chicagotribune--2020-08-13--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,834 new known COVID-19 cases reported as state reaches more than

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,834 new known COVID-19 cases reported as state reaches more than 200,000 confirmed infections

Teaching preschool in the middle of a pandemic has its own challenges .
There are myriad protocols and guidelines for @ @ @ @ @ members , depending on where they are in the country — or where they are @ @ @ @ @ and whether learning will be remote , in-person or something in between .
Some teachers @ @ @ @ @ the tools their school has provided , while others have been given little to no @ @ @ @ @ to educate their students .

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Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois public health officials Thursday announced 1,834 new known cases of COVID-19 and 24 additional confirmed deaths. The state has now logged 200,427 cases overall and 7,696 confirmed deaths.
According to a new federal report, at least 24 children in Illinois have come down with a rare but severe illness linked to COVID-19, placing Illinois among the top seven states in the country for the number of cases.
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Illinois, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and California each had between 21 and 30 cases from March to July, according to an article released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts had more than 31 incidences each.
The illness — called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) — can generally appear two to four weeks after the onset of COVID-19 in a child or adolescent.
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On Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker again warned that the state might reimpose stricter measures to slow the spread of the highly contagious disease as trends continue to move in the wrong direction. He urged local officials to “impose greater mitigations on a targeted basis to bring down the number of infections or the positivity rate.”
“Otherwise, it will only be a matter of time before the state will be forced to step in and roll things back on a regional basis, something none of us wants,” Pritzker said.
[ COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: A daily update on key metrics in your area ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ Illinois’ new COVID-19 plan: How the state will manage any outbreaks in 3 charts ]
[ Illinois coronavirus graphs: The latest on deaths, confirmed cases, tests and more ]
Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
6:20 p.m.: Another Cook County clerk’s office employee tests positive for COVID-19
The Cook County clerk’s office will close Friday for the second time this week, after another employee tested positive for coronavirus.
The employee last worked on the 5th floor of the office at 69 W. Washington St. on Thursday, clerk’s office spokesman John Mirkovic said. Anyone still at the office was sent home about 4:30 p.m.
Earlier this week, another employee tested positive on the same floor, causing the office to shut down on Tuesday. It opened back up Wednesday morning.
Mirkovic said he did not know when the office would reopen.
Previously, other floors in that building that belong to the Chicago Board of Elections had two recent cases of coronavirus. The first time, the 6th and 8th floors were closed on July 30 for a deep clean after an employee reported a positive test, according to executive director Lance Gough.
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Then the 8th floor was shut down again on Aug. 7 after an employee tested positive. Gough said contact tracing “determined both contracted the virus outside the office.”
—Alice Yin
5:35 p.m.: La Sardine closes permanently after nearly 22 years in West Loop due to COVID-19 and a bad break
This news had been rumored for awhile, but now it’s official: La Sardine, which has been a fixture in the West Loop for nearly 22 years, has closed for good.
“It’s sad,” said partner and executive chef Oliver Poilevey. “A month, month and a half ago, I thought we were going to make it.”
Poilevey oversees La Sardine and its sister property, Le Bouchon in Bucktown. Both restaurants were created by his parents, chef Jean-Claude Poilevey and Susanne Poilevey. Jean-Claude died in a car accident in 2016; Susanne died in September 2019.
The La Sardine property has no outdoor space in which to set up tables, but eked by with meals-to-go and, eventually, indoor dining with the 25% capacity limitation. Then the weather turned warm and the unthinkable happened.
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“The AC broke,” Poilevey said. “A total break. It would cost $80,000 to fix it, and since we don’t own the building and obviously we have no money coming in, we asked the landlord to fix it. After a long month of exhausting negotiations, at the end of the day he wouldn’t do it.”
“There’s no way we could pay for that, heading into the fall with no rent abatement,” he said. “Throwing 80K at something and then having to close — that’s not a good plan.”
Read more here. —Phil Vettel
5:13 p.m.: Evanston school leaders report ‘ominous threats’ following Fox News coverage of reopening that highlighted approach to students of color
Officials at Evanston/Skokie School District 65 say they have been in touch with law enforcement after receiving threatening emails following a Fox News story detailing their reopening plans.
The online news story reported that students of color may receive priority for limited in-person classroom spots ahead of white students when school resumes. School officials point out their approach is more nuanced, and based on which students would most benefit from in-person instruction, not on race. They say the timing of the report’s publication coincided with a rise in messages, and in one specific case a threatening email.
On July 22, the school board approved plans for a hybrid model featuring both in-person and remote learning options. Under the district’s plan, parents can choose to have their students learn all online or return to the school building for four days per week of in-person instruction. The plans were also discussed at a virtual town hall last month.
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Board President Anya Tanyavutti said Wednesday that because the district is operating at a reduced building capacity to accommodate social distancing and other concerns in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a chance more students and parents will choose in-person learning over remote learning than there are seats are available.
If that happens, the district will prioritize in-person slots for students who have learning challenges, receive free or reduced lunch, are homeless or who face other unique issues that would especially benefit from in-person instruction, board members and district administrators said. While race is not a determining factor, Evanston’s Black and Latino students comprise much of this group, officials said.
The Fox News story published online Aug. 7 with the headline “Illinois district includes students of color in groups with first chance at in-person learning: report.” It was after the publication of that story that Tanyavutti says the emails started.
Read more here. —Genevieve Bookwalter
4:50 p.m.: Lightfoot says city will educate Chicagoans about vaccines to prep them in case one to block COVID-19 is developed
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday said she will launch an effort to educate Chicagoans about vaccines because she’s worried residents will have reservations about getting one to prevent COVID-19 if one is ever available.
With no timeline yet for when a vaccine might be available, Lightfoot said during a National Urban League panel that the city remains “in the fight of our lives” against the virus.
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“I worry that even once we get a vaccine, that because of the speed with which it’s going to be brought into production, that people are going to be reluctant to take it,” Lightfoot said. “So we’re starting now to do a lot of education about vaccines in general.”
“I’m concerned that when flu season starts, as it does every year, that people are going to confuse flu-like symptoms with COVID-19 symptoms,” the mayor added. “So our public health response has to continue to be incredibly proactive and robust.”
Lightfoot spoke on a panel with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms discussing the Urban League’s annual State of Black America report.
This year’s report focuses heavily on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on Black Americans.
Read more here. —John Byrne
3:55 p.m.: Joe Biden calls for a nationwide mask mandate
Joe Biden is calling for a nationwide protective mask mandate, citing health experts’ predictions that it could save 40,000 lives from coronavirus over the next three months.
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“Wearing the mask is less about you contracting the virus,” Biden said. “It’s about preventing other people from getting sick.”
The Democratic presidential candidate also responded to those who push back against such mandates.
“This is America. Be a patriot. Protect your fellow citizens. Step up, do the right thing.”
“Every single American should be wearing a mask when they’re outside for the next three months at a minimum — every governor should mandate mandatory mask wearing,” Biden declared.
Read more here. —The Associated Press
2:49 p.m.: Teaching preschool during a pandemic: ‘We don’t worry about perfect — we just try our best’
The first day of preschool is difficult for almost everyone involved. It’s hard for parents and the little ones to say goodbye to one another while stepping up to this new milestone. And preschool teachers, new adult figures in these children’s lives, have the challenging task of comforting their students while also teaching them routines for beginning their school day.
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Teaching preschool in the middle of a pandemic has its own challenges. There are myriad protocols and guidelines for teachers, students and staff members, depending on where they are in the country — or where they are around the Chicago area — and whether learning will be remote, in-person or something in between. Some teachers feel confident and ready with the tools their school has provided, while others have been given little to no instruction on the best ways to educate their students.
Read more here. —Hannah Herrera Greenspan
1:46 p.m.: Two restaurant employee relief funds offering Chicagoans millions of dollars in aid
Against the backdrop of the economic blow dealt to the restaurant industry by COVID-19, and predictions of more closings to come, two new funds were announced Thursday to help employees. The Illinois Restaurant Association and Southern Smoke have established emergency assistance funds that aim to directly help restaurant industry workers.
The Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Restaurant Employee Relief Fund was created through donations from Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Telemundo, Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois, EMPLOYERS (a small business insurance specialist), personal donations, corporate partnerships and proceeds from Chicago Gourmet’s upcoming “Go Gourmet” Dining and Virtual Event Series. Anyone can contribute and IRAEF is taking donations now.Applications go live in October.
“This fund expands upon the IRAEF’s efforts to ensure the future of our restaurant community statewide,” said Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, in a press release. “While the development of aspiring industry professionals remains the IRAEF’S core mission, it is urgent that we do all we can to secure the stability of our current workforce to ensure opportunities for those to follow.”
