chicagotribune--2020-09-28--Illinois Democrats look to win more suburban state legislative seats in November despite corruption

Illinois Democrats look to win more suburban state legislative seats in November despite corruption probe

“ This isn ’ t a strange land for me , this is my world , ” Villa said .
@ @ @ @ @ , and I asked people to trust me , it ’ s difficult , because @ @ @ @ @ me that well .
But now , I have a proven track record in my @ @ @ @ @ so , to me , just a proven track record that I have with my @ @ @ @ @ ’ s just spreading that message over to the part of the district where they @ @ @ @ @ ”

After winning a slew of suburban state legislative seats long held by Republicans in 2018, Illinois Democrats are looking to expand their reach even further in November as renewed controversy swirls around their powerful leader, longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan.
Republicans for years have built their campaign strategy around vilifying Madigan, who has been speaker for all but two years since 1983, but it hasn’t paid off in a big way at the ballot box. This year, however, the GOP hopes its anti-Madigan message will resonate in a new way after federal prosecutors in July alleged that Commonwealth Edison engaged in a “yearslong bribery scheme” designed to curry favor with the speaker.
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But Madigan, who has not been charged and has denied wrongdoing, is only on the ballot in his Southwest Side district, and Democrats are hoping to capitalize on a changing suburban electorate’s dissatisfaction with the name at the top of the Republican ticket: President Donald Trump.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan walks out after a House Democratic caucus meeting on Nov. 12, 2019, at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
All 118 Illinois House seats and 22 of 59 state Senate seats are on the ballot this fall. But because 52 House and 11 Senate races are uncontested, a handful of competitive districts — largely in the suburbs — will determine whether Democrats lose or add to their veto-proof majorities in both chambers. Democrats hold supermajorities of 74-44 in the House and 40-19 in the Senate, meaning Republicans would need a historic number of victories to take control of either chamber.
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The Democrats not only control both chambers of the General Assembly and all statewide offices, but they also enjoy an overwhelming advantage in campaign cash.
With former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s funding out of the picture and other conservative donors focusing their spending on defeating Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed graduated-rate income tax amendment, “if it were just about money, it really would be a wipeout,” said Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political science with the University of Illinois system’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs.
On a larger scale for Republicans nationally, spending big to keep the Democrats from picking up a couple of seats in the Illinois legislature “doesn’t really seem like a good investment if you can flip a chamber” in another state, Redfield said.
“But for the Commonwealth Edison investigation, you’re really looking at a perfect storm in terms of the Democrats building their majority, with the changes in the suburbs and then the overwhelming money advantage,” Redfield said.
“If you want to ask the question, why are they making such a huge push when they already have such big majorities in both chambers, one of the answers might be that it’s an opportunity to so damage the Republican Party in the state of Illinois that it will be very difficult for them to rebuild and to make a comeback.”
Four campaign funds controlled by Madigan together ended the second fundraising quarter on June 30 with more than $22.6 million in the bank, including more than $2.4 million in the state Democratic Party’s fund, state campaign finance records show. On the Senate side, the Democrats’ main fund and others tied to Senate President Don Harmon of Oak Park had nearly $4.7 million on hand, with nearly $4.1 million in Harmon’s Senate campaign fund.
By comparison, the Illinois Republican Party had a little more than $107,000 in its main campaign fund at the end of June. The House GOP had nearly $2.8 million in its main funds, the bulk of it — nearly $2.2 million — held by House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs. Senate Republicans had nearly $1.6 million, with $1.1 million in the campaign fund of Senate Republican leader Bill Brady of Bloomington.
None of those figures include cash raised by individual candidates, and money has continued pouring in on both sides over the past three months.
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While a more complete picture of where the campaign coffers stand will be available when third-quarter contributions and expenditures are reported in mid-October, the Democratic campaign funds together have raised more than $4.8 million in large contributions since July 1, compared with more than $1.7 million raised by the GOP funds.
Democrats are looking to use their riches to claim districts even farther afield from their traditional Chicago power base, seeking to add to the net gain of 10 legislative seats they made two years ago amid a backlash to Trump and Rauner.
In an election year turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic, the stakes are especially high because whoever holds the balance of power in the General Assembly’s next term also will wield the power to draw new legislative district boundaries for the coming decade based on the 2020 census. Democrats drew the past two maps, consolidating their power in the state legislature over the past two decades.
The goal for House Republicans is to win at least enough seats — a net gain of four — to deny Democrats the ability to override a gubernatorial veto unilaterally, Durkin said. That could be the key to preventing Madigan and his party from redrawing legislative boundaries to their political advantage — if Pritzker makes good on his pledge to veto any “unfair” map that reaches his desk.
And while the president may be a drag on some GOP candidates in the suburbs, Durkin said the net gain of four seats House Republicans made in 2016 shows “we were not taken down by all the theatrics that were going between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.”
“I trust the voters, that they’re able to separate issues at the national level and that they do concentrate on state House races,” Durkin said.
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But the Republicans’ aim is to make sure that voters don’t separate state-level Democratic candidates from the controversy surrounding Madigan.
“I don’t know what else we can be talking about,” Durkin said of the ComEd case, which is part of a larger federal probe that has yielded charges against a former House Democrat and three current and former Senate Democrats. “This defies any sense of sensibility or fair play in the General Assembly, and the public needs to be educated on that.”
But Harmon, the Democratic Senate president, said voters are more concerned about the physical and financial health of their families amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“The issues that voters are raising in conversations are not about Springfield,” Harmon said.
“Voters across the state, and suburban voters in particular, are responding to the intersection of the pandemic, the economy and access to affordable health care,” he said. “That’s been our message across the state. It’s resonating, especially in the suburbs.”
Concerns about affordable health care could become even more acute between now and Election Day as Trump pushes forward with a Supreme Court nominee who could prove to be a deciding vote in striking down the Affordable Care Act, Harmon said.
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One race that exemplifies the complicated dynamics at play in campaigns across the collar counties is a rematch in the 48th House District between Democratic state Rep. Terra Costa Howard of Glen Ellyn and former Republican state Rep. Peter Breen of Lombard, whom she defeated in 2018 by a 7-point margin. It was the first time a Democrat won the district, which includes parts of Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton and Lisle.
State Rep. Terra Costa Howard of Glen Ellyn. (Terra Costa Howard campaign)
Costa Howard, an attorney and former Glen Ellyn school board member, is among a handful of House Democrats who have called on Madigan to resign as speaker and chairman of the state party since the U.S. attorney’s office unveiled its deferred prosecution agreement with ComEd. She’s also a proponent of taking the power to draw legislative district boundaries away from lawmakers, a position that puts her at odds with some in party leadership.
“What I find about suburban Democrats: We are different than my colleagues from the city of Chicago,” Costa Howard said, “because the suburbs are different, the needs in the suburbs are different.”
Still, she aligns with her party on many key issues such as abortion and the environment, and she supports the proposed amendment to the Illinois Constitution that would shift the state to a graduated-rate income tax from the current flat-rate tax.
Despite her recent public opposition to Madigan, Costa Howard voted for him as speaker in 2019, a fact her opponent is quick to note. Costa Howard, however, has vowed not to vote for him when the new General Assembly convenes next year, though she is still receiving backing from the state party and from campaign funds Madigan controls.
Costa Howard ended the last fundraising quarter on June 30 with a little more than $54,000 in her campaign fund but has since raised nearly $178,000 in large contributions, including nearly $60,000 from the Democratic Party of Illinois and nearly $6,900 from Democratic Majority, both controlled by Madigan.
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Her opponent, Breen, meanwhile, ended the second quarter with more than $98,000 in cash on hand and has raised more than $41,000 in large contributions since the beginning of July, with nearly $30,000 coming from the Illinois GOP and the House Republican Organization.
Peter Breen, who is running as a Republican candidate for the 48th Illinois House District. (Campaign photo)
Breen, an attorney for the conservative Thomas More Society and onetime House GOP floor leader, is looking to win back the seat he held for two terms by focusing on corruption and the need to “clean house” in Springfield. He’s also campaigning on traditional Republican issues such as freezing property taxes and opposing abortion.
Breen said he sees the race in the “heart of DuPage County” as “something of a bellwether.”
“How this district decides to go forward, it’s going to determine the future, I think, of the state and really how we’re going to move forward together as a state for a decade to come,” he said.
Costa Howard also sees the district as indicative of the changing attitudes of voters in the west suburbs. But the shift toward Democrats is already well underway, she said.
“Change, it’s not coming; it’s here,” Costa Howard said.
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Democrats aren’t satisfied with maintaining the gains they made two years ago.
They’re using their formidable campaign war chests to go after more suburban seats in longtime Republican strongholds such as Naperville and Elmhurst.
One top target is third-term Rep. Grant Wehrli of Naperville, an assistant GOP leader in the House, who has held the seat since 2015. Wehrli’s challenger, Janet Yang Rohr, is a school board member in Naperville and is director of global data at the investment research firm Morningstar.
Yang Rohr’s campaign ended the second quarter with nearly $25,000 and has raised more than $903,000 in contributions of at least $1,000 since then. A significant share of that money, nearly $273,000 combined, came from the Democratic Party of Illinois and the Democratic Majority funds, and Pritzker has given a total of $57,800, during the quarter that began July 1.
Illinois state Rep. Grant Wehrli. (Grant Wehrli campaign)
Wehrli’s campaign ended the last quarter with nearly $34,000, but Yang Rohr’s campaign has since far outpaced the incumbent in large contributions. Wehrli’s campaign has drawn in almost $185,000 in contributions of at least $1,000 since July 1.
Wehrli, a member of the legislative Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform, and one of three Republican members of the special investigating committee that’s been charged with a probe into Madigan’s conduct said “there’s no doubt (Democrats) are throwing everything they have at me in an effort to silence me.”
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“There’s no doubt that Speaker Madigan wants me gone; I have been a vocal critic, not only of his corruption but the way he runs things” in Springfield, Wehrli said.
Among his top ethics legislation priorities is broadening the powers of the legislative inspector general “to actually give that individual some solid teeth to root out what’s going on. Because we clearly can’t hold each other accountable.”
Wehrli said with the amount of contributions Yang Rohr’s campaign has taken in from the Democratic Party, “she’s not going to be the most independent voice in Springfield.”
Janet Yang Rohr is running for the 41st Legislative District. (Janet Yang Rohr)
Yang Rohr called that assertion “insulting” and “misogynistic.”
Her job at Morningstar requires her to make independent assessments of asset managers, she said, “and it’s not always a very comfortable thing.”
“I’ve been tested many, many times. ... It’s something I do every day, to maintain that independence,” Yang Rohr said.
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Wehrli failed to show his independence from Rauner by siding with the then-governor during his long-running budget standoff with the Democratic-controlled legislature, which ultimately hurt residents of the district, she said.
Yang Rohr wants to go to Springfield to protect access to affordable health care, and she also favors strong government ethics laws, she said. As for whether she’d support Madigan for speaker, Yang Rohr said she’s “totally focused on November” but would always vote with the district as her top priority.
Democrats also have their sights set once again on the only House district represented by a Republican that includes a portion of Chicago. Democrats spent heavily in 2016 to try to defeat longtime GOP Rep. Michael McAuliffe in the Northwest Side and northwest suburban 20th House District, resulting in the most expensive state legislative race in the country. But after McAullife won reelection, they sat out 2018.
McAuliffe retired in 2019, with local Republican leaders appointing Rosemont Mayor Bradley Stephens to the open seat. Stephens is facing a well-financed challenge from Chicago firefighter and paramedic Michelle Darbro, who has raised nearly $767,000 in large contributions since July 1 — more than double Stephens’ haul during the same period.
Illinois state Rep. Karina Villa. (Karina Villa / HANDOUT)
In one example of how far into the suburbs Democrats think they can compete, first-term state Rep. Karina Villa of West Chicago is running for the Senate seat held since 2013 by conservative Republican Sen. Jim Oberweis of Sugar Grove. Oberweis, who’s run a series of unsuccessful campaigns for federal office, is giving up the seat to challenge first-term U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood of Naperville for her seat in Congress.
Villa, a former school social worker and former school board member who won a House seat in 2018 that had previously been occupied by a Republican, closed out the second quarter with more than $220,000 and has raised more than $474,000 in large contributions since July 1, compared with her Republican opponent Jeanette Ward, who closed out the last quarter with nearly $18,000 and has drawn more than $314,000 in contributions of at least $1,000 since then.
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Ward is a former school board member who works as a product manager for DSM Functional Materials, and said ethics law changes and instituting legislative term limits are among her top priorities. Ward said the district’s history as a Republican stronghold bodes well for her campaign.
“It went by nine points for the Republican in the last election cycle, so that is positive for my campaign,” Ward said. “Our polling indicates that if we can get our message out about ethics, about taxes, about supporting the police, that the ideas I’m supporting are by far supported by the people of Illinois Senate District 25, as opposed to my opponent.”
Villa, meanwhile, voiced confidence in her ability to win the district despite its Republican roots, noting that she’s been “represented from Congress down at all levels by Republicans my whole life” in DuPage County.
“This isn’t a strange land for me, this is my world,” Villa said. “When I first ran, and I asked people to trust me, it’s difficult, because people might not have known me that well. But now, I have a proven track record in my state office. … And so, to me, just a proven track record that I have with my community, and now it’s just spreading that message over to the part of the district where they don’t know.”
Democrats also are spending big in the race for the House seat Villa currently occupies, which pits Democrat Maura Hirschauer against Republican Laura Curtis.
Outside the Chicago area, Democrats also are trying to defend a trio of seats in the Metro East region near St. Louis, held by Reps. Katie Stuart, Monica Bristow and Nathan Reitz. In some of the Downstate races, particularly in more rural areas, resistance to some of Pritzker’s regulations aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus could come into play for Republicans trying to flip a seat.
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“You’ve just got a lot more resistance, and it plays into a conservative narrative — economic liberty, individual freedom,” Redfield said.
If Republicans were to win all three of those House seats, it would “really solidify the regional partisan divide” in Illinois, he said.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story described former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s financial status as a billionaire. Forbes magazine does not include Rauner in its list of the world’s billionaires.
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
jmunks@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-28--3 women shot while sitting on South Side porch, police say

