chicagotribune--2020-09-23--Naperville man arrested on a gunrunner charge following ATF investigation

Haq was identified as a suspect in the sale of illegal guns in Aurora , and as part of the @ @ @ @ @ to one person on three occasions between Sept. 13 , 2019 , and Oct. 11 @ @ @ @ @ said .

Mohammed Haq, of Naperville, was arrested on a gunrunning charge following an investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office. (DuPage County / HANDOUT)
A Naperville man accused of illegally selling guns, two of which were reportedly stolen, has been charged with gunrunning by the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Mohammed Haq, 38, of 2729 East Gateshead Drive, was arrested following an investigation conducted by the Chicago field office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to a DuPage County news release.
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Haq was identified as a suspect in the sale of illegal guns in Aurora, and as part of the investigation allegedly sold nine guns to one person on three occasions between Sept. 13, 2019, and Oct. 11, 2019, the release said.
Haq was arrested on a warrant Tuesday, and released from DuPage Count jail on $100,000 bond on Wednesday, court and jail records said. Gunrunning is a class 1 felony.
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“The illegal sale of guns continues to fuel violence in our streets,” State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in the release.
“If not for the outstanding work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Aurora Police Department and the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office, Mr. Haq’s alleged illegal gun sales may have resulted in nine additional firearms finding their way into the wrong hands.”
Haq’s next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 15.


chicagotribune--2020-09-23--‘Dreadhead Cowboy’ hit with charges he abused horse, which may be put down after Dan Ryan protest ri

‘Dreadhead Cowboy’ hit with charges he abused horse, which may be put down after Dan Ryan protest ride

Hollingsworth has said the ride was meant to shut down the Dan Ryan and bring attention to violence against children @ @ @ @ @ he met with authorities about staging a protest on the expressway , according to Illinois @ @ @ @ @ was denied because officials thought it would dangerous as well as illegal .

The Dreadhead Cowboy, aka Adam Hollingsworth, stands on his horse Prince on June 23, 2020, in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
A lone cowboy rode out from obscurity this summer and into local fame, an oddball bright spot in a bleak year.
The Dreadhead Cowboy — born Adam Hollingsworth — became a social media sensation, “our Batman,” a mainstay at Black Lives Matter protests, the mayor’s census ambassador, a friend to children across the city.
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But his gallop down the Dan Ryan Expressway this week ended in ugly allegations that he criminally mistreated his horse, which may now need to be euthanized, Cook County prosecutors said.
Hollingsworth was ordered held on $25,000 bond at a hearing Wednesday; he posted the bail and walked out of jail about 5:30 p.m., with a sorrowful look on his face. He declined to speak with reporters. Hollingsworth faces a felony aggravated animal cruelty charge, along with misdemeanor counts of trespassing and reckless conduct.
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Hollingsworth’s attorney strongly disputed that he would ever do anything to harm the horse, calling him a dedicated community activist who was riding down the Dan Ryan as part of a planned protest.
Adam Hollingsworth exits Cook County Jail after posting bail on Sept. 23, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
“He loves his horses, he’s passionate about horseback riding, there’s no indication my client would ever do anything … harming his horse,” said Assistant Public Defender Emily Bock.
But Judge David Navarro called the alleged treatment “terrible.”
“The horse doesn’t know it’s a part of a protest. The horse only knows how it’s been treated,” he said. “It would appear from (prosecutors) its treatment was criminal.”
Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin DeBoni said Hollingsworth kicked and whipped the horse to force the animal on a 7.5-mile trip down the expressway Monday. By the time it collapsed on the pavement near 95th Street, it was in critical condition, DeBoni said.
The animal was extremely dehydrated, its heart rate had doubled, it had cuts to its front legs and its eyes were “dilated to the point where they looked like cartoon eyes,” DeBoni said. “If medical attention was not rendered immediately, the animal would have succumbed to injuries sustained.”
Bock, Hollingsworth’s attorney, disputed that the horse had been mistreated, saying the animal is well-fed and up to date on its vaccines.
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Hollingsworth was stopped by state troopers at 95th Street after he rode his brown and white horse south on the expressway, escorted by several supporters on motorcycles and jamming rush-hour traffic. “I shut down the Dan Ryan, Kids’ Lives Matter,” he streamed on Facebook Live.
Hollingsworth was placed under arrest and the horse was taken to Chicago’s Animal Care and Control, then transported to an animal rescue shelter for medical evaluation, according to state police.
Adam Hollingsworth exits Cook County Jail after posting bail on Sept. 23, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Hollingsworth has said the ride was meant to shut down the Dan Ryan and bring attention to violence against children. Earlier this month, he met with authorities about staging a protest on the expressway, according to Illinois State Police. His request was denied because officials thought it would dangerous as well as illegal.
Earlier this summer, Hollingsworth partnered with Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office to encourage people to fill out their census forms. The mayor dubbed him the “Census Cowboy.”
But late Monday, the mayor criticized Hollingsworth’s actions.
“What is clear is that this stunt not only seriously endangered the horse, but also the rider and all travelers on the expressway,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “There is a right way and a wrong way to call attention to issues of great importance, and this stunt was decidedly the very wrong way.”
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rsobol@chicagotribune.com
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-23--CPS plan for reopening schools remains unclear as parents share remote learning woes with Board of E

