chicagotribune--2020-06-10--Navy Pier is back — sort of: A look at how the popular Chicago attraction is reopening with masks an

Navy Pier is back — sort of: A look at how the popular Chicago attraction is reopening with masks and caution

She was an anomaly .
Devoid of most of the usual corps of long-distance visitors , the pier crowd on @ @ @ @ @ distilled to an essence : residents from the adjacent Streeterville neighborhood who like the long @ @ @ @ @ ( or who don ’ t like the still-closed lakefront ) and folks in driving @ @ @ @ @ something that felt vacation-esque .

The Spiegel family, from left, 8-year-old twins Sydney and Trent, with their parents, Kendra and Tom, of Willowbrook, have lunch at Margaritaville restaurant at Navy Pier on June 10, 2020. Navy Pier began a cautious reopening after being closed for almost three months because of COVID-19. The new rules required face masks and let outdoor spaces and outdoor restaurant seating to open. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Navy Pier proclaimed itself ready to begin the reopening process Wednesday. Mother Nature was not so sure.
Amid gray skies and an intermittent light rain, the carnival midway jutting into Lake Michigan figuratively unlocked its doors, allowing visitors to begin promenading on pier walkways, visiting pier parks, and eating and drinking outdoors at pier restaurants.
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Rather than alfresco weather, however, it verged for a moment on all-raincoat, a potential ill omen for the site that battles with The Bean sculpture to be the city’s most popular tourist destination.
But by about 10:30 a.m., half an hour after the official reopening, the rain had stopped and the sun nudged its way occasionally through the clouds. Closed for almost three months to protect people from the COVID-19 virus, the pier was now open to present them — cautiously — with commerce.
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The rest of the day would be pretty much a charmer, windy enough to make the dozen flags at pier’s end flap like a helicopter warming up, but bright and dry enough to make folks who’ve been living secluded lives remember the pleasures of social intercourse — or, rather, socially distanced intercourse.
People walk at Navy Pier in Chicago on June 10, 2020, as the city attraction reopened for the first time in nearly three months. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
It was good news for Deborah and Philip Halpern, a “semi-retired” couple who live in the neighborhood.
“We’re excited to be walking the pier again,” said Deborah, dressed for movement except for the mask the new pier rules require even in outdoor spaces. “We used to do it all the time. We’ve missed it.”
A new, blue-shirted and conspicuously bemasked corps of “Social Distancing Ambassadors” were everywhere, telling people to cover their facial orifices, but not in those words. New signs let folks know where to stand in tighter areas and that the standard 6-foot distance believed to provide virus safety is the measurement of “an average sedan.” (Sort of: A Toyota Camry is about 16 feet long, but it is exactly 6 feet wide.)
“We’ve been waiting and waiting,” said Emily Bacek, there with her three kids 6 and under, as she watched the older pair scamper back down a broad staircase. “They’re pretty excited to get back out on the pier.”
She is, too, she said, because in the lockdown, “everyone’s really realized the value of community.”
Up above the main southern promenade, the area around the carnival ride was just a park. The carousel will not spin parallel to the earth, and the giant Ferris wheel won’t rotate perpendicular to it until the pier moves into the next stage of its phased reopening. The speakers, though, weren’t waiting: They played Sinatra singing, “Come Fly With Me” by the Centennial Wheel entrance.
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Down below, on the patio at Riva restaurant, Gina Sandler had a cup of chowder and a glass of white wine for lunch, a pretty normal thing for a visitor from Pensacola, Florida, to do at Navy Pier.
But she was in town because she’s a veteran critical care nurse working at a local hospital in the COVID-19 crisis. What she witnessed on her off-day visit pleased her. “It’s good for the economy, and it’s also good for people’s personalities,” Sandler said.
She was an anomaly. Devoid of most of the usual corps of long-distance visitors, the pier crowd on reopening day seemed to be distilled to an essence: residents from the adjacent Streeterville neighborhood who like the long walk on a long pier (or who don’t like the still-closed lakefront) and folks in driving distance thrilled to be doing something that felt vacation-esque.
Jeff and Jena Smith of Frankfort took the day off work and drove in to the city to mark their 31st wedding anniversary.
Jeff, a sales rep, said he’s warier of being close to other people than his wife and figured Navy Pier on Wednesday would be “a good way to get our toe in the water.”
“We knew it wouldn’t be crowded,” he said. Still, even with the eateries setting their patio tables farther apart than in the past, Jeff said, “I’m not quite ready to be in a restaurant, even outdoors, with people.”
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His worry: the potential for a big group to sit nearby and deliver prolonged exposure to people who’ve removed their masks to eat and drink, which is allowed.
The couple debated whether to get a to-go drink from Margaritaville or from a place farther along the walk. The restaurant named for a Jimmy Buffett song lobbied for their business with a handwritten sign quoting a Buffett lyric: “Welcome back! We’ve been keeping your lost shaker of salt safe!”
But Kendra and Tom Spiegel, a former medical researcher and a doctor, respectively, felt comfortable sitting down for lunch at the restaurant with their 8-year-old twins. The spacing between tables was much more comforting than what they had witnessed in outdoor dining in Willowbrook, where they live.
“People were really congregating the whole time,” she said of the local scene. “They don’t know how serious it is.”
Nearby, union iron worker Dave Vanderkooy took a break at a shady table with a can of soda. He and colleagues building the new hotel out toward the eastern end of the pier had found it easy to “get a lot of work done” without pier visitors to worry about, he said.
But it’s also disorienting being able to commute to Chicago so quickly from his home in southern Wisconsin: “It’s a weird feeling. It’s a ghost town," he said.
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Having nonconstruction workers around was giving him good vibes, he said: “It’s nice to see people.”
The pier was a relative bargain for folks driving in to visit. The parking garage, normally $37 for a two- to six-hour stay, will be free at least until the pier moves into its second reopening phase. A reporter may even have left his car there, for instance, while he returned to the office to write a story about Navy Pier reopening.
Like most public spaces in Chicago, Navy Pier closed in mid-March to try to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the global pandemic that has killed some 6,000 people in Illinois.
The pier’s boat tours will mostly resume on Friday, with social distancing measures in place. The land-bound rides will come later, as will cultural attractions the Chicago Children’s Museum and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. Ditto for the indoor portions of the pier, which include stores, more restaurants and an indoor atrium.
Visitors entering the main pier walkway Wednesday were told of the masking requirement and offered a chance to buy one if they hadn’t come prepared. The majority of people seemed to wear masks the whole time, although some slipped them down off their noses or even below their mouths while walking in uncrowded areas. No reprimands were witnessed.
There was some chafing. Chicagoan Chris Minassian was walking on the pier as an alternative to the lakefront, which he said the city really should have opened back up to Chicagoans by now. And a maskless woman was walking down the pier with a masked friend and a sort of fury.
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“That social distancing thing is ridiculous,” she said.
“Hypocrisy,” she said.
State regulations actually say its OK to be maskless outdoors if you’re at least 6 feet away from other people, she said, and she had a screenshot of the rule on her phone so she could prove it to people.
“You’re walking with gusto here,” noted her friend.
The woman’s certainty about being in the right did not extend, however, to wanting to give her name. She said she feared a “social media backlash.”
But people visiting the Harry Caray’s Restaurant were not prickly at all. “Everybody’s been really welcoming and understanding ,” said assistant general manager Leticia Tischina, who said business was consistent but not “slamming” staffers just getting their sea legs under them again.
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“It’s been a long time coming,” she said. “It’s a nice start. And we expected it to rain today so this is beautiful.”
sajohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @stevenkjohnson


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--University of Illinois drops ACT, SAT tests at 2 campuses next year due to coronavirus disruptions

The pandemic , however , has infused discussions about standardized tests with practical considerations as well .
When high schools @ @ @ @ @ many students didn ’ t have a place to complete the exams .
Schools are @ @ @ @ @ students can take the tests for free , but both the ACT and the College @ @ @ @ @ SAT , canceled test dates in March , May and June .
Chicago Public Schools @ @ @ @ @ an inquiry about whether its facilities will be used as testing centers this summer .