Read more here. —Grace Wong
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1:24 p.m.: Say goodbye to the giant green frog. Chicago’s Rainforest Cafe is closing for good ahead of schedule.
he giant green frog peering down at traffic from the top of Chicago’s Rainforest Cafe may not have much more time on his perch.
The kid-friendly restaurant in the Near North neighborhood closed sooner than expected after it shut down during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Tribune reported in December that the restaurant at 605 N. Clark St. was expected to close within two years, when its lease expired.
Read more here. —Ryan Ori
12:49 p.m.: Illinois congressman calls for federal ban on electronic cigarettes, citing study that shows link to COVID-19
Citing a study showing a correlation between vaping and COVID-19, an Illinois congressman is calling for a federal ban on all e-cigarettes — though a vaping industry advocate called it a publicity stunt.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Schaumburg and chairman of the House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, wrote a letter to the Food and Drug Administration this week calling for the agency to “clear the market of all e-cigarettes, temporarily, for the duration of the coronavirus crisis.”
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The letter repeated a request the representative made on April 1 after preliminary studies made similar findings.
But Krishnamoorthi said the case for a ban is stronger following a study that found that young people ages 13-24 who had ever used e-cigarettes were five times more likely to develop COVID-19.
Read more here. —Robert McCoppin
12:05 p.m.: Illinois reaches more than 200,000 known cases of COVID-19
Illinois public health officials Thursday announced 1,834 new known cases of COVID-19 and 24 additional confirmed deaths. The state has now logged 200,427 cases overall and 7,696 confirmed deaths.
—Chicago Tribune staff
12:02 p.m.: Illinois among top seven states for rare childhood syndrome linked to COVID-19
At least 24 children in Illinois have come down with a rare but severe illness linked to COVID-19, placing Illinois among the top seven states in the country for the number of cases, according to a new federal report.
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Illinois, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and California each had between 21 and 30 cases from March to July, according to an article released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts had more than 31 incidences each.
The illness — called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) — can generally appear two to four weeks after the onset of COVID-19 in a child or adolescent. Symptoms can include a rash, fever, red eyes, swollen hands and feet, vomiting and abdominal pain. It’s an inflammatory illness, meaning the body’s immune system revs up and begins to attack healthy tissue.
Read more here. —Lisa Schencker
10:34 a.m.: From cabdrivers to concession cashiers, workers supported by Chicago’s airports wonder when — or if — they’ll go back.
The taxi industry was already having a tough time competing with ride-share companies like Uber and Lyft. The COVID-19 pandemic brought a whole new level of pain.
In normal times, Chicago’s airports are reliable, year-round economic engines for the city. More than 105 million passengers traveled through O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport last year, and the city is pumping $8.5 billion into an expansion project at O’Hare that will help it attract even more.
Those millions of travelers bring more than tourism dollars and business for airlines. They support an entire network of businesses around Chicago’s airports, from catering companies that prepare in-flight meals to airport shops and restaurants where passengers kill time before boarding to airport hotels and car rental agencies.
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As a rise in COVID-19 cases nationwide stalls signs of growth, companies and workers alike are realizing what many assumed would be short-term pain isn’t going away anytime soon.
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
10:14 a.m.: ‘Band and choir — there’s inherently aerosol spread with that.’ Educators try to create meaningful, in-person arts education during COVID-19.
In the band room, students emptied spit valves, some played shared instruments and others worked closely in small practice rooms. During choir rehearsal, dozens engaged in breathing exercises together. And onstage, theater students projected their voices and sang at the top of their lungs. What arts education looked like just months ago seems unfathomable in the age of COVID-19.
While many arts education programs will be online for at least a portion of this school year, some schools are grappling with how to safely provide in-person arts education during a pandemic.
Read more here. —Lauren Leazenby
10:13 a.m.: Here’s what to know about kids and COVID-19 as some return to school
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently reported that nearly 180,000 children tested positive for COVID-19 in the last month, a 90% increase in a four-week period in child cases nationwide.
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Of those child cases, 97,000 were reported in the latter half of July, a nationwide increase of 40% in two weeks coinciding with the reopening of schools in certain parts of the South and Midwest.
As parents prepare their children for the new school year, here’s what we know about kids and the coronavirus: contraction, transmission, symptoms and how Illinois compares to the stark nationwide trend.
Read more here. —Verity Sturm
9:09 a.m.: Trump says funds for US Postal Service to deal with mail ballots is sticking point in coronavirus aid negotiations
Americans counting on emergency coronavirus aid from Washington may have to wait until fall.
Negotiations over a new virus relief package have all but ended, with the White House and congressional leaders far apart on the size, scope and approach for shoring up households, re-opening schools and launching a national strategy to contain the virus.
President Donald Trump’s top negotiator, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, tried to revive stalled talks Wednesday, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the “overture,” saying the Trump administration is still refusing to meet them halfway. Congressional Republicans are largely sitting out the talks.
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“The White House is not budging,” Pelosi and Schumer said in a joint statement.
Read more here. —Associated Press
9:06 a.m.: Parents are turning on each other as schools debate reopening plans for fall during coronavirus pandemic
It’s the newest front in America’s parenting wars.
Parents, forced to figure out how to care for and educate their children in a pandemic, are being judged and criticized on message boards and in backyard meetups and virtual PTA meetings. If parents send their children to schools that reopen, are they endangering them and their teachers? If they keep them home, are they pulling support from schools and depriving their children? If they keep working while schools are closed, are they neglecting their children in a time of need? If they hire someone to help with remote school, are they widening achievement gaps and contributing to inequality?
But the shaming, scholars say, is distracting from the larger societal issues underlying the problem. Parents have been left stranded with very little in the way of support.
Read more here. —The New York Times
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8:53 a.m.: Three reasons stocks are soaring despite the coronavirus’ economic toll
The stock market is not the economy.
Rarely has that adage been as clear as it is now. An amazing, monthslong rally means the S&P 500 is roughly back to where it was before the coronavirus slammed the U.S, even though millions of workers are still getting unemployment benefits and businesses continue to shutter across the country.
The S&P 500, which is the benchmark index for stock funds at the heart of many 401(k) accounts, ended Wednesday at 3,380.35 after briefly topping its closing record of 3,386.15 set on Feb. 19. It’s erased nearly all of the 34% plunge from February into March in less time than it takes a baby to learn how to crawl.
The U.S. and global economies have shown some improvements since the spring, when business lockdowns were widespread, but they are nowhere close to fully healed. The number of virus cases continues to rise across much of the United States, and federal and local politicians for the most part lack a strategy to contain it. Many industries, such as airlines, hotels and dining, could take years to recover from the damage.
Read more here. —Associated Press
8:28 a.m.: New US jobless claims fall below 1 million for first time in 5 months
The number of laid-off workers applying for unemployment aid fell below 1 million last week for the first time since the pandemic intensified five months ago yet still remains at a high level. The viral pandemic keeps forcing layoffs just as the expiration of a $600-a-week federal jobless benefit has deepened the hardships for many.
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The Labor Department said applications fell to 963,000, the second straight drop, from 1.2 million the previous week. The decline suggests that layoffs are slowing, though last week’s figure still exceeds the pre-pandemic record of just under 700,000.
Read more here. —Associated Press
6 a.m.: Want to vote by mail in Illinois? Here’s how.
Election Day is scheduled for Nov. 3, but many Illinois residents have already requested mail-in ballots, an option state officials encourage for all registered voters this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
By mid-July, Chicago election officials had received a record-high 121,000 applications for mail-in ballots, and that was before the effects of a new state law kick in that will see every Illinois resident who voted in recent elections automatically getting an application to vote by mail.
Here’s what you need to know about voting by mail in the general election. —Kelli Smith and Brooke Fowler
6 a.m.: ‘Nine times out of 10, I was completely brushed off’: Black Chicagoans confront bias in health care, hope for change
Many Black Chicagoans have had negative experiences when seeking medical care: times a doctor didn’t believe them, dismissed their concerns or didn’t fully explain their options.
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Sometimes racial prejudices are obvious. But even well-meaning medical providers can act differently toward Black patients because of a phenomenon known as implicit bias, which is bias that can surface automatically and, often, unconsciously when encountering a person of another race, gender or group.
When it occurs in medicine, it can have devastating consequences for patients, and may be one factor leading to worse health outcomes for Black people, such as higher rates of deaths from COVID-19, experts say.
Those higher death rates, along with the recent death of George Floyd in Minnesota and the unrest that followed, have spurred many organizations to act. In the Chicago area, three dozen health systems — including all the city’s biggest hospitals — recently announced plans to ramp up their efforts to fight racism, including by focusing on anti-racism and implicit bias training for doctors, nurses and other employees. The effort is part of the city’s Racial Equity Rapid Response Team.
Read more here. —Lisa Schencker
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Here are five stories from Wednesday related to COVID-19.