CPS plan for reopening schools remains unclear as parents share remote learning woes with Board of Education: ‘It’s just not working’

“ There has been progress , and the teachers , the parents are doing all that they can with what @ @ @ @ @ , but I echo some of the concerns that were shared about meeting the students @ @ @ @ @ Sotelo said .
He added that “ can be traumatic to some of the students @ @ @ @ @ as conducive to learning .
... Those are points we certainly need to continue to @ @ @

Wednesday’s Chicago Board of Education meeting offered little clarity for everyone who wants to know if students will be back in classrooms when the second quarter begins in November.
Allison Gorsuch, who has a child in kindergarten at Pulaski International School of Chicago, called on the board to be transparent and “release criteria for reopening as soon as possible,” including firm case numbers and positivity rates.
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“Remote learning is not developmentally appropriate for kindergartners,” she said. “... I’ve watched my student and his teacher work really hard at remote learning, but he’s 5, and it’s just not working."
Gorsuch said she would push for reopening as soon as it was safe to do so.
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“I’m not asking for schools to reopen before it’s safe, but I’m asking for this not to be a lost year for our youngest students,” she said.
She also asked for district leaders to advocate for students to have access to rapid testing for COVID-19. “I believe this is the way forward, and the sooner those tests are available to our students, the sooner we can get back in person,” she said.
As parents spoke about their experiences so far with remote learning, many praised their children’s teachers but still had concerns about some of the rules, such as screen time. Though some schools have been relaxed about camera usage, others are requiring students to keep their cameras on during class in order to get credit for participating, parents said.
A district plan that would bring some students back into buildings for special education services has met opposition from the Chicago Teachers Union, which earlier this week called the proposal “unworkable and dangerous.”
Mary Hughes, special education parent liaison with Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education, said many schools are treating the latest guidance from the district’s Office of Diverse Learner Supports and Services as “gospel," but it doesn’t work for everyone.
“It is unrealistic to think that this almost 70-page document is usable for parents who are not teachers, non-English speakers or simply overwhelmed with the task of trying to facilitate remote special education for their disabled children,” Hughes said.
Hughes, who has four children in Chicago Public Schools, said the district needs to clarify that it’s OK to make accommodations and modifications around screen time and length of school day for students with individualized education plans, and that parents should have input about their child’s remote learning plan.
“Communication between ODLSS and special education stakeholders needs to be expanded and sharpened,” Hughes said. “... Remote special education cannot work without parent, teacher and school administration support, input and collaboration.”
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Angela Habr-Paranjape, executive director of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Club, said the club’s learning pods, with nearly 50 students representing many CPS schools, offer a unique window into the challenging and inconsistent expectations placed on students of a similar age. So much time is spent on tech support and constantly redirecting children to screens, there has been little time for enrichment or outdoor activities, she said.
Board of Education member Lucino Sotelo said one theme he took away from public comments was the differing opinions of remote learning.
“There has been progress, and the teachers, the parents are doing all that they can with what we have to work with, but I echo some of the concerns that were shared about meeting the students where they are,” Sotelo said. He added that “can be traumatic to some of the students because their rooms are not as conducive to learning. ... Those are points we certainly need to continue to consider.”
CPS also presented more complete attendance data for the first week of school than what had already been released.
The updated numbers indicate that 86% of students districtwide logged on for the first day of school, though previously released data shows that number slipped below 40% at some schools. White students were the most likely to log in, a continuing inequity from remote learning in the spring. About 96% of white students attended the first day of school, compared with 88% of Hispanic or Latino students and 78% of Black students, according to CPS.
Attendance was lowest among students in temporary living situations, at 77%, while 79% of students with special education plans and 84% of English-learning students attended the first day. Average attendance improved over the week, during which attendance rates rose to 89% for all students, 96% for white students, 91% for Hispanic or Latino students, 84% for Black students, and 95% for students of other races.
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Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade said CPS extended its “did not arrive" policy to two weeks. On the first day, there would have been 49,000 students marked as having not arrived and potentially dropped from classes, but with the extended window, that number was down to 6,900, she said.
“How are we going to connect with the 6,900?” asked Board President Miguel del Valle.
The number is lower now, and some of those students transferred to charter schools or out of the district, so once that’s sorted out the district will have a clearer picture of who’s missing, McDade said.
The district is continuing to call those students and find out how to support them, especially focusing on kindergarten and ninth grade, McDade said. More than 1,300 security officers have been trained in de-escalation and home visit protocols, and all will participate in an “ambassador” program for students who can’t be reached through emails and multiple phone calls, prioritizing 100 schools with low attendance, she said.
CPS CEO Janice Jackson said the district is also expanding the “learning hubs” that initially opened at six schools, staffed by community organizations providing child supervision. While the sites were first limited to children of essential workers from low-income or underrepresented families, they are now opening more broadly to qualified families, she said.
“We will continue to expand as the need arises,” Jackson said, adding that on Tuesday, CPS sent 2,500 invitations. Plans include opening three more sites next week in Englewood, North Lawndale and Rogers Park.
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CPS has committed to remote learning through the first quarter, which ends Nov. 5. The next Board of Education meeting is Oct. 28.
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-23--Scores of Illinois high schools reopened Wednesday for SAT makeup exams. Critics say seniors don’t n

