chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Column: Trump defends Kenosha shooter charged with homicide as Biden decries violence ‘on the left o

Column: Trump defends Kenosha shooter charged with homicide as Biden decries violence ‘on the left or the right’

In the immediate wake of the murder in Portland , Biden released a statement that read in part : “ @ @ @ @ @ overnight in Portland is unacceptable .
Shooting in the streets of a great American city @ @ @ @ @ this violence unequivocally .
I condemn violence of every kind by any one , whether @ @ @ @ @ right .
And I challenge Donald Trump to do the same .
It does not @ @ @ @ @ political views of your opponents abhorrent , any loss of life is a tragedy .
@

After weeks of patently false claims that Joe Biden hasn’t condemned violence and looting stemming from protests across the country, President Donald Trump on Monday refused to condemn the 17-year-old Illinoisan charged with shooting and killing two protesters in Kenosha.
“We’re looking at all of it,” Trump said. “That was an interesting situation.”
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That “interesting situation” involve an assault-style-rifle-toting teen named Kyle Rittenhouse, a Trump supporter, who allegedly shot three protesters, killing two. He is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide and several other counts.
Trump continued: “You saw the same tape as I saw. And he was trying to get away from them. I guess it looks like he fell and then they very violently attacked him.”
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The president neglected to note that Rittenhouse was being chased after he had already shot someone.
We’ve come to expect this from Trump, who has an unbroken streak of not speaking ill of white people who support him (or Russian presidents who support him).
Earlier in the day, Biden gave a speech in Pittsburgh that posed a question many honest Americans are asking: “Does anyone believe that there’d be less violence in America if Trump was reelected?”
That question follows a weekend in which a Trump-supporting man associated with a far-right group called Patriot Prayers was shot dead on the street in Portland. It was a ghastly crime, as inexcusable as the double homicide in Kenosha that left a third protester injured.
But look at Biden’s response and Trump’s response and ask yourself which person is more likely to calm the waters.
In the immediate wake of the murder in Portland, Biden released a statement that read in part: “The deadly violence we saw overnight in Portland is unacceptable. Shooting in the streets of a great American city is unacceptable. I condemn this violence unequivocally. I condemn violence of every kind by any one, whether on the left or the right. And I challenge Donald Trump to do the same. It does not matter if you find the political views of your opponents abhorrent, any loss of life is a tragedy.”
In his Monday speech, Biden said: “Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting. None of this is protesting. It’s lawlessness — plain and simple. And those who do it should be prosecuted.”
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On Aug. 26, Biden condemned the rioting and looting that happened in Kenosha after the police shooting of Jacob Blake: “Protesting brutality is a right and absolutely necessary, but burning down communities is not protest, it’s needless violence, violence that endangers lives, violence that guts businesses and shutters businesses that serve the community. That’s wrong.”
In a speech on June 2, Biden spoke about violence in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd: “But there is no place for violence. No place for looting or destroying property or burning churches, or destroying businesses — many of them built by people of color who for the first time were beginning to realize their dreams and build wealth for their families. … We need to distinguish between legitimate peaceful protest — and opportunistic violent destruction.”
So how about Trump’s reaction to the weekend murder in Portland?
The Washington Post detailed Trump’s Sunday response like this: “Starting before 6 a.m., Trump let loose a barrage of nearly 90 tweets and retweets touting his chances for reelection, attacking Democratic state and local officials over ongoing protests, and defending aggressive actions by his supporters in Portland, who appeared to be firing paintballs and pepper spray at people from pickup trucks as they drove through city streets on Saturday night.”
The president (of the previously United States of America) retweeted, without any context, a video that showed a Black man assaulting a white woman on a subway platform in New York City. The tweet blamed the incident on “Black Lives Matter /Antifa,” though the attack happened in 2019 and involved a serial offender who had no connection to Black Lives Matter or antifa. And the tweet the president shared came from a well-known white nationalist conspiracy theorist.
On Twitter that same day, the president referred to Black Lives Matters protesters as “agitators and thugs.” But it was all praise for the caravan of Trump supporters that descended on Portland, which included members of violent far-right groups like the Proud Boys. They drove huge trucks and waved Trump flags while shooting paintballs and spraying mace at protesters. Trump hailed them as “GREAT PATRIOTS!”
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Most telling of all, of course, was the president’s defense of Rittenhouse. It’s notable this president only plays defense attorney when there’s a violent offender who supports him. Fine people on both sides, and all that.
The bottom line is this: President Trump blaming civil unrest in America on not-president Biden is one part time travel, one part authoritarian projection. But Trump’s tough-guy claim that he alone can end civil unrest is like a fox with a mouthful of feathers saying he alone can protect the henhouse.
Outgoing White House dishonesty spewer Kellyanne Conway said the quiet part out loud recently: “The more chaos and anarchy and vandalism and violence reigns, the better it is for the very clear choice on who’s best on public safety and law and order.”
Take that, and then take these words from Biden’s statement after this weekend’s violence: “The job of a President is to lower the temperature. To bring people who disagree with one another together. To make life better for all Americans, not just those who agree with us, support us, or vote for us.”
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Who do you think is more likely to bring calm? The one ginning up fear, retweeting racist videos and propping up pro-Trump caravans like they’re mobile Reichstag fires? Or the one who has consistently condemned violence and destruction, regardless of which side was responsible?
rhuppke@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Citing ’catastrophic collapse’ of economy, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says Chicago faces $1.2 billion shor

Citing ’catastrophic collapse’ of economy, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says Chicago faces $1.2 billion shortfall in 2021 ’pandemic budget’

“ I ’ m confident that when the time is right we will be able to put together a package @ @ @ @ @ to make sure that we have the kind of entertainment district that will not only @ @ @ @ @ that we were able to get passed in Springfield , but to create a lot @ @ @ @ @ jobs , well-paying jobs , to make sure that we bring opportunity to our city @ @ @ @ @ ” Lightfoot said .

Citing the “catastrophic collapse of our local and national economy” because of COVID-19 and damage to local businesses from civil unrest, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday laid out a $1.2 billion shortfall for what she called Chicago’s “pandemic budget” in 2021.
Filling the historic deficit will likely require personnel cuts and could lead to layoffs, and the mayor promised to use a TIF surplus and consider a computer lease tax as other potential measures. Lightfoot made no mention of a possible property tax hike in her remarks.
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Asked afterward for specifics about cuts or taxes, Lightfoot said that “all options are on the table,” though property taxes and job cuts are at the back of her list.
“The reality is that life will be different for the foreseeable future, impacting how services are provided and how departments are structured, and we must adjust to meet that reality,” Lightfoot said in an afternoon speech at the Cultural Center.
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[ Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here's the latest on the pandemic in the Chicago area ]
“A very difficult part of reimagining government will also include looking to our workforce, and making needed changes in places that are not being fully utilized during the remainder of this crisis and in our post-COVID-19 world,” she said.
Lightfoot largely avoided discussion about the city’s rising pension costs, aside from calling for state lawmakers to work together and solve the problem. But alluding to the issue, Lightfoot pushed back against Republican critics who say the federal government shouldn’t help blue cities and states such as Chicago and Illinois because their budget woes are “a result of years of mismanagement.”
“In other words, our own darn fault,” Lightfoot said. “Simply not true. COVID-19′s estimated impact on revenue loss for 2021 totals no less than $783 million, or 65% of our total estimated gap. So, the vast majority of our gap for next year is because of revenue loss due to COVID-19.”
Roughly $400 million of the shortfall stems from a ramp up in payments toward the city’s long-underfunded employee pension accounts.
The ongoing coronavirus crisis has also spiked the 2020 budget shortfall to nearly $800 million, Lightfoot said. She said that deficit would be filled using relief funds and other unspecified aid from the federal government, in addition to debt refinancing, and borrowing.
Chicago’s total budget last year was about $11.65 billion.
In laying out the 2021 shortfall, Lightfoot cited dire numbers — more than 900,000 Chicago-area residents filed for unemployment since the start of the pandemic, while personal services, hospitality and tourism industries “are still seeing a fraction of their typical revenues and some businesses have sadly closed with no hope of coming back.”
[ Jobless workers could get an extra $300 a week in benefits. Pritzker says Illinois is applying for Trump’s benefits program. ]
She also pledged to rely on old tactics to fill the deficit, such as closing unfilled job vacancies.
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As she has since her 2019 election, Lightfoot pointed to Chicago’s newly minted casino license as an important element in restoring the health of city finances.
Her administration last week issued a request for information from perspective operators. Though it could be years before the “world class entertainment district” with a giant gambling parlor the mayor envisions is up and running, Lightfoot said Chicago will be uniquely positioned to profit from such a project.
“I’m confident that when the time is right we will be able to put together a package of revenue and other incentives to make sure that we have the kind of entertainment district that will not only be true to the legislation that we were able to get passed in Springfield, but to create a lot of jobs that are good jobs, well-paying jobs, to make sure that we bring opportunity to our city and to our residents,” Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot also tried to thread the political needle on police funding. Chicago needs to greatly reduce police overtime spending, and find a way to lower the massive annual outlay the city makes to settle lawsuits against officers for misconduct, she said in her speech.
But the mayor said defunding the police, a popular proposal among some progressive groups, is not the answer. And she said she doesn’t believe most Chicagoans favor such a drastic move, especially when laying off officers would likely hurt the department’s diversity.
She did suggest police officers shouldn’t be the first ones to respond to many of the crises they are called to, without elaborating on how the city would staff or pay for alternative responses.
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“For me, the crux of this discussion around public safety funding is answering the threshold question of who is the best responder to address a community’s call for help,” Lightfoot said. “For far too long, we have reflexively answered ‘the police,’ while defunding needed social services. But the truth is that by virtue of our neglect of communities, police officers are responding to calls for help that go far beyond their training and expertise.”
Lightfoot’s administration will host virtual town halls each night this week to get residents’ ideas on how to deal with the situation.
[ McCormick Place loses its largest 2021 convention so far as coronavirus cancellations creep into next year ]
The bad news has seemed inevitable for months, as tax receipts plummeted with large parts of the economy shut down and spending in Chicago by tourists and conventioneers cratered throughout the summer because of the pandemic.
Lightfoot announced in June that the crisis had already blown a $700 million hole in this year’s spending plan.
The mayor says she has tried to make Chicago the “most open big city in America” by allowing limited indoor dining, letting gyms reopen and taking other steps to boost the city’s bottom line in recent months. But spending on those kinds of amenities remains just a fraction of what it was prior to COVID-19.
And even before the pandemic hit and decimated many of the city’s most important revenue streams, Lightfoot figured to be faced with an ugly 2021 financial outlook.
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After announcing in a televised prime time August 2019 speech that Mayor Rahm Emanuel had saddled her with an $838 million deficit for 2020, Lightfoot said that she dealt with it by making structural changes such as cutting government costs through so-called zero-based budgeting and eliminating vacant positions.
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The mayor also turned to several one-time fixes to close the gap rather than calling for large-scale revenue increases such as property tax hikes that would have hit broad swaths of Chicagoans and been politically difficult for the mayor.
Many aldermen were happy there was no big property tax jump for 2020, and passed her package 39-11. But some of them wondered privately why she didn’t leverage her popularity coming off her election win to ram through a hike then rather than waiting until later in her term.
It will be much harder to point to her predecessor if she turns to property taxes this time, though she would certainly point to the unprecedented nature of the virus to justify such a move.
Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation budget watchdog group, said that property tax revenue in Chicago is tied up to such a large extent in pension obligations that another tax hike wouldn’t do the trick. Msall said that without federal financial help, Lightfoot will probably need to look at large-scale government restructuring such as layoffs or furloughs.
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“The notion that you would try to tax your way out of an economic crisis of this magnitude defies most economic analysis,” Msall said. “So let’s make sure that not just Chicago or Illinois, but every large municipality in the country realizes that in order to have a full economic recovery, we need basic services, and that means federal help.”
Northwest Side Ald. Nick Sposato, 38th, said he would prefer to see city workers take small across-the-board pay cuts, “maybe 2% or 3%, say,” than to have the administration resort to layoffs.
“I don’t know if that gets you where you need to be or not, but cuts are better than layoffs, in my opinion,” he said.
Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, Lightfoot’s City Council floor leader and chairman of the council on Economic, Capital and Technology Development, said he would seek input from tech companies about how to save money by delivering services more efficiently.
Asked whether that means layoffs, Villegas said “Everything has to be on the table.”
Union leaders need to be involved in frank talk about the future of the city’s workforce, Villegas said. “We have to have some very candid conversations with one another,” he said.
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As for the possibility of a property tax hike, Villegas said he’s not sure aldermen will go for it.
“People are hurting all over the city, so that has to be the absolute last resort,” he said. “And then, more importantly, you need the votes. We need to see whether members of the council have the appetite for that.”
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
gpratt@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Former Portage official owes city $16K: Indiana Attorney General’s office