chicagotribune--2020-08-13--Protesters against police in schools turned away from Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s block: ‘It felt normal,

Protesters against police in schools turned away from Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s block: ‘It felt normal, coming to say how we feel and being shut down'

The district ’ s current $ 33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department expires this month .
CPS ’ @ @ @ @ @ also on the agenda for the next Board meeting , would cut the spending for @ @ @ @ @ , in part because the district will stop paying for mobile school patrols and because @ @ @ @ @ until at least November .
In defending the use of police in schools , CPS @ @ @ @ @ the power given to LSCs , while others have argued that it ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ ’ t given alternatives for spending the money that covers officers .

Demonstrators walk down Milwaukee Avenue during the Student Summit and March for Police Free Schools. Protesters tried to march to Mayor Lori Lightfoot's house but were blocked by police. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Frustrated by the mounting tally of Local School Councils voting to keep Chicago police officers stationed on their campuses, more than 100 hundred students and supporters of police-free schools marched to Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s block Thursday afternoon, only to be turned away by a thick wall of police.
“We didn’t get as close as we wanted to, but we’re here,” an organizer said into a megaphone. Rather than try to get through, the group formed a circle around the intersection of Wrightwood and Kimball avenues, where they spent the next half-hour continuing the rally that started at noon at Logan Square Park.
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On the 10-minute walk from the park, the group encountered more police as they neared the mayor’s house. As they approached Kimball on Wrightwood, they were faced with metal gates denying them access to the mayor’s block. Behind the gate, bike officers made a reinforcing line with their bicycles. Behind them, at least a dozen more officers were scattered around a line of marked and unmarked police SUVs.
Rising Kenwood Academy High School senior Ana McCullom, an organizer with Assata’s Daughters, which is a grassroots collective of Black women, called out to an officer she recognized from previous protests outside Lightfoot’s house, promising to be back. He seemed to nod.
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Demonstrators rally on their way to Mayor Lori Lightfoot's house during the Student Summit and March for Police Free Schools Thursday in Logan Square. Officers gated off the mayor's block. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
At the park, McCullom had spoken of recent Local School Council meetings in which students felt ignored.
“We got all these schools voting, and they’re not listening to youth,” McCullom said.
Chicago Public Schools gave LSCs for each of the 72 high schools that had officers last year a Friday deadline to vote on whether to retain them for the upcoming school year. Though councils can revote on the issue at any time, CPS is seeking a current count before the Board of Education considers a new contract with the Police Department at its Aug. 26 meeting.
CPS gave LSCs the power to vote on officers for the first time last school year. District officials said all 72 schools where officers had been assigned voted to keep them, but concerns have been raised about the legitimacy of some of those outcomes, including councils that lacked quorum or were under the impression their votes were only advisory.
This time around, at least 10 schools have booted out officers, but about three times that many have voted to keep them.
Demonstrators rally near Mayor Lori Lightfoot's house in favor of police-free schools. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Dream Cannon and Essence Gatheright, rising seniors at Lindblom Math and Science Academy, a selective enrollment high school in West Englewood, said at the rally they felt disrespected by the LSC’s vote to keep officers but are holding out for the possibility of another vote in the future. Cannon said it was troubling that many of their white teachers and the principal supported police despite the negative experiences and research students have shared.
“The inherent anti-Blackness is we have white teachers who are scared of Black students,” Cannon said.
Cannon said she’s hopeful for a revote before schools reopen. And if people push hard enough, she believes it’s possible to convince CPS to give the money that would have paid for officers to schools, to spend on resources they need. Last year, a nurse was only at Lindblom two days a week, they said.
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Demonstrators rally in Logan Square Thursday against police in schools. Most Chicago high schools have so far voted to keep their officers. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The district’s current $33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department expires this month. CPS’s new proposed budget, also on the agenda for the next Board meeting, would cut the spending for officers by more than half, in part because the district will stop paying for mobile school patrols and because schools will continue remote learning until at least November. In defending the use of police in schools, CPS and city officials have emphasized the power given to LSCs, while others have argued that it’s a false choice when schools aren’t given alternatives for spending the money that covers officers.
Reflecting on the protest, Cannon said it felt uneventful that the officers were ready for them.
“It felt normal, coming to say how we feel and being shut down,” Cannon said.
The mayor was at City Hall during the protest, her office said, referring questions about the police presence to the Chicago Police Department.
A CPD spokesman later said, “Traffic was blocked off to help ensure the safety of the protesters.” He did not say how many officers were present.
Though there was little interaction between the protesters and police, as the group started to head back to the park, they called out an officer who wasn’t wearing a face covering despite the ongoing pandemic.
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“You don’t have your mask on. You don’t have your mask on,” they taunted.
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-13--State Sen. Terry Link charged with federal income tax evasion

During one recorded conversation , the senator told Arroyo he was “ in the twilight ” of his career and @ @ @ @ @ ” to bolster his income , according to the criminal complaint filed against Arroyo in @ @ @ @ @ would “ make sure that you ’ re rewarded for what you do , for @ @ @ @ @ na do moving forward , ” the complaint alleged .

Sen. Terry Link, D-Gurnee, on the Senate floor at the State Capitol on May 29, 2013. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Longtime state Sen. Terry Link was charged Thursday with a federal count of income tax evasion — the third Democratic state senator to face felony charges in a little more than a year.
The one-page criminal information filed in U.S. District Court accused Link, of Vernon Hills, of failing to report income on his 2016 tax return to the IRS. Link listed his income as $264,450 when in fact his income “substantially exceeded” that amount, according to the charge.
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Link’s legislative pay is about $88,000 a year, state comptroller records show. He was also one of four state senators who serve on the Legislative Ethics Commission — a position he resigned from Thursday after the charge was made public.
Link, 73, who has served in the senate since 1997 and rose to assistant majority leader, could not immediately be reached for comment, and his lawyer did not return messages. Defendants are typically charged via an information if they intend to eventually plead guilty.
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The Chicago Tribune reported last year that Link wore a wire for the FBI in a bribery investigation of his colleague, then-state Rep. Luis Arroyo.
Federal prosecutors alleged Arroyo had sought an unnamed state senator’s support on legislation involving video gambling sweepstakes games that would benefit one of Arroyo’s lobbying clients.
During one recorded conversation, the senator told Arroyo he was “in the twilight” of his career and was “looking for something” to bolster his income, according to the criminal complaint filed against Arroyo in October. Arroyo said he would “make sure that you’re rewarded for what you do, for what we’re gonna do moving forward,” the complaint alleged.
“Let’s be clear ... my word is my bond and my, my reputation,” Arroyo allegedly said.
The state senator was also wearing a wire for the FBI when Arroyo delivered the first of the promised $2,500 checks at a restaurant in Skokie in August 2019.
“This is, this is the jackpot,” the complaint quoted Arroyo as telling the senator — identified as Cooperating Witness 1 — as he handed over the check.
Additional $2,500 payments were expected to be made over the next six to 12 months, federal authorities alleged.
The complaint against Arroyo revealed that the unnamed state senator first began cooperating with the FBI in 2016 but was terminated as a confidential source after it was revealed he had filed false income tax returns.
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The senator later agreed to cooperate with the FBI again in the hopes of winning a break at sentencing on expected tax fraud charges, according to the complaint.
The Chicago Tribune has previously identified the state senator as Link, though he has repeatedly denied being the cooperating witness mentioned in the complaint.
“Anybody can tell you anything,” Link told a Tribune reporter on the day Arroyo was charged.
Also involved in Arroyo’s alleged scheme was businessman James Weiss, the son-in-law of former Cook County assessor and county Democratic Party boss Joseph Berrios, whose house was raided by the FBI shortly before the charges against Arroyo were unsealed, the Tribune has reported.
In addition, Weiss’ business partner, John Adreani, opened V.S.S. Inc., a sweepstakes machine company that hired Arroyo as a lobbyist, after his firing as a Chicago police officer for consorting with a drug trafficker, the Tribune reported.
Arroyo has pleaded not guilty, and his case is pending.
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Neither Weiss nor Adreani has been charged.
The charge against Link marked the latest in a series of wide-ranging investigations against Illinois political leaders.
Last year, Link’s colleague state Sen. Thomas Cullerton was charged in an alleged ghost payroll scheme involving the Teamsters union. Cullerton has pleaded not guilty.
In September, another then-state senator, Martin Sandoval, was accused of taking bribes from a representative of a red-light camera company to act as the company’s “protector” in Springfield. Sandoval pleaded guilty earlier this year and is cooperating.
In addition to Link’s income tax troubles, the Tribune reported in December that Link failed to report a $50,000 profit from the sale of a Florida condominium as required on his state ethics form.
The buyer of Link’s condo happened to be the mother-in-law of a man who sources said is under investigation in the federal probe of Sandoval and SafeSpeed. Link told the newspaper that the tie is a coincidence.
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He also said that, after consulting with an ethics officer, he would be amending his statement of economic interests that covered 2016 to include the real estate deal.
“I’m glad you brought it to my attention,” Link said at the time. “To me, it was something I never intended to skirt the issue.”
Meanwhile, the revelation that Link was wearing a wire for the FBI sent ripples through the state’s political landscape.
His cooperation was revealed during the fall legislative session as Link served as the assistant Senate majority leader and a co-sponsor of the state’s massive gambling expansion passed in June 2019.
Link has been integrally involved in efforts to expand casino gambling for many years, and his goal of bringing a casino license to his hometown of Waukegan was finally realized as part of that deal.
The Tribune’s Jamie Munks contributed.
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jmeisner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-13--Hours before feds charge another colleague, a group of Democratic state lawmakers says it’s time for

Hours before feds charge another colleague, a group of Democratic state lawmakers says it’s time for ethics reform

“ This session it is apparent we have a moment again , and that moment is , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ that are going to deal with the culture in Springfield , ” said state Sen. @ @ @ @ @ who noted how the passage in recent years of ethics laws related to workplace sexual @ @ @ @ @ of the # MeToo movement .
Bush has also previously said Madigan should quit both @ @

State Sen. Melinda Bush speaks before property tax during vote during the 100th Illinois General Assembly session at the State Capitol in Springfield on May 30, 2017. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
A group of Democratic state lawmakers on Thursday issued a series of ethics proposals ahead of the fall veto session, including term limits for legislative leaders and a process for temporarily removing members from leadership posts if they are caught up in a criminal investigation.
Just hours after the lawmakers rolled out their proposals, one of their fellow Democrats, longtime state Sen. Terry Link, of Vernon Hills, was charged with a federal count of income tax evasion. Link is the third Democratic state senator to face felony charges over the past year.
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Later Thursday, Senate President Don Harmon accepted Link’s resignation from the Legislative Ethics Commission, Harmon spokesman John Patterson said.
[ State Sen. Terry Link charged with federal income tax evasion — the 3rd Illinois state senator to face felony charges in little more than a year ]
The lawmakers pitching ethics reform sought to avoid tying their proposals directly to House Speaker Michael Madigan, who has been tied to a federal corruption investigation involving Commonwealth Edison. But they also noted that “recent allegations” helped spur their effort to toughen state ethics laws, and could provide enough momentum to advance ethics changes that have previously stalled.
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State Reps. Jonathan “Yoni” Pizer and Kelly Cassidy repeated their calls for Madigan to step down both as speaker and as state Democratic Party chairman.
“This session it is apparent we have a moment again, and that moment is, it’s time to pass legislative packages that are going to deal with the culture in Springfield,” said state Sen. Melinda Bush of Grayslake, who noted how the passage in recent years of ethics laws related to workplace sexual harassment and discrimination grew out of the #MeToo movement. Bush has also previously said Madigan should quit both roles.
Last month, Commonwealth Edison was charged in a “yearslong bribery scheme,” alleging that the utility made efforts to “influence and reward” Madigan by giving financial benefits to some of his allies.
A ComEd headquarters building in Chicago on July 17, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
As part of a deferred prosecution agreement, ComEd agreed to pay a $200 million fine and cooperate with investigators. Madigan, who was described in that agreement as Public Official A, has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
Madigan has denied any wrongdoing and has said he has no plans to resign.
“I have never made a legislative decision with improper motives and any claim otherwise is unfounded,” Madigan said in a statement last month.
While the lawmakers’ ethics proposal calls for creating a process for lawmakers to be removed from leadership or committee chair posts if they are tied to, or charged or indicted in, a criminal investigation, Cassidy said a legislator who is “exonerated” could return to their leadership role.
“I think that over the course of my almost 10 years down there, I’ve seen it handled a different way every single time,” the Chicago Democrat said. “I think that clarity is critical for us.”
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The Democrats also want to prohibit lawmakers from lobbying at other levels of government and an end to the legislator-to-lobbyist “revolving door”; a requirement for more comprehensive disclosure of lawmakers’ outside income; establish an official censure process akin to what is used in the United States Congress; and a more robust and independent Legislative Inspector General’s office.
Democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers of the General Assembly. With lawmakers not currently scheduled to reconvene in Springfield until Nov. 17 for the fall veto session, some Republican lawmakers have called for Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker to convene a special legislative session to deal with ethics changes.
House Speaker Michael Madigan stands behind Gov. J.B. Pritzker as Pritzker delivers his budget address to a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield on Feb. 19, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
In his State of the State speech in January, Pritzker urged lawmakers to deal with the “scourge” of corruption in Illinois. Ethics reform was one of the top priorities leading into the General Assembly’s spring session, but became one of casualties of a session shortened by the pandemic.
In addition to Link, the federal corruption investigation has led to criminal charges against state lawmakers including Democratic state Sen. Tom Cullerton of Villa Park, former Democratic state Rep. Luis Arroyo of Chicago and former Democratic state Sen. Martin Sandoval of Chicago, as well as Chicago Ald. Ed Burke.
The Chicago Tribune reported last year that Link was the unnamed state senator in a criminal complaint against Arroyo, and that Link wore a wire for the FBI in the bribery investigation of Arroyo.
At the time, Link repeatedly denied being the unnamed state senator who was a cooperating witness in the Arroyo investigation, as detailed by the complaint. Link did not immediately return a call seeking comment on Thursday.
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Federal prosecutors alleged that Arroyo wanted the unnamed senator’s support on video gambling sweepstakes legislation that would have benefited a lobbying client of Arroyo’s.
A flurry of proposals to strengthen the state’s ethics laws were floated by lawmakers last fall, and the General Assembly passed some more stringent rules for lobbyists and created a new bipartisan ethics panel of lawmakers to make recommendations for changes to ethics laws.
The General Assembly’s Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform was due to issue a report with recommended changes in March. The report has not been released, which lawmakers have also attributed to the pandemic.
The Democratic co-chairs of that commission and two member Democrats issued a statement Thursday acknowledging they’d received their colleagues’ proposals and said “many of these ideas have already been discussed over the course of the commission’s hearings.”
“After conducting multiple public hearings and getting input from many stakeholders, including our fellow legislators, the commission will submit a final report,” the statement said. “However, the commission cannot file legislation. Only members of the General Assembly can do that. We look forward to working with our colleagues on their suggestions as we work together to develop a strong package of ethics reforms.”
State Sen. Andy Manar, a Bunker Hill Democrat, said during Thursday’s news conference that he hopes “these nine proposals will be part of their final report that could then be voted on during veto session.”
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jmunks@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-13--La Sardine closes permanently after nearly 22 years in West Loop due to COVID-19 and a bad break

“ We ’ re doing OK with pickup , ” he said .
“ We ’ re so small we @ @ @ @ @ indoor dining , but this isn ’ t the first place people are thinking of @ @ @ @ @ own the building ; we ’ ll be OK. We ’ re not going to @ @ @ @ @ but hopefully some help will be coming to restaurants .
”

Oliver Poilevey, pictured at La Sardine restaurant June 29, 2018, has announced the restaurant will close. But the family's other restaurant, Le Bouchon, remains open. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
This news had been rumored for awhile, but now it’s official: La Sardine, which has been a fixture in the West Loop for nearly 22 years, has closed for good.
“It’s sad,” said partner and executive chef Oliver Poilevey. “A month, month and a half ago, I thought we were going to make it.”
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Poilevey oversees La Sardine and its sister property, Le Bouchon in Bucktown. Both restaurants were created by his parents, chef Jean-Claude Poilevey and Susanne Poilevey. Jean-Claude died in a car accident in 2016; Susanne died in September 2019.
The La Sardine property has no outdoor space in which to set up tables, but eked by with meals-to-go and, eventually, indoor dining with the 25% capacity limitation. Then the weather turned warm and the unthinkable happened.
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“The AC broke,” Poilevey said. “A total break. It would cost $80,000 to fix it, and since we don’t own the building and obviously we have no money coming in, we asked the landlord to fix it. After a long month of exhausting negotiations, at the end of the day he wouldn’t do it.”
“There’s no way we could pay for that, heading into the fall with no rent abatement,” he said. “Throwing 80K at something and then having to close — that’s not a good plan.”
[ REVIEW: As Le Bouchon and La Sardine celebrate bittersweet anniversaries, founding chef's legacy remains intact ]
Poilevey gave his staff the bad news on Thursday.
“I have some people that have been there 20 years, and then it’s over just like that,” he said. “It was heartbreaking to tell them. In non-covid times, we could put some of them in other places, but I don’t have enough work for the Le Bouchon staff as it is.”
Le Bouchon, Poilevey says, will survive.
“We’re doing OK with pickup,” he said. “We’re so small we can only do a little indoor dining, but this isn’t the first place people are thinking of in August. But we own the building; we’ll be OK. We’re not going to get rich anytime soon, but hopefully some help will be coming to restaurants.”


chicagotribune--2020-08-13--The Spin: Trump doesn’t want additional U.S. Postal Service funds | State senator charged with incom

The Spin: Trump doesn’t want additional U.S. Postal Service funds | State senator charged with income tax evasion | Democrats call for new ethics laws

They say the plans are not tied to House Speaker Michael Madigan , the nation ’ s longest-serving official in @ @ @ @ @ a month ago , federal prosecutors accused Commonwealth Edison of a “ years-long bribery scheme @ @ @ @ @ and payments to Madigan allies in exchange for favorable action in the state Capitol .
@ @ @ @ @ $ 200 million fine and Madigan , who was described in that agreement as “ @ @ @ @ @ has not been charged with wrongdoing .

President Donald Trump speaks at a news conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020, in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/AP)
There’s been talk of Illinois lawmakers overhauling the state ethics code for some time. And, even as a federal criminal investigation has shaken the halls of Chicago City Hall and the state Capitol, so far it’s only been talk.
A group of Illinois Democrats, the controlling party in state government, today outlined a series of ethics proposals ahead of the fall veto session that calls for term limits on legislative leaders and a process for temporarily removing members from leadership posts if they are caught up in a criminal investigation.
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They say the plans are not tied to House Speaker Michael Madigan, the nation’s longest-serving official in that capacity. Less than a month ago, federal prosecutors accused Commonwealth Edison of a “years-long bribery scheme” involving jobs, contracts and payments to Madigan allies in exchange for favorable action in the state Capitol. ComEd agreed to pay a $200 million fine and Madigan, who was described in that agreement as “Public Official A,” has not been charged with wrongdoing.
Madigan has denied wrongdoing and has said he doesn’t plan to resign.
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Meanwhile, State Sen. Terry Link was charged with income tax evasion today in U.S. District Court. Earlier, the mayor of south suburban Crestwood pleaded not guilty to federal charges that accuse him of accepting bribes to promote a red-light camera company.
President Donald Trump today in an interview on Fox Business Network discussed his opposition to getting the U.S. Postal Service more money at a time when more people are expected to cast their ballots by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic. The president acknowledged the post office needs the money to help with handling the additional ballots this year.
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President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office on Aug. 12, 2020. (Andrew Harnik/AP)
From the AP: “President Donald Trump declared Thursday that he opposes additional funding for the U.S. Postal Service, acknowledging that his position would starve the agency of money Democrats say it needs to process an anticipated surge in mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Trump also claimed anew — falsely — that Democrats were pushing for universal mail-in voting and predicted without providing evidence that mail-in voting would lead to massive voter fraud in the November election. Polls indicate Trump is in for a tough reelection fight against Democrat Joe Biden.”
“Trump said on ‘Mornings with Maria,‘ ‘They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots.” He added, “If they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting because they’re not equipped to have it.‘
“Trump has moved to sow public distrust in the Postal Service’s ability to deliver what is expected to be record numbers of mail-in ballots. The agency’s new leader, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major donor to Trump and other Republicans, has instituted operational changes that have led to delivery delays across the U.S.” Read the rest here.
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Illinois Sen. Terry Link speaks in Waukegan on July 1, 2019. (Mark Kodiak Ukena / Lake County News-Sun)
The Tribune’s Jason Meisner is reporting: Longtime state Sen. Terry Link was charged today with a federal count of income tax evasion — the third state senator to face felony charges in a little more than a year.
The one-page criminal information filed in U.S. District Court accused Link, of Vernon Hills, of failing to report income on his 2016 tax return to the IRS.” Read the rest here.
Lou Presta, shown Oct. 8, 2016. (Zak Koeske / Daily Southtown)
“Crestwood Mayor Louis Presta pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal charges alleging he accepted bribes to promote a red-light camera company and then lied about it to the FBI.
“Presta, 69, was charged last week with three counts of using a facility in interstate commerce in aid of bribery and official misconduct, two counts of willfully filing a false income tax return, one count of willfully failing to file an income tax return and one count of making false statements to the FBI and IRS.” Jason Meisner’s full story is here.
Sen. Melinda Bush speaks in Springfield on May 30, 2017. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Jamie Munks: “A group of Democratic state lawmakers on Thursday issued a series of ethics proposals ahead of the fall veto session, including term limits for legislative leaders and a process for temporarily removing members from leadership posts if they are caught up in a criminal investigation.
“The Democrats also want to prohibit lawmakers from lobbying at other levels of government and an end to the legislator-to-lobbyist ‘revolving door'; a requirement for more comprehensive disclosure of lawmakers’ outside income; and a more robust Legislative Inspector General’s office.
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"Lawmakers on Thursday sought to avoid tying their proposals directly to House Speaker Michael Madigan, who has been tied to a federal corruption investigation involving Commonwealth Edison.
“But they also noted the ongoing federal corruption investigation that has ensnared several legislators makes this an opportune time to pass a large-scale ethics package, and state Reps. Jonathan ‘Yoni’ Pizer and Kelly Cassidy repeated their calls for Madigan to step down both as speaker and as state Democratic Party chairman.” Read the rest here.
Frankie Paulino, of Chicago, uses his vaping device at Dearborn and Jackson in Chicago on Sept. 16, 2019. Paulino believes that excessive vaping is bad and prefers the mint flavor. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Robert McCoppin: “Citing a study showing a correlation between vaping and COVID-19, an Illinois congressman is calling for a federal ban on all e-cigarettes — though a vaping industry advocate called it a publicity stunt.
“Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Schaumburg and chairman of the House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, wrote a letter to the Food and Drug Administration this week calling for the agency to ‘clear the market of all e-cigarettes, temporarily, for the duration of the coronavirus crisis.‘” Read the rest here.
A metal recycling company at 106th Street on the east bank of Calumet River near the site where General Iron metal shredder is planning to move operations by merging with an existing company, Reserve Marine Terminals on the old Republic Steel site in Chicago on July 16, 2018. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Michael Hawthorne: “Chicago is perpetuating environmental racism by pushing industrial polluters from the wealthy, largely white North Side to low-income communities of color on the South Side, according to a new complaint that draws upon the city’s long history of segregation.
“Citing provisions of the federal Fair Housing Act, community activists are seeking an overhaul of zoning and planning ordinances that protect industries in certain parts of the city without consideration of the health and well-being of people who live nearby, most of whom are Black and Latino.” Read the rest of Hawthorne’s story here.
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Mayor Lori Lighfoot takes off her face mask as she prepares to speak during the unveiling of the U.S. Department of Energy's blueprint strategy for the development of a national quantum internet, at a press conference at the University of Chicago's Harper Center, Thursday, July 23, 2020. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s John Byrne: “Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday said she will launch an effort to educate Chicagoans about vaccines because she’s worried residents will have reservations about getting one to prevent COVID-19 if one is ever available.
“With no timeline yet for when a vaccine might be available, Lightfoot said during a National Urban League panel that the city remains “in the fight of our lives” against the virus.” Read the rest here.
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chicagotribune--2020-08-13--Illinois among top 7 states for rare childhood syndrome linked to COVID-19

In some cases , the illness has damaged kids ’ kidneys , and doctors are also seeing inflammation and enlargement @ @ @ @ @ Belmonte said .
He said many of the children , even after they ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ have their hearts checked for at least several years to see if the illness caused @ @ @

This electron microscope image from February 2020 shows the novel coronavirus, yellow, emerging from the surface of cells, blue/pink, cultured in the lab. The sample was isolated from a patient in the U.S. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns doctors about a rare but serious condition in children linked with the coronavirus, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. (National Institutes of Health)
At least 20 children in Illinois have come down with a rare but severe illness linked to COVID-19, placing Illinois among the top seven states in the country for the number of cases, according to a new federal report.
Illinois, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and California each had between 21 and 30 cases from March to July, according to an article recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts had more than 31 incidences each.
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The illness — called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C — can generally appear two to four weeks after the onset of COVID-19 in a child or adolescent. Symptoms can include a rash, fever, red eyes, swollen hands and feet, vomiting and abdominal pain. It’s an inflammatory illness, meaning the body’s immune system revs up and begins to attack healthy tissue.
Nationwide, 570 cases had been reported to the CDC as of July 29, by 40 state health departments, the District of Columbia and New York City. Among those cases, children stayed in the hospital for a median of six days; 364 children had to go to intensive care; and 10 children died.
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Illinois has reported 24 cases of the illness to the CDC, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. No children in Illinois have died of the sickness.
The illness has, so far, been affecting Black and Latino children more than white children — similar to how COVID-19 has disproportionately affected Black and Latino people. Of the 570 cases nationwide, 40.5% of the patients were Hispanic or Latino; 33.1% were Black; and 13.2% were white.
About two-thirds of children had no underlying medical conditions before they fell ill with MIS-C.
In many ways, the report’s findings mirror what Chicago-area hospitals are seeing.
Advocate Children’s Hospital has treated about a dozen children with the syndrome, said Dr. Frank Belmonte, chief medical officer at the hospital, which has campuses in Park Ridge and Oak Lawn.
“Pretty much every kid we’ve seen with this has been pretty sick, and it’s involved multiple systems in their body,” Belmonte said. Most of the patients at Advocate Children’s have needed intensive care and many were put on ventilators.
University of Chicago Medicine’s Comer Children’s Hospital has seen at least seven patients with the illness, all of whom needed intensive care, said Dr. Julia Rosebush, an assistant professor of pediatric infectious diseases at Comer.
Many of the patients at Advocate Children’s have been Latino, and all the patients at Comer have been Latino or Black. Most of the patients at Advocate have been between the ages of 5 and 12, while Comer’s patients have ranged in age from 2 to 18.
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In some cases, the illness has damaged kids’ kidneys, and doctors are also seeing inflammation and enlargement of the heart muscle, Belmonte said. He said many of the children, even after they’ve recovered, will need to have their hearts checked for at least several years to see if the illness caused lasting damage.
“What the children may experience in the future as a result of this, we just haven’t seen it long enough to know if there may be adverse effects later in life,” Rosebush said.
Still, the doctors said, children seem to be recovering well from the sickness. They’re typically being treated with steroids and/or convalescent plasma at Advocate Children’s. Doctors at Comer have been treating patients with steroids, a drug called anakinra that can help with inflammation and infusions of immunoglobulins, which are antibodies collected from donated blood.
“Children are the most resilient of all the populations,” Belmonte said. “We’ve literally seen kids on death’s door that have gone home after several weeks of hospitalization. They’ve made really miraculous recoveries.”
The CDC report comes as many parents prepare to send their children back to classrooms in coming weeks. But Belmonte and Rosebush noted that MIS-C is still rare and probably not a reason for most parents to panic.
“The vast majority of children, should they become infected with COVID-19, will not experience this as a result of the infection,” Rosebush said.
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Illinois has had 20,057 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among people younger than 20, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
“Given how exceedingly rare this condition is, and how infrequently it is seen, I think I would be hard-pressed to say this should be a primary reason why kids should refrain from attending school,” Rosebush said. “If the decision is made by the parent to keep the child home, it should probably be made on account of other factors and not solely on MIS-C.”
Researchers are still working to understand why some children get MIS-C after being exposed to COVID-19, while most do not. But they suspect some children may have a genetic predisposition to developing it, Rosebush said.
Though the symptoms of the illness sound common, Belmonte said the children Advocate has seen have been very sick, often acting lethargic, not responsive and not eating. He advises parents who have questions about their children’s health to call their pediatricians.


chicagotribune--2020-08-13--Evanston school leaders report ‘ominous threats’ following Fox News coverage of reopening that highl

Evanston school leaders report ‘ominous threats’ following Fox News coverage of reopening that highlighted approach to students of color

Board member Joseph Hailpern said he was contacted by six local parents who had issues with the policy , some @ @ @ @ @ it prioritized students of color over their own children .
At least two of those @ @ @ @ @ to him because he is the only white man on the board and they assumed @ @ @ @ @ , he said .

Officials at Evanston/Skokie School District 65 say they have been in touch with law enforcement after receiving threatening emails following a Fox News story detailing their reopening plans.
The online news story reported that students of color could receive priority for limited in-person classroom spots ahead of white students when school resumes. School officials say their approach is more nuanced, and based on which students would most benefit from in-person instruction, not on race. They say the timing of the report’s publication coincided with a rise in messages, and in one specific case a threatening email.
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On July 22, the school board approved plans for a hybrid model featuring both in-person and remote learning options. Under the district’s plan, parents can choose to have their students learn all online or return to the school building for four days per week of in-person instruction. The plans were also discussed at a virtual town hall last month.
Board President Anya Tanyavutti said Wednesday that because the district is operating at a reduced building capacity to accommodate social distancing and other concerns in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a chance more students and parents will choose in-person learning over remote learning than there are seats are available.
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If that happens, the district will prioritize in-person slots for students who have learning challenges, receive free or reduced lunch, are homeless or who face other unique issues that would especially benefit from in-person instruction, board members and district administrators said. While race is not a determining factor, Evanston’s Black and Latino students comprise much of this group, officials said.
The Fox News story published online Aug. 7 with the headline “Illinois district includes students of color in groups with first chance at in-person learning: report.” It was after the publication of that story that Tanyavutti says the emails started.
The Fox News report included a quote from the superintendent aggregated from the Evanston Roundtable, a local news source.
A school district spokeswoman said her quote in the Fox story was not used in the full context in which it was sent and addressed the potential need to prioritize students in general based on capacity and staffing. Deputy Superintendent LaTarsha Green is quoted in the story discussing prioritizing “Black and brown students” during the community forum. In that instance, she was discussing recommendations from a citizen’s committee about the district’s back-to-school plans and not the formal district policy.
Fox News did not respond to a request for comment on the article’s content or response.
After the story ran, comments Tanyavutti described as from “trolls” began filling the school district’s social media pages, she said.
Emails complaining about the policy were directed to the entire school board, while others were specifically addressed to the district’s Black leadership: Tanyavutti, Superintendent Devon Horton and Deputy Superintendent Latarsha Green, she said.
“Those emails are racially coded, lined with lots of euphemisms, and some of them with ominous threats,” Tanyavutti said. “It’s been unpleasant and it doesn’t seem to have a purpose other than to try to intimidate and harass.”
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Superintendent Devon Horton said emails have called the district’s leaders “black supremacists.” He confirmed the receipt of one particularly threatening email that prompted administrators to contact law enforcement.
“The email threatened, saying that, ‘if you choose to follow through,’ in so many words, ‘then there will be something that will happen.’ It didn’t say violence, but it left it open. I don’t think anyone wants to walk around and think, ‘What does that mean?‘” Horton said.
Evanston Police Commander Brian Henry confirmed that district officials filed a report with his department. He declined to comment further.
Tanyavutti said the district and law enforcement are working to “assess if these threats are credible and what these people’s intentions are.”
The district’s back-to-school plan could allow nearly 5,000 of the district’s approximately 8,000 students to attend classes in-person, if they elect to do so, Horton said. The exact number may change based on teacher availability. While the plan prioritizes certain student groups for classroom learning if demand exceeds capacity, race alone is not a determining factor.
“We don’t have anything about race or color in our policy,” Horton said. “We are standing our ground on our belief that we need to prioritize our students that are free and reduced lunch, emergent bilingual, special education, homeless and students that did not do well in the spring.”
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[ Illinois schools reopening updates: What suburban Chicago districts plan for fall ]
He said that approach is recommended by the Illinois State Board of Education.
However, Horton and Tanyavutti said, Black and Latino students’ learning options could be influenced by that approach. District 65 has a long-documented learning gap that shows by eighth grade, there is a four-grade gap between the district’s white students and students of color, according to District 65 research.
Returning those Black and Latino students to the classroom could help address that difference, he said.
“We have had an experience in District 65 of marginalized populations not getting what they need in order to thrive and learn, while populations that are not marginalized are getting more than enough of what they need to thrive and learn,” Tanyavutti said.
Tanyavutti said she believes the inflammatory emails are coming from outside Evanston as a result of national news coverage the district’s decision received. Many of the emails used phrasing like “your district” that led her to draw that conclusion, she said.
Still, some area parents have expressed concern with the approach.
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Board member Joseph Hailpern said he was contacted by six local parents who had issues with the policy, some of whom explicitly expressed that it prioritized students of color over their own children. At least two of those parents said they reached out to him because he is the only white man on the board and they assumed he would share their sentiments, he said.
He does not share those views, he said. He added that he was unaware of similar direct communications to his board colleagues.
“Some of (the parents), after talking for a little bit, seemed to understand where I was coming from and why the plan was organized the way it was,” Hailpern said. “I don’t think it’s about making sure everyone has equal access to the building.”
Families that don’t have internet access, child care and adequate food should receive priority for in-person classroom learning, Hailpern said, so their children can receive those things at school.
Hailpern said the threatening email from someone he believes was outside the district called him a “race traitor” for endorsing the plan.
“I’ve become a traitor to the white race in this decision making, that was a term that he used, and that was on the basis that I should have agreed with him based on the shared skin color,” Hailpern said.
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While additional Evanston police presence is not planned when the district reopens for class, it could be requested if officials believe it is needed at any of the schools, Tanyavutti said.
What especially bothers Tanyavutti, she said, is that the town hall meeting video where the policy was discussed was likely sent to Fox News by a local resident.
“I don’t think that Fox News national is spending time watching our town hall. Someone had to give them information about our town hall,” Tanyavutti said. “Someone is sharing what their concerns are but rather than discussing them them locally, sharing them with a national news outlet.”
Tanyavutti called that decision “an intention to intimidate or overwhelm.”
This is not the first time that school districts on the North Shore have received racist correspondence, or had their decisions regarding race called into question.
In November 2019, Evanston police said they investigated “racist and hateful letters” containing racial slurs sent to three District 65 schools.
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In 2018, a district principal was criticized for encouraging teachers to meet and discuss issues based on racial affinity, Tanyavutti said.
In 2017, New Trier High School in Winnetka came under criticism after announcing a day-long seminar event, “Understanding Today’s Struggle for Racial Civil Rights,” featuring National Book Award winner Colson Whitehead and Andrew Ayden, co-author of the graphic novel series “March” with former U.S. Rep. John Lewis, which chronicled Lewis’ civil rights history. A group of parents created a website and Facebook page calling for the addition of conservative speakers or cancellation of the event.
gbookwalter@chicagotribune.com


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chicagotribune--2020-08-13--Mayor Lori Lightfoot says city will educate Chicagoans about vaccines to prep them in case one to bl

Mayor Lori Lightfoot says city will educate Chicagoans about vaccines to prep them in case one to block COVID-19 is developed

“ I worry that even once we get a vaccine , that because of the speed with which it ’ @ @ @ @ @ into production , that people are going to be reluctant to take it , ” @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re starting now to do a lot of education about vaccines in general @ @

Mayor Lori Lighfoot takes off her face mask as she prepares to speak at a news conference at the University of Chicago's Harper Center on July 23, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday said she will launch an effort to educate Chicagoans about vaccines because she’s worried residents will have reservations about getting one to prevent COVID-19 if one is ever available.
With no timeline yet for when a vaccine might be available, Lightfoot said during a National Urban League panel that the city remains “in the fight of our lives” against the virus.
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“I worry that even once we get a vaccine, that because of the speed with which it’s going to be brought into production, that people are going to be reluctant to take it,” Lightfoot said. “So we’re starting now to do a lot of education about vaccines in general.”
“I’m concerned that when flu season starts, as it does every year, that people are going to confuse flu-like symptoms with COVID-19 symptoms,” the mayor added. “So our public health response has to continue to be incredibly proactive and robust.”
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Lightfoot spoke on a panel with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms discussing the Urban League’s annual State of Black America report.
This year’s report focuses heavily on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on Black Americans.
It points to health care disparities in America, saying Black people were less likely to get tested or treated for the virus than white people, and that doctors were more likely to downplay Black patients’ complaints about pain.
The report also refers to police brutality as “the pandemic within the pandemic” harming African Americans.
Lightfoot has spent months highlighting the higher rates of coronavirus infection and death in Chicago’s Black and Latino communities.
She teamed with community groups to create response teams and make more virus testing available to try to drive down those numbers.
Lightfoot on Thursday said, “The most important thing we can do during this time, as elected leaders, is to make sure that our residents have confidence that we have a plan, that we are determined, and that we’re putting their interests first.”
Though the mayor said she doesn’t always agree with Gov. J.B. Pritzker, she said, “we’re dealing with that and working it out behind closed doors. The public demands, and I think has a right to expect, that we’re going to put any grievances aside and focus on them.”
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jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-08-13--Another man claiming police torture at the hands of Jon Burge leaves prison after nearly 30 years

“ Keith ’ s case is a reminder to all of us ( that ) systemic racism and the oppression @ @ @ @ @ in this city and this country has gone on for far too long , ” @ @ @ @ @ of Walker ’ s attorneys , shortly after his release .

After nearly three decades in custody, a man who alleged he was tortured by men under notorious ex-Chicago police Cmdr. Jon Burge was released from custody Thursday after prosecutors agreed to drop his case.
Keith Walker, 52, claimed he was beaten into signing a false confession to a 1991 murder, including being kicked, hit with a phone book and shocked with the “black box” battery used by Burge and his crew.
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Walker, who was serving a life sentence after being convicted in 1994, was released from an Illinois Department of Corrections inmate treatment center Thursday afternoon, according to his attorneys.
“Keith’s case is a reminder to all of us (that) systemic racism and the oppression of Black and brown bodies in this city and this country has gone on for far too long,” said Sean Starr, one of Walker’s attorneys, shortly after his release.
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“As much as it is an amazing thing, and a heartfelt moment to have him walk out the doors of this facility ... he’s coming into a world that hasn’t changed in 30 years all that much.”
Post-conviction proceedings in Walker’s case have been pending in Cook County court since 2004, records show. The Illinois attorney general’s office was appointed special prosecutor on the case four years later; the Cook County state’s attorney’s office has only just begun handling a few matters related to Burge after a judge found that the office was operating under a conflict of interest nearly 20 years ago.
After more than a decade of waiting for an evidentiary hearing, prosecutors with the Illinois attorney general’s office agreed to drop their opposition to his request for a new trial, and Judge Joseph Claps on Thursday morning granted their request to throw out the case.
Burge and his “midnight crew” of detectives have since been widely discredited. A special prosecutor’s report substantiated widespread claims of abuse in the 1970s and ’80s, and Burge was convicted of federal perjury and obstruction of justice charges for lying under oath about the torture. In addition, lawsuits by dozens of victims have cost city taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-13--New census deadline could depress response in city’s Hispanic neighborhoods as lawmakers, organizers

New census deadline could depress response in city’s Hispanic neighborhoods as lawmakers, organizers work to boost count

In Chicago , Latinos have been disproportionately affected by the virus .
According to the city ’ s most recent @ @ @ @ @ more than 24,580 confirmed coronavirus cases among Latinos , more than any other racial or @ @ @ @ @ been , however , more than 12,000 confirmed COVID-19 instances in which the person ’ @ @ @ @ @

A man walks past a mural honoring a Puerto Rican Army infantry unit, known as the Borinqueneers, at the Healy Metra Station in Chicago's Hermosa neighborhood on Sept. 17, 2019. (Camille Fine / Chicago Tribune)
After the Trump administration opted to end the federal census count one month earlier than previously announced, Illinois political leaders and census advocates are making a push to ensure as many Chicagoans as possible, particularly in Hispanic neighborhoods, are counted before the new deadline.
The Census Bureau announced early this month that instead of extending the deadline to file census forms to Oct. 31, the deadline would be Sept. 30. U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and other public officials and advocates held an online briefing Thursday regarding the count in Illinois.
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“There is a great sense of urgency on all of our parts as we need to really redouble and retriple and quadruple our efforts for a full count,” the Democratic lawmaker said Thursday morning during a congressional census meeting.
As of Thursday morning, 68% of Illinois households had completed the census, only a couple percentage points lower than the 70.5% completion rate in 2010, Oswaldo Alvarez, the state’s census director, said.
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However, some of the city’s predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods — including Backs of the Yards, Little Village, and Hermosa — are undercounted so far, with a completion rate lower than 40%, he said.
Garcia warned that the new deadline could lead to an undercount of Black and brown communities, which would result in less funding and political representation in minority neighborhoods.
“Any incomplete count has real, tangible consequences,” he said. “An inaccurate census count means less opportunities and services.”
In Chicago, Latinos have been disproportionately affected by the virus. According to the city’s most recent data, there have been more than 24,580 confirmed coronavirus cases among Latinos, more than any other racial or ethnic group. There have been, however, more than 12,000 confirmed COVID-19 instances in which the person’s race is unknown.
The pandemic has forced many community census advocates to diverge from traditional census outreach methods and bolster their campaign efforts through digital outreach, phone-banking and educational pop-ups.
“We’ve had to change strategies multiple times,” said Jessica Gutierrez, of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center.
Not only has the cultural center expanded its online presence, she said, members have also collaborated with community organizations to connect with more Hispanics.
In Chicago’s suburbs, the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership launched an extensive phone-bank campaign, said Megan Miller, coalition community engagement coordinator.
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Volunteers made more than 20,000 phone calls in the last few months, she said. The coalition also had success with counting people in high-traffic areas, such as laundromats.
jaanderson@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-13--Protesters plan to march onto Dan Ryan Expressway on Saturday to rally against police brutality

“ We came out here to do one thing : to shut it down , ” Pfleger , of St. @ @ @ @ @ at the time .
“ We came here to get their attention .
Hopefully we @ @ @ @ @ Today was the attention-getter , but now comes the action .
”

Anti-police brutality protesters gather in the intersection of East 35th Street and South Indiana Avenue as the group marches north past Chicago and State police officers, Aug. 15, 2020, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Protesters are planning to march onto the Dan Ryan Expressway on Saturday and rally against police brutality, according to an organizer.
The protest is scheduled to begin about noon at Robert Taylor Park, 39 W. 47th St., on the South Side. Organizers are hoping to attract at least 25,000 to march in the northbound lanes of the expressway, according to Rabbi Michael Ben Yosef, president of Tikkun Chai Inter-National, a humanitarian group.
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Yosef hopes travelers inconvenienced by the demonstration will think about people who have been killed by police. He hopes to organize a similar march on the Eisenhower Expressway in the future.
“Try putting on the shoes of those mothers,” he said of families affected by police brutality.
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The event will begin at the park with speakers and a rally, before marchers will enter the Dan Ryan at 47th Street, Yosef said.
For security reasons, he said he could not say where the protesters plan to exit the expressway, but he said the organizers are working with the Illinois State Police to make sure protesters are safe.
Yosef could not say whether the protest will shut down all northbound lanes of the expressway, or if the state police would keep some lanes open.
A spokesperson for the state police said in a statement that the agency is aware of the march and has been in contact with organizers to set up a “safe route of travel.”
“The Illinois State Police will protect the rights of those seeking to peacefully protest while ensuring the safety of the public,” the statement read.
A spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department referred comment to the state police.
Yosef said he modeled the demonstration on a similar one in 2018 organized by the Rev. Michael Pfleger to spotlight on crime, joblessness and poverty plaguing city neighborhoods.
In that march, demonstrators started by using half of the northbound lanes, while traffic proceeded in the remaining lanes. Eventually, though, the marchers took over all northbound lanes.
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[ Milwaukee residents marching to DC rally are arrested in northern Indiana after walking on highway ]
“We came out here to do one thing: to shut it down,” Pfleger, of St. Sabina Catholic Church, said at the time. “We came here to get their attention. Hopefully we got their attention. … Today was the attention-getter, but now comes the action.”
Yosef said Saturday’s march will be peaceful and safe.
“We chose the Dan Ryan to make our point,” he said.
mabuckley@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-13--Naperville man who killed Downers Grove student while driving drunk says 7-year prison term should b

Naperville man who killed Downers Grove student while driving drunk says 7-year prison term should be reduced

While he was out of jail on $ 75,000 bond awaiting trial , Kucharski checked into an addiction treatment center @ @ @ @ @ sober living facility .
In May 2019 , his bond was increased by $ 25,000 @ @ @ @ @ a judge ’ s mandate that he have no contact with the Dunlap family , @ @ @ @ @ out to them on his behalf to express his remorse , court records said .

Joseph Kucharski, of Naperville, is asking a DuPage County judge to consider reducing his seven-year prison sentence in an aggravated DUI case in which he struck a 17-year-old high school girl who later died. (Illinois Dept. of Corrections / HANDOUT)
The Naperville man sentenced to seven years in prison for killing a teenage girl while driving drunk and high says the penalty is too stiff and does not reflect factors like his potential to be rehabilitated, documents filed in DuPage County Court say.
A motion filed Thursday on behalf of Joseph Kucharski, 53, asks that Judge Alex McGimpsey reconsider the sentence he handed down in July after Kucharski pleaded guilty to aggravated DUI involving a death.
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The former real estate agent was found to have a .031 blood alcohol level and cocaine and prescription drugs in his system on the morning of Feb. 19, 2019, when he was driving in the wrong lane and went through a red light, striking 17-year-old Elizabeth Dunlap as she crossed the street in front of Downers Grove North High School, police reports said.
Dunlap, a standout volleyball player at the school, died a few days later.
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Prosecutors said Kucharski had been using crack cocaine the four days prior to the crash and police found two crack pipes, crack cocaine, a half-empty bottle of vodka and evidence that he had driven to Chicago to buy crack the day before the crash.
Under the terms of the sentence, Kucharski must serve 85 percent of the seven-year prison term. The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office had asked for 14 years, the maximum allowed.
In the new court motion, Kucharski attorney Rick Kayne asked the judge to impose a lesser term because of mitigating factors and what Kayne called Kucharski’s rehabilitative potential.
The seven-year term was excessive and a violation of Kucharski’s Constitutional rights, the motion said.
"The remorsefulness of the defendant and the rehabilitative potential of the defendant should warrant a lesser sentence and also meet the ends of justice," Kayne wrote in his motion.
The judge set a Sept. 17 hearing date. According to the Illinois Department of Corrections. Kucharski was remanded into state custody Wednesday.
While he was out of jail on $75,000 bond awaiting trial, Kucharski checked into an addiction treatment center and was residing in a sober living facility. In May 2019, his bond was increased by $25,000 after prosecutors learned that despite a judge’s mandate that he have no contact with the Dunlap family, a friend of Kucharski reached out to them on his behalf to express his remorse, court records said.
Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.


chicagotribune--2020-08-13--Former Harvey mayor’s brother pleads guilty to participating in police cover-up

He is referred to as “ Individual B ” in both other complaints and described in affidavits as the brother @ @ @ @ @ and a city police officer and de facto head of Harvey ’ s Building and @ @ @ @ @ capacities , “ Individual B ” oversaw traffic and towing matters for the Police Department @ @ @ @ @ work to private companies , and directed certain public planning matters , including the leasing @ @ @ @ @ , the complaints state .