The University of Illinois campuses in Chicago, shown here, and Springfield are looking at doing away with the ACT and SAT requirements for fall 2021 applicants. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
University of Illinois campuses in Chicago and Springfield won’t require applicants for 2021 to take the ACT or SAT because of uncertainty about how exams will be administered during the coronavirus pandemic — a change that scores of colleges have already implemented to prepare for continued disruptions to the admissions process.
U. of I. trustees approved the proposal during a meeting of the three-member executive committee Wednesday afternoon. The change, which passed unanimously, will apply only to incoming freshmen at UIC and UIS seeking to enroll in fall 2021.
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“The current nationwide COVID-19 pandemic has prevented large numbers of high school students from taking standardized tests due to various restrictions imposed by states that not only have closed high schools but also, among other things, have prohibited gatherings of a certain size,” according to information provided to trustees. “Although there has been consideration of providing ‘in-home’ exams this summer, those plans are currently on hold, in part because many students do not have the necessary computer technology or reliable internet connection to take advantage of this option.”
Admissions requirements vary by campus, but the schools have considered test scores as part of applications since the 1970s and students are typically required to send their ACT or SAT scores.
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At U. of I.’s flagship campus in Urbana-Champaign, the state’s largest university with more than 52,000 students, members of the academic senate’s executive committee discussed the measure at a meeting later Wednesday and expressed support for providing more flexibility to students. The committee decided to poll all members and could make a final decision to endorse the temporary change as early as next week.
But U. of I. officials have been careful to characterize the new stance on testing as a temporary change, not a broad overhaul of the long-used metric.
“This is a one-year adjustment because of the pandemic,” Tom Hardy, spokesman of the University of Illinois System, said in an email. Beyond 2021, he said, “there are no plans to drop standardized testing from the admissions process.”
The debate over the use of standardized tests in college admissions predates the pandemic, but discussions have resumed with renewed urgency as schools scramble to revise their procedures and accommodate students. So far, some schools have extended decision deadlines from the traditional May 1 date, granting students more time to make a final choice about where to study in the fall — if they are allowed to return to campus.
Well before the pandemic, many schools had begun moving away from standardized tests, citing inequities that favor wealthier and often white students who can afford tutoring and additional help to boost their scores. Others have questioned whether the tests can accurately predict a student’s success at the college level.
The University of Chicago, for example, dropped its testing requirements in 2018, becoming the first premier school to join the “test-optional” movement. At U. of C. and other test-optional institutions, students can submit exam results if they choose, but they are not required, and applications are viewed more holistically. Admissions officers rely on other factors, such as grades, extracurricular activities and letters of recommendation.
Indiana University recently finalized a new test-optional policy that had been in progress since late 2019. The policy goes into effect for undergraduate applicants seeking to enroll in the 2021 term and afterward. A statement on IU’s website says the school made the change because “some applicants may feel that their standardized test scores do not accurately reflect their academic potential.”
The pandemic, however, has infused discussions about standardized tests with practical considerations as well. When high schools shut down this spring, many students didn’t have a place to complete the exams. Schools are often the only location where students can take the tests for free, but both the ACT and the College Board, which administers the SAT, canceled test dates in March, May and June. Chicago Public Schools did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether its facilities will be used as testing centers this summer.
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Now a growing number of private and public universities are announcing plans to ditch standardized tests for at least the next admissions cycle, which affects rising high school seniors.
The U. of I board information cites a number of schools that have adjusted application requirements amid the outbreak such as Harvard, Cornell, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Oregon and the University of Washington. The U. of I. memo does not explicitly mention challenges for low-income, first-generation or minority students that are often referenced in the debate over standardized tests.
Some schools, such as the University of California, recently announced longer commitments to reform test-based admissions. The public university system will suspend the standardized test requirement for all in-state applicants through 2024. If the university does not develop a new assessment as a replacement by 2025, UC will cease using tests for good.
In downstate Peoria, Bradley University also adopted a test-optional policy in May. In addition to easing the strain on students affected by COVID-19, the move will provide “greater access to a broader, more diverse applicant pool of students,” according to a statement from Justin Ball, vice president for enrollment management.
While there might be opportunities for students to take tests in the fall, it’s unclear if schools will allow for a large number of students to complete the time-consuming tests at their indoor facilities.
The College Board canceled national testing days for the SAT on March 14 and June 6 because of safety concerns. Starting in August, College Board will offer the SAT and/or SAT Subject Test sittings every month for the rest of 2020, according to its website.
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The College Board has previously announced a plan to offer at-home SAT tests, but reportedly recently scrapped the idea, citing concerns that not all students would have steady internet access to complete the three-hour exam. The announcement followed complaints from students who took Advanced Placement tests at home this year and encountered technical glitches, some saying they couldn’t submit their final answers through the online system.
The ACT canceled its April exam but allowed some testing centers to offer it in June. The next test will be offered in July, and ACT “is in close contact with test centers regarding their ability to administer the test,” according to its website. ACT said it is also developing online and at-home testing options, but those won’t be available until September, the website said.
echerney@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--Bartlett man gets two years in prison for punching grocery store bagger with Asperger syndrome

Court records show that Mirabella was sentenced to five years in prison for reckless homicide in 1993 .
Mirabella ’ @ @ @ @ @ car on Interstate 88 and sent it across the median , where it was struck @ @ @ @ @ killing a woman .
Prosecutors said Mirabella was under the influence of alcohol and had @ @ @ @ @

A man who punched and kicked a special needs grocery store bagger in Bartlett was sentenced to two years in prison, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Bruce Mirabella, 51, of Bartlett, was found guilty of a class 3 felony in March after a trial before DuPage County Judge Brian Telander. At the time, Telander said that Mirabella also would have been guilty of “being a jerk.”
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Mirabella, who was convicted of reckless homicide in the 1990s, will be eligible for parole after serving half his sentence.
The incident took place in July at the Jewel food store on Steans Road. The bagger, a 27-year-old man with Asperger syndrome, testified at trial that Mirabella had said something to the effect that he was old enough to “kick the asses” of the bagger and the cashier.
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The bagger said he wasn’t sure what Mirabella meant, and walked toward him to pat him on the shoulder and tell him to have a nice day, but Mirabella punched him in the mouth and kicked him moments later.
Mirabella testified that he acted in self-defense, and said the kick was a martial arts move to get the bagger away from him.
A police officer testified that when he and a partner went to Mirabella’s home to arrest him, he resisted and had to be given an electronic shock.
In his ruling, Telander said he watched security camera video of the incident about 20 times. The judge said the kick came when there was no threat because the bagger had turned away in pain, with his hands over his bloodied lip.
State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said the attack on the innocent man came “without provocation and with malicious intent.”
“What I find particularly upsetting about Mr. Mirabella’s inexcusable behavior is the fact that the victim in this case was a special needs individual who posed no threat to Mr. Mirabella whatsoever,” Berlin said.
Court records show that Mirabella was sentenced to five years in prison for reckless homicide in 1993. Mirabella’s vehicle collided with a car on Interstate 88 and sent it across the median, where it was struck by an oncoming vehicle, killing a woman. Prosecutors said Mirabella was under the influence of alcohol and had marijuana in his system.
Prosecutors said he also was convicted for his involvement in a bar fight in 2005 in which he bit off part of a man’s ear.
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Many court proceedings resumed in DuPage County this week, with all those attending required to wear masks due to the coronavirus.


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--Scientists across the US went on strike Wednesday in support of Black Lives Matter, organized in par

Scientists across the US went on strike Wednesday in support of Black Lives Matter, organized in part by Fermilab, U. of C. physicist

Nord decided a strike was necessary after talking with a group of fellow black scientists about the frustration they felt @ @ @ @ @ in Black Lives Matter protests that were frequently met with force from police officers .
@ @ @ @ @ should stop working for a while , to which University of New Hampshire physics and @ @ @ @ @ responded with the idea of a strike , Nord said .

For Brian Nord, hearing about yet another black person dying at the hands of police always elicits the same response.
“There’s a dense iron ball that kind of sinks down into the pit of your chest,” Nord said. “And it’s just anguish. And then again at the same time it’s like, one more time? It’s like, really, again?”
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That’s why Nord, an astrophysicist and cosmologist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia and the University of Chicago, helped lead thousands of scientists to stop all work on Wednesday in a strike to demand academic institutions correct long-standing racial inequities.
More than 5,500 physicists, scientists and academics signed on to participate in the work shutdown.
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Brian Nord, an astrophysicist and cosmologist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia and the University of Chicago, helped to organize #Strike4BlackLives. (Fermilab)
Nord helped start the movement under the hashtag #Strike4BlackLives in the wake of worldwide protests spurred by the police killings of black people including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Scientists like him have decried not only police brutality but also long-standing anti-black racism within their academic institutions.
“Leadership in institutional academia has failed,” Nord said Tuesday. “That is clear now. This is no longer a debate. This is no longer a question. And so, it is up to us as individuals to gather together our creative energy to take the helm of that leadership as a community and say, ‘No more.’”
Nord decided a strike was necessary after talking with a group of fellow black scientists about the frustration they felt as the nation became engulfed in Black Lives Matter protests that were frequently met with force from police officers. Some scientists wondered whether they should stop working for a while, to which University of New Hampshire physics and astronomy assistant professor Chanda Prescod-Weinstein responded with the idea of a strike, Nord said.
The pair used the website Particles for Justice — started by a group of particle physicists and cosmologists including Nord and Prescod-Weinstein to condemn sexism in academia — to mobilize scientists into ceasing research, meetings, teaching and more responsibilities for a day.
The #Strike4Black Lives joined another global academic work stoppage — #ShutDownSTEM and #ShutDownAcademia — to call out systemic racism in tech and research communities. Neither strike included those working on ending the coronavirus pandemic.
Black scientists and other academics have also been posting under the #BlackInTheIvory hashtag on social media, detailing discrimination such as being passed over for promotions or being called diversity hires.
During his time as a physicist, Nord said he has received racist comments and pushback on efforts to reform his workplaces to be more welcoming for black employees. All the while, he has witnessed institutions offer lip service to workplace diversity instead of rectifying the harm done to black people, Nord said.
“There’s been a lot of talk about equity, diversity and inclusion, diversity committees,” Nord said. “These words have been thrown around in order to try to replace justice, in order to try to replace accountability. They have been used to prevent us from actually breaking down the white supremacy and racism and anti-blackness that are embedded within academic institutions.”
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Among the issues Particles for Justice outlined are the “nonexistent” representation of black physicists at most institutions, as well as black students feeling “unwelcome, unsupported, and even unsafe” in mostly white campuses. Black people were awarded less than 3% of bachelor’s degrees in physics between 2013 and 2017, according to the American Physical Society and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
Nord’s employer, Fermilab, operated under the U.S. Department of Energy, confirmed to the Tribune that employees were allowed to take Wednesday off for the strike. In addition, the arXiv server, a free archive of almost 2 million scholarly articles, urged authors to pause any submissions scheduled for Wednesday and withheld the posting of its daily announcement of published papers on Tuesday evening.
During the strike, scientists were encouraged to protest, educate themselves on anti-black racism, reach out to politicians or take other avenues to support the movement to end anti-blackness.
“We are asked to leave our blackness at the door when we enter the academy,” Nord said. “We’re all tired and angry and upset, and we’re ready for change to happen.”
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--GOP state senators push to move to next stage of reopening by Friday; Gov. Pritzker says that belies

