chicagotribune--2020-11-24--As these Chicago doctors do battle in a COVID-19 unit, their friendship has become a lifeline: ‘She’

As these Chicago doctors do battle in a COVID-19 unit, their friendship has become a lifeline: ‘She’s living it with me.’

Before COVID-19 , they would catch up in the break room , or walk to The Windsor for a happy @ @ @ @ @ work , their families gathered for dinner parties and play dates .
In a time @ @ @ @ @ dream , they would meet at the Pricketts ’ , who love to host , @ @ @ @ @ children played .
Their families grew along with their friendship ; Prickett attended Gates ’ @ @ @ @ @ Prickett became a mother of three .
When Gates had her daughter , now 3 @ @ @ @ @ on healing after childbirth .

Doctors Khalilah Gates, left, and Michelle Prickett talk to colleagues while walking to the COVID-19 ICU, Nov. 19, 2020, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
A few things keep Dr. Khalilah Gates and Dr. Michelle Prickett walking into Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s intensive care unit, where they treat severely ill COVID-19 patients.
A sense of duty. A passion for their profession. And their friendship, honed over more than a decade and which they’ve always counted on for shared humor that punctuates hectic, hard days in their work as pulmonary and critical care specialists.
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“You dig deep and you face the ICU for another day,” Gates said, “knowing that you’ve got Prickett.”
These ICU doctors’ friendship has always been strong. But this year, it’s been a lifeline, as they work to keep each other safe and sane while treating COVID-19 patients.
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Gates and Prickett share a get-it-done, no-drama mentality. Their bond was solidified by sharing stories of being born and raised in Chicago and how they chose to stay here, raise families here and practice medicine here.
Dr. Khalilah Gates checks on a patient in the ICU on Nov. 19, 2020, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
This year, they have leaned on each other like never before. They love their families. They have other friends. But who else can know the feeling of watching someone die alone?
“There’s not a lot of explanation that needs to be had,” Gates said. “I can just say what I need to say and she gets it, because she’s living it with me.”
Between the two of them, the banter tends toward light. But both know the risks they expose themselves to each day are serious. They share the fear of bringing home a deadly virus to their small children. Gates said they have not lost a close colleague to COVID-19, but that provides little comfort.
“We’ve been lucky,” she said. “But there’s always that fear.”
Both doctors are expert clinicians and compassionate caregivers, said Dr. Diane Wayne, vice president of human resources at Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, who considers them “precious resources.” “They’re both really heroes,” Wayne said. “The stress on front-line workers is really intense.”
After Prickett graduated from medical school, Wayne directed her residency program. She watched Prickett become a respected leader who brings an “aura of calm” to any room. “People around the hospital are very comfortable and calm despite the uncertainties of what’s coming, because of how well-respected Dr. Prickett is,” Wayne said.
Dr. Michelle Prickett steps into a COVID-19 patient's room in the ICU to work with a physical therapy team on Nov. 19, 2020, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Wayne has become a mentor also to Gates, whom Wayne described as a true educator, arriving every day wondering how to best help patients. “She’s the kind of person who goes home after a really long day and thinks, ‘How can I do this better tomorrow?’ and ‘How can I teach the people around me to do this better tomorrow?’” Wayne said.
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When they met in 2007, Prickett and Gates bonded over being two women in a male-dominated field. They were two in a class of four female fellows, and all spent hours together. Neither remembers anything tentative about their connection.
“We were kind of like friends at first sight,” Prickett said. “It’s always been a sisterhood.”
Both were attracted to the complexity of their work. Prickett loves fixing things; her father was a toolmaker who made pieces for machines. “Taking things apart and putting them together is always fascinating to me,” she said. Critical care is a bit like tinkering, she said. Doctors take in data, make assessments and see what happens and then continue, or change course.
And both shared stories of growing up in Chicago — Gates grew up on the Near West Side, where she currently lives; Prickett has lived on the North Side her entire life and lives on the same street as her childhood home.
“That has sealed our bond, knowing this city our entire life,” Prickett said.
Dr. Khalilah Gates, left, and Dr. Michelle Prickett talk to colleagues while walking to the COVID-19 ICU on Nov. 19, 2020, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Before COVID-19, they would catch up in the break room, or walk to The Windsor for a happy hour drink. Outside of work, their families gathered for dinner parties and play dates. In a time that now feels like a dream, they would meet at the Pricketts’, who love to host, the adults drinking sangria while children played. Their families grew along with their friendship; Prickett attended Gates’ wedding; Gates watched as Prickett became a mother of three. When Gates had her daughter, now 3, Prickett gave her advice on healing after childbirth.
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By last year, each felt in a groove. Prickett heads a pulmonary clinic where she sees outpatients with airway issues and chronic infections; Gates is one of the main educators in critical care as assistant dean of medical education at Feinberg School of Medicine. Their focus was sharing what worked, propelling others forward.
“In academia and in professional life, a lot of people are always trying to push everybody down,” Prickett said. “Our goal is to lift everybody up.”
They worked to maintain that positivity this year as the pandemic swept into the city.
At the beginning of the year, Gates’ 68-year-old father mentioned stocking up on masks. “I was like, what are you talking about, dude?” she remembers. A patient recently reminded her, “Dr. Gates, remember when you said not to worry about coronavirus?”
“I was like, yep, I remember,” she said. “I think, naively, I had faith that we would handle it better.”
Prickett had heard something about a virus in January. Her husband usually traveled a lot for work; he started staying home. Even anticipating how a virus might arrive in Chicago, she said, “I never imagined anything could be to the scope that we saw, to be quite frank, not in my wildest dreams.”
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By March, she said, “We knew something was going on.” Patients started showing up with fevers and coughs but not the flu. She started to self-quarantine before she had her first case.
The first confirmed COVID-19 cases in Northwestern’s intensive care unit were her patients. They arrived with fevers and pneumonia, becoming more and more short of breath, eventually needing ventilators. Prickett remembers having to do a bronchoscopy to sample their lungs for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testing. “It was high risk and very stressful,” she said.
The number of cases per week went from zero to seven or eight. She began to think about how they could take spare parts and build respirators.
“It came kind of fast and furious,” Prickett said.
Around this time, one morning, Gates was preparing to take her daughter to day care. Two days before, she had performed a bronchoscopy on a COVID-19 patient.
She recalled realizing, “Geez, I don’t know what we’re dealing with. I just did a bronchoscopy, my kid is with me, and I’m going to send her to school.” Her husband began taking care of their daughter at home.
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Like other Chicago parents, it has been challenging to juggle work and home life. Prickett’s sons are 7, 9 and 12; the youngest had the toughest time when she initially isolated downstairs in what the family dubbed the “Mom cave.”
“They understood it was to keep them safe, but my youngest was only 6 at the time and had a hard time seeing me only by FaceTime when he knew I was only one floor below,” she said.
Within the hospital, chats in the break room are no longer safe. Instead, Prickett and Gates text constantly, volleying gifs; they yell to each other through their offices’ adjoining wall.
This summer, those talks expanded as both watched the unrest following George Floyd’s killing. Throughout their friendship, they’d had conversations about race and cultural sensitivity issues, discussing, for example, how to handle a situation when a severely ill patient said something inappropriate to a colleague wearing a hijab.
But this summer prompted deeper conversations. Having her friend say, “I get it. This is not right,” Gates said, was “priceless.”
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“You often feel like you’re isolated and nobody understands,” she said. “And to have someone that gets it and gets the complexity of it has been great, getting through this summer.”
The times they find themselves reaching out — typing out a text, or scanning for their friend in the hallway — is often after a patient dies in isolation. Visiting policies restrict family members from seeing infected relatives; the risk to medical staff limits their room entries.
Before COVID-19, Prickett’s rule was that no one died alone. Doctors see situations where family cannot make it in time; not everyone has someone. “Typically we like to have someone at the bedside for those moments,” she said.
But beyond safety precautions, as the city faces an increase of COVID-19 cases, not enough staff is always available to sit with a patient in their final moments.
Recently, Prickett was in the ICU. She was getting “hit hard,” Gates recalled. Multiple patients were admitted; not only COVID-19 patients, but also the others who still and suddenly need their care — people in shock and respiratory failure.
Before Gates headed home, she stopped at Walgreens, where she bought a colorful balloon that read, “Thank you.”
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She brought it to her friend. “Hey,” she said, “I think you need this.”
abowen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-24--Here’s when Chicago received its first snow of the fall season, going back 135 years

Looking back at 135 years of local weather data , Chicago has experienced its first measurable snow as early as @ @ @ @ @ ) and as late as December 20 ( in 2012 ) .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ date of the average first significant snowfall in Chicago .
Remember , measurable snowfall is @ @ @ @ @ more on the ground , while anything less is considered a trace amount .
The @ @ @ @ @ of the first measurable snowfall for each year since 1885 .
Amounts are available , @ @ @ @ @ 1905 .