An 18-year-old woman was shot in the torso and left leg ; another 18-year-old woman was shot in the right @ @ @ @ @ woman was shot in the left leg , police said .
They were all taken @ @ @ @ @ Medical Center in good condition .

Three women were shot Sunday night while sitting on a porch in the Park Manor neighborhood on the South Side, according to Chicago police.
A man in an alley fired at them just before 7:30 p.m. in the 6700 block of South Wabash Avenue, police said.
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An 18-year-old woman was shot in the torso and left leg, another 18-year-old woman was hit in the right leg and a 24-year-old woman was shot in the left leg, police said. They were all taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.
No arrests have been made, police said.
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pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-09-28--Two 14-year-olds injured in Far South Side shooting, police say

The boys were walking westbound at 3:45 p.m. in the first block of East 123rd Street in the West Pullman @ @ @ @ @ heading eastbound approached them , police said .
The boys heard shots and felt pain @ @ @ @ @ they saw shots come from the vehicle .

Two 14-year-old boys were wounded in a drive-by shooting Sunday afternoon on the Far South Side, according to Chicago police.
The boys were walking in the first block of East 123rd Street in the West Pullman neighborhood at 3:45 p.m. when a dark car approached, police said. Witnesses told police they saw shots come from the car.
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One boy was shot in the right thigh and the other was shot in the left arm, police said. They were both taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where their conditions were stabilized.
No arrests have been made, police said.
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pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-09-28--Woman, 27, faces murder charge in fatal stabbing of 5-year-old girl, police say

Police arrested Simone Austin , who lives on the same block where the killing occurred , just after 9:30 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ of West Fulton Boulevard in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side , @ @ @

A child's bicycle and other items are on the front lawn of a home in the 3200 block of West Fulton Boulevard, which was the scene of a fatal stabbing of a 5-year-old girl Sept. 26, 2020, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Spying through a doorknob hole, an 8-year-old girl saw her mom repeatedly stab her younger sister with a knife hidden under a pillow, prosecutors said Monday.
The girl rushed into the bedroom and desperately tried to stop the attack by pulling her mom by the hair, then ran from the home in East Garfield Park shouting that her mother had killed her 5-year-old sister, according to prosecutors.
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She was followed moments later by the mother, Simone Austin, carrying the naked, blood-covered body of her younger daughter, Serenity Arrington, a judge was told during a bail hearing.
Simone Austin is charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of her 5-year-old daughter. (Chicago Police Department)
The judge denied bail for Austin, 27, who is charged with first-degree murder.
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Police arrested Austin outside her home in the 3200 block of West Fulton Boulevard around 9:30 a.m. Saturday after she told at least one person, as well as emergency personnel treating Serenity, that she “did it” and “was sorry,” authorities said.
During the hearing, broadcast on YouTube, prosecutors offered no motive for the attack. Austin, a former Walmart stocker, according to her court-appointed attorney, had recently moved with her two daughters into her father’s apartment, prosecutors said in court.
Austin’s surviving daughter told authorities that she had feared something would happen following a prior incident in which her mother paced around with the knife in hand, frightening her daughters after they spilled eggs, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.
“And you never know what can happen,” Murphy said, quoting the unidentified child’s words to investigators.
On the morning of the attack, Austin told her older daughter to leave the room, but the girl watched from outside, Murphy said. Austin’s father, returning from a trip to get coffee, heard his elder granddaughter screaming.
Before using a friend’s phone to call police, he saw his daughter undressing her bleeding child, Murphy said.
Serenity was taken to Stroger Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 9:50 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.
Her death was ruled a homicide from multiple stab wounds to the neck, the medical examiner’s office said.
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Austin’s attorney asked for a reasonable bond, citing his client’s lack of a criminal background. But Judge Mary C. Marubio cited the brutality of the attack, as well as the trauma it has inflicted on the family.
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said it had prior contact with the family and was investigating the incident. The agency released no other details.
Austin is scheduled to return to court next month.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-09-28--Car crashes into Michigan Avenue jewelry store

Shortly before 4 p.m. , the vehicle was spotted heading south on North Michigan Avenue , making multiple traffic violations @ @ @ @ @ Officers attempted to stop the car , which then fled at high speed , according @ @ @ @ @ not chase the car , but soon after the driver lost control and crashed into @ @ @ @ @ in the 300 block of North Michigan Avenue .

