chicagotribune--2020-02-10--How to make a long-distance relationship work

“ When they do connect , it ’ s very intense and well-thought out , ” he said .
Couples @ @ @ @ @ ’ re touring their own city , and they spend all their time together .
@ @ @ @ @ always going to stay like that , ” said Wagner .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ fling .
There are going to be times where a person ’ s going to @ @ @ @

The longest distance Matthew Harris and Maya Thompson were ever apart was more than 20 hours in the air — or the amount of time it takes to fly from Chicago to Sydney, Australia.
That was in the beginning of their 2-year relationship, which has included long distance.
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The couple both live in Chicago now, but for months, Harris, 24, and Thompson, 23, were in a long-distance relationship when she was finishing college in California and he was beginning his career in Chicago. Then, when she was working temporarily in Sydney.
What happens when there are unexpected roadblocks that force a relationship to become long distance — like a job offer in a new city or someone wanting to move closer to family? All of a sudden, a budding courtship could become rooted in separate places.
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How can you make a long-distance relationship go the distance? The Tribune talked to experts to find out what to think about, talk about and do.
Communicate
When Harris and Thompson began dating in 2017, it was after being friends since they were little kids. So they were comfortable communicating while dating during Thompson’s senior year at Stanford University. Harris was just starting his career in Chicago.
“We just made the decision to be with each other,” Harris said. “At the end of the day, I found myself comparing everybody to her.”
He said he learned a lot about the ways to communicate. He sent flowers; he sent text messages to friends asking them to pick up the bill at dinner, from him.
They promised to never go to bed upset, and to see each other about every other month.
Dana Dorfman, a psychotherapist in Manhattan, said couples should develop a ritual about when they connect. “Oftentimes couples will check in in the morning, check in in the evening,” she said. “Having those predictable check-in points can provide anchors for communication and anchors for the relationship.”
Understand that long-distance visits aren’t real life
In his Los Angeles practice, marriage and family therapist Allen Wagner works with clients who date long distance or who travel often, such as musicians. He said that daters should know that when you’re seeing each other for weekend visits, it isn’t the same as when a couple ultimately, hopefully, is in the same place.
“When they do connect, it’s very intense and well-thought out,” he said. Couples often make plans like they’re touring their own city, and they spend all their time together. “It’s not always going to stay like that,” said Wagner. “It’s kind of like a summer fling. There are going to be times where a person’s going to be upset.”
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Dorfman suggests setting up expectations for visits. Maybe one person wants to have a low-key weekend, or wants to get out to exercise. “Otherwise, there could be competing desires and competing expectations that could have been preemptively ironed out,” Dorfman said.
Know the next time you’ll see each other
Harris and Thompson scheduled the times they would see each other in advance, usually every other month. Sometimes that meant missing things at work or with friends or family.
And it’s good to set up talking time too. Consider something like organizing FaceTime dates — maybe you cook together, or just know you’ll catch up at that time — so that you both prioritize the time. Or do things at the same time. Thompson and Harris went through a Bible study together.
Also, agree on an endgame, Dorfman said. “Know when there’s going to be an end to the long-term nature of it,” she said, even if it’s a general sense of when you’re likely to live in the same city.
Soak up the time to be independent
Both Harris and Thompson noted some positive parts of being independent.
“I think that time alone is beneficial in our relationship, because it allows us to focus on ourselves, develop ourselves,” Harris said. “When we do get together, it’s us.”
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Thompson advises other couples about to go the distance that it can be positive, not an obstacle.
“It really is a time for you to really be growing,” she said. “It makes you appreciate your partner more, but it also makes you appreciate everything you also bring to the table in a relationship.”
Dorfman said each person having individual lives is critical. “You don’t want the relationship to necessarily detract from the quality of the rest of the life. You want it to enhance.”
Don’t feel bad enjoying individual experiences
Thompson faced this first-hand when she was excited about working in Sydney, but felt bad about being in a new place and having an amazing time.
“It just made it a little difficult for our conversations,” she said. “Sometimes I would not be as open about things.” She didn’t want him to feel like he was missing anything, she said, but ultimately, holding back could create a bigger emotional distance.
Both said they want each other to live their own lives. “You don’t ever want to feel like you’re the reason that your partner is stuck in time,” Thompson said.
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After taking time, the couple said, to have their own lives separately, they are now back together in Chicago.
“Having her back, it just feels like my heart is full,” Harris said. “Half of my heart was gone for so long.”
abowen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-10--Deere plans to lay off 105 more workers in Iowa

It would be the third round of layoffs at the plant in the past few months .
In October the @ @ @ @ @ workers would be laid off by Nov. 18 , and in December the company announced @ @ @ @ @ be laid off effective Jan. 6 .

Workers attach a panel at John Deere Dubuque Works in Dubuque, Iowa. The company has announced that 105 people will be layed off at the plant, effective April 6, 2020. (Jessica Reilly/Telegraph Herald via AP)
Dubuque, Iowa — Deere & Co. plans to lay off 105 more workers in Dubuque.
The company told workers Friday at the John Deere Dubuque Works that the layoffs will take effect April 6 and come because of market conditions.
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It would be the third round of layoffs at the plant in the past few months. In October the Moline, Illinois-based company said more than 160 workers would be laid off, and in December the company announced that nearly 60 workers would be laid off effective Jan. 6.
[ Deere shares sink as it blames trade war, bad weather for weak 2020 forecast ]
Company spokesman Ken Golden declined to comment Monday on how many workers will remain on the payroll after the April 6 layoffs. Each factory balances the size of its production workforce with customer demand for products from that factory, he said.
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The company makes construction and forest equipment at the Dubuque Works plant.


chicagotribune--2020-02-10--No matter who wins the NBA All-Star Game, Chicago students will benefit. Here are the two charities

No matter who wins the NBA All-Star Game, Chicago students will benefit. Here are the two charities handpicked by the captains.

Instead of playing out a regular game , the first three quarters will start at 0-0 and $ 100,000 will @ @ @ @ @ of each quarter for a total of $ 300,000 .
The remaining $ 200,000 will @ @ @ @ @ that is first to hit the target score plus 24 in the final quarter , @ @ @ @ @ honor Lakers legend Kobe Bryant , who died at age 41 in a helicopter crash @ @ @ @ @ wins the entire $ 500,000 pot , an additional $ 100,000 will be donated to @ @ @ @

During the broadcast of the All-Star Game draft on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” the Lakers’ LeBron James and the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo selected teammates for the league’s showcase event Sunday at the United Center.
Perhaps lost was the announcement of two organizations handpicked as part of the charitable element of the new All-Star Game format. Before picking players, both captains mentioned their charity and explained their selection.
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James chose Chicago Scholars, a program led by Dominique J. Turner, an Obama fellow who first came in contact with the NBA after she introduced Michelle Obama at the Obama Summit. She runs an organization that helps low-income students get to and through college.
Antetokounmpo picked After School Matters, which has deep roots in the city, originally put together in 1991 when the late Maggie Daley, formerly Chicago’s first lady and wife to Mayor Richard M. Daley, wanted a way to keep her children busy after school and during summers.
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Antetokounmpo created a video to deliver the news to After School Matters, and former Bulls player Kendall Gill — a Rich Central and Illinois alumnus — attended an announcement event at the Chicago Scholars office. Students were told they would receive tickets to the All-Star Game, and they found it hard to conceal their excitement.
Turner, who learned the news on a call with the NBA, said that day marked “the first time I ever screamed on a professional call.” It was particularly special for Turner that James selected her students because of his dedication to giving back.
“What we love is the LeBron brand is one of education and leadership,” Turner said. “So with his I Promise School in Akron, it really makes us feel good that he cares about what we care about.”
Students at After School Matters had a similar reaction when they heard the words directly from Antetokounmpo, CEO Mary Ellen Caron said.
“The wonderful Mr. Giannis created a video where he told them that he had chosen After School Matters as the charity for his team,” Caron said with a squeal of delight, “and he also told them that he would see them at the game.”
As part of the game’s new format, each group will enter All-Star Weekend with a chance to win up to $500,000 to put toward the futures of local children. In a sweeping change, the NBA decided to go away from its traditional four-quarter formula and institute an entirely different approach.
Instead of playing out a regular game, the first three quarters will start at 0-0 and $100,000 will be given to the winner of each quarter for a total of $300,000. The remaining $200,000 will be given to the team that is first to hit the target score plus 24 in the final quarter, a last-minute quirk added to honor Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who died at age 41 in a helicopter crash. And if one team wins the entire $500,000 pot, an additional $100,000 will be donated to the losing team.
The change, instituted to spice up a game that can feel methodical at times, will do much more than speed up an exhibition game played by the NBA’s 24 best players. It has the potential to impact thousands as both charities help children all over Chicago.
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The NBA on Monday also announced plans to support tens of thousands through programs and events shepherded by 40 community-based organizations, including a Youth Leadership Council that started meeting in advance of the All-Star events, which kick off Wednesday. The group is made up of local teenagers who have researched issues facing their communities and plan to collaborate to make change through five youth-led projects.
In the run up to All-Star Weekend, countless NBA representatives have mentioned the league’s efforts to create a long-lasting impact in Chicago. Turner, who said many of her students have never had the chance to attend an NBA game, believes the investment in education and the futures of young Chicagoans will do just that.
“Belief changes everything,” Turner said. “And to know that the NBA cares about them and believes in them, to know that LeBron James cares about them and believes in them — that belief really goes a long way and just reinforces that they are tomorrow’s leaders.”
Caron echoed Turner’s words, focusing on the effect this All-Star Weekend could have on the confidence of her students.
“This is a message to the teenagers in Chicago that they matter and that the NBA wants them at the All-Star Game,” Caron said, “and when a group like the NBA and the players tell them that they matter, it sticks with them forever.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Actor Jussie Smollett faces new disorderly conduct charges in alleged fake attack

Kim Foxx ’ s campaign issued a statement calling out the “ James Comey-like timing ” of Webb ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Smollett with just over a month to go before the Democratic primary .
“ ( @ @ @ @ @ interpreted as the further politicization of the justice system , something voters in the era @ @ @ @ @ offensive , '' the statement read .

Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Cook County Jail on March 16, 2022, after he was ordered to be released pending appeal of his conviction and 150-day sentence. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
After a year of scathing headlines, escalating legal battles and bizarre tabloid twists, former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett will soon find himself in the same place he was last February — facing charges in a Cook County courtroom alleging he staged a hate crime on himself.
A special Cook County grand jury on Tuesday indicted the actor on six counts of disorderly conduct alleging he orchestrated the racist and homophobic attack on a frigid night in downtown Chicago.
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The allegations were nearly identical to charges brought — and then mysteriously dropped — by Cook County prosecutors last year, adding more controversy to a case that’s sparked months of breathless international media coverage and become the defining issue in the upcoming state’s attorney primary election.
Smollett, 37, is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charges at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Feb. 24, nearly a year to the day that he appeared in the same courthouse to face the original charges.
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[ A timeline of the Jussie Smollett case ]
In announcing the new indictment, special prosecutor Dan Webb, who was appointed six months ago to investigate all aspects of the Smollett investigation, said further prosecution of the actor was “in the interest of justice.”
“Jussie Smollett planned and participated in a staged hate crime attack, and thereafter made numerous false statements to Chicago Police Department officers on multiple occasions, reporting a heinous hate crime that he, in fact, knew had not occurred,” Webb said in a news release.
Among the factors that went into the decision were “the extensive nature” of Smollett’s falsehoods, the massive amount of time and money Chicago police put into the investigation, and the strength of the evidence cited by State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s own prosecutors in bringing the original charges, the Webb statement continued.
Not only did prosecutors drop charges without requiring Smollett to admit guilt, he left the courtroom that day having been given credit for two days of community service he had already performed, and he paid no restitution except forfeiting $10,000 in bond money — less than 10% of the approximately $130,000 the police spent on overtime in the case, Webb noted.
In his statement, Webb said his investigation into the controversial way Foxx’s office handled the case is continuing, and that a final report would be issued to the court and Cook County Board of Commissioners.
[ Who is Dan Webb? Meet the special prosecutor appointed to the Jussie Smollett case. ]
The Smollett case has become a flashpoint in Foxx’s reelection campaign, with all three of her primary challengers using it to attack her credibility. Her opponents on Tuesday immediately jumped at the news that Smollett had again been indicted, with some calling on Foxx to resign.
Foxx’s campaign issued a statement blasting the “James Comey-like timing” of Webb’s decision to bring the charges, noting there are only 35 days until the primary election.
Comey, a former FBI director, was criticized by many for allegedly affecting the 2016 presidential election by announcing a new investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails just days before voters went to the polls.
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“(It) can only be interpreted as the further politicization of the justice system, something voters in the era of Donald Trump should consider offensive," Foxx’s statement read.
For Smollett, meanwhile, the newly filed indictment means the actor must return to the same courthouse where he boldly declared his innocence just 11 months ago, telling reporters he had “been truthful and consistent from day one.”
The courthouse at 26th and California was buzzing with rumors all day Tuesday as word spread of potential charges. Courthouse mainstays had tracked the case closely, with prosecutors and defense attorneys alike saying they were baffled last March when the charges were dropped.
Now, the legal process for Smollett essentially begins anew — this time before a different set of prosecutors. Smollett will be assigned to a judge and enter a plea. His attorneys will likely wage a fierce battle in coming months over whether the new charges constitute double jeopardy.
[ Kim Foxx’s handling of Jussie Smollett case hovers over Cook County state’s attorney candidates meeting with Tribune Editorial Board ]
In a statement, Smollett’s attorney Tina Glandian cast doubt Tuesday on Webb’s investigation, saying the same Chicago detectives who handled the initial case also conducted Webb’s probe. She also echoed Foxx’s claim that the timing of the charges was politically motivated.
“The Office of the Special Prosecutor has not found any evidence of wrongdoing whatsoever related to the dismissal of the charges against Mr. Smollett,” Glandian stated. “Rather, the charges were appropriately dismissed the first time because they were not supported by the evidence.”
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Webb was appointed to his post by Cook County Judge Michael Toomin in August with a broad mandate to probe every aspect of the Smollett case, including whether to bring further charges against the actor. He impaneled a grand jury late last year that has been hearing evidence from Webb’s law offices at Winston & Strawn.
The indictment returned Tuesday alleged Smollett made four separate false reports to Chicago police in the aftermath of the Jan. 29, 2019, incident in Chicago’s tony Streeterville neighborhood.
Smollett, who is black and openly gay, told police he was attacked by two men as he was walking back home after getting a sandwich at a Subway restaurant. The men shouted slurs, poured a bleachlike substance on him and hung a noose around his neck, he told officers.
But the actor, best known for his now-ended role on Fox’s “Empire” TV show, eventually turned from victim to suspect, and in a Hollywood twist, police said that the entire incident was a hoax and that Smollett actually staged the assault from start to finish to bolster his career.
[ Mystery remains over why Kim Foxx’s office dismissed hoax charges against Jussie Smollett ]
By the time charges were brought, Foxx had recused herself from overseeing the prosecution after revealing she had contact with a member of Smollett’s family early in the investigation at the request of Tina Tchen, Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff.
Foxx declined to provide details at the time, but communications later made public showed Foxx had asked then-Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson to turn over the investigation to the FBI after she was approached by Tchen, a politically connected lawyer, about the case.
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But other communications released to the Tribune after public-records requests showed Foxx claiming she recused herself because of false rumors that she was related to the actor, not any communications she'd had with his relatives.
Foxx also termed as “bull----” the explanation her own office gave for her withdrawal at the time, the texts show.
After the charges were abruptly dropped, Sheila O’Brien, a retired Illinois appellate judge, petitioned Toomin to appoint a special prosecutor to look into the handling of the investigation. After extensive legal arguments last summer, Toomin ruled that Foxx had the right to withdraw herself from overseeing the prosecution but held no legal authority to then delegate that responsibility to her top deputy.
With that deputy holding no real authority, the Smollett case made its way through the court system without a legitimate prosecutor at the helm, Toomin said, indicating that it was invalid from start to finish.
In a campaign ad in November, Foxx acknowledged she had fallen short in the Smollett matter but was vague on specifics. “Truth is, I didn’t handle it well. I own that,” she said.
Webb was careful on Tuesday to say that his decision to charge Smollett does not necessarily mean that anyone in Foxx’s office engaged in wrongdoing.
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Webb has already determined, though, that his office “disagrees” with how the state’s attorney’s office handled the case, saying that despite public pronouncements that Smollett was treated the same way as other low-level offenders, prosecutors were “unable to provide” any evidence to back it up, his news release stated.
In addition, Cook County prosecutors couldn’t show Webb’s team any new evidence that arose between Smollett’s indictment and the day charges were dropped that would weaken the case against the actor.
Smollett’s attorneys have argued in previous court filings that any further charges would violate his rights against double jeopardy, particularly since he forfeited his bond when the case was dropped.
But that argument doesn’t hold water, veteran attorney Richard Kling told the Tribune on Tuesday. Double-jeopardy protections do not apply until a defendant has pleaded guilty or begun a trial.
“There was no jeopardy, there was no bench trial, there was no jury trial,” Kling said. “The law is absolutely etched in stone in terms of when jeopardy attaches.”
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
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jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Woman hid under SUV as gunman killed husband and a friend in Chinatown parking lot, prosecutors say

Ducking underneath the car , she saw her husband collapsed on the pavement and not moving .
She heard a @ @ @ @ @ her friend also fell to the ground .
Police say she grabbed her husband ’ @ @ @ @ @ as the attacker ran off , leaving bloody footprints that led police straight to him @ @ @ @ @ outdoor mall early Sunday .