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chicagotribune--2020-11-24--Ohio man who caused panic in Shorewood with online mass shooting threat sentenced to 6 months in pri

Ohio man who caused panic in Shorewood with online mass shooting threat sentenced to 6 months in prison

Gagnet set off a panic and caused schools in Shorewood , Illinois , to cancel outdoor recess in February while @ @ @ @ @ chat where users can talk anonymously , prosecutors said .

TOLEDO, Ohio — A federal judge has sentenced an Ohio man who was charged with making an online threat to carry out a mass shooting in Illinois to six months in prison.
Ryan Gagnet, 22, of Maumee, also faces six months of home incarceration following his prison term and three years of supervised release.
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Gagnet set off a panic and caused schools in Shorewood, Illinois, to cancel outdoor recess in February while he was in an online chat where users can talk anonymously, prosecutors said.
Authorities said Gagnet told others in the chat that he was “going to be on the news” and “commit a mass shooting” in Shorewood.
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Gagnet later told investigators he wanted to see the other users’ frightened reactions, prosecutors said.
The threat caused schools in the town, which is southwest of Chicago, to cancel outdoor recess, hire extra security and go into lockdowns, prosecutors said.
Police in Shorewood said they were overwhelmed with calls from residents concerned about the threat.


chicagotribune--2020-11-24--19-year-old killed, 2 others injured in West Side shootings

Baker was walking down the street about 2:20 p.m. around the 500 block of South Kostner Avenue in West Garfield @ @ @ @ @ multiple times in the head and body , according to a police statement .

The identity of a 19-year-old man who died Monday afternoon following a shooting on the West Side was released Tuesday morning.
Two other people were injured in shootings on the West Side, according to police.
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The man who died was identified as Willie Baker, of the 3900 block of West Crenshaw Street, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Baker was walking down the street about 2:20 p.m. around the 500 block of South Kostner Avenue in West Garfield Park when he was shot multiple times in the head and body, according to a police statement.
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He was later found unresponsive on the sidewalk and was transported to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
No arrests have been made.
Two other men were shot about 4:50 p.m. Monday in the 300 block of North Sacramento Boulevard in East Garfield Park, according to a police statement.
An 18-year-old man was shot in the left hand and another bullet grazed his head, police said. The other man, a 21-year-old, was shot in both legs.
Both men were transported in serious condition to Mount Sinai Hospital.
Police were investigating both shootings.
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-11-24--Cubs owners would get to defer infrastructure payment under city proposal

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Wrigleyville ’ s alderman on Tuesday proposed letting the Chicago Cubs put off the team ’ @ @ @ @ @ into a fund to pay for infrastructure upgrades around their historic North Side ballpark because @ @ @ @ @ in the seats this year due to the pandemic .

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Wrigleyville’s alderman on Tuesday proposed letting the Chicago Cubs put off the team’s annual $250,000 payment into a fund to pay for infrastructure upgrades around their historic North Side ballpark because the team played without fans in the seats this year due to the pandemic.
The “CubFund Project” payment would instead be made in 2024 under the ordinance Lightfoot introduced to the City Council.
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“We understand they played without fans, and lots of businesses are suffering,” Ald. Tom Tunney said. “But they still have to make the payment. Instead of this year, it will be made in 2024.”
The payments are part of a 2013 deal when the team’s owners, the Ricketts family, was asking for City Council approval to undertake massive renovations around Wrigley Field.
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The team agreed to make $500,000 payments each year from 2014 to 2018, and $250,000 payments from 2019 to 2023, to cover the cost of new street lighting, paving and other infrastructure work around the park “to show that they’re good neighbors,” Tunney said.
The final $250,000 payment would instead be made in 2024 under the amendment introduced Tuesday.
The proposal to defer the payment comes days after Wrigley Field was listed as a National Historic Landmark, which will likely make it eligible for millions of dollars in historic preservation tax credits.
jebyrne@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @_johnbyrne


chicagotribune--2020-11-24--Cook County launches legal aid program for those facing eviction, foreclosure or massive debt tied t

Cook County launches legal aid program for those facing eviction, foreclosure or massive debt tied to COVID-19

It could be a matter of legal counsel working with the renter and landlord to set up a payment plan @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s not doable , he said , “ we would expect to see @ @ @ @ @ the tenant .
That is the kind of exit that would give the tenant enough @ @ @ @ @ to embrace housing for him or her , and the family that would not lead @ @ @ @ @ said during the virtual news conference .

Anticipating a “wave” of evictions in the coming months triggered by COVID-19′s ongoing health and economic crises, Cook County officials on Monday announced a free legal services program for those at risk of losing the roof over their heads.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Chief Judge Tim Evans and others, along with the charitable arm of the Chicago Bar Association, announced the Early Response Program, part of a new initiative called Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt. The program will provide legal assistance, counseling, pre-court mediation and case management — regardless of income — for residents and landlords dealing with evictions or delinquent property taxes, and creditors and debtors with issues related to consumer debt.
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Looking at national studies showing 30 to 40 million Americans could be at risk of eviction in the coming months, Preckwinkle said during a virtual news conference Monday she knew Cook County would be hit by the “wave,” too, and that she along with elected leaders and community groups “understood that we needed to step in and provide solutions.”
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has placed a temporary moratorium on evictions amid the ongoing pandemic, but officials say that has not staved off the economic hardships the virus is causing now and likely into the future: layoffs that have seen renters fall behind on their rent payments, homeowners fall behind on mortgages and taxes, along with those also facing mounting personal debt to stay afloat. But once this and other moratoriums are lifted, the economic crisis is expected to deepen.
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Comparing what’s unfolding now with the housing crisis of 2008, Preckwinkle said those facing eviction, foreclosure and “unmanageable” amounts of personal debt have disproportionately affected Black and Latino people. The aim of the county’s just-launched Early Response Program is to head off a case before it lands in court, if possible, said Evans, who is chief of the county court system that handles foreclosure and eviction cases.
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It could be a matter of legal counsel working with the renter and landlord to set up a payment plan, Evans said. If that’s not doable, he said, “we would expect to see a negotiated dignified exit by the tenant. That is the kind of exit that would give the tenant enough time to find another place to embrace housing for him or her, and the family that would not lead to homelessness,” Evans said during the virtual news conference.
In some instances, there may be a need to “negotiate sealing of the (court) records” in eviction cases, Evans said, pointing to the difficulty some may have finding another place with that on their record.
The court launched a similar foreclosure mediation program in the wake of the 2008 recession. Based on that, estimated costs in fiscal year 2021 for the new legal aid program ranges from $4 million to $7 million, county officials say.
The county is directing an initial $1 million in seed money from federal coronavirus relief funds to get the program going in suburban Cook County, but Evans cautioned that more money will be needed and that they’ll be looking to the federal government for help. The city of Chicago separately provided federal coronavirus relief funding for the Lawyers Committee for Better Housing to similarly serve city residents.
As a result of that partnership, city and county residents can inquire about services either online or by calling 855-956-5763 to be directed to the appropriate organization.
“We’re proud of these efforts,” Preckwinkle said. “But we’re not naive. This won’t be enough to deal with what’s coming. That’s why ... we’re committed to continuing to support (legal aid) programs, even after the pandemic has passed.”
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Lisa Donovan is the host of The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.
ldonovan@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-11-24--18-year-old man killed, another man wounded in late night shootings in South Austin

Roy Dampier , 18 , lived in the 5500 block of West Monroe Street in the Austin neighborhood , according @ @ @ @ @ examiner ’ s office .
He had been standing outside a business about 11:50 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ West Madison Street when someone in a black sedan began shooting in his direction , @ @ @ @ @ police said .

An 18-year-old man was killed late Monday and a 35-year-old man was wounded in shootings about 10 minutes apart in the South Austin neighborhood.
Roy Dampier, 18, lived in the 5500 block of West Monroe Street in the Austin neighborhood, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He had been standing outside a business about 11:50 p.m. at the 5600 block of West Madison Street when someone in a black sedan began shooting in his direction, hitting him multiple times, police said.
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The shooting happened just outside Jimmy’s Food & Deli, according to the medical examiner. Dampier was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
In a separate attack about midnight, a 35-year-old man was walking in the 5100 block of West Kinzie Street when a man approached him, began arguing with him and shot him in the chest and torso, according to a police statement. The gunman then drove off, possibly in a red Dodge Caliber, police said.
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The 35-year-old was transported in serious condition to Mount Sinai Hospital.
No arrests were made in either shooting.
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-11-24--Lightfoot proposes delay of business licenses, sidewalk cafe permits expirations to help offset COVI

Lightfoot proposes delay of business licenses, sidewalk cafe permits expirations to help offset COVID-19 hits

Lightfoot also is proposing to allow all sidewalk cafe permits issued in 2021 the option to extend in front of @ @ @ @ @ a 75 % reduction in permit fee .
Sidewalk cafe permits that are set to @ @ @ @ @ be extended until June 1 without needing to renew , the mayor ’ s office @ @

