chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Siam Rice among the latest Chicago restaurants and bars to close permanently due to the COVID-19 pan

Siam Rice among the latest Chicago restaurants and bars to close permanently due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic toll. Here’s our running list.

La Sardine , which has been a fixture in the West Loop for nearly 22 years , has closed for good .
“ It ’ s sad , ” said partner and executive chef Oliver Poilevey about closing La Sardine , founded by his parents , along with Le Bouchon in Bucktown .
“ A month , month-and-a-half ago , I thought we were going to make it.
” La Sardine has no outdoor space in which to set up tables , but had eked by with meals-to-go and , eventually , indoor dining with the 25 % capacity limitation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unthinkable happened : The air conditioning broke down .
Looking at $ 80,000 in repairs , Poilevey knew he could not risk taking on the cost .
“ There ’ s no way we could pay for that , heading into the fall with no rent abatement , ” Poilevey said .
“ Throwing 80K at something and then having to close — that ’ s not a good plan.
” Le Bouchon remains open for pickup and indoor dining , though space inside is limited .
For the full story , @ @ @ @ @ @

The statewide shutdown of restaurants and bars for on-premise service took effect March 16. Since then, several restaurants and bars have reopened for dining and drinking, as Chicago and the state have rolled out gradual reopening plans. But not all of them have made it.
This article lists bars and restaurants that have been forced to close due to the financial strain of COVID-19 regulations. Note that these closures are strictly finance-related and are not due to illness among any of the business’ staff.
We will update the list, sorted alphabetically, as needed.
NEW CLOSINGS
Lagunitas taproom likely won’t reopen in 2021
Lagunitas Brewing likely won’t reopen its Chicago taproom until at least 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the brewery’s chief marketing officer said Thursday. The taproom, which opened in 2014, is situated directly above the brewery, in the center of Lagunitas’ South Side building. Lagunitas CMO Paige Guzman said she’d “be surprised” if it reopened this year due to concerns about virus spread. The taproom has been closed since the pandemic took root in the U.S. in March. Lagunitas is among the first Chicago bars or restaurants to acknowledge a 2021 reopening as unlikely. See the full story here.
— Josh Noel
FULL RESTAURANT CLOSINGS LIST
25 Degrees
The downtown restaurant and bar did not mention the pandemic shutdown specifically, but a Facebook post announcing its closure noted that it was “due to our current situation.”
Arlington Cake Box Bakery
Chicagoland residents have been celebrating special occasions with the baking of Arlington Cake Box Bakery for 71 years, but the bakery announced in a Facebook post last week that it closed Sept. 20. “We are so grateful for the level of support you have shown us, not only in these unprecedented last six months, but also in the past 71 years,” read the post. The bakery first opened in 1949 and had been on its third generation as a family business.
Bad Hunter
The dining room at Bad Hunter is reflected in a mirror on the back wall. (Anthony Souffle / Chicago Tribune)
Bad Hunter — known for its vegetable-and-grains-forward menu — and its second-floor event venue, The Herbarium, closed for good because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The West Loop restaurant, which survived a fire and re-opened in 2019, was voted the Chicago restaurant with the best plant-based menu in the Chicago Tribune Readers’ Choice Dining Awards earlier this year. — Grace Wong
Band of Bohemia
Band of Bohemia, which announced in July that it was closing temporarily, first earned a Michelin star in 2016 and had retained it every year since through 2019. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Five-year-old Band of Bohemia, whose pioneering vision of brewing beer and serving creative, ambitious food was ultimately rewarded with a coveted Michelin star, is going out of business after filing for bankruptcy. The Ravenswood brewpub filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation Oct. 16 in the Northern District of Illinois. According to court records, Band of Bohemia is more than $1 million in debt. But in a statement Oct. 21, Band of Bohemia founders Michael Carroll and Craig Sindelar blamed the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic for the closure. The restaurant has been closed since July, when owners said it would be shuttering temporarily. See the full story here. — Josh Noel
Baobab BBQ
The barbecue spot, which used South African flavors to riff on traditional ‘cue, announced in May on its Facebook page that it would close permanently due to the effects of the shutdown, writing: “When a small business’s revenue is interrupted it is devastating; when it’s a restaurant, earth shattering best describes it.”
Bar Biscay
An array of "pintxos," popular small bites offered at Bar Biscay. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Bar Biscay, the restaurant that lit up West Town with coastal-Spain sunshine, has closed, for keeps, after a 2½-year run. Partner Scott Worsham said in a posting on Facebook that, “The time has come to say goodbye to our groovy, Atlantic-coast inspired French-Spanish-Basque funhouse, our Oasis of Joy. He blamed COVID-19 and “factors beyond our control.” See the full story here. — Phil Vettel
Bite Cafe
Noah Sandoval (Oriole, Kumiko/Kikko) will join with friend Bruce Finkelman, managing partner of the 16″ On Center restaurant group (Longman & Eagle, Dusek’s Board & Beer, Revival Food Hall), to create Pizza Friendly Pizza, opening later this summer in the Bite Cafe space. Finkelman said, “Once the quarantine hit, I realized that that type of restaurant wouldn’t be able to exist in the post-COVID culinary scene.” — Phil Vettel
Blackbird
Blackbird restaurant in Chicago on Monday June 29, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The highest-profile Chicago restaurant victim of coronavirus to date has been Blackbird, closing for good after more than 22 years as one of the area’s finest restaurants. “We’ve labored long and hard over this decision,” said partner Paul Kahan. “But in an incredibly small, tight dining room — operating at only 25% capacity for who knows how long — and removing the opportunity to do private dining, it becomes incredibly difficult to manage.” — Phil Vettel
Blue Nose Brewery
Small southwest suburban Blue Nose Brewery has closed due to the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. Blue Nose co-founder Jordan Isenberg said he made the decision in late October 2020, after the state ordered suburban Cook County bars and restaurants to close for indoor business for a second time to stem the spread of COVID-19. He kept the decision largely to himself while winding down the business, he said. See the rest of the story here. — Josh Noel
Bonci (Wicker Park)
Three different options at Bonci (Arugula, dried tomatoes and bufala mozzarella) (zucchini, ricotta, lemon zest and black pepper) and (prosciutto and fior di latte mozzarella). (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
The second Chicago location of the world famous pizzeria was located in Wicker Park, but Eater Chicago reported that Bonci’s director of U.S. operations said consolidating to one location (West Loop) was necessary in light of the pandemic.
Bonfire
The no-frills steakhouse in Homer Glen confirmed via Facebook message that it has closed for good due to the effects of the pandemic shutdown.
Bottled Blonde
Bottled Blonde has closed after years of legal drama. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)
