chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Coronavirus-related deaths top 200 in Lake County

The state ’ s data does not show how many residents and staff members have been tested , which one @ @ @ @ @ the data .
Nursing homes that have aggressively pursued testing may look like they have @ @ @ @ @ their peers , but that may not actually be the case .

The number of deaths connected to the novel coronavirus topped 200 in Lake County over the weekend, according to an updated count published Monday by the Lake County Health Department.
Lake County identified 6,662 cases among its residents as of Monday afternoon, including 208 deaths, according to the health department.
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The number of fatalities was up 12 from Friday, according to the department.
The new deaths were all among residents with underlying health conditions, which puts people at a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, according to the health department. They ranged in age from a woman in her 50s to three women in their 90s.
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Residents of nursing home and other long-term care facilities account for 64% of the county’s deaths, according to the department, which is investigating 45 facilities where two or more positive cases have been identified.
The 45 facilities tracked by the county have a combined total of 955 confirmed cases and 133 deaths among their residents and staff, according to the county. That total does not include any cases or deaths where that was the only confirmed or probable case identified at a nursing home.
The Lake County Health Department has declined to identify the nursing homes by name, though the state began doing so in mid-April. The state identified 32 facilities in Lake County by name with a total of 878 cases and 124 deaths among their residents and staff in its weekly update Sunday.
That includes five nursing homes with more than 60 cases each: Elevate Care Waukegan with 74 cases, including seven deaths; Avantara Long Grove with 67 cases and two deaths; Wauconda Care with 62 cases and 15 deaths; Riverside Foundation with 61 cases and four deaths; and Claridge Health Center with 60 cases and 11 deaths.
Those nursing homes include those with the most identified deaths. Lexington of Lake also had 11 deaths among its 41 confirmed cases, according to state data.
The state’s data does not show how many residents and staff members have been tested, which one nursing home executive said distorts the data. Nursing homes that have aggressively pursued testing may look like they have more positive cases compared to their peers, but that may not actually be the case.
The milestone comes two weeks after the state opened a free community-based testing site in Waukegan, its first in the county. The testing site has since expanded the number of tests it can complete in each day, up to 750 from 500 originally.
County data shows that since the testing site opened, the number of new cases identified on average each day has increased.
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Lake County was also one of two counties selected by the state to participate in a contact tracing pilot program, through which the department helps identifies those that may have been exposed to the virus so they can help it from spreading further.
Through this partnership, the Lake County Health Department will be hiring additional contact tracers using federal CARES Act money funneled through the Illinois Department of Public Health.


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--The Spin: Mayor Lightfoot, Sean Penn tour Chicago COVID-19 testing site | Blagojevich disbarred on e

The Spin: Mayor Lightfoot, Sean Penn tour Chicago COVID-19 testing site | Blagojevich disbarred on eve of podcast launch  | Trump, Obama trade jabs in early taste of fall election

She told reporters : “ People have a right to exercise their First Amendment rights , ” the mayor said @ @ @ @ @ that people at times are going to want to bring their concerns directly to the @ @ @ @ @ to my house it ’ s just part of ... what the Democratic process is @ @ @ @ @ want them to do it in a way that is compliant with social distancing , @ @ @ @ @ think happened .
It doesn ’ t make any sense that when you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re also then at the same time putting yourself at risk , but @ @ @ @ @ have to determine on their own , but for me , it just goes with @ @ @ @

Mayor Lori Lightfoot wears a mask as she prepares to speak about the coronavirus economic recovery plan April 23, 2020, at the Historic Water Tower. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said this morning the city will fine churches whose Sunday services violated social distancing rules and threatened to take more serious steps if they continue in what is sure to escalate the church versus state battle that has emerged due to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home-order.
It’s not just churches revolting against the executive order. Republican lawmakers are bristling over what they see as a Democratic governor ruling by fiat — with a Democrat-controlled General Assembly looking the other way.
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One Republican leader was ticked off over the governor’s quiet move Friday afternoon that now means restaurants and other businesses that reopen in violation of the stay-at-home-order could be subject to a misdemeanor. Another GOP state representative threatened to launch a recall effort of the governor unless his administration fixed the state’s unemployment filing system, which has been criticized for being slow and, in recent days, for making private data public on its website.
We’re getting an early taste of the fall presidential contest as President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama continue trading political jabs. Remember, Obama’s team told The Spin earlier this year he’ll take a more visible role in former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign to oust Trump.
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President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump shake hands following their meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 10, 2016. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP)
On Saturday, Obama delivered two commencement speeches — including one on prime-time television — that were decidedly political. While Obama didn’t name names, he was clearly taking aim at the White House, saying in part: “More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing,” Read my story here.
The next day, Trump was asked by at least one journalist about his response to Obama’s speeches. Trump said he hadn’t seen the remarks, but said of Obama, “Look, he was an incompetent president, that’s all I can say. Grossly incompetent.”
The two have been trading barbs for days: Obama, who cut his teeth in Chicago politics and is vowing to campaign for Biden, seemed to ignite the fire a little more than a week ago when a leaked phone conversation captured him criticizing the U.S. response to COVID-19 as an “absolute chaotic disaster.”
In the aftermath, Trump began making vague accusations about the Obama-Biden White House, making an unspecified allegation about something he dubbed “Obamagate” and taking to Twitter to demand Obama be called to testify before Congress. Obama replied to the commentary via social media with “Vote."
The back-and-forth between Trump and Obama could only intensify in the run-up to the Nov. 3 election: Read the AP story here.
Side note: Obama’s address to graduates of HBCUs also included some social commentary about how the pandemic has put a spotlight on the inequalities that already exist in this country: “We see it in the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our communities, just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesn’t submit to their questioning,” he said of Ahmaud Arbery, 25, who was killed in February while jogging on a residential street in Georgia.
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When he was in the White House, activists complained that Obama sometimes didn’t use his position as the first African American president to speak out on issues of disparity.
Opinion: Look out Trump. Obama’s anger translator, Luther, has taken over — Read Tribune columnist Dahleen Glanton’s take here.
Election news in Illinois: Independent candidates who want to be on the November ballot have earlier deadline: A federal judge in Chicago modified her ruling that gave third-party and independent candidates for Illinois’ Nov. 3 election until Aug. 7 to submit petitions, instead ordering a deadline of July 20 to allow time for challenges and for the ballot to be printed, the Tribune’s Rick Pearson reports.
The State Capitol in Springfield on May 29, 2019. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Jamie Munks and Rick Pearson write: “Business owners who disregard a statewide stay-at-home order and reopen could now face a Class A misdemeanor under an emergency rule Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration filed late last week.
“The new enforcement provision comes as the state nears the beginning of a third month under Pritzker’s stay-at-home order, which faces growing opposition.” Mayor Lightfoot said the city of Chicago will fine church congregations gathering in violation of the stay-at-home order (see below).
Munks and Pearson note: “The leaders of the Republican minorities in the House and Senate said Pritzker’s use of the executive order power to allow businesses to be charged with a misdemeanor was wrong and predicted it would not stand a court challenge or make it through the rule-making process.”
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“I just think this is wrong. People think this is wrong. We can and need to unify ourselves to bring ourselves together. This is just more division,” said Senate GOP leader Bill Brady of Bloomington.
House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs added: “A court will throw it out. This goes beyond the scope of the Illinois Department of Public Health,” Durkin said, calling it “overreach” on the part of the governor. Read the story here.
Asked during a briefing today about the need for such an emergency rule, he said: “We don’t want to have to pull licenses from people, we don’t want to have to shut a business down. What we really want is for people to comply and we want to give them this type of citation as an alternative." Asked why he did it with no public notice, Pritzker said: “We were working on it during the week, we issued it on Friday.”
State Rep. Allen Skillicorn, R-East Dundee, issued a news release saying he will “file a resolution to recall the governor’s election” if Pritzker doesn’t fix the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s online system, criticized for being wonky and slow and now under scrutiny because some applicants’ private data was made public online. More on that below.
Skillicorn offered a scathing assessment in his statement: “Managing this site is the one job and the one responsibility the Governor has in all of this and he can’t even do that. The level of incompetence here is incredible.”
All of this comes as lawmakers prepare to head back to Springfield on Wednesday for a short session.
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What’s the governor expect from the abbreviated legislative session? A budget, maybe measure making vote-by-mail easier: Pritzker said today that there would probably be very little time do much business that’s set to run through Friday beyond approving a budget. He’d also like to see lawmakers pass a measure that expands vote-by-mail options amid concerns about a second wave of COVID-19 just as the November election arrives, but it’s an expensive proposition for the cash-strapped state.
“The most important thing, and I’ve talked about it several times now, is we’ve got to give people the ability to vote by mail. Make it much easier for people because I know that fewer people that going to the ballot box in November is better for all of us in terms of keeping people healthy and safe," he said during today's briefing.
Governor likes the odds of Hawthorne, Arlington holding virtual horse races for fans: “You’ve heard major league sports say ... you probably can’t get crowds together in stadiums but they can run their games and televise and so on. And that’s true with horse racing potentially, as well.” The governor said his staff, the state gaming board, and leaders in the horse racing industry are talking about next steps.
The Illinois Department of Employment Security office in Springfield on Sept. 29, 2016. U.S. employment plummeted last month and will only continue to decline. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
The Tribune’s Jamie Munks reported over the weekend that a glitch in a newly launched state system for processing unemployment claims for gig workers publicly exposed personal information, including Social Security numbers, a Pritzker spokeswoman said Sunday.
During a briefing today, Gov. Pritzker said a full investigation is underway to determine how many people were affected. It comes days after a new online portal for gig workers to apply for federally funded unemployment benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program went live.
The governor said Deloitte, which is contracting with the state to ramp up the unemployment services “built that system.” Earlier this month, WBEZ reported about a pair of no-bid contracts worth $22 million the Pritzker administration awarded Deloitte to fix a state unemployment system in overdrive because of COVID-19-related business closures.
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Actor Sean Penn and Mayor Lori Lightfoot greet each other with an elbow bump upon their arrival at the city's COVID-19 testing site in the parking lot of Prieto Math and Science Academy in Chicago on May 18, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
“The city will be fining churches that had more people than allowed under the statewide stay-at-home order,” the Tribune’s Gregory Pratt writes.
Which ones? That could be determined later today. Pratt has the details, including which church leaders have been vocally challenging the stay-at-home order and calling congregations back to Sunday services, here.
Actor Sean Penn, Lightfoot tour Chicago coronavirus testing facility: They toured one of the six coronavirus testing sites she set up with support from his charity on Monday, drawing attention to expanded testing aimed at African American and Latino communities and lower-income residents, the Tribune’s Pratt writes. The sites are being opened with an assist from Community Organized Relief Effort, a charity Penn co-founded with Ann Lee. Read the full story here.
Mayor singing a bit of a different tune about protesters gathering outside her home last week: During a news conference this morning at the testing facility, Lightfoot fielded a question from Chicago Sun-Times reporter Fran Spielman about protesters gathering outside the mayor’s Logan Square home over environmental concerns tied to the pending demolition of a former coal-powered plant in Little Village.
She told reporters: “People have a right to exercise their First Amendment rights,” the mayor said. “And I understand that people at times are going to want to bring their concerns directly to the mayor. So people coming to my house it’s just part of ... what the Democratic process is about. Obviously, I want them to do it in a way that is compliant with social distancing, which I don’t think happened. It doesn’t make any sense that when you’re exercising your First Amendment rights you’re also then at the same time putting yourself at risk, but that’s something they have to determine on their own, but for me, it just goes with the territory.”
Last week, the mayor was asked about Pilsen Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, joining protesters outside her home over the issue late Thursday, and the mayor kind of held her nose over that, the Tribune’s Gregory Pratt reported.
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Asked at the time about Sigcho-Lopez joining the group, Lightfoot said, “I think there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed. That’ll be for him to have to deal with. He’s chosen to exercise himself in ways that I don’t understand, but that’s why we have elections.”
Pritzker concerned about family, after groups protesting stay-at-home order carry signs with anti-Semitic message: "I have to admit that I am worried about my family’s safety,” said the governor, who is Jewish. “You saw some of the signs,” he said, mentioning that some had swastikas or pictures of Adolf Hitler on them. Some of the signs protesters were carrying at marches in Chicago and Springfield seemingly compared Pritzker to Hitler in reference to his stay-at-home order.
Anti-Defamation League Midwest Regional Director David Goldenberg issued a statement over the weekend that read in part: “The comparison of Illinois’ democratically elected governor to Hitler is antisemitic – period. Such vile comparisons trivialize and dishonor the memories of the millions killed by Nazi Germany.”
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich stops to talk to reporters as leaves his Chicago home on Feb. 19, 2020. Blagojevich was released from federal prison a day earlier after his sentence was commuted by President Donald Trump. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Jason Meisner: “Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was officially disbarred on Monday, more than two months after a state panel recommended he lose his law license due to his conviction in an array of brazen corruption schemes when he was in office.”
Meisner notes: The move puts a period at the end of a not-so storied legal career that began when Blagojevich was a young Cook County assistant state’s attorney before entering politics. Read the full story here.
Blagojevich’s first podcast: This Wednesday, Blagojevich, now a self-described “Trumpocrat” after the president sprung him from prison, will launch his podcast, and it’s fair to say he’s going conservative. He’ll interview former Fox News host Eric Bolling, who left the network after being suspended amid claims he had sent lewd photos to co-workers. Bolling will talk about his “Plan 2020” to save the U.S. economy as it craters during the pandemic, according to a statement from Cumulus Radio, the parent company of WLS-AM, which is airing the podcast titled “The Lightning Rod.”
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“Rod also discusses related issues — including the current state of politics, the impact of the Democratic establishment, and the hardships affecting Illinois residents — with friend, tech entrepreneur, and political strategist Mark Vargas,” the statement said. In the run-up to Trump commuting Blagojevich’s sentence, Vargas served as a family spokesman and told WBBM-Ch. 2 at one point, “I’m in direct communication with Jared Kushner,” the president’s son-in-law, over the commutation issue.
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--2020-05-18--New Lenox police ‘determined to bring justice’ to family of local teen fatally shot outside gas stat