The city of Chicago will delay business license and sidewalk cafe expirations and allow expanded outdoor service to continue into next year as part of a plan Mayor Lori Lightfoot introduced Tuesday to give businesses a boost during COVID-19.
Lightfoot is proposing expanding a program allowing every business and public vehicle license with expiration dates between March 15, 2020, and June 15, 2021, to extend until 2021, without the hassle of a license renewal, her office said.
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Lightfoot also is proposing to allow all sidewalk cafe permits issued in 2021 the option to extend in front of a neighboring establishment and receive a 75% reduction in permit fee. Sidewalk cafe permits that are set to expire in February 2021 will be extended until June 1 without needing to renew, the mayor’s office said.
Patrons dine on the sidewalk outside DryHop and Roebuck restaurants on North Broadway in East Lakeview on Sept. 2, 2020. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
In addition, Lightfoot’s proposal will continue allowing outdoor service for bars and restaurants in private parking lots, on the sidewalk or in closed streets as part of her Expanded Outdoor Dining Program.
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Aldermen will need to approve the measures, which come as Lightfoot continues trying to position herself as a friend to business while facing criticism that she hasn’t done enough to support bars and restaurants through COVID-19.
“My administration is committed to doing everything we can to remove regulatory burdens and make sure that the city is aiding the recovery efforts,” Lightfoot said.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @royalpratt


chicagotribune--2020-11-24--Pennsylvania, Michigan, Maine certify results; Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio up today: Track

Pennsylvania, Michigan, Maine certify results; Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio up today: Track progress in key battleground states

Here is where the race stands in the battleground states — and the deadlines for certification .
This also lists @ @ @ @ @ law to prevent electors casting electoral votes for a party other than the one that @ @ @

The battle over the results of the 2020 election has brought new attention to an important but often-overlooked part of the U.S. election process: certification of the results.
Each state has laws that set the deadline and process for the results to be certified. This process takes place locally and eventually at the state level. Those deadlines in key battleground states are underway.
Here is where the race stands in the battleground states — and the deadlines for certification. This also lists whether a state has a law to prevent electors casting electoral votes for a party other than the one that nominated them.
How the Electoral College process unfolds
Nov. 3: Election Day
Dec. 8: Deadline for states to resolve any issues over appointing electors
Dec. 14: Electors vote in their states
Dec. 23: Electoral votes and other documentation is received by president of the Senate
Jan. 6: Congress counts the votes in a joint session
Jan. 20: New president is inaugurated
More on the politics and the process
• Love it or hate it, here’s how the Electoral College came to be
• Here’s what will happen between Election Day and Inauguration Day
• ‘We are going to reclaim the United States’: President Trump, his lawyers and allies take frantic steps to overturn Joe Biden’s victory
• What if a state can’t agree which presidential candidate won? It’s happened before, and voters don’t necessarily get the final word.


chicagotribune--2020-11-24--Chicago police officer seriously injured after being dragged by car during traffic stop, officials s

Chicago police officer seriously injured after being dragged by car during traffic stop, officials say

A crashed car sits at the scene where a police officer was seriously injured during a traffic stop when the @ @ @ @ @ with an officer on the driver ’ s side door , dragging the officer near @ @ @ @ @ “ L ” station Monday Nov. 23 , 2020 in Chicago .

A crashed car sits at the scene where a police officer was seriously injured during a traffic stop when the driver started to drive off with an officer on the driver’s side door, dragging the officer near the 95th Street Red Line “L” station Monday Nov. 23, 2020 in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
A male police officer was seriously injured during a traffic stop near the 95th Street Red Line “L” station Monday evening, according to the Chicago Fire Department and Chicago Police Department.
Officers pulled over a Chevy Impala in the 9500 block of South Lafayette Avenue in the Princeton Park neighborhood, according to Chicago police. The driver started to drive off with an officer on the driver’s side door, dragging the officer.
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The Impala then hit a concrete pillar, causing the officer to be thrown from the driver’s side door, police said. The officer hit a “fixed object” as he was thrown.
The Fire Department received a call of an officer injured about 7:40 p.m., said Larry Merritt, a department spokesman. The officer was being transported when an ambulance intercepted at 95th Street and Eggleston Avenue and took him to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
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The officer’s partner was also taken in for observation, Merritt said.
Chicago police Superintendent David O. Brown visited the officer Tuesday morning and said in a tweet that he was “in good spirits.”
I just returned from visiting our injured officer in the hospital. He is in good spirits. Please join me in praying for his full recovery. — Chicago Police Superintendent David O. Brown (@ChiefDavidBrown) November 24, 2020
“Please join me in praying for his full recovery,” Brown said.
Two people were taken into custody after the crash, police said.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-11-24--Man dies after being ejected from SUV in 2-vehicle crash on I-57, police say

Ronnie Williams Jr. , 21 , of the 7200 block of South Rockwell Street , was pronounced dead at 1:21 @ @ @ @ @ medical examiner ’ s office .
Williams Jr. had been driving the Edge and was @ @ @ @ @ it overturned , then was found by authorities on the shoulder of the interstate , @ @ @ @

A Chicago man died early Tuesday after his SUV collided with the rear of a second vehicle on Interstate 57 on the Far South Side, throwing him onto the shoulder of the highway, according to Illinois State Police.
A red 2010 Ford Edge was traveling south on the interstate near 103rd Street about 1:15 a.m. when its front end collided with the rear of a red 1997 Mercury Tracer, which caused the Ford Edge to overturn, according to a statement from Trooper Omoayena Williams.
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The Tracer, driven by an 81-year-old man from Chicago, continued and “veered off the roadway and came to rest in the middle grassy area,” Williams said. The man was treated at an area hospital for injuries not considered life-threatening, officials said.
Ronnie Williams Jr., 21, of the 7200 block of South Rockwell Street, was pronounced dead at 1:21 a.m., according to the medical examiner’s office. Williams Jr. had been driving the Edge and was ejected from the SUV when it overturned, then was found by authorities on the shoulder of the interstate, state police said.
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All southbound lanes of Interstate 57 were shut down at 103rd Street within minutes of the collision, officials said. Traffic was diverted off the interstate to the southbound Halsted Street ramp, Williams said.
Lanes were reopened about 5:10 a.m. The crash remains under investigation.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-11-24--11-year-old girl shot in cheek inside her bedroom in Park Manor home

Emergency crews were called to the 6900 block of South Calumet Avenue in the Park Manor neighborhood about 4:15 a.m. @ @ @ @ @ child had been shot , according to a police media notification .
The girl was @ @ @ @ @ ” of a home when she was shot , but it wasn ’ t immediately @ @ @ @ @ came from , according to the police statement .

An 11-year-old girl was in fair condition Tuesday morning after being shot in the cheek while she was in a front bedroom at her home on the South Side, Chicago police said.
Emergency crews were called to the 6900 block of South Calumet Avenue in the Park Manor neighborhood about 4:15 a.m. for a report that a child had been shot, according to a police media notification. The girl was in “the front bedroom” of a home when she was shot, but it wasn’t immediately clear what direction the bullet came from, according to the police statement.
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“Her father stated he heard noise coming from the back door ... an hour prior and observed the door had been knocked down. An hour later, he heard noise again and then heard shots,” police said.
The girl was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital where police said she was listed in fair condition. No arrests had been made as of Tuesday morning.
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Check back for updates.


chicagotribune--2020-11-26--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what’s happening on Thanksgiving with COVID-19 in the Chicag

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what’s happening on Thanksgiving with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

The number of COVID-19 cases is rising , along with worries and concerns : Am I doing all that I @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus ?
Why did I test positive if I wore a mask and isolated @ @ @ @ @ been infected though I ’ m not taking any precautions , so is this even @ @ @ @ @ hard to keep up with the news with so many new developments .

