants and bars.
The letter states it is “displeasing” Region 7 was not given the opportunity to reduce the number of indoor patrons at bars and restaurants before restricting indoor service completely, as had been the case in the state’s Metro East region.
Restaurants and bars have been severely affected by the pandemic and the additional measures are “catastrophic to their survival,” the letter said.
"We ask for immediate consideration to reverse your decision and allow these establishments to remain open for indoor seating at a capacity of the lesser of 25 individuals or 25% of capacity,” the letter said.
The recent spike in cases in the region is unfortunate, the letter says, but the chambers support actions to mitigate the spread including face masks, social distancing and additional sanitization methods. The chambers believe a majority of business members have been following those guidelines.
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“At the beginning of this pandemic, it was our understanding that we all needed to accept the responsibility of lessening the burden on the healthcare system and decrease the death rate. With that said, we believe that our medical providers have more than adequate resources and availability to serve those in need,” the letter said. “In addition, we do not see an increase in the death rate in this region and in fact it seems to be steadily decreasing.”
The chambers also called for a system to approve all affected businesses for the next round of the Business Interruption Grants.
ehegarty@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-08--Bradley University enacts 2-week quarantine for all students and bans social gatherings as COVID-19

Bradley University enacts 2-week quarantine for all students and bans social gatherings as COVID-19 clusters emerge on Peoria campus

“ Although it may seem extreme , this move to temporary remote learning and a two-week , all-student quarantine allows @ @ @ @ @ continuity of the educational experience for all of our students while giving us time to @ @ @ @ @ extent of the spread of the virus and assess the best way to proceed as @ @ @ @ @ President Stephen Standifird said in a campus message Tuesday .

Bradley University in Peoria is asking students to quarantine — but not go back to their parents' homes — because of COVID-19 cases on campus. (Duane Zehr/Bradley University)
Bradley University is requiring all students to quarantine for two weeks and is temporarily reverting to remote learning due to concerns that clusters of COVID-19 are linked to off-campus gatherings, officials announced Tuesday.
Students at the college in Peoria must limit nonessential interactions, stay in their off-campus apartments, residence halls or Greek houses and take classes remotely for 14 days, beginning at 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to a news release. They are prohibited from gathering with anyone besides roommates, having guests over or patronizing restaurants and bars.
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The school has tallied about 50 cases so far, according to the release, and says the emergency measures are needed to respond to the outbreak without disrupting academic progress. Some of the clusters are also affecting on-campus residence halls, spokeswoman Renee Charles said.
“Although it may seem extreme, this move to temporary remote learning and a two-week, all-student quarantine allows us to focus on the continuity of the educational experience for all of our students while giving us time to gather data on the full extent of the spread of the virus and assess the best way to proceed as a community,” Bradley President Stephen Standifird said in a campus message Tuesday.
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Most of the positive cases involve asymptomatic carriers and many have experienced only mild symptoms, Standifird said. More than 500 students were in quarantine as of Tuesday morning, though the numbers are expected to rise over the next few days, he said.
The school served about 4,600 undergraduate students last year, though it wasn’t clear Tuesday how many had returned for fall classes.
Students who fail to comply with the quarantine and new campus guidelines will be subject to discipline, up to and including dismissal from campus. Students, faculty and staff can report violations using an online form.
During the quarantine, students can leave their residences to pick up meals, run essential errands, go to work and spend time outside while wearing a mask.
Standifird cautioned students not to move home during the temporary restrictions, saying that would complicate contact tracing and increase the risk of introducing new cases to the campus community.
He also rebuked students who have ignored the calls to wear masks and distance from others in small and large groups.
“Many of our positive cases can be traced back to these gatherings," Standifird said in the message. “It’s actions like these that are putting people at risk and threatening our ability to stay on campus throughout the semester.”
Bradley has performed at least 565 COVID-19 tests since Aug. 24, two days before classes began, according to its public dashboard. The data did not appear to be updated after Sept. 3.
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Bradley previously fended off a widespread outbreak after 12 students, including some who participated in new student orientation, tested positive in July. Those cases were also linked to an off-campus gathering that lacked adequate safety precautions.
echerney@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-08--Statewide coronavirus relief fund winding down despite ‘tremendous need’