Rosemary Sobol, Paige Fry, Jeremy Gorner, William Lee

Dozens of Chinatown residents and supporters listen in as Terry Wilson, foreground, speaks to the media at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, Feb. 11, 2020, following a bond hearing for Alvin Thomas. Thomas is facing two counts of first degree murder for a double homicide in Chinatown early Sunday. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The woman was just getting out of her SUV when she heard shots, then noticed her husband was no longer standing on the other side.
Ducking underneath the car, she saw her husband collapsed on the pavement and not moving. She heard a struggle and more shots as her friend also fell to the ground. Police say she grabbed her husband’s cellphone and called police as the attacker ran off, leaving bloody footprints that led police straight to him at the nearby Chinatown Square outdoor mall early Sunday.
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The suspect, Alvin Thomas, 20, was wearing bloody shoes and a gun was sticking out of his right pants pocket, police said. Thomas ran, but officers quickly arrested him and recovered a 9 mm handgun.
On Tuesday, Thomas appeared in bond court on first-degree murder charges in the deaths of Weizhong Xiong, 38, and Huayi Bian, 37. Dressed in a multicolored sweatshirt, tattered jeans and Air Jordan sneakers, he was mostly quiet as a judge ordered him held without bail. Nearly 100 friends and supporters of the victims watched from the courtroom gallery.
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Alvin Thomas, 20, is facing two counts of first-degree murder after two men were shot dead in a robbery attempt early Feb. 9, 2020, police said. (Chicago Police Department)
The shooting occurred shortly after 2 a.m. in a parking lot outside Bian’s apartment in the 2000 block of South Wells Street as he, Xiong and his wife returned from dinner, prosecutors said. The couple, who have a 12-year-old son in China, had been staying with Bian for about a week.
Xiong and Bian were outside the car, guiding Xiong’s wife into a parking space, when Thomas approached and shot Xiong repeatedly in the face and head, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy told the court. Thomas then struggled with Bian and shot him several times in the head before fleeing.
The woman saw Bian’s body “drop to the ground and she saw that he was not moving,” Murphy said.
Surveillance video showed Thomas entering the parking lot just after the SUV arrived, according to Murphy. It also captured Thomas fleeing the parking lot and wandering the area of the outdoor mall until officers saw him near the entrance. A woman in a nearby apartment told police she heard the shots and saw Thomas running away.
After his arrest, a gunshot residue test on Thomas’ hands was positive, authorities said. Shell casings found at the parking lot matched the gun found with Thomas.
Authorities did not mention a motive during the hearing but noted that Thomas, a package handler from the South Side, was on probation for two street robberies. Prosecutors also noted that $10,000 was found on Bian’s body but never mentioned it again.
Afterward, supporters of the victims tearfully described them as generous men who worked long hours to send money back to relatives in their native China. Xiong supported a handicapped father, while Bian worked six days a week, 12 hours a day to support a younger brother and ill mother.
“Really kindhearted, hardworking people,” said Terry Wilson, one of the people who showed up in court. “And for this to happen is wrong. There was no reason for this to happen."
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He said Xiong’s wife was too upset to attend the hearing.
Thomas’ family, who arrived too late for the hearing, was also at a loss to explain the deaths. A group of relatives that included his mother, Sherie Kellum, acknowledged his criminal record but believed he had turned a corner.
“That’s not him,” she said. “He’s a good guy ... a good person. He loves everybody."
Thomas was expected to return to court Feb. 24. He faces life in prison if convicted.
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rsobol@chicagotribune.com
pfry@chicagotribune.com
jgorner@chicagotribune.com
wlee@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Peapod to shut down grocery delivery in the Midwest and cut 500 jobs

Chicago will remain the headquarters for Peapod Digital Labs , which runs the technology and e-commerce platforms for Ahold Delhaize @ @ @ @ @ about 450 people in Chicago and on the East Coast .

Peapod, the grocery delivery pioneer, is ceasing operations in the Midwest, a move that will mean the loss of 500 jobs.
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Customers in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana won’t be able to place online grocery delivery orders through Peapod starting Feb. 18, its parent, grocery store giant Ahold Delhaize, announced Tuesday. About 50,000 people in the Midwest use Peapod, placing 10,500 orders weekly.
Chicago-based Peapod will close a distribution center and food preparation facility in Lake Zurich, a pickup point in Palatine and distribution facilities in Chicago, Milwaukee and Indianapolis — affecting 400 employees. Another 30 employees will be cut at corporate headquarters in the West Loop, and about 100 drivers will lose their jobs.
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Chicago will remain the headquarters for Peapod Digital Labs, which runs the e-commerce technology for Ahold Delhaize’s U.S. grocery brands. Peapod Digital Labs employs about 450 people, half of them in Chicago, and plans to hire 100 more people this year.
Peapod is exiting its home turf as grocery delivery heats up. The value of the online grocery market more than doubled from $12 billion in 2016 to $26 billion in 2018, and some projections have it reaching $100 billion by 2025.
Peapod’s green trucks will continue to serve customers on the East Coast, where Ahold Delhaize, the Dutch parent of Food Lion, Stop and Shop and Giant, is the region’s largest grocery retailer. The decision to cut service in the Midwest will allow the company to focus on a strategy that offers in-store, delivery and pickup options.
“Customers really want groceries to be available for them whichever way they choose to shop,” said JJ Fleeman, chief e-commerce officer and president of Peapod Digital Labs. The company has not changed e-commerce growth projections for the year of 30% as it invests in same-day delivery, loyalty programs and click and collect.
Peapod’s Midwest operation faced challenges because it was online only, so it didn’t have a network of stores to connect to the supply chain and it was more difficult to gain new customers who want to know the grocery brand where their fresh food is coming from, said Selma Postma, president of Peapod.
“This was a very difficult decision given our rich history in Chicago,” Postma said. “We have a lot of loyal customers, we have a lot of loyal employees.”
Peapod’s Midwest operations accounted for about $97 million of Ahold Delhaize’s $1.1 billion in online revenue in the U.S.
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Peapod, founded in Evanston in 1989, was purchased by Ahold in 2000. Headquartered in Skokie for most of its history, it moved to Chicago in 2018.
The company in recent years has struggled to compete with Instacart and Amazon grocery delivery services, whose on-demand delivery propositions have changed customer expectations, as well as retailers with their own e-commerce platforms. Peapod, whose business was built around a next-day delivery model that relied on dedicated fulfillment centers, couldn’t react so fast.
“It’s really a speed issue," said retail consultant Neil Stern with Chicago-based McMillanDoolittle. "Everything else about Peapod’s operation in terms of quality was superior, it just required a longer lead time to make it happen.”
Peapod, which employed its drivers and owned its trucks, also has a more expensive business model than some its e-commerce competitors that rely on independent contractors who haul groceries in their own cars, Stern said.
Stern said the news of Peapod’s closure in its hometown was “a bit shocking,” though its sales suggest struggles in the Midwest. When he consulted for Peapod a decade ago, Midwest sales were closer to $150 million, he said.
“Once the expectation is set that you can get deliveries to your house in an hour, why would you settle for anything other than that?” Stern said.
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Scott DeGraeve, a former senior vice president at Peapod, said it is “surprising and disappointing” that Peapod’s Midwest division wasn’t bought by another grocery chain with stores in the area.
DeGraeve, who left Peapod in 2015 as Ahold integrated more of the business into its East Coast stores, said a local retailer could have used Peapod’s technology and service to enhance delivery and pickup from its physical stores.
“Things have moved to now it’s becoming clear that the success in the online grocery space is a true omni-channel approach,” said DeGraeve, co-founder and chief operating officer of Locai Solutions, an e-commerce consulting firm for grocery stores. “What’s successful is the brick-and-mortar retail that also offers the online offerings rather than pure-play online only.”
Affected employees will be offered severance and transition support services, the company said.


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Mark Grace joins Marquee Sports Network as an analyst for select Cubs games

“ My years as a Cub were very special , and to return to Wrigley , the Cubs and the @ @ @ @ @ part of Marquee Sports Network is something that means a lot to me , ” @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ m thrilled to be back !
”

Longtime Cubs first baseman Mark Grace is joining Marquee Sports Network as an analyst.
Grace, 55, played 13 of his 16 major-league seasons for the Cubs and was a three-time National League All-Star. He will provide pregame, in-game and postgame analysis for the network, which announced the hiring Tuesday.
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Marquee also added Elise Menaker of the Big Ten Network. The Wilmette native and New Trier High School graduate “will create feature stories and other content, as well as contribute as a reporter and host,” Marquee said in a statement.
Marquee, a joint venture of the Cubs and Sinclair Broadcast Group, is set to launch Feb. 22 with the spring training opener against the Athletics.
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“My years as a Cub were very special, and to return to Wrigley, the Cubs and the best fans in sports as part of Marquee Sports Network is something that means a lot to me,” Grace said in the statement. “I’m thrilled to be back!”
Mark Grace is back 👏
No. 17 will join Marquee Sports Network as a Game Analyst! pic.twitter.com/JfbfYr1nK2 — Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) February 11, 2020
Big Ten Network's @EliseMenaker joins Marquee Sports Network talent roster as a Field Reporter! pic.twitter.com/ID0byMzSQD — Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) February 11, 2020
Grace played the last three seasons of his career for the Diamondbacks, including their 2001 World Series championship team. He retired after the 2003 season and served as a Fox Sports Arizona and national analyst for parts of the last 16 years.
He took an indefinite leave of absence in August 2012 after receiving two DUIs in a 15-month span and wasn’t brought back for the 2013 season. The Diamondbacks hired him as a minor-league hitting coach in 2014 and promoted him to assistant hitting coach of the big-league team in 2015-16.
Grace returned to the Diamondbacks booth with Fox Sports Arizona in 2017 and will continue in that role while working select Cubs broadcasts, Marquee said.
Marquee’s Cubs broadcasting lineup includes play-by-play announcer Len Kasper and color analyst Jim Deshaies, in-game reporter Taylor McGregor and analysts Chris Myers, Rick Sutcliffe, Doug Glanville, Ryan Dempster, Mark DeRosa, Carlos Pena and Dan Plesac, among others.