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
For the latest updates, click here for Monday’s live blog.
Illinois health officials on Sunday announced 7,178 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 57 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 720,114 and the statewide confirmed death toll to 12,193 since the start of the pandemic.
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Meanwhile, the state of Illinois’ plan for distributing a COVID-19 vaccine when one becomes available puts front-line health care workers first in line to be inoculated, but shifting projections on how many initial doses the state is likely to receive and other factors make it uncertain exactly how that plan will roll out.
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Sunday said that the U.S. may see “surge upon a surge” of the coronavirus in the weeks after Thanksgiving, and he does not expect current recommendations around social distancing to be relaxed before Christmas. Fauci also said that it’s “not too late” for people traveling back home after Thanksgiving to help stop the spread of the virus by wearing masks, staying distant from others and avoiding large groups of people.
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Here’s what’s happening on Thanksgiving weekend with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
Sunday
7,178 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, 57 deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Sunday announced 7,178 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 57 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 720,114 and the statewide confirmed death toll to 12,193 since the start of the pandemic.
There were 62,740 tests reported. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 12.1%.
Illinois teachers say COVID-19 struggles are mounting and they’re ‘acutely worried about the safety and well-being’ of students
The escalating COVID-19 crisis is placing enormous burdens on Illinois teachers that could worsen an already critical teacher shortage in Illinois, public policy experts say.
The warning was based on a recent report from a researcher with the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs, who found that teachers and administrators across the state are struggling on the job and at home because of COVID-19 stressors, which officials say could hurt teacher retention.
“The work of teachers and schools was significantly altered by the pandemic,” Meghan Kessler, an assistant professor of teacher education at the University of Illinois at Springfield and the author of the report, said in a Tuesday statement.
“Many of those changes, and the uncertainty that comes with them, will persist for the foreseeable future,” Kessler said. “In addition to intense professional challenges, teachers are coping with the stress that all families face during this pandemic around access to child care, maintaining their health and finding time for their loved ones. As the state faces significant budget shortfalls, teachers also fear that the resources they need to do their jobs will be reduced.”
Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta
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From food pantries to parking lot Wi-Fi, public libraries evolve during COVID-19 pandemic
When Illinois’ latest COVID-19 mitigation rules went into effect recently, public venues from casinos to museums were ordered to shut down as the virus continues its ruthless spread. One notable exception, though, was public libraries.
The decision on whether to stay open remained with them, and while many have concluded that the risk is too high, others say they’re going to stick it out, and not just for the book lending.
“It’s not enough to offer self-service,” said Megan Millen, executive director of the Joliet Public Library, which has curbed some services but is staying open. “In our community, a lot of people need our close-up assistance on how to fill out a job application or an unemployment application.”
Libraries, especially during times of crisis, have long been far more than just places where people can check out books and DVDs. With their high-speed internet connections, meeting rooms and massive depositories of information, print and otherwise, they are a beacon to those needing assistance or companionship.
That has changed during the pandemic. Libraries across the state closed for months after Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued his stay-at-home order in March, and though many reopened during the summer, some services remain diminished or unavailable for fear of transmitting the virus.
But libraries have made creative adjustments in these strange times, boosting their Wi-Fi signals so patrons can use the internet in their cars, expanding their curbside pickup services and offering all manner of virtual programming.
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Read more here. —John Keilman
Chicago nurse treating COVID-19 patients gets Thanksgiving phone call from Vice President-elect Kamala Harris: ‘I know that it’s personal for you’
University of Chicago Medical Center nurse Talisa Hardin held her phone in front of a cozy fireplace as she stared at the familiar but perhaps unexpected face on the screen: Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
During the video call on Thursday, Harris thanked Hardin for tirelessly treating COVID-19 patients — for “everything you do every day,” according to a video posted on Harris’ Instagram account.
“I wanted to see you to say, ‘Happy Thanksgiving,’ " Harris says in the video as a loose ear bud dangles against her turtleneck. “I’ve been reading about you and just all that you do in service of so many people.”
Harris wrote that she and her husband called Hardin and other front-line workers “to thank them for everything they have done in the fight against COVID-19. We won’t be able to get through this without them.”
She also told Hardin, “I know it’s personal for you and I know ... it requires mental and emotional and physical and spiritual energy and power that you give to it, so thank you.”
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Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
Saturday
With no action by Washington, governors and state lawmakers race to offer COVID-19 aid as daily count of new US cases tops 200,000 for first time
Faulting inaction in Washington, governors and state lawmakers are racing to get pandemic relief to small-business owners, the unemployed, renters and others whose livelihoods have been upended by the widening coronavirus outbreak.
In some cases, elected officials are spending the last of a federal relief package passed in the spring as an end-of-year deadline approaches and the fall COVID-19 surge threatens their economies anew. Democrats have been the most vocal in criticizing President Donald Trump and the GOP-controlled Senate for failing to act, but many Republican lawmakers are also sounding the alarm.
Underscoring the need for urgency, the number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the United States reached 205,557 on Friday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University – the first time its daily figure topped the 200,000 mark. Its previous daily high was 196,000 on Nov. 20.
The total number of cases reported in the U.S., since the first one in January, has topped 13 million.
Read more here. —Associated Press/Report for America
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Cook County sheriff has coronavirus, according to his office
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a press release from his office.
Dart, who has served as sheriff since 2006, received the results on Friday after being tested on Tuesday, the release said. He is experiencing symptoms of the virus as he recovers at home.
He last reported to work on Nov. 19, and began feeling symptoms the following day, according to the release. Dart then “immediately self-quarantined,” the release said.
Read more here. —Madeline Buckley
7,873 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 108 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Saturday announced 7,873 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 108 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 712,936 and the statewide death toll to 12,137 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 79,055 new tests in the last 24 hours.
The seven-day statewide rolling positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests was 10.1% for the period ending Friday.
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—Chicago Tribune staff
Friday
Coronavirus numbers could fluctuate after Thanksgiving, but don’t be fooled, health experts say
The coronavirus testing numbers that have guided much of the nation’s response to the pandemic are likely to be erratic over the next week or so, experts said Friday, as fewer people get tested during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and testing sites observe shorter hours.
The result could be potential dips in reported infections that offer the illusion that the spread of the virus is easing when, in fact, the numbers say little about where the nation stands in fighting COVID-19.
“I just hope that people don’t misinterpret the numbers and think that there wasn’t a major surge as a result of Thanksgiving, and then end up making Christmas and Hanukkah and other travel plans,” said Dr. Leana Wen, a professor at George Washington University and an emergency physician.
Read more here. —Associated Press
Coronavirus is striking American mink farms, but Illinois’ shrinking fur industry has so far escaped the virus
Outbreaks of coronavirus have struck mink farms in Wisconsin and Michigan, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. For now, though, no Illinois producers have reported finding the virus in their animals.
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Mink raised on farms to become fur coats or hats have become a recent source of coronavirus worries. A mutated form of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, was found in some animals in Denmark and prompted the government to order the deaths of the nation’s entire population of 17 million mink out of concern the disease could jump to humans and be resistant to vaccines.
Read more here. —John Keilman
7,574 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases, 66 deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Friday announced 7,574 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 66 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 705,063 and the statewide confirmed death toll to 12,029 since the start of the pandemic.
There were 77,130 tests reported in the previous 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 12.2%.
It was the first day since Nov. 4 that fewer than 8,000 cases were reported, though it was likely due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Black Friday online sales could top $9 billion as shoppers in Chicago area and elsewhere stay home to buy gifts amid pandemic
Albert Edillor, 39, of Skokie, remembers years when lines for Black Friday deals stretched around store parking lots.
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Instead, there were a few dozen shoppers waiting outside a Walmart in Niles when the store opened this morning, with employees reminding them to keep a shopping cart between each group.
Black Friday long has been considered the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season but in recent years, merchants have welcomed smaller crowds as they put more deals online and began offering discounts earlier in the week of Thanksgiving.
This year, with the coronavirus pandemic leaving both stores and shoppers wary of crowds, discounts were advertised even earlier in the week and retailers skipped the Thanksgiving and Black Friday “doorbuster” deals of years past.
Despite less foot traffic, sales are expected to increase between 3.6% and 5.2% this year, totaling at least $755.3 billion, according to The National Retail Federation, a trade group.
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach and Abdel Jimenez
Illinois’ plan for COVID-19 vaccine distribution puts front-line health care workers first, but many details still up in air
The state of Illinois’ plan for distributing a COVID-19 vaccine when one becomes available puts front-line health care workers first in line to be inoculated, but shifting projections on how many initial doses the state is likely to receive, the various temperature storage requirements for different vaccines and changing federal recommendations make it uncertain exactly how that plan will roll out.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker said this week the state will “be ready to go, we believe, as soon as those vaccines hit the ground,” as promising developments about coronavirus vaccine effectiveness continue to trickle out from studies by drugmakers. But he made clear the many challenges of distributing a long-awaited vaccine that could put an end to restrictions that have upended life and commerce in the state.