Bottled Blonde, the River North bar better known for its legal drama than pizza, closed permanently July 27, due to the coronavirus — but COVID-19 violations are not among the complaints against it. The business “surrendered their business licenses, permanently closing the River North bar after a series of serious nuisance conditions dating back to 2017,” according to a statement from the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. The bar had not received any citations related to COVID-19, wrote the department spokesperson.
The district manager of Bottled Blonde said, “It’s been an uphill battle since we came into this neighborhood. We had fights with the city, fights with the neighborhood. With the COVID thing, you need revenue to keep up those fights. We can’t stay open and operate at limited capacities.” See the full story here. — Louisa Chu
Boulangerie (Belmont Avenue)
La Boulangerie closed its location at 915 W. Belmont Ave. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
The French bakery chain La Boulangerie has closed the Lakeview location on Belmont Avenue. The Logan Square and Ravenswood bakeries remain open, but for pickup and delivery only.
Bridgeport Coffee Co. (Loop)
The Chicago coffee roaster closed its Loop location in June, confirming the shuttering as a result of COVID in a blog post. Its other three in Bridgeport, Hyde Park and the South Loop remain open.
Cactus Bar & Grill
The Cactus Bar at 404 S. Wells St. in Chicago. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)
The recent closure of Cactus Bar & Grill leaves the South Loop financial district without a 31-year-old standby. Cactus confirmed the closure with a note on its website, writing that they knew in the middle of August that the bar wouldn’t make it: “With few offices in the Loop occupied, and a challenging situation with our land lord, the crisis’s financial devastation became insurmountable.” The bar was a staple for lunches and drinks in the Loop.
Cafe Marie-Jeanne
The announcement that Cafe Marie-Jeanne will close drew lines outside the Humboldt Park restaurant Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. By Saturday, owners had to close early after running out of food. The wait Sunday was four hours. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Cafe Marie-Jeanne (1001 N. California Ave.), co-owned by the husband and wife team of Michael Simmons and Val Szafranski, announced Nov. 19 on Instagram that they would close permanently: “The string has run out for CMJ. We hung in as long as we could and it’s time to let go. Everything must end. WE WILL MISS YOU ALL!” Over the following weekend, fans flocked to the Humboldt Park restaurant known for its French-influenced dishes for one last taste. Lines stretched down the block, and Simmons had to shut down early Nov. 20 because he ran out of food. On that Saturday, the wait in line took four hours. The restaurant closed Nov. 23. See the full story here. — Nick Kindelsperger
Candyality
Candyality is known for its collection of retro candies, among hundreds of other confections.
Andersonville has one less spot to sate your sweet tooth, as Candyality has announced in a Facebook post that it will be closing its location in the neighborhood at the end of September. The closing comes “with great sadness” after spending more than 5 years in that space, the post reads. The Chicago-based candy store — which has also had locations in Wicker Park and Water Tower Place during the past several years — is still open at its Lakeview location, 3737 N. Southport Ave., and offers local delivery.
Cafe Cancale
The strawberry sundae with sea salt ice cream at Cafe Cancale. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The One Off Hospitality property in Wicker Park was another casualty of the pandemic, closing at the same time as Blackbird.
California Clipper and coffee shop C.C. Ferns
Detail of the Vesper at California Clipper in 2017. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Both the Clipper and attached cafe C.C. Ferns shuttered permanently due to the COVID shutdown. However, there have been conflicting accounts between Hogsalt Hospitality owner Brendan Sodikoff and landlord Gino Battaglia as to how the fallout was navigated, according to reports from Eater Chicago and Block Club Chicago, respectively.
Chicago House Of ‘Za
The North Center spot for all-vegan pizza shared an Instagram post announcing its permanent closure, citing the financial effects of the pandemic shutdown as part of the reason: “With the current pandemic, as well as the enormous cost of operating a business in Chicago, we are unable to stay open for business any longer.”
City Mouse
City Mouse restaurant in the Ace Hotel opened in 2017. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
City Mouse, the Ace Hotel restaurant operated by the team behind Giant and Chef’s Special, is closing after three years. Sunday, Oct. 18, will be the last day, the restaurant announced Wednesday in a statement. Jason Vincent, one of the partners at Giant and Chef’s Special, declined further comment. Giant and Chef’s Special bar announced just Tuesday it was launching a food truck to get their creative cooking to a larger audience. The space is going to be occupied by the Alinea Group, starting in November; owner Nick Kokonas confirmed that Alinea has leased the space for a three-month residency, but offered no additional details. For more details, see the story here. — Phil Vettel
Conga’s
The Norwood Park restaurant, which also featured music and dancing, announced it would be closing on Facebook. The post read, “I’m deeply saddened to announce Congas Restaurant will not be opening again. Covid-19 made me realize the most important things in life.” Another post teased a return for the Congas name, but as more of a venue-esque space.
Danny’s Tavern
After rumors of a closure had persisted on social media for weeks, Danny’s Tavern has confirmed it closed permanently. The Bucktown dive was well-known for its dance floor and its popular party celebrating The Smiths. The closure comes five years after the bar nearly shuttered once before and ends the bar’s 34-year stay on Dickens Avenue.
Davanti Enoteca
Davanti Enoteca in Little Italy.
The Little Italy location of Davanti Enoteca has closed for good, and, according to a report from the Sun-Times, it appears finances were a factor: “A demand letter dated June 12 from the landlord ... said the establishment was nearly $60,000 behind on rent.” The letter was posted on the window of Francesca’s, a sister restaurant also owned by chef David Harris.
Ditka’s in Chicago
Mike Ditka lookalike Don, center, and his wife Marian Feuling eat during a birthday party dinner at Ditka's restaurant in 2019. (Camille Fine / Chicago Tribune)
The economic effects of the mandated shutdown were a contributing factor in the closure of Mike Ditka’s Chicago restaurant in May. Other locations remain open, including Ditka’s in suburban Oakbrook Terrace and Grill 89 in suburban Westmont.
Eden
People settle in for dinner at the restaurant called Eden, 1748 W. Lake St. in Chicago, on Wednesday, March 15, 2017. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Eden, a Cal-Mediterranean restaurant popular with pre- and post-event United Center crowd (among others), closed in mid-July after a run of just over 3½ years. Eden opened on west Lake Street in December 2016 and made friends quickly, both for its pretty, bright-white interiors and Devon Quinn’s skillful cooking. The owners said in a release that “While we recently reopened our doors to an immensely positive response, the larger economic impact resulting from the coronavirus pandemic has made it impossible for us to sustain operations.” Read the full story here. — Phil Vettel
Emerald City Coffee Shop (Sheridan)
The Emerald City Coffee Shop location on Sheridan Road closed permanently Oct. 31, according to a post on the cafe’s Instagram page: “The uncertainty of the pandemic and other financial stressors were too much to bear and we’re so, so bummed to see ECC Sheridan go, but it’s the tough choice we had to make.” Emerald City, which was also known for its breakfast burritos, occupied a noticeable space below the Sheridan Red Line stop for years and was a neighborhood favorite. The Emerald City Coffee in Uptown, at 1224 W. Wilson Ave., remains open.