“ The State ’ s claims arise from Defendant Christopher Stidham ’ s systematic violations of his position of trust @ @ @ @ @ of public funds… and other improper conduct inconsistent with the proper performance of the duties @ @ @ @ @ the Public , ” the civil suit notes , adding the special audit disclosed that @ @ @ @ @ unlawfully expanded , obtained by fraud or in an unlawful manner , or wrongfully withheld @ @ @ @ @ ”

The Indiana Attorney General’s Office is seeking the repayment of more than $16,000 in public funds to the city of Portage from former Clerk-Treasurer Christopher Stidham.
Stidham allegedly diverted $8,000 in city funds, according to a state audit released in late February, the same day he was charged in Porter Circuit Court with official misconduct, a Level 6 felony.
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The state, on behalf of the city of Portage, is seeking three times the amount of the actual loss, which is $24,000, plus court costs and attorney’s fees, according to a civil complaint filed Aug. 26.
The complaint notes that a surety bond for Stidham paid the principal amount of actual damages as well as the cost of the audit by the State Board of Accounts of $6,564.55, leaving the amount to be recovered at up to $16,000, not including court costs and attorney’s fees.
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“I would hope the city could at least recoup their losses,” said Portage Mayor Sue Lynch, who declined further comment because she had not seen the complaint.
Stidham, 37, of the 2900 block of Wingstem Drive, is scheduled to appear before Porter Circuit Court Judge Mary DeBoer at 1 p.m. Tuesday for an initial hearing on the criminal charge. That hearing, scheduled for March 17, was pushed back initially because Stanley Levco, the special prosecutor in the case, had a scheduling conflict, and was reset again because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stidham is listed as representing himself in the civil complaint, according to online court records. Neither Stidham nor his attorney in the criminal matter, Paul Stracci, returned a request for comment.
Stidham, a Democrat and local attorney, finished his second term as clerk-treasurer at the end of 2019. He ran unsuccessfully against Lynch in the spring primary that year for a spot on the general election ballot as a mayoral candidate. If Stidham were to be convicted on the felony charge, he would automatically lose his law license, per state statute.
The criminal charge regards the same time period as the special audit conducted by the State Board of Accounts, which is Jan. 1, 2015 through Dec. 31, 2016, when, according to the audit, Stidham was paying his then-girlfriend’s various businesses to perform bookkeeping services on contract with his office.
The total, according to the audit, was $58,416.16 for the two years in question.
The audit revealed a slew of problems, including paying his then-girlfriend, Rachel Glass, whom he later married, for bookkeeping services that were never done and not submitting invoices for her businesses to the Board of Works.
The audit called on Stidham to reimburse the city for $8,000 “for disbursing funds without authority and for services not rendered” and requested that Stidham reimburse the state for the cost of the special investigation.
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“The State’s claims arise from Defendant Christopher Stidham’s systematic violations of his position of trust through the misappropriation and diversion of public funds… and other improper conduct inconsistent with the proper performance of the duties owed to the State and the Public,” the civil suit notes, adding the special audit disclosed that “public money had been unlawfully expanded, obtained by fraud or in an unlawful manner, or wrongfully withheld from the public treasury.”
The complaint also notes that, according to the audit report, Stidham “intentionally and knowingly” failed to obtain proper approvals for payments made for bank reconcilements and other services; made payments to a related party for unverified services not received by the city; and diverted public funds.
The investigation into Stidham involved unapproved payments made by Stidham’s office in 2015 and 2016 to Glass, who operated, at different times, three businesses that reportedly provided bookkeeping services on contract to the clerk-treasurer’s office: Keeping the Books; E.R.G. Advisors; and Paramount Technology Solutions.
The work by Glass continued until shortly before she and Stidham married.
According to the audit, there were no written contracts for the work done by Rachel Glass Stidham’s firms; the Board of Works minutes didn’t reflect approval of contracts with them; the invoices weren’t submitted to the board for approval; and the city did not properly file tax forms with the IRS for her businesses.
The genesis for the special investigation began in late June 2019 when then-Mayor John Cannon announced a committee’s findings “that predicted a ‘sufficient likelihood’ of unlawful conduct warranting further investigation by law enforcement and other officials.”
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Cannon, who called on Stidham to resign, said at the time that he appointed a bipartisan executive committee in April of that year to investigate possible wrongdoing in the clerk-treasurer’s office.
That report was later turned over to the State Board of Accounts and Indiana State Police, agencies that went on to conduct their own investigation.
Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Kenosha leaders uneasy with Trump visit, but say they aim to ensure safety

“ Kenosha is a strong community and we were going to come back regardless , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ happen in Kenosha County .
… For someone to say we wouldn ’ t exist @ @ @ @ @ when I believe it to be false because I know things , too , I @ @ @ @ @ what I believe the answer is , and that ’ s false .
”