“We’re coordinating with the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), which has been changing its recommendations along the way, which is fine, we want to make sure we get their expertise. There’s also a level of complexity because the vaccines aren’t all going to be the same. Some are going to require this -94 degrees to be stored. Some will not require that but will have different temperature requirements,” Pritzker said during one of his daily coronavirus briefings. “And so all of that should be taken into account in terms of the timing, the amount of preparation.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Wednesday that the initial doses of a vaccine could be available as soon as next month, although it will be next year before shots are available for the general public.
The state in October laid out the framework for how it intends to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine with top priority going to the “critical workforce” that provides health care, staff and residents in long-term care and assisted living facilities, and essential workers outside the health care industry.
Projections of the number of doses the state will receive are “constantly in flux,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, who in one week gave dramatically different estimates.
Read more here. —Jamie Munks
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Before COVID-19, low-income college students often struggled to stay in school. The pandemic has only made it harder
Low-income college students face myriad challenges as they try to continue their education despite pandemic-related setbacks.
Some students have withdrawn from school because of changing economic circumstances, problems with online learning or difficulty connecting to virtual student services.
According to U.S. census data from August, nearly 7 million people said they canceled college plans for the fall because their income had changed during the pandemic and they could no longer pay.
Overall undergraduate enrollment at U.S. colleges is down about 4.4%, with the greatest declines seen in community colleges and among first-year students, according to the latest data from the National Student Clearinghouse. While the NSC does not break the numbers down by socioeconomic status, nontraditional and low-income students typically favor community colleges.
In Illinois, fewer students have applied for federal and state financial aid since schools closed down in March compared with the same time last year, according to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission, which administers need-based grants to college students. That’s a sign low-income students might be abandoning college plans altogether instead of seeking help with tuition.
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
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Here’s how to get through seasonal affective disorder during a pandemic
With our days growing shorter and the temperatures dropping, the time for seasonal affective disorder is here.
Sometimes referred to as the winter blues, seasonal affective disorder is a form of depression that occurs during the winter months.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, many Americans have reported an increase in anxiety and depression. With added levels of stress, more people may experience SAD this year.
Experts say daily exercise and reaching to people every day can help. Find out more about dealing with the disorder here. —Hannah Herrera Greenspan
Thursday
Health officials report 12,022 new confirmed and probable cases and 131 more deaths
Illinois health officials on Thanksgiving announced 12,022 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 131 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 697,489 and the statewide confirmed death toll to 11,963 since the start of the pandemic.
Americans risk traveling over Thanksgiving despite warnings
Millions of Americans took to the skies and the highways ahead of Thanksgiving at the risk of pouring gasoline on the coronavirus fire, disregarding increasingly dire warnings that they stay home and limit their holiday gatherings to members of their own household.
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Those who are flying witnessed a distinctly 2020 landscape at the nation’s airports: plexiglass barriers in front of the ID stations, rapid virus testing sites inside terminals, masks in check-in areas and on board planes, and paperwork asking passengers to quarantine on arrival at their destination.
While the number of Americans traveling by air over the past several days was down dramatically from the same time last year, many pressed ahead with their holiday plans amid skyrocketing deaths, hospitalizations and confirmed infections across the U.S.
Some were tired of more than eight months of social distancing and determined to spend time with loved ones.
“I think with the holidays and everything, it’s so important right now, especially because people are so bummed out because of the whole pandemic,” said 25-year-old Cassidy Zerkle of Phoenix, who flew to Kansas City, Missouri, to visit family during what is traditionally one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Read more here. —Associated Press
Dead mink infected with a possible mutated form of COVID-19 resurface from graves after burial in Denmark
Some of the thousands of mink culled to minimize the risk of them re-transmitting the new coronavirus to humans have risen from their shallow graves in western Denmark after gases built up inside the bodies, Danish authorities said Thursday.
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“The gases cause the animals to expand and in the worst cases, the mink get pushed out of the ground,” Jannike Elmegaard of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration said. He said it affected “a few hundred” animals.
Read more here. —Associated Press
Virus surge, once in the nation’s middle, gains steam all around
What started as a Midwestern surge has grown into coast-to-coast disaster.
Over the last two months, rural counties and midsize cities in the Great Plains and Upper Midwest have been the main drivers of the dizzying growth in U.S. coronavirus cases.
But the virus appears to have entered a new phase in recent days: The reason the country is continuing to break case records has less to do with North Dakota and Wisconsin than it does with swift resurgences of the virus in cities like Baltimore, Los Angeles, Miami and Phoenix and with first-time spikes in smaller cities away from the nation’s middle, like Cumberland, Maryland.
“Our people are tired,” said Maggie Hansen, chief nursing executive at Memorial Healthcare System in south Florida. “They’re tired, and they don’t see an end in sight.”
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Read more here. —The New York Times
Their teeth fell out. Was it another COVID-19 consequence?
Earlier this month, Farah Khemili popped a wintergreen breath mint in her mouth and noticed a strange sensation: a bottom tooth wiggling against her tongue.
Khemili, 43, of Voorheesville, New York, had never lost an adult tooth. She touched the tooth to confirm it was loose, initially thinking the problem might be the mint. The next day, the tooth flew out of her mouth and into her hand. There was neither blood nor pain.
Khemili survived a bout with COVID-19 this spring, and has joined an online support group as she has endured a slew of symptoms experienced by many other “long haulers”: brain fog, muscle aches and nerve pain.
There’s no rigorous evidence yet that the infection can lead to tooth loss or related problems. But among members of her support group, she found others who also described teeth falling out, as well as sensitive gums and teeth turning gray or chipping.
Read more here. —The New York Times
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No Thanksgiving reunion for couple after man barred from U.S. visit by Customs officers at O’Hare
They were a long-distance couple hoping to reunite for the holiday season.
An African man and an American woman who fell in love during a religious mission trip.
Nkosinathi Gama is a 29-year-old man from Eswatini, a country in southern Africa that was formerly known as Swaziland. Rachel Perkins is a 24-year-old seminarian student at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.
They thought everything would go smoothly. Why wouldn’t they?
Gama had his visa, a return ticket and a negative COVID-19 test. Plus, Gama had visited the U.S. last year without a problem.
Read more here. —Javonte Anderson
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COVID-19 outbreak at Chicago homeless shelter points to coronavirus surge dangers, advocates say
A homeless shelter on Chicago’s West Side is grappling with an outbreak of COVID-19 cases, prompting concerns from advocates and organizations as the coronavirus surges nationwide.
The Franciscan Outreach shelter, 2715 W. Harrison St. in Lawndale, had 55 of its 140 guests test positive for the virus last week, according to Richard Ducatenzeiler, executive director of Franciscan Outreach.
A majority of those who tested positive are asymptomatic, and about 20 of the most vulnerable people were transferred to an isolation wing set up by A Safe Haven, Ducatenzeiler said. The rest were isolated in the shelter’s southern dormitory.
“We’re not designed to serve as an isolation center, so it’s definitely not a perfect setup,” Ducatenzeiler said. “They’re still having to walk through common spaces in order to go to the restroom or take a shower, and trying to control that at all times becomes difficult.”
Read more here. —Kelli Smith
Chicago State’s Lance Irvin, a 2-time cancer survivor, isn’t coaching in person this season because of the health risks COVID-19 presents
Chicago State basketball coach Lance Irvin was supposed to be in Champaign on Wednesday for the season opener.
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Instead he was home in Chicago, watching the Cougars take on Ohio on television and taking notes.
As a two-time cancer survivor, Irvin decided to step back this season, understanding that coaching during the COVID-19 pandemic raises health risks he isn’t comfortable taking.
“I’ve been through a lot,” Irvin said. “I’m trying to be smart. What I’m doing is for the health and well-being of myself and my family. I’m going with the advice of my doctor. I’m in such good shape, but we don’t want to see, if I get a serious virus, how my body will deal with it.
“It wouldn’t be smart. I was in the room when they said, ‘He’s got a 50% chance of making it.’ “
Read more here. — Shannon Ryan
Splitting 5 to 4, Supreme Court blocks New York coronavirus restrictions on houses of worship
As coronavirus cases surge again nationwide the Supreme Court late Wednesday barred New York from enforcing certain limits on attendance at churches and synagogues in areas designated as hard hit by the virus.
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The justices split 5-4 with new Justice Amy Coney Barrett in the majority. It was the conservative’s first publicly discernible vote as a justice. The court’s three liberal justices and Chief Justice John Roberts dissented.
Read more here. —Associated Press
Have a question about COVID-19? University of Chicago’s Dr. Emily Landon will answer readers’ questions Dec. 2 on Facebook Live.
The number of COVID-19 cases is rising, along with worries and concerns: Am I doing all that I can to stay safe from the coronavirus? Why did I test positive if I wore a mask and isolated? I haven’t been infected though I’m not taking any precautions, so is this even real? It can be hard to keep up with the news with so many new developments.
That’s why the Chicago Tribune is partnering with the University of Chicago to answer readers’ questions with a Facebook Live event Dec. 2. I’ll be asking readers’ questions to University of Chicago Medicine infectious diseases expert Dr. Emily Landon in hopes of quelling some of those concerns. If you have a question you haven’t been able to find an answer to, now is your chance to be heard.
The link to the Facebook Live stream will go live on our Facebook page Dec. 2. Also, our written Q&A is continuously updated, so if you have a question that we haven’t answered yet there, send it to the Tribune here.
Read more here. —Darcel Rockett


