chicagotribune--2020-06-27--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened June 26 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
The Fulton Market area of Chicago is no longer the ghost town it was during the depths of the COVID-19 virus pandemic shutdown. As restrictions on restaurants are eased, a worker takes a woman's temperature before she can enter Federales restaurant on Morgan Street on July 1, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois added 39 new deaths from COVID-19 and 857 new confirmed cases Friday, the day the state moved into phase four of its reopening plan. Additionally, for the second consecutive day, the state topped 30,000 new test results with 30,425.
Meanwhile, pent-up residents across the Chicago area returned to many of the businesses Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered closed as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened in March. Indoor dining, gyms, zoos and movie theaters opened not a moment too soon for those eager to regain a bit of normalcy.
Advertisement
[ Illinois enters phase 4 of reopening plan. Here’s a guide to what’s allowed. ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
Here’s what’s happening Friday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
7:05 p.m.: COVID-19 deaths dropping in Illinois long-term care facilities
Long the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in Illinois, long-term care facilities have begun showing significant drops in the number of residents and workers dying of the novel coronavirus.
Advertisement
State data released Friday ties 123 additional deaths to the virus. That’s about half the number of deaths in the previous week, and far lower than a weekly death toll that approached 500 in early May.
Still, advocates cautioned that promising figures shouldn’t spur thoughts of easing up on the practices that helped improve the picture, particularly as the state moves to the next phase of reopening and nursing homes begin to allow limited visits.
“While the numbers are down, the threat remains,” said Ryan Gruenenfelder, with AARP Illinois.
Read more here. —Joe Mahr
6:22 p.m.: Andersonville’s Replay buzzes with diners
After the afternoon rain subsided, Mark Liberson, owner of Replay in Andersonville, measured the distance in between tables on Balmoral Avenue with a yellow measuring tape. (The street is currently shut down on both sides of Clark Street.) People like to redecorate when they sit on the converted patio area, he said with a chuckle, so he likes to make sure the tables are still appropriately spaced apart.
The large windows on both walls of the corner restaurant were open Friday evening, and most of the high-tops were occupied with people munching on fries and sandwiches, some with a glass of wine.
Josh Shuster and Nathan Rook were visiting from Indianapolis and staying at an Airbnb nearby with their dog. They wanted to get away from the chaos of the world, so they planned a weekend trip to Chicago.
“We’ve already gone through this in our own town, so now that we’re actually visiting Chicago and they’re going through it now, we’re used to it,” Shuster said. “It is the new normal, and there’s no going back to what we were. It’s honestly not feasible.”
Advertisement
Rook said while he’s not scared, there are still concerns. However, he is going to do his part to stay safe and continue to live his life.
Sarai Coutin, of Ravenswood, and Elizabeth Vargas, of Pilsen, were catching up for the first time in months. They both work in health care and wanted to commiserate over what had happened over the last few months. Originally, they planned on sitting outside, but they decided to keep their plans by sitting indoors next to the open windows.
Neither of them would dine in an indoor space if it were enclosed. People crave human interaction, Coutin said, but safety still needs to be a priority. Chicago is not ready for Phase 4, she said.
“I don’t know if patience is the right word, because everyone is impatient and they want this to be over, but it’s also about priorities,” Vargas said. “I don’t want to get sick; I don’t want to possibly get other people sick or my family sick. So in order to keep myself and the people around me healthy, am I going to stay home for another three months? Sure, I’ll do that.”
—Grace Wong
6:01 p.m.: The Loyalist – a West Loop scene that once drew crowds – reopens with a 25-person cap
After more than three months, the first customers to sit down inside at The Loyalist, the modern American basement bar and restaurant in the West Loop, were not loyal returning diners. Instead the couple were first timers, who did know, though, to order a Dirty Burg, the cheeseburger so famous it has its own Instagram account.
Advertisement
Seated at a high-top for two in the middle of the room, they would be the first of 25 people maximum at a time in a room normally jammed shoulder-to-shoulder with four times as many revelers on an early summer Friday night.
“It feels a lot like when we first opened,” said chef and owner John Shields. “It’s not quite as nerve-racking, but maybe more nerve-racking in other ways. It’s less wondering if they’ll love us or if we’ll go out of business, but I guess that’s in the back of my mind too with everything that’s going on.”
That hasn’t stopped the award-winning chef and his team from still taking creative risks. They’ve changed the menu to inventive French-inspired dishes, including a stunning banh mi eclair garnished with a garden of edible flowers. It’s all necessary in the highly competitive neighborhood, despite rain-soaked patios and echoing dining rooms, all nearly empty, for now.
—Louisa Chu
5:55 p.m.: Dinner service resumes — indoors — at Vie in Western Springs
Chef/owner Paul Virant resumed indoor dining at Vie restaurant in Western Springs, debuting a dining room more spacious than usual, owing to the subtraction of several tables. The 15-seat bar area accommodates only 8 guests; a raised alcove space that held 10 now can seat 6, max. A private room now stands ready in case his new, 12-seat outdoor patio (in happier times, the pergola-topped space will hold double that) is hit by sudden rain, as seems likely this night.
The first couple through the door were Mike and Becky Nowak, celebrating their anniversary.
Advertisement
“We haven’t been in a restaurant since mid-March,” Becky Nowak, 39, said. “It’s been a big adjustment, because we have three young children. We took all this very seriously for a long time. Staying at home, just us, two weeks between grocery shopping. It’s encouraging to feel that all this hard work is paying off.”
Virant added outdoor seating to Vie and his Hinsdale restaurant, Vistro, just prior to reopening, saying the outdoor seats were a financial necessity.
“We’ve been doing carryout for weeks,” he said, “but now that restaurants can open, I don’t think many people want to do carryout. I had to have the extra seating.”
And Virant says he’s been vigilant about safety procedures with his staff.
“We go over it every pre-shift,” he says. “I tell them, we can’t be careless, not at all.
“Obviously we follow all the CDC guidelines, but nobody knows what all the right moves are. But it seems to me, you just follow the science.”
Advertisement
—Phil Vettel
5:28 p.m.: Yorkville private school not planning to require masks when classes resume
Officials at a private school in Yorkville say they won’t follow the state’s precautions against the coronavirus when classes resume, their lawyer said Friday.
Parkview Christian Academy officials are deciding what steps to take, but are “reasonably certain” that they won’t require any type of face covering be worn at all times, according to attorney Thomas DeVore.
State guidelines issued this week call for school workers and students to wear masks and maintain social distancing, and undergo screening for fever or other symptoms of COVID-19, when schools reopen this fall. The guidelines also limit the number of people gathering in one place to under 50 and request increased cleaning and disinfection.
State officials could not be reached immediately for comment about Parkview, but previously said it will be up to each school or district to decide the details of reopening plans, without state review.
In a letter to the State Board of Education and health departments, DeVore wrote that the 63-page reopening requirements do not cite any legal authority and are of “questionable efficacy,” since children appear to be less at risk of contracting serious illness than older people.
Advertisement
DeVore has represented state Rep. Darren Bailey in his lawsuit to overturn Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s restrictions on businesses and people in his stay-at-home order, meant to minimize deaths from the virus.
—Robert McCoppin
4:45 p.m.: Art Institute lays off 8% of staff due to COVID-19 pandemic
Following on the heels of most of Chicago’s major cultural institutions during the global pandemic, the Art Institute of Chicago this week laid off staff in what it called a necessary adjustment to a new reality and still uncertain future.
“The Art Institute of Chicago has informed staff of a reduction in force affecting 51 individuals, or just over 8% of our team,” Executive Director of Public Affairs Kati Murphy said in a statement. “This difficult decision was made in response to a reduction in museum visitors and changes to our internal structure that reflect the evolving needs of our institution and our community moving forward.”
The museum has been closed since mid-March and has spoken of the tentative possibility of reopening by the end of July, depending on how Chicago does at keeping the spread of COVID-19 to a minimum as it enters the fourth phase of its five-stage reopening plan. But whenever the Art Institute opens back up, city rules will limit attendance to 25% of capacity, and the encyclopedic Michigan Avenue museum is bracing for major revenue shortfalls.
The cuts were nearly museumwide, Murphy said.
Advertisement
Read more here. —Steve Johnson
4 p.m.: Portillo’s drive-thru stays busy even as dining rooms reopen
At Portillo’s in River North, Craig and Imelda Schultz had practically the whole upstairs dining room to themselves as they had a late lunch of beef and chicken sandwiches. Their son, Jaxson, 3, dined on chicken tenders.
They were eager to dine out on the first day they could have food served fresh rather than delivered.
“We have been indoors for so long,” Imelda Schultz, 43, said.
Many of the restaurants in their Wrigleyville neighborhood have crowded entryways that make them nervous. They felt good about the safety precautions at Portillo’s, where multiple signs on the floor designated 6-foot distances and tables were spread out.
An employee in the restaurant’s entryway was counting customers who entered on a clicker. The space normally has capacity for 400 but is allowing just 100 visitors in at a time under the government rules, and if it got close he would have to close the door. At 2 pm, his clicker read 55.
Advertisement
Earnest Rogers, a manager, said business was going as expected for the first day of indoor dining. It relieved some pressure on the delivery operation, because people in neighboring high rises were coming in for a bite rather than ordering to go.
But the drive-thru, which has been “through the roof” during the pandemic, was as busy as ever, he said. Cars stacked up down the block late into the afternoon.
Rogers listed several of the changes Portillo’s has made to accommodate the pandemic: a limited menu to allow for more social distancing in the kitchen, disposable printed menus, heightened cleaning performed by an employee whose only task for the whole shift is sanitizing surfaces.
The safety details were noticed by Cecilia Vallejo and her daughter, Maria Pimentel, who also spent the first day of phase 4 lunching at Portillo’s.
“It’s each thing you see,” said Vallejo, 51, pointing to the ample signage and ubiquity of masks. They also brought their own hand sanitizer.
—Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
Advertisement
3:26 p.m.: Diners return to Piece Tavern in Downers Grove
At 2 p.m., business was booming at Pierce Tavern in Downers Grove, as the rain had stopped and the outdoor seating was again available.
“We have 65 seats outdoors, and 40 seats — at 25% capacity —inside,” said Sam Vlahos, who, with his sister, Patricia Vlahos-Segretto, owns this restaurant and Fuller House in Hinsdale. “The way the village adapted has been great, allowing us to expand outside. So we’re doing good numbers.”
Forced to remove the restaurant’s barstools, Vlahos placed several high-top tables close to the bar. “I’m hoping it adds a little bit of normalcy,” he said.
The move met with approval from JoAnn and Mike Monahan, who were dining at one of those high-tops.
“We’re very excited,” said JoAnn Monahan, 58, a school nurse. “Usually we sit at the bar, so now we’re bar-sitters again.”
“We’ve eaten at home more in the last two months than probably the last two years,” said Mike Monahan, 59, who works in the financial industry. “It’s so nice to be able to socialize and go out, in a safe way. Some places I’ve gone into and I’ve walked right back out, because I didn’t feel safe.”
Advertisement
—Phil Vettel
3:10 p.m.: Lou Malnati’s reopens its dining rooms with new protocols
At Lou Malnati’s in the Gold Coast, a foursome from New Orleans occupied one of the few booths designated for humans.
The friends, who take an annual summer trip to Chicago together, have become accustomed to sparse dining experiences since New Orleans dining rooms have been open awhile.
Adam Avin, 37, remembers their first time dining out after restrictions lifted at home, “and we just couldn’t wait for someone to ask us what we wanted for drinks and an appetizer.”
”I’m excited to not have to cook every night,” said his wife, Cynthia Avin, 38.
A masked server stopped at their table with a deep-dish pizza. While usually she would serve each plate, the new protocol is to ask diners if they would prefer to do it themselves.
Advertisement
The Avins told her to serve, comfortable with the precautions and not overly worried about their risk.
”I think you’re talking to people who are ready to live their lives,” Adam Avin said.
Lou Malnatis has taken numerous precautions to minimize the risk of spreading the virus. Instead of laminate menus, it now gives paper menus that are disposed of after use. It has removed oregano shakers and other condiment containers and now provides individually wrapped seasoning upon request.
Servers wear gloves and change them after touching anything at a customer’s table, said Isaiah Michl, a server. The precautions taken by the restaurant have made him feel comfortable serving people, even when they’re not wearing masks.
”It’s exciting to come back,” said Michl, whose first day back at Lou Malnati’s was Friday after being furloughed since March. Michl hadn’t wanted to return sooner because he was living in Forest Park and felt uncomfortable commuting on public transportation, but this week he moved to Old Town and was eager to return to his job.
”I missed my friends,” Michl said. “It is nice to be able to see them and have that human interaction.”
Advertisement