A car sits in a jewelry store after crashing into the building along North Michigan Avenue on Sept. 27, 2020, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
A car crashed into a jewelry store in the Loop on Sunday afternoon after fleeing police, according to authorities.
Shortly before 4 p.m., the vehicle was spotted heading south on North Michigan Avenue, making multiple traffic violations, Chicago police said. Officers attempted to stop the car, which then fled at high speed, according to police. Police did not chase the car, but soon after the driver lost control and crashed into the front of a store in the 300 block of North Michigan Avenue.
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Pedestrians watch from the median while police work the scene after a car crashed into a jewelry store along North Michigan Avenue on Sept. 27, 2020, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Three men were taken into custody, police said. One of the men was taken to Amita Health St. Joseph Hospital in good condition for minor injuries, police said.


chicagotribune--2020-09-29--Citing a downward trend in COVID-19 cases, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she’s easing restrictio

Citing a downward trend in COVID-19 cases, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she’s easing restrictions on indoor bars, restaurants, fitness class sizes: ‘People have risen to the occasion’

“ This is important , this is definitely a positive step in the right direction and this is going to @ @ @ @ @ restaurants , ” Weiner said .
“ I ’ m hoping that if we can @ @ @ @ @ trust and prove that we are doing things right , hopefully within the next couple @ @ @ @ @ maximum room size increased as well .
That ’ s ultimately what ’ s going @ @ @ @ @ between success and failure for a lot of places out there .
”

Gregory Pratt, John Byrne, Josh Noel, Grace Wong

The staff at Roots Handmade Pizza in the South Loop prepares for dinner service at the rooftop canopy area on Sept. 28, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
All summer long, Chicagoans were told to stay outside, socially distance themselves and wear masks to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, with Mayor Lori Lightfoot playing the stern disciplinarian making sure everyone complied.
Now, with the cold months bearing down on the city, Lightfoot is loosening the pandemic rules to welcome more people to get together inside bars and other businesses.
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The science shows it’s an appropriate move, Lightfoot argued Monday in announcing bars that don’t serve food can reopen for indoor drinking and restaurants, gyms and other retailers can up their capacity.
The changes are Lightfoot’s latest attempt to ease the financial burden on Chicago businesses by lifting frequently criticized restrictions.
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[ Chicago releases outdoor dining guidelines for fall and winter, but some restaurants worry about costs ]
But they also come as the city prepares for flu season and the number of new COVID-19 cases per day hovers around 300, well above the 200-case threshold the mayor set months ago as a goal before moderating restrictions.
Andrew Marinelli cleans the bar as the staff prepares for dinner service in the rooftop canopy area of Roots Handmade Pizza in the South Loop on Sept. 28, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
On Monday, the mayor defended the decision. She eased up on the no-nonsense pose she has struck over the past several months of frequently scolding residents for falling short in meeting the safety standards to instead applaud the collective effort she said makes it possible to now let more Chicagoans safely gather together inside.
“Over the past six months, we’ve had to make difficult decisions, as you all know, all of which were rooted in what we were seeing in our city’s COVID-19 data,” Lightfoot said. “Asking residents and workers and businesses to make a lot of sacrifices in the name of public safety and public health.
“And people have risen to the occasion all over the city. It’s because of this citywide cooperation and collaboration that Chicago never saw a huge surge in cases once we started to gently reopen.”
Lightfoot has been eager to showcase Chicago as America’s most open big city during the pandemic, while also pledging to heed scientific advice on how much leeway to give businesses and other public places where people congregate.
While the inside sits empty, Bob Hook, left, and Holly King drink and dine outside the Jarvis Square Tavern in the Rogers Park neighborhood on Sept. 28, 2020, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Eldridge Williams, co-owner of The Delta restaurant and cocktail bar in Wicker Park, expressed cautious optimism at the latest news, saying he’ll examine how to become more creative with seating. But maintaining 6 feet between tables will still restrict the number of people he can fit in a cozy dining room that’s about 1,500 square feet.
“I’m not sure how much this will help us in terms of the bottom line, but it’s better than deducting the amount of people we can have in,” said Williams, who reopened just a month ago.
Ultimately, he said, the looser restrictions are heartening.
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“We’re moving in the right direction,” Williams said.
[ COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital data in your area ]
Some restaurants still remain wary of allowing people to dine inside.
Leyla Khanahmad, co-owner of Black & Caspian in Lakeview, said while the new relaxed restrictions are great, she’s still concentrating her efforts on outdoor dining. She’s concerned that allowing more patrons in her dining room raises the risk of her staff being infected.
“We are still cautious of the number of people indoors because we also have employees of our own,” she said. “If they can keep outdoor patios for the winter, if they can allow that, that would be great. It’s a lot more safe like that. We can serve more people in a much safer way.”
Monday’s announcement keeps the city in phase four of its reopening framework but moderates several standards.
Starting Thursday, the city will allow shaves, facials and other personal services that previously were banned because they required the removal of face masks, but said they need to take no longer than 15 minutes.
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The city also will increase the maximum group size for health and fitness classes and after-school programming from 10 to 15 people, officials said.
This is the second time during the pandemic that the mayor has let bars that don’t serve food welcome patrons inside. But they will be limited to whichever is fewer between 25% of capacity or a maximum 50 people, under the new rules.
Server Mimi Valkova waits on a table at Roots Handmade Pizza in the South Loop on Sept. 28, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
These establishments have drawn particular focus from the city as spots where the coronavirus spreads, with Lightfoot repeatedly saying lower inhibitions as patrons drink can cause them to become lax about maintaining social distancing and wearing masks.
Bars were allowed to serve some people inside when the city moved to phase four of its reopening framework in late June when new cases were around 167 per day. But in mid-July, as virus cases spiked to around 233 per day, Lightfoot rolled that back and restricted those taverns to outdoors only.
As of Monday, Chicago’s average daily case count for the past week sat at 299, according to the city’s coronavirus dashboard website, a 28% increase over the number at which the mayor opted to close taverns to inside service and put other stricter rules in place two months ago.
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
But Chicago public health commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady noted the city saw weekly increases in cases for weeks from late June until Aug. 24 but has now seen more than four weeks of decreases. The city will continue to monitor the data for possible increases, she said.
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Lightfoot acknowledged there are “risks” with her latest orders but cast the measures as “foundational” to Chicago’s economy.
“We still have a long way ahead on our recovery journey,” she said.
Cory Rolon disinfects tables outside R Public House in the Rogers Park neighborhood on Sept. 28, 2020 in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
With Chicago weather getting dodgier deeper into autumn, the city’s hundreds of bar operators have been clamoring to again open their doors to drinkers, arguing the distinction between those businesses that serve food and those that don’t is in many cases not relevant.
According to Lightfoot’s plan, Chicago won’t move on to phase five until there’s a coronavirus vaccine. But she left herself a lot of room to continue to “turn up the dimmer switch” on a return to normal within phase four.
Although Lightfoot is easing some rules, the city will still require patrons to wear face masks “except when actively eating or drinking.” They also will be required to order from their seats at indoor bars and taverns.
Places serving alcohol also must partner with a food establishment so that people can order food at all times, Lightfoot said. That means making menus available and allowing delivery, including from third-party app services.
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Bars and restaurants also will be required to keep a phone or email “for possible contact tracing,” the city said.
[ Here’s our running list of Chicago restaurants closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic toll ]
The Illinois Restaurant Association praised Lightfoot’s announcement, as did the Hospitality Business Association of Chicago.
Scott Weiner, co-owner of The Fifty/50 restaurant group and an Illinois Restaurant Association executive board member, said the relaxed restrictions will greatly benefit bars and restaurants, and hopes that if the low positivity rate is maintained, that the capacity of 50 people indoors can be raised in the coming weeks.
“This is important, this is definitely a positive step in the right direction and this is going to help a lot of neighborhood restaurants,” Weiner said. “I’m hoping that if we can maintain the mayor’s trust and prove that we are doing things right, hopefully within the next couple weeks we can see the maximum room size increased as well. That’s ultimately what’s going to make the biggest difference between success and failure for a lot of places out there.”
Increased hours of operation make a big difference, he said, but he wished this news came a month earlier, when the weather was warm and patrons still wanted to dine outdoors. Limiting capacity to a 50-person maximum within one room will be challenging for larger restaurants come colder weather. The new South Loop location of his restaurant Roots Homemade Pizza, for example, has expensive mortgage and real estate taxes, he said, so capping dining rooms at 50 people makes it impossible to pay the bills.
And Pat Odon, manager of Nisei Lounge in Wrigleyville, praised the move allowing bars to serve alcohol until 1 a.m., instead of 11 p.m.
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“That’s huge,” Odon said. “That’s a whole extra turn of customers.”
Still, others raised different concerns.
Chicago Teachers Union Vice President Stacy Davis Gates characterized Lightfoot’s announcement as a capitulation to the city’s business committee that will jeopardize in-person learning at schools.
“Like, how do you lower daily #Covid cases & high positivity rates by opening *everything* ahead of the #FallSurge?” Davis Gates tweeted.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-28--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Chicago eases restrictions on bars and restaurants; state reports 1

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Chicago eases restrictions on bars and restaurants; state reports 1,709 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 13 additional deaths

That hope , though , is tempered by a contemporaneous pandemic that has shuttered Chicago theaters , possibly for many @ @ @ @ @ turned the later half of 2020 into a struggle for financial survival both on institutional @ @ @ @ @ have disappeared .
The talent that makes up the sector is being forced to seek @ @ @ @ @ over when , or if , they will return .
Governmental help of adequate scope @ @ @ @ @ many hands from many sectors are outstretched .