New Lenox police ‘determined to bring justice’ to family of local teen fatally shot outside gas station

Alessandrini said Baird ’ s shooting appeared to be completely random and motivated by the gunman ’ s desire to @ @ @ @ @ said he couldn ’ t disclose what actions the shooter took after firing on Baird @ @ @ @ @ conclusion .

New Lenox police are pursuing several leads in the apparent attempted carjacking of a 19-year-old resident, who died three days after being shot outside a village gas station, officials said.
Charlie Baird was returning to his vehicle after exiting the Circle K gas station on Nelson Road on May 11, shortly after midnight, when an armed man wearing a surgical mask confronted him, police said.
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They briefly exchanged words before Baird turned to run from the gunman, Deputy Chief Louis Alessandrini said.
The gunman fired one shot that struck Baird in the lower back and then hopped into a waiting SUV occupied by at least one other individual and sped off, Alessandrini said.
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Baird was taken to Silver Cross Hospital in critical condition and died three days later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Alessandrini said the shooting was New Lenox’s first homicide in over a decade and the first homicide investigation New Lenox police have handled in two decades.
The Will County sheriff’s office investigated the most recent homicide because it occurred in an unincorporated area of New Lenox, he said.
Charlie Baird (David Baird)
Alessandrini said Baird’s shooting appeared to be completely random and motivated by the gunman’s desire to steal his car. He said he couldn’t disclose what actions the shooter took after firing on Baird that led police to that conclusion.
A dark Hyundai Santa Fe fitting the description of the shooter’s getaway vehicle was involved in a crash Friday evening in Dolton, he said.
The SUV, which had been reported stolen out of Lockport earlier this month, blew a stop sign at 147th and State streets and was T-boned by another vehicle, he said.
Witnesses reported seeing two or three men flee from the vehicle after the crash and police found two girls inside the stolen SUV, Alessandrini said.
The teenage girls were taken into custody briefly but have since been released without charges, he said.
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A GoFundMe page established to raise money for Baird’s medical bills and burial costs had raised more than $20,000 by Monday afternoon.
David Baird, the victim’s father, described his son as a funny, polite teen with a big heart.
At the time of his death, Charlie Baird had been living at home and working as a cook at the Red Robin in Orland Park, his father said.
The 2019 Lincoln-Way West High School graduate loved spending time with friends, listening to hip hop music and had considered attending culinary arts school, David Baird said.
“He had a lot of cooking experience and I think he liked it,” Baird said of his son, who had worked in the kitchens of several Southland restaurants.
On the night of the shooting, Charlie ate Mother’s Day dinner with his family and went out afterward.
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It was the last time David Baird saw or spoke to his son.
He said he’s been floored by the virtual support pouring in from extended family, friends and neighbors, but that having to forgo in-person gatherings with loved ones due to the state’s lockdown has been difficult.
“I get it,” he said of the need to maintain social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. “But it’s a terrible shame on top of an already terrible tragedy.”
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As it grieves privately, the Baird family is trying to hold on to Charlie’s essence for as long as they can.
A doorbell video that captured him leaving the house for the final time has provided them some solace and they’re looking forward to getting his cellphone back from police to scour it for selfies he may have taken, David Baird said.
”Right now, we’ve got some of his belongings and we’re wearing his clothes and remembering his smell and trying to cope,” he said. “One day at a time.”
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Alessandrini, the New Lenox deputy chief, said his officers had been working around the clock to bring Baird’s killer to justice.
“We’re not going to stop until we find out who did this,” he said. “We’re determined to bring justice in this case.”
zkoeske@tribpub.com
Twitter @ZakKoeske


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Chicago aldermen, restaurateurs call for crackdown on delivery apps

Kim said she was lucky to figure out what was going on , but said most Chicago restaurateurs are too @ @ @ @ @ s happening with their online presence .
Restaurants could be seeing their reputations suffer because @ @ @ @ @ delivery company without their knowledge , she said .