The restaurant had hoped to be busier Friday, but the rain was not helping. Store manager Eric Cassidy said the goal is to have a wait at dinner. Though carry out and delivery have been going strong, the restaurant has lost huge revenue streams. The bar, where people used to stand three-deep, has been stripped of its stools. Tourist traffic has plunged. The next party room reservation is for June 2021.
It is taking twice as long to generate enough revenue to cover the monthly costs as usual, Casady said. With dozens of dining tables removed, the business is “definitely going to be tough to sustain.”
It is also going to be tough to enforce its mask policy, which allows customers to remove their masks while they are at their table but asks them to wear them otherwise.
”It’s hard with hospitality,” Cassidy said as a maskless customer passed on her way to her table.
Edward Davis won’t give them any problems. In from New York to visit friends, he continued to wear a mask while sitting at a table.
Davis, 32, said it was jarring when he landed at the airport in Chicago and saw people sitting at bars, and it felt strange to be at a restaurant; New York hasn’t opened dining rooms yet. But he felt comfortable at Lou Malnati’s because the tables were spread out.
Advertisement
”I can still hear Cuomo in my head,” he said. “I protect you, you protect me.”
—Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
3:01 p.m.: Dim sum favorite is one of few dining rooms to reopen in Chinatown
Lazy Susans sat still on tables set with teacups and chopsticks at MingHin, the flagship location of the Cantonese dim sum restaurant in Chinatown.
Only a few customers could be found scattered throughout the spacious dining rooms. That doesn’t mean the house is not busy. Masked staff swiftly ran takeout bags to hurried delivery drivers.
Most restaurants in the neighborhood on the South Side of the city have not reopened their dining rooms yet. A cluster of kids outside Legend Tasty House had no problem with that, waiting for their Thai rolled ice cream at a walk up window.
At MingHin the first seated customers this morning did indeed order dim sum, including har gow and shumai (traditional shrimp and pork dumplings, respectively), said Thomas Leong, manager.
Advertisement
“They were so happy,” Leong said. “And we’re so happy. So far so good.”
—Louisa Chu
Shann Zhon, Mars Guo and Kevin Zhang record themselves eating for a possible blog as guests dine in during the reopening of the MingHin Cusine restaurant in Chicago's Chinatown, on Friday, June 26, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
2:35 p.m.: 857 new known COVID-19 cases, 39 more fatalities
Illinois health officials Friday reported 857 new known cases of COVID-19 and 39 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known cases to 140,291 and the confirmed death toll to 6,847.
2:30 p.m.: Rain doesn’t deter families from Lincoln Park Zoo’s reopening
The rain played cat-and-mouse with Lincoln Park Zoo visitors all morning. But on reopening day for members, early visitors said umbrellas and rubber boots were a small price for the opportunity to be seeing old animal friends and walking the zoo’s lushly landscaped grounds again.
Among the first in line at the zoo’s East Gate for the members-only opening were Ryan and Tiffany Braun and their three kids ages 2 to 6.
”We are happy to see it open again,” said Ryan, through the now-mandatory face covering.
Advertisement
”Hopefully, the rain brings the polar bear out,” added Tiffany.
Reader, it did. In her habitat on the north side of the north side zoo, the female Talini frolicked for a good half hour in the pool, the one where only a transparent wall separates carnivore and moisture from visitors.
”Piccolo, el esta nadando,” Brian Calhoun called to his 6-year-old son, Nate. LIttle one, he is swimming. Nate — whose parents are trying to raise him bilingual — came bouncing back from the zebra area to see for himself. And then he jumped up a couple of times, rising above the waterline to see better.
”We are members and we happen to have a child who loves animals,” said Calhoun, a school social worker from Jefferson Park. “And we know that animals have been active since humans haven’t been around so it seemed like a good idea.”
Closed since mid-March, the zoo reopened Friday to members, with the general public to follow Monday. Still free, the zoo is now requiring advance ticket reservations (for hourly entry slots via EventBrite or by telephone at 312-742-2000) to control the number of non-resident primates who come through.
Aiming to meet the city’s limit of 25 percent of normal attendance, the zoo has already filled Monday’s general-public opening slots, spokeswoman Sabrina Cynova said, and other days were filling quickly.
Advertisement
Brookfield Zoo plans to reopen July 1 to members, July 8 broadly.
Lincoln Park opened only the East and West Gates, and pathways, now one-way, were marked with arrows. Food stands were open and a caricature artist was on the grounds, but the gift shop and some bathrooms were the only buildings that were open.
“I’m excited,” said Megan Ross, the zoo director, from under both a mask and an umbrella. “It’s been so strange to not have everyone here. I hated the idea we didn’t have this safe respite.”
Reopening is costly, she added, “but it’s so important for us to be available to the city of Chicago.”
Among the animal news since people were last in: A zebra is visibly pregnant, expecting in the coming weeks, a new cinereous vulture has arrived, and the Japanese macaques had two babies.
Scott Opels and wife Janet, both gym teachers by trade, spent a long time watching Talini swim, Janet through the zoom lens of her camera. The Schaumburg couple are zoo superfans, holding membership also at Brookfield and participating in both institutions’ adopt-an-animal program.
Advertisement
”It’s just so exciting to be back,” Janet said. “I feel like a little kid again. I feel like a little kid all the time when I’m here.”
At the macaque habitat, the one of the new mothers helpfully held her newborn to her chest right by a viewing window while another of the snow monkeys groomed her head. Up on a ledge, the other mother groomed her infant while three humans with long lenses documented the scene.
“I can see living animals, not Zoom!” said macaque observer Marilyn Ezri, referring to the efforts the zoo made to keep itself before the public during quarantine.
A cardiologist and 4-decade Lincoln Park member, Ezri pronounced, “The zoo is good for the heart.”
—Steve Johnson
2:11 p.m.: Lightfoot takes part of Chicago summer youths job program online during COVID-19 pandemic
Chicago’s annual summer jobs program will hire 20,000 young people this year, including 2,000 as part of a new youth service corps dedicated to service that will include helping with the city’s COVID-19 response, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Friday.
Advertisement
The yearly summer hiring program is meant to put some money in kids’ pockets and keep them out of trouble, while teaming them up with mentors who can give them guidance about school and careers.
With the coronavirus pandemic requiring social distancing, many of the jobs in the six-week program will be taking place online this year.
Read more here. —John Byrne
2:05 p.m.: Employers brace for a ‘PTO bomb’ as vacation-starved employees make time off requests
Usually, by mid-year, employees have burned some paid time off on spring break trips or summer getaways.
But with nowhere to get away to during the COVID-19 pandemic, PTO has gone largely unused — and some companies are bracing for an explosion of vacation requests.
“Vacation-hungry” employees with stockpiles of unused leave present a PTO crunch at one end of the spectrum, said Philippe Weiss, president at Seyfarth at Work, which consults companies on workplace issues. At the other end are “PTO-poor” employees who have exhausted their time off due to the pandemic and will be out of luck if an emergency arises before year’s end, he said.
Advertisement
Companies are trying to mitigate the impact by capping the amount of leave employees can take during certain periods, offering to cash out PTO and allowing more vacation days to roll over into next year. Some are setting up programs where employees with excess leave can donate it to those without enough.
Mostly, employers are encouraging workers to take breaks now, not only to fend off a deluge of requests at holiday time but also avoid burnout during a very stressful year.
Read more here. —Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
1:44 p.m.: Longtime regulars celebrate Gene & Georgetti’s reopening – its first since an October fire – over lunch
Today was a big first for Gene & Georgetti, whose dining rooms had been closed since a devastating fire in early October. The original mahogany bar has been restored (though, in keeping with distancing guidelines, without barstools). There is new carpeting and, at long last, customers.
Two of the first to be seated were Charles Herrick and R. Justin Dedeaux, part of a group of Gene & Georgetti regulars known as the Mahogany Club.
”I’ve only been coming here for 65 years,” joked Herrick, 72.
Advertisement
”I haven’t been in this restaurant for a long time,” said Dedeaux, who said he was in his 70s and spends half the year in Florida. “This is a real treat; it’s my favorite place in Chicago.”
Dedeaux was nursing a Justini, a drink created for him at Gene & Georgetti and named in his honor.
”It’s a bloody mary, but it’s shaken,” he said. “I don’t like ice in a bloody mary. It’s made with Effen cucumber vodka, tomato juice and two limes.”
”They make a lot of them here,” added Herrick.
—Phil Vettel
1:43 p.m.: Morning classes at Northbrook gym run a waitlist Friday as indoor workouts resume
Social distancing wasn’t a challenge for Vince Logsdon, who took a private CrossFit class at Rally Point Endeavors in Northbrook at noon Friday, the first day of Illinois’ Phase 4 reopening.
Advertisement
But the morning was busier. Classes, which are capped at 12 students, had filled quickly and run up a waitlist, said co-owners Tom Kousgaard and Alex Carlson. Friday was the first time those classes had been held indoors in months. Logsdon, of Northbrook, said he felt no hesitation returning to in-person classes, and virtual workouts were no substitute.
”I need someone to help keep me accountable,” he said.
Rally Point Endeavors, which also has locations in Deerfield and Niles, set up stations in the center of the gym, each with a bike, tower, pullup bar, barbell with weights and cleaning supplies. That means members won’t share equipment with others in their class, and keeping members in their stations means they’re less likely to cross paths with other gym-goers.
Employees clean with industrial-grade disinfectant after every three classes, but participants also get materials to clean equipment before and after using it.
“When you let members clean, they feel like it’s cleaner,” Kousgaard said.
When Rally Point Endeavors started holding outdoor workouts in June, about 30% of their members took a class the first week. Since then, about 75% have come back for an outdoor class.
Advertisement
Kousgaard is optimistic they will return for indoor workouts, too, though Rally Point Endeavors plans to keep hosting outdoor workouts through Labor Day.
They also received roughly twice the normal number of new sign-ups in June. Some said they had gotten motivated to get in shape while staying home during the pandemic, Carlson said. Others were looking to switch to a type of gym that felt less crowded, he said.
“We wanted to remove every possible barrier to why they might want to come in,” Kousgaard said.
—Lauren Zumbach
1:30 p.m.: Curtain finally rises again at movie theaters – ‘I’ve been waiting for this day’
Ricky Nogal drove 20 miles Friday to watch a two-year-old movie he’s already seen, but when you’re a movie buff who has been locked out of theaters for the past three months, any chance to sit before the silver screen once more is precious.
”It’s really important,” said Nogal, 28, an idled trampoline park manager from Palos Park who traveled to Elmhurst to catch the noon showing of “The Greatest Showman,” one of the first available in the Chicago area.
Advertisement
“I’m a huge movie buff so I’ve been waiting for this day to come for a while.”
Illinois allowed movie theaters to reopen Friday for the first time since Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered nonessential business closed in March. Big national chains like AMC and Marcus kept their theaters shuttered, but Classic Cinemas, a 15-theater chain based in the suburbs, was ready to go.
CEO Chris Johnson helped to rechristen Elmhurst’s York Theater with a red carpet ribbon cutting just before a slate of classics like “Space Jam” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” began to roll — big new releases won’t arrive until next month — and said the theater, which is allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity, is taking numerous safety precautions.
It will leave two empty seats between parties to maintain social distance. It will require masks in the lobby and common areas. And theater attendants will fill sodas and popcorn buckets instead of allowing patrons to serve themselves.
”Other than that, it’s just cleaning and being attentive to everything that’s going on, hand sanitizer all over the place,” Johnson said. “Once you get into the movie, hopefully it will be like it was back in February.”
—John Keilman
Advertisement
1:27 p.m.: Bowling to live, once again
After more than three dormant months, Fox Bowl in Wheaton came alive Friday with balls thundering down its lanes once again. A half-dozen bowlers lined up outside the alley before its doors opened at 9 a.m., eager to start throwing strikes and socializing with their teammates. The business reached its 50-person capacity limit with 30 minutes.
”It feels great to be back,” said Romeoville resident Charley Renfro, who bowled three games with wife Kathy. “We didn’t do too badly either. All the YouTube videos on improving your game that I watched over the past three months must have paid off.”
In anticipation of the crowds and the requisite sanitation efforts, Fox Bowl owner Barbara Bernard scheduled twice the number of workers for a typical weekday morning. “And even with more than double our normal staff, we still feel like we’re constantly playing catch up,” Bernard said. “The phone is ringing off the hook.”
The Phase Four guidelines limit the 30-lane alley to 50 bowlers, one-tenth of its capacity. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration established the hard limit regardless of the entertainment venue’s size, meaning many of Bernard’s lanes cannot be used even though the team tables are spaced more than 6-feet apart.
Public health officials have signaled those restrictions may loosen if the number of reported COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates drop.
Bernard, who embraces all the additional sanitation and cleaning requirements without complaint, said she hopes the state will drop its one-size-fits-all approach to setting capacity and establish limits based on a building’s square footage. Fall bowling leagues begin in mid-August, and Bernard said she cannot host the teams if her capacity level isn’t raised to at least 150 people.
Advertisement