GOP state senators push to move to next stage of reopening by Friday; Gov. Pritzker says that belies science

“ We ’ ve opened just on May 29th , we moved into phase three .
We ’ re barely @ @ @ @ @ here and the incubation period is 14 days , ” he said .
“ Don @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t really see the bulk of hospitalizations until between 14 and 21 days @ @ @ @ @ another that have COVID-19 .
And so the idea here is to make sure that @ @ @ @ @ the hospital system as we reopen .
”

Illinois Senate Republican leader Bill Brady stands with Senate Republicans at a May 22, 2020, news conference outside the state Capitol in Springfield. (Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register)
Illinois’ 19 Republican state senators urged Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker to move the state to the next phase of his pandemic reopening plan on Friday, two weeks earlier than would be possible under his guidelines.
The senators cited frustrations of some business owners watching the large gatherings of peaceful protesters in the response to the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis.
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But Pritzker, speaking in Moline on Wednesday, said moving too quickly to phase four of his “Restore Illinois” plan belies the science on the spread of the coronavirus.
In a letter, state Senate Republican leader Bill Brady of Bloomington and his colleagues in the 59-member Senate asked Pritzker to move to a 14-day time frame to move between phases rather than the 28-day time period in his plan.
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“As the demonstrations taking place garner much of the media’s attention, we continue to hear the voices of our constituents, those not protesting but who remain worried their businesses, their livelihoods and their communities remain at continued economic risk,” the letter said.
“They are equally confused by their inability to safely reopen and operate their establishments and places of businesses, while at the same time watching as tens of thousands of their fellow residents gather, albeit legally, in public places with little to no regard for recommended distancing,” the GOP letter said.
The Senate Republicans contended Illinois “remains one of the most restrictive states in the nation,” noting bans on most inside dining, pools and gyms while surrounding states have lifted their restrictions.
Metrics on hospital capacity, testing and use of ventilators already meet the levels set for the next phase, they said.
“Illinois residents have sacrificed much to help contain the spread of this disease, but many are nearing the point of no economic return,” the letter said. “We believe that by working together, we can move our state forward.”
The state moved into phase three of Pritzker’s reopening plan on May 29. Pritzker said it remains too early to consider advancing to the next phase.
“The reason that we have phases is because as you reopen and move into a new phase, guess what? You’re going to get more cases. That’s the thinking,” Pritzker said.
“We’ve opened just on May 29th, we moved into phase three. We’re barely a couple of weeks in here and the incubation period is 14 days,” he said. “Don’t forget, you don’t really see the bulk of hospitalizations until between 14 and 21 days after people engage with one another that have COVID-19. And so the idea here is to make sure that we don’t overwhelm the hospital system as we reopen.”
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Pritzker contended most of the state’s business economy is reopened, although dealing with restrictions mandated under his plan.
“I know there are individual circumstances in the industries. For example, we don’t have indoor dining yet, but warehouses, offices, manufacturing, retail, we can go down a whole long list. But the bulk of the economy of the state is open — again, with capacity limits and masks and everything, all the other mitigations,” the governor said.
Pritzker said he believed the state was “reopening as fast as we can.” But he also said he has been willing to make some adjustments to regulations in his phased schedule “where the epidemiologists and the data indicate we can open more and not see an outbreak of cases.”
State health officials on Wednesday announced 625 new known cases of the coronavirus, which included 78 deaths. That brings the total number of known cases since the pandemic began to 129,837 and the death toll to 6,095.
rap30@aol.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--When can Illinois move to phase 4 of reopening plan? Here’s where each region stands.

With each of the state ’ s four regions in Phase 3 of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s Restore @ @ @ @ @ starts on moving on to Phase 4 , where more businesses and activities are allowed @ @ @ @ @ Illinois — from restaurants and salons to open space to non-COVID-19 procedures at the hospital @ @ @ @ @ depends on a host of metrics laid out by Pritzker .

Chad Yoder, Nausheen Husain, Jennifer Smith Richards, Jonathon Berlin

With each of the state’s four regions in Phase 3 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan, the clock starts on moving on to Phase 4, where more businesses and activities are allowed. The plan to reopen Illinois — from restaurants and salons to open space to non-COVID-19 procedures at the hospital to concerts and festivals — depends on a host of metrics laid out by Pritzker.
The metrics focus on a rolling average of positive coronavirus cases and hospitalizations to keep track of the direction of the outbreak as well as availability of hospital beds and ventilators that would be needed to handle a possible surge. There are also benchmarks for testing and tracing positive tests.
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
A key element of the plan is that a region can move both forward and backward, where more parts of society can open and shut depending on the seriousness of the outbreak.
Here is a breakdown of where each region stands.


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--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--2020-06-10--Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 6,095 deaths, 129,837 confirmed cases, 1.1 million tests,  8.79% posi

Tracking Illinois coronavirus: 6,095 deaths, 129,837 confirmed cases, 1.1 million tests,  8.79% positivity rate for Northeast region

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--2020-06-10--Dixmoor cop accused of battering 66-year-old grandmother faces lawsuit from men who claim he assault

Dixmoor cop accused of battering 66-year-old grandmother faces lawsuit from men who claim he assaulted, arrested them for contesting parking ticket

Terry and Reed claim their altercation with Burge Jr. occurred about 10 months prior to that incident , on Dec. @ @ @ @ @ they showed up at the Dixmoor police station to complain about parking and public nuisance @ @ @ @ @ Terry “ without cause or justification , ” according to the suit .

A Dixmoor police commander charged earlier this year with battering a 66-year-old woman inside the village’s police station is now being sued over a separate force incident at the station.
Two men from Markham claim they were assaulted by Cmdr. Ronald Burge Jr. and then falsely arrested after visiting the police station to contest a pair of tickets in 2018, according to a lawsuit filed last week in federal court.
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Burge Jr., the 31-year-old son of Dixmoor’s police chief, allegedly socked one man in the face while gripping handcuffs and yanked the other around the room by his neck before pressing him against a wall, the suit alleges.
Ronald Burge Jr. (Cook County state's attorney's office)
Police filed criminal charges against both men, but their cases were later dismissed, according to the suit.
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On Friday, the men jointly filed a suit against the village of Dixmoor, Burge Jr., and Jose Villegas, another officer who was allegedly present.
Ramon Terry, 49, and his nephew Sydney Reed, 37, allege they were victims of excessive force, false arrest and malicious prosecution, and seek unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
Police Chief Ronald Burge Sr., the father of the accused officer, said Wednesday he hadn’t been aware of the lawsuit and couldn’t comment on its claims.
Burge Jr. has been on paid administrative leave since January, when he was charged with aggravated battery and official misconduct for allegedly dragging a 125-pound grandmother into the village’s police station last October and repeatedly slamming her face off a wall.
Terry and Reed claim their altercation with Burge Jr. occurred about 10 months prior to that incident, on Dec. 29, 2018, when they showed up at the Dixmoor police station to complain about parking and public nuisance tickets Burge Jr. had written Terry “without cause or justification,” according to the suit.
Burge Jr., who met the men inside the station, became incensed when they asked to speak with another officer to complain about his conduct, the suit alleges.
While clenching a pair of handcuffs in his fist, Burge Jr. swung at Terry and the metal cuffs connected with his cheek, according to the suit.
The officer then grabbed Reed by the neck, pulled him around the room and pushed him up against a wall, the suit alleges.
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Villegas, who witnessed the confrontation but did nothing to stop it, then trained his stun gun on both men as Burge Jr. handcuffed them, according to the suit.
Neither man resisted arrest, the suit claims.
Terry, who was charged with assault, and Reed, who was charged with resisting/obstructing a peace officer, were held overnight and released on their own recognizance the following day, according to the suit.
Police had Terry’s car towed from in front of the Police Department while he was in custody, the suit claims.
He was forced to incur fees to recover his vehicle and use paid time off work to attend court hearings over the course of the next year, according to the suit.
Reed, who had been on probation at the time of the incident, was required to attend a six-week anger management course and had his probation regime intensified, the suit claims.
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Prosecutors ultimately dropped the charges against both men in January, a couple weeks after Burge Jr. was arrested in the other case.
Richard Dvorak, whose law firm represents Terry and Reed, said prosecutors did not provide a reason for the dismissal of their cases.
“Dixmoor has to clean house,” the attorney said in a statement Wednesday. “Its police department has serious problems from the Chief, to his son, and on down.”
Earlier this year, Dvorak filed a suit against Dixmoor, both Burges, Villegas and four other village police officers that alleges the police chief orchestrated an intimidation and retaliation campaign against two trustees and their associates after they raised concerns about unauthorized and unwarranted salary payments the mayor, chief and his officers allegedly were receiving.
Burge Sr. has denied the claim.
zkoeske@tribpub.com
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Twitter @ZakKoeske


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--Roseland residents march to demand change in their neighborhood: ‘What I saw was devastation’

White was out in his district when the looting was happening last week , and took a walk through the @ @ @ @ @ He spoke with residents , including an 81-year-old pharmacy owner who was trying to figure @ @ @ @ @ able to rebuild his business .