Chicago restaurant owners and aldermen on Monday called for crackdowns on third-party restaurant delivery fees and practices that are facing increased scrutiny as their business booms while restaurants struggle to keep operating during Chicago’s COVID-19 shutdown.
Grubhub, DoorDash and other delivery apps that take additional fees from restaurants in exchange for delivering food have been criticized in recent months because of the various costs they charge restaurants in order to make deliveries.
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Beverly Kim, co-owner of Avondale restaurants Parachute and Wherewithal, told a City Council committee Monday that her restaurants don’t deliver. But she realized recently that a delivery company had set up a fake website advertising Parachute and offering to deliver food to people’s homes, she said.
“It had oysters. I would never sell oysters to go, raw oysters,” Kim said. “It had boudin noir, blood sausage, I would never sell blood sausage to go. It had outdated drinks, everything, it was just a fake website. And it freaked me out.”
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Kim said she was lucky to figure out what was going on, but said most Chicago restaurateurs are too busy to notice what’s happening with their online presence. Restaurants could be seeing their reputations suffer because of poor service from a delivery company without their knowledge, she said.
Chicago officials are struggling with ways to deal with the largely unregulated industry.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has introduced a plan to require the third-party companies to disclose the fees they charge restaurants for delivery.
And Northwest Side Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, has his own proposal to cap fees charged by the services.
Grubhub spokeswoman Amy Healy said the company has “strong concerns with the concept of a government-imposed cap on fees paid by restaurants for delivery and marketing services.”
“Any cap on fees, regardless of the duration, will result in damaging, unintended consequences, as we’ve already seen for locally-owned businesses, delivery workers, diners and the local economy,” Healy said. “In fact, it would result in the exact opposite of what the legislation is designed to accomplish.”
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Heavy rains force closing of streets and COVID-19 testing site in Markham

There were reports of isolated flooding overnight in Homewood , but nothing serious and railroad viaducts that normally flood during @ @ @ @ @ OK , said Mayor Rich Hofeld .
At the office of his home inspection business @ @ @ @ @ had backed up , ruining some promotional materials , he said .

Heavy rains Sunday washed out the entrance to a COVID-19 testing site in Markham, forcing the temporary closing of the facility. (Illinois Department of Public Health)
Heavy rains Sunday prompted some south and southwest suburban street closures due to flooding and also temporarily shuttered a COVID-19 drive-up testing site in Markham.
A driveway leading to the testing site, 3824 159th Place, was washed away as a result of torrential rainfall, according to Michael Taylor, a spokesman for Markham.
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The Illinois Department of Public Health posted that the busy testing site, which opened in mid-April, would be closed temporarily.
Taylor said city public works crews were working to fix the damage and the state health department said the plan was to reopen the facility Tuesday.
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Elsewhere, heavy rains flooded roads forcing closures including a section of 159th Street in Oak Forest that passes under the Metra viaduct, and Kedzie Avenue from 135th Street to 139th Street in Robbins, according to the Cook County Department of Transportation.
In Orland Park, roads that typically get flooded out were closed, including 135th Street from LaGrange Road to Southwest Highway, Southwest Highway from 135th to 143rd Street, Will Cook Road between 151st and 159th streets, 108th Avenue from 159th to 163rd streets, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
The flooding rains came just days after an earlier storm dumped several inches throughout the Chicago area.
The National Weather Service reported rainfall totals from Sunday’s downpours included 4.6 inches in Palos Heights, 3.4 inches in New Lenox and Oak Lawn, about 3.2 inches in Tinley Park and a bit more than 2 inches in Frankfort.
In Orland Park, crews were working to pump out water along Southwest Highway to reopen the road, but some of the other flooding will recede only once the water level in nearby drainage channels and creeks drop, according to Mayor Keith Pekau.
The Illinois Department of Transportation has completed an engineering on a project meant to alleviate chronic flooding on the road, also known as Illinois Route 7, which closes nearly every year, sometimes for a few days, because of flooding.
That project will extend from 131st Street in Palos Park to south of 135th Street in Orland Park and involves rebuilding and raising the road, according to IDOT. Land is being acquired and needed permits obtained, Pekau said.
He said there are two or three culverts under the road that have collapsed and don’t carry water away effectively. Construction may possibly begin next year, and IDOT expects it could take up to two years to complete.
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In Tinley Park, heavy rains caused some temporary road closures Sunday night along streets including Ridgeland Avenue, Oak Park Avenue and 167th Street, but they had since reopened, according to Patrick Carr, assistant village manager and director of emergency management.
Oak Lawn Mayor Sandra Bury said Monday that with back-to-back major storm events in less than a week, her village had not seen as many homes affected as compared with past storms, but experienced issues in areas that had not been prone to flooding.
“We’re seeing flooding in new areas within Oak Lawn, places that never had issues are suddenly having issues,” she said. “So obviously, we’re very concerned about it and trying to get ahead of it.”
Bury encouraged residents who need assistance pumping water out of their basements to contact the Public Works Department, which can deliver pumps and offer suggestions for mitigating future flood damage.
The village also will pick up half the cost of repairing the “nonconforming” sewer hookups found in some older homes that are prone to backups and overflows, she said.
In Crestwood, a recently completed Metropolitan Water Reclamation District project paid dividends in Sunday’s storm, according to Mayor Lou Presta.
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The $7.2 million project was designed to improve the flow of Tinley Creek, from the intersection of Cal Sag Road/127th Street southwest to Central Avenue. The creek empties into the Calumet Sag Channel.
“The water was high, but it was flowing,” Presta said, noting that in years past the creek would flood basements in homes along the creek.
There were reports of isolated flooding overnight in Homewood, but nothing serious and railroad viaducts that normally flood during storms appeared to have been OK, said Mayor Rich Hofeld. At the office of his home inspection business, however, raw sewage had backed up, ruining some promotional materials, he said.
Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
“I would use them on sales calls, but nobody’s making sales calls anyway,” Hofeld said.
According to the MWRD, the McCook portion of the district’s Deep Tunnel flood control system, including the reservoir in McCook, was full, holding 5 billion gallons.
The Calumet leg of the system, which includes the reservoir in Thornton, was a bit more than a third full, storing 3 billion gallons. The difference, according to a spokeswoman, was due in part to relatively lighter amounts of rainfall in the area the Calumet leg serves, including most south suburbs.
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IDOT reported that in Joliet, Chicago Street between Patterson Road and Doris Avenue has been closed indefinitely due to flood damage. The department said the full scope of needed repairs won’t be known until water recedes along a section of the street just south of Interstate 80.
The eastbound I-80 exit ramp to southbound Chicago Street was closed as well. Traffic taking the westbound I-80 exit was being directed onto northbound Chicago Street. IDOT recommends as an alternative taking Richards Street and U.S. 52/Manhattan Road.
Southtown reporter Zak Koeske contributed to this article.
mnolan@tribpub.com


Corrections and clarifications

· A story on Page 1 Monday about grades the Chicago area has received on social distancing incorrectly said one @ @ @ @ @ at the end of May .
The correct reference is that , by one estimate @ @ @ @ @ staying home about 74 % of the time by the end of April .

· A story on Page 1 Monday about grades the Chicago area has received on social distancing incorrectly said one figure was for a period at the end of May. The correct reference is that, by one estimate, people in Chicago were staying home about 74% of the time by the end of April.
The Tribune regrets the error.
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chicagotribune--2020-05-18--North Side residents and alderman renew calls to shut down shredding plant after explosion

Neighbors have complained for years about the odors from General Iron ’ s scrap yard .
They renewed their objections @ @ @ @ @ said , the stay-at-home order would prolong their exposure to the plant ’ s emissions @ @ @ @ @ susceptible to the novel coronavirus , which attacks the lungs and upper respiratory tract .

General Iron Industries scrap yard at work along Cortland Street near the Lincoln Yards development is shown on April 9, 2019. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The city of Chicago has ordered the immediate closure of a controversial North Side shredding plant after fire crews were called to two separate explosions there Monday morning, city officials said.
In a letter from buildings Commissioner Judith Frydland and fire Commissioner Richard Ford to General Iron Industries, the city said “the structural stability of the structures that were directly affected by the blasts is unknown.”
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“These conditions are hazardous to any occupant or emergency responder in an emergency situation. It has therefore been determined that the site poses an immediate danger and constitutes an imminent threat to the public at large,” the letter said. “A review of the entire operations has to be conducted by the city of Chicago to ensure the appropriate safety measures are in place to prevent this from happening in the future.”
While it’s shut down, General Iron can “conduct routine maintenance on the site” and “remove accumulated recycled materials from the site, but is ordered to cease intake of any new materials for recycling,” officials said in their letter.
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North Side Ald. Michele Smith, 43rd, announced the move earlier in a newsletter to her constituents. Smith said she was told in a briefing from Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office that the city’s closure order would stop operations at General Iron “including all shredding operations and acceptance of materials for shredding.” Smith said in the newsletter that she learned from the mayor’s office briefing that the explosions there were two explosions at the plant that “damaged critical facilities of General Iron.”
No injuries were reported at General Iron Industries, and the Chicago Fire Department said tests found no increased pollution levels and “no apparent immediate health risk to residents and the surrounding community.” The plant has been shut down while the cause is investigated.
Ald. Brian Hopkins, 2nd, who has previously asked the mayor to shut down the plant because of a history of pollution violations, tweeted earlier that a “fireball” and “mushroom cloud” raised pollution readings in the gentrifying neighborhood.
He did not release any details but said later in a statement that “permanent and immediate closure of this hazardous facility is no longer a discussion point, it must happen now.”
The company said the incident was “not a normal event” and added, “We are thoroughly investigating all possible causes, including potential sabotage.” Company spokesman Randall Samborn would not elaborate. “We don’t want to speculate about what occurred.”
The General Iron Industries plant on the North Branch of the Chicago River in Chicago on Sept. 28, 2018. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Smith said in her newsletter that she learned in the briefing with Lightfoot’s office that there were two explosions at the plant — the first occurring in a newly installed Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer. “The heat was so intense that it flowed back to the initial point of entry, triggering the safety ‘blow-out doors’ of the filter building and damaging it significantly. A building to the north also was damaged,” Smith said.
Police and fire crews were called to the 1900 block of North Clifton Avenue shortly after 9 a.m. after a loud boom was reported in the Ranch Triangle neighborhood, which is close to Lincoln Park and Bucktown. An explosion occurred on the company’s conveyor system, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Merritt said earlier.
While initial tests found no threat, he said the Chicago Department of Public Health was conducting more tests. “Should any environmental violation be determined, the city will issue citations immediately,” Merritt said.
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Neighbors have complained for years about the odors from General Iron’s scrap yard. They renewed their objections in March when, they said, the stay-at-home order would prolong their exposure to the plant’s emissions and maybe make them more susceptible to the novel coronavirus, which attacks the lungs and upper respiratory tract.
investigation now underway in the aftermath of a HazMat Level 1 explosion at General Iron pic.twitter.com/m0zljdRb4X — Alderman Hopkins (@AldermanHopkins) May 18, 2020
General Iron — which has been targeted by federal environmental regulators three times since the 1990s — was allowed to continue operating during the pandemic under recycling and solid waste exemptions from the stay-at-home order that has forced nonessential businesses to close. General Iron has been cited with city health code violations seven times since December.
That group Clean the North Branch released a statement after the incident calling General Iron “a serial polluter and rule breaker that is a danger to families. What more do Mayor (Lori) Lightfoot and Gov. Pritzker need? Shut. Them. Down. Now.”
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker was asked Monday about the General Iron explosion and why the company was allowed to continue operating during the pandemic. Pritzker said the EPA and the city were looking into the explosion. He said the state referred to federal guidelines set by the Department of Homeland Security in deciding its list of essential businesses.
“We’re actually, as you can imagine, paying very close attention. I want to make sure that people are kept safe,” Pritzker said of General Iron. “I’m unaware of what the latest is on the matter, but it’s certainly something of great concern to me.”
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Cook County Forest Preserves head urges residents avoid gatherings on Memorial Day weekend ahead of