Patrick M.  O'Connell, John Keilman, Genevieve Bookwalter

Madison Taft and Black Lives Matter activists march through a Kenosha neighborhood Jan. 5, 2021, after news that no charges will be issued against the Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
KENOSHA — Local leaders in Kenosha on Monday displayed their uneasiness with President Donald Trump’s planned trip to their town but said they will do all they can to ensure a problem-free visit.
“The president is going to be, hopefully, quite safe here,” Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said at a news conference. “That’s our goal.”
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The White House has said Trump plans to meet with local leaders Tuesday and view some of the destruction inflicted over three nights following the Aug. 23 police shooting that left Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, paralyzed. Though Mayor John Antaramian and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers have asked Trump not to come, the president has ignored the requests.
Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian at a news conference in Kenosha on Aug, 31, 2020. He has asked President Donald Trump not to come to the city. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
“I will see you on Tuesday!” he tweeted Monday morning.
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Trump also took credit for calming the riots in his tweet, saying: “If I didn’t INSIST on having the National Guard activate and go into Kenosha, Wisconsin, there would be no Kenosha right now.”
Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser said that was untrue.
“Kenosha is a strong community and we were going to come back regardless,” he said. “Every day, great things happen in Kenosha County. … For someone to say we wouldn’t exist but for their action, when I believe it to be false because I know things, too, I just have to tell you what I believe the answer is, and that’s false.”
Paul Knapp, adjutant general of the Wisconsin National Guard, declined to comment on Trump’s tweet but said activation decisions are done at the state level.
The White House said Trump’s visit will not include a sit-down with Blake’s family. Blake’s uncle, Justin Blake, said neither he nor Blake’s father are interested in a meeting, citing “all the stuff that (Trump) has done ... to empower white supremacists around the nation and the world.”
At a White House press briefing Monday, Trump did appear to defend Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old from Antioch who has been charged with murder and other offenses after allegedly shooting two protesters to death in Kenosha and wounding another, saying Rittenhouse was “in very big trouble” and “probably would have been killed” during the confrontation.
Prosecutors said two of the protesters were shot while Rittenhouse, who had a rifle, was being chased following an earlier shooting.
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As the city plans for Trump’s visit, Kenosha police provided new details about arrests that took place during the unrest.
Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser at a news conference about President Donald Trump's scheduled visit to Kenosha at the Kenosha County Public Safety Building on Aug, 31, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Beth said of the 205 people arrested, 114 have addresses outside of Kenosha, including 44 other cities. They face charges that include carrying concealed weapons, burglary and drug possession.
Beth said a “carload” of people even came from northern Wisconsin with the intent of killing the sheriff.
“Unfortunately, the person wasn’t very smart, had an ankle bracelet on, and we were able to intercept him as he was coming into Kenosha,” he said. “And they had guns.”
He and Antaramian said the city has also been hit with a flurry of misinformation, as social media posts claim people are coming to Kenosha and nearby towns to continue the looting and arson. By the time law enforcement researches the claims and proves them false, they said, the rumors have already spread widely, terrifying residents.
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“To me, it’s one of the most aggravating things that can happen,” Antaramian said. “People are trying to instigate a problem. … Hopefully as time goes on we can track down some of those folks and they will be dealt with according to the law.”
The mayor said he asked the White House to schedule Trump’s visit at a different time, but did not receive a response.
“There are so many things that have gone on in this community, and it just seemed to me, and I think others, that it would be better for us to be able to pull together, let the community get together and actually heal up … and start dealing with the concerns we have that need to be addressed,” he said. “So it would have been nice if (he) had waiting for a little longer down the road, but it is what it is.”
Not everyone agrees with that sentiment. On Sunday, seven Kenosha County Board supervisors wrote to Trump and urged him to carry on with his visit.
“Kenoshans are hurting and looking for leadership, and your leadership in this time of crisis is greatly appreciated by those devastated by the violence in Kenosha,” the letter said.
There were few indications of the impending presidential visit in the city yesterday afternoon, save for signs banning parking on streets close to downtown.
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Residents sign petitions to recall Wisconsin Gov. Tim Evers and Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes in downtown Kenosha on Aug, 31, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Farther west, at the corner of 35th Avenue and 52nd Street, a bustling thoroughfare that connects downtown with Interstate 94, a giant “Biden” sign adorned one front yard. Down the block, Amanda Jones sat on her front porch, enjoying the late summer sun.
Jones said it was “a good thing” the president was visiting, but that he was too late.
“Why did it have to take all of this to come?” said Jones, 64, who has lived in Kenosha for 40 years. “I don’t think it’s going to help. It’s too far gone.”
Near the city’s harbor, a small group of people set up a table and collected signatures in an effort to recall Evers. One young man sported a Trump baseball cap.
“I’m excited that he’s coming here,” said Merrie Smith, a Kenosha resident at the anti-Evers event.
She said she supports Trump (aside from his Twitter posts) and approves of his performance in the White House, especially on the economy. Asked if she would like to see the president when he comes to Kenosha, Smith said, “I’m going to try.”
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Others weren’t as enthusiastic.
“I just rolled my eyes,” said Shad, the manager at S.J. Crystal’s Menswear, who declined to provide his last name. “We don’t need that right now. Tomorrow is not the day to come here.”
Shad, the manager/buyer at S.J. Crystal's Menswear in Kenosha on Aug, 31, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Shad said his objection was more about the timing than the president himself. The downtown clothing store reopened Monday after it was forced to close for a week; the manager said he was worried the president’s visit will hurt business and reignite violence.
“This is not a well thought-out plan,” he said. “His coming tomorrow is not helping me sell all those suits up there.”
Down the street, three friends and their children took in the artwork painted on plywood covering the doors and windows of businesses. They had mixed feelings on the president’s visit.
Carrie Bourgo, 35, of Kenosha County, encouraged everyone to remain true to themselves no matter who comes to the city.
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“Love and compassion, that’s how things change over the long term,” Bourgo said.
Carrie Bourgo, left, of Kenosha County, encouraged everyone to remain true to themselves no matter who comes to the city. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Some civil rights leaders have encouraged people to avoid confrontations.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Monday encouraged protesters to hold prayer vigils and community outreach efforts instead of a march to deprive the president of conflict that would benefit him politically. Clyde McLemore of the Lake County chapter of Black Lives Matter, who led marches in Kenosha last week, said his group aims to demonstrate along the expected path of Trump’s motorcade but has nothing planned for the city.
Local leaders, however, remain wary. Asked if he was concerned the presidential visit might lead to new violence, Kreuser responded:
“We’ll find out tomorrow, won’t we?”
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Patrick O’Connell reported from Kenosha. Genevieve Bookwalter is a Pioneer Press reporter. Tribune reporter Lisa Donovan and The Associated Press contributed.
poconnell@tribpub.com
jkeilman@chicagotribune.com
gbookwalter@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Facing COVID-19 fines up to $10,000, some restaurants say punishment doesn’t fit the crime: ‘It feel

Facing COVID-19 fines up to $10,000, some restaurants say punishment doesn’t fit the crime: ‘It feels like we’re blocked at every turn’

Even outdoor seating feels like “ a Band-Aid on an amputation , and we ’ re being asked to be @ @ @ @ @ she said .
To Thomas , the decision to allow restaurants to open before bars @ @ @ @ @ the protocols for when COVID-19 is found at an establishment .
She questions how much @ @ @ @ @ , despite Lightfoot ’ s assurances that her decisions are based on recommendations from the @ @ @ @ @ Prevention .