FBI investigators walk out of the Harvey Municipal Building with boxes of evidence during a March 6, 2019 raid that netted criminal charges against six city officials and their associates. (Warren Skalski / Chicago Tribune)
The brother of former Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg, a retired plumber who served as a Harvey police officer, inspector and de facto head of the city’s Building and Planning Department, pleaded guilty Thursday to obstruction of justice for orchestrating a police cover-up to protect two acquaintances from possible criminal charges.
Derrick Muhammad, 72, one of three of the former mayor’s relatives federally charged last year in city corruption schemes, faces 18 to 24 months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.
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He becomes the second of six Harvey officials and their associates charged following last year’s federal raid of the Police Department and City Hall to plead guilty to corruption-related charges.
Muhammad’s co-conspirator, former Harvey police officer Derrick Moore, pleaded guilty last month and faces 12 to 18 months behind bars under federal sentencing guidelines.
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Prosecutors said they would recommend a reduced sentence for Moore due to his continued cooperation with investigators, meaning he could avoid doing any prison time. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 30.
Muhammad, of South Holland, and Moore, 49, of Blue Island, were accused in March 2019 of falsifying a police report to protect two acquaintances after a loaded firearm was found in a vehicle they used.
The acquaintances, a father and son who are both convicted felons and thus not legally permitted to possess firearms, had been at risk of facing criminal charges if the loaded Uzi discovered in their vehicle had been traced back to them.
To conceal the provenance of the weapon, the Harvey officers, under Muhammad’s direction, conspired in March 2018 to recover the gun and generate a false police report about its discovery, prosecutors said.
Muhammad, who was Moore’s superior, told the other officer in an intercepted phone conversation that they would find a way to ensure the gun “ain’t come back on nobody,” according to a criminal complaint.
Moore later retrieved the weapon and prepared a police report saying he’d found it in some brush near a tow yard rather than inside the car where it actually was discovered, the complaint said. His report classified the firearm as “recovered property” rather than as evidence of a crime, prosecutors said.
Muhammad, who left the Harvey Police Department a short time after being arrested last year, said Thursday that he had not worked since and is unemployed.
While not charged or named in the other two pending federal corruption cases involving former Harvey officials, Muhammad was a player in both alleged schemes, according to criminal complaints.
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He is referred to as “Individual B” in both other complaints and described in affidavits as the brother of Harvey’s mayor and a city police officer and de facto head of Harvey’s Building and Planning Department. In those capacities, “Individual B” oversaw traffic and towing matters for the Police Department, including assigning city towing work to private companies, and directed certain public planning matters, including the leasing and sale of city-owned property, the complaints state.
Muhammad allegedly acted as an enforcer in the long-running extortion of a Harvey strip club in which two other Kellogg relatives, Rommell Kellogg and Corey Johnson, were charged, according to one complaint.
As a police officer and de facto department head who performed business inspections, Muhammad would use the inspections as a pretext to shut down the club if monthly payments were not made to his relatives, the complaint alleged.
He also allegedly participated in the shakedown of a south suburban towing company owner for which former Harvey economic development consultant Donald Luster and W&K Towing owner William Wiley were indicted, according to an affidavit.
In that case, Luster, the former mayor of Dixmoor, and Wiley are accused of soliciting bribes from the out-of-town entrepreneur, who was ostensibly seeking to expand his towing business into Harvey.
In actuality, the towing company operator was working undercover for the FBI.
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Wiley told the businessman that Luster wanted a payoff in exchange for a lease of city-owned land, authorities alleged.
After the entrepreneur paid Wiley $5,000, in an exchange that was partly captured on video, he was told that Luster and “Individual B,” or Muhammad, wanted $7,000 more, according to the complaint.
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Wiley promised the businessman that Muhammad would steer city towing work his way if he made the additional payoff, the complaint states.
“That’ll open the door for you,” Wiley told the businessman, according to an intercepted conversation quoted in the complaint. “Because now [Individual B] know he’ll be able to trust you.”
Muhammad joined the Harvey Police Department as a part-time officer in 2004, the year after his brother was first elected mayor. He was 55 at the time and would work in the evenings after finishing his day job as a plumber for Cook County’s hospital system, the Tribune previously reported.
Despite having no prior police experience, according to a work history provided by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, Muhammad was tapped to oversee what was considered an elite unit of plainclothes officers and later put in charge of police hiring, according to the Tribune.
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He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 14.
zkoeske@tribpub.com
Twitter @ZakKoeske


chicagotribune--2020-08-13--FBI offers reward in shooting death of 2-year-old at Hammond apartment complex

Detectives have also been reviewing the city ’ s license plate readers in the area , he said , but @ @ @ @ @ information they ’ ve gathered so as not to jeopardize the investigation .
Residents in @ @ @ @ @ however , have been receptive and helpful to the investigation , he said .

Ronnica Taylor of Gary, mother of Joette "JoJo" Malone, speaks at a press conference on Aug. 13, 2020 at the Hammond Police Department regarding the shooting of the girl on July 29. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)
With her two surviving children – a 4-year-old daughter and a 5-week old son – in tow, a reluctant Ronnica Taylor stood at the podium in the Hammond Police Department Thursday morning and talked about her daughter, Joette Malone, who was shot July 29 in the back seat of a car in Hammond.
Known as “JoJo,” Malone died at a Chicago hospital July 31. No arrests have been made.
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Taylor described the girl as “the star of the show” who was “always talking and running around” and who loved eating and the color purple.
Hammond Police detective captain Ezequiel Hinojosa speaks at a press conference on Aug. 13, 2020 at the Hammond Police Department regarding the shooting of 2-year-old Joette "Jojo" Malone on July 29. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)
Her eldest, the 4-year-old, Taylor said, doesn’t understand what happened to JoJo and thinks “her sister’s coming back.”
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“Me and my children’s lives are not going back to normal,” she said quietly. “It’s really hard every day knowing she’s gone.”
Taylor came to the police department to hear a representative from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Indianapolis office announce up to $10,000 in reward money for legitimate information that leads to the person or people involved in shooting that killed the 2-year-old.
Ronnica Taylor of Gary, mother of Joette "JoJo" Malone, with her 4-year-old daughter, speaks at a press conference on Aug. 13, 2020 at the Hammond Police Department. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)
Taylor, of Gary, was leaving the Kennedy Crossings Apartment complex in the city’s Hessville section with her three children around 9:30 p.m. July 29 when shots were fired, Hammond Police Detective Capt. Ezequiel Hinojosa said. The shots came from the 3300 block of Craig Drive, and JoJo was in a car seat behind Taylor when she was hit, Hinojosa said.
JoJo was “barely old enough to enjoy life when it was taken,” Hinojosa said, fighting back tears.
“We reached out to the FBI, and we’re reaching out to the public because we know someone has information,” he said. “JoJo was innocent, and we know there’s someone out there (who can help).”
Hammond Police Detective Capt. Ezequiel Hinojosa speaks at a press conference on Aug. 13, 2020 at the Hammond Police Department regarding the shooting of Joette "Jojo" Malone on July 29. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)
Initially, police said the investigation indicated the family might’ve been caught in crossfire. Now, they’ve added the possibility that the shooting could’ve been “an accident,” Hinojosa said.
“If it was somebody just shooting a gun and it was an accident, we need them to come forward,” he said. “We hope (the shooter or shooters) realize it was a 2 1/2-year-old.”
Detectives have also been reviewing the city’s license plate readers in the area, he said, but declined to detail any other information they’ve gathered so as not to jeopardize the investigation. Residents in the normally quiet complex, however, have been receptive and helpful to the investigation, he said.
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The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest regarding the shooting of Joette "Jojo" Malone in Hammond on July 29. (Michael Gard / Post-Tribune)
Danny Youmara, assistant special agent in-charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis office, urged anyone with information to come forward.
“We’ve enlisted the help of our Gang Response Investigative Team, or GRIT, and they’re working shoulder-to-shoulder with Hammond,” Youmara said.
Lake County Prosecutor Bernie Carter also put out an appeal, recalling a case early in his career where a suspect told his girlfriend he’d shot someone and the girlfriend didn’t come forward until six months later, when she told her mother what happened. The mother ensured her daughter testified, and the two split $20,000 in reward money.
“Even if you think it’s insignificant, provide the information,” Carter said.
Joette Malone’s funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Aug. 14 at Divinity Funeral Home, 3831 Main St., East Chicago, Hammond Police spokesman Lt. Steve Kellogg said.
Joette’s death is the city’s fourth homicide for 2020, Kellogg said.
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Anyone with information related to Joette “JoJo”Malone’s death is asked to contact the FBI’s Indianapolis office at 317-595-4000; the Hammond Police’s investigations division at 219-852-2906; your local FBI office or nearest American Embassy or Consulate; or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-08-13--Running list: Chicago-area restaurants closed permanently due to coronavirus pandemic economic woes

Bottled Blonde , the River North bar better known for its legal drama than pizza , closed permanently July 27 @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus , but not COVID-19 violations .
The business “ surrendered their business licenses @ @ @ @ @ North bar after a series of serious nuisance conditions dating back to 2017 , ” @ @ @ @ @ Chicago ’ s department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection .
The bar had not @ @ @ @ @ , wrote the department spokesperson .
The district manager of Bottled Blonde said “ It @ @ @ @ @ battle since we came into this neighborhood .
We had fights with the city , @ @ @ @ @ With the COVID thing , you need revenue to keep up those fights .
We @ @ @ @ @ and operate at limited capacities.
” See the full story here .
— Louisa Chu

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