chicagotribune--2020-11-26--No Thanksgiving reunion for couple after man barred from U.S. visit by Customs officers at O’Hare

“ What prompted this interrogation of someone who ’ s looking to spend Thanksgiving with his girlfriend is beyond me @ @ @ @ @ the fact that he had spent two weeks with Rachel during Christmas 2019 and obeyed @ @ @ @ @ said Ashley Dworsky , an immigration attorney representing Perkins .

Nkosinathi Gama, 29, from Eswatini, a country in southern Africa formerly known as Swaziland, and Rachel Perkins, 24, a seminarian student at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, in a photo taken by Gama in Eswatini. (Nkosinathi Gama / HANDOUT)
They were a long-distance couple hoping to reunite for the holiday season.
An African man and an American woman who fell in love during a religious mission trip.
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Nkosinathi Gama is a 29-year-old man from Eswatini, a country in southern Africa that was formerly known as Swaziland. Rachel Perkins is a 24-year-old seminarian student at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.
They thought everything would go smoothly. Why wouldn’t they?
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Gama had his visa, a return ticket and a negative COVID-19 test. Plus, Gama had visited the U.S. last year without a problem.
The two first met when Perkins visited southern Africa on a missionary trip in 2018. She was studying to become an ordained minister, and he worked for the Lutheran Church in Eswatini. They quickly bonded over their love of God, Perkins said.
This year they wanted to spend the holidays together. Their love had lasted and fortified through a long-distance relationship, with almost 9,000 miles separating them.
Gama arrived in Chicago on Saturday, after two days of travel, hoping to see his girlfriend for the first time in roughly a year.
As Gama stood in the Customs line at O’Hare International Airport, Perkins waited anxiously with a friend and her parents on the other side of the wall. Minutes turned to hours as she waited for Gama to emerge with his smile that could “make anybody’s day better.”
But Gama was pulled aside by officers for a secondary inspection, in which an officer questioned him, searched his bags and scoured his phone, looking through his text messages and Facebook account.
During his questioning, which Gama described as an “interrogation,” he started to worry.
“I was really scared,” he said in a phone interview Wednesday. “I didn’t understand what was happening. Did I look like a (criminal)?”
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It is unclear why Gama was pulled away for a secondary inspection.
“What prompted this interrogation of someone who’s looking to spend Thanksgiving with his girlfriend is beyond me, especially in light of the fact that he had spent two weeks with Rachel during Christmas 2019 and obeyed U.S. immigration law,” said Ashley Dworsky, an immigration attorney representing Perkins.
When asked about Gama’s case, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman sent a general statement outlining the responsibilities of the agency.
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection is tasked with protecting our nation’s borders and enforcing numerous laws at U.S. ports of entry,” the statement said.
“CBP has established strict guidelines to ensure that these searches are exercised judiciously, responsibly and consistent with the public trust.”
Customs agents inspect travelers’ electronic devices on “rare occasions,” but the agency’s ability to inspect electronic devices crossing the border is “integral to keeping America safe in an increasingly digital world,” the spokesman said.
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The inspecting officer appeared to suspect Gama was not just visiting Perkins for the holiday, but also trying to marry Perkins and remain in the country, Gama said.
She questioned why he had brought his birth certificate and college diploma with him. Gama explained that he does not like to leave important documents at home when he travels for an extended period and wanted to show Perkins’ parents his college degree.
But Gama’s explanation was unsatisfactory for the inspecting officers.
Gama said he was then given the option to give up his visa willingly or be barred for five years. He opted to give up his visa. He was then placed on a flight headed back to southern Africa.
“It breaks my heart being separated from the one that you love,” Gama said. “I haven’t been in pain in my life like this. I wish they could know how much they break our hearts for what they did.”
Perkins hopes to visit Gama again soon in his home country, but she’s still heartbroken by what happened.
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“I just wish that people understood that this happens every single day,” she said. Gama “did what he was supposed to do. He came here legally. He came with everything he was supposed to have, and it still wasn’t enough.”


chicagotribune--2020-11-26--COVID-19 outbreak at Chicago homeless shelter points to coronavirus surge dangers, advocates say

“ We ’ re not designed to serve as an isolation center , so it ’ s definitely not a @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ They ’ re still having to walk through common spaces in order @ @ @ @ @ or take a shower , and trying to control that at all times becomes difficult @ @

People stand outside of the Franciscan Outreach shelter on Nov. 24, 2020, in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
A homeless shelter on Chicago’s West Side is grappling with an outbreak of COVID-19 cases, prompting concerns from advocates and organizations as the coronavirus surges nationwide.
The Franciscan Outreach shelter, 2715 W. Harrison St. in Lawndale, had 55 of its 140 guests test positive for the virus last week, according to Richard Ducatenzeiler, executive director of Franciscan Outreach.
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A majority of those who tested positive are asymptomatic, and about 20 of the most vulnerable people were transferred to an isolation wing set up by A Safe Haven, Ducatenzeiler said. The rest were isolated in the shelter’s southern dormitory.
“We’re not designed to serve as an isolation center, so it’s definitely not a perfect setup,” Ducatenzeiler said. “They’re still having to walk through common spaces in order to go to the restroom or take a shower, and trying to control that at all times becomes difficult.”
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The outbreak is representative of an ongoing problem facing Chicago homeless shelters as winter approaches and officials face a surge in COVID-19 cases. Even with the city ramping up testing and safety protocols in shelters, some organizations say they don’t have the necessary resources or space to effectively combat a virus outbreak.
In the spring, after the coronavirus pandemic reached Chicago, shelters had to adjust rapidly to prevent virus exposure. City officials thinned out homeless shelters, ramped up safety protocols and moved many people into alternate locations.
The protocols worked to prevent outbreaks for much of the summer and fall, including at Franciscan Outreach shelters, until the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, Ducatenzeiler said.
He wasn’t sure where last week’s outbreak originated, but said the shelter receives numerous referrals daily and guests are not tested before entering, only checked for symptoms and told to fill out a questionnaire.
The outbreak has brought heightened levels of stress and anxiety to guests and staff members, Ducatenzeiler added. City officials brought the shelter a trailer bathroom and shower so those who tested positive won’t need to use the same facilities as other guests and staff members.
The city has also paused the shelter’s intake until the outbreak is contained, Ducatenzeiler added.
The Chicago Department of Public Health said Thursday in an emailed statement it has established shelter-based service teams to provide infection prevention and control services in shelters, and is administering infection control mini-grants to allow shelters to make improvements to the shelter environment to reduce the risk of spread.
The city also continues to provide supported isolation to people with COVID-19. With the second surge, demand for supported isolation has increased and the city is actively exploring ways to expand this capacity, the statement said.
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The outbreak seems to be mirroring what’s happening citywide in terms of a surge in COVID-19 cases, said Julie Dworkin, director of policy for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. She said “this large of an outbreak is definitely new” for homeless shelters in the city.
“Some shelters are able to isolate people and keep them separate and contain an outbreak,” Dworkin said. “But Franciscan was really not able to do that, and many other shelters can’t do that.”
She said city officials plan to open an isolation space with about 72 rooms in the FieldHouse Jones Hotel, 312 W. Chestnut St., to house people who test positive. But “it’s still not going to be enough given what we’ve already seen at Franciscan,” she said.
“The city is already down 350 shelter beds so I think it is really concerning that people will have a harder time accessing shelter this winter,” Dworkin said.
Franciscan Outreach isn’t the only shelter wrestling with concerns about resources. Shelters citywide “aren’t set up to really provide isolation or quarantine space necessary when there is an outbreak,” according to Andrew Winter, chief financial officer of Cornerstone Community Outreach, a nonprofit based in Uptown that has shelter capacity for about 200 people.
Cornerstone shelters have had about five cases of COVID-19 since October, Winter said. Two of those cases were in families, which complicates the issue since they need more isolation space and Cornerstone doesn’t have “the full resources to actually isolate well on site.”
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“I don’t think the need would’ve been expected to be so large so quickly,” Winter said.
The approaching cold weather adds greater health risks to the problem, he added. In the past, shelters would set up warming centers or overnight emergency spaces for people experiencing homelessness, but there’s less of those available under COVID-19 restrictions.
“With the reduced number of beds in general, and also with this weather change coming, it is a concern of ours, and we don’t know how to address it with the city,” Winter said.
At Franciscan Outreach, Ducatenzeiler said trying to contain the COVID-19 outbreak has “dramatically” increased expenses. Shelter officials have had to pay staff members more for working overtime, offer incentive pay and purchase more cleaning supplies.
“We currently lack the ability to really be able to serve as a proper isolation center,” Ducatenzeiler said. “We don’t have the trained staff — we have shelter staff that are not trained in this capacity to be able to monitor health conditions.
“We’re really looking to the city and the state and the federal government to really be able to continue to provide shelters like us with the type of support and resources that we need to really adequately provide the level of safety and the proper isolation space (this) would require.”
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kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-11-26--Isolation can make staying sober hard during pandemic-tainted holidays. Here are 5 things to keep in

Isolation can make staying sober hard during pandemic-tainted holidays. Here are 5 things to keep in mind.