“ At the beginning of this unprecedented crisis , when speed was the most important and it was critical for @ @ @ @ @ most vulnerable in our society and when uncertainty was the highest , our fund ’ @ @ @ @ @ early funding gap , ” Penny Pritzker said at a news conference announcing the final @ @ @ @

Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker appears with her brother, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, on March 26, 2020, when she was announced as head of the new Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
A private fundraising effort started in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic to give a boost to nonprofit organizations helping those grappling with the physical and financial consequences of COVID-19 is winding down its work, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Tuesday.
While acknowledging that there remains “tremendous need” throughout the state, Pritzker said the intent of the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund when it was set up in March was to provide quick assistance as the federal and state governments were still formulating their responses.
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The fund, under the leadership of former U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, the governor’s older sister, has made its final round of grants — $7.5 million to seven organizations across the state, with a particular focus on groups aiding the Black and Latino communities. In all, the fund distributed more than $31 million to more than 1,650 organizations in Illinois.
“At the beginning of this unprecedented crisis, when speed was the most important and it was critical for us to get to the most vulnerable in our society and when uncertainty was the highest, our fund’s resources filled that dire early funding gap,” Penny Pritzker said at a news conference announcing the final round of grants.
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As time went on and it became clear that the virus was disproportionately affecting Black and Latino residents and impoverished rural communities, among others, the fund sought to direct money to organizations helping those groups, she said.
Among those included in the final round were the Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project, the Community Health Partnership of Illinois and the Springfield Urban League. The organizations will use the funds to provide assistance and COVID-19 testing for farmworkers and in-home child care during nontraditional hours, among other things.
Gov. Pritzker said that since the fund launched in March with $23 million in initial contributions, including a combined $4 million from the billionaire governor and his foundation, federal relief dollars have flowed to Illinois and other states to provide assistance with many of the same needs.
“This is not to say that this pandemic is over or that the need is over,” Pritzker said. “There is a great deal of challenge that is facing families across the state.”
State public officials on Tuesday announced 1,392 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19, bring the total number of known cases to 252,353 statewide since the pandemic began. With seven additional deaths also reported, the death toll stood at 8,186 in Illinois.
Pritzker encouraged individuals to continue giving to organizations in their areas and, as he has throughout the pandemic, called on the federal government to fill in the coronavirus-induced revenue losses for state and local governments.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said the chamber could vote as soon as this week on a Republican-authored stimulus package that doesn’t include any additional money for states or cities.
“It will harm the economy of the country if there are massive layoffs that occur as the result of failure of state and local funding,” Pritzker said.
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dpetrella@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-08--8-year-old girl killed: Chicago police release photos of vehicle tied to slaying

Police officials said the extended Labor Day weekend was more violent than the same holiday weekend last year .
This @ @ @ @ @ were shot , nine fatally , according to data kept by the Tribune .
In @ @ @ @ @ shot , nine of them fatally .
This weekend was the most violent Labor Day @ @ @ @ @ — the most violent year in decades — when 63 people were shot , 13 @ @ @ @ @ to Tribune data .

Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas, Jeremy Gorner

The clear casket carrying the body of 8-year-old shooting victim DaJore Wilson is carried out of Abundant Living Christian Center in Dolton after her funeral on Sept. 18, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago police on Tuesday released images of a vehicle they believe was used in the fatal shooting of an 8-year-old girl and said the Labor Day attack, which injured three others, was likely gang-related and targeted someone in the car the girl was riding in.
Dajore Wilson, 8, was identified as the girl shot on Union Avenue near 47th Street in the Canaryville neighborhood as she sat in a car with her mother and others.
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Speaking to reporters at a news conference Tuesday morning, police Superintendent David Brown and his chief of detectives, Brendan Deenihan, pleaded for the community to step forward and help detectives solve the girl’s slaying.
“It’s possible that other people that were in this vehicle were the targets. Obviously the 8-year-old was not,” Deenihan said. “It doesn’t appear that it was a random act. It appears that the people from this vehicle were definitely targeting someone in that car or someone they thought should have been in that car. So it’s ongoing gang-on-gang or group-on-group violence.”
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Dajore was one of three people shot about 5:55 p.m. Monday. She was killed and three adults were injured but expected to survive.
A 31-year-old man, who according to sources is Dajore’s father, likely was the intended target, the sources said. He was among those injured. Dajore’s mother, 30, suffered injuries possibly from broken glass, authorities said.
Dajore had been set to begin third grade on Tuesday at a Chicago Public School not far from her home, according to a source. The girl has a twin brother, according to Cook County records, a boy who was not reported to have been in the vehicle.
Brown offered similar talking points Tuesday as he has in other weekly news conferences during the especially violent summer of 2020, offering condolences to the girl’s family, highlighting the number of guns confiscated by his officers over the holiday weekend and lamenting what he called a “catch-and-release” justice system that allows arrested suspects back on the streets too quickly.
But he also spoke from personal experience.
“Getting notified about another child being a victim of gun violence is one of the most painful experiences, not only as a law enforcement professional but also as a parent,” said Brown, whose adult son was killed in a shootout with police in suburban Dallas in 2010after he fatally shot a cop and another man.
“We are once again asking for the community’s help and partnership to bring this killer to justice,” Brown said of the suspect in Dajore’s slaying.
Deenihan said there’s no definitive motive in the case, but there’s been an ongoing gang conflict in the area of the shooting for an “extended period of time.”
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Earlier Tuesday, police had issued a community alert about the shooting that included two images of a black, four-door sedan with tinted windows. The license plate number was obscured and not released by police. Police earlier had said the car was a black Dodge Charger.
“This alert gives notice that the vehicle shown above was used during the commission of a homicide of an 8-year-old child,” it said. Officials also said the shooter or shooters were seen in the vehicle “both prior to and immediately after the homicide.”
Chicago police have released images taken from video that police say is a car involved in a shooting that killed an 8-year-old girl on Union Avenue near 47th Street about 5:55 p.m. Sept. 7, 2020. (Chicago Police Department)
Karie James, a spokeswoman for police, said there was no additional information about the shooter or shooters such as a physical description or the clothing they last were seen wearing. Police radio traffic had given a description of the shooter’s clothing, but police did not confirm that information Tuesday.
Before the shooting, the car the girl was in was stopped at a red light at 47th Street facing north, with another vehicle, the black Dodge Charger, behind it, said Brian McDermott, chief of operations for the Police Department. When the light turned green, someone in the Charger opened fire, he said.
Chicago police have released images taken from video that police say is a car involved in a shooting that killed an 8-year-old girl near 47th Street and Union Avenue about 5:55 p.m. Sept. 7, 2020. (Chicago Police Department)
The car the girl was in kept going north and crashed into a tree, and the Charger turned around and headed south on Union, McDermott said.
Police officials said the extended Labor Day weekend was more violent than the same holiday weekend last year. This year at least 51 people were shot, nine fatally, according to data kept by the Tribune. In 2019, 44 people were shot, nine of them fatally. This weekend was the most violent Labor Day weekend in Chicago since 2016 — the most violent year in decades — when 63 people were shot, 13 of them fatally, according to Tribune data.
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But Brown said Chicago has seen overall drops in homicides and shootings since the Police Department seven weeks ago started its two new citywide units tasked with, among other things, responding to crime hot spots. The community safety team has about 300 officers concentrating on crime spikes on the South and West sides, while the critical incident response team, made up of about 250 cops, focuses on crime downtown.
However, Brown disclosed that a third, similar unit that has been operating since late May and was set to dissolve by the end of summer, the summer mobile patrol unit, would continue to be deployed for about 90 days. That unit has about 200 officers.
“We’re looking to find ways to grow ... the community safety team,” said Brown, “whether that’s absorbing summer mobile or just doing a very, it’s a very technical labor term of just asking for more volunteers to join the team or drafting more volunteers to join the team.”
Anyone with information about Dajore’s shooting or the shooters is asked to call investigators at 312-747-8380. If the vehicle is seen, the alert also asks that the public, “call 911 immediately and provide a detailed description of the (occupants) including any vehicle description and license plate information.”
Chicago Tribune’s Paige Fry and Peter Nickeas contributed.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-09-08--Police: 14-year old boy instigated Maine South ‘Zoom bombing’ incident where racist language was use

Police: 14-year old boy instigated Maine South ‘Zoom bombing’ incident where racist language was used during classes

“ We have zero tolerance for the use of any hate speech in our school community , ” Collins wrote @ @ @ @ @ , explaining that racial equity would be a topic at the monthly 2nd Cup of @ @ @ @ @ 10 .
“ We stand in solidarity with our Black students and students of color @ @ @ @ @ of racism in our society .
”