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Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Monday announced the city was easing coronavirus restrictions on bars and restaurants, as well as on barbershops, beauty salons and gyms. The changes are Lightfoot’s latest attempt to ease the financial burden on Chicago businesses by lifting frequently criticized restrictions.
Lightfoot also said she would love to let students back into Chicago public schools in November but wouldn’t commit to allow in-person learning this fall. While many parents would like to see their children back in classrooms, Lightfoot said the safety of teachers and staff at schools also must be considered.
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The mayor’s comments came as Illinois public health officials on Monday reported 1,709 newly diagnosed cases and 13 additional confirmed deaths of people with COVID-19, raising the statewide tally to 289,639 known cases and 8,614 deaths.
Meanwhile, the worldwide death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed 1 million, nine months into a crisis that has devastated the global economy, tested world leaders' resolve, pitted science against politics and forced multitudes to change the way they live, learn and work.
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Here’s what’s happening Monday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7:50 p.m.: Worldwide death toll from COVID-19 eclipses 1 million
The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed 1 million on Tuesday, nine months into a crisis that has devastated the global economy, tested world leaders' resolve, pitted science against politics and forced multitudes to change the way they live, learn and work.
“It’s not just a number. It’s human beings. It’s people we love,” said Dr. Howard Markel, a professor of medical history at the University of Michigan who has advised government officials on containing pandemics and lost his 84-year-old mother to COVID-19 in February.
“It’s our brothers, our sisters. It’s people we know,” he added. “And if you don’t have that human factor right in your face, it’s very easy to make it abstract.”
The bleak milestone, recorded by Johns Hopkins University, is greater than the population of Jerusalem or Austin, Texas. It is 2 1/2 times the sea of humanity that was at Woodstock in 1969. It is more than four times the number killed in the 2004 earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean.
Even then, the figure is almost certainly a vast undercount because of inadequate or inconsistent testing and reporting and suspected concealment by some countries.
And the number continues to mount. Nearly 5,000 deaths are reported each day on average. Parts of Europe are getting hit by a second wave, and experts fear the same fate may await the U.S., which accounts for about 205,000 deaths, or 1 out of 5 worldwide. That is far more than any other country, despite America’s wealth and medical resources.
Read more here. —Associated Press
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6:55 p.m.: Notre Dame announces 39 football players are in isolation or quarantine as a result of positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing
Notre Dame is undefeated on the football field but struggling with COVID-19 away from it.
The Irish postponed last Saturday’s game at Wake Forest, and on Monday the program reported some grim testing numbers: 25 players are in isolation as a result of 18 positive tests last week. Another 14 players are in quarantine due to contact tracing. Those 39 sidelined players represent about 34% of the 114 players listed on the roster.
Notre Dame, which had a scheduled open date this week and is scheduled to host Florida State on Oct. 10, is not practicing. The team has resumed “conditioning activities … in consultation with the St. Joseph County Department of Health,” the school said in a statement.
Notre Dame has not made any coaches or players available to the media since Sept. 21, when coach Brian Kelly called the team’s COVID-19 plan “an evolving situation.”
Read more here. —Teddy Greenstein
5 p.m. (update): Feds to distribute millions of rapid coronavirus tests in bid to reopen K-12 schools
President Donald Trump announced Monday that the federal government will begin distributing millions of rapid coronavirus tests to states this week and urged governors to use them to reopen schools for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
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The move to vastly expand U.S. testing comes as confirmed new COVID-19 cases remain elevated at more than 40,000 per day and experts warn of a likely surge in infections during the colder months ahead. It also comes just five weeks before the November election, with Trump facing continued criticism for his handling of the crisis.
The tests will go out to states based on their population and can be used as governors see fit, but the Trump administration is encouraging states to place a priority on schools. White House officials said at a Rose Garden event that 6.5 million tests will go out this week and that a total of 100 million tests will be distributed to governors over the next several weeks.
Read more here. —Associated Press
3:05 p.m.: Lightfoot: ‘We’re not there yet’ on in-person CPS learning
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday said she would love to let students back into Chicago public schools in November, but wouldn’t commit to allow in-person learning this fall.
When Chicago Public Schools set all-remote learning due to COVID-19 concerns at the beginning of the school year, officials said they would revisit the decision at the end of the first quarter in early November. The first quarter is scheduled to end Nov. 5, with the second quarter starting on Nov. 9.
The mayor said the decisions will come “in the next few weeks.”
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Read more here. —John Byrne
1:50 p.m.: United pilots accept deal to avoid nearly 3,000 furloughs
United Airlines' pilots agreed to a deal that will spare almost 3,000 pilots from furloughs through at least June.
Pilots agreed to work fewer hours to avoid the furloughs, with the most junior pilots who were at greatest risk of furloughs facing the greatest reductions, according to the union representing United’s 3,000 pilots, the Air Line Pilots Association.
Chicago-based United warned it planned to furlough 2,850 of its 13,000 pilots earlier this month, along with 13,500 employees in other roles, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take a toll on air travel.
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
1 p.m.: Lightfoot easing Chicago restrictions on indoor bars, restaurants, fitness class sizes
Chicago bars that don’t serve food will be allowed to reopen for indoor service starting Thursday, and bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve alcohol until 1 a.m., Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Monday.
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In addition, Lightfoot said the city will now allow shaves, facials, and other personal services that previously were banned because they required the removal of face masks. The city also will increase the maximum group size for health and fitness classes and after-school programming from 10 to 15 people, officials said.
The moves are Lightfoot’s latest attempt to ease the financial burden on Chicago businesses by lifting frequently criticized restrictions. But the moves also come as the city prepares for flu season and the number of new COVID-19 cases per day hovers around 300.
Lightfoot has been eager to showcase Chicago as America’s most open big city during the pandemic, while also pledging to heed scientific advice on how much leeway to give businesses and other public places where people congregate.
Monday’s announcement keeps the city in phase four of its reopening framework, but loosens several standards.
This is the second time during the pandemic that the mayor has let bars that don’t serve food welcome patrons inside. But they will be limited to 25% of capacity under the new rules.
Although Lightfoot is easing some rules, the city will still require patrons to wear face masks “except when actively eating or drinking.” They also will be required to order from their seats at indoor bars and taverns.
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Read more here. —Gregory Pratt and John Byrne
12:05 p.m.: Illinois reports 1,709 new known COVID-19 cases and 13 more deaths
Illinois health officials on Monday announced 1,709 new known cases of COVID-19 and 13 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 289,639 and the statewide death toll to 8,614 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 41,142 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 3.7%.
11:20 a.m.: One family’s COVID-19 journey, and how life changed in a weekend
When a Chicago Public Schools speech pathologist and her parents got sick back in March — presumably with COVID-19, though only her father was ever able to get tested — Illinois had recorded only a few dozen cases.
It was the same week that Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that he was shutting down schools statewide.
Since then, Beth Eysenbach and her mother have recovered, though her father did not. Now, in addition to planning his funeral, she’s getting used to how the pandemic has not just the world around her but her life, her family, and her job.
Read more here. —Hannah Leone
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9:15 a.m.: Chef partnerships becoming more common during COVID-19 pandemic as pros adapt to survive
The COVID-19 shutdown forced a collective change of plans among the restaurant industry, putting workers in unexpected and often urgent situations. Every element of the dining experience had taken on a new or different importance: safety measures, kitchen space, outdoor areas, walk-up windows, even the type of cuisine.
In general, resources tightened more than ever, and thousands of employees were furloughed. As pros looked for ways to innovate and survive, collaborative efforts like shared kitchens, ghost kitchens, joint pop-ups and more have seen a new lift in recent months, particularly among independent restaurants or fledgling entrepreneurs. Ghost kitchen is a term for a commercial kitchen shared among culinary entrepreneurs without offering dine-in service.
Considering the pandemic’s widespread effects, such arrangements have inevitably spawned a variety of forms, but almost all of these operations allow chefs and owners to share certain costs and resources while maintaining more of their own autonomy. In most cases, it’s a situation of friendly colleagues and/or co-workers capitalizing on existing trust to support each other.
Read more here. —Adam Lukach
7:19 a.m.: Pandemic-related canning supply shortages real in Illinois, but there are solutions
The pandemic-related trend that saw more people trying their hand at home gardening this summer may have led to a bountiful harvest of fresh produce, but it’s left some scrambling to find canning supplies as they try to save the last of their colorful crops to enjoy during the grayer days of winter.
“Canning supplies are in short supply everywhere,” said Brandon Pennell, manager at Midland Farm & Home Supply in Jacksonville. “We have people ask for lids all the time. ... Everybody grew a garden this year.”
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When canning, clean Mason jars free of nicks can be reused. But seals and lids should to be new to provide the seal necessary to keep food safe for longer-term storage. It’s also not a good idea to buy more than you expect to need for one year, according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, meaning stockpiling doesn’t work.
Read more here. —Angela Bauer, Jacksonville Journal-Courier
6 a.m.: For Chicago’s theaters, an opportunity for more racial diversity also comes at a time of crisis
For Jackie Taylor, the founder of the Black Ensemble Theater and a woman who has seen calls for greater diversity, equity and inclusion in the Chicago theater come and go over the years, this moment seems different.
“This has been a fight for more than 400 years,” Taylor said. “So it’s not exactly new. And we had all the demonstrations and the marches and the same conversations in the 1960s. But there has been a change in the wind. And I think, in terms of things clicking in people’s minds about racism, it is suddenly now happening on a deeper level.”
So what’s different?
“Young people,” Taylor said. “Young people, including young white people, are saying they do not want a world of white privilege, but one of inclusion. They are bringing a different essence to the fight. So there is new hope.”
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That hope, though, is tempered by a contemporaneous pandemic that has shuttered Chicago theaters, possibly for many months to come, and turned the later half of 2020 into a struggle for financial survival both on institutional and individual levels. Jobs have disappeared. The talent that makes up the sector is being forced to seek employment elsewhere, prompting worries over when, or if, they will return. Governmental help of adequate scope has not been forthcoming and many hands from many sectors are outstretched.
Read more here. —Chris Jones
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
In case you missed it
Here are five stories from last week related to COVID-19:


chicagotribune--2020-09-28--Mayor Lori Lightfoot: ‘We’re not there yet’ on in-person CPS learning