Scores of Illinois high schools reopened Wednesday for SAT makeup exams. Critics say seniors don’t need the added test stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even though many colleges and universities are dropping SAT and ACT test requirements , at least for 2021 applicants , @ @ @ @ @ still complete the SAT in order to get their diplomas .
The Illinois State Board @ @ @ @ @ that rule for the class of 2021 , though spokeswoman Jackie Matthews said districts can @ @ @ @ @ and that “ no student will be prevented from graduating because they were unable to @ @ @ @ @

Karen Ann Cullotta, Kimberly Fornek, Hannah Leone

Before they were allowed to enter the school, each student had to read a COVID-19 safety screening sign and answer yes or no to coronavirus questions. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Thousands of high school seniors across the Chicago area, sidelined from in-person learning this fall by COVID-19, were back in their schools Wednesday for the first time in six months.
It wasn’t for classes, but to sit for the state-sponsored SAT exam.
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The free in-school college entrance exam, typically taken by every high school junior in Illinois, was scuttled last spring by the pandemic. Wednesday’s test was one of a series of makeup dates the state’s education agency, using $6.5 million left over from last year, has set for those students, who are now seniors.
Even though many colleges and universities are dropping SAT and ACT test requirements, at least for 2021 applicants, Illinois high school students must still complete the SAT in order to get their diplomas. The Illinois State Board of Education is not waiving that rule for the class of 2021, though spokeswoman Jackie Matthews said districts can seek exemptions for individual students and that “no student will be prevented from graduating because they were unable to take the SAT.”
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And, Matthews said, “more than being a graduation requirement, the opportunity to take a free college entrance exam is a matter of equity. ISBE cannot control or predict the colleges or universities that may or may not require or consider a student’s SAT scores for admission. What we can do is help ensure every public school student in Illinois receives a college reportable score to support their application to the school of their choice, whether this year or in future years.”
Students arrive to take their SAT tests at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville on Wednesday. Before they were allowed to enter each student had to read a COVID-19 safety screening sign and answer health questions. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
While Illinois received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education for accountability assessments for this group of students, Matthews said some research shows that a school day SAT serves as an incentive for students to enroll in college.
As for students having to take the exam in schools that are currently closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Matthews said the state board worked with the Illinois Department of Public Health "to produce comprehensive public health guidance for school districts to host students in-person this fall. "
College Board, the company that administers the SAT, said on its website that among sites initially scheduled to host weekend test dates this fall, 61% are currently open for September and 65% plan to offer October dates, though some have reduced capacity, according to the company’s website.
“We know this is a challenging time for students who want to take the SAT,” Priscilla Rodriguez, the College Board vice president of College Readiness Assessments, said in a statement. “We will continue to work together with educators to provide testing opportunities to students throughout the rest of the fall and academic year.”
Still, some critics of standardized testing question the wisdom of bringing large groups of students together in schools that are closed because of COVID-19.
Neuqua Valley High School seniors wait in a classroom during SAT testing that went on Wednesday at dozens of Chicago-area high schools. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
“The utility of the SAT even in normal times has no value, but we’re in a pandemic, and forcing students into school buildings that are closed because of a disease that has taken 200,000 American lives is nuts,” said Bob Schaeffer, interim executive director of the Boston-based FairTest, a standardized testing watchdog group.
“If school buildings are not safe to bring students, teachers and custodians together right now, why are they safe for test taking?" Schaeffer said.
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The Chicago Teachers Union, which had threatened to go on strike again before the city retreated on plans to partially reopen schools this fall, is another critic of in-school SAT testing this fall and of using teachers to proctor the exam. The union also cited equity concerns and called for a waiver for Chicago Public Schools.