Antoine d-ice Dobine leads a large group of marchers down South Michigan Avenue in the Roseland neighborhood on June 10, 2020, in Chicago. A coalition of organizations, businesses and community groups came together along with the police and politicians to march for unity and to rebuild their community. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Tina Phalanx wants to see the rows of boarded-up storefronts in Roseland bustling with new businesses. She wants investment and police reform for the Far South Side neighborhood in which she has worked for years.
So as a show of neighborhood solidarity, more than a week after the neighborhood sustained damage from looters, Phalanx joined several dozen Roseland community members, including the Calumet District police commander, to march through the neighborhood.
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“Change is coming,” Phalanx said.
Several businesses along Michigan Avenue and 111th Street, main thoroughfares in the neighborhood, were damaged by looting that followed widespread protests in Chicago after the May killing of George Floyd, but Roseland residents say the area had already been the subject of neglect and disinvestment by the city.
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In response, the group gathered Wednesday morning at 110th Street and marched several blocks down Michigan to 115th Street, demanding change and investment for the neighborhood.
Chicago police District 5 Cmdr. Glen White speaks with marchers during a rally along South Michigan Avenue in the Roseland neighborhood on June 10, 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
“We want the revitalization of our community,” Phalanx said.
The group chanted “We March, We Matter” and “Roseland, Rise up” as it headed down Michigan, prompting shows of support from neighbors who walked by on the sidewalk.
Calumet District Cmdr. Glenn White stood near the front of the group, marching with the residents who live in his district.
“We can’t solve this problem by ourselves,” he said.
White was out in his district when the looting was happening last week, and took a walk through the neighborhood the day after. He spoke with residents, including an 81-year-old pharmacy owner who was trying to figure out if he would be able to rebuild his business.
“What I saw was devastation,” White said.
Community organizer Joyce Chapman rallies marchers in the Roseland neighborhood on June 10, 2020, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
At the end of the march, the group gathered at 115th Street, shouting, “Roseland. Roseland.” Joyce Chapman, a community organizer, said she is creating a “plan of action” for the neighborhood and asked residents to send her ideas and questions.
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“We know what our challenges are in our community,” she said.
mabuckley@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--Roseland residents march for change

Roseland residents march for change

Treja Kelley had been hesitant to come forward after witnessing the murder of her 17-year-old cousin .
But she found @ @ @ @ @ stand last year and helped secure a guilty verdict .
Her testimony , though , @ @ @ @ @ head , prosecutors said .
Just a few months after testifying , Kelley was shot @ @ @ @ @ not far from where her cousin had been slain .
She was 18 and pregnant @

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 6 Antoine d-ice Dobine leads a large group of marchers down South Michigan Avenue in the Roseland neighborhood on June 10, 2020, in Chicago. A coalition of organizations, businesses and community groups came together along with the police and politicians to march for unity and to rebuild their community. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
More than a week after the neighborhood sustained damage from looters, several dozen Roseland community members marched through the neighborhood in solidarity on June 10, 2020.


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s $1.1 billion coronavirus spending plan advances, despite concerns

“ That ’ s something , as we progress into the next couple months , if we need to kind @ @ @ @ @ the current , ongoing costs , we will work through that , ” Park said @ @ @ @ @ with ( city Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady ) , if we see a sudden @ @ @ @ @ weeks , as we are reopening , then we will have to reprioritize .
”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan for $1.1 billion in federal CARES Act spending to help Chicago deal with mounting costs and community need due to the coronavirus pandemic moved forward Wednesday, though aldermen questioned whether her administration has set aside enough money to deal with a possible spike in cases locally later this year.
And some City Council critics of Chicago Police Department funding called for the mayor to explicitly pledge not to use the virus response money to pay for police overtime.
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The mayor’s package includes big chunks of money to help cover the city’s public health response to the virus, to prop up Chicago’s airports and to set up housing and workforce programs to try to aid people who’ve lost income due to the crisis.
It also sets aside $40 million to respond to a potential resurgence of the disease as the city continues to reopen and more people come into close contact with one another after months of sheltering in their homes, Budget Director Susie Park told the City Council Budget Committee.
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That might not be adequate, said Southwest Side Ald. George Cardenas, 12th.
“You may be lowballing it. What if the need is greater?” Cardenas said. “To me, that’s going to be a huge problem, because we should have foreseen that coming.”
Park said Cardenas might be right that $40 million isn’t enough to deal with what’s coming.
“That’s something, as we progress into the next couple months, if we need to kind of move between that and the current, ongoing costs, we will work through that,” Park said. “And working closely with (city Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady), if we see a sudden spike in the next couple weeks, as we are reopening, then we will have to reprioritize.”
As the meeting opened, Budget Chair Ald. Pat Dowell, 3rd, said the committee had received 670 letters from members of the public on the topic of reducing the budget of the Chicago Police Department. A nationwide “defund the police” movement has gained momentum in recent days, in response to George Floyd’s killing by a Minneapolis police officer.
Lightfoot has resisted embracing the defund movement’s demands.
Park said none of the money is now earmarked for policing costs.
Northwest Side Ald. Daniel La Spata, 1st, said he’s worried the administration may try to pay police overtime to enforce the stay-at-home order using the federal funds at a time his constituents are saying the city should instead be using the money to pay for things such as housing support for struggling residents.
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“Whereas you would have to make a justification for putting (Community Reinvestment Fund) dollars toward police overtime, I do not see a justification that I could make to my community, based on how they are voicing their perspective on this,” said La Spata, who’s a freshman progressive member of the City Council.
The committee passed the spending plan despite the concerns, and the full City Council will consider it next week.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--Chicago infant who tested positive for coronavirus in March confirmed to have died of virus-related

Chicago infant who tested positive for coronavirus in March confirmed to have died of virus-related pneumonia

On April 16 , the CDC requested additional laryngeal tissue samples .
The medical examiner ’ s office sent both @ @ @ @ @ the CDC on April 20 , and on June 5 the CDC informed the medical @ @ @ @ @ there was molecular evidence of COVID-19 in the lungs but not the larynx , according @ @ @

Tests have confirmed that the death of a 9-month-old boy in March was caused, in part, by COVID-19, making him the youngest victim of the coronavirus in Cook County, according to the medical examiner.
Joseph Myles was pronounced dead on March 23 at Mercy Hospital in Chicago. The infant died of viral pneumonia due to coronavirus NL-63 and COVID-19 infection, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.
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In the days after his death, the heads of both the state and city health departments said it was apparently linked to the coronavirus and called it an exceptional case. But shortly afterwards, there appeared to be conflicting test results and it was determined that additional testing needed to be done.
A family member found Myles unresponsive on March 23 and notified authorities. The family reported that the baby had a history of a cold and cough, according to medical examiner’s office spokeswoman Natalia Derevyanny.
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During an autopsy, it was found that the infant’s lungs were congested and firm, indicating a possible infection.
Initially two postmortem nasopharyngeal swabs, dated March 23 and March 24, were tested by the Illinois Department of Public Health, revealing conflicting results.
The first swab administered at the hospital detected the presence of COVID-19, while the second swab administered at the medical examiner’s office did not, according to Derevyanny.
IDPH sent the two nasopharyngeal swabs to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the medical examiner’s office also submitted “formalin fixed lung tissue” to the CDC on March 31.
On April 14, the CDC determined there were two coronaviruses present in the tissues submitted — human coronavirus NL-63 and COVID-19 — and that only coronavirus NL-63 was present on the nasopharyngeal swabs.
On April 16, the CDC requested additional laryngeal tissue samples. The medical examiner’s office sent both lung and laryngeal specimens to the CDC on April 20, and on June 5 the CDC informed the medical examiner’s office that there was molecular evidence of COVID-19 in the lungs but not the larynx, according to Derevyanny.
Based on test results and examination, the medical examiner’s office determined that both coronavirus NL-63 and COVID-19-induced viral pneumonia caused Myles’ death.
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rsobol@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--Man charged in 2019 Hammond bar shooting arrested in California; tips from Discovery Channel show le

Man charged in 2019 Hammond bar shooting arrested in California; tips from Discovery Channel show led to suspect

Detectives , after they ’ d determined Gillis might have been the driver , questioned the Charger ’ s owner @ @ @ @ @ Gillis had broken up eight or nine months ago .
She identified the car and @ @ @ @ @ the video , records said .
Gillis gave a video statement to the Hammond Police @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Corner with Todd , who he only knew as “ G , ” @ @ @ @ @ but didn ’ t know his name or phone number , records said .
He @ @ @ @ @ bit and was waiting for Todd to join him when he saw Todd arguing with @ @ @ @ @