Cook County Forest Preserves head urges residents avoid gatherings on Memorial Day weekend ahead of more parking lot closures: ‘That’s not a safe way to celebrate’

“ That is not something I ever expected to say , ” Arnold Randall , the forest preserves ’ general @ @ @ @ @ Monday news conference .
“ It goes against our entire history and all of our @ @ @ @ @ a place where people can access the outdoors in nature right here in Cook County @ @ @ @ @ to the importance of stopping the spread of this deadly disease .
”

Pedestrians and a bicyclist use a trail at the Vollmer Road Grove Forest Preserve in Flossmoor on Monday, May 18, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
In a regular year, Cook County Forest Preserves enthusiasts would be dusting off their grills and wrapping up picnic baskets in preparation for this Memorial Day weekend.
But amid the coronavirus outbreak, the head of the nature preserves system is pleading with residents to stay away from the county’s 70,000 acres of nature and wildlife this holiday weekend.
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“That is not something I ever expected to say,” Arnold Randall, the forest preserves’ general superintendent, said in a Monday news conference. “It goes against our entire history and all of our efforts every day to provide a place where people can access the outdoors in nature right here in Cook County. This is a testament to the importance of stopping the spread of this deadly disease.”
To drive away crowds at the preserves, Cook County will be closing two additional parking lots during the three-day weekend and extending existing weekend closures to Monday.
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The parking lots at the Dan Ryan Woods and Schiller Woods sites will be cordoned off starting Friday. This follows six existing weekend parking lot shutdowns announced last month amid reported barbecues and picnic gatherings: Busse Woods, Maple Lake, Saganashkee Slough in the Palos Preserves, Catherine Chevalier Woods, LaBagh Woods and Bunker Hill.
All eight of these sites will close their parking lots from Friday to Monday this weekend.
Starting in mid-March, public events, nature centers, campgrounds and other forest preserve locations began temporarily shuttering. Currently, picnics, cookouts, group sports and gatherings with nonhousehold members are prohibited at remaining spaces. All patrons must observe the 6-feet physical distancing rule.
Randall said he sympathized with those who yearn to welcome the start of summer outdoors with their loved ones. While invoking the meaning of Memorial Day as a time to honor those who made sacrifices serving the country, Randall voiced that this year, front-line workers fighting the coronavirus also should be celebrated.
The best way to support these first responders and health care workers is to stay home, Randall said. Rather than flock to the nature preserves, Cook County residents are encouraged to grill in their backyards or order in from a local restaurant.
“This year, that’s not a safe way to celebrate,” Randall said about gathering at the preserves. “We all have invested so much in lowering the number of COVID-19 cases. Let’s not squander that investment.”
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Uber laying off another 3,000 workers, raising more questions about the company’s future in Chicago

San Francisco-based Uber announced last year that it signed a 10-year lease for 463,000 square feet in the long-vacant Old @ @ @ @ @ to consolidate its Chicago offices and hire 2,000 employees over three years .
Last month @ @ @ @ @ its space in the building because of the pandemic and pushed the original move-in date @ @ @ @ @ year .

Uber Technologies is laying off another 3,000 workers and closing about 45 offices around the world as the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on its ride-share business, the company’s main source of profits.
CEO Dara Khosrowshahi sent an email to employees Monday notifying them of the layoffs. Combined with previous reductions announced earlier this month, Uber will cut about 6,700 jobs, or some 25% of its global workforce.
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Uncertainty about Uber’s commitment to Chicago already had surfaced, and Monday’s news followed reports last week that Uber is in negotiations to acquire Chicago-based food delivery platform Grubhub.
San Francisco-based Uber announced last year that it signed a 10-year lease for 463,000 square feet in the long-vacant Old Post Office. Uber planned to consolidate its Chicago offices and hire 2,000 employees over three years. Last month, Uber halted construction on its space in the building because of the pandemic and pushed the original move-in date of this fall to next year.
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“While we don’t expect to use those offices until 2021, we don’t anticipate any changes to our strategy at this point,” Uber spokeswoman Lois van der Laan said in an email Monday.
She declined to specify the number of layoffs in Chicago.
The company had more than 1,000 employees in the Chicago area as of September, including workers in the Uber Eats and Uber Ride businesses such as sales staff, lawyers, marketing, and operational staff for Chicago and other Midwest markets.
Cailin Rogers, a spokeswoman for The Telos Group, which oversees leasing of the Old Post Office for New York-based building owner 601W Cos., declined comment Monday. When Uber paused construction last month, she said the firm was not concerned about the company’s commitment.
In his email to employees, Khosrowshahi said he was hoping the company could wait out the pandemic and he consulted with other CEOs and struggled with the decision to lay people off.
“Ultimately I realized that hoping the world would return to normal within any predictable timeframe … was not a viable option,” Khosrowshahi said in the email, a copy of which was obtained by the Tribune.
“We have to take these hard actions to stand strong on our own two feet, to secure our future, and to continue on our mission.”
The company must refocus efforts on its core of “helping people move and delivering things,” Khosrowshahi wrote.
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Uber Rides bookings were down 80% in April, but Uber Eats’ growth is accelerating, as restaurants close to dine-in customers amid the pandemic. Khosrowshahi said he wants to move Uber Eats toward profitability.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, left, speaks with Mayor Lori Lightfoot after a Sept. 9, 2019, announcement that Uber Freight will be located at The Old Post Office in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Last week, reports surfaced that Uber was in talks to acquire Chicago-based Grubhub. The potential deal, which neither company has confirmed, would combine two of the top food delivery platforms in the country.
The company also plans to “pursue strategic alternatives” for Uber Works, a temporary labor service it launched in Chicago last year.
Khosrowshahi last fall stood with Mayor Lori Lightfoot at his side to announce ambitious plans for the company in Chicago. Uber had committed to making a big bet on Chicago.
The Old Post Office space is set to become the headquarters for Uber Freight, which connects truck drivers with shippers. Freight has had a presence in Chicago since it launched in 2017. Chicago has the talent needed to fill the roles at Uber Freight, Khosrowshahi said last year.
Uber’s Chicago office was already its second largest outside of its headquarters. Khosrowshahi told the Tribune in September that he expected it to remain so for some time.
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amarotti@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @AllyMarotti


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Fall classes will be mostly online at Harper community college in Palatine as other schools mull how

Fall classes will be mostly online at Harper community college in Palatine as other schools mull how to reopen

“ I know you are eager to return to campus and we are just as eager to see campus come @ @ @ @ @ Harper President Avis Proctor said in a Monday email to students .
“ We know @ @ @ @ @ and can not express our appreciation enough for your flexibility , understanding and perseverance .
@

Determined to keep their students, faculty and staff safe from the COVID-19 virus, officials at Harper College have announced that classes for the fall 2020 semester will be offered “primarily online.”
In a statement recently posted on the Palatine-based community college’s website, officials said the decision to keep the campus “mostly” closed was made “to protect our students, faculty and staff,” with most courses to be taught online for fall, and some featuring live class meetings.
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“Some classes will require students to attend live, online class meetings at a set time,” officials said. “These courses will be fully online but will require you to be online and connected by webcam and microphone at set times."
Most classes at Harper College in Palatine will continue to be virtual in the fall, officials have decided. (Brian O'Mahoney/Pioneer Press)
In addition, officials said they are “seeking state guidance to teach some courses with labs and practica in a blended format.” These courses would consist of an online lecture and on-campus labs, and “would be conducted with safety measures including fewer than 10 students, physical distancing, personal protective equipment and enhanced cleaning.”
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While officials said they expect the campus “to remain mostly closed in fall,” they are planning to open only labs (pending state guidance) and the Testing Center for pre-scheduled appointments.
“I know you are eager to return to campus and we are just as eager to see campus come to life again,” Harper President Avis Proctor said in a Monday email to students. “We know this has been a challenge and cannot express our appreciation enough for your flexibility, understanding and perseverance.”
The college, which serves more than 35,000 students annually in the northwest suburbs. is also offering for credit classes through an online summer session this year.
Administrators at other area colleges and universities have said they’re anticipating a combination of in-person and online classes in the fall, though many schools are still sorting out those details.
kcullotta@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @kcullotta


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Column: Venice postpones big architecture show, putting Chicago in a bind

The rescheduling of the Venice Architecture Biennale will also affect two University of Illinois at Chicago professors , Paul Andersen @ @ @ @ @ were selected to curate the U.S. pavilion of the show in Italy .

