chicagotribune--2020-04-15--David Brown takes post as Chicago’s acting top cop

“ I ’ ve been a cop for a very , very long time , and ingrained in me is @ @ @ @ @ sisters when they ’ re in trouble , when officers request help , when they @ @ @ @ @ come to their aid , '' said Beck .
“ And I felt that way @ @ @ @ @ .
I saw a good department with a proud tradition with incredibly talented men and @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
”

Chicago police Superintendent David Brown briefs reporters outside Mt. Sinai Hospital, where a Chicago police officer was transported after being fatally shot during a domestic dispute call in the Southwest Side, March 1, 2023. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Former Dallas police Chief David Brown took over the reins Wednesday afternoon as Chicago’s acting police superintendent, city officials said, days before the job is expected to become permanent.
At a ceremony in police headquarters for outgoing interim Superintendent Charlie Beck, he presented his superintendent’s star to Brown, who is now in charge of the nation’s second largest police department.
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“Chicago’s skyline may be a world away from the Lone Star State of Texas,” Brown said. “But starting today, Chicago is now home for me and my family, and I promise to never stop working to make it a safer place.”
Brown also praised Beck for orchestrating one of the most significant restructurings in the history of Chicago’s force — by giving more resources to patrol commanders and establishing a bureau devoted to professionalizing the department — during his nearly five months at the helm. Brown also touted Beck’s leadership of the 13,000-strong department during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Former Dallas police Chief David Brown appears at a ceremony at police headquarters on April 15, 2020. Brown took over as Chicago’s acting police superintendent. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
“The policing mind of Charlie Beck is deep, it’s wide and it’s quick," Brown said, “and I will ensure that what he’s begun to set in place, in motion, here in Chicago, flourishes and reaches its full potential.”
On his last day leading CPD, Beck, a former longtime chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, was presented at the ceremony with a certificate of appreciation and a souvenir police baton from First Deputy Superintendent Anthony Riccio, his second-in-command. Afterward, Beck was given a police escort to O’Hare International Airport to board a flight home to the LA area to be with his family.
“I’ve been a cop for a very, very long time, and ingrained in me is running to our brothers and sisters when they’re in trouble, when officers request help, when they request assistance, anything to come to their aid," Beck said. “And I felt that way when I came to Chicago. I saw a good department with a proud tradition with incredibly talented men and women in a time of crisis.
“I didn’t get them through the time, I helped them through the time,” he also said.
Brown’s takeover of the CPD comes about a week before the Chicago City Council plans to vote on whether to officially confirm him as the city’s next permanent top cop. The council’s Public Safety Committee has scheduled an online meeting for Monday to consider Lightfoot’s appointment of Brown, where the appointment could be sent to the full body.
The search for a permanent police superintendent began last year when then-top cop Eddie Johnson fell under an internal investigation for questionable conduct related to him being found asleep behind the wheel of his city-issued SUV after a later night out in the fall. Lightfoot then fired Johnson in December and hired Beck to take over the CPD on a temporary basis.
jgorner@chicagotribune.com
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-15--In an effort to slow coronavirus spread, Skokie mayor orders face coverings be worn in many public p

In an effort to slow coronavirus spread, Skokie mayor orders face coverings be worn in many public places

“ We want everybody to be safe , ” Van Dusen said .
“ We ’ re concerned that people @ @ @ @ @ ’ re over the peak , we ’ re on the downward trajectory , so @ @ @ @ @ And that is not true .
”

Shoppers, some wearing protective face masks, wait in a line stretching outside a Trader Joe's store in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Skokie is requiring that starting Thursday evening, residents and visitors in the north suburb wear face masks while in specified public situations.
The order, which was issued by Mayor George Van Dusen, goes into affect 5 p.m. Thursday. It stipulates that a mask should be worn in public in situations that would bring individuals into close proximity with others.
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The emergency directive also requires that face coverings be worn while working or patronizing a business open to the public or when using public transportation and ride shares.
The directive lists grocery stores, restaurants, hardware and building supply stores, financial institutions, laundry services, pharmacies, group homes and assisted living facilities as examples of public spaces where a mask would be required.
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Face coverings are not required for outdoor activities like running or biking, as long as proper social distancing of six feet or more is kept, according to a news release.
Masks are also not required when riding in your own car, at home with family or housemates or in situations “when doing so poses great health, safety or security risk.”
“We want everybody to be safe,” Van Dusen said. “We’re concerned that people might be thinking that we’re over the peak, we’re on the downward trajectory, so we can ease up. And that is not true.”
Skokie officials are most concerned with preventing the spread of COVID-19 in places where people are in close proximity to one another.
“We’re not being draconian. The directive does have exemptions,” Van Dusen said. “What we’re thinking about are those places where it’s very difficult to keep the distance and you’re naturally going to be rubbing shoulders with someone else.”
The pharmacy is a good example of that, Van Dusen said.
“It’s just a matter of protecting each other. We’re going to get through it," he said. "We all want to be healthy.”
While the number of COVID-19 cases in Skokie is among the highest in suburban Cook County, Van Dusen said that is not why he put the order in place.
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As of Wednesday evening, Skokie has seen 276 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 12 deaths, according to the village’s health department.
Van Dusen said he believes Skokie is reporting high numbers because tests are available at Skokie and Evanston hospitals, part of the NorthShore University HealthSystem, and residents are taking advantage of them.
“We have a very close relationship with Skokie hospital. Quite frankly, I’m very impressed with how they’ve handled all this,” Van Dusen said.
Skokie officials will not issue citations or tickets to those not wearing a mask.
“Implementation will rely on self-compliance and the community commitment to our collective good,” the news release states.
Skokie is not the first suburb to require face coverings in public settings.
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Starting April 12, everyone in neighboring Glenview over the age of 5 was required to wear a face mask or covering over their nose and mouth while working or visiting essential businesses in the village and when using public transportation, according to an order from Village President Jim Patterson.
The Illinois Department of Public Health did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how many other towns in the state may have made similar formal orders.
However, the agency does recommend that residents cover their mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others. It also asks that medical masks be reserved for health care workers.
New federal guidelines around face masks were announced April 3 and recommend that Americans wear face coverings when in public.
The guidance came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and encourages people, especially in areas hit hard by the spread of the coronavirus, to use non-medical masks to cover their faces while outdoors.
The guidance noted states are dealing with shortfalls of medical-grade masks.


chicagotribune--2020-04-15--Sunset Foods employee in Northbrook tests positive for COVID-19, company officials confirm

The employee was last in the store Friday , and owners learned about the positive test results Wednesday , Cortesi @ @ @ @ @ Facebook .
Cortesi and store representatives could not be immediately be reached for additional comments @

An employee at Sunset Foods grocery store location has tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, according to a statement from the CEO and president of the family-owned parent company posted on Facebook Wednesday.
“Sunset Foods has learned that one of our team members at our Northbrook store has been diagnosed with COVID-19,” read the letter from John Cortesi, president and CEO of Sunset Foo Mart.
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The store was closed Wednesday for a cleaning and will re-open at 7 a.m. Thursday.
The employee was last in the store Friday, and owners learned about the positive test results Wednesday, Cortesi said in the statement on Facebook. Cortesi and store representatives could not be immediately be reached for additional comments.
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“We send our thoughts to our valued member of the Sunset family for a full and smooth recovery,” Cortesi said in the statement.
The store was closed “immediately” and will be sterilized by a company that specializes in sanitization for the coronavirus, Cortesi said.
Sunset Foods has five stores, including in Lake Forest, Highland Park, Libertyville and Long Grove, with over 900 employees, according to the company website. The company has been involved with food rescue organizations for 40 years, a representative of Northbrook-based nonprofit Hunger Resource Network told the Pioneer Press, contributing extra groceries to food pantries and other organizations in need.
“In all of our locations, we continue rigorous sanitation exercises and responsible social distancing practices,” Cortesi said.
Heinen’s, a grocery store in nearby Glenview, also had an employee who was diagnosed with COVID-19 at the end of March. After closing for a day to clean, Heinen’s re-opened March 29.
akim@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-15--Wicker Park couple suing ‘Windy City Rehab’ team, HGTV’s parent company over ‘defective and incomple

Wicker Park couple suing ‘Windy City Rehab’ team, HGTV’s parent company over ‘defective and incomplete’ work

The couple said Gramenos initially quoted $ 15,000 for the garage work before upping that price to about $ 37,000 @ @ @ @ @ homeowners say they were provided an estimated completion date of June 2019 for the garage @ @ @ @ @ “ Windy City Rehab ” team not complete the work on time , they caused @ @ @ @ @ , according to the lawsuit .
The homeowners allege the team didn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ demolishing the garage in April 2019 , and a stop-work order was issued the following @ @