Maine Township High School District 207's new offices are located at 1177 S. Dee Road in Park Ridge, adjacent to the Maine South campus. (Jennifer Johnson / Pioneer Press)
A 14-year-old boy is accused of sharing login information for remote learning sessions at Maine South High School, resulting in people disrupting class sessions with profanity and racial slurs, Park Ridge police said.
The incidents occurred between Aug. 25 and Aug. 27 during the first week of the new school year. In an email to parents, Principal Ben Collins described the incidents as containing “rude, inappropriate, racist and hateful language,” including the use of a racial slur in two instances.
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“We have zero tolerance for the use of any hate speech in our school community,” Collins wrote in his email to parents, explaining that racial equity would be a topic at the monthly 2nd Cup of Coffee parent meeting on Sept. 10. “We stand in solidarity with our Black students and students of color as they are repeatedly targets of racism in our society.”
Park Ridge Police Department Executive Officer Tom Gadomski said a 14-year-old male student identified as having posted login information and passwords for Zoom classroom sessions on Twitter and encouraging followers to “log in and disrupt the classes.”
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Gadomski said school officials reported that the boy had done the same thing in July.
No similar incidents have been reported at Maine East or Maine West High School, said Maine Township High School District 207 Spokesman Brett Clark.
The teen was not charged with a criminal offense, but he was referred to the Park Ridge Peer Jury, police said. Peer Jury allows juvenile offenders to receive a non-criminal sentence, such as performing community service or paying restitution, after admitting to an offense.
The incidents reported at Maine South are similar to what occurred at Emerson Middle School in Niles at the start of the school year.
Families of Emerson students were notified that on the first two days of school, “intruders” had interrupted Zoom classes and used “inappropriate, racist, religious, hateful and homophobic language,” according to an email from the school’s principal.
Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 Spokesman Pete Gill said a total of nine “Zoom bombing” incidents occurred at Emerson during the first two days of the school year, which began Aug. 27.
Several students have been identified in connection with the incidents, Gill said.
“We’re currently working with the Niles Police Department in an ongoing investigation,” he said.
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jjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter: @Jen_Tribune


Corrections and clarifications

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· A story on Page 1 Friday attributed information and quotes to Letoria Moore, a woman who identified herself to The Associated Press as an aunt of Daniel Prude. The AP can no longer verify the woman’s identity.
· In the NFL season preview section that was part of the Sunday Chicago Tribune, the home field for the Arizona Cardinals was incorrectly identified. It should have been listed as State Farm Stadium.
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The Tribune regrets the errors.
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chicagotribune--2020-09-08--Charges announced in fatal stabbing Sunday of woman working at Wicker Park Walgreens

While Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said there were no eyewitnesses in the case , Winstrom said police used video @ @ @ @ @ the area to track Williams all the way to his Near North Side residence in @ @ @ @ @ Sedgwick Street , about 2 miles east of the Walgreens .
Police said a dog @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office was used by Chicago police in the investigation .