“ Whether for yourself or someone else , whether they ’ ve relapsed in their recovery or they ’ re @ @ @ @ @ such as anxiety or depression , I think a really important point is to know @ @ @ @ @ mean that these are bad people , ” Fors said .
“ It just means @ @ @ @ @ they need help , and it ’ s really OK to get professional help .
@

Many Americans increase their alcohol consumption during the holiday season, often beginning with the night before Thanksgiving. The coronavirus pandemic has been cause for even more imbibing.
Heading into the holidays during a pandemic, then, means anyone who wants to remain sober may have their work cut out for them. But experts say it’s possible to stay sober through planning, focus and an understanding of some common triggers, as well as personal insight into what works best to overcome them.
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Here are five things to keep in mind if you’re trying to keep sober during the holidays this year:
1. Stress: Nothing is perfect, including the holidays
Melissa Fors, spokeswoman for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, said people tend to experience additional stress around the holidays for a number of reasons, including concerns about money for presents, spending time with family members with whom relationships may be strained or wanting to make everything nice for others.
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“People have these high expectations of picture-perfect holidays, and that’s just not reality for so many people. So that in itself, having those very high expectations, creates this very challenging time of year for so many of us,” she said.
This year, there may be the added stress of not being able to see loved ones during the holidays or having to navigate the new normal by replacing in-person visits with virtual ones.
A Thanksgiving meal styled by Mark Graham on Nov. 1, 2017. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
2. Loneliness: Socially distanced to the brink
Not seeing the people you care about can add stress and many people have been feeling increasingly lonely during the pandemic, and both of these can trigger the urge to drink.
“Addiction is a disease of isolation. Just because we’re socially distant doesn’t mean we have to be socially isolated,” she said. “This year in particular, I think that social distancing really exacerbates the mental health challenges for so many people, particularly those that are struggling with addiction to drugs or alcohol or those that are in recovery.”
Many people underestimate the importance of human connection and may not understand why they increasingly feel upset.
“That means whether you’re concerned about a friend or family member or yourself, connection is really the key,” she said. “Talk on the phone, meet on Zoom, FaceTime, text, there are so many different ways and strategies to connect with people so that you’re not being socially isolated.”
Distance can also pose another obstacle for those worried about friends or family members who struggle with sobriety, those who under normal circumstances people might talk to when they’re not drunk.
“Because of concerns about social distancing, you might not be able to this year talk to someone in person, but it is still important that you talk to them,” Fors said.
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3. Peer pressure and opportunity: Celebrating means drinking, right?
“You’ve got cocktail parties at work, drinking events to celebrate the holidays with your friends, your family celebrations really often are centered around alcohol use, so this is really a season where there is just a great number of minefields to navigate,” Fors said.
For those gathering in person, it is OK to speak with a host beforehand to ask if alcohol will be served and to either decline an invitation or to explain that you will not be drinking, if that will make you feel accountable. It’s also OK to ask the host to consider having a dry event.
Fors also recommended asking if you can bring a guest — a sober companion — or if going solo, drive yourself to leave when you’d like.
While a bottle of wine is a go-to hostess gift for many, don’t let your sobriety stop you from offering up a traditional gift, said Hilary Sheinbaum, a writer and author of “The Dry Challenge: How to Lose the Booze for Dry January, Sober October, and Any Other Alcohol-Free Month,” due out Dec. 29.
“If you are going to someone’s home, you can opt to bring a pie or another holiday staple, or even a candle — it doesn’t have to be food and beverage — to show how much you appreciate being there,” Sheinbaum said.
4. Habit: Traditions can be tweaked
Some people love tradition, and others find them stressful. But just because booze isn’t on your menu doesn’t mean you can’t participate in traditions.
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One that has become increasingly popular in recent decades is “Blackout Wednesday” or “Drinksgiving,” the day before Thanksgiving, often thought to be the biggest drinking day of the year.
“Everyone has the next day off. At Christmas that’s true, too, but more people are spending time with family on Christmas Eve,” Fors said.
Those who want to socialize but not drink alcohol can try holding a nonalcoholic drink at all times, so no one offers to buy you a drink, Fors said.
Don’t assume you can’t have eggnog or anything else you usually enjoy during the holidays. There are many nonalcoholic beers, wines and spirits available.
“If you’re looking to not consume alcohol during Thanksgiving or Christmas or Hanukkah or any other festive holiday ... you can certainly start making those traditions and announcing them and saying, ‘Instead of our boozy eggnog, or the drink we get together and make every time, this year I’m going to make a hot peppermint cocoa,’” she said.
5. Fear, anger, surprise: 2020 has it all, but there are solutions
At the start of the pandemic, alcohol sales saw a massive spike, Fors said. Bars had just closed, so it made sense people would purchase alcohol for home consumption.
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But as the year wore on, Fors saw another staggering figure, this time from the Rand Corporation. From 2019 to 2020, there has been a 41% increase in binge drinking by women, defined as having four or more drinks in a sitting.
“Women are dramatically drinking more than 2019,” she said. “There’s so much going on this year. When you think all the stressors, you think about record unemployment, having to home-school your children, not having the support of friends and family, the focus on racial justice, obviously a pandemic, an election.”
Sometimes, people successfully take advantage of what’s known as Dry January, the trend of trying 30 days without alcohol after the holidays, to try to cut down their drinking.
Sheinbaum decided to try “Dry January,” four years ago. At the time, she mainly wrote about food and beverages, and often attended cocktail parties for work. A friend wanted to bet her an expensive dinner he could outlast her attempt, and she “literally rolled my eyes and changed the subject,” she said. But a few minutes before midnight on New Year’s Eve, she called him and accepted.
She won — but not just the fancy dinner.
“I just felt, even in the gloomiest, darkest days of New York City winter, like this happy human, and it hadn’t occurred to me that alcohol was affecting me so much.”
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But just as a month of sobriety can set a person up for a healthy year ahead, Fors warns the pandemic is making for a slippery slope for those trying to achieve sobriety.
“The CDC had a data point that says 41% of adults are struggling with either mental health issues, substance use issues or suicidal ideation during the pandemic. ... That’s why reaching out is so important right now,” she said.
Hazelden is among the treatment programs that offer virtual intensive outpatient services, which can be attended on a computer or a phone. The success rate for people staying sober in online treatment has stayed on par with in-person outpatient services, she said.
Groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and the national Treatment Referral Routing Service (1-800-662-HELP) offer 24-hour helplines. Support groups including AA are also offering online meetings, often around the clock.
“Whether for yourself or someone else, whether they’ve relapsed in their recovery or they’re struggling with mental health issues such as anxiety or depression, I think a really important point is to know that it doesn’t mean that these are bad people,” Fors said. “It just means they’re sick and they need help, and it’s really OK to get professional help.”


chicagotribune--2020-11-26--Prosecutor: Man dragged, critically hurt Chicago officer because license was suspended and he was af

Prosecutor: Man dragged, critically hurt Chicago officer because license was suspended and he was afraid of going to jail

Following his arrest , Okelola allegedly told police that he was scared because his driver ’ s license is suspended @ @ @ @ @ weed in the car and he didn ’ t want to go to jail , @ @ @ @ @ allegedly admitted to dragging the officer , who was yelling for him to “ Stop @ @ @ @ @ I got the wheel !
” Murphy said .

A North Side man accused of dragging a Chicago police officer until he crashed his vehicle, flinging the officer into a concrete wall, said he panicked because he was driving on a suspended license and had smoked marijuana, prosecutors told a judge Wednesday.
The judge denied bail for Aaron Okelola, 25, at the hearing broadcast on YouTube, deriding the man for what he called turning a finable offense into a felony attempted murder case punishable by up to 80 years in prison if convicted.
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Okelola, of Chicago’s Noble Square neighborhood, faces a class X attempted murder of a police officer charge, along with misdemeanor fleeing and eluding, and driving on a suspended license charges.
Aaron Okelola, 25, charged with attempted first-degree murder of a police officer. (Chicago police / HANDOUT)
Prosecutors said city lightpole cameras and the officer’s bodyworn cameras captured Okelola’s 2008 Chevy Impala speeding away from a traffic stop in the first block of West 95th Street with the 30-year-old officer’s body partially inside the car’s window holding on to the car’s door and dashboard.
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Just after 7:30 p.m. Monday, the Impala veered across three lanes of oncoming traffic and drove over a concrete center median before striking a fixed metal beam at the recently renovated 95th Red Line terminal, prosecutors said.
The impact of the collision threw the officer into a cement wall and fence area of the CTA bridge with such force that his skull was fractured in three places, according to Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy.
The officer was knocked unconscious, but his partner was able to radio in backup and take Okelola into custody, authorities said.
The officer, who is a four-year veteran, was rushed to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he underwent surgery to relieve swelling caused by the three skull fractures, Murphy said. He also suffered a fractured jaw and a bruised shoulder, knee and back.
Following his arrest, Okelola allegedly told police that he was scared because his driver’s license is suspended, he had been smoking weed in the car and he didn’t want to go to jail, Murphy said. He also allegedly admitted to dragging the officer, who was yelling for him to “Stop the car, buddy, I got the wheel!” Murphy said.
Okelola’s court-appointed attorney asked the judge to deny the state’s attorney’s no bail request, adding that despite the murder charge, her client’s actions showed no premeditation or intent. A Wells Community Academy graduate, Okelola works as an electrician’s apprentice and supports two young children, and was prepared to post $10,000 as 10% of a $100,000 bail, she added.
“He can keep his 10,000 (dollars) — he won’t need it,” Judge John F. Lyke Jr. said in denying bail, calling Okelola a danger to the public.
Okelola returns to court next month.


chicagotribune--2020-11-26--New cache of ComEd documents shows indicted Madigan confidant pressing utility for jobs and contract