“ When CPS and the Chicago Department of Public Health made the decision that the first academic quarter would be @ @ @ @ @ they did so based upon the clear criteria that fully remote learning was the only @ @ @ @ @ is averaging more than 200 COVID cases per day , when the positivity rate is @ @ @ @ @ there is inadequate hospital capacity , ” Davis Gates and Sharkey wrote , adding that @ @ @ @ @ still experiencing double-digit positivity rates .
“ Under those criteria , CPS will be unable @ @ @ @ @ ”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot, along with CPS CEO Dr. Janice Jackson, announce that Chicago Public Schools will start the 2020-2021 school year with all remote learning in the fall. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday said she would love to let students back into Chicago public schools in November but wouldn’t commit to allow in-person learning this fall.
When Chicago Public Schools set all-remote learning because of COVID-19 concerns at the beginning of the school year, officials said they would revisit the decision at the end of the first quarter in early November. The first quarter is scheduled to end Nov. 5, with the second quarter starting Nov. 9.
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The mayor said the decisions will come “in the next few weeks.”
While many parents would like to see their children back in classrooms, Lightfoot said the safety of teachers and staff at schools also must be considered.
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“We have to see more progress in order for us, I think, to have a conversation about in-person learning. We’re not there yet,” Lightfoot said.
“I don’t want to speculate on the chances,” the mayor said. “It’s something we are focused on every single day, and we’ll make an announcement relatively soon, because we have to give parents and the school community enough time to adapt if we’re going to make a change.”
Also on Monday, Chicago Teachers Union leaders said they sent Lightfoot a letter accusing CPS of “planning to rush headlong into a resumption of in-person learning at the beginning of November.”
The letter, signed by CTU President Jesse Sharkey and Vice President Stacy Davis Gates, was drafted before Monday’s news conference and did not include a response to the mayor’s remarks.
“When CPS and the Chicago Department of Public Health made the decision that the first academic quarter would be conducted through fully remote learning they did so based upon the clear criteria that fully remote learning was the only safe option when the City is averaging more than 200 COVID cases per day, when the positivity rate is rapidly increasing, or when there is inadequate hospital capacity,” Davis Gates and Sharkey wrote, adding that some Chicago ZIP codes are still experiencing double-digit positivity rates. “Under those criteria, CPS will be unable to reopen anytime soon.”
The union leaders asked what the new criteria will be for reopening and if schools would get needed safety and ventilation upgrades. They also asked CPS to provide COVID-19 testing for all students, families and staff.
According to the CTU, only 40% of the district’s schools have a central HVAC system, less than 5% have an air purification system and 9% have filtration systems consistent with public health recommendations.
A premature return to in-person learning could have a worse impact on enrollment than remote learning if schools “become additional vectors for an anticipated fall-winter COVID-19 spike,” the letter argues.
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With remote learning compounding inequities and creating particular challenges for students in special education or English-learning programs, the union has been pushing for more collaboration with CPS to make the virtual model better.
“Other big city school districts such as Los Angeles and Boston have listened to their educators and adopted age-appropriate remote learning best practices informed by educator experience in collaboration with their unions,” according to the letter. “The CTU continues to stand willing and ready to do this in Chicago, and we urge you to send your bargaining team to the table with directions to do the same.”
After Lightfoot on Monday announced loosened restrictions on bars and some businesses, Sharkey issued a statement doubling down on the letter, calling the current virtual learning model unsustainable and inhumane for educators, parents and students.
“We cannot prioritize bars and restaurants over Black and Brown children and our city’s most vulnerable students, including special education students and English language learners,” Sharkey said. “Increased socialization could cause a sharper spike, which would make it more difficult to reopen school buildings.”
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-28--Chicago veterinarians refuse CDC’s request to deport 15 French bulldog puppies abandoned in O’Hare w

Chicago veterinarians refuse CDC’s request to deport 15 French bulldog puppies abandoned in O’Hare warehouse

The dogs were discovered at O ’ Hare International Airport after they were shipped to the United States from Russia @ @ @ @ @ officials say their paperwork was forged to get around limits on the number of dogs @ @ @ @ @ .
They ’ ve been in the care of Chicago French Bulldog Rescue , which @ @ @ @ @ back abroad .

Two of the 15 French bulldog puppies that were rescued from a warehouse at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport are seen in quarantine in Chicago Oct. 2, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Veterinarians caring for 15 French bulldog puppies found abandoned in an O’Hare warehouse will not turn over the dogs to federal authorities as requested by officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an attorney representing a Chicago rescue group said Monday.
The dogs were discovered at O’Hare International Airport after they were shipped to the United States from Russia in August, and federal officials say their paperwork was forged to get around limits on the number of dogs any one person can import. They’ve been in the care of Chicago French Bulldog Rescue, which is fighting their being sent back abroad.
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The CDC last week ordered the rescue group to transport the 15 recovering puppies Monday morning to O’Hare, where they were slated for deportation on a 13-hour flight to the Middle East.
“The good news is, we bought some time,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Chicago, who has been advocating for the dogs, and who credited U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth for reaching out to the CDC to share her concerns about the situation over the weekend.
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“I think there’s a human solution that can also address the public health concerns of the CDC,” Quigley said in an interview.
The rescue group’s eleventh-hour decision to not comply with the CDC’s request to ship back the dogs on Monday morning was announced late Sunday night.
“Out of ongoing concern by Chicago French Bulldog Rescue for the health and welfare of the 15 puppies rescued from a warehouse at O’Hare International Airport, I have informed all relevant agencies of the government and Royal Jordanian Airlines earlier today that the rescue will not be turning over the 15 French bulldog puppies to anyone,” R. Tamara de Silva, an attorney representing the rescue group, said in a statement.
After a total of 20 dogs were discovered by an employee at the O’Hare cargo warehouse in late August, Chicago police officers found 16 French bulldogs in small cages, covered in feces and urine, without water or food, and one dead dog, a police spokeswoman said last week.
A spokeswoman for the rescue group said Alliance Ground International, the company that runs the warehouse where the dogs were found, was issued two citations, one for 17 counts of animal neglect and a second for animal neglect that may have contributed to the death of a male canine.
CDC and rescue group officials have said the carrier that delivered the dogs was Royal Jordanian Airlines — the same airline federal authorities had booked for the dogs’ planned Monday flight out of Chicago.
The 15 surviving French bulldog puppies have now received proper vaccinations and are able to be quarantined, “but the CDC is denying this request,” said the rescue group’s spokeswoman, Mary Scheffke.
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The CDC has said the dogs have to be returned to Jordan because they lacked the proper rabies vaccinations and weren’t quarantined properly when they came into O’Hare.
The dogs’ journey to the U.S. began last month, when they were crated and put on a plane in Moscow, and eventually flown to the U.S. after a weeklong layover in Jordan — a delay that gave the person shipping the dogs enough time to change the animals’ paperwork before they entered the U.S., Scheffke said.
The puppies were denied entry into the U.S. after a CDC representative judged “they were below the age requirement of 4 months,” Scheffke said.
One person, who Scheffke said is known to import sick puppies, “purchased all 16 of the French bulldog puppies to resell,” despite regulations limiting the number of dogs imported by one person to four.
Quigley said even if there is a positive outcome for the 15 French bulldog puppies, officials need to address the factors that have allowed the situation to unfold.
“We must address the bigger issues, which include turning off the spigot of increased demand for these puppy mill dogs due to COVID and people being home, and instead urge them to adopt a dog from a reputable shelter or rescue group,” Quigley said. “We also need to educate other governments, and make sure that O’Hare and all of the U.S. airports handle these situations much better when they happen.”
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kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-09-28--Revolution Cannabis nearly sweeps the Illinois Cannabis Cup, but some reviewers question the process

While previous Cannabis Cups around the world typically have featured celebrity judges such as Snoop Dogg or industry insiders , @ @ @ @ @ different , in part due to the coronavirus pandemic .
In Illinois , where recreational @ @ @ @ @ year , the judging was opened up to the public , as a way to @ @ @