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Amazon pays $50 million for former Old Chicago amusement park and megamall site

Amazon ’ s redevelopment of the property would bring a 21st century use to a site best known for the @ @ @ @ @ , which opened to fanfare in 1975 but closed in 1980 .
The venue had @ @ @ @ @ and a concert venue , but it failed after running up costs and struggling to @ @ @ @ @

Despite its short run, Robert Brindle's Old Chicago drew hundreds of thousands to the turn-of-the-century themed indoor amusement park and shopping center in Bolingbrook. Opened in 1975 as a year-round destination for families, the park quickly went bankrupt because of low attendance and lack of commercial interest. The park closed in 1980 and was demolished six years later. While all that remains of the park is a street in its name, Old Chicago served as a conceptual blueprint for successful amusement park malls nationwide. In this photo from 1975, Dixieland bands were part of the free entertainment in the shop-lined New Orleans square at Old Chicago. (Frank Harris / Chicago Tribune)
Online retail giant Amazon has paid more than $50 million for the former site of Old Chicago, an indoor amusement park and mall in Bolingbrook that predated massive experiential shopping centers like Minnesota’s Mall of America.
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Amazon’s purchase likely paves the way for the site to become the latest in an already vast network of Amazon distribution centers throughout the Chicago area.
Amazon’s redevelopment of the property would bring a 21st century use to a site best known for the short-lived heyday of Old Chicago, which opened to fanfare in 1975 but closed in 1980. The venue had amusement rides, circus performers and a concert venue, but it failed after running up costs and struggling to keep visitors coming back.
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The massive Old Chicago structure featured a 16-story dome and was demolished in 1986.
Seattle-based Amazon on Jan. 21 paid $50.5 million for the site, according to Will County property records.
The 119-acre site is along the east and west sides of Illinois Route 53, just south of Interstate 55. The site’s address is 200 Old Chicago Drive.
The seller was Atlanta-based Cox Automotive, which in November shut down the Manheim Arena Illinois auto auction center on the site. Cox laid off 223 workers and offered 170 employees jobs in south suburban Matteson.
CBRE broker Matt Ishikawa represented Cox in the sale.
Amazon declined to comment on its plans for the site but said in an email that the purchase “provides us with the flexibility to quickly respond to our future network needs.”
[ Remembering the Chicago amusement parks that filled summertime with thrills and spills and water ]
With relatively easy access to interstates 55, 355, 80 and 88, the land is well located for a massive distribution center.
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The e-commerce company has opened more than 20 warehouse facilities in Illinois within the past four years, according to supply chain and logistics consulting firm MWPVL International.
In January, the Tribune reported Amazon was planning a distribution center on another site formerly known for entertainment. Amazon leased a three-building, 623,000-square-foot distribution center on the former site of the Maywood Park horse track just west of the city in Melrose Park.
The former Old Chicago site is about three times larger.
The idea of combining shops, amusement park rides and live entertainment under a single roof was innovative when Old Chicago opened in 1975. Canada’s West Edmonton Mall and the Mall of America, which combine shopping with attractions like rides, mini golf, escape rooms and aquariums, wouldn’t open until 1981 and 1992, respectively.
But Old Chicago was “troubled from the get-go,” said Neil Stern, senior partner with Chicago-based retail consultancy McMillanDoolittle, who recalls visiting the indoor amusement park as a kid. “It was never economically viable.”
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The $20 million, 500,000-square-foot building cracked while under construction, leading to cost overruns. A trapeze artist fell to his death in front of hundreds of spectators. Six Flags Great America opened just one year later in Gurnee, creating competition.
Nor was its location in then-remote Bolingbrook ideal. A 1975 photo shows Old Chicago’s massive dome rising above a field and farm buildings along I-55.
While it had roughly 200 shops, they were designed to host small boutiques, not big, name-brand destination stores, and two years after opening, occupancy had fallen to 54%. Old Chicago drew 2 million visitors in its first year, but just 900,000 in 1977, the Tribune reported at the time.
Old Chicago’s original owners sought bankruptcy protection roughly a year after opening. New owners invested $6 million in improvements, but it closed in 1980.
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There have been only a handful of similarly massive, entertainment-driven malls since, Stern said. Three — Mall of America, West Edmonton Mall and New Jersey’s American Dream Mall, which partially opened last year with attractions including an indoor skill hill — are owned by the same firm, Triple Five Group.
“You have to get everything just perfect about it — the right location, the right mix, filling a hole in the market. I think it’s absolutely doable, but it’s not like these have taken over the world,” he said.
rori@chicagotribune.com
lzumbach@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @Ryan_Ori


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Forecasters: Wednesday snowstorm to be followed by bitter cold not felt in Chicago since last winter

By Thursday , the temperature in Chicago is expected to fall below zero for the first time in about 10 @ @ @ @ @ weather service .
At O ’ Hare International Airport , where the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ the last time a below-zero temperature was recorded was 3 below on March 4 , @ @ @ @ @ , a meteorologist .

People make their way through the snow Feb. 9, 2020, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Brace yourselves, Chicagoans.
Not only is another snowstorm bearing down on the city, capable of dropping a few inches in most of the area starting Wednesday afternoon, but in its wake, the temperature also is expected to drop lower than it’s been since last winter, meteorologists said Tuesday.
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The impending snowstorm led to the National Weather Service declaring winter weather advisories for Will County and eight other counties in north-central Illinois, as well as Lake and Porter counties in northwest Indiana from late Wednesday afternoon into Thursday, with wind gusts up to 35 mph and snowfall of up to 6 inches.
By Thursday, the temperature in Chicago is expected to fall below zero for the first time in about 10 months, according to the weather service. At O’Hare International Airport, where the city’s official temperature is recorded, the last time a below-zero temperature was recorded was 3 below on March 4, 2019, said Jake Petr, a meteorologist.
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But there’s good news too: The jarring, below-normal temperatures should be short-lived.
Although it could feel as cold as 20 below with the wind chill, particularly in west suburbs, by Friday the actual temperature should rebound to the teens, Petr said.
“Basically it’s been very mild so far this winter and we haven’t had a temperature below zero so far in the 2019-2020 winter,” Petr said. “Since this is kind of the first real bitterly cold temps, we’re encouraging people to dress in layers, bring their pets in, that kind of thing.”
The normal high for Feb. 13 to 15 is 35 degrees, with a normal low of 20, according to the weather service.
In the wake of expected snow, a brief blast of bitter cold Thu. night-Fri. AM. Likely lowest temps since winter 2019 & late first <0° reading for many spots. Winds will be diminishing, w/lowest wind chills ~10 to 20 below zero. Teens Fri. PM but light winds & sunny. #ilwx #inwx pic.twitter.com/VulRcpZRN3 — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) February 11, 2020
The cold will come on the heels of another round of snowfall, expected to start in the Chicago area late Wednesday, possibly just in time to make the evening commute more dangerous, according to meteorologists Lee Carlaw and Ricky Castro.
“A period of accumulating snowfall of light to moderate amounts is becoming more likely across the region Wednesday afternoon through Thursday. Impacts to the commute are likely for at least portions of the area Wednesday evening and then possible areawide Thursday morning,” the pair wrote in a weather service alert.
Petr said parts of northern Illinois, including Chicago, could get as much as 3 inches of snow between Wednesday and Thursday, and it’s possible the area south of Interstate 80 could get even more. He said snowfall totals are expected to drop significantly farther north, in a line from roughly DeKalb to Waukegan.
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There is also a chance lake-effect snow will add to the totals Thursday in northwest Indiana and parts of northeast Illinois, as winds cause lakefront waves to build, forecasters said.
Long duration accumulating snow increasingly likely Wed. PM-Thu. Snow rates light to occasionally moderate but a period of heavier rates psbl south of I-80 Wed. PM. Lake effect could add to totals on Thu in NW IN & possibly part of NE IL. Blowing snow psbl on Thu. #ilwx #inwx pic.twitter.com/qLwxgoQd4u — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) February 11, 2020
“Lake-effect snow may continue through later Thursday afternoon and evening across portions of northwest Indiana,” according to the weather service. “Strong northerly winds will build waves on Thursday into Thursday night, likely causing lakeshore flooding and exacerbating beach erosion, especially for the northwest Indiana shoreline.”
By Thursday night, the temperature should start to drop to below zero, and overnight some parts of the state could record temperatures as low as 10 below, with the wind chill making it feel more like 20 below zero, meteorologists said.
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Friday should be mostly sunny with a high of about 16 degrees and a low of about 12, forecasters said. Saturday will be even warmer with a high temperature in the mid- to upper 30s, though there will be a chance of rain or snow.
Sunday night, when “Team LeBron” takes on “Team Giannis” in the NBA All-Star Game at Chicago’s United Center, the temperature should fall from a daytime high of 38 degrees to about 32 degrees around tipoff, forecasters said. There is a slight chance of rain or snow.
Read more on the Tribune’s weather page and check back for updates.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Harrison Ford worked at a Chicago Crate & Barrel? Yep, and he got fired too

`` I came back late from lunch , '' Ford replied .
`` It was their first store , and @ @ @ @ @ company were still there .
...
I was the incompetent manager of the store .
@

Crates — why'd it have to be crates?
Harrison Ford revealed some surprising details about his pre-acting days on Monday while appearing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to promote his upcoming film, "Call of the Wild."
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Before he was Indiana Jones and Han Solo, Ford was an employee at the first-ever Crate & Barrel furniture store in Chicago — but not for long, according to the actor.
"It was for about four months, until I got fired," Ford recalled, to laughs from the audience.
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The late-night host then followed up with the obvious question: "Why?"
"I came back late from lunch," Ford replied. "It was their first store, and the couple that owned the company were still there. ... I was the incompetent manager of the store."
Kimmel pressed further, inquiring as to what Crate & Barrel was like before it became the chain familiar in malls and shopping centers all over the country.
"Was the store more rustic? Like, was the stuff more substantial back then?"
"There were crates and barrels," Ford quipped. "The stuff was in crates and barrels."
The pair also discussed the "Star Wars" alum's time in the carpentry business, during which Ford apparently helped build a recording studio for musician Sérgio Mendes.
Prior to "A New Hope," George Lucas famously discovered his space cowboy while Ford was constructing cabinets in the director's home as a self-taught carpenter.
"When you were working as a carpenter and building these kind of places here in L.A., would you charge more to a celebrity than you would to a regular civilian?" Kimmel asked.
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"Wouldn't you?" Ford countered with a chuckle.
Eventually, the two got around to chatting about "Call of the Wild," which Ford admitted — to Kimmel's mock dismay — does not feature a real dog, but rather a CGI rendering.
Directed by Chris Sanders, the latest big-screen adaptation of Jack London’s classic novel hits theaters Feb. 21.


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Man dies after being mauled by pit bull in ‘unprovoked attack’ at Plainfield home, officials say

Plainfield police and firefighters were called to a home in the 22900 block of Judith Drive about 9:15 p.m. Saturday @ @ @ @ @ pet pit bull began mauling people there , seriously injuring the 25-year-old man before biting @ @ @ @ @ said .
Because the male pit bull continued acting aggressively toward emergency crews when they @ @ @ @ @ shot by a Plainfield police officer , a Will County animal control representative said Tuesday @

A man who was one of four people attacked by a pit bull Saturday in a Plainfield home died from his injuries, authorities said Tuesday.
Plainfield police and firefighters were called to a home in the 22900 block of Judith Drive about 9:15 p.m. Saturday when the family’s pet pit bull began mauling people there, seriously injuring the 25-year-old man before biting three other people, authorities said. Because the male pit bull continued acting aggressively toward emergency crews when they arrived, the animal was shot by a Plainfield police officer, a Will County animal control representative said Tuesday.
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The 25-year-old was rushed to Amita St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet with “severe injuries to his arms" but was transferred to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood for additional treatment, according to the release.
The man was identified as Devin White, of the 2000 block of Mystic Drive in Plainfield, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He was pronounced dead at 8:30 p.m. Monday at Loyola. Following an autopsy Tuesday, the medical examiner’s office concluded White’s death was accidental and came as a result of “multiple injuries” from a “dog attack.”
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White died “as a result of the injuries" suffered from "the dog bite,” according to a statement issued Tuesday by Plainfield police Detective Sgt. Kevin McQuaid. He did not immediately return a call requesting additional information.
The three other people suffered minor injuries from the pit bull: a 52-year-old woman; a 25-year-old woman; and a 19-year-old man, officials said. All three were evaluated at an area hospital and later released, according to police.
The dog was owned by the family, who told officials the animal had not been provoked before it attacked, police said.
Police were still investigating the attack Tuesday, according to McQuaid’s statement.
Family members could not be reached Tuesday.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--In new lawsuit, Hinsdale School District 86 residents claim school board violated their rights to fr

In new lawsuit, Hinsdale School District 86 residents claim school board violated their rights to freedom of speech

The three plaintiffs said in their complaint that they did not make a personal attack on anyone and , instead @ @ @ @ @ “ in a peaceful and civil manner '' that the public official responsible for a @ @ @ @ @ similar in her own home school district , which makes the information relevant to the @ @ @ @ @ .

During a meeting of the Hinsdale High School District 86 Board in November 2019, Meeta Patel, of Hinsdale, speaks during public comment. Patel is one of three residents who are suing the school board over an incident during a public meeting Dec. 12. (Kimberly Fornek / Pioneer Press)
Three residents of Hinsdale High School District 86 are suing the district’s school board, claiming the board violated their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech by not allowing them to speak about an administrator during a public meeting in December.
Meeta Jain Patel, Kim Notaro and Kara Kuo recently filed a complaint in federal court against the District 86 board and its president, Nancy Pollak, related to an incident Dec. 12, when the three residents were prohibited from speaking during the public comment portion of a school board meeting.
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According to the complaint, Pollak cited district policy when she stopped them from reading a letter regarding remarks made by Carol Baker, assistant superintendent for academics for District 86, during a February 2019 meeting of the Orland District 135 School Board.
Baker has said she was speaking about District 135′s curriculum during the board meeting because her son had attended the Orland Park school district years ago and was not representing District 86 at the time.
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In their complaint, Patel, Notaro and Kuo allege Pollak’s actions forbidding them from reading a letter were “in clear violation of the U.S. Constitution and ... an affront to the long and proper tradition of robust public discussion and criticism of public officials that is vital to a well-functioning democracy.”
Pollak did not return requests for comment. District 86 spokesman Chris Jasculca said in an email district officials have no comment on the lawsuit.
Patel, Notaro and Kuo, along with other residents, have been concerned about a new science curriculum the district is developing, which will eliminate some science courses, with the goal of aligning the curriculum at both Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South high schools.
According to the complaint, Patel, Notaro and Kuo believe comments Baker made at the meeting of the District 135 board, which was cutting programs to reduce expenses, were at odds with her endorsement of District 86’s new science sequence of courses and curriculum, and, therefore, relevant to discussions at District 86 board meetings.
During the Dec. 12 incident, a District 86 staff member removed the microphone from the podium while Patel was speaking after Pollak said the three residents were violating the district policy against discussing personnel or personal matters during public comment, according to the complaint.
When Patel, who serves on the Hinsdale Clarendon Hills School District 181 board, asked for the microphone back, Pollak told her, “Our policy is not to talk about personnel and specific people and specific individuals," according to the complaint.
The lawsuit states that none of the board members present or the district superintendent intervened in the matter. The complaint also states the board policy in effect during the December meeting stipulates that people are expected to conduct themselves at board meetings “with respect and civility toward others.”
When a community member at the Jan. 9 meeting asked the board to apologize for violating the women’s right to freedom of speech, board member Kevin Camden said the board had not violated their rights, adding how the board doesn’t allow people to “come in and attack individuals,” according to the complaint.
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The three plaintiffs said in their complaint that they did not make a personal attack on anyone and, instead, tried to point out “in a peaceful and civil manner" that the public official responsible for a controversial curriculum change opposed something similar in her own home school district, which makes the information relevant to the ongoing debate at District 86.
The complaint also claims the board is engaging in “viewpoint-based discrimination,” citing examples of the board allowing five other people from the audience to talk about Baker and other school employees and district officials in favorable terms.
"That permits people to speak favorably about specific public officials and employees by name but prohibits people from speaking unfavorably about public officials and employees by name,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit asks the court to stop the District 86 board from prohibiting the plaintiffs to speak about public officials and employees at board meetings on matters of public concern, and award the plaintiffs compensatory and punitive damages, as well as cover their attorneys’ fees.


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--After girl in foster care handcuffed for 5-hour drive, DCFS suspends employees, terminates contracto

After girl in foster care handcuffed for 5-hour drive, DCFS suspends employees, terminates contractor following ban on hard restraints

DCFS banned the same provider , Missouri-based Jim Stewart Transportation , from using hard restraints last year after it learned @ @ @ @ @ had been subjected to leg shackles or handcuffs while being driven between facilities since 2017 @ @ @ @ @ November after two teenage boys , 15 and 17 , were moved from a shelter @ @ @ @ @ placement in Palatine on the same day .

Despite a recent policy meant to end the use of hard restraints on foster children, a 14-year-old girl in state care was forced to wear ankle shackles Monday during a five-hour drive to a treatment facility out of state.
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The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said Tuesday that it has terminated a contract with the service provider, suspended employees involved in the decision and asked the agency’s inspector general to investigate.
“All relevant staff will also receive an immediate retraining to ensure protocols are followed moving forward,” agency spokesman Jassen Strokosch said in an emailed statement. "DCFS is deeply committed to ensuring every child in our care is treated with the utmost dignity and respect and that this never happens again.”
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DCFS banned the same provider, Missouri-based Jim Stewart Transportation, from using hard restraints last year after it learned that nearly 30 foster children had been subjected to leg shackles or handcuffs while being driven between facilities since 2017. Advocates raised concerns in November after two teenage boys, 15 and 17, were moved from a shelter in Chicago to a living placement in Palatine on the same day.
The new policy, created with the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois as part of a long-running federal consent decree, banned shackles and required DCFS to receive an order from a judge or psychiatrist to use soft restraints made out of cloth material in a limited number of circumstances where it was clinically appropriate.
Heidi Dalenberg, an attorney for the ACLU in the consent decree, called on DCFS employees involved in this latest case to resign.
“This is not a question of policy — this is about common decency. People should not need training or elaborate approval protocols to know that you don’t shackle children,” Dalenberg said in an emailed statement.
She also said DCFS needs to use trained medical transport companies and should only turn to restraints if a child is at risk of hurting themselves or others during a transport.
Jim Stewart Transportation was started in 2001 and has about 30 drivers who specialize in relocating young adults with behavioral challenges, Alan Ifft, director of operations, told the Tribune last year. The drivers are mostly former police officers or teachers, not medical personnel.
During Monday’s trip, the company was tasked with driving the girl from a psychiatric hospital in Moline to a treatment center in Springfield, Missouri, Strokosch said.
Calling the use of shackles degrading and traumatizing, a spokeswoman for the governor’s office said Gov. J.B. Pritzker was “furious” when he learned about the incident Monday night and urged DCFS to take swift disciplinary action.
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“The Governor has instructed DCFS to fire the transportation company that violated this rule and directed DCFS to hold every employee who has violated its policy fully accountable,” spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in an emailed statement.
echerney@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--A closer look at an active White Sox offseason, from their best move to who has the most to prove

“ He was awfully excited to become part of the organization , ” Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Jan. @ @ @ @ @ lot of that had to do with the pieces that were already here , the @ @ @ @ @ made over the course of the last year , as well as what the guys @ @ @ @ @ behind them .
Much less adding in the chance to play in Chicago and play @ @ @ @ @ ( Renteria ) , it ’ s enough in itself to get players excited about @ @ @ @ @ Grandal ) was certainly of that mindset when he was the first one to commit @ @

The White Sox last fall identified three areas of need for the offseason: designated hitter, right fielder and starting pitching.
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The team addressed all of those needs — and more — and has positioned itself to be a contender in the American League Central or for a wild-card spot. The annual PECOTA projections released Tuesday have the Sox finishing third in the division with 83 wins — 11 more than in 2019.
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With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training Wednesday, here’s a review of some of the Sox’s offseason moves.
Best move
Brewers catcher Yasmani Grandal tags out the Reds' Scooter Gennett during a July 23, 2019, game in Milwaukee. (Morry Gash/AP)
The Sox set the tone for their offseason Nov. 21, signing Yasmani Grandal to a four-year, $73 million deal. The two-time All-Star was the top catcher on the free-agent market. He has the potential to aid the Sox in several areas, including on-base percentage. Grandal was fourth in the majors with 109 walks in 2019. The Sox drew an AL-worst 378 walks. Grandal also is a wizard behind the plate with his stellar pitch-framing skills.
“He was awfully excited to become part of the organization,” Sox general manager Rick Hahn said Jan. 23. “And a lot of that had to do with the pieces that were already here, the progress that our young core made over the course of the last year, as well as what the guys throughout baseball understand is coming behind them. Much less adding in the chance to play in Chicago and play for (manager) Ricky (Renteria), it’s enough in itself to get players excited about coming here, and (Grandal) was certainly of that mindset when he was the first one to commit.”
Boldest moves
Edwin Encarnacion hit a combined 34 home runs for the Yankees and Mariners in 2019, the eighth straight season he belted at least 30. (Frank Franklin II/AP)
The Sox could have used some combination of Grandal, fellow catchers James McCann and Zack Collins and first baseman Jose Abreu to share time at designated hitter. But they brought in veteran slugger Edwin Encarnacion on a one-year, $12 million deal. While the Sox have focused on building for the future, adding Encarnacion and reliever Steve Cishek also are moves for the present. Encarnacion, 37, hit at least 32 homers in each of the last eight seasons.
“He’s someone who would make many lineups stronger just from his presence,” Hahn said of Encarnacion on Jan. 9, “and we certainly are no exception.”
Most to prove
Nomar Mazara signs an autograph at SoxFest on Jan. 24, 2020, at McCormick Place West. The Sox acquired the right fielder in an offseason trade with the Rangers. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
The Sox acquired right fielder Nomar Mazara in a trade with Rangers. He has tremendous power, as demonstrated with a 505-foot home run last season against Reynaldo Lopez. Mazara will attempt to showcase the potential that made him an attractive trade target. The Sox have not ruled out a platoon system in right field. The left-handed-hitting Mazara performed well against right-handed pitchers, hitting .288 in 302 at-bats with 13 home runs and 46 RBIs last season. But he struggled against lefties, hitting .220 in 127 at-bats.
“He’s not even close to reaching his potential,” Renteria said Jan. 23. “I believe the staff we have will be able to get more out of him.”
Biggest position upgrade
Braves pitcher Dallas Keuchel delivers during a 2019 game. Keuchel, 32, signed a three-year, $55.5 million deal with the White Sox in the offseason. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP / Associated Press)
The Sox fell short in their attempt to sign starting pitcher Zack Wheeler, who instead went to the Phillies. The Sox rebounded by adding 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel on a 3-year, $55.5 million deal. The 32-year-old left-hander will be slotted toward the top of the rotation, giving the Sox a solid one-two punch along with ace Lucas Giolito.
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The Sox also signed veteran left-hander Gio Gonzalez to a one-year, $5 million deal. Gonzalez, 34, brings stability to the back end of the rotation. Like Abreu, whom the Sox re-signed to a three-year, $50 million deal, Keuchel’s and Gonzalez’s influence will go beyond the field.
"He’s going to have an impact by being that veteran force every fifth day (on the mound),” Hahn said of Keuchel on Jan. 23. “But it’s going to extend beyond that both in terms of sort of a mentorship-type role or a go-to-type guy for the young pitchers as they continue to grow and aspire to be Cy Young contenders like he was.”
Top move for the future
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 42 White Sox center fielder Luis Robert is helped off the field after being injured while reaching first base with an infield hit in the first inning against the Indians on May 2, 2021 at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
For the second straight season, the Sox avoided dealing with the potential of a messy service-time situation. Before the 2019 season, the team signed left fielder Eloy Jimenez to a long-term deal. This offseason, the Sox and Luis Robert agreed to a six-year, $50 million deal. The center fielder is one of the top prospects in all of baseball. He had a monster 2019 in the minors, hitting .328 with 32 home runs, 92 RBIs and 36 stolen bases at three levels. He has big goals for 2020.
“I want to be rookie of the year and win a championship,” Robert said through an interpreter Jan. 24.


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Lincoln Park High School student sues Board of Ed, saying school failed to protect her from alleged

Lincoln Park High School student sues Board of Ed, saying school failed to protect her from alleged sexual assault by another student

At one point during the students ’ interaction , the girl went to the bathroom , and the teen boy @ @ @ @ @ a hallway when she came out , according to police sources .
The two went @ @ @ @ @ it was then that the boy allegedly sexually assaulted the girl after pulling down her @ @ @ @ @ to the police sources .

A Lincoln Park High School student has sued the Chicago Board of Ed over an alleged sexual assualt at the school. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
The father of a Lincoln Park High School student has sued the Chicago Board of Education, alleging the school did not do enough to prevent his 15-year-old daughter from being sexually assaulted by another student, according to court records.
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The lawsuit was filed Friday in Cook County Circuit Court and centers around an incident that happened Jan. 13. The father alleges in the lawsuit that the school failed to provide adequate security, failed to implement appropriate policies to prevent the sexual abuse of minors on school property and failed to prevent the other student from having inappropriate contact with his daughter, according to the lawsuit.
Michael Passman, a spokesman for Chicago Public Schools, said in an email that the district is unable to comment on the pending lawsuit, but he said the district is committed to helping the high school through “this challenging time.”
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“Protecting students is our highest priority, which is why it was necessary for the district to take a series of personnel actions at Lincoln Park High School in response to serious allegations of recent adult and student misconduct,” Passman said in the email.
[ Lincoln Park High School scandal has sparked 5 investigations and top leaders’ removal. Here is how it unfolded. ]
The father and the girl were not named in the lawsuit, and won’t be named in court proceedings, according to an order filed last week. A hearing in the case is scheduled for April 7.
The lawsuit comes at a time of turmoil for Lincoln Park High School where, since early January, several administrators and basketball coaches have been removed or reassigned amid a spate of misconduct complaints against staff and students that has prompted five internal investigations. CPS officials have said investigators have uncovered multiple serious violations, including allegations of sexual misconduct, improper student discipline, recruiting violations, retaliation against witnesses and financial misconduct.
One of the internal investigations stems from the same alleged sexual assault referenced in the civil lawsuit.
[ Column: Secrecy by CPS has made a bad situation worse at Lincoln Park High School ]
That alleged sexual assault happened near the end of the school day after the girl mentioned to a male student that she needed to charge her phone and the boy led her into a classroom, according to police sources. The two began kissing, but she asked him to stop when he began to touch her in the hip area, according to police.
At one point during the students’ interaction, the girl went to the bathroom, and the teen boy was waiting for her in a hallway when she came out, according to police sources. The two went back into the classroom and it was then that the boy allegedly sexually assaulted the girl after pulling down her pants and underwear, according to the police sources.
[ Lincoln Park High School local council says it was ‘completely blindsided’ by leaders’ removal but Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says CPS has ‘done a good job’ handling alleged misconduct ]
The Chicago Public Schools’ Office of Student Protections and Title IX opened an investigation into the incident the next day. Chicago police have since confirmed officers are also investigating what happened inside the classroom but that no charges have been filed in the case.
At least one of the other internal investigations related to Lincoln Park High stems from late December when the boys basketball team took an overnight trip to Detroit that district officials later called “unauthorized.” The varsity boys basketball team later forfeited its city league playoff game and were withdrawn from the state postseason tournament.
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[ Players from suspended Lincoln Park High team fail in last-ditch effort to enter city playoffs as misconduct scandal engulfs school ]
The leadership changes at the school have led to heightened tensions among the student body. Students organized walkouts, sit-ins and there were also reports of physical fights inside the school. Many students, parents and members of the Local School Council have complained that CPS officials have not released enough information about what prompted the apparent firing of the interim principal and an assistant principal, the reassignment of a school dean and the suspension of the varsity boys basketball team.
But Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said she supports the decisions made during the school leadership shakeup.
On Monday, Lincoln Park High parents received an email from officials saying there weren’t any incidents to report from that day. The district also told parents it had conducted a security review and created a “refreshed plan for all of our security staff.”
“We will continue to maintain a strong adult presence in supporting a positive school climate,” the email stated.
Late Tuesday, members of the Local School Council emerged from a meeting with CPS Chief Education Oficer LaTanya McDade where council member Amy Zemnick said they were briefed on “some of the allegations surrounding” the school, without alleged victims named.
“Of course, CPS’s allegations are serious and it is terrible to think of the students who suffered. Any student who has been harmed must be protected,” she said. She added the council still has questions about CPS’s handling of the investigations but has a lot to process and has agreed to take the information back to the council, which is due to meet Thursday.
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“The way in which CPS has engaged in its investigations remains unclear,” Zemnick said.
emalagon@chicagotribune.com
rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Dwyane Wade opens up about helping his daughter Zaya ‘live her truth’ and acknowledging her gender i

Dwyane Wade opens up about helping his daughter Zaya ‘live her truth’ and acknowledging her gender identity: ‘We are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ community’

As a family , we believe inclusion and equality are two essential pillars needed to move towards growth and progressive @ @ @ @ @ society .
We have created a Limited Edition T shirt to help create a more @ @ @ @ @ .
The Wade family and @ yngdna have decided to donate $ 50k and 50 @ @ @ @ @ sales of the Pride shirts to The GLSEN organization whose mission strives to ensure safe @ @ @ @ @ regardless of sexual orientation as well as gender identity .
For 25 years GLSEN has @ @ @ @ @ focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools for LGBTQ+ students # StopKillingBlackTransWomen # StopKillingTransWomen # @ @ @ @ @ kaaviajames has a very cool @ yngdna Pride piece coming soon 👼🏾👼🏾👼🏾