A Go Fund Me campaign launched earlier to save the Sheridan location has been taken down. But a new Go Fund Me has been launched, this one to help laid-off baristas. “The purpose of this fundraiser is to help cushion the blow that our ECC Sheridan staff will experience in the coming days,” the campaign reads. It seeks $5,000 and by the afternoon of Nov. 4 had raised $2,100. — Adam Lukach
Fahlstrom’s Fresh Fish Market
Owner Glenn Fahlstrom confirmed that he would be closing the Lakeview seafood spot in an online post shared on the restaurant’s website and social media pages. The post, in part, read: “The new restaurant model is asking owners to put employees in harm’s way so that their business can possibly survive. That is an ‘acceptable risk’ I cannot take. The restaurant business as I know it is gone and will not return for years. It was hard enough when the playing field was supposedly level, now it is tilted beyond recognition. So, I am closing Fahlstrom’s Fresh Fish Market.”
Fat Rice / Super Fat Rice Mart
At the beginning of the pandemic shutdown, Fat Rice pivoted to become Super Fat Rice Mart, a market for meal kits and various grocery goods. Later, current and former Fat Rice employees went public with allegations of harassment and mistreatment by owner Abe Conlon, and the location has been closed ever since, with no public mention of a reopening date.
Fat Willy’s Rib Shack
Rib tips at Fat Willy's Rib Shack, 2416 W. Schubert Ave. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)
The North Side is losing another barbecue spot after Fat Willy’s Rib Shack announced Thursday evening that it will close Sept. 27. The Logan Square restaurant has been in the neighborhood for more than 19 years and has a loyal following of diners who go there for baby back ribs, pulled pork, brisket and mac and cheese. See the full story here. — Grace Wong
Finom Coffee
Cream and sugar station at Finom Coffee in the Old Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago. (Louisa Chu / Chicago Tribune)
Finom Coffee — the popular two-year-old cafe in Old Irving Park known for serving Hungarian small plates, along with coffee, tea and baked goods, out of a snazzy art-deco storefront, has closed. Chef Rafa Esparza posted an upbeat message on Instagram: “It was a beautiful moment in time and the whole crew slayed from day one!” See the full story here. — Adam Lukach
Foodlife
The multi-station food concept located in Water Tower Place confirmed its closing in early June, although owner Lettuce Entertain You declined to comment exactly why. — Nick Kindelsperger
Fountainhead
Guests sit on the popular rooftop patio at Fountainhead in Ravenswood in this 2015 photo. (Lenny Gilmore / RedEye)
For the past 10 years, Fountainhead bar and restaurant has occupied the northeast corner of Damen and Montrose, one of Ravenswood’s essential intersections, bringing an enviable selection of whiskey and barrel-aged spirits to the neighborhood. In late September, the restaurant announced in social media posts that its run will come to an end Nov 14. “The past year has been difficult for everyone but pressures facing our industry at this time make it financially impossible to operate past the roof deck season. We made every effort to make adjustments to operate in this ‘new normal’ but with limitations restricting revenue and without funding to offset this condition it is impossible to continue,” read the post. Fountainhead owners are working with building ownership to find the “right concept” for the prominently situated storefront. Rhe Fountainhead Market — located next door — will remain there. — Adam Lukach
Francesca’s On Taylor
As with Taylor Street’s Davanti Enoteca — the two restaurants share ownership — the Italian restaurant in Little Italy has closed permanently, with reports indicating that rent-payment issues were at least partly to blame.
Gino’s East
The Gino’s East restaurant at 500 N. LaSalle St. has closed, a victim of a decline in business downtown, according to Jordan Himmel, chief information officer for Chicago-based Bravo Restaurants (which owns Gino’s East, Ed Debevic’s, Edwardo’s Pizza and Eduardo’s Enoteca.) The location closed in March, but other Chicago locations remain open.
Guthrie’s Tavern
Ron DeNicolo and his wife, Cynthia, take a photograph outside Guthrie's Tavern, 1300 W. Addison St., on July 21 in Chicago. DeNicolo said he and Cynthia had their first date at the bar 10 years ago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Guthrie’s Tavern, one of Chicago’s oldest and most popular neighborhood bars, announced it would be closing permanently, citing the city’s rollback of phase four rules for bars as a primary cause. Guthrie’s has occupied the corner of Addison Street and Lakewood Avenue for 34 years. It closed July 23. See the complete story here. — Adam Lukach
Habana Libre
Per a post on its website, Habana Libre closed permanently “due to the impact of coronavirus.” The Cuban restaurant had been in West Town since 2007.
Hamburger Mary’s
Hamburger Mary's opened on a key corner in Andersonville in 2006. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)
Andersonville’s Hamburger Mary’s — the only remaining city location of the nationwide network of independent franchises — announced Sunday on Facebook that it would be closing Nov. 1. Ownership listed the building for sale last year, and the lease ends at the end of December, but the coronavirus pandemic expedited the closing process, according to the post. The burger-focused restaurant, an outlet of the San Francisco-based chain, opened on a high-profile in Andersonville in June 2006, featuring drag shows, karaoke and bingo, along with the burgers. The closing announcement also teased ownership interest in reopening at another location: “We feel it’s best to wait until spring before we look for a possible new space.” The restaurant will host regular business hours until its final day of service Nov. 1. — Adam Lukach
Hot “G” Dog
Duck sausage, topped with lobes of foie gras and sea salt flakes, from Hot "G" Dog (5009 N. Clark St.). (Kevin Pang / Chicago Tribune)
Andersonville lost a hot-dog joint — at least the rest of 2020 — from the former Hot Doug’s chef with the closure of Hot “G” Dog. A Facebook post from the restaurant said its owners hope to return eventually, but the COVID shutdown had made business unsustainable for now.
Imperial Lamian
After more than four and a half years of serving rainbow-colored soup dumplings, roast duck and vegan spring rolls, Imperial Lamian is closing its doors in River North. The Chinese restaurant cited pandemic-related challenges as its reason for closing. Imperial Lamian, which opened in the spring of 2016, was lauded by the Chicago Tribune as having the best xiaolongbao (or XLB for short) in the city. Dozens of people expressed how much they would miss the restaurant in the comments section of the social media posts. See the full story here. — Grace Wong
Income Tax
Income Tax brought a much-needed wine bar to Edgewater, furthering the trend of easy-drinking, non-pretentious wine lists. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)
Ownership for the laid-back Edgewater wine bar confirmed via email that the pandemic’s effect on Income Tax’s financials led to its closing. It had been open since 2016.
Jeri’s Grill
The diner on Western Avenue was a monument to greasy spoons of yore, open for 57 years and 24 hours a day, and was cut down by COVID-19, reported Block Club Chicago in May. “If there was no COVID, we’d be open,” owner Frank Di Piero told the publication.
Katana
Katana brought its robatayaki-style restaurant to the River North neighborhood in 2017. (Katana)