Nicole Vaughn prepares to smoke Revolution cannabis as she tests products for the Cannabis Cup at her home on Aug. 27, 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The results of Illinois' first statewide legal marijuana competition revealed a clear favorite, though a couple of full-time cannabis reviewers caution people to take the results with a grain of salt.
The High Times Cannabis Cup Illinois named Revolution Global brands the winner in six of seven announced categories, with other top finishers featuring other big growers in the state, such as Cresco, Green Thumb Industries and PharmaCann. But some reviewers question whether the process was broad-based and fair enough.
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While previous Cannabis Cups around the world typically have featured celebrity judges such as Snoop Dogg or industry insiders, this time the process was different, in part due to the coronavirus pandemic. In Illinois, where recreational marijuana first became legal this year, the judging was opened up to the public, as a way to broaden participation.
Up to 220 judges could participate in each category. They bought judging kits containing samples of products from producers statewide, costing $150 to $280 for up to 28 grams, or about an ounce, which were only sold at a handful of dispensaries statewide.
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Revolution COO Dustin Shroyer said his team was “blown away” by the results.
“Our staff’s heart and passion is second to none in the industry,” he said, noting it took at least a couple of years of breeding its varietals to get to where they are.
He said he felt the results using the crowdsourced judging were valid because they were more broadly based and were done without the judges knowing which brand they were scoring.
Revolution once claimed to be the largest cultivator in Illinois with two cultivation warehouses in downstate Barry and Delavan. It sold the Barry site to Ascend Wellness, and now has one 75,000-square-foot building, the capacity of which it plans to double by next year.
It was not a sponsor of the competition and was not among the participating dispensaries. While it is popular, some reviewers were surprised at how well it did in the competition.
“Some friends thought it seemed overpriced and gimmicky,” Illbuds.com cannabis reviewer Chris Trudeau said of the cup. “Revolution does good work, but it is a bit odd to me they had a full sweep. It feels like more of an advertising opportunity than a real serious judging competition.”
Mark Anderson, who has written numerous online pot reviews under the pseudonym of Officer Dick Downey, also questioned the process. He agreed that Revolution makes the best products in the state “hands down,” but he wouldn’t necessarily agree with every result.
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“I thought the process was unfair,” Anderson said. “These are the results you get when you have a small subset of people who can judge.”
Both reviewers hoped the competition would involve more judges and greater accessibility next year. Groups opposed to marijuana legalization have also criticized the competition for promoting a federally illegal product that can have harmful effects on cognition and the lungs, among other things.
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High Times, which has long called for legalization, has said it opened up the Cannabis Cup judging to the public as a more democratic way to seek more input.
Jon Cappetta, vice president of content for High Times, said the dominance by Revolution was unprecedented in a Cannabis Cup, but said Revolution didn’t pay High Times a penny and won fairly.
“This has never happened before, and we were surprised as anyone else,” he said. “But it speaks to the quality of the product.”
Nicole Vaughn smells Revolution cannabis as she tests products for the Cannabis Cup at her home on Aug. 27, 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Revolution finished first in the categories of indica flower, sativa flower, hybrid flower, pre-rolled joints, concentrates and vape pens. Bhang won the edibles category.
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Green Thumb Industries, which runs the Rise stores that helped sponsor the event, was “thrilled” to have its RYTHM and incredibles brands recognized as runners-up in the sativa flower and edible categories, spokeswoman Linda Marsicano said.
“This has been a great opportunity for all of Illinois to celebrate the legalization of cannabis and to learn more about cannabis brands,” she said.
rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-28--The Spin: Preview of Biden,Trump’s first debate | Trump should expect tax questions | Lightfoot ease

The Spin: Preview of Biden,Trump’s first debate | Trump should expect tax questions | Lightfoot eases COVID-19 restrictions on bars, salons starting Thursday

“ It opens the door right up for Joe Biden — I mean he ought to be able to tee @ @ @ @ @ out of the park that Trump hasn ’ t released his tax returns , and @ @ @ @ @ the New York Times is reporting ( is showing ) he ’ s only paid @ @ @ @ @ taxes in 2016 ( and ) 2017 and very little , over the past 10 @ @ @ @ @ even as he likes to talk about how wealthy he is , Mixon said .
@ @ @ @ @ needs to drive home with blue collar workers , ‘ OK we ’ re certainly @ @ @ @ @ lot more than that , every year .
’ ”

Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump will have their first debate tomorrow. (Photos by Jim Watson and Brendan Smialowski/AFP)
We’re little more than 24 hours before Republican President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden square off in the first debate of the 2020 general election season, and political junkies are waiting to see the display.
While debates of yore might have given a candidate a leg up, today’s politically divided climate means the debate stands as a tradition rather than a chance to change the race’s direction, one expert says.
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The debate will be moderated by Fox News’ Chris Wallace. Trump likely will face some grilling over The New York Times story about his taxes and financial woes, and his COVID-19 response. And while Trump says Wallace won’t hold his opponent’s feet to the fire, Biden may face tough questions too.
Trump over the weekend officially introduced Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. And while some Democratic members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee — which does the heavy lifting in terms of vetting and interviewing Barrett — have said they won’t meet with her, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin says he will.
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A former ComEd executive is scheduled to plead guilty tomorrow in a bribery conspiracy case alleging he helped arrange payments to allies of Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan to influence legislation in Springfield, the Tribune’s Jason Meisner reports.
It comes the same day a current ComEd exec is slated to testify at a special legislative committee convened to examine what, if any, role Madigan played in the scheme. Madigan has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Welcome to The Spin.
Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump will have their first debate tomorrow. (OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
How to watch: The 90-minute debate tomorrow will get underway at 8 p.m. Chicago time. Details on how to watch, stream here.
When the two meet for their first debate tomorrow night, Joe Biden expect to go heavy on his policy positions. President Trump, meanwhile, likely will alternate between attacking Biden and touting his accomplishments during his first term in the Oval Office.
The former vice president might be able to sway undecided voters — and maybe even plant the seeds of doubt among Trump’s working class backers – if he capitalizes on a New York Times report that, among other things, found the president paid just $750 in federal income taxes the year he was elected and his first year in office, says Constance Mixon, an associate professor of political science at Elmhurst College.
“It opens the door right up for Joe Biden — I mean he ought to be able to tee this up and hit it out of the park that Trump hasn’t released his tax returns, and at least the information that the New York Times is reporting (is showing) he’s only paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 (and) 2017 and very little, over the past 10 to 15 years,” even as he likes to talk about how wealthy he is, Mixon said. “He (Biden) needs to drive home with blue collar workers, ‘OK we’re certainly paying a heck of a lot more than that, every year.’”
The Times report also lays out that Trump has $421 million in loans and debt that would be due in his second term, should he win. But for voters, questions about national security may come in to play, said Alvin Tillery, an associate professor of political science and director of the Center for the Study of Diversity and Democracy at Northwestern University. Tillery said it’s unclear who that money is owed to and if the president could be vulnerable to outside influences.
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Expect Trump to invoke his “fake news” refrain, Mixon tells The Spin. While some experts say it’s a tired response, others suggest he’s had some success if for no other reason than he’s consistent.
Holding a lead at this point in many of the big polls “I think Biden is in a really strong position and what he needs to do is just essentially hold the footfall – make no major gaffes, continue to present himself as a compassionate expansive heart, someone who wants to help the American people in these hard times,” Tillery said. And as a means of both reminding Democrats and bringing them together, Biden also should reinforce he’s the moderate that party regulars want and need right now.
Tillery says that in a deeply divided nation, presidential debates today feel like a relic from an age when a registered Republican might hear out a Democratic candidate and vice versa.
“They’re there, they’re just rituals — but you know there have been times in American history where the electorate wasn’t so polarized where these faceoffs mattered — so you know (the-Republican presidential candidate Ronald) Reagan looking into the camera in 1980 and saying, ‘Can you honestly say that you’re better off today than you were four years ago?’ You know, he won the presidential election on that,” Tillery tells The Spin.
Mixon says candidates in these televised debates have a chance to go after undecided “low-information voters” – the phrase academics use to describe those who are not absorbing every detail of a campaign and may be influenced by soundbites that make their way to social media.
“They don’t pay a lot of attention to what’s happening in the political world and they’re very susceptible to messaging. So they may hear tidbits here and there from the debate — and kind of formulate from there where they’ll go. Social media has been very effective with this population in influencing them one way or the other because many times that’s where they’re getting their news.”
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“Black Chicago for Trump” to hold fundraiser in Bucktown on Friday: The invite bills the event, a fish fry, as a chance “to meet fellow Black patriots in Chicagoland who support our beloved president!” The $50-per-person event includes appearances by conservative radio personality Stephanie Trussell and disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose prison sentence was commuted by Trump. A spokesman for Blagojevich - once a Democrat but now a self-described Trumpocrat - says the ex-governor will be there but won’t be speaking. More on the event here. H/T to my colleague Alice Yin for spotting.
Thousands of Trump supporters attend rally Sunday at Kane County Fairgrounds: The Kane County Chronicle has the story here.
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Lordstown Motors CEO Steve Burns listens as President Donald Trump talks about the Endurance all-electric pickup truck, made in Lordstown, Ohio, at the White House on Sept. 28, 2020. (Evan Vucci/AP)
The Tribune’s Gregory Pratt writes: Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said President Donald Trump owes the public an apology if a New York Times investigation detailing his federal tax history is true.
“For someone to use every act possible not to pay his fair share and then act like he’s this incredibly successful businessman, disappointing’s not the right word. It’s extraordinarily troubling to me and, obviously, the IRS is all over this because if the reporting is correct, they’ve been in a 10-year fight with this guy over auditing his taxes,” Lightfoot said at an unrelated news conference. “He needs to come clean, he needs to take ownership, and frankly if the reporting is true, he needs to apologize.”
Lightfoot, a Democrat who’s endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden against Trump, said she’s “deeply disturbed” by the reporting’s findings, which suggest Trump used “every trick in the book” to avoid paying his fair share. Read the rest of the story here.
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Trump isn’t the only president who has meddled in sports: He demanded, then took credit for, Big 10 football’s plan to return to the gridiron amid the pandemic. He bashed NFL players for taking a knee in the name of social justice during the national anthem. But President Donald Trump isn’t the only one who’s stuck his nose in the business of sports. From Teddy Roosevelt to Nixon, Clinton and Obama, the Tribune’s Shannon Ryan takes a look at how they tried to inject themselves into the games. Read the story here.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, shown Nov. 12, 2019, at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Dan Petrella and Jamie Munks write: “After winning a slew of suburban state legislative seats long held by Republicans in 2018, Illinois Democrats are looking to expand their reach even further in November as renewed controversy swirls around their powerful leader, longtime House Speaker Michael Madigan.
“Republicans for years have built their campaign strategy around vilifying Madigan, who has been speaker for all but two years since 1983, but it hasn’t paid off in a big way at the ballot box. This year, however, the GOP hopes its anti-Madigan message will resonate in a new way” because of the alleged bribery scheme.
Trump factor: “But Madigan, who has not been charged and has denied wrongdoing, is only on the ballot in his Southwest Side district, and Democrats are hoping to capitalize on a changing suburban electorate’s dissatisfaction with the name at the top of the Republican ticket: President Donald Trump,” Petrella and Munks note.
Data points: “All 118 Illinois House seats and 22 of 59 state Senate seats are on the ballot this fall. But because 52 House and 11 Senate races are uncontested, a handful of competitive districts — largely in the suburbs — will determine whether Democrats lose or add to their veto-proof majorities in both chambers,” Petrella and Munks write. “Democrats hold supermajorities of 74-44 in the House and 40-19 in the Senate, meaning Republicans would need a historic number of victories to take control of either chamber.”
The money: “The Democrats not only control both chambers of the General Assembly and all statewide offices, but they also enjoy an overwhelming advantage in campaign cash.” Read the full story, including how much each party has banked, yet another sign of who holds the power.
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Fidel Marquez Jr., shown in 2008. (Candice C. Cusic / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Jason Meisner: "A former ComEd executive is scheduled to plead guilty this week in a bribery conspiracy case alleging he helped arrange payments to allies of powerful Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan to influence legislation in Springfield.
“Fidel Marquez, a longtime lobbyist and former senior vice president of governmental affairs at ComEd, is so far the only person charged in what the utility has admitted in court was a yearslong scheme to win Madigan’s support.”
Marquez is expected to plead guilty before a federal magistrate tomorrow as a current executive testifies before a special House committee investigating Madigan’s conduct in the alleged scheme. Read the full story here.
A reminder that Madigan, who has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing, last week declined an invitation to testify before the bipartisan committee, calling the hearings a “politically motivated stunt.”
AF3000 "autoclave" filters are placed in the bar and dining room at Formento's, an Italian restaurant in the West Loop. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Gregory Pratt and John Byrne: Chicago bars that don’t serve food will be allowed to reopen for indoor service starting Thursday, and bars and restaurants will be allowed to serve alcohol until 1 a.m., Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced today.
In addition, Lightfoot said the city will now allow shaves, facials and other personal services that previously were banned because they required the removal of face masks. The city also will increase the maximum group size for health and fitness classes and after-school programming from 10 to 15 people, officials said. The rest of the story is here.
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Wiggle room? According to Lightfoot’s plan, Chicago won’t move on to phase five until there’s a coronavirus vaccine. But she left herself a lot of room to continue to “turn up the dimmer switch” on a return to normal within phase four.
Lightfoot: ‘We’re not there yet’ on in-person CPS learning - The mayor today said “she would love to let students back into Chicago public schools in November, but wouldn’t commit to allow in-person learning this fall,” the Tribune’s John Byrne writes. Read the full story here.
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-09-28--Horse ridden down the Dan Ryan is doing better, says Mayor Lori Lightfoot, again criticizing the ‘st