A man charged in a 2019 fatal shooting outside a Hammond bar was arrested Tuesday in California after the case was featured on the Discovery Channel, police said.
Steven Maurice Todd, 32, was charged Nov. 27 with murder in the shooting death of Katelyn Golden, 26, in the Coach’s Corner bar parking lot, records show.
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Tips from the television show “In Pursuit with John Walsh” helped lead to his arrest in Yuba City, California, Hammond Police spokesman Lt. Steve Kellogg said. Todd gave “false information” when arrested, but was identified through fingerprints and tattoos, he said.
Charging documents allege Todd shot Golden in the neck on Nov. 24, 2019, after they got into a verbal confrontation as he was leaving the bar. Golden, who stepped out to smoke with a friend, felt Todd had bumped into them just outside the door as he was leaving, the friend later told police.
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Through surveillance cameras and witnesses, Hammond police pieced together that Kyum Sajad Gillis, then 32, also charged in the incident, drove a white Dodge Charger in which Todd escaped, court records say. Gillis was charged Dec. 6 with assisting a criminal, a level 5 felony. Todd’s criminal charges were unsealed in February.
Todd walked to the Charger — found to be registered to Gillis’ former girlfriend — and pulled a black semiautomatic handgun from his waistband as Golden continued to argue with him, records said. Todd got into the car, and Golden, who at that point was being restrained by another man, broke free of his grasp and headed toward the car, records said.
The Charger’s passenger window, where Todd was sitting, went up and down a couple times, and as Golden got up to the Charger, a shot was fired, according to the affidavit. Golden, who was bleeding and holding her neck, slowly backed away from the Charger, which then fled the area, records said.
Golden was pronounced dead around 1:26 a.m., records said.
Detectives, after they’d determined Gillis might have been the driver, questioned the Charger’s owner, who said she and Gillis had broken up eight or nine months ago. She identified the car and Gillis as the driver through the video, records said. Gillis gave a video statement to the Hammond Police that he went to Coach’s Corner with Todd, who he only knew as “G,” although they hung out, but didn’t know his name or phone number, records said. He left the bar after a bit and was waiting for Todd to join him when he saw Todd arguing with Golden, documents said.
Gillis, according to the affidavit, started backing out when he heard a “POW!” He said he just kept driving and when he asked Todd what happened, he wouldn’t answer, records said. Gillis said he dropped Todd — who he positively identified in photos police showed him — off in East Chicago and hasn’t spoken to him since, documents said.
Gillis and Bobby L. Smith, 40, a former semi-professional basketball player from East Chicago, were charged in an unrelated April 14 shooting also outside Coach’s Corner. Gillis was charged with two counts of attempted murder in that shooting and was out on bond.
Todd’s arrest Tuesday in California was a joint effort between Hammond Police, the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force, U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Fugitive Task Force, Yuba City Police’s Narcotics and Gang Task Force, Kellogg said.


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--Chicago announces $5M fund for people excluded from federal coronavirus relief act

Officials said the fund is expected to start paying out later this month .
People can apply through The Resurrection @ @ @ @ @ though the site did not yet have information on how or when that process would @ @

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks during a news conference at City Hall on May 22, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The city of Chicago on Wednesday unveiled a $5 million fund for residents who Mayor Lori Lightfoot said were excluded from the federal coronavirus relief legislation known as the CARES Act, including residents living in the country without legal authorization.
Eligible residents will get a one-time check of $1,000, Lightfoot said. The fund is a partnership among the city, the Open Society Foundations and The Resurrection Project, officials said.
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Officials said the fund is expected to start paying out later this month. People can apply through The Resurrection Project’s website, though the site did not yet have information on how or when that process would open.
“The money that the city of Chicago puts into our communities, we do that without regard to citizenship,” Lightfoot said.
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Lightfoot said the fund also is aimed at college students living in poverty and residents who recently left prison.
Lightfoot signed an executive order in April that she said will ensure Chicago immigrants living in the country without legal permission receive all city benefits, opportunities and services, though the rule essentially reiterated existing law.
As mayor, Lightfoot has made a point of supporting immigrant communities, personally handing out “know your rights” flyers last summer when President Donald Trump first announced large-scale U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.
But she’s also faced criticism from activists who want her to do more, including a rewrite of the Welcoming City Ordinance to eliminate certain loopholes.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--City inspector general criticizes Chicago police on records management in criminal and civil cases

One staffer told the Office of Inspector General Joseph Ferguson that to determine if an investigative file was complete , @ @ @ @ @ see if it seemed thick enough — and if it was too thin , they @ @ @ @ @ according to the report .

The Chicago Police Department’s records management policies are so haphazard that the department doesn’t even know which documents it possesses, hamstringing its ability to comply with subpoenas, the city’s watchdog agency found in a report released Wednesday.
The report from the Office of the Inspector General paints a picture of a sloppy department with outdated practices, where many records are not digitized and it is impossible for staffers to determine which paper records even exist.
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Such a scattershot system has real-life consequences for prosecutors, who need complete documentation to build a case; criminal defendants, who have a right to see evidence that may exonerate them; and for the city itself, which has been chastised in court for its failure to produce relevant documents in civil suits.
One staffer told the Office of Inspector General Joseph Ferguson that to determine if an investigative file was complete, they would simply look to see if it seemed thick enough — and if it was too thin, they would search digital records, according to the report.
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Last summer nearly three-quarters of requests sent to the CPD’s subpoena unit were never forwarded to other offices within CPD to find related records, the office said.
In August 2018, for example, the department received 98 subpoenas related to homicide investigations, but only 25 were forwarded to the bureau of detectives.
Ferguson’s office recommended the department streamline its records management system under a single unit, establish consistent procedures and find a way to identify both paper and electronic records that would be relevant to a document request.
In a statement Wednesday, a Chicago Police Department spokesman noted that the department had been taking steps to reform its records management policies even before the IG got involved, including adopting an electronic document tracking system for criminal cases.
“While the Department has either completed or taken substantial steps to address these recommendations, we know there remains more work to be done. That is why CPD is currently working to establish a Department-wide protocol for records production and management, as well as unit-specific standard operating procedures,” the statement read.
The complaints about inadequate record keeping are not new. The city’s former corporation counsel under ex-Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in 2016 his office was taking steps to better track documents in police misconduct cases, including reducing the Police Department’s role in collecting documents needed for litigation.
And the Police Department has a checkered history of keeping “street files” separate and hidden from the files it turns over to attorneys — opening it up to long-standing accusations of hiding evidence.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--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--2020-06-10--Storm drops more than 2 inches of rain in 30 minutes and golfball-sized hail that shattered a windsh

Storm drops more than 2 inches of rain in 30 minutes and golfball-sized hail that shattered a windshield as 70 mph winds uproot trees, down powerlines

“ We received a report of 2-inch diameter hail just west of the state line there by Dyer and that @ @ @ @ @ Also in that area , they got 2.13 inches of rain in 30 minutes , @ @ @ @ @ The hail report of 2 inches was windblown hail but the winds were probably near @ @ @ @ @ with the hail .
The storm was quite as intense at that point .
”

A strong line of thunderstorms whipped into Indiana Wednesday morning, clocking nearly 70 mph at the Gary airport and downing large trees, meteorologists said, but not before dropping golfball-sized hail and rain in Illinois.
By 11 a.m. meteorologist Ricky Castro said the National Weather Service was collecting storm and damage reports that were beginning to paint a picture of a much quicker version of the May 17 storms that led to widespread flooding. The small town of Dyer, Indiana, which abuts the Illinois border not far from Lynwood or Sauk Village, was particularly hard hit.
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“We received a report of 2-inch diameter hail just west of the state line there by Dyer and that hail shattered a windshield. Also in that area, they got 2.13 inches of rain in 30 minutes,” Castro said. “The hail report of 2 inches was windblown hail but the winds were probably near or over 60 mph along with the hail. The storm was quite as intense at that point.”
Gary Airport gusted to nearly 70 mph with these storms. Continue to take cover across southeast Cook County and Lake County, IN. #ILwx #INwx https://t.co/hSRKbZEkNW — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) June 10, 2020
In Illinois, there were downed powerlines in Kankakee County and closer to the Dyer area. Castro said there also were reports of some flash flooding from such intense rain in a short period, which he said is not common.
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“The May 17 widespread flash flooding, we had similar type rainfall rates of that particular event. That day I think the observer near Midway Airport had over an inch in 15 minutes,” he said. “It’s rare to get rainfall rates that high but I guess it’s been a little more common in recent years.”
The storm system came on the heels of remnants of Tropical Storm Cristobal which moved through the area Tuesday, according to the weather service. Forecasters there originally did not expect Wednesday’s winds — which came in concert with a line of storms that prompted severe weather warnings — to match, let alone surpass, Tuesday’s activity.
But by 8 a.m. its radar feed showed a strong line of storms taking aim at Southern Cook County and eastern Will County. A severe thunderstorm warning had been in effect until 9:30 a.m. for those areas, including Matteson, Olympia Fields, and Flossmoor, and Monee, it said. The same was true for portions of northwest Indiana, such as Hammond and Gary, which was among the hardest hit as the storm began to pass.
The weather service on Twitter said “heavy downpours and lightning are also expected,” but as the system developed and it began to drop hail on Illinois, the excessive wind speeds became the main factor in the damage that was reported.
“Multiple large trees ... were downed in the Dyer and Munster community areas of far northwest Indiana with the storms that passed through,” it said on Twitter with an image that shows an uprooted tree that looks to have stood at least 30 feet high.
Multiple large trees such as this were downed in the Dyer and Munster community areas of far northwest Indiana with the storms that passed through near 9 am CDT. #INwx https://t.co/UqJX5JkU9p — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) June 10, 2020
What was left of Cristobal Tuesday caused gusty winds of about 45 mph and forecasters originally said the system moving in behind it on Wednesday would not exceed that speed, but as the system closed in meteorologists first warned of 50 to 60 mph winds, then again revised the forecast to include the potential for 70 mph winds.
The advice from meteorologists was clear and simple: “Head indoors until these storms pass,” a weather service tweet advised.
As the system moved through, winds should begin to die down and the area should remain dry through the weekend. A cold front is headed toward the area and by Friday the nighttime low could be about 48 degrees. On Saturday, it’s possible the daytime high temperature won’t even break 70 degrees, according to the weather service.
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Visit the Tribune’s weather page for more information and check back for updates.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--1 arrested after man found shot to death in hallway of Old Town apartment building; man shot dead in

1 arrested after man found shot to death in hallway of Old Town apartment building; man shot dead in West Englewood

Officers responding to the building in the 1300 block of North Hudson Street around 2:10 a.m saw a man running @ @ @ @ @ brief foot chase , placed him in custody near the 1400 Block of North Cleveland @ @ @ @ @ media notifications .