Chicago police officers work at the scene where a female employee was fatally stabbed by a knife-wielding man at the Walgreens in Wicker Park on Sept. 6, 2020. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
An 18-year-old man was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of a woman as she was working at a Walgreens store in the Wicker Park neighborhood, Chicago police said Tuesday.
Sincere Williams is scheduled to appear for a bond hearing in the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Wednesday, charged in the fatal weekend stabbing of 32-year-old Olga Maria Calderon, officials said.
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Authorities were called to a Walgreens store, 1372 N. Milwaukee Ave., just after 9:30 a.m. Sunday and found Calderon stabbed to death, police said.
Williams entered the Walgreens with a knife, hoping to rob the store, said Area 5 Detective Cmdr. Eric Winstrom, whose detectives investigated the case. He said Williams grabbed Calderon, who had been stocking shelves, around the neck.
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Sincere Williams, 18, was charged with one count of first-degree murder, in the weekend slaying of an employee at a Walgreens in the Wicker Park neighborhood, police said. (Chicago Police Department)
“It appears that she tried to push away from Williams and he began stabbing her multiple times, causing her death,” Winstrom said Tuesday afternoon during a news briefing.
Williams did not flee the scene with any stolen merchandise from the store, police said. But when he fled, he discarded the knife and some clothing in a nearby yard, Winstrom said. They were later found by detectives, he said.
While Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said there were no eyewitnesses in the case, Winstrom said police used video footage from surveillance cameras in the area to track Williams all the way to his Near North Side residence in the 1400 block of North Sedgwick Street, about 2 miles east of the Walgreens. Police said a dog from the Cook County sheriff’s office was used by Chicago police in the investigation.
Williams was arrested Sunday night.
Winstrom said Williams is also believed to have committed two robberies on Sept. 2, one at the same Walgreens and the other at another Walgreens near North and Western avenues.
Chicago-based anti-violence activist Andrew Holmes said Calderon was a mother of two children, an 11-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy.
“Traumatized. Still in shock. It still hasn’t sunk in. The younger kid doesn’t understand. ... He’s asking for his mom,” said Holmes, who has spoken with the woman’s family. “The 11-year-old, she knows, and they’re trying to console her because she’s taking it hard.”
It was at least the second homicide at a Chicago Walgreens location in a little more than a year. On June 12, 2019, Chicago police began investigating the fatal shooting of another woman, 46-year-old customer Sircie Varnado, at the Walgreens store at 4817 W. Fullerton Ave. in the Northwest Side’s Belmont Cragin community.
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A store manager allegedly contacted a former security guard he knew who lived in the area, and that man is accused of showing up, confronting 100-pound Varnado who was suspected of shoplifting, pinning her down and shooting her in the face as he knelt on top of her during a violent struggle at that store.
But as for the Sunday homicide, Deenihan said Tuesday the crime was especially sad since Calderon was killed while trying to support her family.
“This is an unbelievably tragic incident to just ... be at a Walgreens working for your family and then have somebody, an offender come in and commit a heinous act like this and stabbing the victim to death,” said Deenihan. “So please keep the Calderon family in everybody’s thoughts and prayers. This is obviously a very difficult time for them.”
Chicago Tribune’s Paige Fry contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-09-08--Chicago violence: 51 shot, 9 fatally, most over Labor Day weekend since 2016

The 21-year-old man in the car was shot in the neck and later died at the University of Chicago Medical @ @ @ @ @ A 30-year-old man was shot in the right thigh and opened fire , hitting two @ @ @ @ @ the thigh and one in the forearm .
The three men were expected to survive @ @ @ @ @ two young men are being questioned by police .
The man had not been identified @ @ @ @