Austin Harvey stocks the cooler Aug. 28 at Beermiscuous, one of many food and drink establishments with owners frustrated by the city's decision to fine establishments up to $10,000 for violating COVID-19 guidelines. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
As with so many aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there had to be a learning curve for Chicago restaurants and bars as they reopened in early June — something the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection emphasized at the time.
Guidelines changed on a near-weekly basis, with outdoor-only dining quickly expanding to conditional indoor dining. Cocktails initially could not be ordered for pickup and delivery, but then they could. In July, the city abruptly rolled back indoor service for bars. Just last week, mask requirements changed.
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But right before the July Fourth weekend, the city made it clear: The grace period was over, and establishments faced fines up to $10,000 and potential closure if they didn’t comply with restrictions.
“Your financial fate is in your hands. Follow the rules or you’re going to suffer the consequences,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she warned bar owners on a conference call leading up to the holiday weekend.
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As the news rolled out, bar and restaurant owners began expressing their frustration with the eye-catching potential fines. Many said they wished there was more leeway or some sort of warning system before the city levied a fine that could financially devastate them. However, very few wanted to speak publicly about it, for fear of being targeted by enforcement agents and punished for speaking out.
For some, flying under the radar is their best bet at staying open and making ends meet, they said — especially with investigators looking to enforce guidelines.
These frustrated owners aren’t looking for special treatment or a handout, said Virginia Thomas, who became one of the owners of Lakeview craft beer cafe and bottle shop Beermiscuous in March. To her, they’re just trying to do the best they can with the little they have, hoping their business will survive.
“Frustrating isn’t the word,” Thomas said. “The hardest part, for me, is that it feels like we’re blocked at every turn.”
At Beermiscuous, sanitizing and safety protocols are stricter than the city’s guidelines, but Thomas said it’s impossible to know what the future holds even when the rules are followed, thanks to the tumultuous nature of the pandemic.
“We’re taking this really seriously,” she said. “But we can’t really afford (a fine) right now. It (feels like) it’ll be three weeks before we’re closed again.”
Out of nearly 200 businesses cited for violating COVID-19 guidelines between June 5 and July 22, about 1 in 5 were food and beverage establishments, according to city records the Chicago Tribune acquired through a Freedom of Information Act request.
More restaurants and bars have since been cited and, in some cases, temporarily shut down until they could present better safety strategies. Among them were Cork & Kerry in the Beverly neighborhood, Second Time Around and Barba Yianni.
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The final cost of issued fines is determined on a case-by-case basis, after the city reviews the citations and meets with the establishment. Some restaurant owners said that, despite being cited in early June, they have yet to have their initial meeting with the city, leaving them with no idea how much they’ll end up owing in fines.
Receiving a $10,000 fine would decimate a business, several owners said. Many are making up for losses they accrued during the spring lockdown. Others said they are frustrated that the officials they typically look to for leadership seem to be fumbling the reopening.
And as city officials continue to issue citations, the business owners say they’re starting to see the city as less of a partner and more as a punisher.
[ Running list: Chicago-area restaurants closed permanently due to coronavirus pandemic economic woes ]
For Thomas, her main grievance is what she sees as a lack of transparency from the city surrounding inspection, enforcement, and contact tracing after a business has been cited. She’s also frustrated by the leeway she said restaurants have received in comparison with businesses with only a tavern license, like hers.
“I didn’t think as a bar owner that I would be pampered or treated specially, but I feel like there’s a clear emphasis that restaurants get priority, and that’s disappointing and upsetting,” Thomas said. “I don’t want to put out the impression that I think we’re special. I just don’t know what else to do anymore, other than be vocal.”
Thomas said the city is arbitrarily drawing lines, issuing different rules for, as an example, a masked customer ordering a vodka soda at a restaurant and one ordering a craft beer at Beermiscuous. The tougher restrictions make it harder for bars to draw customers and serve them, she said.
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Even outdoor seating feels like “a Band-Aid on an amputation, and we’re being asked to be thankful for it,” she said. To Thomas, the decision to allow restaurants to open before bars seems flippant, as do the protocols for when COVID-19 is found at an establishment. She questions how much scientific evidence is behind them, despite Lightfoot’s assurances that her decisions are based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And while businesses like hers are doing everything they can to adhere to the ever-changing rules, the city needs to make sure customers are educated on the latest guidelines as well, she said.
“We want the bad actors to be called out. I want them to be inspected, but I also recognize there has to be a learning curve,” Thomas said. “The city keeps saying the time for education is over, but I have multiple customers coming in every day (who don’t) know they can’t buy after 9 p.m., and they can’t be seated in my bar.”
Turkitch, a Turkish restaurant in Lincoln Park, was one of the restaurants cited for violating COVID-19 guidelines. Owner Ozkan Yilmaz blamed an angry customer for catching the city’s attention.
In his retelling, a customer came into the restaurant on one of its first days after reopening and got upset because indoor seating was not permitted, in line with city guidelines. The customer threatened to call inspectors as a way of punishing the restaurant, Yilmaz said.
When investigators came, they cited Yilmaz for not having enough social distancing signage posted. Yilmaz had already ordered more signs, but they hadn’t arrived in time for the inspection, he said. He didn’t receive a $10,000 fine, but Yilmaz said he can easily envision how such a fee would shutter a small operation like his.
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Turkitch has not received any loans or assistance from government relief programs, and restaurant staff wore masks even before the coronavirus requirements, Yilmaz said. He has been cleaning the store every day, including with UV light, and following city sanitation and masking guidelines, he said.
But between uneducated customers, skyrocketing prices for kitchen and sanitizing supplies, and increasingly demanding landlords, reopening has been tough, Yilmaz said.
Keeping abreast of the latest guidelines to ensure compliance is no small feat. At Beermiscuous, Thomas said she has worked with three aldermen to make sure she has the correct information — an experience that “feels laughable and almost insulting,” as even the elected officials express having difficulty keeping up with each development, she said.
Thomas wants to add a patio and get a food license for the beer cafe, but is worried about the additional costs it would put on top of the struggling business. Beermiscuous can’t cash in on offering to-go cocktails, which have been a lifeline for bars that serve liquor. And without filling growlers or canning beers, the craft beer industry can end up with margins worse than those for wine and liquor sales.
“Our ownership style is not to ask for forgiveness, but to ask for permission,” Thomas said. “This is our livelihood. We only want good things for our customers and communities and our business, but we’re just not being given the tools.”
Some restaurant owners, however, believe the $10,000 fine is fitting — and at times, even necessary.
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Michael Lachowicz, owner of George Trois Group (Aboyer, George Trois and Silencieux) in Winnetka, said he’s tired of hearing complaints from both inside and outside the restaurant industry. The mayor’s office has supplied months’ worth of briefings, which he said should be sufficient for any business owner to know what the rules are.
After consulting for bars and nightclubs in River North, he hypothesized that, for the spots that are normally huge moneymakers, a $10,000 fine would be seen as merely a “slap on the wrist.”
“What I’d like to see happen is that we all help each other, not complain about being punished for doing something wrong,” said Lachowicz, who has been in the restaurant industry for 35 years. “I don’t believe that any of the problems we’re having in our city or state (are) the problems of the guest. The problems are driven by irresponsible ownership.”
With ample access to information from media reports and the Illinois Restaurant Association, business owners have little excuse for breaking the rules, he said.
Those who are fined for violations like being over capacity “were doing a cash grab to try to catch up,” Lachowicz said. “And it doesn’t work that way.”
Rachel De Marte, owner of Avondale’s Pisolino Italian Market, said although guidelines have undergone rapid changes, the bottom-line requirements have remained clear throughout. She said enforcing guidelines should be a priority for businesses — after all, no one wants to be the genesis of a COVID-19 outbreak.
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And there are resources out there for struggling restaurants, Lachowicz said.
“If you ask for help in this industry, the camaraderie dictates that the calvary will show up,” Lachowicz said. “I feel terrible for people who are having a hard time getting a hold of aldermen whose districts are overwhelmed with requests for information. But the Illinois Restaurant Association is absolutely responsive.”
People in the restaurant industry need to rely on one another more than ever, De Marte said. Those who are frustrated or confused can join local industry Facebook groups, where their peers offer support, information and advice.
“I definitely think people need help, and they need to ask for it,” De Marte said. “They can’t play that card for very long of ‘I don’t know.’ Right now, you have to know as much as you possibly can.”
gwong@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--5 charged with disorderly conduct after fight at Orland Square Mall

Charged are Josiah Davis , of the 10800 block of King Drive , Malik Lucas , of the 10600 block @ @ @ @ @ Morris , of the 11000 block of Wallace Street , Zion Perry , of the @ @ @ @ @ and Davion Rashad Smith , of the 700 block of 92nd Place , police said @

Five 18-year-old Chicago men were charged with disorderly conduct following a fight early Saturday evening at Orland Square Mall in Orland Park, police said Monday. (Simon Property Group)
Five Chicago men were charged with disorderly conduct after a verbal altercation at Orland Square Mall on Saturday turned physical and resulted in damage to a mall store, Orland Park police said Monday.
The five, all 18 years old, were charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct in an incident that stemmed from an altercation between two groups of young adults, police said.
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Police said they responded at about 7 p.m. for a report of a fight in progress involving multiple people.
A window of the Guess store in the mall was broken, and two of the men were treated for cuts, police said.
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Charged are Josiah Davis, of the 10800 block of King Drive, Malik Lucas, of the 10600 block of Lowe Avenue, Elijah Morris, of the 11000 block of Wallace Street, Zion Perry, of the 10000 block of Wallace Street and Davion Rashad Smith, of the 700 block of 92nd Place, police said.
mnolan@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--1 dead in I-65 tanker rollover in Hobart

Police said the crash involved a tanker loaded with 81,000 pounds of waste water .
At about 10 a.m. , @ @ @ @ @ the tanker for unknown reasons , a release said .
The two vehicles became entangled @ @ @ @ @ rolling on top of the passenger vehicle and trapping the driver , a release said @

One person died Monday morning when a tanker carrying 81,000 pounds of waste water rolled over on a passenger car after the car hit the tanker, police said. (Indiana State Police / Post-Tribune)
The driver of a passenger car was killed Monday when the car made contact with a tanker on Interstate 65 in Hobart, according to a release from the Indiana State Police.
Police said the crash involved a tanker loaded with 81,000 pounds of waste water. At about 10 a.m., the passenger car swerved into the tanker for unknown reasons, a release said. The two vehicles became entangled and the tanker overturned, rolling on top of the passenger vehicle and trapping the driver, a release said.
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The crash occurred at the 258 mile marker of I-65 northbound just south of the exit for Ridge Road. All lanes of I-65 northbound were closed for investigation of the crash and removal of the vehicles, police said.
State Police diverted all northbound traffic off at U.S. 30 and detoured traffic northbound on Broadway to get back on Interstate 80/94.
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Lake County Coroner’s Office determined that the driver of the passenger vehicle died of their injuries at the scene. Identity of the driver is being withheld pending notification of family, a release said.
Assisting at the scene: Waffco Towing, Lake County Coroner, Hobart Fire Department, Lake Station EMS.


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--1 killed, 4 wounded when gunmen open fire at pancake house on Far Southwest Side: ‘This is senseless

1 killed, 4 wounded when gunmen open fire at pancake house on Far Southwest Side: ‘This is senseless.’

A woman at the scene said the man killed was her nephew , and his brother was fatally shot last @ @ @ @ @ a meal with the mother of his 3-month-old daughter and the child , said the @ @ @ @ @ t want to be identified .

William Lee, Jeremy Gorner, Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas, Morgan Greene

Police officers work at the scene where five people were shot, one fatally, at Lumes Pancake House in the 11600 block of South Western Avenue on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020, in Chicago's Morgan Park neighborhood. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Diners were lunching under a tent at Lumes Pancake House on the Far Southwest Side on a bright Sunday afternoon when a white Audi pulled into the parking lot and three gunmen got out.
Walking into the tent, they aimed at a table where three women and two men sat and fired at least 40 times before jumping back into the car and speeding off, according to Chicago police.
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As the Audi fled south on Western Avenue, someone ran from the tent and fired. He also fled the scene and a gun was found in a yard nearby,” police said.
Witnesses described a frantic scene under the tent, where a man lay dying and four others were wounded around 1:50 p.m. Several said the restaurant in the 11600 block of South Western Avenue is a popular Sunday destination for families leaving church.
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Chicago police officers work at the scene where five people were shot, one fatally, at Lumes Pancake House in the 11600 block of South Western Avenue on Sunday, Aug. 30, in the Morgan Park neighborhood. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
“This is senseless,” said Tawana Jackson, whose cousin was having breakfast with her husband and grandchild when the shooting started.
“Her grandbaby is sitting with her there, 2 months old. And y’all shoot when you see a 2-month-old baby? That’s outrageous,” Jackson said. “You kind of get used to it, you see it every day on the news. These babies, they don’t care.”
Chicago police said Devon Welsh, the 31-year-old man who was killed, was shot multiple times and apparently was “targeted” by the gunmen. “They stood over him after he was shot,” said Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said.
Police gave no motive and reported no arrests.
Four other people were wounded: A 44-year-old woman shot in the stomach and buttocks and a 32-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man shot in the thigh were stabilized at Advocate Christ Medical Center. A 30-year-old woman was shot in the foot and was taken to Little Company of Mary Medical Center in good condition, police said.
A woman at the scene said the man killed was her nephew, and his brother was fatally shot last year. He was having a meal with the mother of his 3-month-old daughter and the child, said the woman, who didn’t want to be identified.
“He was a cool guy, got along with a lot of people. (He) always joked around,” she said. “A lot of people loved him. I’m not saying he was perfect, but he was a good one.”
Lumes cook Martin Puente said the shots set off panic inside the tent.
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“I’ve never seen anything (like this) before,” said Puente, 26, an employee for four months. “There was a lot of people running around in the restaurant.”
The shooting was an attack on Sunday morning rituals that start with church and end with a meal, the Rev. Donovan Price told reporters across the street from the restaurant.
“This place is a staple. Sunday afternoon, Sunday morning brunch is a staple,” Price said. “Our staples are being taken away and our traditions are being taken away.
“And slowly, but surely, our hope is being taken away,” he added.
Community activist Andrew Holmes pleaded with witnesses to come forward and help investigators.
“Someone’s grandmother could have been sitting there. Little kids could have been sitting there, and they do come here,” he said. “Why jump out of a car and fire a weapon in the first place?”
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wlee@chicagotribune.com
jgorner@chicagotribune.com
mgreene@chicagotribune.com
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Dolton men charged in thefts from Illinois Tollway truck lots

Burrows , who faces felony counts of possession of stolen goods and unlawful use of a weapon , was released @ @ @ @ @ 500 bond and has been placed on electronic monitoring , police said .

Two Dolton men have been charged in a string of cargo thefts from semitrailers and railroad yards along the Illinois Tollway, Illinois State Police announced Sunday.
Travis Burrows, 26, and Reginald Elston, 25, were arrested early Friday morning after authorities executed a search warrant at a home in the 14700 block of Kenwood Avenue in Dolton, police said.
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Travis Burrows, 26, and Reginald Elston, 25, both of Dolton (Illinois State Police)
Authorities found stolen apparel, coffee items, cannabis, a handgun, five firearm magazines and multiple calibers of ammunition inside the home, police said.
The bust was the culmination of a state police probe launched last November to investigate a series of reported cargo thefts at various rest stop truck lots.
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Illinois State Police District 15, which patrols Northern Illinois tollways and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority’s six Oases rest stops, teamed up with the North Central Narcotics Task Force for the investigation.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether police are still searching for other individuals believed to have been involved in the cargo thefts, but their investigation remains ongoing, officials said.
Burrows, who faces felony counts of possession of stolen goods and unlawful use of a weapon, was released from custody after paying $500 bond and has been placed on electronic monitoring, police said.
Elston, who faces one felony count of possession of stolen goods, was released without having to pay any cash bond, according to police.
zkoeske@tribpub.com
Twitter @ZakKoeske


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announces ‘Mask Up Cook County’ campaign as suburbs see

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announces ‘Mask Up Cook County’ campaign as suburbs see ‘second surge’ of coronavirus

“ There is no doubt that 2020 has been a rough year , and not just because of COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ We are tired .
And I know we just want it to be over .
@ @ @ @ @ time to take our foot off the gas .

Facing a resurgence of the coronavirus in the suburbs around Chicago, Cook County officials are launching a digital ad campaign to push the necessity of wearing a mask, officials announced days after the region was placed on a state COVID-19 warning list.
In addition to launching the “Mask Up Cook County” campaign, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle also warned of the potential for further restrictions should the rise in cases, which she said was driven by young people, not ebb.
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“This has been a challenging year for everybody,” Preckwinkle said. “You know the challenge isn’t over. … Young adults must, must continue to be vigilant and wearing masks and not partaking in high risk or large group activities.”
The ads will appear on YouTube, Instagram and Spotify throughout September in English and Spanish, Preckwinkle said. The reason for the emphasis on social media is because the county saw a leading rise in cases among 20- to 29-year-olds between March and July, she said.
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The worsening cases are pointing to “the beginning stages of a second surge” in suburban Cook County, said Dr. Kiran Joshi, a senior medical officer for the Cook County Department of Public Health.
On Friday, the region was one of 30 counties slapped with a warning designation by the Illinois Department of Public Health regarding a swell in virus transmission. Chicago is a region unto itself and is not on the warning list.
“There is no doubt that 2020 has been a rough year, and not just because of COVID-19,” Joshi said. “We are tired. And I know we just want it to be over. … Now is not the time to take our foot off the gas.
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Dr. Rachel Rubin, a senior medical officer for the Cook County Department of Public Health, said as of Monday there was no indication the suburbs will see additional guidance beyond the Aug. 3 non-mandatory recommendations for restaurants and other businesses to curtail in-person services. But that could change in the coming weeks should the numbers worsen, she said.
“I can’t give you an exact date, but we are watching this, and we imagine the state may push us to put more guidance in place, potentially enforceable, over the next several weeks,” Rubin said.
Statewide, public health officials said Monday there were 1,668 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and seven deaths, bringing Illinois’ total to 235,023 cases and 8,026 deaths. Four of the deaths were in Cook County.
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Aurora man accused of threatening to bomb branch court

Around 3:30 p.m. Friday , a clerk at the court received a telephone call from a man upset with the @ @ @ @ @ and a bomb threat was made , according to the release .
The caller said @ @ @ @ @ , located at 1200 E. Indian Trail Road , which is connected to the Aurora @ @ @ @ @ .

An Aurora man is accused of threatening to blow up the Aurora Branch Court Friday, officials said.
Larry Streit, 50, 500 block of South Union Street, has been charged with felony disorderly conduct, Aurora police said in a news release.
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Around 3:30 p.m. Friday, a clerk at the court received a telephone call from a man upset with the outcome of a court case and a bomb threat was made, according to the release. The caller said he was near the court, located at 1200 E. Indian Trail Road, which is connected to the Aurora Police Department’s headquarters.
Larry Streit. (Aurora Police Department / HANDOUT)
Aurora police called the Kane County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad and an explosives-detecting dog was used to check the building.
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Streit was arrested at his home on Friday and charged in connection with the incident, and released Saturday on a personal recognizance bond.
He is due back in court on Oct. 14 at the Kane County Judicial Center.
mejones@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Chicago buildings will be lit in red to spotlight need for arts industry pandemic relief

“ There are not many options for our industry at this point .
It ’ s very , very dire @ @ @ @ @ , the owner of Vue Show Design Group here and the head of the Chicago @ @ @ @ @ Events / Red Light Alert effort , which nationally plans to light hundreds of buildings @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We want to help get the word out for the rest of the @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re in .
”

Buildings across Chicago and the nation will be lit in red Tuesday night to dramatize the urgent need for financial relief in the arts and other live events industries.
Chicago Theatre, the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier, the Aragon Ballroom and Allstate Arena in Rosemont are among the local spots scheduled to take part in the Red Alert campaign, which will light the buildings from 9 p.m. to midnight.
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The display, organized by entertainment industry volunteers, is meant to bring pressure on Congress to pass the RESTART Act that would help companies that make live events get through the near total collapse of their business in the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There are not many options for our industry at this point. It’s very, very dire,” said Charles Ford, the owner of Vue Show Design Group here and the head of the Chicago portion of the We Make Events / Red Light Alert effort, which nationally plans to light hundreds of buildings in more than 50 cities. “We want to help get the word out for the rest of the country to realize the situation we’re in.”
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The Royal Albert Hall in London, bathed in red light on August 11 as part of a Red Light Alert campaign to draw attention to closed venues around the world and the entertainment jobs lost (HANDOUT)
Ford said he and his peers who put on live events watched in horror in one week in March as virtually all business for the coming months and then the coming year dried up. “That was one of the most depressing weeks of our lives,” he said. “This is the most exciting week since then.”
“The stats are eye watering,” said John Featherstone, whose company will be lighting up Allstate Arena Tuesday with not only red lights but some of those statistics about job loss and economic devastation. “Seventy-seven percent of the people in the events industry have lost 100 percent of their income. Ninety-seven percent of 1099 workers in our business have lost their income altogether.”
Form 1099 is the miscellaneous income federal tax form that independent contractors, aka “gig workers,” use to report earnings to the IRS.
The effort was born after seeing a similar one draw the spotlight in the United Kingdom on August 11. Over 300 venues, including Royal Albert Hall, the Tate Modern and London’s Millennium Bridge, took part in that, inaugural Red Light Alert event.
“That 100 percent inspired it,” said Featherstone, whose Lightswitch lighting design firm is best known here for Morton Arboretum’s annual “Illumination” holiday lights display. “It really helped move the needle. They released more government funding. There was a big public outcry: ‘We like the arts. We don’t want to lose the arts.’”
Americans in the lighting industry were impressed by the UK effort and quickly had an all-volunteer committee formed and a lookalike effort begun here.
“It’s been amazing, an eye-opening effort,” said Brad Nelms, director of We Make Events / Red Alert nationally.
What began with the lighting industry has spread outward to include the sound industry, unions that represent stagehands and technical crew, theaters, parking lot attendants — the whole, often unnoticed range of people who help concerts and other happenings take place.
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Nelms himself is among the pandemic victims. He was a regional sales manager for a leading lighting supply firm until he found himself laid off in July because of the lack of business.
But he’s been heartened, he said, by watching their group’s initial Zoom call grow to over 50 regional planning teams with an estimated 5000 people involved across the U.S.
“There were so many people lying on their couch sulking because they didn’t know what else to do, and they’ve been reinvigorated,” he said.
The goal is to get people to push Congress to support the Reviving the Economy Sustainably Towards A Recovery in Twenty-twenty Act, which Nelms described as “the best small business legislation for the entertainment industry” because it would make more money available over a longer period of time and with fewer restrictions than other relief measures.
With the pandemic forcing limits on audience size and proximity to one another, he said, “we are unique in that we’re not going to have any sustainable income until February or later.”
The wemakeevents.org website offers people a direct link to write their government representatives, and the group is also seeking direct unemployment aid that would target gig workers, not just those coming out of steady jobs to whom unemployment compensation is geared.
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The list of participating Chicago buildings was likely to grow, but as of Monday morning confirmed venues also included Nederlander Theatre, WinTrust Arena, the Prudential Building, the Boeing Building, Shure company in the north suburbs, Writers Theater in Glencoe, and Medieval Times in Schaumburg, according to Ford.
“Our hope is that we kind of pull back the curtain a little bit and just bring awareness to the fact that there are thousands of committed industry professionals in the greater Chicago area,” Featherstone said. “Almost all of these people are currently out of work, with no real indication that it’s going to change any time soon.”
sajohnson@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @StevenKJohnson