A spokesperson for the parent company of the River North sushi restaurant wrote in an email: “Yes, the COVID closure was a devastating financial hit for us and the reason behind our closure … The Chicago location was very special to us, and we were sad to close.”
Kiki’s Bistro
Diners raise a toast during a wine dinner at Kiki’s Bistro, 900 N. Franklin St., May 4, 2006. The restaurant announced it would close permanently at the end of September 2020. (Wes Pope / Chicago Tribune)
Earlier this summer, changes to the OpenTable website for Kiki’s Bistro caused some confusion over whether or not the beloved River North spot had closed for good. The restaurant shared a clarification that, for now, it would be open for business. Sadly, however, Kiki’s website changed late last week, indicating that the restaurant will close permanently after the final day of service Sept. 30. “We appreciate the birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions and everyday meals that you spent dining and laughing with us. Those memories have sustained us through the last few months, as your visits did for those many years,” read the post. It wasn’t all bad news, though, mentioning that a small-time operation remains on the radar for Kiki’s founder Georges “Kiki” Cuisance: “Kiki, 87, is attempting retirement with an open eye for a potential petite Kiki’s — a tiny, cozy reboot with the potential to offer authentic French fare you love on a very intimate scale.” See the full story here. — Adam Lukach
Kroll’s South Loop
One of the South Loop’s signature sports bars, Kroll’s South Loop, announced in a Facebook post that it would be closing its doors at the end of the summer. “We fought hard,” read the announcement. “The burden of operating under the current conditions is too great and, come fall, will be impossible to continue under the current indoor capacity restrictions of 50 patrons. … We do not know whether this closure will last until next spring or forever. Only time will tell.” Kroll’s will remain open for dinner service Thursdays through Sundays until it concludes its 15-year run at the end of summer.
La Buona Vita
La Buona Vita, a Northern Italian restaurant in downtown La Grange closed its doors after a six-year run. In a message posted on the restaurant’s now-defunct website, owner Jim Barron named COVID-19 as the proximate cause of his restaurant’s demise. — Phil Vettel
La Fontanella
The owners of the longtime Italian restaurant had already planned to sell the building and restaurant prior to the pandemic, according to Block Club Chicago.
Lawry’s The Prime Rib
Lawry's, known by generations of Chicagoans for its prime rib, steaks and lush steakhouse trappings inside a former mansion, will close after service Dec. 31, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Lawry’s The Prime Rib, which has been a fixture on Ontario Street (just west of Michigan Avenue) for 46 years, called it quits at the end of 2020. The coronavirus, last summer’s civil unrest and an expiring lease all contributed to the decision, said Ryan Wilson, CEO of Lawry’s Inc. “In a year of incredible turmoil, this is a tough one for sure,” he said. “But with the industry in general in such a state of flux, we felt we had to push the pause button,” he added, leaving room for Lawry’s to reopen. “I think there’s a future for Lawry’s in the Chicago area,” Wilson said. See the full story here. — Phil Vettel
Links Taproom
Links Taproom. (Leigh Loftus / ThinkLeigh Photography)
Michael Quinlan, owner of the Milwaukee Avenue beer bar in Wicker Park, wrote in an email that Links was planning to move out of its storefront at some point in 2020 due to an acrimonious relationship with its landlord. Due the the COVID-19 shutdown, he decided to pull the plug on Links in March. As of late July, Quinlan indicated that ownership is “going to wait until things stabilize until we make our next move.”
Mesa Urbana
The Mexican restaurant will be consolidating operations, closing its Glenview restaurant and moving everything to its location in Portage Park, per a note on its website. The note cited the “situation” from COVID-19 as the impetus for the decision.
Mity Nice Bar & Grill
Along with Foodlife, this Water Tower Place restaurant from Lettuce Entertain You closed in early June. Ownership declined to disclose specific reasons.
Monty Gaels Tavern & Grill
The Irish tavern in Ravenswood closed permanently due to the burden of the pandemic shutdown, ownership confirmed in a Facebook message.
Passerotto
Passerotto in Andersonville in July 2018.
The Andersonville restaurant announced over Labor Day weekend that it would be closing its doors permanently, in part due to the coronavirus pandemic. Passerotto’s last day is Sept. 12. Chef Jennifer Kim said the decision to close was a result of multiple conversations with staff and investors, and ultimately they decided that “operating a restaurant safely in the midst of multiple pandemics was going to negatively affect our community in the long run.” A pop-up project was also teased on the restaurant’s profile. See the full story here. — Grace Wong
Pepper Canister
The casual River North bar announced June 15 via Facebook it would be permanently closing, although it did not specifically reference the costs of shutting down for the pandemic as a reason.
Rainforest Cafe
Rainforest Cafe at the corner of Ohio and Clark Streets in Chicago on Thursday, August, 13, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
The Rainforest Cafe in the Near North neighborhood has closed sooner than expected after it shut down during the coronavirus pandemic. The restaurant at 605 N. Clark St. was expected to close within two years, when its lease expired. That timeline was accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic, which has left the Chicago restaurant closed since March, said building owner Sean Conlon. He recently negotiated an early termination of the lease with parent company Landry’s Restaurants. He plans to redevelop the site. See the full story here. — Ryan Ori
Ramen Misoya (Streeterville)
Tonkotsu ramen at Ramen Misoya. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)
The Loop lost one of its best bets for ramen in August with the closing of Ramen Misoya’s storefront in Streeterville. “Due to a loss in business caused by the Covid-19 shutdown, we can no longer justify continuing operations at this time,” read a post on its Facebook page. On the bright side, the Mount Prospect location of Misoya remains open.
Redmond’s Ale House
Remond’s Ale House has closed due to the financial stress of the COVIID-19 restrictions. The Wrigleyville bar, which had been at the corner of Sheffield and Roscoe for years, was known for offering an abundance of drink deals and for being an area staple for game-watching due to plenty of TVs and good sightlines.
Rickshaw Republic
Owners confirmed via email that the state’s COVID-19 shutdown caused financial losses that required the Indonesian restaurant in Lincoln Park to permanently close.
Ronny’s Steakhouse
Ronny’s, a cafeteria-style “steakhouse” that had occupied two separate downtown corners for years, announced plans to close due to the coronavirus in a Facebook announcement over Labor Day weekend. “We won’t say ‘good bye’ but rather ‘until we meet again,’” read the post. The Loop staple began 63 years ago at the corner of State and Randolph and, in recent years, operated at the corner of Clark and Lake.
La Sardine
La Sardine's terrine de foie gras featured layers of creamy foie gras mixed with thinly sliced black truffle, drizzled with a tart and slightly sweet cherry sauce and crowned with slices of extra buttery brioche. (Nick Kindelsperger/Chicago Tribune)