A woman kneels on the ground outside the University of Chicago Medicine's Comer Children's Hospital where Dajore Wilson, 8, was taken after being killed in a shooting that injured three others near the intersection of 47th street and Union Avenue on Sept. 7, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
A cellphone’s light flashed on the ground next to a small pool of blood early Sunday. Solo cups and emptied liquor bottles littered the ground where paramedics put a young man on a stretcher and into an ambulance.
Another young man sat on the curb and cried. Others stood around, figuring out what to do after someone unloaded a gun toward the crowd of partygoers.
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A 21-year-old man was hit twice in the head, and he later died.
The man, who has not yet been identified, was one of at least 51 shot, nine fatally, in attacks over the Labor Day weekend, according to data kept by the Tribune. Two women also were stabbed to death over the holiday weekend.
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The youngest shooting victim, a 4-year-old boy, was injured Friday during the start of the holiday weekend. The boy was shot in the leg and an 18-year-old woman was shot in the lower back when someone in a passing black Dodge Charger fired shots at them while they were standing outside around 11:30 p.m. in the 8600 block of South Honore Street in the Gresham neighborhood, police said. They were both in good condition.
Officers walk between two homes at the scene where a 4-year-old boy and 18-year-old woman were shot Sept. 5, 2020, in the 8600 block of South Honore Street. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
The youngest killed was Dajore Wilson, an 8-year-old girl shot in the back Monday while she was riding in a car and someone in a black Dodge Charger opened fire, hitting her and two adults near 47th Street and Union Avenue in the Canaryville neighborhood.
No arrests have been made in either shooting.
One of those killed was a man shot by police early Saturday in Vittum Park after he allegedly stabbed an officer in the vest, according to Chicago police. His identity hadn’t been released by Tuesday afternoon.
The two women stabbed to death were Alaba Awolola, 52, who was found dead Saturday night in her apartment in the 2900 block of East 70th Street in South Shore and Wicker Park Walgreens employee Olga Calderone, 32, who was killed Sunday morning while working at the store. Murder charges were announced Tuesday against an 18-year-old man in Calderone’s killing.
Chicago police officers work at the scene where Olga Calderone, 32, an employee at Walgreens in Wicker Park, was fatally stabbed by a knife-wielding man on Sept. 6, 2020. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
During last year’s Labor Day weekend, 44 people were shot, nine of them fatally. This weekend was the most violent Labor Day weekend in Chicago since 2016, the most violent year in decades, when 63 people were shot, 13 of them fatally, according to Tribune data. So far this year, more than 2,850 people have been shot in Chicago, with about 525 people killed in homicides, according to Tribune data.
In one of the most recent killings, a shootout occurred around 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Stony Island Park neighborhood, resulting in a 21-year-old man’s death and three other injuries after one man, who has a concealed carry license, returned fire, police said.
Two men were inside a red Nissan Altima driving north in the 8400 block of South Cregier Avenue when two people on foot fired shots at them, police said.
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The 21-year-old man in the car was shot in the neck and later died at the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said. A 30-year-old man was shot in the right thigh and opened fire, hitting two 18-year-old men — one in the thigh and one in the forearm. The three men were expected to survive their injures, and the two young men are being questioned by police. The man had not been identified by Tuesday afternoon.
At the ABLA Homes early Sunday, people remarked how they were lucky it was only a 21-year-old man who was shot given the 15 shell casings and hundreds of people who had gathered for an outdoor party. The man had not been identified by Tuesday afternoon.
Police officers pulled crime scene tape across the 1300 block of West Hastings Street in the University Village/Little Italy neighborhood on the West Side. One man yelled at another, who sprinted off.
An officer followed one vehicle out, afraid their anger would boil over into another shooting.
An evidence marker sits next to a hat at the scene where a man was fatally shot on the 1300 block of West Hastings Street on Sept. 6, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
After detectives arrived at the scene and rain started to fall, one older resident came out of her home and shook her head, looking out past the crime scene tape. She pointed out different locations on the one-way street surrounded by large parking lots and row houses.
“A boy was killed there. A boy was killed there,” she said, moving her finger around. “Two were shot over there.”
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Another woman asked detectives to check if her phone was still on the ground before it started to rain. She moved out of Illinois from the South Side a couple of years prior because of the violence. Her daughter told her she shouldn’t have come to visit for the holiday weekend. She ended up running from bullets and dropping her phone.
“This is why I left Chicago,” she said to herself.
Over the weekend, most people who were injured were shot in South Side police districts. The South Chicago, Englewood, Deering and Gresham districts had more than half of the weekend’s gunshot victims.
One homicide occurred about 9:10 p.m. Sunday in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side, police said. Steven Garcia, 38, of the 4000 block of South Francisco Avenue, was outside a gas station at the corner of Archer Avenue and 39th Place when two men approached him and they began fighting.
Garcia tried to run away, but a third man approached on foot and fired one shot at him, hitting him in the upper back, police said. He was taken to St. Anthony Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Chicago police officers work at the scene where four people were shot, including a 17-year-old, in the 7700 block of South Kingston Avenue on Sept. 6, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Detectives on Sunday night scanned the BP gas station, which was completely blocked off by crime scene tape. Only one bloody piece of clothing near one of the lot’s entrances was left behind to show someone had been killed. Detectives also walked across busy Archer Avenue and canvassed a small shopping center, then walked down nearby Rockwell Street.
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Around 1:15 a.m. Monday, a 56-year-old man shot two men, 37 and 30, in the 6300 block of South Ashland Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood during a fight outside after he said one of the men lifted up their shirt to display a handgun, police said.
The younger man was grazed in the arm by a bullet and left the scene after refusing medical attention, and the 37-year-old man was shot in the arm and torso and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said.
The 56-year-old man had a valid firearm owner’s identification card, but it was unknown if he had a concealed carry license, police said. He was taken into custody after investigation.
The West Side’s Harrison District, notorious for high rates of violence, only had three people shot, none fatally, but the neighboring Near West District had a 15-year-old boy and 16-year-old girl wounded and two men killed in separate shootings.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-09-08--Aldermen to consider $3.8 million settlement with former Chicago cop who says she was punished for r