The organizers of the Chicago Architecture Biennial are facing a vexing choice: Go ahead with the next edition of the big global design exhibition in 2021 or push it back to 2022?
The schedule issue arose Monday when the older and more prestigious Venice Architecture Biennale announced it will postpone this year’s show to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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If the Chicago biennial doesn’t alter its plans, the two exhibitions will partly overlap and could wind up competing for both media attention and exhibitors.
The rescheduling of the Venice event puts its Chicago counterpart in “unchartered water,” Jack Guthman, chair of the Chicago biennial, said in a telephone interview Monday.
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He had just sent an email to his board asking them to ponder if, or how, Venice’s change of plans will affect Chicago.
Typically, the Chicago biennial runs in odd-numbered years, opening in September and closing the following January. That avoids direct competition with the Venice biennale, which is held in even-numbered years.
In the wake of Monday’s announcement that the Venice show will appear from May 22 to Nov. 21, 2021, however, the shows could overlap by about two months.
Open to the public without charge and headquartered in the Chicago Cultural Center, the Chicago biennial is run by an eponymous nonprofit in cooperation with Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
Since the biennial’s first exhibition in 2015, it has drawn about 500,000 visitors each year and has reinforced Chicago’s reputation as a global architectural capital.
The rescheduling of the Venice Architecture Biennale will also affect two University of Illinois at Chicago professors, Paul Andersen and Paul Preissner, who were selected to curate the U.S. pavilion of the show in Italy.
Their exhibition, titled “American Framing,” will explore the American tradition of wood-framed construction.
The overall theme of the Venice show, curated by Hashim Sarkis, is “How will we live together?”
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First held in 1980, the Venice event was previously postponed to Aug. 29 through Nov. 29 of this year because of the pandemic.
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The decision to further postpone it until 2021 recognizes the obstacles of organizing the exhibition transporting objects, organizers said Monday.
In turn, the Venice Art Biennale will be pushed back until 2022, the organizers said.
Chicago has not announced a theme or curators for its 2021 show.
“The decision that was announced today points to the need to start making decisions," Guthman said, referring to the Venice announcement.
Blair Kamin is a Tribune critic.
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Twitter @BlairKamin


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

Search below by street address , ZIP code or city , then click on the map to see the number @ @ @ @ @ state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer .

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
Illinois releases the number of positive COVID-19 cases by ZIP code daily. The map below shows the cumulative cases for each area as well as other analysis of the data.
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Tracking daily Illinois coronavirus deaths, cases and tests.
Search below by street address, ZIP code or city, then click on the map to see the number of confirmed and probable cases. The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer.
Data as of June 10.
The map search tool above works best in Chrome or Firefox and may not perform consistently in Internet Explorer.
Note: Because of a coding error this map was displaying the incorrect rates for new cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 people — the issue should now be resolved.. The Tribune adjusted the data shown on the map below to focus on new cases, those the state tracked in the last 7 seven days. The totals for the entire pandemic are still available, but in the pop-up after tapping or clicking on a ZIP.


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 4,234 deaths, 96,485 confirmed cases, 603,241 tests, 32% ICU beds and

Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 4,234 deaths, 96,485 confirmed cases, 603,241 tests, 32% ICU beds and 67% ventilators open

As the coronavirus spreads and local , state and national governments work to contain and mitigate the outbreak , the @ @ @ @ @ .

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine tracked coronavirus cases, deaths and test totals from Jan. 22, 2020 through March 10, 2023, but is no longer providing this data. These charts will no longer be updated.
Check the Illinois Department of Public Health for the most up-to-date data for Illinois.
[ Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus ]
Can’t see these charts? Go here.


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Record rainfall raises Chicago River to near-record level. Homes flooded, power cut to Willis Tower,

Record rainfall raises Chicago River to near-record level. Homes flooded, power cut to Willis Tower, people rescued by boats.

Izzi noted that lake levels also are at near-historic highs , and warned there could be a storm surge later @ @ @ @ @ and the storm system moves out of the area .
The lake has been closing @ @ @ @ @ level for some time , and Izzi said that because the lake typically reaches its @ @ @ @ @ , “ We ’ ve never had the lake level this high in May before @ @

Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas, Patrick M.  O'Connell

Roberto Acuna walks through a flooded street beside his home on Hawthorne Lane in Des Plaines after a huge amount of rain fell over the course of a couple days on May 20, 2020. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Kelli Peterson, rain boots on, stepped cautiously onto the submerged footbridge in her yard, gripping the sides to steady herself against the pulsating current of Spring Creek.
The creek, which empties into the Fox River in eastern McHenry County, usually is only ankle deep. But after another round of drenching rains inundated northeastern Illinois over the weekend, the creek on Monday was transformed into a rushing, 5-foot-deep river.
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“It’s super fast!” Peterson called out, plunging her hand into the water to scoop out branches and muck clogging the bridge. “The center of the bridge really pulls. I gotta hang on. It’s strong right now.”
The rainy weather that hung over northeastern Illinois on Sunday, combined with a record rain in Chicago last week, left swaths of the city and suburbs underwater and waterlogged as many of the region’s network of rivers and streams overflowed their banks.
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Several reached the damaging major flood stage. More than 8 inches of rain fell from Thursday through Sunday in the Chicago area, according to the National Weather Service, putting this May on the cusp of becoming the wettest ever on record for the city.
The deluge led the Chicago River to swell to its highest level in more than 60 years, swamping the downtown Riverwalk. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District was forced to temporarily reverse the flow of the Chicago River both downtown and in Wilmette, sending even more water into Lake Michigan, which already is near record-high levels.
Lower Wacker Drive was closed, a substation at Willis Tower lost power and underground parking garages were shuttered because of high water.
The Chicago Fire Department, using inflatable watercraft, said it rescued at least six people stranded by rising water.
In the suburbs, an 18-year-old woman with autism was swept away in the west branch of the DuPage River in the Winfield Mounds Forest Preserve on Friday night. She has not been found.
In west suburban Lyons, firefighters in boats rescued several people trapped in their homes by floodwaters. And flooding along the Des Plaines River left neighborhoods underwater, closed roadways and left the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort surrounded by water.
Chicago is just 1/20th of an inch from setting a record for the entire month, beating out records set in 2018 (8.21 inches) and again in 2019 (8.25 inches).
The Chicago River was so high by Sunday night that opening locks into Lake Michigan had little immediate effect, according to Gino Izzi, a meteorologist for the weather service. Gauges at Columbus Drive and Grand Avenue both showed levels greater than 5 feet, the second-highest since the record was set in 1954, he said.
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The river began rising after the area got 3.53 inches of rain Thursday, the wettest day of any May on record. There was more rain Friday and Saturday, and then on Sunday an all-day drenching dumped an additional 3.11 inches, Izzi said.
“Obviously, the initial storm resulted in some flooding and left everything completely soaked, which didn’t leave much room for the rain we got yesterday to soak in or get anywhere,” Izzi said. “Two of the top five wettest May days ever were in the past four days. No wonder why the flooding is so bad. That is unreal.”
An overloaded system
The rains overwhelmed stormwater systems, leading to thousands of reports of flooded basements and roads in neighborhoods throughout the city. The city’s 311 line received nearly 1,600 calls reporting basement flooding, with calls coming from all but four of the city’s 77 community areas.
“I’ve lost $6,000 or $7,000 worth of stuff,” said Thelma Brookins, 76, who suffered basement flooding at her West Side home in the 4700 block of West Ohio Street. “My lawn mower’s sitting in the water.”
Water rose into Brookins’ home through a toilet and floor drains, she said, damaging the basement’s living spaces and furniture. Brookins said she could not bring herself to turn on the electronics in her basement, fearful her brand-new washer and dryer, purchased in March, were totally ruined.
Days of rain overwhelmed the main portion of Deep Tunnel, the region’s $3 billion system of cavernous tunnels and flood-control reservoirs.
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The 3.5 billion gallon McCook Reservoir already was full of sewage-laden runoff from Thursday and Friday. Before rain began to fall again Sunday, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District only had time to pump 5% of the reservoir to its Stickney treatment plant.
Across wide portions of Chicago and Cook County stretching from Wilmette to Westchester, stormwater tunnels deep under the Chicago River, North Shore Channel and Des Plaines River also swelled to their 1.2 billion gallon capacity.
Starting at 3:45 p.m. Sunday, the district opened a Wilmette sluice gate, allowing a surge of sewage and runoff in the North Shore Channel to flow into Lake Michigan for the second time in as many days.
Locks next to Navy Pier opened wide three hours later as district engineers attempted to draw down the Chicago River by sending it back on its once-natural course into the lake.
The downtown locks closed again at 11:45 a.m. Monday. The Wilmette gate closed at 8:15 p.m.
Sandbags, pumps at the ready
Unable to contain the weekend rains and the cumulative runoff from last week’s storms, Spring Creek in McHenry County overtopped its banks and spilled out into the yards of Peterson and her neighbors. The only thing holding back the water: hastily assembled walls of sandbags surrounding houses in the neighborhood near Fox River Grove, and even some of those barriers were no match for nature.
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The muddy floodwaters rushed through a child’s swing set, swamped driveways and turned a few houses into islands, surrounded by swirling, muddy waters. More than 2 inches of rain fell on the McHenry County area in the 24-hour period beginning Sunday morning.
“It never had any reprieve with the continuous rains just coming and coming,” Peterson said.
As the water lapped up to the brick house’s foundation, Peterson and her husband activated three pumps in an effort to keep it out of the house’s crawl space.
By Monday morning, the Des Plaines River in Lincolnshire was at 15.72 feet, more than 3 feet above flood stage and into the “major” flood designation, according to the weather service’s gauge. The river was forecast to crest late Monday at that central Lake County location, according to projections.
Downstream near Mount Prospect and the northern edge of Des Plaines, the river was nearly 4.5 feet above flood stage at the gauge at West Lake Avenue near River Road. The level observed Monday morning, 19.49 feet, if confirmed as official, would be the fifth-highest crest on record at that location. The level would mean that three of the top five historic crests have occurred since 2013.
The flooding caused by Sunday’s storms underscores the fact that Illinois and the Midwest are receiving more drenching storms more often. The changing climate is causing storms to produce more rain and, combined with increased development, especially in urban areas like the Chicago region, the result is more flooded basements, roadways and businesses.
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This spring’s flooding comes only months after the U.S. recorded its second-wettest year on record, behind 1973. Chicago experienced 49.54 inches of precipitation in 2019, the third-wettest year on record. Since Illinois meteorologists began collecting precipitation records in 1871, four of the top five wettest years in Chicago have occurred in the last decade.
With Sunday’s storm, Chicago has recorded 19.06 inches so far in 2020. The average rainfall year-to-date should be about 11.39 inches.
Conditions in northern Illinois were primed for flooding. Super-saturated soil left over from a wet 2019 and snowmelt from winter storms to the north meant spring rain runoff did not soak into the land, instead running off into the area’s network of rivers and tributaries.
Widespread flooding across city
Reports of flooded homes came from all across the city, with the largest volume in Austin, Forest Glen, Norwood Park and Portage Park.
For Brookins, on the city’s West Side, the flooding was only the second she has experienced since moving to the block in the mid-1970s. She said she is fearful the damages will not be covered since the neighborhood is a defined flood area and she does not have insurance.
“All that water was out there in the street and it was steady rising,” she recalled. “And I came into the house and something said, ‘Go into the basement … and when I stepped on the bottom step, the water came halfway up my knee.
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“What can you do when water comes up through the toilets? There’s no stopping it,” Brookins said.
For much of Monday, Brookins said she’d been on hold with 311 operators and reporting the flooding to the local alderman’s office. Now she’s worried about having to act quickly to have contaminated floodwater drained before it triggers mold and leaves a stench.
“I’ve had two knee replacements, and gonna need another one, now how in the world am I gonna go in the basement and mop?”
Meanwhile in South Austin, Jacqueline Hollister said she was grateful that the 2 feet of basement flooding in her home of 43 years receded quickly, sparing her furnace and hot water tank, which would have led to costly repairs.
“There’s furniture down there, but I’m gonna throw it away,” Hollister said. “My furnace could have been out. My hot water tank could have been completely out and I’m grateful.”
For Hollister, this was only the third flooding event on her block since 1997, the last being in 2010.
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Resident Robert Ness wades through floodwaters in the area of the intersection of Southview Avenue and Circle Drive on May 18, 2020, in Brookfield. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Downtown deluge
The overflowing Chicago River was caught on social media posts as floodwaters gushed into homes and parking garages and Lower Wacker Drive, where a ComEd substation was knocked out about 2 a.m., cutting off power to the Willis Tower, according to ComEd. The power remained out Monday afternoon.
According to the city Department of Transportation, Lower Wacker from Randolph Street to Harrison Street is expected to remain closed to traffic through Saturday.
ComEd was working with the city and Willis Tower to remove water from an underground vault that holds the substation that services the building, said ComEd spokesman Thomas Dominguez.
“ComEd crews are still unable to safely access the vault to determine a way to return electric service to the building as quickly and safely as possible,” he said.
River flooding straight into river city garage yikes pic.twitter.com/nVHFPFiLAj — Mario Castro (@mariodointhings) May 18, 2020
Izzi said the Chicago River was at 5.1 feet at Columbus Drive on Sunday, but has since gone down. The record, set in October 1954, is 5.5 feet. At Grand Avenue, the river was at 5.3 feet; the record is 5.7 feet, also set 66 years ago. Monday morning, the river was at 3.9 feet at Columbus Drive, he said.
“Yesterday’s heavy rainfall was more impactful because there was nowhere for it to go except to flood. It couldn’t go into the lake,” Izzi said. “I can’t recall there ever being a time when Lower Wacker has flooded as a result of a rain event, and it was kind of a culmination of events, including nearly historic lake levels.”
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Among countless other properties, Izzi said River City, at 700-800 S. Wells St., flooded.
City workers clear flooded Lower Wacker Drive in Chicago on May 18, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
“Police were dispatched for water starting to get up into apartments,” Izzi said. “That’s just something we’ve never really seen before.”
Izzi noted that lake levels also are at near-historic highs, and warned there could be a storm surge later Monday as the wind shifts and the storm system moves out of the area. The lake has been closing in on its all-time highest level for some time, and Izzi said that because the lake typically reaches its annual peak in the fall, “We’ve never had the lake level this high in May before.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct an error. It originally said 11.39 inches was Chicago’s annual rainfall but that number is actually Chicago’s average rainfall through May 18.
Chicago Tribune’s Jessica Villagomez contributed.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Minor arrested in fatal shooting of Elgin teen

The incident occurred about 7:30 p.m. in the area of St. Charles and Villa streets on Elgin ’ s East @ @ @ @ @ s attorney ’ s office news release said .
The victim was pronounced dead at @ @ @

A juvenile is in custody in connection with a shooting Saturday in which a 16-year-old Elgin resident was fatally shot, the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office said.
The incident occurred about 7:30 p.m. in the area of St. Charles and Villa streets on Elgin’s East side, a state’s attorney’s office news release said. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
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No charges have been announced, and the Elgin Police Department declined to provide details because the victim and suspect are both minors.
The juvenile is being held at the Kane County Juvenile Justice Center, the release said.


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Watch live: Gov. J.B. Pritzker and health officials provide an update on the coronavirus in Illinois

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker and state health officials are scheduled to provide an update on the coronavirus in Illinois at @ @ @ @ @ the latest coronavirus updates here .

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chicagotribune--2020-05-18--No COVID-19 related deaths reported in Lake County, but positive cases continue to rise

`` The idea behind convalescent plasma is that if we take the antibodies from a patient who has recovered from @ @ @ @ @ them to a patient who is sick from that same infection , those antibodies may @ @ @ @ @ off the disease faster , ” said Dr. Erica Kaufman West , infectious disease specialist @ @ @ @ @ the press release .

Lake County did not report COVID-19 deaths Sunday, though 140 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in the county as of Sunday. To date, it reported nearly 2,900 cases with nearly 16,700 tests.
The Porter County Health Department reported 416 residents were diagnosed with 240 recovered. So far, it has reported 17 deaths, including nine in Portage Township, four in Winchester Township, three in Center Township and one in Liberty Township.
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In Gary, as of Friday, more than 500 residents have tested positive for COVID-19, and 16 Gary residents have died as a result of the virus, according to city officials.
East Chicago continues to see a climb in positive COVID-19 cases, with nine new cases reported Monday, according to city health department data. As of Monday, there were 252 positive cases of COVID-19 in East Chicago, according to the data.
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Across the state, Marion County continues to have the most cases, deaths and testing. In Sunday’s ISDH report, over 8,400 people have tested positive and 480 have died. Nearly 42,000 have been tested.
Indiana’s COVID-19 death toll is more than 1,600, according to state counts. Of those, 1,621 are official while another 144 are suspected, but not diagnosed, according to the state. It reported 14 new official deaths Sunday.
Franciscan Health convalescent plasma study
As part of a national study led by the Mayo Clinic, Franciscan Health is studying the effectiveness of convalescent plasma in treating patients with COVID-19, and is asking people who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma, according to a press release.
Convalescent plasma is blood plasma collected from people who have already recovered from the virus, according to the release.
"The idea behind convalescent plasma is that if we take the antibodies from a patient who has recovered from an infection, and give them to a patient who is sick from that same infection, those antibodies may help that sick patient fight off the disease faster,” said Dr. Erica Kaufman West, infectious disease specialist for Franciscan Health, in the press release.
As part of the study, plasma donations are needed from those who have recovered from the virus, according to the press release. Anyone who has had COVID-19 can visit FranciscanHealth.org/CovidPlasma to learn more about the donation process.
“Donating plasma is donating blood, except that you’ll get your platelets and red blood cells back. Just the plasma will be taken. The same requirements for blood donation apply and you must be free of COVID-19 symptoms for at least 14 days to be eligible,” West said in the release.
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Anyone who has not been infected with COVID-19 can consider donating blood, according to the release, as many blood drives have been canceled amid the pandemic.