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Authorities resume search for man who fell off boat into Monroe Harbor

Warning : Graphic content A violent confrontation between protesters and 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse , of Antioch , late on Aug. @ @ @ @ @ Kenosha .

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chicagotribune--2020-08-31--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital data in your area

Among the metrics ( see below ) tracked under guidelines set by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of @ @ @ @ @ , the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses , and the capacity of hospitals @ @ @ @ @ state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics @

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.
To assess how different parts of Illinois are handling the COVID-19 pandemic, officials look at the state through the 11 regions of Emergency Medical Services. The city of Chicago is one region, for example, and the rest of Cook County is another.
Among the metrics (see below) tracked under guidelines set by Gov. J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of coronavirus tests that return positive, the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses, and the capacity of hospitals to take in new patients.The state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics. (Cases, deaths and tests data is as of Dec. 31).
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus.
• Other Chicago, suburbs and Illinois COVID-19 metrics.
• See how the governor’s plan to manage the regions works.
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health
Created by the Chicago Tribune dataviz team. On Twitter @chitribgraphics


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--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--2020-08-31--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 7 new deaths, 1,668 new confirmed cases and 43,693 new test resul

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 7 new deaths, 1,668 new confirmed cases and 43,693 new test results

Illinois announced 1,668 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Monday for a total of 235,023 .
The state also announced 7 @ @ @ @ @ of 8,026 and 47,379 new test results for a total of 4.06 million .

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--2020-08-31--North Chicago police officer fires at suspect during traffic stop, authorities say

No one was injured in the altercation , which took place at about 8:50 p.m. Saturday when the officer stopped @ @ @ @ @ suspicion of driving under the influence , according to the Lake County Major Crimes Task @ @ @ @ @ , the task force said , the man accelerated and drove away before eventually stopping @ @ @ @ @ Street and Dickey Avenue .

Authorities are investigating a weekend incident during which a North Chicago police officer reportedly fired at a man during a traffic stop.
No one was injured in the altercation, which took place at about 8:50 p.m. Saturday when the officer stopped a 41-year-old Waukegan man on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force. Instead of stopping, the task force said, the man accelerated and drove away before eventually stopping at the intersection of 24th Street and Dickey Avenue.
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Authorities said the man exited his vehicle, did not put his hands up per the officer’s instructions and then appeared to reach toward his waist as if he were attempting to retrieve a handgun. The officer fired his weapon, but did not hit the man, who ran away.
Police say the man surrendered a short time later, and authorities recovered a pistol near where the man had been hiding. He was arrested and charges are pending, police said.
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North Chicago police asked the task force to conduct an independent investigation of the shooting. Per department policy, the officer was placed on administrative leave pending a review.


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Watch live: Kenosha officials hold news conference

Kenosha Sheriff David Beth , Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser , City of Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian and Major General @ @ @ @ @ news conference at 1 p.m. CDT .
Get the latest updates here .


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Watch live: Lightfoot, city officials discuss 2021 budget forecast

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will join Budget Director Susie Park , CFO Jennie Huang Bennett and Comptroller Reshma Soni to @ @ @ @ @ 2021 budget forecast at 1 p.m. CDT .
Get the latest updates here .


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Death of infant found unresponsive at Calumet City home ruled homicide

The 3-month old , identified as Adolphus C. McDonald Jr. , was taken to a hospital and later transported to @ @ @ @ @ in Chicago , where he died three days later .

The death of an infant boy found unresponsive at a Calumet City home earlier this month has been ruled a homicide.
Police and EMS personnel found the child on the morning of Aug. 21 after responding to a multifamily residence in the 300 block of Greenbay Avenue, police said in a statement.
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The 3-month old, identified as Adolphus C. McDonald Jr., was taken to a hospital and later transported to Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago, where he died three days later.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office ruled the infant’s death a homicide caused by multiple injuries and child abuse.
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Calumet City police, which are investigating the child’s death, have not released any additional information.
Police ask anyone with information to contact the department at 708-868-2500.
zkoeske@tribpub.com
Twitter @ZakKoeske


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Need to get your driver’s license renewed? Be prepared to wait — maybe for hours — or take advantage

Need to get your driver’s license renewed? Be prepared to wait — maybe for hours — or take advantage of extended deadlines

Last week , the department said the expiration date for valid driver ’ s licenses held by Illinois drivers who @ @ @ @ @ been extended .
These drivers with 2020 driver ’ s license expiration dates do not @ @ @ @ @ to renew their driver ’ s licenses until shortly before their birthday in 2021 .
@ @ @ @ @ , expired documents will remain valid until Nov. 1 so some can avoid waiting in @ @ @ @ @ .

People stand in line for the Chicago Central Illinois secretary of state's facility located inside the Thompson Center in Chicago on June 24, 2021. Some said they arrived as early as 8 a.m. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Armed with books, lawn chairs and cups of coffee, Illinois drivers formed a line that snaked down the block of the Jefferson Park driver’s license office hours before the front door cracked open at 7:30 a.m.
Some sat under a tent working on their computers; others scrolled through their phones, ignoring passersby. One woman, using her backpack as a pillow, covered her face with a yellow sweatshirt and napped, resigned to the misery of a long wait.
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Grace Pirkle, 15, and her father, John Pirkle, of Bucktown, set up their blue lawn chairs at 6 a.m. on a recent weekday so Grace could get her driver’s permit. The pair came to the Chicago North Illinois Secretary of State Facility on Elston Avenue prepared with a backpack of bottled water, apple slices and Goldfish.
This was their second attempt. The previous week, they went to an office in Plano because they thought the lines would be shorter. They were even longer there. This time, they were determined to leave with a permit.
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“I’ll take the train to school, but we’re doing online from school so it doesn’t really matter. I just want to get this over with,” Grace said.
Mark Nrekaj, of Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood, lines up early outside the secretary of state facility on North Elston Avenue in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Mark Nerkaj, 19, from Jefferson Park, misplaced his license a few weeks ago, just as he was getting ready to move back to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for his second year of college. During his first trip to the facility to get his license years ago, Nerkaj estimated he waited less than half an hour. This time, he planned his day around the wait.
“It’s been pretty good here at least,” he said. “We’re all spread out, everyone is playing their part.”
Orange cones set up along the perimeter of the line marked 6-foot distances between customers.
As the COVID-19 pandemic changes traditional business practices, the dreaded wait at the secretary of state’s office has gotten longer — much longer — with more customers in line because of social distancing guidelines and the backlog from offices being closed during the pandemic shutdown.
The secretary of state is now playing catch-up, said Dave Druker, a spokesman for the Illinois secretary of state’s office. The increase comes after the offices were closed for two months during the beginning of the pandemic. Though they are averaging fewer overall customers, social distancing and customer limits have reduced the number of people who can be served in a given day.
The department averaged 10,350 customers a day across the 28 facilities in the Chicago area in July 2019, according to Druker. This year, Druker said they averaged 7,766 customers a day. On the vehicle services side, which includes car titles and registrations, the department completed 623,000 transactions last July compared with 510,000 transactions last month, he added.
To help shorten the lines, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced a series of extended deadlines.
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Last week, the department said the expiration date for valid driver’s licenses held by Illinois drivers who are 75 or older has been extended. These drivers with 2020 driver’s license expiration dates do not need to visit a facility to renew their driver’s licenses until shortly before their birthday in 2021. For those younger than 75, expired documents will remain valid until Nov. 1 so some can avoid waiting in line in the hot weather.
People line up early outside the Illinois secretary of state facility on North Elston Avenue on Aug. 20, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
“People don’t have to rush in, they do have more time,” Druker said. “A backlog accumulated. We’re in a situation where we’re really trying to play catch-up.”
Other precautions include added gear for employees assessing a driver in a behind-the-wheel exam, he said. Employees and drivers must both wear face masks. Employees also wear gloves and put plastic on the passenger seat during driving exams, he added. Facilities are following social distancing guidelines and are equipped with Plexiglas dividers inside.
Eva Pinto, 15, from Lakeview, was also waiting to get her driver’s permit. She started driver’s education courses in early March and has been patiently waiting for the driver’s license offices to open.
“I’m hoping with social distancing and masks, we can move forward in our lives safely. It’s going to take communication, but cars can be wiped down, instructors can wear masks,” her mother, Jennifer Pinto, said. “It seems optimistic coronavirus will be under control by the time she (gets her regular driver’s license and) drives.”
Many teenagers have missed out on prom and didn’t get to attend graduation ceremonies because of the pandemic.
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But at least Eva is getting the coming-of-age experience of waiting in line at the driver’s license office, Pinto said.
jvillagomez@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @JessicaVillag


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--One killed, three wounded in Zion drive-by shooting

The 28-year-old and a second man , also 28 , were both hit in the abdomen by gunfire , and @ @ @ @ @ .
The second man was reported Monday to be in critical but stable condition .