Aldermen to consider $3.8 million settlement with former Chicago cop who says she was punished for reporting alleged abusive incident

Asked Tuesday about the city ’ s refusal to consider returning Kubiak to her prior post , Mayor Lori Lightfoot @ @ @ @ @ of the case , but said she has taken steps “ to make sure that @ @ @ @ @ have the support that they need to be able to do that .
”

Aldermen are poised to approve a $3.8 million settlement this week for a former Chicago police officer who said she was reassigned to a patrol shift in a dangerous neighborhood because she complained about abusive behavior by a colleague, even though she offered to stop her lawsuit if the department simply returned her to her old job.
Former police News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak brought her suit in 2014, only after city lawyers refused to consider her proposal, according to her attorney, Megan O’Malley.
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Kubiak said she was sent to a patrol shift from News Affairs after she filed a complaint that another News Affairs officer screamed at her and drew his hand back as if to strike her while at work in 2012.
“Officer Kubiak’s removal from her position as a News Affairs liaison ... and reassignment to midnight beat patrol in a dangerous neighborhood was in retaliation for her complaining of and exposing the unlawful conduct of an officer with a history of violent behavior,” according to her suit.
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Kubiak retired in 2014, according to city lawyer Renai Rodney.
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Several members of the City Council Finance Committee were taken aback last week to learn taxpayers would be on the hook for the large settlement even though Kubiak offered to not pursue the matter if she was assigned back to News Affairs.
“Somebody has to take responsibility for costing the taxpayers four million bucks in a case that could have been resolved,” said Southwest Side Ald. Edward Burke, 14th.
The full City Council will consider the settlement Wednesday.
The Sun-Times first reported Kubiak was willing to drop the suit in exchange for being returned to her old job.
To O’Malley, the case illustrates why the city needs to change the way it approaches lawsuits.
“I understand that there are lots of frivolous suits filed against the city,” O’Malley said. “But once a case is found to be meritorious, the Law Department can save the city millions of dollars by considering settling these cases,” O’Malley said.
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“This kind of dysfunction can’t continue,” O’Malley added. “It harms taxpayers, it harms victims of police misconduct and it harms whistleblowers who don’t believe the Police Department will have their backs if the city insists on trying to fully litigate these kinds of cases.”
Asked Tuesday about the city’s refusal to consider returning Kubiak to her prior post, Mayor Lori Lightfoot declined to discuss the specifics of the case, but said she has taken steps “to make sure that officers who are reporting misconduct have the support that they need to be able to do that.”
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-09-08--Female body washed ashore at Evanston’s Dempster Beach

There was no indication of foul play , Cmdr .
Brian Henry , an Evanston police spokeman , said in @ @ @ @ @ did not explain whether that meant she didn ’ t have obvious injuries .
Henry @ @ @ @ @ questions about whether the person matched the description of any swimmers or boaters who have @ @ @ @ @ people in the area .

A female body that washed up along the Lake Michigan shoreline at Dempster Street Beach had not been identified Wednesday morning but investigators said they may have a lead regarding her identity.
Officers responded to the beach, 1251 Lake Shore Blvd., about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday after getting a call that a woman who appeared unresponsive was found near the beach entrance, Cmdr. Brian Henry, an Evanston police spokesman, said Tuesday.
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“We did have a female body wash up at Dempster Street Beach,” Henry said in an email. "There was a call that came in from a citizen who observed the body.“
The medical examiner’s office communicated with the Evanston Fire Department, which also responded to the beach. The woman was pronounced dead at 7:10 a.m., according to medical examiner’s office spokeswoman Natalia Derevyanny. The person had not yet been identified Wednesday morning and her age was not immediately released.
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Sgt. Ken Carter, also with Evanston police, said in an email that investigators believe the woman is of Asian descent; the medical examiner’s office database also identifies her race as Asian.
Carter said investigators may already be close to determining who the woman was and how she ended up on the beach.
“At this time, the deceased has not been identified, however, the Evanston Police Department may have a lead on the deceased’s identity,” Carter said.“
There was no indication of foul play, Henry said, but he did not explain whether that meant she didn’t have obvious injuries. As part of their death investigation, Henry said detectives are trying to determine whether the woman had previously been reported missing.
“Investigators are looking at recent missing person cases from the area,” he said.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews