chicagotribune--2020-07-08--Lake County warns COVID-19 cases climbing among young adults, teenagers

Teenagers and young adults “ are just as likely as ( older ) adults to get and spread this virus @ @ @ @ @ higher if you and those you spend time with are not following social distancing , @ @ @ @ @ ” Ahmed said .
“ We ask that everyone continue to take these risks seriously @ @ @ @ @ if you think you have been exposed .
We need your help to keep this @ @ @ @ @

The number of COVID-19 cases is climbing among Lake County teenagers and young adults even as the county’s overall totals have held steady, the Lake County Health Department warned Wednesday.
Two Lake County high schools – Lake Zurich and Vernon Hills – have reported cases among participants in their summer athletic programs, leading Lake Zurich High School to suspend its athletic camps until further notice and ask participants in three of the camps to self-quarantine for 14 days, according to the Lake County Health Department.
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The Lake County Health Department has found during its investigations into positive cases across the county that “many young people who attended social gatherings with their friends have become infected with COVID-19,” Dr. Sana Ahmed, the department’s medical epidemiologist, said in a news release.
For much of the pandemic locally, those under 30 had fewer cases per 10,000 people compared to the overall population, but that began to change in mid-June, Lake County data shows.
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On May 8, when coronavirus cases were at a high countywide, the seven-day rolling average was 2.71 per 10,000 Lake County residents. For those under 30, the number was lower: 1.97 per 10,000.
The two averages began to converge around mid-June as the number of new cases fell, hitting a low around June 21, the data shows. At that point, the seven-day average was 0.49 per 10,000 residents and 0.43 per 10,000 residents under 30.
The rate for under 30 surpassed the overall population on June 25 and since then the gap has grown. As of Tuesday, the seven-day average was 0.62 per 10,000 for those under 30 compared to 0.81 for the overall population.
Teenagers and young adults “are just as likely as (older) adults to get and spread this virus, and your risk is higher if you and those you spend time with are not following social distancing, handwashing, and masking guidelines.” Ahmed said. “We ask that everyone continue to take these risks seriously and contact the Health Department if you think you have been exposed. We need your help to keep this virus under control.”
For parents wondering if this means they should pull their kids from camps, the health department recommends they take time to understand what safety measures are in place and ask questions to check if precautions are being taken, Lake County spokeswoman Hannah Goering said.
“This pandemic is far from over, and parents absolutely need to continue to guide their children and help them make the right decisions about gatherings, social distancing, and wearing masks,” she said in an email.
“Any social gathering is going to carry some risk – so the more gatherings a person attends with different groups of people, the more likely they are being exposed and possibly infecting others,” she said. “It is not just about your child’s risk – it’s also about risk to your household and the community. Reducing the number and size of gatherings lowers the risk, social distancing lowers the risk, wearing masks lowers the risk.”
Case investigations and contact tracing are underway for both schools, according the release. As part of the process, any students and staff who were in close contact with a confirmed case are asked to quarantine, are monitored for symptoms, and can get tested to see if they’ve contracted COVID-19.
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The case investigation and contact tracing process is time sensitive, Ahmed said, asking that anyone who receives a call from the Lake County Health Department return it immediately.
Lake Zurich School District 95 was notified by families of students on the football, poms and baseball teams that the students had tested positive, Athletic Director Andrew Lambert said in a Tuesday morning letter to families.
The students had gotten tested because they had been in contact with someone who also tested positive, Lambert said. The families learned of the results Monday, after the first day of sports camps.
The school had originally canceled just the three impacted camps for the remainder of the week but later canceled all athletic camps until further notice, Lambert said in a joint letter with Superintendent Dr. Kelley Gallt sent later Tuesday.
“After careful review of all of the information collected, including the possibility of student athletes participating in large gatherings outside of the district’s sport camps, a larger circle of potential contacts with exposed individuals has been identified,” the two said in the letter. “Due to the extensive time expected to investigate the situation and out of concern for the health and welfare of Lake Zurich 95 student athletes, coaches, and community members, the IDPH and LCHD have recommended the closure of all sport camps until the LCHD has an opportunity to fully investigate and conduct its contact tracing efforts.”
The Lake County Health Department is also working with Vernon Hills High School after a student participating in athletic activities tested positive for COVID-19 this week, spokeswoman Hannah Goering said, pointing to an email released by the district to parents.
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The student, who was involved in a summer athletic workout group at Vernon Hills High School, tested positive July 5 and is now in isolation, Community High School District 128 spokeswoman Mary Todoric said in an email. The test result came after the workout group ended.
“There is no evidence to suggest that the student contracted the virus at the workout group,” she said, adding that the district will continue to follow Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois State Board of Education and IHSA guidelines for athletic workout groups and camps.
The district is declining to release the number of students or staff impacted in an effort to protect the privacy of students and staff, citing Lake County Health Department guidance.
The virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to be spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks, but some people with no symptoms may still be able to spread the virus to others, according to the health department. Symptoms typically develop two to 14 days after exposure.


chicagotribune--2020-07-08--Northside College Prep school council votes to pull police from campus: ‘If you’re going to put us o

Northside College Prep school council votes to pull police from campus: ‘If you’re going to put us on a pedestal, we can at least use that opportunity to set a precedent'

“ I saw the way that some of my friends were treated that were people of color , ” London @ @ @ @ @ ’ t want kids to have to go back to school this next year , @ @ @ @ @ s happening this summer , to have to go to school and having been fighting @ @ @ @ @ but have nothing change in the school system , where they ’ re supposed to @ @ @ @

Parent, community and teacher representatives at one of Chicago’s top high schools have voted to remove city police stationed on its grounds, breaking with tradition and stoking similar efforts at more schools, according to Northside College Prep alumni.
CPS Alumni for Abolition quickly issued a news release announcing the vote Tuesday night and calling it a “meaningful step for both the students of Northside College Prep and for the district as a whole.”
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CPS officials have previously said all 72 district-run schools with assigned officers voted to retain them last year, but declined to provide a list of schools with officers. The Chicago Police Department also declined to release a list of the officers and the schools to which they are assigned.
In a statement Wednesday, district officials reiterated their position that school communities and LSCs are “best suited to determine if SROs should be assigned to their schools.”
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“As part of this commitment, it is the district’s policy to encourage ongoing dialogue and allow school communities to revisit their previous decision about SROs,” said spokeswoman Emily Bolton. “The district fully supports Northside College Prep’s decision and will work with them to develop a safety plan without SROs that meets the needs of their unique school community.”
Officials did not say when Northside officers will be effectively removed or how that affects the amount the district pays CPD. CPS is now asking local school councils to vote on the status of school-based officers by Aug. 15, though they may revisit the decision at any time.
Though Chicago students and other activist groups have long advocated for the removal of police from schools, the recent police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis has put the matter in a national spotlight. The Minneapolis Board of Education, along with school boards in several other cities, have since ended their contracts with local police.
Kysani London, a member of Northside’s class of 2017, said she’d initially been involved in efforts to get the Chicago Board of Education to end its $33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department. But after the school board voted last month to keep the agreement allowing Local School Councils to decide on the issue school by school, London said her peers saw that as “an open call” to go to LSCs, which include parents, teachers, community members and student representatives.
“We mainly started to shift our focus on Northside once we saw the board and mayor engaged in the strategy of saying they don’t have the power, pushing it off to LSCs,” she said.
Although the Chicago Board of Education voted 4-3 not to end the current contract between CPS and the Chicago Police Department, that only runs through August. Between now and then, the board is expected to vote on a new agreement.
Another 2017 Northside grad, Carlie Hansen, said like-minded activists are hoping other school councils will take similar votes before the question comes before the Board of Ed, also noting that other groups have been raising the issue for longer, such as Grassroots Collaborative and Students Strike Back.
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“We saw this as a way to send a message to the rest of the city this something that’s possible, especially after Mayor Lightfoot punted this responsibility to LSCs,” Hansen added.
They and other alumni tracked down contact information for Northside’s Local School Council — the school’s website has outdated information — and reached out to members about taking a vote, she said. Members of the LSC could not be immediately reached Wednesday.
Hearing student testimony at the board meeting, protests and through online petitions has been “devastating,” pushing London harder to fight police presence in schools, she said.
“I saw the way that some of my friends were treated that were people of color,” London said. “I didn’t want kids to have to go back to school this next year, after experiencing everything that’s happening this summer, to have to go to school and having been fighting for change to systems nationally but have nothing change in the school system, where they’re supposed to feel safe.”
Though London, now 21, attends college in California, her younger siblings are still in grade school, and she’s been noticing her sister entering the teenage years become more involved and politically aware.
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Hansen also recalled instances of police racially profiling some of her classmates.
“Students of color are disproportionately harmed by their presence,” Hansen said. “It creates a threatening environment and many students feel unsafe with police in their schools.”
CPS data for the 2018-19 school year show about 59% of 1,758 police notifications were for Black students, who make up about 36% of the student population. In contrast, slightly more than 3.5% were for white students, who account for 11% of students districtwide.
At Northside, where about 31% of students are white, records show one police notification was reported for the 2018-19 school year. None were reported the previous two years, while four were reported during the 2015-16 school year and five during the 2014-15 school year.
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At Northside, London said, “We’re in a very privileged situation. The city’s eyes are always on us.”
“If you’re going to put us on a pedestal we can at least use that opportunity to set a precedent for this,” she said. “This is just the beginning.” Already, they’re working with other schools, helping others organize around the issue and push LSCs to vote officers out.
It was heartening to see teachers, parents and others on Northside’s council so willing to listen to students’ voices, she said.
CPS officials have said they’re providing LSCs with “toolkits” about school policing to help them make informed decisions for their own schools before next school year begins. On Wednesday, the district said those should be released next week.
Though Northside is the first known school to vote against keeping officers since LSCs were granted that power last year, Amundsen High School’s Local School Council re-voted last month to retain officers, according to principal Anna Pavichevich.
CPS and Chicago Teachers Union leaders have in recent weeks held battling media events, with CPS CEO Janice Jackson and principals such as Pavichevich speaking in favor of letting local councils decide and opponents claiming that’s a false choice, as schools aren’t given the option of spending the money that would go toward officers on other resources. CPS Chief of Safety and Security Jadine Chou has countered that it’s not either or, and just because a school has police doesn’t mean it can’t also have counselors or social workers.
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South Side Ald. Roderick Sawyer, 6th, has also submitted a City Council ordinance that would sever the city-school tie. Last Thursday, City Council members on a joint public safety and education committee took part in a five-hour discussion centered on the role of police in schools and whether they should be there at all.
Check back for updates.
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-08--Autopsy determines boy, 2, died of child abuse in homicide after Chicago police take man into custod

Autopsy determines boy, 2, died of child abuse in homicide after Chicago police take man into custody

The man , who police said has mental illness , hit the child in the face multiple times with his @ @ @ @ @ .
Officers took the man into custody at the scene .

A man beat a 2-year-old boy who later died after he was brought to a hospital from the Bronzeville neighborhood Tuesday afternoon, according to police.
The beating, which police characterized as a domestic attack, occurred in the 4200 block of South Calumet Avenue about 12:10 p.m.
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No charges have been announced as of Wednesday afternoon.
The boy, identified as Antwun Gayden, was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:41 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
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A Wednesday autopsy determined Antwun died of multiple injuries from child abuse, the medical examiner’s office said. His death was ruled a homicide.
The man, who police said has mental illness, hit the child in the face multiple times with his fists, according to police. Officers took the man into custody at the scene.
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services was investigating the situation, said chief of staff Jassen Strokosch. Strokosch said DCFS had no prior contact with the family.
Detectives were conducting a death investigation, according to police.


chicagotribune--2020-07-08--Albany Park man bludgeoned to death dies of head injuries; no charges yet, police say

Noffz , who lived on the same block where he was killed , died of head injuries from a beating @ @ @ @ @ a homicide , according to the medical examiner ’ s office , which performed an @ @

A 23-year-old man has been charged with murder after police said he pummeled another man’s head with a baseball bat Tuesday on the Northwest Side.
Carl Noffz, 23, was charged with murder in the death of Philip Noffz, 28, said Officer Steve Rusanov, a Chicago police spokesman. Rusanov declined to confirm any relationship the men had.
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Philip Noffz, 28, was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:43 a.m. after being hit with a baseball bat multiple times in the head and face inside a residence in the 4800 block of North Central Park Avenue on Tuesday, according to a police media notification and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Police responded to an emergency medical call and found the elder Noffz unresponsive and suffering from head injuries, according to police. The attack was domestic, police said, without elaborating.
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Carl Noffz, 23, was charged with murder after using a baseball bat to bludgeon a 28-year-old man to death in the 4800 block of North Central Park Avenue on July 7, 2020, Chicago police said. (Chicago Police Department)
Noffz, who lived on the same block where he was killed, died of head injuries from a beating and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office, which performed an autopsy Wednesday.
Carl Noffz, who also lived in the 4800 block of North Central Park Avenue, was scheduled to appear before a judge on Thursday for a bond hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.
Detectives were investigating the death as a homicide.


chicagotribune--2020-07-08--Death of woman, 96, ruled homicide following stabbing on South Side: officials

Both of the women who were stabbed were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center , according to the @ @ @ @ @ an updated media notification , police said the younger woman ’ s age was 73 @ @ @ @

A man is comforted in the 7700 block of South Laflin Street in Chicago on July 7, 2020, near the scene of a reported fatal stabbing incident. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
A 96-year-old woman was killed and a 73-year-old woman was seriously hurt when a 41-year-old man stabbed both of them multiple times in the Gresham neighborhood Tuesday morning, according to police.
Emergency crews were called to the 7700 block of Laflin Avenue about 11 a.m. Tuesday, according to a Chicago police media notification. The older woman, 96-year-old Myrtis Jackson, was stabbed multiple times with a pitchfork, according to other police information and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
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Jackson, who was pronounced dead at 11:43 a.m., also lived in the same block where she was killed, the medical examiner’s office said.
An autopsy Wednesday determined the primary cause of her death was multiple injuries from an assault, with heart disease listed as a secondary cause of death. Jackson’s death was ruled a homicide.
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Police initially were called for a mental health disturbance and a battery in progress, police spokeswoman Sally Bown said
Both of the women who were stabbed were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, according to the police media notification. In an updated media notification, police said the younger woman’s age was 73, not 57.
The man was taken to St. Bernard Hospital for injuries he suffered during the attack.
Police said the man has a history of mental illness and as of Wednesday evening, no charges had been announced.
Check back for updates.


chicagotribune--2020-07-08--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 980 new known COVID-19 cases reported — the highest daily total in

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 980 new known COVID-19 cases reported — the highest daily total in more than a month — as Gov. J.B. Pritzker calls for national mask mandate

Illinois reported 36 new deaths from COVID-19 Wednesday as well as 980 new confirmed cases .
The total of new confirmed cases is the highest in more than a month , since 1,156 new cases were announced June 5 .
Also on Wednesday , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker called for a national mask mandate , a national containment strategy for COVID-19 and additional federal aid for states to offset large revenue losses created by the pandemic in testimony before a Congressional committee .
Later in the day , the governor also announced that more than 500 Illinois National Guard members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing sites this month , after operating the sites since March and administering more than 200,000 tests .
The Chicago History Museum will reopen its doors to the public July 10 and will offer free admission through the end of the month , the North Side museum announced Wednesday .
As Chicago ’ s principal home devoted to the city ’ s past and stories , its building on the edge of Lincoln Park has been shut by the COVID-19 pandemic since mid-March .
It will reopen at reduced capacity , with timed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a time , and following the State of Illinois Phase 4 guidelines for museums .
5:20 p.m. : The retail bankruptcies and store closings just keep coming .
For some merchants , the pandemic was ‘ the straw that broke the camel ’ s back.
’ Many of America ’ s storied retailers already were facing big challenges , but the COVID-19 pandemic has hastened difficult decisions that will mean job losses and empty storefronts in the Chicago area and elsewhere .
Stay-at-home orders , layoffs and furloughs dented consumer spending that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and starts .
U.S. retail and food service sales rose an estimated 17.7 % in May compared with April , according to the U.S. Census Bureau .
Still , many consumers are dealing with the economic fallout of the pandemic and worries about venturing into stores , especially as an increase in new COVID-19 cases nationwide has led some states to slow their reopening plans .
Chains with deep roots are filing bankruptcy .
Others have sped up plans to close underperforming stores .
And unlike in past retail reckonings , the list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filling those spaces , like medical offices and fitness facilities , likely has shrunk , given economic concerns as well as social-distancing rules .
4:56 p.m. : Cook County to start dividing up ‘ much-needed ’ $ 51 million in federal CARES Act funding to suburbs hardest hit by coronavirus pandemic Cook County suburbs will receive about $ 51 million in federal aid under a formula that officials say will prioritize areas with the direst financial and public health needs , board President Toni Preckwinkle announced Wednesday .
More than 100 cities , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the money , which makes up 12 % of the total $ 429 million coronavirus relief fund given to Cook County under the Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security ( CARES ) Act , Preckwinkle said at a news conference in west suburban Berwyn .
When announcing what she called “ much-needed relief ” to local governments , Preckwinkle stressed that racial equity surrounding the coronavirus response was paramount — a common theme during her messaging since the pandemic started .
The county worked with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formula ” that considers a municipality ’ s immediate needs , median income and public health statistics , she said .
“ As we know , COVID-19 is having a disproportionate impact on Black and brown communities , ” Preckwinkle said .
“ This approach is designed to ensure these dollars are going to communities most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
” The number of COVID-19 cases is climbing among Lake County teenagers and young adults even as the county ’ s overall totals have held steady , the Lake County Health Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools – Lake Zurich and Vernon Hills – have reported cases among participants in their summer athletic programs , leading Lake Zurich High School to suspend its athletic camps until further notice and ask participants in three of the camps to self-quarantine for 14 days , according to the Lake County Health Department .
The Lake County Health Department has found during its investigations into positive cases across the county that “ many young people who attended social gatherings with their friends have become infected with COVID-19 , ” Dr. Sana Ahmed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a news release .
For much of the pandemic locally , those under 30 had fewer cases per 10,000 people compared to the overall population , but that began to change in mid-June , Lake County data shows .
On May 8 , when coronavirus cases were at a high countywide , the seven-day rolling average was 2.71 per 10,000 Lake County residents .
For those under 30 , the number was lower : 1.97 per 10,000 .
The two averages began to converge around mid-June as the number of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June 21 , the data shows .
At that point , the seven-day average was 0.49 per 10,000 residents and 0.43 per 10,000 residents under 30 .
The rate for under 30 surpassed the overall population on June 25 and since then the gap has grown .
As of Tuesday , the seven-day average was 0.62 per 10,000 for those under 30 compared to 0.81 for the overall population .
3:27 p.m. : Loyola , U. of C. make plans for students coming from high-risk states to quarantine under city order Loyola University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will need to quarantine when arriving on campus this fall , President Jo Ann Rooney said at a Wednesday webinar .
The university is making efforts to comply with the city ’ s recent order requiring travelers from 15 states with high rates of coronavirus to self-quarantine for 14 days when entering Chicago .
The order applies to students from Alabama , Arkansas , Arizona , California , Florida , Georgia , Idaho , Louisiana , Mississippi , North Carolina , Nevada , South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas and Utah .
City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may change with time .
“ We ’ re working that into a timeframe for when those students — if they were planning on living on campus — when they would need to be on campus or even in the city to quarantine during those two weeks prior to any classes starting , ” Rooney said .
She said students can quarantine in their dorms or apartments two weeks prior to classes starting , or they can participate in classes online for two weeks before transitioning to their classrooms .
” They would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an online component , and then be able to join when medically feasible , ” Rooney said .
The University of Chicago previously announced that its faculty , staff , students and other community members must adhere to the city ’ s order if they travel from listed states .
” Members of the University community should therefore build in as much flexibility as possible when making Autumn Quarter travel arrangements , ” Provost Ka Yee C. Lee wrote in a Friday email .
Some other Chicago colleges , including University of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northeastern Illinois University and Illinois Institute of Technology , have not yet announced plans related to the order .
2:40 p.m. : Illinois National Guard coronavirus mission to wind down ; 980 new known COVID-19 cases , 36 additional deaths reported Gov .
J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday that more than 500 Illinois National Guard members will end their missions at 11 state-run testing sites this month , after operating the sites since March and administering more than 200,000 tests .
” They ’ ve helped us build a groundbreaking testing infrastructure that will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long after their mission is completed in the coming days , ” Pritzker said at a news conference Wednesday .
“ These citizen soldiers spent months away from their families and their regular civilian jobs to see our state through the worst of this pandemic .
What I hope is the worst of this pandemic.
” Roughly 100 National Guard members will remain active through the end of this month to assist with the transition of COVID-19 related missions the Guard has been involved in , according to the Governor ’ s Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contract staffers , Guard members will quarantine for two weeks , per public health guidance to stem the spread of coronavirus .
The announcement came as the Illinois Department of Public Health on Wednesday announced 980 new known coronavirus cases today and 36 more deaths , raising the statewide totals to 149,432 confirmed cases and 7,099 deaths since the pandemic struck Illinois .
The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity rate stands at 2.6 % .
1:46 p.m. : Which parts of the Chicago area got the most PPP loans ?
Check out this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flowed into Illinois to support businesses during the pandemic , much of it went to Chicago ’ s downtown and North side neighborhoods as well as its northern suburbs .
Businesses in ZIP code 60062 , which encompasses the Chicago suburb of Northbrook , received the greatest number of loans — 1,907 — though the vast majority were small loans of less than $ 150,000 , according to an analysis of data released this week by the Small Business Administration .
12:50 p.m. : Taste of Chicago To-Go launches today — here ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s premier food and music summer festival was canceled — do we really need to mention why ?
— for 2020 , but it continues through July 12 as “ Taste of Chicago To-Go , ” a series of restaurant promotions , free community meals and virtual entertainment .
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker called for a national mask mandate , a national containment strategy for COVID-19 and additional federal aid for states to offset large revenue losses created by the pandemic in testimony before a Congressional committee on Wednesday .
” It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be followed in every state , ” Pritzker said , testifying remotely to the U.S. Committee on Homeland Security .
The mask mandate that took effect in Illinois May 1 “ aligns with our most significant downward shifts in our infection rate , ” Pritzker said .
“ It ’ s not too late for the federal government to make an impact .
In fact , it ’ s more important than ever.
” 12:11 p.m. : Despite Trump ’ s push for nation ’ s schools to reopen this fall , Lightfoot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday said the question of whether schools should reopen this fall must be a local decision but she doesn ’ t put much thought into what President Donald Trump says and added that it ’ s ironic for a Republican to advocate against individual states ’ rights .
” Making some broad declaration at the federal level and ignoring the particular circumstances of a locality , where they are ... what their plans are , eliminating the possibility for some kind of a hybrid model , that doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
” We all want to do what ’ s in the best interests of our children and that ’ s got to be dictated by the public health guidance , ” she said .
The extension by an additional month means that anyone with an expired document , including those that expire in July , August and September , don ’ t need to rush to a driver ’ s services facility to renew right away , White said in a statement Wednesday .
The Secretary of State ’ s Office continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online services where possible , including renewing license plate stickers , to lessen customer volumes within facility amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Until July 31 , the Secretary of State ’ s Office is serving only new drivers , those with expired licenses , identification cards and vehicle transactions .
Face masks are required in driver ’ s services facilities and customers are asked to be prepared to wait outside .
Mayor Lori Lightfoot kicked off the city ’ s Taste of Chicago “ to go , ” a symbolic and virtual way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The mayor peppered her remarks at Grant Park with praise for the resiliency of restaurateurs , saying they had “ a very tough go ” this year but have continued to pursue their dreams .
Having some sort of Taste of Chicago continue , she said , is about giving people something to look forward despite the changes to life brought by the coronavirus pandemic .
7:41 a.m. : For the 1st time since March , fans took in a live sporting event in Chicagoland with the Chicago Dogs home opener : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with our lives a little bit ’ Wearing a hot dog designed calf-length poncho Tuesday night , Danny Schwartz and his family walked into Rosemont ’ s Impact Field , eager to see live sports for what Schwartz said felt like an eternity .
“ I ’ ve missed it immensely , ” said Schwartz , who with Haley Damm brought their 4-year-old son Jackson .
“ When the opportunity arose to come out here , we jumped at it.
” The family from Barlett was in the crowd of 1,400 fans that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicagoland since the Chicago Blackhawks beat the San Jose Sharks at the United Center on March 11 .
Since then , arenas and stadiums across the nation shuttered amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
There will be daily food demonstrations online and other programming .
For details check this Tribune story and the Taste ’ s online home , TasteofChicago.us .
This summer , incoming Lane Tech senior Jasmin Aquino is sewing a fanny pack .
Enamored with fashion design since childhood , Jasmin finally learned to sew clothing through an After School Matters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since made jumpsuits , a floor-length gown , shirts , backpacks , and recently , masks for friends and family to wear during the coronavirus pandemic .
Knowing how serious the virus is and how cautious people need to be , Jasmin said shifting the summer program online offers students like her a chance to earn a bit of money and do something they love from home .
More than 10,000 Chicago teens could earn stipends this summer for participating in After School Matters programs , now in their 30th year .
Close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of more than 500 programs , which began Monday .
Summer students earn participation stipends ranging from $ 336 to $ 850 , depending on the program ’ s complexity , time commitment and level , such as apprenticeship and internship , said Chief Program Officer Melissa Mister .
Programs are also offered during the school year .
Funding for the nonprofit comes from the city and state , the private sector and individual donors .
In fiscal year 2019 , more than half its revenue came from government grants , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Demand escalates for pet food pantries during COVID-19 crisis : ‘ We didn ’ t know how we were going to manage ’ Chicago animal shelters and pet food pantries have scrambled to provide enough resources for pet owners as demand has escalated as people have lost their jobs and suffered financial strain during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Many pet food pantries in the region have shut down , while others looked to new ways of doing things to stay afloat .
Pantries have had to abandon their reliance on volunteers , many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home to adhere to social distancing guidelines and minimize exposure to COVID-19 .
As a result , fewer workers are picking up more work .
Here are five things that happened Tuesday related to COVID-19 .
A lender halted funding for a planned Helmut Jahn-designed skyscraper on Michigan Avenue because of economic concerns resulting from the coronavirus pandemic , putting the project in doubt .
Free saliva-based COVID-19 tests began at the University of Illinois , but the school won ’ t say if students are required to take them .
President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort to reopen schools this fall .
The Historic Sandwich Fair , the oldest in Illinois since 1888 , was canceled due to pandemic .
BrightFarms is boosting capacity at its Chicago-area greenhouse as the pandemic-driven rise in cooking at home fuels demand for locally grown greens .

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The Fulton Market area of Chicago is no longer the ghost town it was during the depths of the COVID-19 virus pandemic shutdown. As restrictions on restaurants are eased, a worker takes a woman's temperature before she can enter Federales restaurant on Morgan Street on July 1, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois reported 36 new deaths from COVID-19 Wednesday as well as 980 new confirmed cases. The total of new confirmed cases is the highest in more than a month, since 1,156 new cases were announced June 5.
Also on Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker called for a national mask mandate, a national containment strategy for COVID-19 and additional federal aid for states to offset large revenue losses created by the pandemic in testimony before a Congressional committee.
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Later in the day, the governor also announced that more than 500 Illinois National Guard members will end their missions at 11 state-run testing sites this month, after operating the sites since March and administering more than 200,000 tests.
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ COVID-19 cases are spiking in states across the country. How does Illinois compare? ]
[ Illinois is in phase 4 of its reopening plan. Here’s a guide to what’s allowed. ]
[ How to assess your COVID-19 risk when going out in public: Use this chart ]
Here’s what’s happening Wednesday regarding COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
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5:37 p.m.: Chicago History Museum reopens July 10 with free tickets
The Chicago History Museum will reopen its doors to the public July 10 and will offer free admission through the end of the month, the North Side museum announced Wednesday.
As Chicago’s principal home devoted to the city’s past and stories, its building on the edge of Lincoln Park has been shut by the COVID-19 pandemic since mid-March. It will reopen at reduced capacity, with timed entries and a maximum of 275 visitors at a time, and following the State of Illinois Phase 4 guidelines for museums.
Read more here. —Doug George
5:20 p.m.: The retail bankruptcies and store closings just keep coming. For some merchants, the pandemic was ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back.’
Many of America’s storied retailers already were facing big challenges, but the COVID-19 pandemic has hastened difficult decisions that will mean job losses and empty storefronts in the Chicago area and elsewhere.
Stay-at-home orders, layoffs and furloughs dented consumer spending that is only now coming back in fits and starts. U.S. retail and food service sales rose an estimated 17.7% in May compared with April, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Still, many consumers are dealing with the economic fallout of the pandemic and worries about venturing into stores, especially as an increase in new COVID-19 cases nationwide has led some states to slow their reopening plans.
Chains with deep roots are filing bankruptcy. Others have sped up plans to close underperforming stores. And unlike in past retail reckonings, the list of tenants that might be interested in filling those spaces, like medical offices and fitness facilities, likely has shrunk, given economic concerns as well as social-distancing rules.
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
4:56 p.m.: Cook County to start dividing up ‘much-needed’ $51 million in federal CARES Act funding to suburbs hardest hit by coronavirus pandemic
Cook County suburbs will receive about $51 million in federal aid under a formula that officials say will prioritize areas with the direst financial and public health needs, board President Toni Preckwinkle announced Wednesday.
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More than 100 cities, towns and villages will receive a slice of the money, which makes up 12% of the total $429 million coronavirus relief fund given to Cook County under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Preckwinkle said at a news conference in west suburban Berwyn.
When announcing what she called “much-needed relief” to local governments, Preckwinkle stressed that racial equity surrounding the coronavirus response was paramount — a common theme during her messaging since the pandemic started. The county worked with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning to devise an “equitable funding formula” that considers a municipality’s immediate needs, median income and public health statistics, she said.
“As we know, COVID-19 is having a disproportionate impact on Black and brown communities,” Preckwinkle said. “This approach is designed to ensure these dollars are going to communities most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.”
Read more here. —Alice Yin
4:50 p.m.: Lake County warns COVID-19 cases climbing among young adults, teenagers
The number of COVID-19 cases is climbing among Lake County teenagers and young adults even as the county’s overall totals have held steady, the Lake County Health Department warned Wednesday.
Two Lake County high schools – Lake Zurich and Vernon Hills – have reported cases among participants in their summer athletic programs, leading Lake Zurich High School to suspend its athletic camps until further notice and ask participants in three of the camps to self-quarantine for 14 days, according to the Lake County Health Department.
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The Lake County Health Department has found during its investigations into positive cases across the county that “many young people who attended social gatherings with their friends have become infected with COVID-19,” Dr. Sana Ahmed, the department’s medical epidemiologist, said in a news release.
For much of the pandemic locally, those under 30 had fewer cases per 10,000 people compared to the overall population, but that began to change in mid-June, Lake County data shows.
On May 8, when coronavirus cases were at a high countywide, the seven-day rolling average was 2.71 per 10,000 Lake County residents. For those under 30, the number was lower: 1.97 per 10,000.
The two averages began to converge around mid-June as the number of new cases fell, hitting a low around June 21, the data shows. At that point, the seven-day average was 0.49 per 10,000 residents and 0.43 per 10,000 residents under 30.
The rate for under 30 surpassed the overall population on June 25 and since then the gap has grown. As of Tuesday, the seven-day average was 0.62 per 10,000 for those under 30 compared to 0.81 for the overall population.
Read more here. —Emily Coleman
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3:27 p.m.: Loyola, U. of C. make plans for students coming from high-risk states to quarantine under city order
Loyola University Chicago is preparing lists of students who will need to quarantine when arriving on campus this fall, President Jo Ann Rooney said at a Wednesday webinar.
The university is making efforts to comply with the city’s recent order requiring travelers from 15 states with high rates of coronavirus to self-quarantine for 14 days when entering Chicago. The order applies to students from Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. City officials said the list of high-risk states may change with time.
“We’re working that into a timeframe for when those students — if they were planning on living on campus — when they would need to be on campus or even in the city to quarantine during those two weeks prior to any classes starting,” Rooney said.
She said students can quarantine in their dorms or apartments two weeks prior to classes starting, or they can participate in classes online for two weeks before transitioning to their classrooms.
”They would be asked then to join that classroom in an online component, and then be able to join when medically feasible,” Rooney said.
The University of Chicago previously announced that its faculty, staff, students and other community members must adhere to the city’s order if they travel from listed states.
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”Members of the University community should therefore build in as much flexibility as possible when making Autumn Quarter travel arrangements,” Provost Ka Yee C. Lee wrote in a Friday email.
Some other Chicago colleges, including University of Illinois at Chicago, DePaul University, Northeastern Illinois University and Illinois Institute of Technology, have not yet announced plans related to the order.
—Sydney Czyzon
2:40 p.m.: Illinois National Guard coronavirus mission to wind down; 980 new known COVID-19 cases, 36 additional deaths reported
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday that more than 500 Illinois National Guard members will end their missions at 11 state-run testing sites this month, after operating the sites since March and administering more than 200,000 tests.
”They’ve helped us build a groundbreaking testing infrastructure that will continue to make a difference to Illinoisans long after their mission is completed in the coming days,” Pritzker said at a news conference Wednesday. “These citizen soldiers spent months away from their families and their regular civilian jobs to see our state through the worst of this pandemic. What I hope is the worst of this pandemic.”
Roughly 100 National Guard members will remain active through the end of this month to assist with the transition of COVID-19 related missions the Guard has been involved in, according to the Governor’s Office.
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After testing sites are turned over to contract staffers, Guard members will quarantine for two weeks, per public health guidance to stem the spread of coronavirus.
The announcement came as the Illinois Department of Public Health on Wednesday announced 980 new known coronavirus cases today and 36 more deaths, raising the statewide totals to 149,432 confirmed cases and 7,099 deaths since the pandemic struck Illinois. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity rate stands at 2.6%.
Read more here. —Jamie Munks
1:46 p.m.: Which parts of the Chicago area got the most PPP loans? Check out this ZIP code analysis.
As federal money flowed into Illinois to support businesses during the pandemic, much of it went to Chicago’s downtown and North side neighborhoods as well as its northern suburbs.
Businesses in ZIP code 60062, which encompasses the Chicago suburb of Northbrook, received the greatest number of loans — 1,907 — though the vast majority were small loans of less than $150,000, according to an analysis of data released this week by the Small Business Administration.
Read more here. —Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz and Jonathon Berlin
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12:50 p.m.: Taste of Chicago To-Go launches today — here’s how to take part
Taste of Chicago started Wednesday. You may be forgiven for not noticing.
The city’s premier food and music summer festival was canceled — do we really need to mention why? — for 2020, but it continues through July 12 as “Taste of Chicago To-Go,” a series of restaurant promotions, free community meals and virtual entertainment.
Here’s what you need to know. —Phil Vettel
12:28 p.m.: Pritzker calls for national mask mandate and containment strategy in congressional testimony
Gov. J.B. Pritzker called for a national mask mandate, a national containment strategy for COVID-19 and additional federal aid for states to offset large revenue losses created by the pandemic in testimony before a Congressional committee on Wednesday.
Pritzker said a national containment strategy for the highly-contagious COVID-19 should involve additional testing and contact tracing.
”It may even mean national restrictions that will be followed in every state,” Pritzker said, testifying remotely to the U.S. Committee on Homeland Security.
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The mask mandate that took effect in Illinois May 1 “aligns with our most significant downward shifts in our infection rate,” Pritzker said. “It’s not too late for the federal government to make an impact. In fact, it’s more important than ever.”
Read more here. —Jamie Munks
12:11 p.m.: Despite Trump’s push for nation’s schools to reopen this fall, Lightfoot says the decision should be local
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday said the question of whether schools should reopen this fall must be a local decision but she doesn’t put much thought into what President Donald Trump says and added that it’s ironic for a Republican to advocate against individual states’ rights.
”Making some broad declaration at the federal level and ignoring the particular circumstances of a locality, where they are ... what their plans are, eliminating the possibility for some kind of a hybrid model, that doesn’t make any sense,” Lightfoot said.
The city doesn’t know what’s going to happen in September, Lightfoot said.
”We all want to do what’s in the best interests of our children and that’s got to be dictated by the public health guidance,” she said.
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Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
10:26 a.m.: State extends deadline on expiring driver’s licenses, vehicle stickers to Nov. 1
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White’s office will extend expiration dates for driver’s licenses, identification cards and license plate stickers an additional month, to Nov. 1.
The extension by an additional month means that anyone with an expired document, including those that expire in July, August and September, don’t need to rush to a driver’s services facility to renew right away, White said in a statement Wednesday.
The Secretary of State’s Office continues to advise Illinois residents to use its online services where possible, including renewing license plate stickers, to lessen customer volumes within facility amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Until July 31, the Secretary of State’s Office is serving only new drivers, those with expired licenses, identification cards and vehicle transactions. Face masks are required in driver’s services facilities and customers are asked to be prepared to wait outside.
—Jamie Munks
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9:44 a.m.: Lightfoot marks kickoff of virtual Taste of Chicago amid coronavirus pandemic
Mayor Lori Lightfoot kicked off the city’s Taste of Chicago “to go,” a symbolic and virtual way to keep the popular summer tradition alive.
The mayor peppered her remarks at Grant Park with praise for the resiliency of restaurateurs, saying they had “a very tough go” this year but have continued to pursue their dreams.
Having some sort of Taste of Chicago continue, she said, is about giving people something to look forward despite the changes to life brought by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Shutting down, having nothing, that doesn’t bring hope and inspiration,” she said.
There will be online cooking demonstrations hosted by popular Chicago chefs as part of the Taste.
—Gregory Pratt
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7:41 a.m.: For the 1st time since March, fans took in a live sporting event in Chicagoland with the Chicago Dogs home opener: ‘We just wanted to get on with our lives a little bit’
Wearing a hot dog designed calf-length poncho Tuesday night, Danny Schwartz and his family walked into Rosemont’s Impact Field, eager to see live sports for what Schwartz said felt like an eternity.
“I’ve missed it immensely,” said Schwartz, who with Haley Damm brought their 4-year-old son Jackson. “When the opportunity arose to come out here, we jumped at it.”
The family from Barlett was in the crowd of 1,400 fans that watched the first professional sports event in Chicagoland since the Chicago Blackhawks beat the San Jose Sharks at the United Center on March 11. Since then, arenas and stadiums across the nation shuttered amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
As other sports — like the NBA, WNBA, MLS, NWSL and MLB — plot to play again, the Dogs’ season is underway.
Read more here. —Shannon Ryan
6:45 a.m.: Online Taste of Chicago starts today
A coronavirus-era Taste of Chicago kicks off this morning with a parade of food trucks from Buckingham Fountain, online food demonstrations and a list of restaurants to order food from or sample via their food trucks.
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This year’s Taste will largely be either online or symbolic, with the city designating a list of restaurants participating in the festival, usually held in Grant Park, but which this year will have takeout food trucks available with special Taste menus.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot was scheduled to kick off the fest Wednesday morning at Buckingham Fountain, followed by a parade of food trucks from participating restaurants.
There will be daily food demonstrations online and other programming. For details check this Tribune story and the Taste’s online home, TasteofChicago.us.
—Chicago Tribune staff
6 a.m.: Chicago students earning stipends through online summer program
This summer, incoming Lane Tech senior Jasmin Aquino is sewing a fanny pack. Enamored with fashion design since childhood, Jasmin finally learned to sew clothing through an After School Matters program in 2017. She’s since made jumpsuits, a floor-length gown, shirts, backpacks, and recently, masks for friends and family to wear during the coronavirus pandemic.
Knowing how serious the virus is and how cautious people need to be, Jasmin said shifting the summer program online offers students like her a chance to earn a bit of money and do something they love from home.
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More than 10,000 Chicago teens could earn stipends this summer for participating in After School Matters programs, now in their 30th year. Close to 17,000 applied for a spot in one of more than 500 programs, which began Monday. Summer students earn participation stipends ranging from $336 to $850, depending on the program’s complexity, time commitment and level, such as apprenticeship and internship, said Chief Program Officer Melissa Mister.
Programs are also offered during the school year. Funding for the nonprofit comes from the city and state, the private sector and individual donors. In fiscal year 2019, more than half its revenue came from government grants, according to the organization.
Read more here. —Hannah Leone
6 a.m.: Demand escalates for pet food pantries during COVID-19 crisis: ‘We didn’t know how we were going to manage’
Chicago animal shelters and pet food pantries have scrambled to provide enough resources for pet owners as demand has escalated as people have lost their jobs and suffered financial strain during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many pet food pantries in the region have shut down, while others looked to new ways of doing things to stay afloat.
Pantries have had to abandon their reliance on volunteers, many of whom have been told to stay at home to adhere to social distancing guidelines and minimize exposure to COVID-19. As a result, fewer workers are picking up more work.
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Read more here. —Kelli Smith
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Here are five things that happened Tuesday related to COVID-19.
A lender halted funding for a planned Helmut Jahn-designed skyscraper on Michigan Avenue because of economic concerns resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, putting the project in doubt.
Free saliva-based COVID-19 tests began at the University of Illinois, but the school won’t say if students are required to take them.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday launched an all-out effort to reopen schools this fall.
The Historic Sandwich Fair, the oldest in Illinois since 1888, was canceled due to pandemic.
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BrightFarms is boosting capacity at its Chicago-area greenhouse as the pandemic-driven rise in cooking at home fuels demand for locally grown greens.


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· A quote from Twitter was misattributed in Eric Zorn’s July 8 column. The original author of “Don’t get too excited. After Phase 4 comes Phase 1 again” was @dmc1138
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chicagotribune--2020-07-08--Cook County to start dividing up ‘much-needed’ $51 million in federal CARES Act funding to suburbs h

Cook County to start dividing up ‘much-needed’ $51 million in federal CARES Act funding to suburbs hardest hit by coronavirus pandemic

Preckwinkle has said the county is working to close those shortfalls , although she ’ s also hoping Congress passes @ @ @ @ @ that would include money for local governments .
The Democratic-led U.S. House has approved additional @ @ @ @ @ the HEROES Act , but the GOP-controlled U.S. Senate has not taken up the matter @ @ @ @ @ July 20 .

County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, center, puts on a mask after speaking at a news conference at the Cook County medical examiner's office in Chicago in May. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Cook County suburbs will receive about $51 million in federal aid under a formula that officials say will prioritize areas with the direst financial and public health needs, board President Toni Preckwinkle announced Wednesday.
More than 100 cities, towns and villages will receive a slice of the money, which makes up 12% of the total $429 million coronavirus relief fund given to Cook County under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Preckwinkle said at a news conference in west suburban Berwyn.
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When announcing what she called “much-needed relief” to local governments, Preckwinkle stressed that racial equity surrounding the coronavirus response was paramount — a common theme during her messaging since the pandemic started. The county worked with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning to devise an “equitable funding formula” that considers a municipality’s immediate needs, median income and public health statistics, she said.
“As we know, COVID-19 is having a disproportionate impact on Black and brown communities,” Preckwinkle said. “This approach is designed to ensure these dollars are going to communities most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.”
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But the federal aid comes with the condition that local governments may only use it for direct COVID-19-related expenses, such as reimbursements for personal protective equipment or other costs incurred responding to the pandemic. Lost revenue from sales, amusement and other non-property taxes throughout the coronavirus outbreak cannot be offset by CARES Act funding.
For this fiscal year, a nearly $281 million budget gap is projected for Cook County, and that number could grow to a projected $410 million during the next fiscal year.
Preckwinkle has said the county is working to close those shortfalls, although she’s also hoping Congress passes another round of coronavirus relief that would include money for local governments. The Democratic-led U.S. House has approved additional legislation, which it dubbed the HEROES Act, but the GOP-controlled U.S. Senate has not taken up the matter and is on recess until July 20.
“We’re hopeful that the Senate will take up the HEROES Act or some variant that provides support to local units of government,” Preckwinkle said. “We anticipate that there’ll be some Senate action.”
Cook County Chief Financial Officer Ammar Rizki said that despite the lack of aid for revenue loss that municipalities “desperately need,” the formula for allocating the $51 million will ensure communities hardest hit by the pandemic get their fair share of the funding. The county will release its exact calculations in about a week, Rizki said.
“Even before the pandemic, we knew several communities in our southern and southwestern part of our county were economically challenged,” Rizki said. “And then the pandemic just made those challenges worse. This is why looking through an equity lens was such an important piece.”
Also at the briefing were Berwyn Mayor Robert Lovero, whose city is getting $788,000 from the CARES Act, and Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar, D-16th, whose district includes Berwyn.
“No one came to 2020 expecting a need to budget funds for a global pandemic,” Aguilar said. “No one could anticipate businesses shutting down, schools closing, parents being laid off and most of our vulnerable residents being forced to stay home. But it happens.”
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ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-08--The retail bankruptcies and store closings just keep coming. For some merchants, the pandemic was ‘t

The retail bankruptcies and store closings just keep coming. For some merchants, the pandemic was ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back.’

Stay-at-home orders , layoffs and furloughs dented consumer spending that is only now coming back in fits and starts .
@ @ @ @ @ sales rose an estimated 17.7 % in May compared with April , according to the @ @ @ @ @ , many consumers are dealing with the economic fallout of the pandemic and worries about @ @ @ @ @ as an increase in new COVID-19 cases nationwide has led some states to slow their @ @ @

A person runs in front of the boarded up Neiman Marcus store on Michigan Ave. on March 23, 2020, in Chicago. (Raquel Zaldivar/Chicago Tribune)
Many of America’s storied retailers already were facing big challenges, but the COVID-19 pandemic has hastened difficult decisions that will mean job losses and empty storefronts in the Chicago area and elsewhere.
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Stay-at-home orders, layoffs and furloughs dented consumer spending that is only now coming back in fits and starts. U.S. retail and food service sales rose an estimated 17.7% in May compared with April, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Still, many consumers are dealing with the economic fallout of the pandemic and worries about venturing into stores, especially as an increase in new COVID-19 cases nationwide has led some states to slow their reopening plans.
Chains with deep roots are filing for bankruptcy. Others have sped up plans to close underperforming stores. And unlike in past retail reckonings, the list of tenants that might be interested in filling those spaces, like medical offices and fitness facilities, likely has shrunk, given economic concerns as well as social-distancing rules.
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U.S. retailers are on track to close between 20,000 and 25,000 stores this year, about 60% of them in malls, according to a June report from Coresight Research, a retail research firm. That’s up from the firm’s previous estimate in mid-March of 15,000 closings, and it would surpass the record 9,000 stores closures last year.
Department stores
Department stores have struggled for decades as the idea of a one-stop shop at the mall fell out of favor with consumers, and though several companies had been making progress on turnaround efforts, the pandemic “doubled down on the pace of the decline,” said Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData Retail.
J.C. Penney, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May, has announced plans to close 154 of its roughly 850 stores, including locations in Bourbonnais, Carbondale, Freeport, and Mt. Vernon. The company warned it expects to shutter more locations in the coming weeks.
Even before the pandemic, the company had too many stores and needed stronger merchandise that would keep customers coming back, said Craig Johnson, president of retail consultancy Customer Growth Partners.
COVID-19 was “the straw that broke the camel’s back,” he said.
The J.C. Penney store at Stonebriar Centre in Frisco, Texas. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News)
Neiman Marcus, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May, simply had too much debt, Saunders said. A smaller number of stores and a clear focus on luxury shoppers should leave it in a better position if it can restructure, he said.
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Neiman Marcus hasn’t announced store closures, and its three Illinois department stores in Chicago, Oak Brook and Northbrook are open for curbside pickup and in-store shopping by appointment.
Meanwhile, Macy’s announced plans in late June to cut 3,900 corporate and management jobs. It also will reduce the number of employees in its stores, supply chain and customer support network while sales recover. Macy’s was planning to shrink even before the pandemic forced U.S. stores to close: In February, the company said it would close 125 stores, or one-fifth of its locations.
“While we continue to see challenges ahead, we’ve taken the necessary actions to stabilize our business and give us financial flexibility,” CEO Jeff Gennette said when the retailer reported first-quarter results earlier this month.
Nordstrom, which announced plans to close 16 department stores and its three Jeffrey boutiques in May, is laying off thousands of workers, according to The Seattle Times. None of the closing stores are in Illinois.
The company declined to confirm the number of employees affected but said in an email that the changes “enable us to respond to current economic conditions” and changes in the way customers shop.
Clothing chains
Specialty apparel retailers are facing some of the same challenges as department stores, including sizable debts, lost revenue from stores forced to close during the pandemic and questions about how long shoppers will put off nonessential spending or remain wary of heading back to malls. Chicago-area malls have reopened, though certain stores and restaurants may still be temporarily closed.
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Spending at bricks-and-mortar stores is expected to bounce back. About 45% of people said their spending in stores will return to normal as soon as COVID-19-related restrictions lift, according to a June survey by 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence. Nearly 40% expected their in-store spending to return to normal within three months.
Nevertheless, already this month, two specialty apparel retailers sought bankruptcy protection.
A pedestrian walks by a Lucky Brand retail store on July 6, 2020, in Corte Madera, California. Los Angeles-based Lucky Brand Dungarees filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as the company is millions of dollars in debt. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
Denim retailer Lucky Brand Dungarees filed for bankruptcy July 3 with plans to close 13 of its stores, including its Michigan Avenue location. The Los Angeles-based retailer operates more than 200 U.S. stores, mostly in shopping malls, and plans to retain most of them through a proposed sale, according to bankruptcy court filings.
On Wednesday, Manhattan-based men’s clothier Brooks Brothers filed for bankruptcy and will permanently close more than a quarter of its 200 stores, including a Loop location in the Rookery on LaSalle Street. The 200-year-old seller of high-end suits is known for dressing almost every U.S. president, including Abraham Lincoln.
Formal business attire and other office-friendly clothing was in decline even before the pandemic. Now that people are going into the office less often and attending fewer social events that require getting dressed up, there are even fewer reasons to stock closets with more than jeans and yoga pants.
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“The whole pandemic has made what was once a difficult job a really difficult job,” Saunders said.
J. Crew, known for its tailored “smart casual” clothing, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May. J. Crew’s Madewell brand was a bright spot for the retailer, but the company was also laden with “crippling debt,” Saunders said.
The J. Crew store in the 3400 block of North Southport Avenue, in Chicago. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)
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Women’s apparel retailer J. Jill and apparel and accessories chain Francesca’s both issued regulatory filings warning the effects of the pandemic raise doubts about whether the companies can stay in business. J. Jill also said it reached forbearance agreements with lenders that give it until July 16 to comply with some terms of the loans.
Ascena Retail Group, parent company of Ann Taylor and Lane Bryant, also known for more tailored styles, is preparing to file for bankruptcy and plans to close 1,200 stores, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.
The Children’s Place plans to close 300 stores by the end of next year and wants stores in malls to account for less than 25% of its revenue by 2022, CEO Jane Elfers said in a news release last month.
Specialty retailers
The pandemic was especially tough for companies that were slower to invest in online shopping or saddled with too many stores, regardless of industry, said Sheryl Kingstone, head of customer experience and commerce at 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence.
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Discount retailer Tuesday Morning said it plans to close 230 stores, or about a third of its locations, after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May.
Closing sales are underway at stores in Naperville, Wheaton, Downers Grove and Merrillville, Indiana, according to the company’s website. That leaves five Chicago-area stores.
Discount chains like TJ Maxx and Ross have been doing well with consumers who are budget-conscious or just like hunting for a good bargain, but Tuesday Morning’s stores can feel too “haphazard,” Saunders said.
Other specialty retailers have said the pandemic accelerated plans to close stores, including vitamin and nutritional supplement seller GNC Holdings, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late last month.
A couple walks past a GNC store at the company's world headquarters in downtown Pittsburgh on April 29, 2020. Health and wellness company GNC Holdings has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and is looking to close as many as 1,200 stores. (Gene J. Puskar / AP)
GNC said it plans to close as many as 1,200 of its 5,200 U.S. stores, some of which are inside Rite Aid stores. That includes 13 Illinois locations, including stores in Chicago, Orland Park, Lincolnwood, Wilmette and Bannockburn.
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The company was working to refinance debt earlier this year but was not able to complete a deal after the pandemic hit and 40% of its stores were forced to close as nonessential businesses, chief financial officer Tricia Tolivar said in a filing with the bankruptcy court.
Mandated store closures also took a toll on cookware and kitchen chain Sur La Table, which filed for bankruptcy Wednesday and plans to close 56 of 126 stores nationwide, including five that did not reopen after stay-at-home orders lifted.
The Seattle-based company, known for its in-store cooking classes, is holding liquidation sales at 51 stores that will close in the next eight to 12 weeks, spokesman Phil Denning said. According to its website, stores at Oakbrook Center, the Arboretum of South Barrington and Northbook Court are slated to close.
Also Wednesday, Bed Bath & Beyond revealed plans to close about 200 stores over the next two years and further invest in digital sales. The closures represent about 21% of all stores and are expected to generate annualized savings between $250 million and $350 million, Chief Financial Officer Gustavo Arnal said on an earnings call.
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Technology sellers
Meanwhile, AT&T is closing 250 retail locations and laying off thousands of workers, according to Axios. A spokesman declined to confirm the number of closing stores or employees affected.
The showroom at Microsoft store sits empty on June 26, 2020, in Corte Madera, California. Microsoft announced it plans to close all of its 83 brick-and-mortar stores and switch to an online-only platform. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
Microsoft also announced plans last month to close all its physical stores, including two Illinois locations at Oakbrook Center and Woodfield Mall. The company said it plans to focus on online sales, though it will keep Microsoft Experience Centers in London, New York City, Sydney, and near its Redmond, Washington, headquarters.
When Microsoft started opening mall stores, it appeared to be trying to copy Apple’s playbook, but never attracted the crowds who would come to check out the latest iPhone, Johnson said.
“Mallgoers aren’t really their target audience,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed.
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lzumbach@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-08--Illinois coronavirus graphs: 7,099 deaths, 149,432 confirmed cases, 1.84 million tests, 4.26% positi

Illinois coronavirus graphs: 7,099 deaths, 149,432 confirmed cases, 1.84 million tests, 4.26% positivity rate for Chicago area

New daily cases were averaging notably higher in early June than they are now in Illinois .
The average number @ @ @ @ @ the three days before and the three days after June 5 is 1,026 , while @ @ @ @ @ the last week is 774 .

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 ]
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chicagotribune--2020-07-08--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--2020-07-08--Aurora police searching for hit-and-run car that struck boy riding his bike

Police are searching for a silver or gray car .
The video shows the car heading east on Montgomery Road @ @ @ @ @ East Side as a child is riding his bike north .
The driver does not @ @ @ @ @ boy is hit and is laying in the street , officials said ,

Aurora police are searching for the driver who did not stop after allegedly hitting an 11-year-old boy riding his bike Sunday afternoon, officials said.
Police released a video of the hit-and-run crash at Montgomery Road and Cumberland Road on its Facebook page Wednesday. The video was recorded at 2:20 p.m. Sunday from a nearby home’s surveillance camera.
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Police are searching for a silver or gray car. The video shows the car heading east on Montgomery Road on the city’s East Side as a child is riding his bike north. The driver does not stop the vehicle after the boy is hit and is laying in the street, officials said,
The boy was taken to a local hospital by his family, police spokesman Paris Lewbel said.
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Police are asking anyone with information or who recognizes the vehicle to call the Aurora Police Department Traffic Division at 630-256-5530.
mejones@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-08--Despite President Donald Trump’s push for nation’s schools to reopen this fall, Chicago Mayor Lori L

Despite President Donald Trump’s push for nation’s schools to reopen this fall, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says the decision should be local

“ The Illinois State Board of Education worked with the Illinois Department of Public Health to create health guidance for @ @ @ @ @ students , teachers and administrators safe and healthy .
Both ISBE and IDPH agree that @ @ @ @ @ the ultimate goal , but also acknowledge the differences in districts across the state , @ @ @ @ @ The nature of the pandemic changes every day and the public health experts are tracking @ @ @ @ @ as we get closer to the start of the school year .
”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday said the question of whether schools should reopen this fall must be a local decision, and she doesn’t put much thought into what President Donald Trump says, adding that it’s ironic for a Republican to advocate against individual states’ rights.
“Making some broad declaration at the federal level and ignoring the particular circumstances of a locality, where they are ... what their plans are, eliminating the possibility for some kind of a hybrid model, that doesn’t make any sense,” Lightfoot said.
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The city doesn’t know what’s going to happen in September, Lightfoot said.
“We all want to do what’s in the best interests of our children and that’s got to be dictated by the public health guidance,” she said.
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Trump on Tuesday pressed state and local officials across the country to reopen schools and colleges this fall. Health and education officials at a White House event also argued that keeping students out of school for the fall semester would pose greater health risks than any tied to the coronavirus.
On Wednesday, the president followed up with a tweet accusing Democratic leaders of playing politics with reopening schools and offering a vague threat to withhold funding if they don’t reopen.
“In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS,” Trump tweeted. “The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open!”
In Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many other countries, SCHOOLS ARE OPEN WITH NO PROBLEMS. The Dems think it would be bad for them politically if U.S. schools open before the November Election, but is important for the children & families. May cut off funding if not open! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2020
The president also criticized federal health officials over school reopening guidelines that he says are impractical and expensive.
Among other things, the Centers Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that students and teachers wear masks whenever feasible, spread out desks, stagger schedules, eat meals in classrooms instead of the cafeteria and add physical barriers between bathroom sinks.
The CDC’s director, Dr. Robert Redfield, on Wednesday said at the White House coronavirus task force news conference that the agency would continue working with states and local jurisdictions on different strategies.
“The goal of this is to get schools reopened. I did mention and I want to reiterate, that goal’s just not a goal to reopen schools,” Redfield said. “That’s a goal because we believe that’s in the best public health interest of the students.”
Vice President Mike Pence said the CDC would be issuing additional documents next week to give schools “more clarity on the guidance going forward.”
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Pence said that the federal guidance “is not to supplant the laws, the rules, the regulations, the decisions at the state level.” Still, Pence said the administration could seek to link future federal coronavirus relief legislation in Congress with whether schools are reopening.
“I expect as the debate in Congress goes forward about additional resources, we’re going to look to build in incentives for states to go forward,” Pence said. “But the president’s made it clear, and I think most parents in America would agree with him, that we’ve got to get our kids back to school and we’ve got to get them back into the classroom.”
I disagree with @CDCgov on their very tough & expensive guidelines for opening schools. While they want them open, they are asking schools to do very impractical things. I will be meeting with them!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2020
Lightfoot said Chicago Public Schools leaders have been thoughtful in planning for the fall, “but it’s all contingency right now because we don’t know sitting here in July what September is going to look like.”
She also said there will be some conditioning work beginning this summer for student-athletes, but CPS will reveal more about that later, she said.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration last month announced guidance for reopening schools in the fall that call for increased schoolwide cleaning and disinfection, symptom screening and temperature checks for people entering schools, but leaving it up to the state’s 852 districts, community colleges and universities to develop their own reopening plans before in-person instruction resumes.
Any further state reopening guidance will “rely on what the medical experts tell us is best for our students,” Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in a statement Wednesday.
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“The Illinois State Board of Education worked with the Illinois Department of Public Health to create health guidance for reopening schools that would keep students, teachers and administrators safe and healthy. Both ISBE and IDPH agree that in person learning should be the ultimate goal, but also acknowledge the differences in districts across the state,” Abudayyeh said. “The nature of the pandemic changes every day and the public health experts are tracking the data and new developments as we get closer to the start of the school year.”
During his testimony Wednesday before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, Pritzker called guidance from the CDC on reopening schools “vitally important,” but said he thought that the federal health protection agency has been restrained by the White House.
“I hate to say that I’ve often found the CDC is being muzzled along the way here — I think the CDC is what we should be relying on,” Pritzker said. “I wish that we could have a federal government that was our partner in this endeavor. That’s why I was so frustrated to see the president just sort of pronounce that everybody should open their schools. Well, great — please, please provide us the kind of guidance that will help us do that.”
The Associated Press contributed.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com
jmunks@chicagotribune.com
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chicagotribune--2020-07-08--Missing Valparaiso man with dementia found dead: Rod Moore, 75, former Valparaiso U. trainer, went m

Missing Valparaiso man with dementia found dead: Rod Moore, 75, former Valparaiso U. trainer, went missing June 30

“ Our hearts are broken right now , ” the Moore family said in a statement provided to the Post-Tribune @ @ @ @ @ ’ t the outcome that we had hoped for .
Even so , we are @ @ @ @ @ been found and that we can properly lay him to rest .
Rod lived a @ @ @ @ @ was loved by so many .
We can ’ t even begin to express our @ @ @ @ @ family , and community for their love , support and efforts to help us bring @ @ @

The body of a Valparaiso man who disappeared after going for a walk in his neighborhood the night of June 30 was found Wednesday in a marsh not far from his home, his family and law enforcement have confirmed.
The cause of death for Roderick “Rod” Moore, 75, who was diagnosed almost three years ago with dementia, is under investigation but no foul play is suspected at this time, according to a release from the Porter County Sheriff’s Department.
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A post on the “Bring Rod Home Safely” Facebook page said the family received confirmation around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday from police that Moore’s body was discovered in a marsh east of the Heritage Valley subdivision where he lived.
“Our hearts are broken right now,” the Moore family said in a statement provided to the Post-Tribune. “This certainly isn’t the outcome that we had hoped for. Even so, we are grateful to know he has been found and that we can properly lay him to rest. Rod lived a wonderful, full life and was loved by so many. We can’t even begin to express our thanks to our friends, family, and community for their love, support and efforts to help us bring Rod home.
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“We would also like to thank the Porter County Sheriff’s Office, Porter County Search and Rescue, and the rest of the local law enforcement community for all their efforts and for ultimately recovering him. We rest knowing we did all that we could.”
On the “Bring Rod Home Safely” Facebook page, the family thanked everyone, “from the bottom of our hearts, for your love and support. Rod was so loved.”
The sheriff’s department noted that a statewide Silver Alert, issued Friday, has been canceled and thanked assisting agencies, including the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Valparaiso Fire Department and Porter County Search and Rescue.
“We also want to note the tireless work of our Detective Bureau and all of the citizens that helped search and sent in tips to our Office,” the department said, also asking the community to keep the Moore family in their thoughts and prayers and declining further comment.
The Porter County Coroner’s Office was called at 9:38 a.m. Wednesday to the area of 861 W. Morthland Drive after Moore was found. Autopsy results are expected Thursday, the office said.
Moore retired as head trainer at Valparaiso University in the fall of 2016 after 49 years at the university, his wife of almost 42 years, Debbie Moore, has said.
Family members had turned the Moore home into a command center, with maps posted on the walls to keep track of where Moore was last seen and where in the community volunteers were fanning out to search for him and pass out flyers about his disappearance. The also posted regular updates on the Facebook page that were shared thousands of times.
Family members also had turned to surveillance video from local businesses and residential doorbells to try to track Moore’s whereabouts.
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Monday night, the family found out about two images, one behind Paul Sur Buick and another from a business on Southpoint Circle, that were captured minutes apart not long after Moore left his home. A short time later, in phone conversations with his wife, Moore said he was in a cornfield but could not specify his location.
The family was touched by the community support, including those who looked for Moore, passed out flyers or offered other assistance.
“It just gives you hope,” Debbie Moore had said.
Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-07-08--Illinois National Guard coronavirus testing mission to wind down, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces

“ They ’ ve helped us build a groundbreaking testing infrastructure that will continue to make a difference to Illinoisans @ @ @ @ @ completed in the coming days , ” Pritzker said at a news conference .
“ @ @ @ @ @ away from their families and their regular civilian jobs to see our state through the @ @ @ @ @ What I hope is the worst of this pandemic .
”

The Illinois National Guard convoy prepares to roll out from the Rivers Casino parking lot in Des Plaines to their coronavirus testing site on Chicago's Northwest Side. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
More than 500 Illinois National Guard members will end their missions this month at 11 state-run testing sites after administering more than 200,000 tests since being called up in March, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday.
“They’ve helped us build a groundbreaking testing infrastructure that will continue to make a difference to Illinoisans long after their mission is completed in the coming days,” Pritzker said at a news conference. “These citizen soldiers spent months away from their families and their regular civilian jobs to see our state through the worst of this pandemic. What I hope is the worst of this pandemic.”
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Roughly 100 National Guard members will remain active through the end of this month to assist with the transition of COVID-19 related missions the Guard has been involved in, according to the governor’s office.
Pfc. Sabine Gonzalez, 18, of Lombard, verifies the identification and personal information of a first responder on March 26, 2020, at the Illinois National Guard coronavirus testing facility on the Northwest Side. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
After testing sites are turned over to contract staffers, Guard members will quarantine for two weeks, per public health guidance to stem the spread of coronavirus.
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The announcement came as the Illinois Department of Public Health on Wednesday announced 980 new known coronavirus cases today and 36 more deaths, raising the statewide totals to 149,432 confirmed cases and 7,099 deaths. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity rate stands at 2.6%.
On March 17, Pritzker activated about 60 National Guard and Air National Guard members, including medical planners to assist with the anticipated rise in coronavirus cases.
The Peoria-based medical unit was largely made up of medical technicians trained and certified to draw blood, conduct immunizations and swab testing and maintain medical records. The unit also included doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners.
At the time, Pritzker said the service members would carry out a range of missions, including distributing food to children who may not have been receiving enough during the mandated school closures, as well as establishing testing sites and staffing triage hospitals.
That initial activation of service members came days before Pritzker implemented a statewide stay-at-home order meant to lessen the spread of coronavirus. Within a week, National Guard members were testing first responders and health care workers at a just-opened site on the Northwest Side.
Pritzker activated additional service members to convert McCormick Place into a medical facility sized to handle up to 3,000 COVID-19 patients, at a time when state and city officials were preparing for a surge in hospitalizations that could have overwhelmed to the point where additional sites would be needed.
That facility was designed for largely non-acute coronavirus patients who did not need to be placed in an hospital intensive care unit, but who did require medical care.
Illinois Air National Guard cargo aircraft moved 250 negative pressure tents from Oregon to Chicago as the build-out of the alternate health care facility at McCormick Place was ongoing. Negative pressure tents and rooms allowed patients who tested positive for the virus to be isolated and treated within them, preventing disease by allowing air in but keeping it from escaping.
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By early May, officials began winding down that alternate care facility as the growth of COVID-19 slowed in the state.
The Illinois National Guard drive-thru coronavirus testing facility in Markham on May 15, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
National Guard members also assisted in the response this spring at Stateville Correctional Facility, erecting tents and cots to provide more distance among inmates at a time when the prison was experiencing an outbreak, and conducting health checks on employees, visitors and vendors before they entered the facility.
Some service members took on a different role in late May and June, when Mayor Lori Lightfoot requested Pritzker activate the Illinois National Guard to help quell violence and looting that erupted in Chicago in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Pritzker called up 375 members, who were given orders to create a perimeter and not to interfere with protesters exercising their First Amendment rights, Pritzker said at the time.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-08--Which parts of the Chicago area got the most PPP loans? Check out this ZIP code analysis.

The Paycheck Protection Program offered businesses with fewer than 500 employees loans of up to $ 10 million to help @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 pandemic upended the economy .
The original program , launched in early April @ @ @ @ @ if at least 75 % was used to cover payroll for eight weeks , but @ @ @ @ @ 60 % of the loan covering 24 weeks of payroll .

Randolph Street west of the Loop is seen June 29, 2020, in Chicago. According to an analysis of Small Business Administration data, the 60606 ZIP code at the western edge of the Loop was the Illinois ZIP code that received the most Paycheck Protection Program loans worth more than $150,000. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
As federal money flowed into Illinois to support businesses during the pandemic, much of it went to Chicago’s downtown and North Side neighborhoods as well as its northern suburbs.
Businesses in ZIP code 60062, which encompasses the Chicago suburb of Northbrook, received the greatest number of loans — 1,907 — though the vast majority were small loans of less than $150,000, according to an analysis of data released this week by the Small Business Administration.
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Chicago’s River North neighborhood (ZIP code 60654), suburban Elk Grove Village (60007), Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood (60614) and parts of Wicker Park/Bucktown/Logan Square (60647) rounded out the top five ZIP codes by sheer number of loans. In 60614 and 60647, 90% of the loans were for less than $150,000.
Combined, businesses in the five ZIP codes that received the most loans set out to retain 100,000 jobs. Those ZIP codes are not necessarily where all the jobs are being retained, but they are where the companies responsible for those jobs are based.
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The Paycheck Protection Program offered businesses with fewer than 500 employees loans of up to $10 million to help them keep people employed as the COVID-19 pandemic upended the economy. The original program, launched in early April, made the loans forgivable if at least 75% was used to cover payroll for eight weeks, but that was later changed to 60% of the loan covering 24 weeks of payroll.
In Illinois, the SBA approved 202,143 loans worth nearly $22.5 billion, with an average loan of about $111,000. But some companies received much more.
The greatest number of loans worth more than $150,000 went to Chicago’s 60606 ZIP code at the western edge of the Loop, an area that includes Willis Tower and other parts of the central business district, with the purpose of retaining some 33,000 jobs.
[ 27,412 Illinois companies got PPP loans of more than $150,000: Search our database ]
Sixteen companies in that ZIP code got loans in the $5 million to $10 million range, including the PLS Group, a civil engineering company, and FreightCar America, a manufacturer of train cars, each of which had applied to preserve 500 jobs. Another 46 businesses received loans in the $2 million to $5 million range, including a number of law firms.
Elk Grove Village businesses received the second-greatest number of larger loans, to preserve about 27,000 jobs. Two companies in that suburb got loans in the $5 million to $10 million range: StigmaTron, a manufacturer of electronics components that applied to retain 500 jobs, and Steiner Electric, another electronics manufacturer that listed 449 jobs.
Other ZIP codes with high numbers of the larger loans include those in River North (60654), the West Loop (60607) and parts of the central Loop (60601).
Overall, Chicago businesses received more than 40,000 loans worth between $3.8 billion and $7.8 billion to retain some 472,000 jobs, by far the most of any city in the state. Naperville followed with more than 3,500 loans, worth between $304 million and $586 million, to save more than 38,000 jobs. The government did not release precise loan amounts for the larger loans and instead provided a range indicating their general size.
JPMorgan Chase was responsible for the most loan applications in Illinois. Following behind were BMO Harris, Fifth Third, First Midwest and Wintrust.
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chicagotribune--2020-07-08--Watch live: Gov. J.B. Pritzker provides update on COVID-19 testing in Illinois

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker is expected to provide an update on COVID-19 testing in Illinois at 2 p.m. Get the @ @ @ @ @

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chicagotribune--2020-07-08--Illinois man faces new charges in 2019 killing of McHenry County deputy

Brown fled the hotel in Rockford , about 80 miles ( 129 kilometers ) northwest of Chicago , before eventually @ @ @ @ @ central Illinois .
An hours-long standoff ensued that ended with Brown ’ s arrest .
@ @ @ @ @ penalty if convicted of the most serious charges .

ROCKFORD, Ill. — A federal grand jury has returned several new charges against an Illinois man accused of fatally shooting a sheriff’s deputy who was part of a federal fugitive task force that was trying to arrest him at a hotel on burglary and parole violation charges.
A superseding indictment returned Tuesday adds several weapons-related counts against Floyd E. Brown, of Springfield, including one count of using a deadly and dangerous weapon to forcibly assault 35-year-old McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Keltner and a count of attempting to kill a deputy U.S. marshal and two special deputy marshals.
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Brown, 41, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other weapons charges in the March 7, 2019, shooting of Keltner while the task force tried to serve Brown with an arrest warrant for outstanding charges.
Brown fled the hotel in Rockford, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) northwest of Chicago, before eventually crashing along an interstate in central Illinois. An hours-long standoff ensued that ended with Brown’s arrest. He could face the death penalty if convicted of the most serious charges.