La Sardine, which has been a fixture in the West Loop for nearly 22 years, has closed for good. “It’s sad,” said partner and executive chef Oliver Poilevey about closing La Sardine, founded by his parents, along with Le Bouchon in Bucktown. “A month, month-and-a-half ago, I thought we were going to make it.” La Sardine has no outdoor space in which to set up tables, but had eked by with meals-to-go and, eventually, indoor dining with the 25% capacity limitation. Then the weather turned warm and the unthinkable happened: The air conditioning broke down. Looking at $80,000 in repairs, Poilevey knew he could not risk taking on the cost. “There’s no way we could pay for that, heading into the fall with no rent abatement,” Poilevey said. “Throwing 80K at something and then having to close — that’s not a good plan.” Le Bouchon remains open for pickup and indoor dining, though space inside is limited. For the full story, go here. — Phil Vettel
Siam Rice
Siam Rice, 117 N. Wells St., has called it quits after 18 years. (Alex Garcia / Chicago Tribune)
Siam Rice (117 N. Wells St.) has closed after 18 years in the Loop, according to a note posted on the Thai restaurant’s window. "Unfortunately, we have come to the decision that it is no longer viable to operate our business during these uncertain times,” the note said. “This was a difficult decision for us, however, recent events and current pandemic conditions have left us concerned for the safety of our customers as well as our staff.” The note ends with an apology to customers and the hope that the restaurant will be able to return in the future. The restaurant’s last day Sept. 15.
Simply It
The Vietnamese restaurant, which had been in Lincoln Park for nearly 14 years, closed permanently in April, reported Block Club Chicago. COVID-19 restrictions and unworkable margins gave owner Tuan Nguyen “no choice” but to close, he told Block Club.
People eat and drink as others pass by Southport Lanes in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood on Sept. 17, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Southport Lanes
Southport Lanes has lasted nearly a century by evolving, at various times serving as a tavern, bowling alley, speak-easy, brothel and illegal off-track horse betting venue. But the Lakeview mainstay, which opened not long after another pandemic, couldn’t survive COVID-19. Read the full story here. — Ryan Ori
Step Down Cafe
The Pilsen coffee shop announced on its Facebook page that it would close permanently due to the effects of the pandemic.
Taco in a Bag
The Big Jim Reeves was a big hit at Taco in a Bag. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
Taco in a Bag has closed after five years in Lincoln Square. The shop specialized in playful versions of walking tacos, a dish where components one would normally find on a taco are instead poured into a bag of corn chips. The restaurant announced the closure on Facebook with a surprisingly irreverent, if slightly hopeful video. The owners assured fans that, “we will be back...promise!!!!” Block Club Chicago first reported the closing.
Taqueria Sabor y Sazon
The popular Pilsen taqueria closed permanently in May. The financial difficulties of trying to survive the pandemic’s hospitality restrictions were insurmountable, the owners said.
Tin Fish
The Tin Fish restaurant closed in Tinley Park. (Bob Bong / Daily Southtown)
The coronavirus claimed another high-profile restaurant victim with the permanent closure of Tin Fish, a highly regarded restaurant in south-suburban Tinley Park. A sign on the front door of the seafood restaurant and oyster bar thanked customers “for 18 great years,” and said the decision to close came “with a heavy heart.” “I’m not happy, but it’s something a lot of us are going through,” said partner Curtis Wierbicki, who launched the restaurant in September 2002 with partner Colin Turner. The restaurant closed in July. See the full story here. — Phil Vettel
Tintos & Tapas
Laura Rivera, the owner of the Spanish small plates restaurant, confirmed via email that the closing of Tintos & Tapas was due to the financial strain of the COVID-19 shutdown, as well as its effects on how it operated: “My chef and I cried the last day we were there to clean up,” she wrote. “Carryout is not a model that works for my type of operation at all. Frankly, it is demoralizing to become a fast food.”
Toast Restaurant
Owner Jeanne Roeser confirmed in a Facebook message that she had closed both the Bucktown and Lincoln Park locations of the 24-year-old breakfast favorite: “I couldn’t imagine reopening and surviving with reduced capacity and putting my staff and their families at risk of harm.” Roeser also posted a goodbye note on Facebook, which reads in part: “Nothing lasts forever in this world and it is time to move forward and see what this next phase will bring. I wish you peace and good health, my friends.”
Trattoria No. 10
A goodbye post on the reliable Italian restaurant’s website alluded to the pandemic shutdown as cause for its shuttering, reading, “With no theater and no convention/tourism business for the foreseeable future, there was just no way we could realistically reopen.”
Two Lights Seafood & Oyster
A post on the Old Town restaurant’s Facebook page confirmed that Two Lights has closed, although it did not mention whether or not the shuttering was due to the financial effects of COVID.
U.B. Dogs
U.B. Dogs served classic Chicago hot dog stand fare with serious culinary ambitions. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
U.B. Dogs (185 N. Franklin St.), a stellar hot dog joint that served a flawless fully loaded Chicago hot dog, freshly grilled burgers and great fries, has closed. With the coronavirus pandemic forcing countless downtown office workers to telecommute from home, the Loop-based U.B. Dogs decided it was time to close for good. Owner Joe Plonka announced the decision on Facebook: “While it breaks our hearts to announce our permanent closure, we wanted to take the time and properly thank our customers and family for their support over these last 10 years. Unfortunately, it’s time for us to end this chapter.” See the full story here. — Nick Kindelsperger
Unicorn Cafe
Unicorn Cafe had been serving coffee to Evanston for almost 30 years before the coffee shop closed permanently due to the financial effects of COVID-19, reported the Daily Northwestern earlier in September. According to the Daily report, ownership said the cafe was getting only 8-10 customers per day. Aside from being a local staple, Unicorn Cafe was one of only a handful of area coffee shops that offered the highly touted Sparrow Coffee.
Wells St. Market
Wells Street Market, which reopened July 6 after weathering the first three months of the coronavirus shut down (and was the first Chicago food hall to resume service) announced it will close for keeps Sept. 18. “From all of us at the Wells Street Market, it has been an honor and a joy to serve Chicagoans every day,” the company said in a release. The food hall made its debut, at 205 W. Wacker Drive, in June 2018. The food hall format had enjoyed a boom in Chicago in recent years. But most have not reopened since the coronavirus shutdown. Only Time Out Market has reopened. But a new market, Dr. Murphy’s Food Hall, launched in early August in the former Cook County Hospital. — Phil Vettel
The Whale closing indefinitely
The Whale (2427 N. Milwaukee Ave.), the glitzy Logan Square restaurant named for what casinos call an obscenely wealthy gambler, closed indefinitely last week. In a message posted on Facebook, the owners blamed the closing on the tight restrictions the state has imposed on restaurants. “Today we were forced to make the decision to lay off all our team members and close our doors to service. The restrictions that have been put on us by the elected officials are suffocating our industry and leaving us no choice. There has been no plan in place or system for relief.” The Whale opened last year, quickly amassing a strong following, though we found the food to be less than stellar. While it’s unknown how long the restaurant will be closed, the owners promise it will eventually return. “We WILL re-open and come back strong. We look forward to serving you again when that time comes.” — Nick Kindelsperger


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Rival marijuana companies jockey for West Loop marijuana shop sites

“ I really think that the amount of people that they ’ re going to see on the West Side @ @ @ @ @ larger than the stated number of 300 , ” Paul Lee , co-owner and general @ @ @ @ @ told the board .
“ I also think the space is too small in order @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Employee Peter Semla wipes down counters between customers, March 12, 2020, at Dispensary 33 in Andersonville. Rival marijuana companies NuEra and Dispensary 33 are vying for recreational licenses across the street from each other in the West Loop, where only one can set up shop. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The weed dispensary wars are heating up on Randolph Street.
Rival marijuana companies NuEra and Dispensary 33 are vying for recreational licenses across the street from each other in the West Town neighborhood — too close for state regulations.
Advertisement
The Chicago Zoning Board of Appeals gave NuEra a head start Friday when it unanimously approved a special use permit for its proposed dispensary, over the objections of Dispensary 33. But which dispensary ultimately opens could come down to a race for final approval from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which licenses marijuana dispensaries.
“I believe that I will be able to be licensed, even if I’m a month behind them,” Bryan Zises, a principal with Dispensary 33, said. “I will still prevail and beat them to the licensing.”
Advertisement
When Illinois legalized recreational marijuana in January, it allowed the 55 existing medical cannabis dispensaries to begin adult use cannabis sales at a second location, provided they passed muster with local zoning rules.
State law requires that dispensaries do not locate with 1,500 feet of each other. The two proposed stores would be about 350 feet apart.
The NuMed marijuana dispensary, now known as NuEra, located on North Avenue in Chicago on Jan. 6, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
NuEra, formerly known as NuMed, received the special use zoning permit to operate a recreational dispensary at 1141 W. Randolph St. at a lengthy and contentious hearing. Dispensary 33, which required a zoning change from the City Council before applying for its permit at 1152 W. Randolph St. in June, has yet to make it onto the zoning board agenda.
In February, Wheaton-based NuEra, which has medical dispensaries in Chicago, East Peoria and Urbana, abandoned plans to open a dispensary at 935 W. Randolph St. after it met with community opposition over its proximity to the Haymarket addiction treatment center.
“We deferred to Haymarket after talking to them and their board and talking to the aldermen,” Robert Fitzsimmons, CEO of NuEra, told the zoning board Friday. “We said we would find a more suitable location that wasn’t located immediately next to Haymarket.”
NuEra subsequently changed its name and moved the proposed site a few blocks west along Randolph Street, still within the trendy Fulton Market restaurant district. The company’s second choice is a three-story building with about 400 square feet of first-floor retail space, a single customer entrance and an upstairs waiting room, accessible only by stairs.
Fitzsimmons told the board he expects to serve about 300 customers a day, with about seven to 15 employees, depending on demand.
Dispensary 33 objected to NuEra’s proposed site, saying it would be too small to meet demand.
Advertisement
“I really think that the amount of people that they’re going to see on the West Side is going to be much larger than the stated number of 300,” Paul Lee, co-owner and general manager of Dispensary 33, told the board. “I also think the space is too small in order to serve that many people.”
NuEra’s Chicago attorney, Rolando Acosta, said Dispensary 33′s objections had nothing to do with zoning.
“They’re competitors, they’d like us not to be here,” Acosta said.
Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
The city’s recreational cannabis rules created seven zones for marijuana sales, capped at seven dispensaries in each zone. Fitzsimmons said he expects a lot of nearby competition in the West Loop.
“Every 1,500 feet is my estimation,” Fitzsimmons said. “This is a very active market. That’s what the state permits, and I expect there will be that much competition.”
Dispensary 33, which opened Chicago’s first medical dispensary nearly five years ago on North Clark Street in the Uptown neighborhood, is hoping to set up shop for its first recreational dispensary in a former restaurant space across Randolph Street from the proposed NuEra site.
Advertisement
The Dispensary 33 plan includes a 1,525-square foot sales floor, a large first-floor waiting area and a separate entrance and exit.
Zises said if the Dispensary 33 site gets zoning approval next month, he could finish developing the site quickly and win the race for state licensing. If not, he is prepared to go with Plan B.
“If we fail here, we’ll lick our wounds and we’ll go to the suburbs,” Zises said. “It’s not like there’s a shortage of locations."
rchannick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Zion woman charged with DUI after crashing vehicle into Waukegan police car