Horse ridden down the Dan Ryan is doing better, says Mayor Lori Lightfoot, again criticizing the ‘stunt’ by the ‘Dreadhead Cowboy’

“ As my mother taught me from a very early age , there ’ s a right way and a @ @ @ @ @ , and what he did — putting himself at risk , putting that horse at @ @ @ @ @ at risk , for that jaunt on the Dan Ryan , was decidedly the wrong @ @ @ @ @ .

The horse ridden down the Dan Ryan Expressway as part of a protest by the “Dreadhead Cowboy” is recovering, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Monday, days after prosecutors said it may have to be put down because of injuries suffered during the ride.
“The horse was in shock, had to be put on an IV (but) is making steady progress, I’m happy to report,” she said.
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Lightfoot again made clear, though, that she objected to the “stunt,” as she called the protest.
“What he did was absolutely wrong,” she said. “He almost killed that horse. That doesn’t even address the way that he put himself and passing motorists at risk, law enforcement at risk, over a stunt.”
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Adam Hollingsworth, 33, said he made the ride last Monday afternoon to bring attention to all the children who have been shot in Chicago this year. “I shut down the Dan Ryan, Kids’ Lives Matter,” he streamed that day on Facebook Live.
Adam Hollingsworth rides his horse down the local lanes of Dan Ryan Expressway with motorcycles and motorists to support Kids Lives Matter on Sept. 21, 2020. (Todd Panagopoulos / Chicago Tribune)
The horse collapsed at the end of the ride, and Hollingsworth was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty, trespassing and reckless conduct. During a court hearing last week, prosecutors said the horse was extremely dehydrated and had cuts to its front legs.
While the mayor said she sympathized with Hollingsworth’s cause, she made it clear she did not support his actions.
“As my mother taught me from a very early age, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do everything, and what he did — putting himself at risk, putting that horse at risk, putting passing motorists at risk, for that jaunt on the Dan Ryan, was decidedly the wrong way,” she said.
Adam Hollingsworth speaks during a press conference on Sept. 24, 2020, in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
After Hollingsworth bonded out of jail, he publicly asked for Lightfoot’s help and noted that he had helped her with a drive to get people counted for the census during a memorable news conference where she donned a green cowboy hat.
“When she called upon me, I was there for her,” he said. “What I did Monday was my stress signal. Lori, come help me. I can’t do it alone.”
But Lightfoot said Hollingsworth “hasn’t represented the city in months.”


chicagotribune--2020-09-28--Former ComEd VP expected to plead guilty in bribery scheme

The hearing comes on the same day a special legislative committee in Springfield is slated to hear testimony about the @ @ @ @ @ executive .
The committee has also sought the testimony of Madigan and a number of @ @ @ @ @ implicated in the bribery case , but all have declined .

A former Commonwealth Edison executive is scheduled to plead guilty this week in a bribery conspiracy case alleging he helped arrange payments to allies of powerful Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan to influence legislation in Springfield.
Fidel Marquez, a longtime lobbyist and former senior vice president of governmental affairs at ComEd, is so far the only person charged in what the utility has admitted in court was a yearslong scheme to win Madigan’s support.
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Fidel Marquez, a former ComEd executive shown in 2008, is scheduled to plead guilty this week in a bribery conspiracy case. (Candice C. Cusic / Chicago Tribune)
Marquez, who was charged three weeks ago in a one-count criminal information, is scheduled to enter a guilty plea Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland, court records show.
An attorney for Marquez did not return phone calls seeking comment.
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The hearing comes on the same day a special legislative committee in Springfield is slated to hear testimony about the scheme from a current ComEd executive. The committee has also sought the testimony of Madigan and a number of lobbyists and former ComEd officials implicated in the bribery case, but all have declined.
Federal prosecutors have said their ongoing investigation shows ComEd sought to influence legislation in Springfield by making payments to Madigan associates and approved lobbyists, some of whom did little or no actual work for the company.
ComEd was charged with bribery in July and has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the government, agreeing to pay a record $200 million fine and cooperate with investigators in exchange for the charges being dropped in three years.
Madigan, the nation’s longest-serving speaker and Illinois Democratic Party chairman, has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged.
The four-page information against Marquez alleged that from 2011 to 2019, he conspired with others to corruptly solicit jobs, contracts and monetary payments for the benefit of Madigan — identified as Public Official A — and his associates with the intent of influencing legislation beneficial to ComEd.
Specifically, on July 30, 2018, Marquez directed a $37,500 payment to Company 1, “a substantial portion of which was intended for associates of (Madigan),” the information stated.
The Chicago Tribune reported last year that Marquez was a focus of the federal investigation, as is former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, who abruptly retired last year. She has not been charged with wrongdoing.
Many of the illegal payments allegedly were arranged by downstate lobbyist Michael McClain, a key Madigan confidant and adviser at the center of the probe, according to court records.
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One example cited in ComEd’s deferred prosecution agreement involved a man identified as “Consultant 1,” who allegedly was speaking to a ComEd executive identified by the Tribune as Marquez.
The consultant said he believed McClain had spoken to Madigan about the payments, saying the money was “to keep (Public Official A) happy (and) I think it’s worth it, because you’d hear otherwise,” prosecutors alleged.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