Police at the scene of a homicide in the 6200 block of South Claremont Avenue in the West Englewood neighborhood, late Tuesday, June 9, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
One person was being questioned after a 32-year-old man has died after he was found with multiple gunshot wounds in the hallway of an Old Town apartment building early Wednesday, police said.
Officers responding to the building in the 1300 block of North Hudson Street around 2:10 a.m saw a man running away, and after a brief foot chase, placed him in custody near the 1400 Block of North Cleveland Avenue, according to police media notifications.
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That man was brought into for further investigation and a firearm was found and taken into evidence. Charges are pending according to police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli.
At least one other person was fatally shot in the city overnight.
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Around 9:30 p.m Tuesday, a man in his 30s was shot and killed in the West Englewood neighborhood, police said.
The man was walking near the 6200 Block of South Claremont Avenue when someone in a silver SUV drove up and fired shots, hitting the man in the back of the head, according to a police media notification.
He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition and later pronounced dead.
Information on the identities of the two men who were shot to death had not been released Wednesday morning by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--Watch live: Mayor Lori Lightfoot announces new cash assistance program for Chicago residents

Mayor Lori Lightfoot will join The Resurrection Project to announce a new cash assistance program for Chicago residents in a @ @ @ @ @ CDT .

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chicagotribune--2020-06-10--Woman killed when car crashes into South Side viaduct

The woman was traveling north on Cottage Grove Avenue just after 6:05 a.m. when she hit a viaduct and was @ @ @ @ @ 71st Street , according to a police media notification .
She was pronounced dead at @ @ @

A 33-year-old woman was killed when her vehicle crashed into a viaduct in the Chatham area Wednesday morning, police said.
The woman was traveling north on Cottage Grove Avenue just after 6:05 a.m. when she hit a viaduct and was thrown from her vehicle near 71st Street, according to a police media notification. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
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FATAL CRASH: 71st/Cottage Grove
A 33-year-old woman has died after crashing into the viaduct NB on Cottage Grove near 71st just after 6 a.m.
Cottage Grove is closed both ways at the viaduct for the investigation. pic.twitter.com/E45QBFvrNo — Sarah Jindra (@SarahJindra) June 10, 2020
Detectives were investigating the crash, according to police.


Off-duty officer dies


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--North Shore businesses, residents cautiously optimistic after reopening: ‘We’ll have to learn how to

North Shore businesses, residents cautiously optimistic after reopening: ‘We’ll have to learn how to live with this’

“ The comments people send in email or leave on the GoFundMe campaign speak to their feeling that they want @ @ @ @ @ re still here whenever life returns to something like normal , and that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ going this whole time , the idea that people are voting with their book-buying dollars @ @ @ @ @ other indie stores ) survive , ” Barrett wrote .

Karen Ann Cullotta, Kaitlin Edquist, Genevieve Bookwalter

Little Ricky's in downtown Winnetka, pictured on June 6, 2020, is among the village restaurants open for outdoor dining, which is now allowed during Phase 3 of the state's Restore Illinois plan. (Karen Ann Cullotta / Pioneer Press)
At first glance, the pair of teenage girls stopping for a smoothie at True Juice in Winnetka en route to the beach on a recent morning epitomized a typical, carefree summer day on the North Shore.
But in their knapsacks, tucked alongside their beach towels and sunscreen, were protective face masks that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have become as ubiquitous this summer as Birkenstocks and bikinis.
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“It obviously feels different, because people are wearing masks and social distancing, but it’s definitely getting better,” Izzy Bonagiudi, a Winnetka resident and rising sophomore at New Trier High School said.
Indeed, one week after shops and restaurants across the North Shore have reopened for outdoor dining and shopping, merchants and residents from Evanston, Glenview and other North Shore towns say the early days of Phase 3 of the state’s Restore Illinois have been both exciting and fraught with challenges.
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On Friday morning in downtown Wilmette, Pilar Cisneros was placing bright orange chairs and cafe tables outside her family’s restaurant, the Trendy Taco, at 1195 Wilmette Ave.
Pilar Cisneros, putting out tables and chairs on the sidewalk adjacent to her family's restaurant The Trendy Taco in downtown Wilmette, said business has been brisk since the start of Phase 3 of the state's Restore Illinois program, which allows restaurants to open for outdoor dining. (Karen Ann Cullotta / Pioneer Press)
“We were closed the first three weeks after COVID hit, because we were afraid it wasn’t worth opening for takeout,” Cisneros said.
But in April, the family-owned taqueria reopened for pickup and delivery, and now, has been serving patrons from an outdoor dining area on an adjacent public sidewalk, with additional tables available across the street on the lawn in front of the Wilmette Village Hall.
“We’ve been really busy from the first day of the reopening last week,” Cisneros said.
After reaching out to local business owners, officials in Wilmette decided against closing downtown streets for outdoor dining, and instead is seeking to expand outdoor dining along sidewalks throughout the downtown, in addition to offering picnic tables on the Village Hall green.
In addition to being supportive of retail shops and service providers, keeping streets open maintains access for each restaurant’s curbside pickup, officials said.
In Evanston, Nina Barrett, owner of Bookends and Beginnings independent bookstore, said she’s still only doing curbside pickup.
“Obviously, everyone is making their own call about when to let customers actually come in and browse, but we are taking a very cautious approach since we feel able to serve people’s needs fairly well by talking to them on the phone, taking internet orders and doing curbside,” Barrett wrote in an email.
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She said the most popular books right now are those about anti-racism, "which people have evidently now placed on their 'urgent reading’ lists” in light of current events.
A GoFundMe campaign for the beloved Evanston bookstore raised more than $48,000 and helped prevent layoffs, Barrett said.
“The comments people send in email or leave on the GoFundMe campaign speak to their feeling that they want to make sure we’re still here whenever life returns to something like normal, and that’s what’s kept us going this whole time, the idea that people are voting with their book-buying dollars to see us (and other indie stores) survive,” Barrett wrote.
Evanston Economic Development Manger Paul Zalmezak said the city’s businesses are adapting to the situation with unique solutions, depending on their needs.
Some restaurants have installed carry-out windows, while coffee shops have set up “walk-thrus” and online pre-ordering. Restaurants are applying for sidewalk cafes and other outside dining options, Zalmezak wrote in an email.
Meanwhile “retailers are considering setting up point of sale shields and curbside pickup services.”
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The City of Evanston and its partner, Lending for Evanston and Northwestern Development — a “student-run, microfinance organization,” according to the group’s website — have helped small local businesses with funding to pay rent and utilities, purchase inventory and cover other necessary expenditures, Zalmezak said.
“The next 90 days will be critical for our businesses,” Zalmezak said, as they “balance social distancing with revenue growth” and the “need to be cautious.”
Nearby Winnetka is also humming with shoppers and diners since last week’s reopening.
Last week, Winnetka Village President Chris Rintz issued a supplemental order to his Declaration of Emergency order, allowing outdoor dining at restaurants within the village, officials said in a statement.
“After the governor’s announcement that we would move into Phase 3, and that restaurants can open for outdoor dining, we moved quickly to make this possible from a legal and procedural standpoint,” Rintz said. “Village staff is working individually with each restaurant to assist them with what they need to safely and successfully reopen.”
Whitney Fitzgerald, the owner of True Juice, said her business has remained open for curbside pickup throughout the pandemic, but last week, customers wearing masks can once again step inside the cheery shop and place their order at the counter.
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“Everyone’s been cooped up for so long, and now, they’re all coming out and feeling more secure ... last week, we were so busy, which was a blessing,” Fitzgerald said.
As an essential business, Noah’s Ark Pet Supply at 831 Elm St. has been greeting customers throughout the pandemic, said store owner Angie DeMars, who on a recent morning, was overseeing a crew boarding up the store’s windows as a preventive measure.
DeMars, who decorated the wooden boards with rainbow-hued messages of support for the peaceful protesters who were expected to gather Saturday at nearby Dwyer Park, said she was nervous after seeing stores damaged in suburban Chicago amid the recent unrest.
“I’m a single woman, and with this pandemic, right now I’m just trying to save my business,” DeMars said.
“But this community and my customers have all been so supportive,” DeMars said. "We don’t say no to any request. It’s hard enough for retailers to survive because of internet sales, so I have my finger on the pulse of every single customer.
In Glenoce, the village board adopted a resolution earlier this month authorizing an auxiliary outdoor seating area program for village restaurants, which features a partial closure of the Village Court parking lot, potentially for the entire duration of the outdoor dining season, officials said in a statement.
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The plan will create an up to 15,500-square-foot outdoor dining area that can be used by any downtown restaurant by permit, and includes seating for dine-in or carry-out customers, as well as an option for restaurants to use overhead tents.
The Village Court lot will continue to provide some off-street parking for downtown business customers and will provide access to private parking areas that are connected to the north and south ends of the lot, officials said.
“The goal is to provide as much flexibility as possible for our businesses to operate,” Glencoe Village Manager Philip Kiraly said. “We took a fresh look at our programs and the only limits we placed upon ourselves were health and safety requirements. Our current environment isn’t business as usual, and we’re embracing that as an opportunity to innovate.”
Glencoe resident Jackie Blake, 81, said in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, her adult children were very protective of her health, urging her to stay home and avoid venturing out to stores and other public venues.
“My children are so protective, but I enjoy getting out and going to the store, and I wear my mask,” Blake said. “It’s just so great that everything is starting to reopen, but my children are always calling to say, ‘where are you?’”
For Evanston residents Vera Kemeny and Steven Walsh, sitting beneath the shade of a tree as they enjoyed their carryout breakfast from the Panera Bread in downtown Wilmette felt like “a celebration.”
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“I’ve been out walking throughout COVID, but this is the first time I’ve actually visited a restaurant, so it felt so special,” Kemeny said. “It still seem so unreal, but I’m not fearful, just very careful.”
Some businesses on the brink of reopening have experienced a rocky start as rumors and fears about looting spread throughout the suburbs following fallout in downtown Chicago over the weekend.
Valery Daniel Keller is a fourth generation operator of Daniel’s Jewelry in Glenview. The store opened Monday with new guidelines, including mask requirements, protective shields, customer appointments and limited store capacity.
As looting rumors spread throughout the day, however, Daniel Keller closed the store early, sent employees home and locked away much of the merchandise as a safety precaution.
She’s remained cautious since then, but she said the store was busy Friday, so she’s optimistic that customer traffic will increase and that the store will be able to get back to some sense of normalcy soon.
“People are ready to get their stuff done,” she said. “They’re ready to come back out, and you’ve got to start somewhere.”
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Also struggling amid the reopening are personal care services, including nail and hair salons. They’re seeing an influx of customers right now, some who have been pining for professional beauty care after attempting — and in some cases, failing — to DIY their own hair and nails. But new safety measures have affected the way they’re able to do business.
Northbrook nail salon owners Ula Ciszyk and Anna Dash said their respective salons have been hurt during what is normally the busier part of the year for the industry. Many of their suburban customers flee south for the winter, and generally people don’t get their nails done as often during fall and winter months, they said.
“It’s a totally different world right now, preventing the viruses and using all the new guidelines,” said Dash, owner of Zen Nail Spa.
In addition to frequently sanitizing, requiring masks and adding dividers at the stations, the salons have also had to stagger their customer appointments to allow more time in between to clean and maintain salon capacity.
This allows for fewer customers scheduled per day and less income, according to Ciszyk and Dash. They said they won’t be able to make up for the money they lost during busy spring months and that they’ve both received little to no financial aid during the hiatus.
“If I have five nail techs with me, each person is losing at least five customers during the day,” said Ciszyk, owner of Visage de Beaute. “It’s busy, but I’m not making as much as I used to.”
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Ciszyk said she’s nervous that more waves of the virus will hit and close her salon again, but she remains hopeful that people can continue to act with caution and that she can eventually return to normal levels of income.
“This is not going to just disappear,” she said. “We’ll have to learn how to live with this.”