New cache of ComEd documents shows indicted Madigan confidant pressing utility for jobs and contracts

In January 2015 , Cullerton was copied in an email McClain sent to an address that was redacted .
In @ @ @ @ @ As you know I am uncomfortable about how slow ComEd was in addressing your potential @ @ @ @ @ .
ComEd does not walk alone in these waters but I still think it took @ @ @ @ @

A cache of emails released Wednesday in the Illinois House probe of Speaker Michael Madigan provides a deeper look into how a close confidant pressed Commonwealth Edison on positions ranging from a seat on the utility’s board of directors to student internships.
The email trail buttresses federal allegations that ex-lobbyist Michael McClain pushed on Madigan’s behalf to have former McPier CEO Juan Ochoa put on ComEd’s board and highlights how 13th Ward loyalist Ed Moody, now the Cook County recorder of deeds, was shifted from one secretive contract with a lobbyist to another.
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ComEd dumped the 220 pages of emails on the House Special Investigating Committee looking into Madigan’s actions with ComEd on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, traditional timing for masking unfavorable news. The panel plans to meet again Dec. 14.
Madigan has staunchly defended his right to recommend people for jobs and has denied wrongdoing in the federal ComEd case. A Madigan spokeswoman on Wednesday had no immediate comment.
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Lobbyist Mike McClain, center, appears outside House Speaker Michael Madigan's office at the State Capitol in Springfield on May 25, 2012. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
The emails released Wednesday show that McClain, who long represented ComEd and has long been one of Madigan’s closest allies, repeatedly acted as a go-between for the speaker, whom he frequently referred in the documents to as “Friend” or “our friend,” and the utility in an ardent push to place people in ComEd positions.
They also showed that McClain also pushed the recommendations of others, including House Republican Leader Jim Durkin.
Democratic Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch of Hillside, who chairs the House committee, said a “full, honest reading of these documents shows that associates of ComEd assisted with job recommendations for people from both parties, both chambers and multiple branches of government.”
Many of the emails were between McClain and Fidel Marquez, a former ComEd senior vice president who has pleaded guilty to a count of bribery conspiracy. But it also involved officials as high up as Anne Pramaggiore, the former ComEd CEO and Exelon official.
McClain and Pramaggiore were indicted on bribery and bribery conspiracy charges along with ComEd lobbyists John Hooker and Jay Doherty. All have denied wrongdoing.
In July, ComEd entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorney’s office and agreed to pay a $200 million fine while pledging cooperation in the ongoing federal investigation.
McClain’s emails to Marquez often provided context for the job recommendations, with one reading, “His Father is a former Representative and … the Father, is close to a Friend of ours.”
When McClain got an email from ComEd that suggested the utility could take six summer internships, McClain fired back an email that Madigan’s 13th Ward usually got 10.
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In the case of Ochoa, the speaker’s recommendation for him to be on the ComEd board, an issue prosecutors previously alleged, was underscored by an email that showed an aide to Madigan sending Ochoa’s resume to Pramaggiore in November 2017.
Federal documents filed in the ComEd case have indicated that Pramaggiore met internal company resistance, but Ochoa was eventually appointed to the board in April 2019. Ochoa, who could not be reached for comment, is no longer on the board.
Ed Moody’s name came up in a June 5, 2013, email from McClain to Pramaggiore that asked if she would consider “moving Ed off my contract and onto Jay Dougherty’s or someone else’s? I know Hook and you have talked about it. You and I have casually talked about it but I wanted session to be over first.”
McClain concluded with a one-word reasoning for the request: “Optics.”
Marquez, in an apparent reference to subcontractors, explained in one email how former state Rep. Eddie Acevedo, D-Chicago, had been placed with lobbyist Shaw Decremer in February 2017 and removed from Roosevelt Group, which is headed by former Daley administration political enforcer Victor Reyes.
Later emails show ComEd cut ties with Decremer after Madigan dumped him as a top lieutenant with his political organization following complaints of “inappropriate behavior by a volunteer toward a candidate and staff.”
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Acevedo previously told the Tribune he had worked as a contract consultant paid by former Rep. John Bradley and that he had previously worked for Decremer.
Moody and Acevedo could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
The emails also show McClain and Marquez discussing the hiring of former Republican state Sen. Tom Walsh, an ally of Durkin, as a lobbyist in 2015.
McClain sent Marquez an email in late October of that year with the subject line “FW: Walsh’s resume” that read: “How can we accelerate this item, please? ... PS: I think his son is Durkin’s political person now.”
Marquez replied that Walsh’s existing relationship with Peoples Gas was “a bit problematic.”
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“Also, what does he add to team we currently need to enhance?” Marquez wrote. “Bringing on (redacted) will already require me to trim the current external lobbying team budget.”
Walsh eventually was brought on as a contract lobbyist. Durkin spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis said David Glockner, ComEd parent Exelon’s executive vice president for compliance and audit, was asked specifically about Walsh’s hiring when he testified before the House committee earlier this fall.
“I’m not aware that particular hire was with an effort to curry favor … with Leader Durkin,” Glocker testified.
Some of the documents released suggest Madigan had knowledge of what was going on.
On Oct. 18, 2014, for example, McClain forwarded Marquez an email with the subject line “Mike, Attached are 3 resumes for a meter reading position/or appropriate with ComEd,” though the original sender is unclear.
Six days later, on Oct. 24, 2014, McClain wrote in the same email thread, “Fidel, this is what our Friend was talking about with you.”
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Marquez replied: “I received these three earlier. I may have misinterpreted what our Friend told me last night.”
Some emails could conflict with Madigan’s contention that he was simply making job recommendations and that those receiving the recommendations were free to use them as they saw fit.
In a March 2015 email to Marquez, McClain wrote, “our Friend cornered me and told me that (redacted) has NOT been contacted for an interview with the company which is contrary to what I had previously told him that he would be.”
Another series of emails from McClain to Marquez show the longtime Madigan confidant pushing aggressively for a job for an unidentified woman “somewhere downtown or near the 13th Ward.”
After apparently not getting a satisfactory response from Marquez, McClain emailed Hooker about two weeks later, writing: “This has been going on for months ... it is our Friend’s request. I have had to pivot to Choose Chicago because cannot get movement in ComEd. Our Friend knows.”
Former Democratic Illinois Senate President John Cullerton’s name also showed up in the trove of emails. A person whose name and email address were redacted emailed the former legislative leader, who retired in January, in 2014 at his law office email address about a job they were seeking with ComEd.
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The person identified themselves in the email as a part-time customer service representative for ComEd who was seeking an energy tech position, and wrote, “Anything you can do would be greatly appreciated. I also want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”
Cullerton forwarded the email to Pramaggiore several days later.
In January 2015, Cullerton was copied in an email McClain sent to an address that was redacted. In it he wrote, “As you know I am uncomfortable about how slow ComEd was in addressing your potential employment. I again apologize. ComEd does not walk alone in these waters but I still think it took way too long.”
McClain also wrote in an email to Marquez in January 2015 contending they “look bad on how we handled” someone whose name is blacked out in the documents who had been recommended by Cullerton and a staffer.
ComEd released the documents Wednesday at the request of both Republicans and Democrats on the special investigating committee.
The utility blacked out information such as the names of individuals who are not named in the agreement with federal prosecutors, both ComEd employees and people referred to the company for internships or jobs.
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dpetrella@chicagotribuen.com
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rlong@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-26--Florida man sentenced to 10 years for carjacking in Oakbrook Center mall parking lot

Riola approached a woman sitting in her car about 11:50 a.m. Dec. 29 , 2018 , in the mall parking @ @ @ @ @ Give me your car , ” DuPage County State ’ s Attorney Robert Berlin said @ @ @ @ @ told her he had a knife and then brandished the weapon at her , the @ @ @

Anthony Riola of Florida (DuPage County Sheriff's Office: Arrest does not imply guilt, and criminal charges are merely accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty and convicted.)
A Florida man was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday for hijacking a car in the Oakbrook Center mall parking lot in 2018, according to prosecutors.
Anthony Riola, 41, pleaded guilty Oct. 30 to aggravated vehicular hijacking, for allegedly threatening a woman with a knife and trying to steal her vehicle, prosecutors said.
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Riola approached a woman sitting in her car about 11:50 a.m. Dec. 29, 2018, in the mall parking lot and said, “Give me your car,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement. Riola told her he had a knife and then brandished the weapon at her, the statement said.
The woman got out of her vehicle and Riola got inside, but he was unable to start it because he did not have the keys, the statement said.
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Riola then approached a valet parking attendant and got in a vehicle that was already running, according to the statement. He drove away in the car while the valet attendant and the vehicle’s owner stood nearby, the statement said.
The Oak Brook Police Department’s investigation led to Riola, who was arrested in Chicago later that day, according to the statement.
Riola, who has been in custody at the DuPage County Jail on a $500,000 bond since his arrest Dec. 29, 2018, must serve at least half his sentence before he is eligible for parole, the statement said.