Corrections and clarifications

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· A Monday story about Illinois legislative races described former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s financial status as a billionaire. Forbes magazine does not include Rauner in its list of the world’s billionaires.
· A story Thursday about suburban schools reopening incorrectly spelled the last name of Eric Steckling, director of communications for Deerfield School District 109.
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· The Jumble Crossword for Sept 14 contained an error on 6A that made the puzzle unsolvable.
The Tribune regrets the errors.
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chicagotribune--2020-09-28--University Park mayor: Contaminated water problem would be fixed if it was in ‘an affluent, white su

University Park mayor: Contaminated water problem would be fixed if it was in ‘an affluent, white suburb’

“ It saddens me to think that , 15 months later , we ’ re still fighting this uphill battle @ @ @ @ @ Trustee Donzell Franklin said .
“ I ’ m willing to take it a step @ @ @ @ @ the animals at Brookfield Zoo were exposed to the levels of lead that some of @ @ @ @ @ exposed to , there would be more of an urgency .
There would be more @ @ @ @ @ to make sure this is rectified .
”

Pat Cooper, a resident of University Park’s Thornwood House Apartments, said she is still without water from her taps she considers drinkable. University Park Mayor Joseph Roudez opened his remarks at a weekend town hall with comments directed toward his village’s continuing issues with contaminated water, saying he wanted them fixed and would not make deals with provider Aqua Illinois. (Bill Jones / Daily Southtown)
With 1,500 University Park customers still threatened by potentially high lead levels in their water, local officials demanded action this weekend, saying the problem would have been resolved if it had been happening in “an affluent, white suburb.”
The Rev. Jesse Jackson also joined the fight, speaking out at the Saturday town hall event and called for more attention on University Park’s plight.
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“If your neighbor’s house is on fire, you don’t need an invitation to come put out the fire — because you care, because you support them,” Jackson said.
Residents of University Park have “played by the rules” and became property owners, he said. But they still cannot get clean water.
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“Something about that’s not right,” he said.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks Saturday, Sept. 26, at a University Park town hall. The village’s issues with lead contaminating some of its residents’ water persist. (Bill Jones / Daily Southtown)
His comments came during the two-hour event featuring members of the Village Board as well as other local, state and federal officials. It was designed to provide a State of the Village update and give residents an opportunity to submit written questions. While the town hall covered a breadth of topics, the water issue was a constant refrain for officials, who say they want to see more urgency in solving this issue.
“My position on behalf of the residents has been consistent and clear: If University Park were an affluent, white suburb, instead of an African American one, our water would not still be lead-contaminated after 16 months,” University Park Mayor Joseph Roudez said.
University Park Mayor Joseph Roudez opened his remarks at a weekend town hall with comments directed toward his village’s continuing issues with contaminated water, saying he wanted them fixed and would not make deals with provider Aqua Illinois. (Bill Jones / Daily Southtown)
Aqua Illinois notified customers in June 2019 that elevated lead levels had been detected in samples taken from some of their homes. The company reportedly detected elevated lead levels at 14 village properties shortly after changing its treatment process. Aqua issued a “do not consume” advisory for roughly 2,400 customers at that time.
In mid-August of 2019, the Illinois Attorney General’s office and Will County state’s attorney’s office filed a lawsuit against Aqua Illinois, alleging the company failed to provide a safe water supply in University Park. The Attorney General said Aqua switched its water supply to the Kankakee River and began adding a blended phosphate mix to the public water system to help with the taste. But that was thought to have caused a chemical reaction that removed a protective layer in residential plumbing, which allowed lead to leach into the water of homes and businesses. The lawsuit sought immediate action from the company, in addition to civil penalties.
Tori Joseph, deputy press secretary for the Illinois Attorney General, said the latest update in the legal proceedings has been a motion by the attorney general last month to strike affirmative defenses posed by Aqua. The attorney general’s office is continuing to demand “assuredly safe” water for University Park residents and has argued that is not impossible.
“We continue to receive monthly reports from Aqua,” Joseph said. “Our top priority is ensuring that residents have access to safe drinking water.”
Aqua responded to that motion in mid-September, arguing the lead is not within its infrastructure but internal pipes owned by impacted residents. The company said the situation involves a unique set of circumstances. The next hearing regarding that motion is slated for Oct. 14.
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Aqua has been providing bottled water, pitchers with filters, and faucet filters to the impacted residents. But Roudez said there are roughly 1,500 customers in University Park who are under a water advisory.
Phyllis Saunders, of University Park, holds a sign addressing her town’s water contamination issues. (Bill Jones / Daily Southtown)
“It saddens me to think that, 15 months later, we’re still fighting this uphill battle with Aqua Illinois,” Trustee Donzell Franklin said. “I’m willing to take it a step farther and say, if the animals at Brookfield Zoo were exposed to the levels of lead that some of our village residents have been exposed to, there would be more of an urgency. There would be more federal support, state support to make sure this is rectified.”
University Park is located in an area that has been designated by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency as an area of environmental justice concern because its percentage of low-income and/or minority residents is twice the state average, according to the Attorney General’s office.
Roudez demanded a list of concessions from Aqua, in addition to providing clean water for residents, including an endowment fund for unforeseen consequences caused by the contaminated water. Roudez said parents mixed this water with baby formula and families gave it to their children without knowing it was contaminated.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes there is no safe level of lead in drinking water for children.
“I would suggest you waste no more time, and spend whatever dollars are necessary to correct this gross violation of your company’s public trust as a necessary utility provider,” Roudez said. “No confidentiality agreements, no sweeping offenses under the rug, no deals — Aqua Water is going to pay for what they’ve done. On that, you have my word.”
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Meredith Krantz, a spokesperson for Aqua Illinois, said by email Sunday that the company has made significant progress, restoring “high water quality” to 89% of the homes regularly sampled. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standard is 90 %.
The company also notes the water under this advisory is OK to drink when residents run their cold tap water for 2-3 minutes, and filter cold tap water through a faucet or pitcher filter certified to remove lead. Aqua reportedly has provided more than 5,494 pitcher and faucet filters, and another 6,431 filter replacements in University Park.
Krantz urged residents to regularly use their tap water as the company works to restore a protective lining to internal pipes. But Roudez remains reluctant to ask residents to do that, and said they are incurring higher sewage bills than usual as a result. Krantz said this is not the case, as those rates have been capped based on pre-advisory usage.
Krantz said that being under advisory does not necessarily mean all 1,500 of those homes have been impacted by elevated levels of lead. Some were built after 1990 and should not legally have lead solder in the internal plumbing, she said. Other homes have tested below the EPA standard of 15 parts per billion, she said.
Krantz said that Aqua has offered all University Park customers, free of charge, comprehensive home lead and blood lead level testing.
But there is no concrete timeline on when standards will be met for all of University Park, Krantz said.
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“The national regulatory process for addressing elevated levels of lead is detailed and requires a number of steps that take time,” she said. “Consistent with these regulations, we are doing everything we can to achieve the solution for the select customers who remain impacted.”
She did not immediately have numbers available regarding how many residents under advisory have been complying with Aqua’s request to use their tap water throughout the process.
“We are doing everything we can to achieve a solution for those who remain impacted, and all data indicates that our treatment is working effectively,” she wrote. “Through our coordinated response, we are constantly monitoring the treatment, and have more than doubled our sampling pool — analyzing more than 4,500 water samples through our monthly program — and we continue to provide in-home visits to clean and analyze faucet and plumbing fixtures.”
Krantz said the company is trying to keep an open line of communication with officials and residents. She said Aqua was not specifically invited to the open, public meeting but provided University Park’s officials with the latest information before it. She said Aqua has been updating customers directly, as well, at waterfactsil.com.
“The health and safety of our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and nothing is more important to us than achieving the long-term solution for impacted customers,” Krantz said in the emailed statement. “As we continue working with national experts and customers under regulatory guidance to restore the best quality of water for impacted University Park residents, we will continue providing information and resources to be a good community partner.”
But residents who attended the town hall said they are tired of waiting. They want less talk and more solutions.
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Phyllis Saunders, of University Park, during the town hall held a sign reading, “Forget the Kool-Aid. Don’t drink the U.P. Water!”
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Saunders said she bought an office-style water dispenser for her home because she still does not trust her tap water.
“It’s one of those things you just take for granted is your water, and I can’t anymore,” Saunders said. “The only thing that helps me is they’re still giving me some water.”
Pat Cooper, who lives in University Park’s Thornwood House Apartments, also held a sign demanding clean water at home rather than through bottles, asking when water would be clear again. Cooper said she is still without what she considers drinkable water from her tap.
“I’ve got my feelings about the water company, believe me,” Cooper said. “I’ve got lead in my blood. It was not an additive I needed.”
Donna Dilworth, of University Park, said she attended the meeting for a variety of reasons, from beautification to transparency to finance. The water issue was among her interests, and she said she worried what residents heard at the town hall was just more talk.
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“We’ll see what happens … but we’ve heard it before,” Dilworth said.
Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.