“Honestly, the hyper-vigilant cleaning and sanitizing is not the problem,” she said. “The problem is going to be if they don’t let us increase by capacity, none of us are going to be able to host our fall leagues. Without those leagues, we won’t survive.”
—Stacy St. Clair
1:03 p.m.: Huge drop in Illinois home sales due to COVID-19 might be great for sellers, but not for buyers: ‘There’s a feeding frenzy.’
Unlike the Great Recession, the latest economic downturn — prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic — has not sent the prices of homes plummeting.
Instead, the stay-at-home order restricted real estate activity like open houses and sent unemployment rates skyrocketing as it shut down major industries like entertainment, travel and hospitality. That left fewer homeowners financially able to sell or willing to expose their homes to potential coronavirus carriers — exacerbating a lack of housing inventory that has been on the decline for years.
That’s bad news for homebuyers, as fewer homes for sale means prices have not dropped during the pandemic, and homes are getting snapped up just as quickly as before the pandemic, according to a new report from Illinois Realtors released this week.
Read more here. —Ariel Cheung
Advertisement
12:54 p.m.: Job seekers get more options — and competition — as working from home becomes permanent. ‘If we decide we need people to come in, we can fly them in.’
With three young children, Eric Sauerhoff was not looking to move across the Midwest during the pandemic.
The Bexley, Ohio, resident was job hunting and knew a move might be necessary. But when offices shut down due to COVID-19, he began to wonder if he could avoid the move altogether and work remotely from Ohio.
“If a company had said, ‘We need you to move to Chicago or Seattle or anywhere just to work from home here,’ that would have been a tough sale,” said Sauerhoff, 33, who earlier this month joined Chicago car insurance startup Clearcover as a vice president and works from his Ohio home.
The pandemic has altered how companies and their employees work, most notably by solidifying work-from-home arrangements, and those shifts are expected to endure long past the development of a vaccine. It also has changed recruiting in a way that will mean more opportunities for job hunters but also more competition.
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach and Ally Marotti
Indoor dining returns to Chicago area restaurants, including MacArthur's Restaurant on W. Madison Ave. in Chicago, Friday, June 26, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
12:32 p.m.: Takeout still preferred at MacArthur’s as lunchtime draws customers to West Side cafeteria
When the first customer in line at MacArthur’s restaurant pulled his mask down to mug for a camera, he was immediately scolded. “Put your mask back on please!” said Vanessa Cobbins, manager at the beloved Black-owned Southern food cafeteria founded by her father, Mac Alexander, in South Austin.
Advertisement
”I am not playing,” she added.
He did, then ordered smothered pork chops with sides. Although the restaurant reopened its indoor dining room today, by noon a steady stream of customers all took their takeout boxes to go. Gone are the dine-in trays with real plates and silverware — for now.
Manager Maurice Gaiter worked the room, keeping watch over guests. Tables were spaced farther apart than usual, and some booths were blocked off by plastic chains.
”We’re so grateful for the business,” Gaiter said. “We’re so proud of the job that Gov. (J.B.) Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot have done here in our city and state. What we’re doing now is your very best to comply with the social distancing to keep everyone safe.”
—Louisa Chu
12:03 p.m.: Cook County court system eyes July reopening, mostly via video
Almost all Cook County court functions can resume, mostly via videoconference, on July 6, according to an order signed Friday by Chief Judge Timothy Evans.
Advertisement
The reopening comes after more than three months of widespread shutdown across the court system due to concerns about COVID-19.
While jury trials will not go forward, bench trials — in which a judge, not a jury, makes the decision on guilt — can resume. Those may be conducted via videoconference if all parties agree, according to Friday’s order.
No date has been set to resume jury trials.
Read more here. —Megan Crepeau
11:43 a.m.: Breakfast moves indoors at Tweet on a rainy day in Uptown
On Friday morning at Tweet, a popular neighborhood brunch spot in Uptown, staff took guests’ temperatures upon entry and offered hand sanitizer. Owner Michelle Fire greeted patrons with an elbow bump before seating them in the cozy dining room.
Eric Owens, of Plainfield, said, between bites of hash browns, that he’s been itching to get out and that the city has done a good job of reopening.
Advertisement
“This is probably going to be the new norm so we just have to accept it, adapt and move on, that’s my philosophy,” he said, noting that the restrictions and mask-wearing policies will help reduce transmission. “I think we’ll be okay. We just have to kind of embrace the new norm and understand the big picture of why we’re doing this.”
When Chicago opened for outdoor dining earlier this month, Tweet was ready with a small patio outside the restaurant. Now in Phase 4, owner Fire said the restaurant has broken down tables and filled the basement with unused chairs to be compliant with the 25% capacity protocols.
“I’m thrilled we’re in Phase 4, because the weather is so mercurial in Chicago,” she said. Outside, between bursts of rain, staff wiped down patio furniture, in case the precipitation dissipated enough to let a party finish its meal. “We are ready. We have prepared the space beautifully.”
In addition to spacing tables to allow for social distancing, Fire has had barriers installed on the bar to enclose bartenders and drink accoutrements. And after returning an inadequate filtration system, she has had a new one installed to help with airflow.
Like guests, staff temperatures are checked as well. Fire is working on a way to collect guests’ phone numbers, to alert them in case someone tests positive for COVID-19.
“We are evolving on a day-to-day basis,” Fire said. “The big question is: Will people feel comfortable eating inside? … We are fully masked and shielded and still, at the same time, apprehensive. It’s not like we feel we’re invulnerable, so I think everyone is trying to operate out of the highest sense of caution.”
Advertisement
And she wonders if opening at 25% capacity will be enough to pay the bills. When she compared her books from last year around this time to this year, she was floored by the drop in business, especially since Tweet and its adjacent bar, Big Chicks, both LGBT-friendly, are popular spots during Pride Week.
“There’s a lot of big questions out there and no answers yet,” Fire said.
—Grace Wong
Suzi Henschel, of Northbrook, runs on the treadmill at North Suburban YMCA on Friday, June 26, 2020, in Northbrook. She has been a member there for 20 years. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
11:32 a.m.: YMCA reopens for indoor workouts as Illinois moves to Phase 4. ‘It’s not buzzing like it should, but it will be.’
Friday’s rainy weather meant Phase 4 arrived at a good time for fitness centers that had been holding outdoor classes while waiting to reopen their doors.
The North Suburban YMCA, in Northbrook, moved a handful of classes indoors for the first time since nonessential businesses were closed to slow the spread of COVID-19. The fitness center also reopened to people working out without personal trainers Friday.
The facility was quiet Friday morning, with two people in a room with treadmills and cardio equipment and three more in a weight room. About a half dozen more were doing core exercises in a group class on a basketball court. In the pool, five swimmers stroked steadily, filling all but one lane.
Advertisement
After logging a couple miles on the treadmill, Suzi Henschal, of Northbrook, said she was happy to be back to her workout routine and felt reassured by precautions around social distancing and cleaning.
“When I called and they said there were only four (treadmills) available, I felt really good,” she said.
Some of the treadmills have been marked off limits to ensure people can spread out. To keep as much equipment available as possible, the YMCA moved other machines into a group workout room, and there are three weight lifting machines in a hallway. Illinois still limits gyms and fitness centers to half their maximum capacity, so the YMCA requires members reserve 45-minute appointments in the area they want to use. That allows time for cleaning before people arrive for the next session.
“This way, people are well aware of when they can come and no one is waiting in line,” CEO Kathy Fielding said.
It also means there will be a record of who was in which portions of the facility if an employee or member is diagnosed with COVID-19, and the YMCA needs to figure out whether others could have been exposed, she said. The pool has been popular, since it’s something members can’t easily substitute with a home workout, she said.
Susan Harrison, who planned to swim laps after finishing a session on the StairMaster, said she feels more comfortable swimming than doing other types of indoor workouts. Even though there was only one other member working out in the fitness center and a couple employees cleaning equipment, she felt like she had more space with a personal lane in the pool.
Advertisement
There’s also no equipment to touch, she said.
Harrison, who said she was a daily YMCA user before the pandemic, plans to keep swimming but isn’t sure whether she will keep working out in other parts of the facility.
“As the numbers go up, I’m concerned I’m exposing myself more than I have since mid-March,” she said.
The YMCA is hoping to resume swim team practices and lessons later this summer after finalizing plans for teaching while maintaining social distancing. Missing revenue from lessons, especially during spring, the busiest period, has been a challenge, she said.
The sauna, basketball and racquetball courts are still off limits, as is a lounge area near the entrance, where a couch and chairs had been pushed against the wall to keep people from congregating.
Each person’s comfort level with returning is different, so the YMCA plans to keep offering indoor, outdoor and virtual workouts.
Advertisement
Fielding said she thinks members will return gradually, as they get more comfortable with the precautions the YMCA has taken and get used to the reservation system. Spikes in COVID-19 cases in other states may have made some people more cautious, she said. Others might just be having a hard time finding someone to watch the kids. Camps at the YMCA don’t start until next week.
“It’s not buzzing like it should be, but it will,” Fielding said. “It just takes time.”
—Lauren Zumbach
8 a.m.: City Colleges of Chicago have suspended athletics for the 2020-21 academic year as a precaution amid the coronavirus pandemic
The colleges will offer most classes remotely, online or through distance learning this fall, but a statement sent to the Tribune noted team sports will be canceled “out of an abundance of caution and concern for student safety.”
Swimming, which is offered as a continuing-education course, won’t be offered either.
Tuition waivers still will be honored this year for returning student-athletes in good standing and for new student-athletes who signed a letter of intent in order to “to support these students’ academic success,” according to the statement.
Advertisement
City Colleges offer eight sports: men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s cross-country, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball and men’s baseball. The teams compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association.
Seven Chicago institutions compete in City Colleges sports: Daley, Harold Washington, Kennedy-King, Malcolm X, Olive-Hardy, Truman and Wright.
Read more here. —Shannon Ryan
6:54 a.m.: Illinois starts reopening under Phase Four of coronavirus plan
Businesses throughout all of Illinois, including Chicago, started reopening Friday, many of them for the first time since the governor’s stay-at-home order was imposed in March.
Illinois residents can once again go to the gym, drink in bars and see a movie, although some businesses are taking reopening slowly. But restrictions on many businesses and social gatherings in place for Phase Four are expected to remain until the state moves to Phase Five.
But Phase Five won’t happen until testing, tracing and treatment are widely available throughout the state, and either a vaccine or treatment options are readily available that ensures health care capacity is no longer a concern, or there are no new cases over a sustained period.
Advertisement
Check back for updates. —Chicago Tribune staff
5 a.m.: Man who lost two sisters, including Illinois’ first COVID-19 victim, hopes to spare others from similar tragedy
Three months ago, Anthony Frieson lost two of his older sisters to COVID-19, and found himself quarantined at home after he also tested positive for the highly contagious virus.
It was March, in the early days of a pandemic that eventually would bring Chicago and the rest of the country to a virtual halt. But Frieson and his tight-knit South Side family saw their whole world upended, as they suffered back-to-back losses in isolation and have remained unable even to hold memorial services due to social distancing concerns.
And they were forced to mourn under the glare of a national spotlight. One of Frieson’s sisters, Patricia, a 61-year-old retired nurse, was the first person in Illinois to die of complications related to the coronavirus, and the family was identified as one of the first in the U.S. to lose multiple members.
Hoping to spare others such pain, Frieson handed out free masks Thursday not far from the family’s longtime home in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, encouraging passersby to “wear a mask, save a life.”
For him, and for his family, it is not just a slogan.
Advertisement
Read more here. —Christy Gutowski
5 a.m.: Cook County Board President Preckwinkle warns ‘Everything is on the table’ as 2021 budget gap forecast to be largest in a decade
Cook County could see a $410 million budget gap next fiscal year — the largest hole since 2011 and a sign how much the coronavirus pandemic has capsized local government finances.
A steep reversal of fortune from the anticipated record-low budget gap this year before COVID-19, the grim forecast means the county is mulling over hiking taxes, slashing existing funds, laying off employees and more to balance the budget, Cook County board President Toni Preckwinkle said Thursday.
“Everything is on the table,” Preckwinkle said in a call with reporters when asked about potential new taxes and layoffs, though she did not elaborate. While noting a vaccine is possibly a year away, she added, “the course of a pandemic is not within our control … so the challenges we face are not of the moment. They’re of the next several years.”
Read more here. —Alice Yin
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Here are five things that happened Thursday related to coronavirus in Illinois:


chicagotribune--2020-06-28--10-year-old girl killed after bullet goes through Logan Square apartment window

Victor Sanchez , 62 , was sitting on his porch when he heard the shots , he said .
It @ @ @ @ @ , but they were more rapid so they stood out .
His first thought was @ @ @ @ @ of celebratory shots in the air until he heard an ambulance outside his home and @ @ @ @ @ his garage .

A 10-year-old girl was killed Saturday night in Logan Square after she was struck in the head by a stray bullet that came through a second-floor apartment window, according to Chicago police.
The girl and her 8-year-old cousin were sitting in the front room of an apartment in the 3500 block of West Dickens Avenue when a man fired multiple shots in the alley across the street, police said, citing preliminary information.
Advertisement
Two groups of men may have been firing at each other, police said, possibly including someone firing from a vehicle. It’s unclear which party fired the bullet that hit the girl.
She was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said, and was later pronounced dead there.
Advertisement
Mayor Lori Lightfoot lives about five blocks north of where the shooting took place.
No arrests have been made, police said. Area Five detectives are investigating.
The girl’s cousin was hit in the face by glass but was not shot, police said. She was taken to Norwegian Memorial Hospital in good condition.
The girl was the second child killed Saturday. A 1-year-old boy named Sincere Gaston was killed earlier in Englewood when he was shot while in his car seat.
[ ‘When is this going to stop,' says Chicago police chief after baby boy shot with mom in Englewood dies ]
At a press conference after the 1-year-old died, but before the 10-year-old was shot, reporters asked Chicago police Chief Fred Waller if Chicago should expect more children killed this summer.
“To expect kids to get killed, is that, that’s the question you asked me? Should we expect kids to be killed? We never expect that. No one has an expectation of anything like that,” he said.
Less than two hours after the 10-year-old girl was shot, an 8-year-old girl’s head was grazed by a bullet in a similar manner in the West Englewood neighborhood, police said. She was sitting on a couch inside a home in the 6600 block of South Wood Street when a bullet came through the window.
The 8-year-old girl was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in fair condition, police said. It’s unknown where the shots were fired from and no arrests have been made.
Advertisement
At the scene of the 10-year-old’s shooting Saturday night, police tape stretched across the intersection of Dickens and Drake Avenue. Evidence markers were placed in an alley behind houses on the north side of Dickens, and on Drake.
A group of men stood by an open garage inside the crime scene tape as evidence technicians took photos of the scene.
On Dickens, several families came out of their homes to look at the scene. Many had young children with them.
One 23-year-old neighbor, who asked not to be named, said she heard five to seven gunshots back-to-back but the night had been filled with fireworks.
“We didn’t think anything of it at first because of the fireworks until we saw the cops outside,” she said. “There wasn’t commotion.”
She heard gunshots in a nearby alley about two weeks ago but said she had never felt unsafe on the block in her three years of living there. She said she is aware of gang activity in the area, but it never seemed to get too close.
Advertisement
Her part of the neighborhood is a working-class Latino community, she said. Every other house seems to have children.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, she started taking her 7-year-old son outside at night to ride his scooter because there were fewer people outside, she said. They would often go right by where the shooting occurred. Now, she said, it feels unsafe to take him outside.
“All of the violence going on, and it’s affecting the children more than anything — innocent bystanders being hurt,” she said.
Victor Sanchez, 62, was sitting on his porch when he heard the shots, he said. It was intertwined with the fireworks, but they were more rapid so they stood out.
His first thought was that someone fired some sort of celebratory shots in the air until he heard an ambulance outside his home and saw police lights flashing on his garage and then officers in his alley with flashlights.
He said he wasn’t aware of any children living in the apartment building where the girl was shot on the other side of the street.
Advertisement
“It’s an isolated incident as far as I’m concerned. I hope so anyway,” Sanchez said. “It’s sad. It’s really troubling because there’s just too many guns out there and they’re in the wrong hands.”
pfry@chicagotribune.com
@paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-06-28--‘When is this going to stop,' says Chicago police chief after baby boy shot with mom in Englewood di

‘When is this going to stop,' says Chicago police chief after baby boy shot with mom in Englewood dies

“ This is not just a problem that Englewood needs to solve .
This is not just a problem on @ @ @ @ @ West Side .
We can not compartmentalize the violence that is tearing families and communities @ @ @ @ @ , ” Brown said in the statement .
“ For the sake of Chicago ’ @ @ @ @ @ forward to help bring the trigger pullers to justice .
”

Rosemary Sobol, Jeremy Gorner, Alice Yin

Chicago police survey the victim's car at St. Bernard Hospital after a woman and child were shot in the 6000 block of South Halsted Street on June 27, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
A 1-year-old boy in a car seat who was shot while riding with his mom in the Englewood neighborhood on the city’s South Side has died Saturday afternoon, police said.
The boy, identified as 20-month-old Sincere Gaston, was with his mother after a visit to a laundromat when it happened shortly after 2 p.m., Chicago police Chief Fred Waller said during a news briefing outside the 7th District station, 1438 W. 63rd St.
Advertisement
They were southbound on Halsted Street near 60th Street when someone in another car pulled alongside and fired seven or eight times, Waller said. The baby, who was in a back car seat, was shot once in the chest, and his mom, about 22, was grazed in the head.
She then sped to get help at a gas station at 63rd Street and Yale Avenue, and from there a good Samaritan drove her to St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center, 326 W. 64th St., where the baby was pronounced dead at 3:02 p.m., according to a police report.
Advertisement
Earlier, officials said the mother had driven them there.
“Too many times children are killed,” Waller told reporters.
“It seems like just yesterday, it was actually last Saturday, I was in front of you all talking about a 3-year-old kid. ... When is this gonna stop?” Waller demanded.
Waller said detectives were working “feverishly” to solve the case, and he said the motive was unclear.
“I don’t even have the words to see that family at St. Bernard. The tremendous emotion, the tremendous strife that they were going through,” Waller said.
“And we’ll catch them. We will no doubt we’ll catch the person who did it. We’ll catch the person who killed that 3-year-old. We’ll catch the person who killed this kid. But that’s not gonna bring that kid back. And that’s not gonna satisfy that family.”
The child would have turned 2 years old in the fall, according to a law enforcement source.
“When are we going to say enough is enough?”Waller said.
Advertisement
When asked by a reporter whether Chicagoans should expect more violence and young children killed going forward this summer, Waller balked: “To expect kids to get killed, is that, that’s the question you asked me? Should we expect kids to be killed? We never expect that. No one has an expectation of anything like that,” he said.
Waller defended his department’s mission to recover illegal guns and arrest violent offenders but said “the mindset and to a certain extent the culture that we live in” lead to people settling conflicts through violence.
“We ALL need to be outraged by the violence we are seeing in our city. This baby, and all of our residents, deserve better,” said Chicago police Superintendent David Brown in a statement emailed late Saturday.
“This is not just a problem that Englewood needs to solve. This is not just a problem on the South Side or the West Side. We cannot compartmentalize the violence that is tearing families and communities apart. Someone knows something,” Brown said in the statement. “For the sake of Chicago’s children, please come forward to help bring the trigger pullers to justice.”
Around 4:30 p.m., the Chicago police news briefing was delayed, and onlookers and police officers gathered outside the hospital.
A red car faced the sliding doors of the emergency room and was pocked with at least four bullet holes and surrounded by red and yellow crime scene tape.
Advertisement
The mother and child were among at least 10 others — five of whom were men who died — shot since daybreak, police said.
Most recently, a male of an unknown age was found with a gunshot wound to his head in the 4400 block of South Kedzie Avenue in the Brighton Park neighborhood shortly before 4 p.m., police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died.
Earlier, about 11:25 a.m., a 17-year-old boy was fatally shot in the 1100 block of North Monticello Avenue, in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. He was in a “large crowd” when he became embroiled in a fight with someone in the group when somebody shot him, police said.
A 25-year-old man was fatally shot about 10:50 a.m. in the 1300 block of South Springfield Avenue in the Lawndale neighborhood. He was on foot when a silver vehicle drove past him and someone inside fired shots. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died.
Shortly before 7 a.m. in the 1100 block of West 57th Street in the Englewood neighborhood, a 30-year-old man was sitting in a Chevrolet Tahoe when someone shot him in the head, and he was pronounced dead on the scene, police said. Witnesses told police they heard shots and saw a 2003 Nissan flee the scene at a high rate of speed.
A 33-year-old man was slain during a domestic incident about 6:20 a.m. in the 9300 block of South Lyons Avenue in the Burnside neighborhood. A woman who intervened when the 33-year-old began “striking the children” fatally shot him, police said. She was being questioned by detectives.
Advertisement
Five other men were wounded in nonfatal attacks on the South and West sides.
rsobol@chicagotribune.com
jeremygorner@chicagotribune.com
ayin@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-28--Thousands march through Lakeview for Pride Without Prejudice event

Thousands march June 28 , 2020 , in the Pride Without Prejudice event through the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago .
@ @ @ @ @ of the annual Pride Parade , which was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ , brown and transgender voices while also highlighting issues of racism and police violence .
@ @ @ @ @ back to its origins on the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall riots , which took @ @ @ @

This website stores data such as cookies to enable essential site functionality, as well as marketing, personalization, and analytics. By remaining on this website, you indicate your consent.


chicagotribune--2020-06-28--After 3 children shot, 2 fatally, Chicago violence continues Sunday morning with 3 more homicides

Less than two hours after the 10-year-old girl was shot and her cousin injured , another 8-year-old girl was grazed @ @ @ @ @ head .
The scene in the West Englewood neighborhood was similar to the Logan Square @ @ @ @ @ was indoors when she was shot , police said .
She was sitting on a @ @ @ @ @ the 6600 block of South Wood Street when a bullet came through the window .