Retired NBA star Dwyane Wade and his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, consider themselves allies of the LGBTQ community, a responsibility they took seriously when their daughter Zaya opened up about her gender identity.
Wade shared some details of the night Zaya 12, told her parents she was ready to “live her truth” during an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” airing Tuesday.
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“We are proud, when I say proud, we are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community, and we’re proud allies as well,” Wade told DeGeneres. “And we take our roles and responsibilities as parents very seriously.
“So, when our child comes home with a question, when our child comes home with an issue, when our child comes home with anything, it’s our job as parents to listen to that and give them the best information that we can, the best feedback that we can. That doesn’t change because sexuality is now involved.”
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.@DwyaneWade is an NBA All-Star. Now he’s a parenting all-star as well. pic.twitter.com/GlBL897qYs — Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) February 11, 2020
The support for Zaya did not stop with the change in pronouns.
Wade and Union began to gather as much information as possible, tapping into their large number of contacts for guidelines. They even reached out to the cast of the FX series “Pose,” which has cast the largest number of transgender actors in recurring roles in television history.
“We just tried to figure out as much information as we can to make sure that we give our child the best opportunity to be her best self,” Wade said.
Wade, a Chicago native who played for the Heat, Bulls and Cavaliers, currently is on a media tour to promote his upcoming ESPN documentary, “D Wade: Life Unexpected,” about his career as a 13-time All-Star, but he has shifted smoothly into life as a father of four. His and Union’s parenting skills were applauded by the audience and DeGeneres, who commended their approach to supporting their child unconditionally.
It’s also not the first time Wade and Union have used their platform to advocate for inclusion. In December, Wade appeared on “All the Smoke,” a podcast with retired NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, to discuss Zaya’s journey and transphobic comments made on social media at the time.
Meet Zaya. She's compassionate, loving, whip smart and we are so proud of her. It’s Ok to listen to, love & respect your children exactly as they are. Love and light good people. pic.twitter.com/G2lLVdD2VT — Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) February 11, 2020
It was clear then and during the “Ellen” segment how proud and supportive he and Union have been to help their daughter.
“I looked at it and said, ‘You are a leader. You are a leader and this is our opportunity to allow you to be a voice,’ ” Wade said. “Right now, it’s through us because she’s 12 years old, but eventually it will be through her.”


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Riders at public hearing share impact of proposed Pace route changes, eliminations in north suburbs

“ The joy that the bus has brought to him is immeasurable , ” Thunholm said .
“ I don @ @ @ @ @ have had the development that he has had had he not been able to be @ @ @ @ @ ”

Pace is holding a series of public hearings, including one Feb. 5, 2020 at the Northbrook Public Library in Northbrook, to hear from riders on a proposal for route changes and eliminations in the north suburb. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)
As Pace prepares to make a series of route changes affecting several north suburban communities, some municipal officials and residents attending the series of public hearings being held are requesting some modifications to the initial proposals.
The suburban public bus agency is moving toward service changes following a 2017 study of its network plus a 5.4 percent decrease in fixed route system wide ridership between 2018 and 2019, according to spokeswoman Maggie Daly Skogsbakken.
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Specifically, Pace is planning to introduce new routing to the number 215, 226, 422 and 423 buses in addition to a new 424 bus that would run from the Linden Station on the CTA Purple Line north to the Glen of North Glenview.
Collectively, the impacted routes serve several suburbs, including Glenview, Northbrook and Northfield, and a number of shopping centers and high schools.
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Meanwhile, the 210 and 421 routes face elimination due to low ridership. The 210 bus serves Glenbrook Hospital and Glenbrook High School, travelling through Morton Grove and Skokie to the Lincolnwood Town Center mall in Lincolnwood. The 421 serves the Northfield and Wilmette area, including New Trier High School’s Northfield campus and Loyola Academy, according to Pace maps of the routes.
Heather Remien of Northbrook and her daughter Ryan Remien, 16, a sophomore at Glenbrook North High School, were among the attendees at the Pace public hearing Feb. 5, 2020 at the Northbrook Public Library in Northbrook. (Pioneer Press)
Pace suburban bus company is holding a series of public hearings, including one Feb. 5, 2020 at the Northbrook Public Library in Northbrook, pictured, to hear from riders about proposed route changes in the north suburbs. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)
To prepare communities for the changes, Pace has conducted a series of public meetings, including a Feb. 5 session at the Northbrook Public Library.
Northbrook Trustee Robert Israel said the village has been installing elements of the Northbrook-specific transit-oriented development plan in cooperation with local transportation agencies. He said the reconfigured 422 route, which would have the bus no longer run through downtown and to the Northbrook Court shopping mall, would not be welcomed.
“I believe taking away the 422 through Northbrook affects our changes towards transit-oriented development,” Israel said after the public hearing.
Meanwhile, parents of children with special needs pleaded with Pace officials not to remove a component of the 422 bus route where Glenbrook North High School special education students board a bus that takes them into the greater community.
Randi Gillespie has a freshman daughter whom he said is a frequent rider of that bus. She believes the bus trips help the students get out into the community where they can work on vocational and socialization skills.
“We all want meaningful days for our kids,” Gillespie said.
Another resident John Thunholm echoed that sentiment when speaking about his son.
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“The joy that the bus has brought to him is immeasurable,” Thunholm said. “I don’t think he would have had the development that he has had had he not been able to be part of the community.”
Daly Skogsbakken said in light of the testimony from the parents Pace would look at ways to preserve access to those students.
“We have alternative services that might fulfill the need for access for those students,” Daly Skogsbakken said.
Christian Turner, of Pace suburban bus company, gave a planning presentation before the agency heard from the public during a public hearing Feb. 5, 2020 at the Northbrook Public Library in Northbrook. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)
Northbrook Village Manager Rich Nahrstadt and Northbrook Village Trustee Robert Israel were among the attendees at the Pace public hearing Feb. 5, 2020 at the Northbrook Public Library in Northbrook. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)
Still, in other communities where bus route changes would have an impact, area officials continue to evaluate the situation and said talks are ongoing with Pace.
In Evanston, Jessica Hyink, the city’s transportation and mobility coordinator, said that with the 215 route no longer going east toward the Howard Station, residents of the city’s southwest side will no longer have some direct routes.
“It does mean that people who have to take these routes will have to transfer to get to their destination for the northern part of the 215 route,” Hyink said.
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The 215 bus route runs between the Old Orchard mall in Skokie and the Howard Station in Evanston on the CTA Red Line.
Tracy Katz Muhl, a Northbrook resident and committee member of Democrats of Northfield Township, spoke at the Pace public hearing Feb. 5, 2020 at the Northbrook Public Library in Northbrook. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)
Chris Canning, pictured, served as the hearing officer for the Pace public hearing Feb. 5, 2020 at the Northbrook Public Library in Northbrook. Canning is also a former Wilmette village president. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press)
Hyink said the city has been in touch with Pace about the situation and wants to hear what residents have to say. The suburb scheduled a Feb. 11 public hearing at the Levy Senior Center in Evanston.
Over in Glenview, Tony Repp, a village senior planner, said there was a public hearing in Glenview on Jan. 31 on the issue, with residents expressing their viewpoints.
“We are expecting now that they will come back with some changes based on the feedback,” Repp said. “We definitely heard some of the concerns.”
He said the village would continue to monitor the situation.
“We feel we have a nice transportation hub downtown and we would like to preserve that,” Repp said.
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In Niles, there was an acknowledgement of some changes coming to the routes that serve the area, yet village officials are happy with the Pulse route introduced last year that offers faster service on Milwaukee Avenue.
Village of Niles spokesman Mitch Johnson said in an email following the Feb. 5 public hearing that riders of the 226 line – which currently runs down Niles Center Road to the Jefferson Park station on the CTA Blue Line – would be impacted by the proposed change to have that bus go instead to the Howard station in Evanston on the CTA Red Line.
“Those riders would hopefully be able to take advantage of the nearby 225 route or utilize Pace’s Milwaukee Avenue Pulse route via the Harlem/Milwaukee station,” he said.
Daly Skogsbakken said the agency is amenable to changes based on all the public input received. She said modifications were made in the past few major restructurings Pace implemented.
“We start the process knowing we will learn some things and make change accordingly,” Daly Skogsbakken said.
The last of the six public hearings is scheduled for Tuesday February 18 at the Wilmette Public Library.
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Daly Skogsbakken said Pace hopes to have the new service implemented by August.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelancer.


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Netflix ‘Cheer’ star Jerry Harris: 5 things to know about this Chicagoland native

3 .
Harris said he plans to graduate from his Texas-based community college in May and he would like to @ @ @ @ @ four-year university , but he ’ s also interested in pursuing some of the opportunities @ @ @ @ @ “ Cheer ” premiered Jan. 8 .
“ I ’ m just going with the @ @ @ @ @ Harris said .
Whether he will live in the Chicago area after graduation is still @ @ @ @ @ though he said he returns for major holidays and school breaks .
Harris likes to @ @ @ @ @ at Portillo ’ s and Harold ’ s Chicken when he ’ s here .