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--Officials: 2 killed in separate falls onto Red, Green Line tracks, as man running from police disrup

Officials: 2 killed in separate falls onto Red, Green Line tracks, as man running from police disrupts Blue Line near O’Hare

Rosemont Police Superintendent Donald Stephens on Twitter included a post claiming the person was “ a runner from an auto @ @ @ @ @ that his agency , as well as Chicago and Illinois State police , all helped @ @ @ @ @ “ who fled the accident scene on foot.
” Bartoli said it wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ the crash had taken place .

Two people were killed in separate falls onto Chicago Red and Green line tracks Wednesday morning as a person running from police disrupted service on the Blue Line, according to officials.
Green Line trains were suspended between Garfield and Ashland/63rd after a person died on the tracks near the Halsted Street Station about 5:30 a.m. Firefighters responded to a call for a person on the tracks at W. 63rd and S. May streets and that person was dead when emergency workers arrived, said Chicago fire’s Deputy District Chief Curtis Hudson.
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Chicago police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli said the person who died was a woman.
On the Blue Line, there was no service between Jefferson Park and O’Hare International Airport and shuttle buses were being used for that portion of the route for about 90 minutes. Service was restored about 7:30 a.m. but delays continued.
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Person on CTA Tracks @ 5801 N River Rd (Blue Line) - Rosemont, secondary hold was released and service resumed. Male was on tracks was not found and fled via the cta tracks — Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) June 10, 2020
On the Green Line, there was no service between Garfield and Ashland and shuttle buses were in use there, as well, according to the CTA.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether anyone was injured in the Blue Line call but Hudson said a man who had been in an accident was running from police, who were giving chase. Later, fire officials posted on social media saying the call was at 5801 River Road in Rosemont.
Kellie Bartoli, a police spokeswoman, said in an email the person who ran across the tracks was detained by Rosemont Police. She did not have additional information about the call.
Rosemont Police Superintendent Donald Stephens on Twitter included a post claiming the person was “a runner from an auto accident,” and added that his agency, as well as Chicago and Illinois State police, all helped to search for the man “who fled the accident scene on foot.” Bartoli said it wasn’t immediately clear in which jurisdiction the crash had taken place.
The #Rosemont Public Safety Department, @Chicago_Police & @ILStatePolice are currently searching for a male suspect who fled the accident scene on foot. I will provide further updates. https://t.co/bxNsbz966p — Superintendent Donald Stephens III (@Supt_Stephens) June 10, 2020
Earlier, a man died on the Red Line tracks in the 500 block of North State Street, the CTA said. The man was sitting on the platform “before entering the track area, where he tripped and fell, striking the third rail,” according to a statement from Chicago police.
The man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he died. The medical examiner’s office had not released his name Wednesday morning.
Check back for updates.


chicagotribune--2020-06-10--Daywatch: No Lollapalooza this summer, the possibility of a second COVID-19 surge and a Chicago brew

Daywatch: No Lollapalooza this summer, the possibility of a second COVID-19 surge and a Chicago brewery for sale on Craigslist

After Illinois flattened the COVID-19 curve , the state began to reopen .
More people mingled .
Then the George @ @ @ @ @ widespread protests .
Along the way , health experts have worried how much these developments @ @ @ @ @ , leading to this key question : How will we know if — or when @ @ @ @ @ is occurring ?

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Good morning, Chicago. Here’s what you need to know about the continued George Floyd response and coronavirus pandemic. Sign up for our breaking news alerts to get the latest updates throughout the day.
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Brianna Zoran, 21, dances with Hunter Deturk's, 20, near the Perry's stage during the last day of the 2019 Lollapalooza music festival. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Summer is over in Chicago before it even began.
The city announced Tuesday it is canceling special events through Labor Day, including Lollapalooza, Taste of Chicago, the Air and Water Show and the Chicago Jazz Festival to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. The city had already announced the cancellation of its summer festivals devoted to gospel, blues and house music.
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Mayor Lori Lightfoot: Chicago’s coronavirus budget shortfall at least $700 million
Gov. J.B. Pritzker takes part in a march in Matteson on June 8, 2020, where hundreds demanded an end to racial inequality. (Mike Nolan / Daily Southtown)
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker defended himself Tuesday against Republican criticism that he was a social distancing hypocrite for appearing side by side with protesters at recent demonstrations.
"I’m not going to run away” from taking a stand at a historic inflection point involving race and law enforcement, the governor said.
Members of CORE, actor Sean Penn's charity, assist drivers arriving for coronavirus testing as CORE runs the coronavirus test site in the parking lot of Dr. Jorge Prieto Math and Science Academy in Chicago on May 18, 2020. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
After Illinois flattened the COVID-19 curve, the state began to reopen. More people mingled. Then the George Floyd killing in Minnesota spurred widespread protests. Along the way, health experts have worried how much these developments may help spread the virus, leading to this key question: How will we know if — or when — a second COVID-19 wave is occurring?
High school senior Shayla Turner marches during a rally against the Chicago Police Department's presence in Chicago Public Schools. She said she saw tear gas for the first time and was injured during a clash with police. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Students have been on the front lines of protests and cleanup efforts in neighborhoods devastated by looting and destruction. Young activists in Chicago have long advocated for more resources and fewer police officers in their schools, and many say Floyd’s death compelled them to take to the streets and make their voices heard.
Brewer Byron Moore walks on the production floor of Argus Brewery. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)
In addition to missed connections, used cars and concert tickets (RIP), Craigslist has a particularly unique offering at the moment: a Chicago brewery. Argus Brewery, which quietly stopped operating on Chicago’s far South Side in late March, is available on the people’s internet marketplace for $2.5 million.


chicagotribune--2020-06-09--The latest from editorial cartoonist Scott Stantis


chicagotribune--2020-06-11--Chicago infant who tested positive for coronavirus in March confirmed to have died of virus-related


chicagotribune--2020-06-11--Chicago police pursuits again under scrutiny after cop car speeds through intersection, killing driv

Chicago police pursuits again under scrutiny after cop car speeds through intersection, killing driver of SUV

On June 1 , police cameras captured an occupant of a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo firing shots at a @ @ @ @ @ of South State Street on the Far South Side , prompting Calumet District officers to @ @ @ @ @ the vehicle , the proffer said .
But it was not clear in the proffer @ @ @ @ @ video was identified as the same vehicle that led police on the chase , or @ @ @ @ @ the shooter .