A sheriff ’ s deputy reported that Smith was clocked driving 63 mph on northbound Lewis Avenue , where the @ @ @ @ @ .
The deputy made a U-turn in an attempt to make a traffic stop , @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Chevrolet Cruze slammed into the read end of the Waukegan police car , @ @ @ @ @ , near the Ballentine Street intersection .

A Zion woman was driving drunk when she slammed her vehicle into a Waukegan police car early Sunday, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office police.
Alisha Smith, 35, of the 2900 block of Willow Lane, was charged with DUI and other counts after an incident that started around 2:20 a.m. Sunday near the intersection of Laurel and Lewis avenues in Waukegan.
Advertisement
A sheriff’s deputy reported that Smith was clocked driving 63 mph on northbound Lewis Avenue, where the speed limit is 35 mph. The deputy made a U-turn in an attempt to make a traffic stop, but a moment later Smith’s Chevrolet Cruze slammed into the read end of the Waukegan police car, which was stopped on Lewis, near the Ballentine Street intersection.
Police said Smith continued northbound a short distance before her vehicle became disabled.
Advertisement
The Waukegan officer was transported to a hospital for evaluation. Smith sustained some injuries, but declined treatment, police said. She appeared to be “heavily intoxicated,” sheriff’s police said.
She was charged with a felony county of damaging government property, along with misdemeanor counts of DUI, driving with a suspended license, unlawful use of driver’s license, illegal transportation of alcohol, speeding and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, authorities said.