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--12-year-old Chicago boy shot to death in Gary

“ On behalf of my family and the City of Gary , our prayers and condolences go out to the @ @ @ @ @ Jr. , ” Prince said in a statement .
“ It ’ s never easy @ @ @ @ @ of life , especially when a victim is so young .
Our investigators continue their @ @ @ @ @ and we will employ every available resource to get to the bottom of this and @ @ @ @ @ served .
”

A 12-year-old Chicago boy was shot and killed in Gary over the weekend.
Demetrius Townsel Jr., of the 4900 block of South Damen Avenue, was pronounced dead of a gunshot wound at 9:36 p.m. Saturday at Methodist Hospital’s Northlake campus in Gary, according to the Lake County Coroner’s office. The exact location of the shooting was not given in the release.
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The Gary Police Department didn’t respond to request for comment Sunday, but Gary Mayor Jerome Prince offered condolences.
“On behalf of my family and the City of Gary, our prayers and condolences go out to the family of Demetrius Townsel, Jr.,” Prince said in a statement. “It’s never easy to hear of a loss of life, especially when a victim is so young. Our investigators continue their work into this tragedy, and we will employ every available resource to get to the bottom of this and to see that justice is served.”
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The Gary Fire Department, Gary Metro Homicide unit and Lake County CSI assisted.
Michelle Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Elgin man charged with holding up downtown business, firing gun in residential block, police say

“ In both of these incidents , the victim and witnesses quickly notified us and we were able to connect @ @ @ @ @ to the information provided by both , ” Police Chief Ana Lalley said in the @ @ @ @ @ want to thank our community for their assistance .
We can not solve these crimes @ @ @

Elgin resident Oscar Malaga has been charged with armed robbery and firearms charged in connection with an armed robbery in downtown Elgin and firing a weapon in a residential area, both on May 14, according to the Elgin Police Department. - Original Credit: (Kane County Sheriffs Office / HANDOUT)
An Elgin man accused of holding up a downtown business last week has been arrested on armed robbery and weapon charges, the Elgin Police Department said.
Oscar Malaga, 19, of the 300 block of South Belmont Avenue, was taken into custody May 14 in connection with a shots fired incident from which police were able to link him to the robbery, a post on the police department’s Facebook page said.
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The holdup occurred about 8:30 a.m. May 14 in the first block of State State Street, the post said. The suspect, later identified as Malaga, had been in the business about an hour earlier and returned with a handgun to demand cash, the post said.
No one was injured. A description of the suspect’s vehicle was provided to police, the post said.
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About five hours later, police responded to a report of shots fired in the 400 block of South Belmont Avenue. Malaga was identified by witnesses as the person seen firing a gun, the post said.
The vehicle believed involved in the armed robbery was found at Malaga’s residence. During a search of the car, authorized by its owner, police recovered a handgun, the post said.
Malaga was charged by the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office with one count each of armed robbery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. All of the charges are felonies.
Malaga is being held in the Kane County jail in lieu of $500,000 bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for June. 26.
“In both of these incidents, the victim and witnesses quickly notified us and we were able to connect the two cases together due to the information provided by both,” Police Chief Ana Lalley said in the Facebook post. “I want to thank our community for their assistance. We cannot solve these crimes alone."


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus

As the number of deaths attributable to COVID-19 ticks upward , the Tribune is working to chronicle those who have @ @ @ @ @ Chicago area or who have connections to our region .
These are some of those @ @

They were mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. Many were proud grandparents. Two were sisters from a tight-knit South Side family. All were loved, relatives say, and will be forever missed.
As the number of deaths attributable to COVID-19 ticks upward, the Tribune is working to chronicle those who have lost their lives in the Chicago area or who have connections to our region. These are some of those victims.
If you know of someone or would like to offer a remembrance of someone please share your information here. To file a death notice, go here.
Subscribe to the Chicago Tribune: Our mission is to deliver trusted and meaningful local news. Your support allows us to continue providing the award-winning, watchdog and in-depth journalism our community deserves. Subscribe here.


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Sweeping federal lawsuit seeks election changes in Wisconsin, including more poll workers and absent

Sweeping federal lawsuit seeks election changes in Wisconsin, including more poll workers and absentee ballots for all

The lawsuit also wants to require that absentee ballot drop boxes be installed in every community ; state elections officials @ @ @ @ @ Postal Service to ensure timely delivery , return and counting of absentee ballots ; notify @ @ @ @ @ wo n't be counted in time for them to fix problems ; increase opportunities for @ @ @ @ @ a public education campaign about voting options .
It also wants to allow for absentee @ @ @ @ @ up to a week after the election if they are postmarked by election day or @ @ @ @ @ .

Poll worker Patty Piek-Groth, left, helps fellow poll worker Jerry Moore, center, put on a mask to prevent the spread of coronavirus, as the polls open for the presidential primary election at the Janesville Mall in Janesville, Wis., on April 7, 2020. (Angela Major / The Janesville Gazette)
MADISON, Wis. — Advocates for people with disabilities and minority voters in Wisconsin filed a sweeping federal lawsuit Monday asking a judge to order that more poll workers be hired, every voter in the state receive an absentee ballot application and a host of other changes be made to ensure the August primary and November presidential election can be held safely amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Wisconsin has been at the center of the fight, both in court and out, over elections during the pandemic after it proceeded with its April 7 presidential primary even as other states delayed voting. The election drew widespread criticism as voters faced long lines in Green Bay and Milwaukee, where just five of 180 polling sites were open.
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The lawsuit argues that not enough has been done since then to ensure that the upcoming elections can be conducted safely and fairly. Proceeding without the changes sought would violate the U.S. Constitution, the Voting Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the lawsuit alleges.
It was filed against the Wisconsin Elections Commission by Disability Rights Wisconsin, a Milwaukee-based advocacy group Black Leaders Organizing for Communities and three voters who said they were prevented from voting, or faced obstacles to casting ballots, in the April 7 presidential primary and spring election. Protect Democracy, a Washington, D.C.-based group formed by former aides to President Barack Obama, is assisting with the lawsuit.
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“Wisconsin’s April 7 election was a disaster for the voters of the state and for our democracy,” said Rachel Goodman, an attorney for Protect Democracy. “Tens of thousands of voters were disenfranchised, and tens of thousands more were forced to risk their health in order to vote. We owe it to all Wisconsin voters to make sure the system doesn’t fail them again.”
The plaintiffs argue that the pandemic will still be ongoing, with no vaccine available, during the upcoming August statewide primary and November presidential elections. Voters will, understandably, fear for their safety if voting in person, the lawsuit alleges.
Wisconsin Elections Commission spokesman Reid Magney declined to comment.
The lawsuit seeks multiple changes ahead of the elections, including sending absentee ballot request forms to all voters; hiring additional staff to count those ballots as they’re returned; requiring that voting machines accessible to people with disabilities be available at all in-person absentee voting locations; hiring more poll workers; and upgrading voter registration systems to handle the anticipated increased volume of online voter registration and absentee ballot requests.
The lawsuit also wants to require that absentee ballot drop boxes be installed in every community; state elections officials work with the U.S. Postal Service to ensure timely delivery, return and counting of absentee ballots; notify voters if their absentee ballots won't be counted in time for them to fix problems; increase opportunities for curbside voting; and launch a public education campaign about voting options. It also wants to allow for absentee ballots to be counted for up to a week after the election if they are postmarked by election day or don't have a postmark.
The lawsuit also asks that any voter whose immune system is compromised, who is therefore a higher COVID-19 risk, be able to cast absentee ballots without having to provide a copy of a photo ID or get a witness. And the lawsuit asks for suspension of a state law requiring that poll workers come from the county where they work, making it easier to deal with vacancies.
Three previous federal lawsuits related to how Wisconsin runs elections have already been consolidated into one. There are also two election-related lawsuits in state court.


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Convicted ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich officially disbarred

In February , just days after Blagojevich ’ s prison term was commuted by President Donald Trump , a three-member @ @ @ @ @ evidence of Blagojevich ’ s worst hits as governor , including his convictions for attempting @ @ @ @ @ seat , shaking down the CEO of a children ’ s hospital for campaign cash @ @ @ @ @ .

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, with his wife Patti at his side, speaks to supporters and the media in front of their Ravenswood Manor home on Feb. 19, 2020. (Jose Osorio/Chicago Tribune)
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was officially disbarred on Monday, more than two months after a state panel recommended he lose his law licence due to his conviction in an array of brazen corruption schemes when he was in office.
The one-paragraph order from the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the decision in March by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.
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“Respondent Rod R. Blagojevich is disbarred," it read.
The move puts a period at the end of a not-so storied legal career that began when Blagojevich was a young Cook County assistant state’s attorney before entering politics.
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Blagojevich’s law license was suspended indefinitely after his arrest by the FBI in December 2008, but the process to officially remove him from the Illinois bar was on hold for years as he appealed his conviction and 14-year prison sentence.
In February, just days after Blagojevich’s prison term was commuted by President Donald Trump, a three-member panel for the ARDC heard evidence of Blagojevich’s worst hits as governor, including his convictions for attempting to sell a U.S. Senate seat, shaking down the CEO of a children’s hospital for campaign cash and lying to the FBI.
The panel’s four-page decision recommending disbarment noted that Blagojevich sought to “further his own interests” as governor despite his oath of office and that to this day, “he has not acknowledged that his conduct was wrongful or expressed any remorse.”
In a statement after the ruling was issued, Blagojevich noted he hasn’t practiced law since 1995.
“Imagine yourself sitting on a plane and then the pilot announces before takeoff that he hasn’t flown in 25 years,” Blagojevich said. "Wouldn’t you want to get off that plane? I don’t want to hurt anybody.”
Blagojevich, 63, graduated from law school at Pepperdine University in 1983 and was admitted to the Illinois bar a year later, records show. His only legal experience came as an assistant Cook County state’s attorney, working mostly in traffic court.
Since he was sprung from a Colorado prison more than four years early, Blagojevich has earned money by making videos on Cameo, a website where users pay for personalized video messages from celebrities.
Earlier this month, the disgraced ex-governor was signed to host a weekly podcast called “The Lightning Rod” for WLS-AM radio.
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jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--How much did it rain near you? Check out our interactive map

Sunday night the Chicago River was running so high that locks into Lake Michigan had to be opened to reverse @ @ @ @ @ stands , Chicago is just 1/20th of an inch from setting a record for rainiest @ @ @ @ @ is 8.25 inches in 2018 .