An officer walks by three vehicles, including a Chicago police squad car, that were damaged while police pursued a homicide suspect on June 3, 2020, near the intersection of North Ashland Avenue and Irving Park Road. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago’s civilian police oversight agency is investigating a high-speed police chase earlier this month that resulted in the death of a 37-year-old woman and put such dangerous pursuits back under scrutiny.
Chicago and Illinois State Police officers were involved in a two-hour chase June 3 that wove through the city from the Far South Side to the Northwest Side, ending after a police vehicle crashed into an uninvolved SUV, killing the driver, Guadeloupe Francisco-Martinez. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is now investigating the incident, Chicago police said Wednesday.
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Amid criticism surrounding chases that have resulted in injury or death, the Chicago Police Department revised its pursuit policy just last year, mandating for officers a balancing test that calls for them to evaluate whether the need to apprehend a fleeing suspect outweighs the “inherent danger created by a motor vehicle pursuit.”
City and department officials have not said why officers initiated the latest fatal chase.
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A person is detained at the scene where a car crashed after being pursed by police throughout the city near the 900 block of West Pershing Road on June 3, 2020, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
The new CPD directives say officers cannot initiate a pursuit on the grounds of a nonhazardous traffic offense. And they are not to continue to pursue vehicles when a suspect disregards traffic signals or signs, or engages in another hazardous violation. Auto thefts themselves are not enough for officers to continue a chase if the suspect disregards traffic signals, according to the guidelines.
Representatives of the Police Department and the mayor’s office declined to answer questions from the Tribune about the circumstances surrounding the chase that killed Francisco-Martinez. Police spokesman Luis Agostini declined to comment, citing the pending criminal charges against the driver police pursued and the investigation by COPA.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office released a statement Wednesday saying the city is working with the Police Department on a revised pursuit policy.
Marcel Oliver, 22, is charged with first-degree murder, vehicular hijacking, possession of a stolen motor vehicle, and other charges in connection with the chase and crash. The murder charge is related to the death of Francisco-Martinez under the theory of accountability, as Oliver himself did not crash into her SUV.
But the criminal case so far has only added to the questions surrounding the chase, as the only charge stemming from Oliver’s alleged conduct before the crash is the possession of a stolen vehicle, which is not serious enough to continue a pursuit in some cases, according to CPD’s directive.
A judge set bail at $1 million for Oliver, who remains hospitalized.
According to a proffer in the case from the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo was stolen from a dealership at 6941 S. Western Ave. on the Southwest Side between May 30 and June 1, among about 40 vehicles stolen from the lot at the time.
On June 1, police cameras captured an occupant of a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo firing shots at a home in the 10400 block of South State Street on the Far South Side, prompting Calumet District officers to put out a warning about the vehicle, the proffer said. But it was not clear in the proffer whether the Jeep in the video was identified as the same vehicle that led police on the chase, or whether Oliver was identified as the shooter.
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A day later, an officer observed a similar Jeep and tried to curb the vehicle, but it sped away, the proffer said.
On June 3 around 2 p.m., officers saw the Jeep around 108th and State streets and pursued it for about seven minutes before ending the chase, the proffer said.
Later, around 8 p.m., officers saw the vehicle around 115th and Halsted streets, and initiated the chase that involved “dozens of beats and hundreds of (police officers,)” according to the proffer.
The Jeep sped through the city, sometimes reaching speeds of 100 mph.
Around 9:50 p.m., the Jeep exited the Kennedy Expressway at Irving Park Road and hit at least two cars.
According to the department’s pursuit rules, officers are prohibited from continuing a pursuit if either vehicle is involved in an accident in which there is a “probability of personal injury.”
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The proffer alleges that Oliver ran to a nearby Mobil Gas station and hijacked a 2016 Nissan Rogue before speeding away.
Oliver then fled east on Irving Park Road in the Nissan Rogue, the proffer alleges. Just before 10 p.m., the vehicle ran a red light at Ashland Avenue.
Francisco-Martinez was traveling north on Ashland, coming home from work after stopping to pick up a pizza for her daughter, the proffer said. Her vehicle was about a third of the way through the intersection when the CPD squad car chasing the Nissan entered the intersection and crashed into her vehicle. Oliver was arrested later miles away following a foot chase.
mabuckley@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-11--Clean cars, fewer mystery spills, and plenty of open seats greet riders as they slowly return to mas

Clean cars, fewer mystery spills, and plenty of open seats greet riders as they slowly return to mass transit

Mendez also has been riding the train regularly , first to his janitor job at a hospital and then on @ @ @ @ @ laid off .
He noted that while the trains are mostly empty , buses are @ @ @ @ @ attributed to the CTA ’ s practice during the pandemic of rear-door boarding .
Since @ @ @ @ @ have a Ventra reader at the rear door , the practice has meant free rides @

A person rides the Metra Electric District line, May 11, 2021, in Chicago. With some coronavirus pandemic restrictions lifted, some people may be returning to public transit. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Riders slowly are trickling back onto the Chicago area’s public transit systems, and so far at least, they’re pleased with what they’re finding.
Passengers on sparsely populated CTA and Metra trains say they find the interiors mostly clean and the riders mostly masked. It’s usually possible to keep at least 6 feet from other passengers, although buses tend to be more crowded, passengers and agency officials report.
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A Tribune reporter riding CTA Blue Line and Metra Union Pacific Northwest trains found them noticeably cleaner than in pre-coronavirus days. One welcome discovery: It was easy to find an open CTA seat that didn’t have some kind of mystery spill.
Still, some of the same rule-breaking behaviors on mass transit that have long irritated riders persist. An unmasked man smoking on a CTA car made conditions unpleasant until it was possible to switch cars at the next station.
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Jose Cruz, a United Airlines ground worker, has been commuting on the Blue Line from his Logan Square home to O’Hare International Airport throughout the pandemic and feels that it has been, and continues to be, safe.
“People are behaving — they’re wearing masks, they’re keeping their distance,” said Cruz, 49, speaking through a blue mask.
A passenger sits on the METRA Electric line in Chicago on June 10, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
A sign is posted on a Brown Line train to remind riders to wear a mask on June 9, 2020, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
It may be some time, though, before the “mass” aptly describes mass transit.
Transportation experts say it could be months or even years before ridership returns to pre-pandemic levels, with some commuters choosing to drive or bike, while others may continue to telecommute after companies return to offices.
“This is going to be a slow, gradual process, I believe,” South Shore Line President and General Manager Michael Noland said.
Daily ridership on Metra tumbled about 97% at the start of the pandemic, but it’s starting to slowly come back and is now 95% below normal levels, said Metra spokeswoman Meg Thomas-Reile. Other transit agencies, including CTA and Pace, report a gradual uptick in passenger traffic.
On the South Shore Line, which travels between downtown and Northwest Indiana, ridership has inched up from about 5% of normal ridership at the start of the stay-at-home order to 10%, Noland said.
The CTA has maintained full service during the pandemic, while Metra, the South Shore Line and Pace are running with reduced weekday service.
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Several riders said the CTA’s decision to maintain full service has meant that train cars are emptier, making social distancing easier to practice.
A couple holds hands while waiting for a train at the CTA subway station at State and Jackson in the Loop on June 9, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
“I think it’s smart,” said Luis Mendez, 45, of Logan Square, of the CTA keeping full service.
Mendez also has been riding the train regularly, first to his janitor job at a hospital and then on job searches after he was laid off. He noted that while the trains are mostly empty, buses are often crowded, which he attributed to the CTA’s practice during the pandemic of rear-door boarding. Since most CTA buses do not have a Ventra reader at the rear door, the practice has meant free rides.
Some CTA riders, like Raymie Pyatt, 42, said they’ve seen an increase in homeless riders during the pandemic, a trend that also has been noticed by advocates for the homeless. But Pyatt said he will continue to commute by train.
Kathy Kramer, 48, of Mount Prospect, has continued to use Metra to commute to her hospital job in Chicago during the pandemic. She said she has seen ridership on a single car grow over time from as little as two to 10 during the afternoons.
“Metra has handled it well,” Kramer said. “There’s enough trains available to allow you to spread out.” She said friends say they are anxious to get back on the train and return to normal commuting.
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The CTA, Metra, Pace and South Shore Line have promised riders that they are keeping trains and buses clean, with the CTA testing antimicrobial surface coating and considering using ultraviolet light to help disinfect equipment. All four agencies have lost millions of dollars in fares and local sales tax revenue during the pandemic, and are receiving financial assistance through the federal coronavirus relief package.
To help prevent crowding on buses, CTA officials during a board meeting Wednesday said the agency is building a new ridership information dashboard for its website to provide information by hour and by bus route.
“This will help our customers determine when is the best time to ride,” said CTA chief innovation officer Molly Poppe.
mwisniewski@chicagotribune.com