A bullet hole is seen in a second-floor window of a building June 28, 2020, where a 10-year-old girl was shot and killed inside an apartment by a stray bullet in the 3500 block of West Dickens Avenue the previous night. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Chicago’s incessant gun violence has extended into a second consecutive weekend as three separate fatal early morning shootings have added to a growing toll.
Those Sunday deaths followed a bloody Saturday during which six people were killed, including a 1-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl who died in separate shootings.
Advertisement
About 7 a.m., a 19-year-old man was walking near the 1400 block of West Lunt Avenue in the Rogers Park neighborhood when an unknown male approached him and fired one gunshot in the back of the man’s head. The gunman ran to a black SUV that traveled west on Lunt toward Clark Street, police said.
The man was transported to Amita Health St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
Advertisement
About 15 minutes later in the South Chicago neighborhood, an 18-year-old man was shot multiple times in the torso in the 8200 block of South Escanaba Avenue, police said. He made it to the 8300 block of South Muskegon Avenue, where officers responded and offered aid. He was rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he later died, according to police.
Around 8:30 a.m., a 38-year-old man was walking in a Little Village alley in the 2500 block of South Troy Street when an SUV approached and an unknown male exited the vehicle and shot the man multiple times. He was pronounced dead on the scene, officials said.
Four more people were shot after the most recent homicide Sunday.
Gun violence made last week the city’s most violent in Chicago since at least 2012, with at least 106 people shot, 14 fatally. Last Sunday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot was lamenting the death of another child lost to gun violence.
“Our city’s collective heart breaks to hear the unfathomable news of a 3-year-old boy who was shot and killed tonight on Chicago’s West Side,” she said at the time, following the death of Mekhi James.
Then on Saturday, nearly a week after the mayor’s comments, two more children were killed, the victims of errant bullets intended for someone else.
A 10-year-old girl was killed in Logan Square after she was struck in the head by a stray bullet that came through a second-floor apartment window, according to police.
The girl and her 8-year-old cousin were sitting in the front room of an apartment in the 3500 block of West Dickens Avenue when a man fired multiple shots in the alley across the street, police said, citing preliminary information. The 8-year-old’s face was struck with glass.
Advertisement
The incident occurred just after Sincere Gaston, 20 months old, was fatally shot in the Englewood neighborhood about 3 p.m. Saturday.
Less than two hours after the 10-year-old girl was shot and her cousin injured, another 8-year-old girl was grazed by a bullet on her head. The scene in the West Englewood neighborhood was similar to the Logan Square shooting in that the girl was indoors when she was shot, police said. She was sitting on a couch inside a home in the 6600 block of South Wood Street when a bullet came through the window.
That 8-year-old girl was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in fair condition, police said.
In the first six months of the year, Chicago has experienced a large spike in shootings and homicides over the same time last year.
Through last Sunday, the city saw a jump of more than 25% in the number of homicides, reaching 295, which is 60 more than the same period a year ago, according to a review of crime statistics. Ninety-six of those occurred during a 28-day stretch that covered most of June, the statistics show.
The Police Department and its new superintendent have struggled to get a handle on gun violence that has persisted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to stay-at-home restrictions.
Advertisement
Most recently, authorities have attempted a return to normalcy following the unrest and looting that occurred across the city in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in Minnesota on Memorial Day.
Detectives are investigating all three homicides. No arrests have been made.
Check back for updates.


chicagotribune--2020-06-28--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what’s happening this weekend with COVID-19 in the Chicago a

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

A strand in the national political discussion has been that an increase in testing makes for an increase in cases @ @ @ @ @ the net totals of positive coronavirus tests , this is often true and shows in @ @ @ @ @ the the last three days , when the state has averaged 846 new cases a @ @

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
The Fulton Market area of Chicago is no longer the ghost town it was during the depths of the COVID-19 virus pandemic shutdown. As restrictions on restaurants are eased, a worker takes a woman's temperature before she can enter Federales restaurant on Morgan Street on July 1, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
For the first time since mid-March, residents are now permitted to dine inside restaurants, go to the movies and work out at the local gym. They also can bowl, take a yoga class, grab a drink at the bar, visit zoos and attend summer camps.
These renewed freedoms, however, come with a caveat from public health officials: It all can be taken away again if there is a spike in confirmed coronavirus cases or hospitalization rates.
Advertisement
Illinois health officials Sunday reported 646 new known cases of COVID-19 and 15 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known cases to 141,723 and the confirmed death toll to 6,888.
[ Illinois enters phase 4 of reopening plan. Here’s a guide to what’s allowed. ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
Here’s what’s happening this weekend with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
Advertisement
4:42 p.m.: World hits coronavirus milestones: 500,000 dead, 10 million confirmed cases
The world surpassed two sobering coronavirus milestones Sunday — 500,000 confirmed deaths, 10 million confirmed cases — and hit another high mark for daily new infections as governments that attempted reopenings continued to backtrack and warn that worse news could be yet to come.
“COVID-19 has taken a very swift and very dangerous turn in Texas over just the past few weeks,” said Gov. Greg Abbott, who allowed businesses to start reopening in early May but on Friday shut down bars and limited restaurant dining amid a spike in cases. Read more here. — Associated Press
12:40 p.m. (Updated 3:30 p.m.): State reports 646 new known cases, 15 additional deaths
Sunday, Illinois added 15 new deaths from COVID-19 as well as 646 new confirmed cases. The state also announced the results of 23,789 test results.
Surging case numbers in the South and West U.S. brought the country’s total cases to more than 2.5 million according to New York Times data.
The Times identified 31 states where the total cases per day has increased over the last two weeks. Illinois is among the 16 states where the total new cases for the last two weeks is largely steady. Six states are seeing declining new cases during that time period. (The data includes Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico).
The total coronavirus cases in the world is now more than 10 million according to data from Johns Hopkins. The U.S. has the most cases of any country, followed by Brazil with 1.3 million, Russia with 633,542 and India with 528,859. Read more here. — Chicago Tribune Staff
11 a.m., Sunday: ‘Window is closing’ to take action to slow coronavirus, US health secretary says
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar stressed that “the window is closing” for the U.S. to take action to effectively curb the coronavirus.
Azar pointed to a recent spike in infections, particularly in the South. He says people have “to act responsibly” by social distancing and wearing face masks, especially “in these hot zones.”
Advertisement
Speaking on NBC and CNN, Azar argued that the U.S. is in a better position than two months ago in fighting the virus because it is conducting more testing and has therapeutics available to treat COVID-19.
But he acknowledged that hospitalizations and deaths could increase in the next few weeks. Read more here. —Associated Press
Saturday
2:30 p.m. (updated 4:15 p.m.): 786 new known COVID-19 cases, 26 additional deaths
On Saturday, Illinois added 26 new deaths from COVID-19 and 786 new confirmed cases. And for the third straight day, the state announced more than 30,000 new test results.
A strand in the national political discussion has been that an increase in testing makes for an increase in cases. When looking only at the net totals of positive coronavirus tests, this is often true and shows in the data from Illinois over the the last three days, when the state has averaged 846 new cases a day.
Compare that with the week before Illinois hit 30,000 daily tests, and the state averaged 622 cases a day while releasing around 25,000 test results a day.
Alarming? It doesn’t tell the complete story. Looking at the positivity rate, the number of positive tests divided by the total number of tests shows virtually the same level of infections: 2.7% for the last three days with more than 30,000 tests a day and 2.6% for the seven days preceding that.
Advertisement
The testing push has shot the state’s total test results past a total of 1.5 million.
—Chicago Tribune staff
9 a.m.: ‘It’s that perfect storm’: The new challenges facing college athletes on campus — including legal and ethical questions about COVID-19 guidelines
When Illinois athletes prepared to return to campus for voluntary workouts earlier this month, they were asked to sign a form if they wanted to rejoin teammates.
The document asked athletes to responsibly follow guidelines to reduce the spread of the coronavirus — such as completing a virtual screening, reporting to sports medicine staff any known exposure to COVID-19 or any symptoms, wearing a mask in public places and sanitizing hands frequently — and to agree to testing.
Several other Big Ten schools — but not all — asked their athletes to sign similar documents, as have many programs around the nation. A refusal to sign would not revoke an athlete’s scholarship, the universities made clear, but the athletes could be held out of competition.
Like the debate about the overall safety of returning to workouts amid a pandemic, these documents also open questions about the legality and ethics of asking unpaid college students to sign them.
Advertisement
Read more here. —Shannon Ryan
7 a.m.: Phase four of Illinois’s COVID-19 reopening: Settle in, folks, we may be here a while
When the first customer in line at MacArthur’s restaurant pulled down his mask to mug for a camera Friday, the establishment’s manager immediately ordered him to put it back on.
“I’m not playing,” said Vanessa Cobbins, whose father, Mac Alexander, founded the beloved Black-owned Southern food cafeteria in South Austin.
That vigilance reflects the high stakes for people statewide as Illinois significantly loosens restrictions aimed at blunting the spread of COVID-19. After nearly three months of sacrifice and solitude, no one wants to see the state backslide into another lockdown.
“We’re so grateful for the business,” said MacArthur’s manager Maurice Gaiter, as he kept a watchful eye on the lunchtime crowd to ensure patrons were adhering to public health regulations. “What we’re doing now is our very best to comply with the social distancing to keep everyone safe.”
All four regions of the state as designated in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” reopening plan moved into the fourth of five phases Friday, with gatherings of up to 50 people allowed and some recreational opportunities restored.
Advertisement
For the first time since mid-March, residents are now permitted to dine inside restaurants, go to the movies and work out at the local gym. They also can bowl, take a yoga class, grab a drink at the bar, visit zoos and attend summer camps.
These renewed freedoms, however, come with a caveat from public health officials: It all can be taken away again if there is a spike in confirmed coronavirus cases or hospitalization rates.
“I’m not afraid to protect the people of Illinois by moving a region back to an earlier phase if we see a surge,” Pritzker said Thursday. “Ours will not be one of the states that takes no action in response to a return to the peak.”
Welcome to phase four, Illinois.
Even with our best behavior, we may be here awhile.
Read more here. —Stacy St. Clair, Shannon Ryan, Louisa Chu and Phil Vettel