A Wicker Park couple is suing “Windy City Rehab” host Alison Victoria Gramenos, contractors Donovan Eckhardt and Ermin Pajazetovic and the parent company of HGTV, which airs the popular Chicago home flip series, for fraud over work done to their $1.3 million single-family home.
The renovation of 1700 W. Wabansia Ave. was shown on a “Windy City Rehab” Season 1 episode titled “House of Horrors.” Shane Jones and Samantha Mostaccio, who purchased the home after the episode aired in January 2019, say they agreed to pay extra so Gramenos could turn the garage into a workout studio for Mostaccio, according to the lawsuit filed last week in Cook County court.
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The couple said Gramenos initially quoted $15,000 for the garage work before upping that price to about $37,000 three days later. The homeowners say they were provided an estimated completion date of June 2019 for the garage. Not only did the “Windy City Rehab” team not complete the work on time, they caused water damage in the garage, according to the lawsuit. The homeowners allege the team didn’t have proper permits when it started demolishing the garage in April 2019, and a stop-work order was issued the following month.
The home at 1700 W. Wabansia Ave. was featured on the first season of the HGTV series "Windy City Rehab." A lawsuit over the home's renovation was filed in April 2020. (Tracy Swartz / Chicago Tribune)
The couple says because the garage roof remained open from the demolition, the garage door stopped working and the gas lines rusted, among other issues. Jones and Mostaccio say they went back and forth with the team for months about the garage work. The homeowners claim on Jan. 14, 2020, Pajazetovic or one of his agents painted over the rust in the garage, without their permission, to hide it from the city inspector. The couple says the garage work failed city inspection.
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“Alison Victoria was disappointed by the filing of the complaint by Mr. Jones. The dispute centers on a garage project that was not part of the original design of the house but was added at the request of Mr. Jones,” Gramenos’ attorney, Daniel Lynch, said in a statement.
“The contractor employed to complete that job worked at Mr. Jones’ direction and was in the process of finishing his work when Mr. Jones called it off and ordered the contractor out of his home. Mr. Jones then decided to make unwarranted demands for money, and after he retained his current lawyer came up with a brand-new list of demands he had never advanced before to justify a higher figure.”
A spokeswoman for Discovery Inc., the parent company of HGTV, said the company does not comment on pending litigation. Representatives for Eckhardt and Pajazetovic did not immediately return a Tribune request for comment.
The homeowners allege that 10 days after closing on the home in April 2019 rainwater seeped into their home. They claim their home has a litany of issues, including mold in their basement and bathroom and cracking concrete columns.
“We filed the complaint because we were left with no other choice. We waited in hope until the very last day for Alison to make things right, and she forced us to take this route. While the garage is part of the dispute, there are numerous issues within the home,” Jones said in an email.
The couple is seeking to return the home in exchange for the full purchase price and the cost of repairs plus attorneys fees. The homeowners also want an injunction that would prohibit Discovery from promoting Gramenos and Eckhardt on their media platforms or TV stations. The couple will incur more than $100,000 in out-of-pocket expenses to fix the “defective and incomplete work,” according to the lawsuit. The homeowners estimate $4,000 per month in income was lost because Mostaccio, a Pilates instructor and personal trainer, didn’t have a studio.
“We paid for the garage to be renovated so I could stream classes and provide private training sessions, which Alison and Donovan were well aware of and promised to help me design the space. They knew one of the main reasons we were purchasing the home was so that I could continue working while taking care of our daughter,” Mostaccio said in an email. “We were hopeful in the beginning and very patient and kind during the entire process of us waiting. Now we are being taken advantage of and it is hurting our family.”
Said Lynch: “Among other claims of damage, plaintiffs seek recovery for the alleged inability to conduct a gym business in the garage. Notably the complaint fails to allege that plaintiffs obtained a business license to conduct a gym business or that Chicago’s zoning laws allow such a business to operate in a residential neighborhood. If the zoning laws do not allow a gym business, it’s hard to see how such claims could be a legitimate damage.”
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A hearing is scheduled for Aug. 11. The lawsuit was filed by Nicole Daniel, of Dinsmore & Shohl, who also represents a Lincoln Square couple suing the “Windy City Rehab” team over renovation of their $1.3 million home also featured on the first season of the show.
A second season of “Windy City Rehab” was greenlit in early 2019. The team ran into permit problems with the city Department of Buildings last year. Gramenos said on a podcast last week that the second season premiere has been pushed to July.
tswartz@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-15--NTSB: Roy Halladay was doing stunts when his plane crashed

Halladay had taken off from a lake near his home about 15 minutes before the crash and a previous report @ @ @ @ @ about 105 mph just 11 feet above the water before he started doing his maneuvers @ @ @ @ @ hours of flight time after getting his pilot ’ s license in 2013 , the @ @ @ @ @ 51 hours in Icon A5s with 14 in the plane that crashed .

Baseball Hall of Famer Roy Halladay had high levels of amphetamines in his system and was doing extreme acrobatics when he lost control of his small plane and nosedived into Tampa Bay in 2017, killing him, a National Transportation Safety Board report issued Wednesday said.
Halladay had amphetamine levels about 10 times therapeutic levels in his blood along with a high level of morphine and an anti-depressant that can impair judgment as he performed high-pitch climbs and steep turns, sometimes within 5 feet of the water, the report says about the Nov. 7, 2017, crash.
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The maneuvers put loads of nearly two-times gravity on the plane, an Icon A5 Halladay had purchased a month earlier. On the last maneuver, Halladay entered a steep climb and his speed fell to about 85 mph. The propeller-driven plane went into a nosedive and smashed into the water. The report says Halladay, 40, died of blunt force trauma and drowning.
The report does not give a final reason for the crash. That is expected to be issued soon.
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About a week before the crash, the former Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies star had flown the plane under Tampa Bay's iconic Skyway Bridge, posting on social media, "flying the Icon A5 over the water is like flying a fighter jet!"
Halladay, an eight-time All-Star, pitched a perfect game and a playoff no-hitter in 2010. He played for the Blue Jays from 1998-2009 and for the Phillies from 2009-13, going 203-105 with a 3.38 ERA. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously last year.
Halladay had taken off from a lake near his home about 15 minutes before the crash and a previous report says he was flying at about 105 mph just 11 feet above the water before he started doing his maneuvers. He had about 700 hours of flight time after getting his pilot’s license in 2013, the previous report said, including 51 hours in Icon A5s with 14 in the plane that crashed.
Rolled out in 2014, the A5 is an amphibious aircraft meant to be treated like an ATV, a piece of weekend recreational gear with folding wings that can easily be towed on a trailer to a lake where it can take off from the water.
The man who led the plane's design, 55-year-old John Murray Karkow, died while flying an A5 over California's Lake Berryessa on May 8, 2017, a crash the NTSB attributed to pilot error.
Because of that crash, Icon issued guidance to its owners two weeks before Halladay's accident saying that while low-altitude flying "can be one of the most rewarding and exciting types of flying," it "comes with an inherent set of additional risks that require additional considerations."
It added that traditional pilot training focused on high-altitude flying "does little to prepare pilots for the unique challenges of low altitude flying." Icon told the NTSB that Halladay had received and reviewed the guidance.
There is no indication in the report Halladay received low-altitude training.


chicagotribune--2020-04-15--Arrest warrant issued for second suspect in fatal attack on former Marine at Red Line station

Balde struggled to free himself as he was dragged along the platform and into a tunnel , where his head @ @ @ @ @ a metal partition , according to authorities .
Following his arrest last Friday , Munn @ @ @ @ @ Balde out of loyalty to his friend , but said he was only trying to @ @ @ @ @ ground .

A Humboldt Park man was held without bail Friday on charges he attacked a former Marine who was shoved between Red Line train cars and dragged to his death earlier this month.
Fajour Hodges, 19, of the 1200 block of North Artesian Avenue, was arrested on a murder warrant Thursday and charged with first-degree murder for the April 6 death of Mamadou Balde, according to Chicago police.
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Fajour Hodges, 19, was charged with first-degree murder for the April 6 death of Mamadou Balde, 29. - Original Credit: Chicago police (HANDOUT)
Prosecutors have already charged Ryan Munn in Balde’s death, a crime that shocked the city trying to cope with the COVID-19 outbreak and stay-at-home order. The attack was captured on CTA surveillance cameras, and three witnesses identified Munn and Hodges as the assailants, prosecutors have said.
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Prosecutors said Near North District police officers recognized Munn and Hodges from prior contact they’d had with both. Police had been seeking Hodges since shortly after the attack, but the arrest warrant was issued this week after he missed a hearing at the Skokie courthouse on an unrelated retail theft case, according to records.
In court Friday, prosecutors said Hodges was standing on the platform with Munn when Balde, who was intoxicated, struck up a conversation with him. During the brief exchange, Balde appeared to be smiling and joking with Hodges, despite momentarily raising his fists to his chin “as if he was jokingly putting up his dukes,” Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.
As Balde was smiling, Hodges allegedly punched Balde in the face, knocking him backward toward a stopped train. Prosecutors said Munn joined in, throwing punches and shoving Balde until he fell between the cars of the slow-moving train.
Fatoumata Balde, sister of Mamadou Balde, holds a cellphone showing an image of her brother as a Marine. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Balde struggled to free himself as he was dragged along the platform and into a tunnel, where his head and upper body violently struck a metal partition, according to authorities. Following his arrest last Friday, Munn admitted taking a swing at Balde out of loyalty to his friend, but said he was only trying to push the victim to the ground.
Hodges’ attorney William Wolf said in court Friday that first-degree murder was an inappropriate charge, since there was no indication of “an intention or even a knowledge that they were taking an action that was going to kill him.”
Hodges has asthma, Wolf said, indicating that he had “medical concerns” about keeping him at the jail during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Judge Arthur Wesley Willis ordered Hodges held without bail, saying it seemed Hodges initiated the contact when he started punching the victim. Munn was also held without bail over the weekend.


chicagotribune--2020-04-15--Tracking the Bears’ moves in free agency: Roy Robertson-Harris remains in the defensive line mix aft

Tracking the Bears’ moves in free agency: Roy Robertson-Harris remains in the defensive line mix after signing his restricted free-agent tender

What it means : The Bears get an upgrade at edge rusher with the swap .
Quinn , who will @ @ @ @ @ joins the Bears and All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack for his 10th NFL season .
@ @ @ @ @ with the Cowboys in 2019 , the second-most in his career behind the 19 he @ @ @ @ @ All-Pro .
He also had 22 quarterback hits and 13 tackles for a loss , @ @ @ @ @ passes defended .
Quinn was a Rams first-round pick in 2011 , and he spent @ @ @ @ @ the team before spending a year each with the Dolphins and Cowboys .
He has @ @ @ @ @ career .
The deal , for $ 70 million with $ 30 million guaranteed , @ @ @ @ @ , with Mack and Akiem Hicks , even more formidable .