With more than 8 inches of rain in the last 4 days, May storms have flooded basements, Lower Wacker Drive, the Chicago Riverwalk and much more. Spring Creek which empties into the Fox River in eastern McHenry County transformed from an ankle-deep creek to a fast-moving, 5-foot-deep river.
The deluge led the Chicago River to swell to its highest level in more than 60 years, swamping the downtown Riverwalk.
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District was forced to temporarily reverse the flow of the Chicago River both downtown and in Wilmette, sending even more water into Lake Michigan, which already is near record-high levels.
Read more here. And check out the forecast here.


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--‘Our movement man,’ a fixture at Chicago protests, loses life to COVID-19

“ He was one of those super volunteers , ” said the Rev .
Janette Wilson , national director of @ @ @ @ @ many faceless , nameless people who support movements and are never recognized , Don was @ @ @ @ @ .
If I would go to a demonstration , you wouldn ’ t have to @ @ @ @ @ just be there with his little smile .
He just believed in change for everyone @ @ @ @ @ have the same access .
He was our movement man .
”

When Donald Kuss showed up at protests for equality and justice around Chicago, Ja’Mal Green initially wondered about the small, bespectacled, balding man who did not shudder in the face of a police line or in front of the mayor’s home.
“He was this white man on the front line of protests,” said Green, a prominent Chicago activist who was around 20 years old when he met Kuss.
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“I was like, ‘Who is this little old man yelling and protesting?’ But then you see the consistency and see this is the real guy," he said. "We took him in as our own because of his dedication and passion. It was a refreshing feeling to know we have a real ally. The issues may not affect him in his life, but he protested like they did.”
Donald Kuss was a volunteer and activist. He died May 12, 2020, from complications due to the coronavirus. (Rita Karlo photo)
Friends said if there was a protest or picket line in Chicago, no matter how big or small, Kuss was there.
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Kuss, who was born in Pennsylvania and grew up in Norwood Park, was intrigued learning about the civil rights movement as a child and had an awakening when he studied at Moody Bible Institute in his early 20s.
He was an ardent volunteer for the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s 1984 presidential campaign and later volunteered at the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago.
“He was one of those super volunteers,” said the Rev. Janette Wilson, national director of Push Excel. “Like many faceless, nameless people who support movements and are never recognized, Don was doing it for the cause. If I would go to a demonstration, you wouldn’t have to call Don. He would just be there with his little smile. He just believed in change for everyone. He wanted everyone to have the same access. He was our movement man.”
Kuss died May 12 due to COVID-19 complications. He was 61.
He was active in the Black Lives Matter movement, voter registration drives, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Occupy Chicago, the Fight for $15 minimum wage protests and several other outreach organizations.
It was not unusual for Kuss to show up at a demonstration or food giveaway needing ice or a bandage. Kuss, who friends said had several strokes in childhood, often stumbled and fell on his sometimes long treks via bus and walking on his way to events or church services.
“One time he arrived with blood on his face,” said Arielle Maldonado, founder of The Healing Corner, a nonprofit organization that provides resources primarily in West Side neighborhoods. “I said, ‘Oh, my God, Don, what happened?’ He had fallen. We were able to help him out and we always tried to get him rides home. But he always found a way to be there.”
Kuss befriended many as a devoted congregant at River City Community Church in Humboldt Park. Church members held a videoconference memorial for him Thursday evening.
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Kuss was known to talk off anyone’s ear, but it was considered a charming quirk to most. He often called his friends or even new acquaintances with words of encouragement.
“We went through period of shootings around the West Side and Northwest Side,” said William Smiljanich Perez, a friend who met Kuss at River City. “He would go to those spots and comfort the families (of victims) and stay there. He would come every week or every day and just be there with the family and comfort them. That was his thing.”
At protests about police brutality, friends said Kuss grasped important racial dynamics.
“He knew and understood the dynamics between whites and police, and police and African Americans,” Smiljanich Perez said. “He would be first in front to take whatever would come. I think of him as always pushing the police brutality issues.”
In the wake of the shooting death of Laquan McDonald, a black teenager, by a white police officer, protesters often gathered outside then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s North Side home. Some days, the protests amounted to only a few demonstrators.
Kuss remained fervent.
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“If there were only two or three people, Don would be one of those people and yell like there were 100 people,” Green said.
He recalled a message he received from Kuss when he felt discouraged about a small turnout. Kuss reminded Green about his leadership abilities and said, “You’re saying what needs to be said. … We need you to go back Rahm’s house to bug him some more.”
Kuss was not keen on trips to the doctor, friends said.
Antoine Taylor, River City’s operations director who met Kuss a decade ago, noticed Kuss developing a cough on April 30 and told him to call his health center. Two days later, Kuss told friends he fell trying to make a trip to the grocery store. Taylor advised Kuss to call 911 if “you feel like your chest is caving in.”
On May 4, Kuss was hospitalized “and we watched him decline.”
Being isolated during the shelter-in-place order was hard on sociable Kuss. But he was reaching personal goals.
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Kuss never had much of his own, struggling to find long-term housing over the years. He recently moved into affordable senior housing at Elizabeth Davis Apartments — a point of pride for him.
He insisted on nothing brand new, but friends organized to buy him a new couch, a desk and other Ikea furniture to help him decorate.
“This is something he had never had on his own,” Taylor said. “He was always giving as much as he could to others. He’d say, ‘I may not have money or food but I can give you knowledge and my help.’ ”
Even as he expected to receive a government stimulus check, Kuss' first thought was outreach.
“He knew he was ready to give back to others,” Taylor said. “He told me, ‘I’m going to get a stimulus check. We have to find out who we can help with this.’ ”
sryan@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-18--Woodstock school’s Class of 2020 gets big-screen salute at drive-in theater

These were the kind of intimate details shared at St. Mary Catholic School ’ s graduation celebration Sunday night at @ @ @ @ @ .
Unable to get together for a normal graduation due to restrictions prompted by the @ @ @ @ @ of 25 from the school in Woodstock gathered with family in their cars to watch @ @ @ @ @ on the big screen .
Frequent rains Sunday held off just long enough to let @ @ @ @ @ rolled down and tailgates open .

People in cars watch a video on the big screen at the St. Mary Catholic School class of 2020 graduation at McHenry Outdoor Theater on May 17, 2020, in McHenry. Graduates, teachers, parents, family and friends gathered to social distance in cars and watch a video featuring each graduating student shown on the big screen. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
One graduate collected mice and salamanders as a kid. Another proved how fast he could run when he got spooked on Halloween. A third had an imaginary friend who got blamed for anything that went wrong.
These were the kind of intimate details shared at St. Mary Catholic School’s graduation celebration Sunday night at a drive-in theater in McHenry. Unable to get together for a normal graduation due to restrictions prompted by the coronavirus, the graduating class of 25 from the school in Woodstock gathered with family in their cars to watch the story of their lives on the big screen. Frequent rains Sunday held off just long enough to let those attending watch with windows rolled down and tailgates open.
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The unusual venue and small class size lent themselves to a level of familiarity that would never be possible with a traditional graduation. The hourlong show featured a photo montage and biographical sketch of each student, from baby picture to embarrassing moments to the present.
Though the school’s formal graduation will be held online via Zoom on Tuesday, the celebration gave a hint of what some graduating students may expect this spring in lieu of an in-person event. There were no long boring speeches, no waiting in line to receive diplomas and no throwing of caps into the air.
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Instead, students and their families stayed in their vehicles in the theater parking lot, emerging with masks only to use the restrooms.
Those were the same rules that the McHenry Outdoor Theater followed to open the previous weekend to show movies, with cars parked every other space to maintain social distancing.
14-year-old graduate Madison Kenyon, center, and her parents Gina and Randy in the back of their car at the St. Mary Catholic School class of 2020 graduation at McHenry Outdoor Theater on May 17, 2020. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
At the graduation celebration, students wore T-shirts that read, “Graduation 2020 The one where we were quarantined.” Some parents choked up realizing this moment in their children’s lives had come to an end without the traditional spring sports and plays, without dances or religious ceremonies like confirmation, or signing yearbooks.
“I’m sad and happy at the same time that it had to happen like that,” event organizer Jessica Arnow said. “It brought tears to my eyes. I knew this might be the only memory (of graduation) they take with them.”
The school had an advantage in that it typically holds an awards night each year that features a video of the students, so parents were contributing photos all along, showing their kids bowling, water skiing, even hang gliding.
Teachers gave heartfelt video tributes, with one recording her message on Mother’s Day, which she said was appropriate because the students felt like her children.
Fourteen-year-old Lucy Iden said the hardest part was not being able to say goodbye to her friends, some of whom she has known since preschool.
“We really had to think out of the box for this one,” grandparent Vicki Lange said. “It’s easier for us to think that this is so special, and for them it’s so surreal.”
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Other schools have plans to hold their actual graduations at the theater this week or next, such as Big Hollow Middle School in Ingleside. Other schools, including McHenry High School, will hold award nights at the drive-in.
Theater owner Scott Dehn donated the use of his facility, in advance of showing almost nightly movies starting Memorial Day weekend.
“I saw a lot of smiles on the way out,” Dehn said. “That’s why we do it.”
rmccoppin@chicagotribune.com