A Zion man has died from a gunshot he sustained during a weekend drive-by shooting that wounded three other people, including a child, Zion police said Monday.
The 28-year-old man died late Sunday night at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, according to police. Authorities had not yet released his identity Monday.
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The man and three other people were shot around 1 a.m. Sunday when a vehicle drove by a house in the 2300 block of Joppa Avenue, and two passengers fired at a group of men standing outside.
One of the rounds wounded an 8-year-old boy, who was struck in the hand while he was inside a bedroom at the house. The boy was treated and released Sunday from Vista Medical Center East, police said.
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The 28-year-old and a second man, also 28, were both hit in the abdomen by gunfire, and both underwent surgery at Condell. The second man was reported Monday to be in critical but stable condition.
The third man, 35, was hit by gunfire in the shoulder and the leg. A friend drove him to Vista Medical Center East, where he was treated and released, police reported.
Police said they collected 27 shell casings of three different calibers at the scene, along with two loaded handguns.
Authorities described the car as a newer model, dark-colored SUV carrying at least three people.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Zion Police at (847) 872-8000 or Lake County Crime Stoppers at (847) 662-2222.


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Iowa’s coronavirus numbers varied widely this weekend because of website issue

The state health department has been criticized recently for other problems with its coronavirus statistics .
Gov .
Kim Reynolds @ @ @ @ @ the state had been incorrectly attributing many recent coronavirus test results to several months ago @

Students wearing face masks walk past doors marked with COVID-19 related warnings at the Seamans Center during the first day of in-person classes for the fall semester on Aug. 24, 2020, on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City, Iowa. (Joseph Cress / Iowa City Press-Citizen/AP)
DES MOINES, Iowa — The numbers on Iowa’s online coronavirus tracker varied widely this weekend because of a maintenance problem with the site.
The Iowa Department of Public Health reported Saturday morning that 1,108 Iowans had died from COVID-19. Later in the day, the number of deaths fell to 894 before rebounding Saturday evening to 1,109.
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Several other key statistics also fluctuated on the state website Saturday. For instance, the number of cases of coronavirus dropped from 63,122 to 51,183 before being restored after 9 p.m. Saturday.
Department of Public Health spokeswoman Amy McCoy told the Des Moines Register by email late Saturday that the problem appeared to be fixed.
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“A maintenance upgrade to the state’s website caused the numbers to fluctuate temporarily,” McCoy said.
The state health department has been criticized recently for other problems with its coronavirus statistics. Gov. Kim Reynolds said on Aug. 20 that the state had been incorrectly attributing many recent coronavirus test results to several months ago.
The error affected the positivity rates the state reported, which school districts are relying on as they decide whether to send children back to schools.
On Sunday, the state’s online virus tracker said there had been 64,208 coronavirus cases and 1,113 deaths linked to the virus in Iowa since the pandemic began.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Iowa has risen over the past two weeks from 501.43 new cases per day on Aug. 15 to 859.14 new cases per day on Aug. 29.


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Lower gas tax revenue due to coronavirus pandemic may delay some Illinois road construction projects

State Transportation Department Secretary Omer Osman said the department hasn ’ t yet assessed how many projects might be pushed @ @ @ @ @ ) State Journal-Register reported .
He told lawmakers during a Senate Transportation Committee hearing Thursday @ @ @ @ @ projects related to safety improvements .

Vehicles on the I-55 Stevenson Expressway just east of Kenzie, in Chicago on June 8, 2020 (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
SPRINGFIELD — Some Illinois road construction projects scheduled to be completed this year could be delayed until next year because of lower-than-anticipated gas tax revenues during the coronavirus pandemic.
State Transportation Department Secretary Omer Osman said the department hasn’t yet assessed how many projects might be pushed back, the (Springfield) State Journal-Register reported. He told lawmakers during a Senate Transportation Committee hearing Thursday that the department will prioritize projects related to safety improvements.
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“I can’t afford to lose a bridge, but I could live with a little bit of potholes,” Osman said.
Gas tax revenues used to fund road projects were much lower than originally projected because people are driving less during the pandemic, Osman said.
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According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, from March through June of this year, motor fuel tax revenues are down $82 million from the same period last year.


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Matriarch of Jacob Blake’s family speaks of hope after grandson shot: ’It can’t go on like this. It

Matriarch of Jacob Blake’s family speaks of hope after grandson shot: ’It can’t go on like this. It must stop and only we can stop it.’

“ Individually , collectively , no matter what organization or church you belong to , it ’ s very important @ @ @ @ @ .
We don ’ t have enough males anyway , so we can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ one , ” she said .
“ And a man with five children ?
What @ @ @ @ @ them ?
He ’ s never going to be able to work again .
Five @ @ @ @ @ s mind-boggling .
”

The family of Jacob Blake, including sister Megan Belcher, second left, father Jacob Blake Sr., center, mother Julia Jackson, second right, and sister Letetra Wideman, head to a news conference Aug. 25, 2020, in Civic Center Park in Kenosha. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
On the hottest day in August, Patricia Goudeau Blake had a lot to do at her lifelong home in Park Manor after spending nine months in Washington state.
Her beloved garden, particularly her sunbaked black-eyed Susans, desperately needed tending. The spry, active great-grandmother was also supervising a redesign of the home her family has owned for 71 years. She was the very first Black child living on the block.
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But the most difficult thing on Blake’s list was added at the last moment. The matriarch was planning a weekend trip to a Kenosha hospital to see her 29-year-old grandson, Jacob Blake, whose shooting by police has gripped the nation and stoked tensions between police and communities of color.
In this September 2019 selfie photo taken in Evanston, Adria-Joi Watkins poses with her second cousin Jacob Blake. He is recovering from being shot multiple times by Kenosha police on Aug. 23, 2020. (Adria-Joi Watkins)
Blake hopes the shooting, as tragic as it is, will somehow continue her family’s strong legacy in the fight for racial equality. Her husband was a revered pastor known for his work for civil rights, her father helped train the famed Tuskegee Airmen and her in-laws were some of the first Black judges in the Chicago area.
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“I hope (police) messed with the wrong people this time,” she said. “We have a generational family history story, and out of this tragedy things will change — it’s got to change.”
‘Something I can’t believe’
Sitting comfortably on her front porch, cane at her side and dressed in a peach-colored blouse and white slacks, Blake said she would take a break from her many chores to speak with a Tribune reporter and photographer on Thursday.
Blake, the widow of the Rev. Jacob Blake, said she prefers to stay out of the limelight and politely declined to have her photo taken.
But she said she felt compelled to speak after her grandson’s shooting, which has sparked a week of sometimes violent protests in Kenosha, including the fatal shooting of two demonstrators by an alleged vigilante.
Her otherwise busy mood quieted as she discussed the past few days. “It’s been something I can’t believe,” she said.
Blake said her family had initially been stonewalled by Kenosha authorities about her grandson’s condition until his father contacted noted civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump.
“He opened up the door where my son and (Jacob Blake’s) mother could see him, and now I’ve requested that they allow me to see him,” she said. “I think I’ll feel better once I see him. I still see him as that curly headed little brownie.”
Jacob Blake, like Patricia Blake’s other grandchildren, spent part of his childhood at the sturdy two-story brick house on Wabash, helping her tend the garden and other chores.
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Blake, who was once the director of a shelter, said her grandson had donated time to senior citizens and helping feed homeless people at a local mosque. “The older people loved him. He was good with the older people. A lot of young people are afraid of older people, but he had a magnetism. He enjoyed them.”
She recalled last speaking with her grandson earlier this month before her return to Chicago. “He says to me, ‘Grandma, I’m gonna make more time to come down to visit and sit with you.’ And I said, ‘I’m gonna hold you to that.’”
Now it’s Blake who will go and see her grandson.
“It bothered me that ... he was in this condition and that he would have no face that he (recognized). That disturbed me. I just want him to see a face ... and know that we’re all pulling for him.”
According to the latest account from authorities, officers were called to a home by a woman who said her boyfriend would not leave. The officers began struggling with Jacob Blake near his SUV and deployed a Taser twice as he walked away from them and started getting into his car.
One of the officers grabbed Blake’s shirt and fired seven times into his back, they said.
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Authorities have not disclosed what initially occurred when officers arrived or what was said by them, Blake and others at the home. They also have not disclosed what happened immediately before Blake walked around the SUV and tried to get in as officers tried to stop him.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 95 Madison Taft and Black Lives Matter activists march through a Kenosha neighborhood Jan. 5, 2021, after news that no charges will be issued against the Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Most of what authorities have released was caught on a cellphone video that has been widely circulated.
“I really don’t care what preceded it, actually, because the tape itself speaks to the lack of protocol, excessive police power,” Blake’s grandmother said.
“Individually, collectively, no matter what organization or church you belong to, it’s very important that we protect our future. We don’t have enough males anyway, so we can’t lose not one. Not one,” she said. “And a man with five children? What’s to become of them? He’s never going to be able to work again. Five little children. It’s mind-boggling.”
Three of Jacob Blake’s young children were in the SUV, according to his family and attorneys, who say the kids have been severely traumatized.
‘We were groundbreakers’
The Blake family story has mirrored that of other African Americans during the years of the Great Migration who had managed to thrive despite the segregation of the time.
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The Rev. Jacob Blake had been a well-paid Gary steelworker when he became a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Like the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., he blended ministry with community activism to overcome systemic racism. His Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Evanston spearheaded the construction of low-income and retirement housing in the north suburb, with black labor.
Patricia Blake’s father, L’Ouveture Goudeau, was a longtime union man who worked with pioneering civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph. He was later an Air Force pilot who instructed the Tuskegee Airmen.
Goudeau later became one of the state’s highest-ranking Black officials, supervising three Illinois Department of Labor offices that processed more than 20,000 weekly unemployment claims, according to an April 1960 Tribune profile.
Patricia Blake’s mother, Jean Williamson, who graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology, worked as the housekeeping supervisor at the old Illinois State Tuberculosis Hospital.
Goudeau’s sister Bernice married into the Braden family, which included the area’s first Black judges. “Four generations of judges and corporate lawyers,” Patricia Blake said. Among them was retired Associate Cook County Judge Everette Braden.
[ Family of Jacob Blake takes part in March on Washington: ]
When Patricia Blake’s parents moved into the Wabash home, they were the first Black family on the block. “We were groundbreakers in Park Manor. I was 6 years old. I’m 77 now,” she said.
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The Goudeaus had some notable neighbors as successful Blacks fled overcrowded Bronzeville: A black pediatrician lived close by. Olympic Gold medalist Jesse Owens lived a couple of blocks away with his family. Al Capone’s mother still lived in the family building on South Prairie.
Their success, however, came with limitations. “You could only go as far as 71st Street. You couldn’t bypass 71st Street, and it didn’t matter what kind of money you had.”
Patricia Blake said she hopes this tragic incident involving her grandson will be the catalyst to stop unarmed Black men from being fatally shot by police.
“I hope there’s a breakthrough,” she said. “It’s like a genocide. It’s got to change, there is no question. It can’t go on like this. It must stop and only we can stop it.”
wlee@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @MidNoirCowboy