The Chicago Bears have been quite active as they build their 2020 roster.
On March 18, general manager Ryan Pace made his biggest move of the offseason, trading a fourth-round pick to the Jaguars to acquire veteran quarterback and former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles.
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The Tribune’s team is tracking all of the Bears’ moves — with players arriving and exiting — and providing insight into what each move means.
[ Bears draft tracker: 7-player class is complete, from a local tight end to a pair of cornerbacks and a speedy receiver ]
May 13
Former Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara is signing with the Raiders, according to NFL Network .
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What it means: Amukamara will begin his 10th NFL season in Las Vegas after the Bears released him earlier this offseason. The deal reportedly is for one year. Amukamara was a Giants first-round pick in 2011 and played five seasons with the Giants, one with the Jaguars and three with the Bears. He had three interceptions, including a pick-six, and 29 passes defended in his Bears career. The Bears cut Amukamara to clear $9 million in salary-cap space and drafted his expected replacement last month when they took Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson with the 50th pick.
May 5
Edge rusher Aaron Lynch signed a one-year deal with the Jaguars, the team announced .
What it means: Lynch played two seasons in a reserve role for the Bears, totaling five sacks, 22 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss and 17 quarterback hits. A 49ers fifth-round pick in 2014, Lynch will join the Jaguars for his seventh NFL season. He has 20 career sacks. The Bears already had secured reserve outside linebackers to play behind starters Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. They signed former Browns first-round pick Barkevious Mingo to a one-year deal and traded a future draft pick to grab Tulsa’s Trevis Gipson in the fifth round of the draft last month.
April 30
The Bears are adding veteran safety Tashaun Gipson on a one-year deal, according to Pro Football Talk.
What it means: The Bears appear to have a starting safety to play alongside Eddie Jackson. Gipson has started 104 games over eight NFL seasons, including 62 over the last four years with the Jaguars and Texans. He has 23 career interceptions, three of which came in 2019 in his lone season in Houston, and 47 career passes defended, including eight last year. He also had a pick-six in 2019.
Gipson, who will be 30 in August, signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming in 2012. He made the Pro Bowl in 2014, when he returned six interceptions for 158 yards and one touchdown.
The Texans signed Gipson to a three-year, $22.5 million contract last year, but he finished the season on injured reserve with a back injury. They cut him this week.
The Bears are signing veteran receiver Ted Ginn Jr. to a one-year deal, an NFL source confirmed.
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What it means: Ginn, who turned 35 this month, will join the Bears for his 14th NFL season after three with the Saints. He had 30 catches for 421 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games last season. The 2007 Dolphins first-round pick also spent time with the 49ers, Cardinals and Panthers.
Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara knocks a ball down in the end zone as Saints wide receiver Ted Ginn is unable to make a catch in the second quarter at Soldier Field on Oct. 20, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
He had three straight seasons of at least 700 receiving yards from 2015-2017, including a career-high 10 touchdown catches in 2015 with the Panthers. He has played in 15 playoff games in his career. And he also was a punt and kick returner earlier in his career, with seven career return touchdowns.
Ginn provides the Bears with a speedy, experienced competitor to join a fairly young receivers room beyond veteran Allen Robinson.
April 29
The Bears signed wide receiver and returner Trevor Davis to a one-year deal, the team announced .
What it means: A fifth-round draft pick by the Packers in 2016, Davis joins the Bears for his fifth NFL season. Davis, 26, played in 31 games with the Packers, totaling nine catches for 122 yards. He bounced between the Packers, Dolphins and Raiders in 2019 and had seven catches for 83 yards in nine games (four starts) with the Raiders.
He also is an experienced return man. He had a career-high 24 punt returns for 289 yards (12.0 average) and 31 kickoff returns for 707 yards (22.8) in 2017. And among his three teams in 2019, he had 22 punt returns for 145 yards (6.6) and 23 kickoff returns for 506 yards (22.0).
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April 28
The Bears signed defensive tackle John Jenkins to a one-year deal, the team announced .
What it means: The Bears are bringing back the seven-year NFL veteran to serve as depth on the defensive line after Nick Williams left for a two-year contract with the Lions. Jenkins has played for five teams since he was drafted in the third round in 2013, including eight games for the Bears in 2017. He played in all 16 games for the Dolphins last year, making five starts, with 34 tackles, including two for a loss, and a sack.
April 22
Tight end Trey Burton signed a one-year contract with the Colts, the team announced .
What it means: It took Burton five days after the Bears cut him to latch on with a new team. He reunites with coach Frank Reich, who was the offensive coordinator with the Eagles for two seasons when Burton was there. Burton’s contract is for the veteran minimum, NFL Network reported, which will deduct from the $4 million the Bears owe him for this season.
The Bears cut Burton after an injury-plagued 2019 season in which he caught just 14 passes for 84 yards over eight games.
We have signed TE Trey Burton. — Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 23, 2020
April 17
The Bears are releasing tight end Trey Burton, the team announced.
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What it means: Burton’s tenure in Chicago comes to an end two years before his four-year, $32 million contract is up.
The Bears are cutting him after he totaled 14 catches for 84 yards and no touchdowns during an injury-plagued 2019 season. It’s the latest development for Burton in a dramatic 16-month span that started when he was a late scratch for the 2018 playoff loss to the Eagles because of a groin injury. He had sports hernia surgery last offseason, battled a groin injury over eight games in 2019 and then had hip surgery in December.
The Bears signed veteran tight end Jimmy Graham this offseason, and Burton’s departure could mean they’re eyeing another in next week’s draft.
The Bears are signing former Packers offensive lineman Jason Spriggs to a one-year deal, ESPN reported.
Packers' Jason Spriggs runs a drill at training camp on July 25, 2019. (Morry Gash/AP)
What it means: The 6-foot-6, 301-pound Spriggs adds depth to the Bears at tackle after free agent tackle Cornelius Lucas left for the Redskins. Spriggs, a 2016 second-round pick, has started just nine games for the Packers in his career. He’s dealt with back and elbow injuries leading up to the 2019 season and spent the year on injured reserve. An Elkhart, Ind., native, Spriggs, who will turn 26 next month, was an All-American at Indiana in his senior season in 2015.
The Bears signed free-agent kicker Ramiz Ahmed and exclusive-rights free agents J.P. Holtz and Rashaad Coward, the team announced.
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What it means: Ahmed joins the Bears on a one-year deal as apparent competition for kicker Eddy Pineiro. He last kicked in 2018 at Nevada, where he made 15 of 20 field-goal attempts and 40 of 44 extra-point attempts. He made Nevada’s team in 2017 in a walk-on tryout and did kickoffs that season. The Bears settled on Pineiro after a wild kicking competition last year, and he was 23-for-28 on field goals and 27-for-29 on extra points in his rookie year.
Holtz and Coward return as expected. Coward is expected to compete for the starting spot at right guard with newcomer Germain Ifedi after Coward started 10 games in 2019. Holtz, one of nine tight ends on the roster, played in 14 games for the Bears in 2019 and had seven catches for 91 yards.
April 16
Defensive back Sherrick McManis is expected to re-sign with a one-year contract.
What it means: Veteran defensive back Sherrick McManis is expected to re-sign with the Bears on a one-year contract. The longtime special teams standout will be entering his ninth season with the organization after arriving via a trade during the 2012 preseason. McManis missed the final four games last season with a groin injury that didn’t require surgery. He had 11 tackles in defense last season and a forced fumble in the Week 5 loss to the Raiders in London.
McManis, a Peoria native and Northwestern product, had eight stops on special teams last season. The 32-year-old has 88 special teams tackles in the last eight seasons. He’s the third free agent in the secondary to re-sign with the Bears following safeties Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson. All three are on one-year contracts.
April 15
Defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris signed his restricted free-agent tender.
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What it means: The move ensures Robertson-Harris will be back in the fold in 2020. The Bears tendered the former undrafted free agent at the second-round level, meaning he will earn $3.259 million this season. That higher tender ensured no other teams would attempt to lure him away with an offer sheet.
Had the Bears tendered Robertson-Harris at the original-round level, they would have had only right of first refusal on an offer sheet because he was undrafted coming out of UTEP. The 26-year-old had 30 tackles, 10 quarterback hits and 2½ sacks in 15 games last season. Provided he remains healthy, he figures to do well for himself in free agency next March.
By signing the tender, Robertson-Harris will be eligible to participate in the team’s virtual voluntary offseason workout program.
March 25
The Bears are bringing back third-string quarterback Tyler Bray, ESPN reported.
What it means: Bray returns for a third season as the Bears’ third-string quarterback. He spent the last two years on the practice squad behind Mitch Trubisky and Chase Daniel. Bray, 28, has a long history with coach Matt Nagy, dating back to their mutual arrival in Kansas City in 2013. Bray also spent the 2016 Chiefs season with new Bears quarterback Nick Foles.
He has one career pass attempt in one career regular-season appearance, in 2017 with the Chiefs. Even with the signing, the Bears could still draft a quarterback to add to their mix.
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The Bears agreed to a one-year deal with former Seahawks offensive lineman Germain Ifedi, NFL Network reported.
What it means: The Bears are in need of competition at right guard with Rashaad Coward and depth at tackle behind Charles Leno and Bobbie Massie. The 6-foot-5, 325-pound Ifedi played both guard and tackle during his four seasons with the Seahawks.
Seahawks offensive guard Germain Ifedi tries to stop Bears linebacker Khalil Mack during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field on Sept. 17, 2018. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Ifedi, who will turn 26 in June, was a 2016 first-round draft pick and started 60 games in Seattle, including 100% of their offensive snaps in 2019. He has been called for 12 holding and 29 false start penalties in his career, according to Pro Football Reference.
March 23
The Bears are re-signing safety DeAndre Houston-Carson to a one-year contract, a source told the Tribune.
What it means: Houston-Carson, a sixth-round pick in 2016, is back in the mix as a core special teams player. Houston-Carson has been one of the team’s most dependable players in that area for the last two seasons. With the addition of fellow safety Jordan Lucas, the Bears have been making sure they add depth for special teams coordinator Chris Tabor.
The Bears are bringing back veteran defensive lineman Brent Urban, news that his wife, Kate, announced on Twitter.
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What it means: Urban, 28, appeared in nine games in a reserve role last season after injuries forced some depth moves on the line beginning in October. Urban made 16 tackles and added two pass breakups. A one-year deal for Urban isn’t surprising as the Bears are going to need to add depth to the line, especially after Nick Williams departed for the NFC North rival Lions on a two-year contract. Urban will be in position to compete for a roster spot.
@AdamSchefter DE Brent Urban is re-signing with the Chicago Bears on one year deal. Per source. I’m the source. — Kate Salerno Urban (@Kate_KanSkate) March 23, 2020
The Bears agreed to terms on a one-year deal with outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo, NFL Network reported .
What it means: Mingo, 29, looks like a replacement for Aaron Lynch. He’s a veteran that can play a backup role on defense and a core special teams player.
Defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano had Mingo in Indianapolis and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor was in Cleveland when the Browns used the No. 6 pick in 2013 on him. While he has never panned out as a pass rusher — five of his 10 career sacks came during his rookie season — he’s a reliable player that has missed only two games and he has developed as a versatile guy on special teams. The contract is worth $1.187 million. The Bears become Mingo’s sixth team in the last six years.
March 22
The Bears signed safety Jordan Lucas to a one-year deal, NFL Network reported .
What it means: Lucas, 26, joins the Bears after playing two seasons each with the Dolphins and Chiefs. He has played in 49 career games but started just four, in 2018 in Kansas City, when he totaled 32 tackles, a sack, his lone career interception and two passes defended.
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Chiefs safety Jordan Lucas gestures during the first half of a game against the Chargers on Dec. 29, 2019. (Ed Zurga/AP)
Lucas, a former Dolphins sixth-round pick, was a key special teams player for the Chiefs last season, playing 63% of those plays. He provides more depth for a group of safeties that includes Deon Bush, who re-signed with the Bears on Friday and might compete for the starting spot alongside Eddie Jackson. Lucas’ contract is for $1 million.
March 21
Cornerback Artie Burns is joining the Bears on a one-year contract.
What it means: Agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed Saturday’s move, a one-year “prove it” deal that puts Burns in position to compete for a starting cornerback job opposite Kyle Fuller.
Steelers cornerback Artie Burns tackles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams during a game on Oct. 13, 2019. (Kyusung Gong/AP)
Burns was a first-round pick out of the University of Miami in 2016, selected No. 25 overall by the Steelers. But he never became the impact playmaker the Steelers hoped. The organization did not pick up his fifth-year option last year and Burns fell deeper into a reserve role. Over four seasons in Pittsburgh, Burns started 32 of the 58 games he played in. He recorded three interceptions as a rookie but only one more over the following three seasons.
Burns has intriguing length and speed and offers a skillset that could allow him to replace Prince Amukamara as a reliable man-to-man cover corner. But he will certainly have to earn that role whenever the Bears are cleared to get back on the practice field. Kevin Tolliver is also in the mix for that job. And the Bears signed CFL star Tre Roberson earlier this winter to compete as well.
March 20
The Bears are signing safety Deon Bush to a one-year contract, ESPN reported.