chicagotribune--2020-06-28--Where does Illinois stand on the reopening plan? Here are the charts

With each of the state ’ s four regions in Phase 3 of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s Restore @ @ @ @ @ starts on moving on to Phase 4 , where more businesses and activities are allowed @ @ @ @ @ Illinois — from restaurants and salons to open space to non-COVID-19 procedures at the hospital @ @ @ @ @ depends on a host of metrics laid out by Pritzker .

Chad Yoder, Nausheen Husain, Jennifer Smith Richards, Jonathon Berlin

With each of the state’s four regions in Phase 3 of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan, the clock starts on moving on to Phase 4, where more businesses and activities are allowed. The plan to reopen Illinois — from restaurants and salons to open space to non-COVID-19 procedures at the hospital to concerts and festivals — depends on a host of metrics laid out by Pritzker.
The metrics focus on a rolling average of positive coronavirus cases and hospitalizations to keep track of the direction of the outbreak as well as availability of hospital beds and ventilators that would be needed to handle a possible surge. There are also benchmarks for testing and tracing positive tests.
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
A key element of the plan is that a region can move both forward and backward, where more parts of society can open and shut depending on the seriousness of the outbreak.
Here is a breakdown of where each region stands.


chicagotribune--2020-06-28--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

Search below by street address , ZIP code or city , then click on the map to see the number @ @ @ @ @ state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer .

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
Illinois releases the number of positive COVID-19 cases by ZIP code daily. The map below shows the cumulative cases for each area as well as other analysis of the data.
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Tracking daily Illinois coronavirus deaths, cases and tests.
Search below by street address, ZIP code or city, then click on the map to see the number of confirmed and probable cases. The state is not providing data for any ZIP code with five cases or fewer.
Data as of June 10.
The map search tool above works best in Chrome or Firefox and may not perform consistently in Internet Explorer.
Note: Because of a coding error this map was displaying the incorrect rates for new cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 people — the issue should now be resolved.. The Tribune adjusted the data shown on the map below to focus on new cases, those the state tracked in the last 7 seven days. The totals for the entire pandemic are still available, but in the pop-up after tapping or clicking on a ZIP.


chicagotribune--2020-06-28--Illinois coronavirus graphs: 6,888 deaths, 141,723 confirmed cases, 1.54 million tests, 4.63% positi

Illinois coronavirus graphs: 6,888 deaths, 141,723 confirmed cases, 1.54 million tests, 4.63% positivity rate for northeast region

The Times identified 31 states where the total cases per day has increased over the last two weeks .
Illinois @ @ @ @ @ where the total new cases for the last two weeks is largely steady .
Six @ @ @ @ @ cases during that time period .

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine tracked coronavirus cases, deaths and test totals from Jan. 22, 2020 through March 10, 2023, but is no longer providing this data. These charts will no longer be updated.
Check the Illinois Department of Public Health for the most up-to-date data for Illinois.
[ Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus ]
Can’t see these charts? Go here.


chicagotribune--2020-06-28--1 dies, 1 suffers ‘life-threatening’ injuries in single-vehicle crash off I-80 in southern Cook Coun

1 dies, 1 suffers ‘life-threatening’ injuries in single-vehicle crash off I-80 in southern Cook County

The 23-year-old driver , Andres Hernandez of Northlake , was pronounced dead at the scene , officials said .
His @ @ @ @ @ a Harvey resident , was being treated at an area hospital for injuries considered life-threatening @ @ @ @ @ about the extent and type of his injuries were not immediately available .

Two men in their early 20s were traveling together in an older-model vehicle early Sunday when it left the road and hit a light pole, killing one of the men and seriously injuring the other, officials said.
Illinois State Police troopers were called to the southern part of Cook County, not far from the Indiana state line, about 1:45 a.m. A black 2005 Cadillac, headed east on the Interstate 80 exit ramp for Torrence Avenue, lost control and hit a light pole, according to an agency news release. No other vehicles were involved.
Advertisement
The 23-year-old driver, Andres Hernandez of Northlake, was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. His passenger, also 23 and a Harvey resident, was being treated at an area hospital for injuries considered life-threatening, officials said. Details about the extent and type of his injuries were not immediately available.
Investigators said Hernandez lost control of his vehicle for unknown reasons before hitting the light pole on the exit ramp. That ramp was closed off about 2:40 a.m. for the investigation and cleanup, officials said. The ramp reopened about 5:30 a.m., state police said.
Advertisement
Officials did not say if the Cadillac model was a car or SUV.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation and state police did not immediately say what, if any, contributing factors may have led to the fatal accident.
Check back for updates.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-06-28--Algonquin District 300 condemns video posted by students; described as racist by officials

“ We need to protect the First Amendment Rights of all individuals including those who express opinions for which we @ @ @ @ @ , actions and communications such as these go beyond free speech and rise to the @ @ @ @ @ ” Miller said .
“ We need to protect the safety of our students .
@ @ @ @ @ threats to the well-being of any of our students are not tolerated .
This is @ @ @ @ @ aside but rather something to be addressed head-on .
”

A new social media post by students at Community Unit School District 300 and described as racist by district leaders surfaced within the last week, leading the Board of Education to condemn it and re-evaluate its disciplinary policy for such incidents.
District 300 received messages June 19 on Twitter about a video with racist and inflammatory remarks made by students, Board President Anne Miller said Tuesday. She read from a statement prepared by the board at its monthly meeting.
Advertisement
“The remarks are vulgar, reprehensive, and disgusting,” Miller said. “It is disappointing to acknowledge that such racism exists in today’s world and even more so within our own community. This is not what we teach in our schools.”
“We need to protect the First Amendment Rights of all individuals including those who express opinions for which we do not agree, however, actions and communications such as these go beyond free speech and rise to the level of hate speech,” Miller said. “We need to protect the safety of our students. Racism, racists remarks and threats to the well-being of any of our students are not tolerated. This is not something to be swept aside but rather something to be addressed head-on.”
Advertisement
The district, headquartered in Algonquin, did not provide more information about the video in question, and The Courier-News was not able to view or assess the contents of the video.
It’s the fourth incident involving racist social media posts created by D300 students or former students that has come to light in the last month. A 4-year-old video of Hampshire High School students yelling racial slurs was posted on Facebook in early June.
“I’m beyond heartbroken and angry over the most recent attack against a D300 student that has come to light,” Board Member Nancy Zettler said. “Any act of cruelty directed at an individual or group is abhorrent and cannot and will not be tolerated. This most recent occurrence goes beyond just childish words. It’s clearly hate-speech directed at a fellow student because of the color of her skin.”
The students involved are minors, but that shouldn’t excuse their actions, Zettler said.
The board asked Heid and his staff review the district’s disciplinary policies and increase discipline for future situations. Three of the posts revealed this month occurred within the last two years outside of school, Superintendent Fred Heid said. It can be difficult for the district to take disciplinary action involving activities outside school unless a student feels threatened or the incident is connected to a school, he said.
D300 is taking other actions to combat racism and increase diversity in its schools, Heid said. Staff has started revising and developing curriculum specific to the topic and are planning meetings about discrimination involving sexual orientation, race, and disabilities, he said.
Advertisement
Heid and the board applauded the students who brought the posts to the district’s attention. A step in dealing with such issues is knowing what’s happening, he said.
“These students represent our future leaders,” Miller said.
Dr. David Scarpino disapproved of the racist posts and reminded people the school district “does not have oversight control over what students post outside of the school setting.”
“The people who have the oversight control are parents. I ask parents to monitor what their children post on social media and provide guidance on what is and isn’t socially acceptable,” he said.


chicagotribune--2020-06-28--Former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg to teach, do research at Notre Dame

The university announced last week that as a faculty fellow in the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study , Buttigieg @ @ @ @ @ projects : one that explores how to restore trust in political institutions and another that @ @ @ @ @ 2020s .

Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and his husband Chasten Buttigieg wave after Buttigieg ended his campaign for president, in South Bend, Ind., on March 1, 2020. (Michael Caterina / South Bend Tribune/AP)
SOUND BEND, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame has hired former South Bend mayor and presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg as a researcher and teacher for the 2020-2021 academic year.
The university announced last week that as a faculty fellow in the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study, Buttigieg will work on two research projects: one that explores how to restore trust in political institutions and another that considers the forces shaping the 2020s.
Advertisement
He joins a group of more than 30 faculty, graduate and undergraduate fellows who will conduct research on the nature of trust, the institute’s 2020-2021 research theme, the South Bend Tribune reported.
He also will teach an undergraduate course on the importance of trust in different fields, the university said. The seminar draws on literature, politics, economics and philosophy, with guest experts participating.


chicagotribune--2020-06-28--Naperville Park District drops lawsuit against Gov. Pritzker over reopening plan

According to a statement from the park district , a majority of the park board this week concluded that incurring @ @ @ @ @ warranted because Phases 3 and 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan concerning the use of @ @ @ @ @ provided greater flexibility in park operations .

The Naperville Park District on Thursday agreed to voluntarily dismiss its lawsuit against Gov. J.B. Pritzker that sought relief from the constraints of his executive order relative to COVID-19.
Last month the park board asked a DuPage County judge to issue an emergency ruling that would allow the park board – not the governor – to decide when park facilities should reopen and programs resume.
Advertisement
The measure was in response to Naperville being included in a phased-in reopening schedule for a region that also included Chicago and Cook County at a time when both Chicago and Cook County showed higher coronavirus positivity rates than Naperville and DuPage County.
In early June, a DuPage County judge denied the district’s request for a temporary order that would have allowed the district to reopen park facilities.
Advertisement
According to a statement from the park district, a majority of the park board this week concluded that incurring additional litigation expenses was not warranted because Phases 3 and 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan concerning the use of park district facilities and programs provided greater flexibility in park operations.
In the complaint, the park board sought a temporary restraining order, preliminary and permanent injunctive relief and declaratory judgment against Pritzker to “restore the balance of power and local accountability.”
The park district is suffering “irreparable harm” from the executive order being in place, the lawsuit said.
The closure of parks and park programs is impacting the district’s bottom line.
Director of Finance Sue Stanish said, as of May 31, park district revenues were tracking $3.8 million or 46% below the 2020 year-to-date budget.
The revenue loss, she said, is based on the timing of property tax receipts of $1 million and facility closures and programs not running as a result of COVID-19.
On the expense side, Stanish said expenses are $6.9 million, or 37%, below the 2020 year-to-date budget. She said this is primarily based on a combination of the timing of payouts for capital projects and expense cuts related to COVID-19.
The Naperville Park District operates 136 parks on more than 2,400 acres, including two 18-hole golf courses, Fort Hill Activity Center, Knoch Knolls Nature Center and Seager Park Interpretive Center. The park district also has sports courts, fields and trails, Centennial Beach and Naperville Riverwalk.
Advertisement
subaker@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-28--Protesters call for action in 2018 police-involved shooting of Robbins security guard Jemel Roberson

Protesters call for action in 2018 police-involved shooting of Robbins security guard Jemel Roberson, say investigation taking too long

Roberson , a security guard in Manny ’ s Blue Room Lounge in Robbins , apprehended a gunman one night @ @ @ @ @ were fired and several people were struck .
When police arrived , Midlothian officer Ian @ @ @ @ @ , killing him .
Roberson was dressed in black and was carrying a gun for @ @ @ @ @ was not wearing anything identifying him as security .

Beatrice Roberson is comforted by a friend during a rally to remember her son, Jemel Roberson, Saturday, June 27, 2020, in Midlothian. Jemel Roberson was fatally shot by a Midlothian police officer while at work as a security guard in November of 2018. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Dozens of people came together Saturday to protest the police-involved shooting death of Jemel Roberson, a Black Midlothian security guard, while calling attention to other African Americans who were killed by police.
Attendees at Saturday’s peaceful march and protest said the investigation into the 2018 shooting is taking too long. They called on prosecutors to take action.
Advertisement
“Kim Foxx needs to step up or step out,” said Stringer Harris, an activist and friend of Roberson’s, referring to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office. “How do you justify that? You don’t. It’s nuts.”
The State’s Attorney’s office has made no indication of what—if anything—will happen with the case.
Advertisement
Che Smith, known by the stage name Rhymefest, speaks during a rally to remember Jemel Roberson Saturday, June 27, 2020, in Midlothian. Roberson was fatally shot by a Midlothian police officer while at work as a security guard in November of 2018. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Roberson, a security guard in Manny’s Blue Room Lounge in Robbins, apprehended a gunman one night in November 2018 when shots were fired and several people were struck. When police arrived, Midlothian officer Ian Covey opened fire on Roberson, killing him. Roberson was dressed in black and was carrying a gun for his job, but he was not wearing anything identifying him as security.
According to witnesses, Covey, who is white, demanded Roberson drop his weapon but did not offer enough time to comply before opening fire with his AR-15. Covey remains on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.
The diverse crowd at Saturday’s protest at 147th and Cicero in Midlothian included men and women of all ages.
“I’m fighting for everyone’s rights,” said David Blankshan. “You have to stand up. This is important to me and to a lot of us in the community.”
People gather at a rally to remember Jemel Roberson, Saturday, June 27, 2020, in Midlothian. Roberson was fatally shot by a Midlothian police officer while at work as a security guard in November of 2018. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Cardyn J. Ruff said she’s been protesting Roberson’s killing for months, but she feels hopeful now. Amid a national Black Lives Matter movement, she has hope Covey will be prosecuted.
“This is our time for justice,” she said. “George Floyd is changing the world. Along with Eric Garner, they’re bringing us closer to getting justice from the justice system.”
Both Garner and Floyd were killed in police custody. Their deaths, and others, have inspired widespread protests nationwide.
However, Ruff admitted she’s frustrated with the delay in Roberson’s case.
Advertisement
“How long to do have to investigate when a cop commits murder,” she asked. “Jemel was innocent. He was a good kid. He wasn’t involved with gangs. He was protecting people.”
Ruff said she believes the protests should continue until charges are brought against the officer.
“I hope they do this all summer long,” she said.
A man sits atop an SUV during a rally to remember Jemel Roberson, Saturday, June 27, 2020, in Midlothian. Roberson was fatally shot by a Midlothian police officer while at work as a security guard in November of 2018. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Floyd and Garner died after complaining about breathing difficulty and protesters Saturday held signs reading “I can’t breathe” and “Justice for Jamal” as well as more universal slogans like “Black Lives Matter” and the raised Black power fist.
The protests brought out people who knew Roberson as well as folks in the community who simply wanted to stand in solidarity and protest injustice.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a while,” said Danielle McNary. “My boyfriend’s family has been doing this (protesting), so I finally got the opportunity.”
Advertisement
Beatrice Roberson spoke about the loss of her son.
Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
“Jemel was by baby,” she said. “He was a good guy. From the time he was a child, he was a protector and it’s a shame his life was taken.”
She said she wanted her son’s killer locked away.
“Jemel Roberson’s life matters,” she said. “For him to be taken down like that, parents aren’t supposed to bury their children. It’s supposed to be the other way around.
“I don’t sleep. I want justice for my son. I don’t believe he’s resting in peace because I’m not at peace.”
Advertisement
She said she wants one thing before she dies.
“I want to see justice before I leave this world,” Roberson said.
Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.


chicagotribune--2020-06-28--3rd person dies in shooting at Springfield Bunn-O-Matic warehouse; police say suspected gunman kille

3rd person dies in shooting at Springfield Bunn-O-Matic warehouse; police say suspected gunman killed himself

Collins and his coworkers had all arrived for work at about 7 a.m. Friday in the welding area of the @ @ @ @ @ Kenny Winslow said .
They all worked in the same area , he said .

Law enforcement enter the C1 building to the west of the Bunn-O-Matic warehouse during an active shooter situation, Friday, June 26, 2020, in Springfield, Ill. (Justin L. Fowler/AP)
SPRINGFIELD — A third person died Saturday afternoon who was critically wounded in a shooting at a warehouse in central Illinois where the suspect had fatally shot two coworkers before apparently killing himself, authorities said.
Police believe Michael L. Collins opened fire on three of his coworkers Friday, killing two at the Bunn-O-Matic facility in Springfield, Illinois, shortly after 11 a.m.
Advertisement
The victims who died Friday are Christopher Aumiller, 25, and Bill Gibbons, 61, both of Springfield, according to Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon. Their autopsies conducted Saturday morning concluded both died of multiple gunshot wounds, Allmon told The (Springfield) State Journal-Register.
The third victim is a 54-year-old woman, who died Saturday just after 4:30 p.m. at HSHS St. John’s Hospital. Her identity hasn’t been revealed because her family hasn’t been notified of her death, Allmon said. The woman’s autopsy is scheduled for Monday, Allmon said.
Advertisement
Collins and his coworkers had all arrived for work at about 7 a.m. Friday in the welding area of the facility, Springfield Police Chief Kenny Winslow said. They all worked in the same area, he said.
Later Friday after the shooting, Collins was found dead in his car apparently of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Winslow said. Two handguns were also found in his car. No other suspects were being sought.
Aumiller and Gibbons' bodies were found Friday by officers searching the facility building. The woman who died Saturday was found in the parking lot and taken to a hospital.
Bunn-O-Matic manufactures dispensed beverage equipment, and is headquartered in Springfield, according to the company’s website.