“Our predominantly Black and Latinx students and their families are facing many economic, social, health, and emotional challenges in this moment. Yet, CPS is still requiring seniors to take the SAT before they graduate,” the union said in a posting on its website Tuesday. “During this stressful time, CPS should not ask seniors to endure the additional stress of taking a test where what they have learned takes a back seat to their ability to answer multiple choice questions.”
While acknowledging the unusual circumstances, some school officials say their decision to reschedule the SAT for this fall was made after careful consideration, and is in the best interest of students whose lives have been upended during the pandemic.
“The district must continue to keep students on a positive academic trajectory and ensure they have the same postsecondary opportunities as their peers across the country," CPS spokesman James Gherardi said in a statement Tuesday.
“With disruptions to testing last fall due to the work stoppage and last spring due to COVID-19, it’s critically important students have the option of taking the exams this fall to meet critical deadlines,” said Gherardi, adding that for students seeking enrollment in college, "the SAT remains one of the single most important data points schools consider when determining eligibility.”
At Indian Prairie High School District 204, which remains closed to in-person classes, seniors at Waubonsie Valley and Metea Valley high schools in Aurora and at Neuqua Valley High and Wheatland Academy in Naperville will be taking the rescheduled SAT this fall.
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In preparation for students' return Wednesday, District 204 Superintendent Adrian Talley said officials addressed COVID-19 concerns with procedures that were, "vetted by our health and safety committee to ensure the protocols meet DuPage (County) standards keeping our community safe.”
Mundelein and New Trier high schools are among those planning to offer the SAT for the class of 2021 on Oct. 14. New Trier spokeswoman Niki Dizon said seniors at the Winnetka school are “strongly encouraged" to sign up, and those who don’t will be required to take the exam in April with this year’s juniors.
York High in Elmhurst also chose the October date because it “fits best with our return to hybrid learning phases for our juniors and seniors,” said Meredith Sheriff, assistant principal for student services.
Seniors in Arlington Heights-based Township High School District 214 had the option of taking the SAT Wednesday, on Oct. 27 or in April. The district is limiting the number of students they can test safely within a building at one time, spokesman Dave Beery said.
At Hinsdale Central and South, where students have been doing all remote learning so far this school year, seniors took the SAT on Wednesday with no more than 12 students in each classroom, officials said. Students' temperatures were to be checked as they enter and masks were required.
With at least two staff members assigned to proctor in each classroom, Christopher Covino, assistant superintendent of academics said, the district did not have trouble finding educators willing to help monitor the students during the exam.
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"It’s an all-hands-on-deck effort,” he added.
Hinsdale Central Principal William Walsh said only two of the 673 seniors chose not to take the SAT Wednesday because of concerns about being in school during the pandemic. Three other students were excluded from the in-person test by the school’s health office.
Arwen Pokorny Lyp, principal at Hinsdale South in Darien, said only students “quarantined due to football or other medical reasons” were not participating. A student in South’s football camp had a positive COVID-19 test earlier this month, requiring all 70 students participating in the camp to quarantine until Thursday.
For many of the thousands of students taking the exam this fall, it was the first chance they had to walk the hallways of their high schools since the pandemic shutdowns in March.
Alexander Alpizar, 17, a senior at Chicago’s Roosevelt High, said Tuesday that he would feel safe while taking the SAT at his Albany Park school the following day and wasn’t worried that wearing a mask will be much of a distraction.
The 7:45 a.m. start time was not a big deal, Alexander said, especially as he has been waking up at 6:30 every morning for remote learning this fall.
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“It’s all right, but, I mean, it would be nice to go back at some point,” Alexander said.
Naperville Sun reporter Suzanne Baker and Pioneer Press reporters Chuck Fieldman and James T. Norman contributed.
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
kfornek@pioneerlocal.com
hleone@chicagotribune.com