chicagotribune--2020-08-31--Tracking Chicago homicide victims

Tracking Chicago homicide victims

Though there are homicides recorded throughout the city they are most concentrated in the South and West sides .


chicagotribune--2020-08-30--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened on Aug. 29-30 with COVID-19 in the Chicago are

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened on Aug. 29-30 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

As the news rolled out , bar and restaurant owners began expressing their frustration with the eye-catching potential fines .
@ @ @ @ @ was more leeway or some sort of warning system before the city levied a fine @ @ @ @ @ .
However , very few wanted to speak publicly about it , for fear of @ @ @ @ @ and punished for speaking out .

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois public health officials Sunday announced 1,992 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 11 deaths. Overall, Illinois has reported 233,355 known cases, including 8,019 confirmed deaths.
The state passed 8,000 fatalities for the first time on Saturday. However, the official COVID-19 death toll in Illinois may not account for at least 1,000 fatalities — and potentially far more — that could be attributable to the pandemic, according to a Tribune analysis of federal data.
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Additionally, Cook County is among the 30 counties the IDPH sounded the alarm about Friday for a resurgence in coronavirus cases.
That’s the largest number of counties that had reached “warning level” since the agency began issuing those weekly reports earlier this summer, and the first time Cook County has been on it. The warning level applies to suburban Cook County and does not apply to the city of Chicago.
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Here’s what’s happening this weekend with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
Sunday
Inspired by a student’s hug, principal on Chicago’s South Side pens children’s book about returning to school during COVID-19
One of Vanessa Williams Johnson’s students tried to hug her while picking up a homework packet in April. The innocent gesture, innocuous any other year, made the South Side principal realize educators would be fighting an uphill battle in helping their students cope with the new realities of the pandemic.
“When he saw me, he broke out into a run towards me,” Williams Johnson said. “It was like an avalanche coming, like ‘Wait, wait, wait, we’re not touching, we’re not hugging.’ The mom couldn’t stop him. He just wanted to come and get a hug from his principal.”
“I realized at the time that we’re really going to have to do something when it comes time for our students to come back to school after being away from us so long,” Williams Johnson said.
For Williams Johnson, one of those things turned out to be writing a children’s book for the first time. On top of transitioning W.E.B. Du Bois Elementary School to remote learning last spring, Williams Johnson wrote “No Hugs, No Bugs,” a picture book that tells the story of a group of puppies on their first day back to school during COVID-19.
Read more here. —Claire Hao
Saturday
1,880 new known COVID-19 cases, 11 additional deaths
The state Department of Public Health announced 1,880 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 11 deaths. Overall, Illinois has reported 231,363 cases, including 8,008 deaths.
“Today is a solemn day in Illinois as we’ve now lost 8,000 lives to COVID-19,” said Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a news release. “As we mourn the family, friends and neighbors who have been taken too soon, let’s do our part to prevent more senseless tragedy. Wear a mask. Watch your distance. Wash your hands. Every action counts.”
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—Chicago Tribune staff
Chicago’s Tamale Guy, Claudio Velez, hospitalized with COVID-19 and placed on ventilator
Claudio Velez, known widely as the beloved Tamale Guy in Chicago, has been hospitalized and tested positive for the coronavirus, according to social media posts and confirmed by his partners at their newly opened restaurant, Tamale Guy Chicago, on Saturday.
Read more here. —Louisa Chu
Friday
Northwestern University announces it won’t have freshmen and sophomores on campus and will close fraternity and sorority houses because of COVID-19
Northwestern University announced late Friday that it will not have freshmen and sophomore students back on campus for the fall term or in residencies, and will keep sorority and fraternity houses closed.
It’s a sharp departure from plans reiterated just earlier this week by Northwestern officials who spoke during a community town hall meeting reiterated their during a community town hall meeting. They said then that the campus would open but with a reduced residence hall capacity and many employees still working from home.
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney


chicagotribune--2020-09-01--Daywatch: Trump is headed to Kenosha, big problems for the smallest Great Lake and a candlemaker cre

Daywatch: Trump is headed to Kenosha, big problems for the smallest Great Lake and a candlemaker creates custom scents for Chicago neighborhoods

Barely a month into his job as Chicago ’ s top cop , David Brown described his “ moonshot ” @ @ @ @ @ would be fewer than 300 homicides in the city .
When he took the podium @ @ @ @ @ conference on weekend violence , the city had recorded more than 500 homicides this year @ @ @ @ @ with 2016 when Chicago was hit with a spike of violence not seen in decades @

Want Daywatch delivered to your inbox? Sign up here. | Get the top Tribune stories of the day on your smart speaker | Here’s how to get the most out of your Tribune subscription | Got something to say? Join the conversation on our Facebook page
Good morning, Chicago. Yesterday, Illinois had another day of over 1,600 new known cases of coronavirus.
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In Cook County, the suburbs are seeing a “second wave” of COVID-19, so officials announced a digital ad campaign to push the necessity of wearing a mask.
Meanwhile, restaurants in the city are facing hefty fines for COVID-19 violations — up to $10,000 — and some owners say that the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.
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And, the lines at the DMV have gotten even longer because of the pandemic. If you need to renew your license, prepare for a wait — or take advantage of these new deadline extensions.
Here’s more coronavirus news and top stories you need to know to start your day.
Activists march back towards the Kenosha County Courthouse on Monday, Aug. 24, 2020 in Kenosha, WI. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
President Donald Trump will visit Kenosha Tuesday over the objections of the city’s mayor and Wisconsin’s governor, nine days after the police shooting of Jacob Blake spurred violent clashes with law enforcement, the destruction of dozens of businesses and the death of two protesters.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot talks about a $1.2 billion budget shortfall for 2021 at the Chicago Cultural Center on Aug. 31, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Citing the “catastrophic collapse of our local and national economy” because of COVID-19 and damage to local businesses from civil unrest, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday laid out a $1.2 billion shortfall for what she called Chicago’s “pandemic budget” in 2021.
Police Superintendent David Brown stands with Chicago police officers and University of Chicago police as they take part in a new community policing initiative July 10. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
Barely a month into his job as Chicago’s top cop, David Brown described his “moonshot”: a year when there would be fewer than 300 homicides in the city. When he took the podium Monday for his usual news conference on weekend violence, the city had recorded more than 500 homicides this year, putting it on pace with 2016 when Chicago was hit with a spike of violence not seen in decades.
Nancy Sullivan stands on her deck along the shore of Lake Ontario in Greece, New York, on July 30, 2020. She has lost two decks and several trees in her yard, and her basement flooded multiple times. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Although the smallest of the Great Lakes, Ontario plays an important role in area commerce as the gateway to the St. Lawrence River and home to Toronto, Canada’s largest city. It is also affected by human regulation more intensely and directly than any of the other lakes to the west — policy that plays an outsized role in recent discussions about Lake Ontario’s health and its future.
In the midst of a changing climate and nationwide pandemic, local residents question how much influence a new international regulation plan may have on recent flooding and erosion along the Lake Ontario lakeshore.
Annie Cantara, founder of Vicinity Candles, makes Lakeview scented candles. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Lakeview smells like the summer breeze coming off the lake, rainwater and hints of jasmine and citrus — or, at least, that’s what the neighborhood smells like in candle form, according to Lakeview resident and candlemaker Annie Cantara.