Greta Gerwig, right, talks to Jerry Harris on the red carpet at the Oscars on Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (John Locher / AP)
Three years ago, Jerry Harris was a student at Waubonsie Valley High School in suburban Aurora, and now the Netflix “Cheer” star is everywhere. He’s hugging Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb on the “Today” show. He’s interviewing Laura Dern, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Greta Gerwig on the Oscars red carpet as a correspondent for Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show. He’s enthusiastically motivating a woman to get out of bed in a sketch on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
Harris, 20, talked with the Tribune by phone about his Bolingbrook upbringing, his quick rise to fame since the “Cheer” docuseries about his Navarro College cheer team premiered last month, and his plans for the future. Here are five things to know.
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1. Harris said he was born in Hinsdale and raised in Bolingbrook. Long before he was “mat talking” — pumping up his fellow cheerleaders while they perform stunts — he was a standout student at Waubonsie Valley High. Principal Jason Stipp said Harris was recognized at a breakfast the school held to celebrate values such as respect, integrity, accountability and perseverance. “His smile lit up our building,” Stipp told the Tribune about Harris.
2. Harris has had some tough times too. He said his mother, Lizzie Bowman, died of lung cancer in 2016, and he doesn’t have a good relationship with his father. A GoFundMe campaign started on behalf of Harris after his mother’s death has raised $59,000, as of Tuesday morning.
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3. Harris said he plans to graduate from his Texas-based community college in May and he would like to finish his education at a four-year university, but he’s also interested in pursuing some of the opportunities that have come up since “Cheer” premiered Jan. 8. “I’m just going with the flow right now,” Harris said. Whether he will live in the Chicago area after graduation is still up in the air, though he said he returns for major holidays and school breaks. Harris likes to ice skate downtown and eat at Portillo’s and Harold’s Chicken when he’s here.
4. Harris enjoyed celebrities recognizing him while he worked the Oscars red carpet Sunday. “I got to interview Billie Eilish and Brad Pitt. Those were the two that I was most excited about,” he said. Harris gushed over Pitt and called him “the coolest man in the world.” “You are awesome,” Harris told Pitt. “Yeah, I’m pretty good from afar,” Pitt said.
5. Harris is on the Cameo paid shoutout service (though he was “temporarily unavailable” for bookings as of Tuesday morning). His craziest request from fans? “I didn’t say it in the video, but they wanted to tell me that they wanted to adopt me, so that was pretty crazy. I also got one (request for me to give) the best of luck to someone getting pregnant,” Harris said with a big laugh. “They crazy.”
tswartz@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Illinois becomes first state to test for new coronavirus, meaning faster results for local residents

Illinois becomes first state to test for new coronavirus, meaning faster results for local residents showing symptoms

“ The ability to do this testing will mean we will be able to detect any new cases of novel @ @ @ @ @ possible spread , ” said Evonda Thomas-Smith , assistant director at the state health department @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We understand there is concern about this new virus , which is why @ @ @ @ @ can help reduce some of those concerns .
”

Jennifer Crew, the supervisor of the virology lab at the Illinois Department of Public Health in Chicago, simulates the process of testing for the coronavirus on Feb. 7, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois is the first state to be able to test for the new coronavirus, rather than sending specimens to the federal government for testing, the state health department announced Tuesday.
Testing is being conducted at an Illinois Department of Public Health laboratory in Chicago, and results will typically be available within 24 hours.
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“The ability to do this testing will mean we will be able to detect any new cases of novel coronavirus earlier and prevent any possible spread,” said Evonda Thomas-Smith, assistant director at the state health department, in a news release. “We understand there is concern about this new virus, which is why having test results back quickly can help reduce some of those concerns.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began shipping test kits to labs throughout the U.S. and abroad last week. People will be tested if they’re showing certain symptoms and recently traveled from China or had close contact with a person with coronavirus. Positive test results will still have to be confirmed by the CDC.
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The state health department is in the process of bringing testing to labs in Springfield and Carbondale.
So far, two Illinois residents have tested positive for coronavirus, a husband and wife who were released from Amita Health St. Alexius Medical Center Hoffman Estates last week. The man caught the illness from his wife, who had traveled to Wuhan in late December. The case was the first known instance of person-to-person transmission in the U.S.
In Illinois, 44 other tests for the virus have come back negative, according to the public health department.
Across the U.S., 13 people have tested positive.
As of Tuesday, 43,103 people had confirmed cases of the virus worldwide, and 1,107 people had died, all but one of them in China, according to the World Health Organization.
Symptoms of the virus can include fever, cough and shortness of breath. It’s believed symptoms appear anywhere from two to 14 days after exposure. The CDC has said it’s still unclear how easily the virus spreads from person to person.
The state health department and the Illinois Poison Center have set up a hotline for Illinois residents to call if they have questions about the coronavirus. People who live outside Chicago can call the hotline at 800-889-3931 or email DPH.SICK@illinois.gov. Chicago residents may call 312-746-4835 Monday through Friday during business hours, and 311 during evenings, weekends, and holidays, or email coronavirus@chicago.gov.


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Trump nominates judge who ordered release of Laquan McDonald shooting video to federal bench

Judge Franklin Valderrama , who has served as an associate judge at the Daley Center since 2007 , was nominated @ @ @ @ @ a U.S. District Court judge by President Donald Trump , according to an announcement from @ @ @ @ @ of the Northern District of Illinois .

A Cook County judge who changed the course of Chicago history by forcing the city to release the Laquan McDonald shooting video has been nominated to the federal bench.
Judge Franklin Valderrama, who has served as an associate judge at the Daley Center since 2007, was nominated this week to serve as a U.S. District Court judge by President Donald Trump, according to an announcement from the clerk’s office of the Northern District of Illinois.
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Also nominated by the president to fill a district judge position was Iain Johnston, who currently serves as a federal magistrate at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse.
The nominations will be considered by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee before likely being sent for a vote by the full Senate.
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“Our court is extremely pleased by the nomination of these two distinguished jurists and eagerly awaits their confirmations,” U.S. District Chief Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer said in a statement.
Valderrama was thrust into the spotlight in November 2015 when he rejected the arguments of city of Chicago lawyers that the now-infamous police dash-cam video depicting Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting McDonald 16 times should be kept from the public.
The ruling came as a surprise to the Emanuel administration, which had fought to keep the video under wraps and quietly negotiated a $5 million payment to McDonald’s family before a lawsuit was even filed.
Just days after Valderrama’s order, the video was released by the city, leading to weeks of protests, first-degree murder charges against Van Dyke and the firing of then-police Superintendent Garry McCarthy.
The outrage over the shooting of 17-year-old McDonald — who was black — by a white officer also prompted a historic civil rights probe by the U.S. Justice Department that found the Chicago Police Department systematically abused citizens, particularly those in impoverished neighborhoods.
Van Dyke was convicted by a jury of second-degree murder and is serving a 6½-year prison sentence. The city, meanwhile, has entered into a consent degree in federal court that calls for a major overhaul of Police Department practices.
In a statement Tuesday issued through his clerk, Valderrama said he was honored to be nominated but had no further comment.
A graduate of University of Illinois at Chicago, Valderrama earned his law degree from DePaul University and is an adjunct professor at John Marshall Law School.
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Prior to joining the Cook County bench, Valderrama was a partner at Sanchez, Daniels & Hoffman LLP, where his practice focused on trial litigation, according to the news release.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Joe Maddon says the Cubs ‘wanted to change everything’ and cites his loss of power as reasons behind

Joe Maddon says the Cubs ‘wanted to change everything’ and cites his loss of power as reasons behind his departure

The changes involved the firing of two coaches — hitting coach Chili Davis and pitching coach Jim Hickey — and @ @ @ @ @ no connection to Maddon who were added to his staff after the Cubs collapsed late @ @ @ @ @ to the Rockies in the wild-card game .

MESA, Ariz. — Two seasons after leading the Cubs to their first World Series title since 1908, manager Joe Maddon started to notice much of the power he once wielded was taken away.
And after failing to advance to the playoffs in 2019, Maddon realized the decision to part ways with the Cubs after five seasons was best for both parties.
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Maddon in an interview with ESPN elaborated on the “philosophical differences” between him and team President Theo Epstein that led to his eventual return to the Angels as manager.
“After ‘18 going into ‘19, they wanted to change everything,” Maddon told ESPN.
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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 170 Cubs manager Joe Maddon wears a smile on his face prior to a game against the Reds at Wrigley Field on Sept. 17, 2019. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
The changes involved the firing of two coaches — hitting coach Chili Davis and pitching coach Jim Hickey — and the addition of newcomers with no connection to Maddon who were added to his staff after the Cubs collapsed late in the season before losing to the Rockies in the wild-card game.
“They wanted to control more of what was occurring in just about everything,” said Maddon, whose beliefs in traditional methods last season didn’t mesh with the team’s increased analytical support.
Maddon maintained he remains friends with Epstein but acknowledged it was time for a change. Maddon opened a restaurant on the corner of the team’s offices in May of 2019 that has since closed.
Epstein is scheduled to talk Tuesday to reporters on the eve of the first workout for pitchers and catchers.


chicagotribune--2020-02-11--Shout Out: Bruce Sewick, runs Leyden Family Service

I think it ’ s important to be aware of others around you who may be struggling .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ them .
There ’ s a campaign called Seize the Awkward that ’ s all @ @ @ @ @ who may be struggling with their mental health .

Bruce Sewick is the CEO of Leyden Family Service & Mental Health Center in Franklin Park and the SHARE Program in Hoffman Estates. (Pioneer Press)
Bruce Sewick is the CEO of Leyden Family Service & Mental Health Center in Franklin Park and the SHARE Program in Hoffman Estates. He’s said he likes serving the community and helping others.
Where did you grow up and go to school?
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I grew up near Midway Airport. I went to Brother Rice High School in Chicago. I went to University of Illinois at Chicago and Roosevelt University for my master’s degree.
How did you become interested in working in the mental health field?
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I was always interested in the brain and how it functioned.
What do you like about your job?
I like hearing about progress made from people who are in our programs. I like servicing the community and impacting people’s lives. I like making connections to move the agency forward and seeing the results of what the clinicians do.
What services do Leyden Family Service and The SHARE Program offer?
Leyden Family Service offers a range of counseling and treatments for adults, children, families and senior citizens. The SHARE Program is an alcohol, drug and gambling rehabilitation facility.
Why do you think so many people struggle with anxiety and depression today?
I think people are more aware of the fact they don’t have to accept anxiety and depression as their base line.
What can people do to improve their mental health?
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I think it’s important to be aware of others around you who may be struggling. It’s important to speak to them. There’s a campaign called Seize the Awkward that’s all about being aware of those who may be struggling with their mental health.
What are your future plans for Leyden Family Service?
We’d like to grow the agency and be able to offer behavior and primary care treatment in the same setting.
When is the next annual fundraiser?
It will be Oct. 2 at Allegra Banquets in Schiller Park. The money raised will go towards all of our programs.