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What it means: The $1.4 million deal means Bush will return for a fifth season in Chicago. The Bears are in need of a new starter at safety alongside Eddie Jackson after Ha Ha Clinton-Dix signed with the Cowboys. It remains to be seen whether Bush will get a chance to compete for the starting spot or if the Bears have someone else in mind to fill that role, either through free agency or the draft. Bush, a 2016 fourth-round pick, has started eight games over four seasons. He played in 15 games in 2019, playing 5% of the Bears’ snaps on defense and 63% on special teams. He had eight tackles and two passes defended.
Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is headed to Dallas to play for Cowboys.
What it means: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting that Clinton-Dix’s one-year deal in Dallas is worth $4 million with $2.5 million guaranteed, a similar “prove it” deal to what he signed with the Bears last March. It’s no surprise the Bears allowed Clinton-Dix’s contract to expire or that the 27-year-old safety is moving on, now joining his fourth team since 2018.
Dix was signed to play free safety, per source. That would mean that Xavier Woods would move to strong safety https://t.co/2zyAabm4Oh — Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) March 20, 2020
He will reunite in Dallas with his former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. Clinton-Dix had two interceptions last season for the Bears, including a 59-yard touchdown return against the Redskins in Week 3. He was solid on the back end of the defense. But the Bears also awarded Eddie Jackson a record-setting extension in January, dishing out $33 million guaranteed and keeping Jackson under contract through the end of the 2024 season. There was little chance the Bears were going to spend big to fill that second safety spot.
While the Bears were happy with Clinton-Dix’s play last season, they would ideally like to find a second starting safety who has a more complementary skill set to Jackson, a defensive back who will allow the Bears to use Jackson’s biggest strengths as a free-ranging ball-hawk more easily. General manager Ryan Pace has had success identifying safeties in the draft. He chose Jackson with a fourth-round pick in 2017 and scooped up Adrian Amos in Round 5 two years earlier. The Bears may still browse the bargain bins of free agency for help and depth at the position. But keep a close eye on next month’s draft as well.
March 19
The Bears are bringing back long snapper Patrick Scales on a one-year deal.
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What it means: Scales, 32, will return for his sixth year in Chicago. One of those years, 2017, was spent on injured reserve, but he played in all 16 games each of the last two seasons. He’ll be back with a special teams unit that also includes returning punter Pat O’Donnell and kicker Eddy Pineiro.
The Redskins are signing former Bears offensive lineman Cornelius Lucas to a two-year deal .
What it means: The Bears will be in search of a new swing tackle after Lucas leaves for the $5.3 million deal. Lucas started a game in September and then the final five of the year filling in for injured Bobby Massie. The Redskins will be his fifth team in seven NFL seasons.
March 18
The Bears have acquired Nick Foles from the Jaguars in exchange for a fourth-round pick in next month’s draft.
What it means: No one is more invested in learning what this move means than Mitch Trubisky, the incumbent starting quarterback who has received multiple votes of public confidence from general manager Ryan Pace since last season ended.
Trubisky’s inconsistency and the unraveling of the Bears offense in 2019 was well-documented and created a new sense of urgency behind closed doors at Halas Hall. So while Pace has publicly said he expects Trubisky to be the starter when next season begins, the Bears’ desire to create real competition opens the door for Foles to slide into the starting role fairly easily and soon.
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Per @NFLNetwork reports, we have traded for QB @NickFoles.
(NFL policy currently prohibits teams from making any official announcements.)@SNICKERS | #DaBears — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 18, 2020
Foles’ chemistry with the offensive coaching staff — he spent time in previous stops with coach Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo — is a major plus. And his understanding of Nagy’s offensive system gives him a chance to hit the ground running when the the Bears get the all-clear to begin practicing this spring or summer. In giving up a fourth-round pick for Foles, the Bears have only two selections in the top 150. Foles’ contract with the Jaguars, which the Bears will inherit, runs through 2022 and has a base salary of more than $15 million for this season. Before long, Pace and Nagy will have to communicate their vision for their quarterback situation. It will be interesting to see when the team schedules those first public comments.
Leonard Floyd has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rams worth $10 million.
What it means: A day after the Bears released him, Floyd found a new home in Los Angeles, reuniting with first-year Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who was Floyd’s position coach with the Bears in 2017 and 2018. The Bears exercised the fifth-year option on Floyd’s rookie deal last year but wiggled out of it Tuesday, freeing themselves from a $13.2 million commitment. Now Floyd gets a one-season “prove-it deal” in Hollywood. The Bears, for what it’s worth, are scheduled to play the Rams in Los Angeles next season.
March 17
The Redskins are signing inside linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis to a one-year deal, NFL Network reported.
What it means: Pierre-Louis leaves the Bears after one season. He did a nice job filling in for most of four games after Roquan Smith was injured. He had 37 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two quarterback hits, three passes defended and an interception and also played on special teams. His play earned him a deal worth up to $3.45 million as he joins his fifth team for his seventh year in the league.
The Bears are signing edge rusher Robert Quinn to a five-year deal and releasing Leonard Floyd, NFL Network reported .
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What it means: The Bears get an upgrade at edge rusher with the swap. Quinn, who will turn 30 in May, joins the Bears and All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack for his 10th NFL season. He had 11 ½ sacks with the Cowboys in 2019, the second-most in his career behind the 19 he had in 2013 as an All-Pro. He also had 22 quarterback hits and 13 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles and three passes defended. Quinn was a Rams first-round pick in 2011, and he spent his first seven seasons with the team before spending a year each with the Dolphins and Cowboys. He has 80 ½ sacks in his career. The deal, for $70 million with $30 million guaranteed, makes the Bears defensive front, with Mack and Akiem Hicks, even more formidable.
Floyd’s departure isn’t entirely surprising given he was owed $13.2 million in 2020. Floyd had a career-low three sacks in 2019. The Bears’ No. 9 overall draft pick in 2016 never quite lived up to the expectations for him. Bears general manager Ryan Pace has said multiple times he likes what Floyd provided in coverage and on run defense, but the Bears also noted his pass rushing production was not where they would like it to be. Floyd becomes Pace’s second first-round pick to leave, behind Kevin White.
Chase Daniel is headed to the Lions on a three-year deal, ESPN reported .
What it means: It was known the Bears likely weren’t going to bring Chase Daniel back for a third season as Mitch Trubisky’s backup, so he moves on to be the backup to Matthew Stafford.
Bears quarterback Chase Daniel sits on the bench before the first half against the Lions at Soldier Field on Nov. 10, 2019. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
The Lions will be his fifth team in 11 seasons, a remarkable career for someone who has made only five starts. For the Bears, Daniel was a veteran presence to help guide Trubisky through coach Matt Nagy’s offense, and he also served as a team leader and the Bears’ representative to the NFLPA. He also started three games, throwing six touchdown passes and four interceptions. His presence is valued enough that the Lions gave him a $13.05 million deal, which contains a voidable clause.
The Lions agreed to terms with defensive lineman Nick Williams on a two-year deal.
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Bears defensive tackle Nick Williams celebrates after sacking Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins at Soldier Field on Sept. 29, 2019. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: Nick Williams, 30, received his first significant pay day in the NFL after totaling six sacks last season when his playing time expanded because of injuries on the defensive line. Williams appeared in all 16 games with five starts and totaled 42 tackles. He’d made just 19 tackles with no sacks in 28 previous career games.
The Bears will hope to replace a chunk of Williams’ playing time (he was on the field for 49 percent of the snaps) with greater health. Akiem Hicks’ injury led to a lot of his playing time.
Can say thank you enough to the McCaskey family and the @ChicagoBears organization for giving me the opportunity. Thanks to my teammates and to the fans! Big Bear 97 Out ✌🏾 #OnePride 🦁 What’s good 😤 pic.twitter.com/9kVcmREelU — Nicholas Williams (@NickWilliams_98) March 17, 2020
The Lions are re-tooling their defensive front with coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn under pressure to break out of losing ways in Detroit and Williams is expected to be just one new piece along the defensive line, a familiar face the Bears will see twice a year. He reportedly will earn $10 million over the next two seasons. That’s not a bad deal for a guy that was on a minimum-salary benefit contract last year.
March 16
The Bears agreed to terms with veteran tight end Jimmy Graham on a two-year deal.
What it means: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Bears will guarantee Jimmy Graham $9 million on a two-year deal that could be worth up to $16 million.
It’s a hefty price to pay for a 33-year-old veteran in the twilight of his career. But it also speaks to the Bears’ desperate need for production at tight end. Last season, six Bears tight ends combined for 46 catches, 416 yards and two touchdowns, woeful production for an offense that relies heavily on the tight end. Graham, in a 2019 season that could be characterized as ordinary at best, provided the Packers with 38 catches, 447 yards and three touchdowns.
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Bears GM Ryan Pace, of course, has familiarity with Graham from their days together with the Saints. From 2010 to 2014, Graham averaged 77 catches, 950 yards and 10 touchdowns and was selected to three Pro Bowls. That was a long time ago. And while it’s difficult to forecast how much Graham has left in his tank, he will be given every opportunity to be a major difference-maker in the Bears offense. His arrival also raises legitimate questions as to whether the Bears are ready to pull the plug on Trey Burton for 2020, even with $4 million of guaranteed money still owed.
The Raiders agreed to terms with former Bears linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski on a three-year deal.
What it means: The Bears say goodbye to their 2016 fourth-round pick, a player who served them well when they needed him during the 2019 season.
Kwiatkoski earned himself a solid new deal when he filled in for eight starts last year while veteran Danny Trevathan was injured, totaling 76 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, three sacks, four passes defended, a forced fumble and an interception. The Bears had to decide between trying to keep Kwiatkoski or Trevathan, and they went with the latter. Kwiatkoski’s deal is for $21 million with $13.5 million in guarantees, NFL Network reported.
March 13
The Bears tendered restricted free agent defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris .
Roy Robertson-Harris (95) goes after Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins for a sack in the second quarter t Soldier Field on Sept. 29, 2019. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: The tender is believed to be at the second-round level, making it unlikely another team will try to sign him. The Bears have the right of first refusal and would receive a second-round draft pick if they didn’t match another team’s contract offer. Robertson-Harris, who joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2016, had 30 tackles, 10 quarterback hits and 2 ½ sacks in his third season on the field.
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March 12
The Bears signed inside linebacker Danny Trevathan to a three-year contract extension, NFL Network reported.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fumbles the ball as Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan flips over in the third quarter at Soldier Field on Sept. 5, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: The Bears bring back a key piece of their defense on and off the field. The eight-year NFL veteran, who turns 30 later this month, had 70 tackles, two for a loss, four quarterback hits, a sack and a forced fumble over nine games in his fourth season with the Bears. He sat out the remainder of the year with an elbow injury. He will team up with Roquan Smith for a third season. His return, on a deal that could be worth $24 million, could signal the departure of inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski to another team in free agency.
Feb. 21
The Bears released cornerback Prince Amukamara and wide receiver Taylor Gabriel.
Bears wide receiver Taylor Gabriel signs autographs on Nov. 24, 2019 at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: The Bears cleared $13.5 million in salary cap space when they cut the veterans. But they now must find a starting cornerback to pair with Kyle Fuller and a speedy, deep-threat wide receiver to replace Taylor Gabriel.
Prince Amukamara, 30, started 44 games over three seasons with the Bears. He had three interceptions and a touchdown, all in 2018, along with 29 passes defended over three years. Gabriel, 29, had 96 catches for 1,041 yards over two seasons with the Bears. He was limited to nine games in 2019 as he dealt with two concussions. The Bears very likely will add to both rooms in the offseason. But cornerbacks Kevin Toliver and Tre Roberson and wide receivers Javon Wims and Riley Ridley are among the current players who could compete for playing time after the roster moves.
Feb. 20
The Bears signed veteran tight end Demetrius Harris to a one-year contract.
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Browns tight end Demetrius Harris tries for a catch in front of Steelers strong safety Terrell Edmunds (34) during the second half on Dec. 1, 2019. (Don Wright/AP)
What it means: Demetrius Harris, 28, joins the Bears to potentially fill a role as their “Y” blocking tight end. He spent his first five NFL seasons with the Chiefs in Kansas City when Bears coach Matt Nagy was a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator there. He had 57 catches for 605 yards and six touchdowns with the Chiefs. The Browns released him in February after one season in which he had 15 catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns. The addition of Harris is likely the first of several moves to rebuild the Bears tight ends room this offseason.
Jan. 29
The Bears signed CFL cornerback Tre Roberson to a two-year contract.
Calgary's Tre Roberson celebrates an interception against Ottawa during the second half of the Grey Cup at Commonwealth Stadium on Nov. 25, 2018. (Codie McLachlan / Getty Images)
What it means: Tre Roberson, 27, picked the Bears from nine NFL contract offers after he had an All-Star season with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders in 2019. The former Indiana and Illinois State quarterback, who spent time with the Vikings on their practice squad in 2016 and in training camp in 2017, had seven interceptions and two touchdowns in his second season in the CFL. The 6-foot, 190-pound Roberson provides needed depth at cornerback in a room that includes Kyle Fuller, Buster Skrine and Kevin Toliver.


chicagotribune--2020-04-15--Kennedy Expressway pileup that sent 14 to hospitals was one of 85 crashes reported by state police a

Kennedy Expressway pileup that sent 14 to hospitals was one of 85 crashes reported by state police as snow and ice slickened roads

“ Overnight conditions deteriorated .
We got some snow .
Some icy conditions on the expressway .
Vehicles driving at @ @ @ @ @ the accident , ” Deputy District Fire Chief John Giordano told reporters at the scene @ @ @ @ @ effect where vehicles couldn ’ t stop behind them because of the high speeds they @ @ @ @ @ the amount of vehicles we have at this time .
”

Emergency responders work to untangle a massive pileup of more than 50 vehicles on the Kennedy Expressway near North Avenue on April 15, 2020, in Chicago. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
The pileup of nearly 50 vehicles that shut down the Kennedy Expressway for five hours, sending 14 people to the hospital, was among 85 crashes that the Illinois State Police responded to early Wednesday as snow and ice slickened roads across the Chicago area.
The Kennedy crash was by far the largest, though none of the injuries were serious. In addition to the 14 taken to hospitals, 45 people were evaluated on the scene after the chain-reaction accident about 5 a.m. at North Avenue, officials said.
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“Overnight conditions deteriorated. We got some snow. Some icy conditions on the expressway. Vehicles driving at high rates of speed caused the accident,” Deputy District Fire Chief John Giordano told reporters at the scene. “It caused an effect where vehicles couldn’t stop behind them because of the high speeds they were traveling, and thus the amount of vehicles we have at this time.”
Troopers first responded to crashes on the inbound Kennedy at North at 4:40 a.m. and the outbound lanes at 5:10 a.m., said Trooper Omoayena Williams, an Illinois police spokeswoman. Initially, officials said around 60 vehicles were involved, but later said it was 46, including 3 semis.
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Fire officials called an emergency medical services Plan 2, which sends at least five ambulances, one EMS field officer, one deputy chief paramedic, a triage van, a command van and a deputy district chief to the scene. They also asked for a suburban ambulance response to help with the crashes.
Latest update on Kennedy crashes. 14 patients transported to St.Mary, St Joseph and Northwestern Memorial. None of the injuries are listed as life threatening. 32 other patients were treated and opted not to be transported. CFD estimates nearly 60 vehicles involved pic.twitter.com/c4hWmGeg3C — Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) April 15, 2020
EMS plan 2 on Kennedy now secure. We have 14 transports and 32 other patients who have been evaluated and will NOT be transported. Low traction conditions still in place. pic.twitter.com/PlfqG9rb4i — Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) April 15, 2020
EMS plan 2 for Kennedy expressway aprox 50 vehicles in crash scene. About north avenue. Low traction on expressway causing multiple collisions. No media staging yet. CFD media trying to get to scene. Several transports — Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) April 15, 2020
All inbound lanes and some outbound lanes on the Kennedy near North Avenue were closed for several hours, according to Illinois State Police. They were reopened about 10 a.m.
About 4 a.m., the first of 11 crashes occurred on westbound I-290 at River Road, shutting down all lanes until 6:20 a.m., according to the state police. Injuries were reported in only one of the accidents and they were minor.
Of the 85 crashes the state police investigated Wednesday morning, 66 involved damage only. No serious injuries were reported.
🚨🚨TRAFFIC CRASH ALERT🚨🚨 🚨🚨 ROADS ARE COVERED IN SHEETS OF ICE Please use EXTREME caution when traveling on all... Posted by Illinois State Police District Chicago on Wednesday, April 15, 2020
pfry@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-04-15--‘It was clear it was going to be the end’: ‘Last Dance’ director talks about how he prepped for the

‘It was clear it was going to be the end’: ‘Last Dance’ director talks about how he prepped for the massive ESPN project on the Chicago Bulls

There is more depth there to him than that .
Competition and winning is clearly central to his core being .
I asked him at the beginning of our second interview — during the playoffs last year — and we just started rolling cameras and I asked him if he was watching the playoffs .
And he said , “ Oh , yeah.
” And I asked , “ What do you miss the most ?
” And he immediately said , “ Proving people wrong.
” Now this is a guy who if there ’ s anyone who doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s Michael Jordan .
He has had the most prolific , successful , dominant career of any modern NBA player .
No one is really ( doubting him ) .
You wonder , what is it within him that makes him feel like he is being wronged or doubted by anybody ?
No one doubts Michael Jordan .
So that was fascinating to see .
And this is where we had the luxury of time and resources and cooperation from him where we could go back and see what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see that it was him competing with his brothers for his dad ’ s attention and growing up in a family where winning was the only option .
Losing wasn ’ t truly accepted .
Doing your best , I should say , was the only option .
Because I do think that Michael handled losing very well .
It was never like he was a sore loser or a crybaby .
He showed a lot of poise .
You can tell that he wants to break down after that 1990 playoff loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he handles himself well .
But it ’ s been instilled in him from before he ever picked up a basketball .
He was taught that you always do your best .
And that ’ s with him to that day .

In the opening scenes, Michael Jordan has the microphone. He’s standing near midcourt at the United Center with the lights down and an overhead spotlight engulfing him and only him. Naturally.
It’s Nov. 1, 1997, the night of the Bulls home opener and the pregame ring and banner ceremony to further celebrate the organization’s fifth championship in seven years.
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Jordan is addressing a sold-out crowd that he has already captivated, entertained and spoiled for most of the previous 13 years.
Their journey together, though, is not over.
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“To all the fans in the city of Chicago,” Jordan says, “if you guys remember in 1984 when they drafted Michael Jordan, I said then when I got here that we’d be champions by the time I leave. Well, we’re a five-time champion going for six. And we’ll need your support.”
That’s your cue. Buckle in.
“The Last Dance,” a 10-episode documentary that will premier at 8 p.m. Sunday night on ESPN, should be a thrill ride for Chicagoans eager to take a time machine back to the 1990s to relive the exhilaration of the greatest run of success in the city’s rich sports history. The film zeroes in on the last of the Bulls’ six championship seasons, the 1997-98 campaign with carefully chosen flashbacks and subplots explored throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s to give the story its needed depth and context.
Everyone knows how the story ends — with Jordan and the Bulls digging deep to win that sixth championship. But it’s everything along the way — the tension and the laughter, the unity and the fatigue — that steers the story in such a compelling manner.
This week the documentary’s director, Jason Hehir, took time out to visit with the Tribune’s Dan Wiederer for a deeper discussion about his approach to the film, the overall wiring of Jordan and the Bulls and the most enthralling things he learned throughout the process of completing “The Last Dance.”
(Some questions and answers are edited for clarity and space.)
As you started this project, what was the extent of the prep work needed before conducting even a single interview so that you had the appropriate knowledge base for all you wanted to explore? What did you read? What did you watch? What went into that massive homework assignment?
Thank God for YouTube, because I could watch just about anything that has ever been produced about the Bulls or Michael. I could watch specific games. But more importantly, it was just a matter of burying myself in my apartment and reading every single thing I could get my hands on. I still have a stack of books in my apartment that goes up above my waist that I read about this team. Some were incredibly insightful, some not so much. But I just read and watched everything I could possibly get my hands on. There were well over 10,000 pages of research that I read. The NBA was generous with its library visually and with transcripts from their past interviews. I just wanted to be sure I knew as much as I could possibly know going into this process so that we could (make progress). It’s difficult enough to storyboard out a one-hour documentary. But to storyboard out 10 hours and to determine what our arc was going to be, I wanted to make sure. I knew this was going to be so busy and such a race to the finish line — even a little bit faster here than we thought — to get this done that we had to have a 10-episode plan in place when we started shooting. We had to have a vision for what this was going to be. And then if we had to deviate from that, that only meant that something went so well that it had to be included in the doc. And luckily that happened dozens of times over the course of two years of shooting.
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You’ve talked about this big documentary basically having so many mini-documentaries folded within it. In many ways, you’re basically walking into this big ’90s Bulls museum in which you have all these different artifacts and subplots and anecdotes to check out. How, as a director, did you choose when to stop and more deeply explore a specific exhibit or topic?
It’s a good analogy. A lot of times it was dictated by the ’97-’98 season. That was the main highway that we kept coming back to. And we would refer to taking exits and taking little detours off of that main highway. But the highway was the ’97-’98 season. And we could get off on an exit and study somebody’s story. But we had to get back to that highway. I used to always say to our editors, “We can stop to eat but we can’t stay overnight.” So we have to get in and out and tell a story thoroughly if it’s a back story we need to tell, but we have to get back to that season. So when you look at the chronology of that season, you identify who your main characters are on that team, and then when did they do something significant enough during that season that it warrants telling the story in the moment and then also warrants going back and telling their back story. So Steve Kerr hits some big shots in the Eastern Conference finals, which happens in Episode 9. That’s when we go back and tell the story of Steve and his father and that whole story. With Dennis Rodman, once Scottie returned (to playing) about a third of the way through the season, Dennis goes off the deep end. And that seemed like a good time to delve into Dennis’ back story. That happens in Episode 3, chronologically in our series. So that dictated when we were going to tell Dennis’ story. Then Phil has to rein Dennis back in and manage this team now that Scottie is back on the floor. So telling Phil’s story in Episode 4 made sense. Really, with that, we really just used the ’97-’98 season as our North Star and went from there.
Here in Chicago, so much of that team’s success is remembered as such a feel-good fairy tale. But one of the jarring reminders in the film is how much tension there was between management — Jerry Krause in particular — and the team, whether it was Phil or Scottie or to some extent Michael. It seems almost surreal in retrospect to think that after championship No. 5 with the greatest player of all time that there was serious discussion within the organization of starting over and tearing it apart. What struck you about the heaviness of the weight on that team for the last leg of its journey?
It was clear when you asked any of the players on that team to describe the atmosphere in the locker room on Day 1 of the 1997-98 season, none of them say anything except tense, unsteady, uncertain, ominous. This was a team that had just won five titles in seven years. You would think that the only pitfall would be complacency. But it was clear to everyone in that offseason that this was going to be it. The end. So there was almost a sense of dread at the beginning of that season. I’ll put a period on it there. But it was very clear from Bill Wennington to Steve Kerr to Dennis to Scottie to Michael that this was not something that they were enjoying anymore. It almost seemed like a chore. And it was only through bonding during that season that you start to see the joy emerge again in the second half of the year.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 87 Michael Jordan flies through the air to dunk against the Jazz in a playoff game in Utah on June 5, 1998. (Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune)
From what you learned and what you experienced with these guys, that finality seems pretty intense, right?
Yeah. When your head coach who has won you five titles in the last seven years comes in with a laminated packet that says “The Last Dance” on it on the first day of your season, it’s going to raise some eyebrows. And I’m sure everyone in that room when Phil did that was stunned. This was Phil Jackson expressing to that team (how he felt). He had just come out of Jerry Krause’s office where Jerry Krause had told him “You could go 82-0 and you’re not coming back to coach this team next year.” Which seems like such a sophomoric, heady thing to say. But I think that’s how deep that schism was at that point. That chasm was there between them. And it was all about credit.
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If Jerry had still been around, what is it you would have wanted to ask or explore with him?
I would have asked him what he would have done differently to salvage the core of that team. How many titles did he think they could have won if he had made different decisions in his relationships with Phil and Michael and Scottie? Jerry is a polarizing character, especially there in Chicago. But he is No. 1 on my list where if there is one person I wish we could have interviewed for this documentary, it’s Jerry Krause. Because he was such a central figure in both the rise and the fall of this dynasty. And I think that as polarizing as he is — and he’s not a people person, he’s not camera-friendly — he was still the architect of that team. And I do feel like he is unfairly cast as a 100% villain when it’s not always black and white. There’s a lot more gray area there. But I will also say that in Episode 10, he does get his due from, of all people, Scottie Pippen.
One of the things that truly stands out as a thread throughout the film is just how intensely personal Michael took winning. With your opportunity to sit with him for so much time, what was your lasting takeaway from exploring that part of his DNA? And is there much more depth to him beyond that intensely personal pursuit of winning?
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There is more depth there to him than that. Competition and winning is clearly central to his core being. I asked him at the beginning of our second interview — during the playoffs last year — and we just started rolling cameras and I asked him if he was watching the playoffs. And he said, “Oh, yeah.” And I asked, “What do you miss the most?” And he immediately said, “Proving people wrong.” Now this is a guy who if there’s anyone who doesn’t need to be proven right, it’s Michael Jordan. He has had the most prolific, successful, dominant career of any modern NBA player. No one is really (doubting him). You wonder, what is it within him that makes him feel like he is being wronged or doubted by anybody? No one doubts Michael Jordan. So that was fascinating to see. And this is where we had the luxury of time and resources and cooperation from him where we could go back and see what the roots of that were. And we see that it was him competing with his brothers for his dad’s attention and growing up in a family where winning was the only option. Losing wasn’t truly accepted. Doing your best, I should say, was the only option. Because I do think that Michael handled losing very well. It was never like he was a sore loser or a crybaby. He showed a lot of poise. You can tell that he wants to break down after that 1990 playoff loss (to the Pistons). Yet he handles himself well. But it’s been instilled in him from before he ever picked up a basketball. He was taught that you always do your best. And that’s with him to that day.
That’s why LaBradford Smith, George Karl and even B.J. Armstrong get a bit of special treatment and are woven in as sort of targets of a Jordan grudge. I imagine that resonated with you accordingly, right?
I wish we could have dedicated four episodes to those stories. Because everyone who played against him has a story like that that either happened to them or to someone they know. He was that (intense). And sometimes he would have to conjure it. Like the LaBradford Smith thing didn’t even really exist. He made that up. Because he was so dominant he had to start making things up (in his head). He dominated Dan Majerle in the 1993 Finals in big part because Jerry Krause said Dan Majerle was a good defender. OK, then that’s what I’m going to take. Karl Malone was the MVP in 1997. And you’ll see in Episode 9. When Michael gives immediate answers, I loved it. Because that’s the most transparent glimpse into his psyche. Because you can see him respond verbally but you can also see his facial expressions. For instance, when you see Gary Payton say that he could have made (the ’96 Finals) a different series if he had been able to guard Michael the whole way, it’s so revealing to see his facial expression. He’s so emotive and generous with his emotion there. So I said to him, “What was the motivating factor going into the ’97 Finals?” And I barely got the question out of my mouth, and he said, “Karl Malone winning MVP.” He always had to make it personal. And that was because he accepted nothing but the best out of himself. And if that meant making things personal and creating a vindictiveness where none was warranted, he was willing to do that.
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There was a point during Michael’s rise to superstardom at which the black light came out to try to find the stains on who he was. Whether it was “The Jordan Rules” book (by Sam Smith) or the Atlantic City trip (during the 1993 playoffs) or his unwillingness to speak up during the (racially charged) North Carolina Senate race in 1990, there are reminders of him being human and having imperfections. What would you identify as Jordan’s imperfections or blind spots or those things that are sort of part of him?
It’s tough to call it imperfections. He’s not a perfect person. None of us are. Michael is well aware of that. But his blind spot around that time was ... he thought he could win at being perfect or being perceived as perfect. And he realized that even he is not immune to the toll that that spotlight takes on a person — that you can’t just get up and take a ride with your dad and go play blackjack for a few hours in Atlantic City without it becoming a national event. And for people to be flying in from all corners of the country to camp out in front of your hotel to get a comment on it. So he probably thought he could exude this image of perfection and be human behind the scenes. But ultimately? His rise came at a time where his rise paralleled the rise of tabloid journalism in our pop culture in a lot of ways. So what better piece of meat than this person who is perceived as being perfect to start picking away at and trying to tear down than Michael Jordan? I think he realized that nobody is immune to that kind of scrutiny.
One thing that really strikes me throughout the film that I’m not sure Chicago truly appreciated in real time was the very real fatigue and intense test of stamina the team faced along the road. When the audience gets to the end of Episode 10, what do you hope it realize about how that group managed to both survive and thrive amid all that pressure?
I don’t want to give you some canned answer about how hard it is and how you always have to work your hardest to succeed. Just from a purely mathematical perspective, consider the amount of games that these guys were playing. That was increased by 20 games per year, increased by 25% each year just due to the fact they were so great that they didn’t lose and they kept winning deeper and deeper into the year. So one of the reasons it’s so hard to repeat as a champion is because you have less time off to recover in between seasons. Because you have played an extra two months if you make it all the way to the Finals. They did that six times in eight years. It’s astounding. This is long before the era we have now with superteams where the greatest players in the league can decide to play together. None of those teams from the present era have done what the Bulls did. And the Bulls were not a contrived superteam. They were built from the ground up within their own system. So the amount of dedication and stamina and fortitude it took to do this year after year, I hope that people appreciate that when they come away from this. Just understand how difficult it is to even win two in a row let alone six out of eight. I asked Michael, “Had you stayed around through those baseball years, could you be talking about eight in a row?” And he said, “I don’t think so.” He needed to leave for those two years to even have the opportunity for a second three-peat. Because he was gassed. Eight in a row is impossible. Unless you’re Bill Russell. But that is part of this.


chicagotribune--2020-04-15--Column: Sports with no fans in the stands would be strange — especially for college football — but w

Column: Sports with no fans in the stands would be strange — especially for college football — but we all would adjust

“ There ’ s a way of doing that — nobody comes to the stadium , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ ) in big hotels ( near ) wherever you want to play .
Keep them @ @ @ @ @ them tested like every week and make sure they don ’ t wind up infecting @ @ @ @ @ .
Just let them play the season out .

Over breakfast on Sept. 10, 2005, one sports writer set to cover that evening’s jam-packed Texas-Ohio State game at Ohio Stadium expressed concern about accessing the media parking near the ’Shoe.
He proposed: Let’s do a dry run.
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Wait, practice driving to the stadium rather than simply arriving three hours before kickoff?
It spoke to the jittery nature of the writer.
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But more so, it speaks to the nature of college football.
No sport is more linked to its fans, starting with pregame traditions such as tailgating on the golf course at Michigan, lining the path of LSU’s Tiger Walk and holding up goofy signs behind the set of ESPN’s “College GameDay” (“SABAN BOWLS WITH BUMPERS”).
Basketball? Stream a pickup game featuring LeBron James and Steph Curry and we’d watch. The only observer you really need is a ref.
Baseball? Yeah, it would be weird. When Wrigley Field is empty during batting practice, the crack of the bat creates an unmistakable echo off the seats. But let’s get real: Last year the White Sox resumed a suspended game against the Royals on a Tuesday afternoon with fewer than 100 fans in the house. They could hear Ed Farmer’s call from the radio booth.
Cardboard cutouts of fans before the CPBL season opener between the Rakuten Monkeys and CTBC Brothers at Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium on April 11, 2020, in Taoyuan, Taiwan. (Gene Wang / Getty Images)
Taiwan has limited outdoor mass gatherings to 500 people, so the Rakuten Monkeys supplemented masked baseball fans with mannequins and drum-playing robots. It still might be wise to leave the Bartman seat empty, just in case.
Hockey? Ugh. An empty building would be another gut punch to the Blackhawks fans who learned Wednesday that their annual fan convention scheduled for July 26-28 had been canceled. But it’s doable.
The NFL? The last Soldier Field game I attended was Jets-Bears in a cold drizzle. The first half featured one interesting play and about 37 TV and injury timeouts. Stay home, watch RedZone and curse your flawed fantasy lineup.
Golf? A Masters without spectators would be like a cheeseburger without meat. But when we’re this hungry, we’d settle for grilled cheese.
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Golf Digest reported Tuesday that the PGA Tour intends to restart tournaments with a June 11-14 event in Fort Worth, Texas, without spectators.
PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said the PGA Championship, slated for Aug. 6-9 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, is still worth holding even if players don’t have to shout, “Fore!” after stray drives.
“We believe that having it as a television event is worth doing regardless of whether there’s fans there or not,” Waugh said on SiriusXM Radio. “Obviously that’ll change the experience, but we think the world is starved for entertainment — particularly in sports — and we think golf has the unique ability to be first out among sports in that we’re played over a couple hundred acres.”
The specter of spectator-free sports grew even more real Wednesday with the release of a new Snapchat interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci. The nation’s top expert in infectious diseases strongly implied there’s only one option for major sports in 2020.
“There’s a way of doing that — nobody comes to the stadium,” he said. “Put (the players) in big hotels (near) wherever you want to play. Keep them very well-surveilled. … Have them tested like every week and make sure they don’t wind up infecting each other or their family. Just let them play the season out.
“People say: You can’t play without spectators. Well, I think you’d probably get enough buy-in from people dying to see a baseball game, particularly me. I’m living in Washington. We have the world champion Washington Nationals. I want to see them play again.”
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And Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said this Tuesday on CNN: “We’re not going to allow sports to reopen, major-league sports, unless we have all of these preconditions set because I’m not going to have tens of thousands of people getting into an arena together and giving each other COVID-19.”
OK, OK. We get it.
What seems weird now will eventually seem normal.
What looked completely normal about a month ago now seems weird.
I rewatched the episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” in which Larry David picks up a random magazine in a friend’s house and draws a Hitler mustache on the cover subject. My thoughts: 1) Real nice, Larry; and 2) Ewwww, who would pick up a magazine that others have touched?
We lived decades without hesitating before shaking a hand, and now it’s unthinkable.
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So, yes, college football would be absolutely bizarre without fans.
“One hundred percent different,” Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald texted Wednesday. “The passion of our fans is a major part of our great game.”
“It would be eerie, for sure,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Wednesday. “Certainly eerie to hear other (coaches) screaming across the field. But we need to keep everybody safe and healthy. Any football is better than no football.”


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chicagotribune--2020-04-15--‘Tiger King’ has nothing on the insane 1981 big-cat adventure ‘Roar,’ now streaming via Drafthouse F

‘Tiger King’ has nothing on the insane 1981 big-cat adventure ‘Roar,’ now streaming via Drafthouse Films

Accounts differ on just how many actors and behind-the-scenes workers suffered injuries on “ Roar . ''
Hedren says it @ @ @ @ @ others , including one of her sons , claims it was 72 .
No one @ @ @ @ @ incidents , including cinematographer Jan de Bont getting scalped by a lioness and requiring more @ @ @ @ @ He went on to direct “ Speed ” and “ Twister , ” but “ @ @ @ @ @ nerve-wracking thriller he ever made . )
Hedren got bucked off an elephant and fractured @ @ @ @ @ mention multiple scalp wounds from run-ins with her big-cat costars .

Through April 22, a big-cat drama at least 22 times more nerve-wracking than the Netflix documentary “Tiger King” is streaming online in care of Drafthouse Films and the Music Box Theatre. I can only speak for my own eyebrows, but mine hit the ceiling in astonishment a minute into “Roar” and they haven’t descended since.
Objectively terrible, yet full of queasy suspense regarding the blood shed for real by members of the cast and crew, this is a cinema miracle of the lowest order. Here’s the origin story. Chicago native Noel Marshall, former agent and one of the producers behind “The Exorcist,” traveled to Zimbabwe in 1969 accompanying his actress wife, Tippi Hedren,who was shooting a thriller called “Satan’s Harvest.” A Mozambique game preserve excursion got them thinking about a screenplay dealing with a brave researcher in Africa living among the felines, and an eventful reunion with his Chicago wife and kids coming to visit after three years apart.
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In 1971 Hedren, best known for Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” and “Marnie,” began raising lion cubs with Marshall at their three-bedroom house in Sherman Oaks. The idea was to get everybody and every species under the same roof and comfortable with each other prior to filming. Marshall, who’d never directed, cast himself as Hank, the researcher. The rest of the leads went to Hedren, her sons John and Jerry, and her daughter, Melanie Griffith.
After the police paid a call about raising lions in their L.A. suburb, the Marshall/Hedren clan relocated to a ranch in Santa Clarita, Calif., and began collecting more than 100 additional non-human (and non-union) members of their dream project. Filming, mostly on the ranch, started in 1976. Lions, tigers, jaguars, even a bull elephant from a Canadian animal park joined the ensemble. A six-month shoot turned into three years. Then, including various delays, three turned into 11.
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Noel Marshall, Tippi Hedren and a big cat in "Roar," the bizarre 1981 cult movie now streaming via Music Box Theatre. (Drafthouse Films / HANDOUT)
Accounts differ on just how many actors and behind-the-scenes workers suffered injuries on “Roar." Hedren says it was a mere seven; others, including one of her sons, claims it was 72. No one disputes the worst of the incidents, including cinematographer Jan de Bont getting scalped by a lioness and requiring more than 200 stitches. (He went on to direct “Speed” and “Twister,” but “Roar” remains the most nerve-wracking thriller he ever made.) Hedren got bucked off an elephant and fractured her leg, not to mention multiple scalp wounds from run-ins with her big-cat costars.
We’re just getting started! Writer-director-actor Marshall was hospitalized with gangrene. Griffith’s head ended up in a lion’s mouth for many minutes, after she made the decision to return to filming after a particularly rough day. She ended up needing facial reconstructive surgery. Her stepbrother John later told the New York Post: “Dad was a f------ a------ to do that to his family.” Hedren and Marshall divorced soon after their movie limped to completion.
Throughout "Roar,” the look of fright, exhaustion and stunned disbelief on Hedren’s face suggests the look of an actress who’d rather be getting pecked half to death filming “The Birds.” Again.
What happens, storywise, in “Roar”? Hilariously little. The entire film consists of Hedren and company newly arrived in Africa from Chicago. While Dad, a braying monologuist in Marshall’s amateur interpretation, keeps busy elsewhere dealing with poachers, mother and children square off continually with their strange new home’s combative apex predator residents. The cats are just curious, of course, the movie keeps telling us. But you never know in “Roar” how much actual danger the characters are supposed to be in, because the actors didn’t know, either.
The musical score favors impish melodic snatches recalling the famous “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” theme, Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette.” The lightheartedness somehow makes “Roar” even madder. And then, for the only possible ending to this unaccountable treasure, an end-credits ballad hands us such lyrics such as “here we are in Eden” and, in the film’s one true moment of self-awareness, a line about “the madness we’ve seen.”
You know what? I’ll still take over it over the live-action “Lion King." If “The Lion King” had been raised in Sherman Oaks alongside Werner Herzog’s “Grizzly Man,” the result would be "Roar.”
“Roar,” $9.99 for a three-day rental via Drafthouse Films and the Music Box Theatre. Go to vimeo.com/ondemand/roarmusicboxtheater to rent.
Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.
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mjphillips@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @phillipstribune


chicagotribune--2020-04-15--Under pressure from lawyers and Illinois politicians, Indiana accuses Lake Michigan steel mill of ma

Under pressure from lawyers and Illinois politicians, Indiana accuses Lake Michigan steel mill of manipulating water pollution samples after fish-killing spill

A summary of the inspections , posted on IDEM ’ s website without notice last month , details how ArcelorMittal @ @ @ @ @ legally required documentation of when and where samples were taken , who handled them and @ @ @ @ @ , raising more questions about the accuracy of the results .

A beach in Porter, Indiana, is closed after an August 2019 chemical spill in a tributary. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
After an ArcelorMittal steel mill dumped fish-killing cyanide and ammonia into a Lake Michigan tributary last summer, Indiana state inspectors showed up at least four times to gauge how the company responded.
They didn’t like what they found.
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Despite promises to regain the trust of neighboring communities, executives at the sprawling Burns Harbor complex failed to stop cyanide- and ammonia-laden wastewater from pouring into the lake, the inspectors concluded.
Their investigations turned up something else that disturbed them.
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In a scathing report filed in January, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management inspectors accused ArcelorMittal of reanalyzing water samples containing high levels of pollution and replacing the initial results with others that came back clean.
“This practice is not allowable,” the report concluded. “ArcelorMittal’s self-monitoring program is either capable of generating valid results based upon one analysis of a given sample or it is not.”
The ArcelorMittal plant, shown June 26, 2018, in Burns Harbor, Indiana, is 20 miles from Chicago. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The Luxembourg-based company denied it manipulated test results. So state inspectors went back to the steel mill with colleagues from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They also stopped by the contract laboratory that analyzed the suspect water samples.
A summary of the inspections, posted on IDEM’s website without notice last month, details how ArcelorMittal and the lab botched the legally required documentation of when and where samples were taken, who handled them and which toxic chemicals were measured, raising more questions about the accuracy of the results.
Only samples that revealed violations of the company’s permit were reanalyzed, the inspectors noted. They demanded a list of all of the samples reanalyzed at ArcelorMittal’s request during the past two years, and stressed that future sampling must be conducted using approved methods.
“They are gaming the system,” said Howard Learner, executive director of the nonprofit Environmental Law and Policy Center, which along with the Hoosier Environmental Council filed a lawsuit last year based on state documents showing more than 100 other violations of clean water laws at the lakefront steel mill during the past four years.
Indiana’s more aggressive scrutiny of ArcelorMittal began after the two environmental groups first announced they intended to file a citizen complaint. Neither IDEM nor the EPA had taken recent action against the company, but inspectors have since forwarded their findings to the state agency’s enforcement division.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and two other Illinois Democrats, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, also have pressured federal and state regulators to crack down on ArcelorMittal.
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The legal and political actions were prompted by an August 2019 equipment failure at the Burns Harbor mill, which released a plume of concentrated cyanide and ammonia into a ditch that drains into the East Branch of the Little Calumet River.
Company and state officials failed to notify the public about the spill until four days later, after thousands of dead fish began floating past a bustling marina near Lake Michigan.
Local officials closed several beaches, including portions of Indiana Dunes National Park, and shut off a nearby drinking water intake as a precaution.
At the time, ArcelorMittal called the fish kill a “unique and unfortunate event” and pledged the company would “remain focused on maintaining compliance and understanding the root cause so that we can implement appropriate measures to prevent future occurrences.”
The company did not respond to emails about this story. In a recent statement, ArcelorMittal said its daily water sampling shows pollution from the mill has remained below permitted limits since the August spill.
“ArcelorMittal has a track record of providing accurate sampling data to the agencies,” the company said.
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The ongoing dispute is the latest in a long struggle to clean up the northwest Indiana steel industry.
It took the U.S. EPA until 1977, five years after the Clean Water Act took effect, to secure a court decision forcing the U.S. Steel Gary Works to reduce the amount of industrial waste it dumped into Lake Michigan and the Grand Calumet River.
Gary Works is still the biggest polluter in the Lake Michigan basin, and as recently as 2007 the EPA intervened to prevent Indiana from scrapping or relaxing limits in the facility’s water pollution permit.
Two years ago, public interest lawyers found a pattern of violations at another U.S. Steel plant next door to the ArcelorMittal mill.
Attorneys from the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Chicago threatened to sue U.S. Steel on behalf of the Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit that represents Lake Michigan surfers. Federal and state regulators ended up negotiating a legal settlement with the company, but Surfrider’s lawyers, joined by the Chicago Law Department, are urging a federal judge to impose stiffer penalties.
The nearly $900,000 in fines and penalties proposed by the government are woefully inadequate when compared with the ecological damage caused by U.S. Steel’s discharges of highly toxic hexavalent chromium, the city and environmental lawyers contend.
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U.S. Steel reported $711 million in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization during 2019.
ArcelorMittal reported earnings of $5.2 billion.
mhawthorne@chicagotribune.com