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Interstate 80/94 shooting leaves man, 28, dead; police searching for answers

The man was taken to St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart where he was later pronounced dead , a release @ @ @ @ @ at Twon Jones , 28 , with no hometown listed , by the Lake County @ @ @ @ @ Police said Jones was the only person in the car .

A call from a man saying he’d been shot on Interstate 80/94 turned into a death investigation late Sunday.
According to a release from the Indiana State Police, at approximately 11:30 p.m. the State Police Regional Dispatch Center received a 911 call from a person stating that he had been shot.
Advertisement
The caller said he was on I-80/94 near the 15.2-mile marker, which is near the Ripley Street exit ramp, the release said.
When toopers arrived and located a black 2004 Lincoln parked against the shoulder, the driver, a man, was initially responsive with the officers. As troopers began administering first aid, officers on the scene had to begin CPR until medics arrived, the release said.
Advertisement
The man was taken to St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart where he was later pronounced dead, a release said The man was identified at Twon Jones, 28, with no hometown listed, by the Lake County Coroner’s office. Police said Jones was the only person in the car.
The interstate was closed for several hours for the crime scene investigation to be completed, police said.
The Indiana State Police are asking if anyone has any information on this shooting, to please contact Detective McCall at 219-696-6242.


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Watch live: Gov. J.B. Pritzker to give a COVID-19 testing update

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker is scheduled to give a COVID-19 testing update at 10:30 a.m. For the latest coronavirus updates @ @ @ @

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--2020-09-21--Daywatch: Parking tickets plentiful despite pandemic, Discount Mall vendors fight displacement in Li

Daywatch: Parking tickets plentiful despite pandemic, Discount Mall vendors fight displacement in Little Village and Lawry’s to close at year’s end

The Discount Mall in Little Village , home to more than 150 family-owned shops , is like no other shopping @ @ @ @ @ ’ s been the heart of the community for more than three decades .
But @ @ @ @ @ the new owner of Little Village Plaza decides to do away with the concept that @ @ @ @ @ 1991 .
The possible changes , which the new owner hasn ’ t confirmed , @ @ @ @ @ neighborhood such as the rehabbing of properties to lure young professionals to the neighborhood .

Want Daywatch delivered to your inbox? Sign up here. | Get the top Tribune stories of the day on your smart speaker | Here’s how to get the most out of your Tribune subscription | Got something to say? Join the conversation on our Facebook page
Good morning, Chicago. Illinois public health officials Sunday announced 1,402 newly diagnosed cases of COVID-19 and 14 more deaths. In Chicago, the positivity rate is sitting at 5%.
Advertisement
Just before the weekend, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that bars and indoor dining can reopen in Will and Kankakee counties after weeks under stricter rules.
Also, if you’re missing live music and wondering what it’s like to go to a pandemic-style concert, here’s Tribune writer Christopher Borrelli’s take on the experience.
Advertisement
Here’s more coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
A city parking sign in the 700 block of West Adams Street where Xavier Santos received two parking tickets in early April amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
With schools closed, restaurants shut down and an economic collapse looming in the early weeks of the pandemic, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced plans to stop ticketing, booting and impounding cars throughout the city to ease financial pressures on Chicagoans.
But the city issued more than 35,000 parking tickets during the period Lightfoot told the public they’d be getting a break.
A Tribune analysis of city parking data found that nearly half of the tickets were given to cars for expired meters in the downtown area — an infraction Lightfoot specifically had singled out as exempted from punishment.
A group of people are gathered to film a music video outside the Discount Mall in the Little Village neighborhood, while a rally takes place around the corner to protest its possible future redevelopment on Sept. 16, 2020. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
The Discount Mall in Little Village, home to more than 150 family-owned shops, is like no other shopping center in Chicago. It’s been the heart of the community for more than three decades. But soon everything could change if the new owner of Little Village Plaza decides to do away with the concept that has been in place since 1991. The possible changes, which the new owner hasn’t confirmed, echo other changes in the neighborhood such as the rehabbing of properties to lure young professionals to the neighborhood.
A group of vendors who say they aren’t opposed to progress but are fearful of losing their businesses began mobilizing. They want clarity on the developer’s plans and demand to be included in the conversations regarding the future of the mall.
Cook County jail detainees cast their votes after registering with members of the Chicago Board of Elections Commissioners for early voting inside the jail's Division 11, in March. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
During the March primary, Cook County Jail for the first time in its long history operated as an election precinct for in-person voting, according to county officials. Officials are now preparing to have voting at the jail during the general election — but COVID-19 has complicated those efforts.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker speaks at the Illinois State Capitol on May 20, 2020, in Springfield, Illinois. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
Before Illinois voters consider any candidate on the Nov. 3 ballot — the presidential contenders, a member of Congress, a state lawmaker or a local judge — they will be asked to cast a simple yes or no vote on what could become the biggest change in state taxation in decades.
Advertisement
Lawry's the Prime Rib, 100 E. Ontario St., will have its last day of service Dec. 31. The coronavirus, recent civil unrest and an expiring lease all contributed to the decision. (Lawry's the Prime Rib)
Lawry’s the Prime Rib, which has been a fixture on Ontario Street (just west of Michigan Avenue) for 46 years, is calling it quits at the end of the year. The coronavirus, recent civil unrest and an expiring lease all contributed to the decision, said Ryan Wilson, CEO of Lawry’s Inc., who also hinted at a possible return, saying “I think there’s a future for Lawry’s in the Chicago area.”


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--Cook County Jail set for in-person voting despite COVID-19 setbacks: ‘It’s also about social justice

Cook County Jail set for in-person voting despite COVID-19 setbacks: ‘It’s also about social justice, it’s about fairness, it’s about hope’

County officials believe the jail may have been the first in the country to operate as a precinct , said @ @ @ @ @ office spokesman Matt Walberg .
In the general election , partly as a concession to @ @ @ @ @ to a smaller population , the jail is set to operate four polling places , @ @ @ @ @ primary .

Cook County jail detainees cast their votes after registering with members of the Chicago Board of Elections Commissioners for early voting inside the jail's Division 11, in March. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
During the March primary, Cook County Jail for the first time in its long history operated as an election precinct for in-person voting, according to county officials.
Officials are now preparing to have voting at the jail during the general election — but COVID-19 has complicated those efforts.
Advertisement
“We’re all waiting to see how this is going to play out,” said Mary Cortese, 42, one of about 1,500 pretrial detainees who voted at the jail during the primary. “We’re still getting the information, it’s just slowed things down.”
The jail was made an election precinct after Illinois passed legislation last year requiring counties with at least 3 million residents — only Cook County fits that description — to establish a “temporary branch polling place in the county jail.”
Advertisement
More than a third of the 5,300 people incarcerated at the jail voted in the primary, “a significant increase” from past years, according to the Chicago Board of Elections, which along with the sheriff’s and county clerk’s offices, helps run the jail’s polling places.
In previous elections, detainees voted through absentee ballots. That contributed to smaller turnouts — only 967 detainees citywide participated in the 2016 primary and 1,329 in the 2016 general election.
County officials believe the jail may have been the first in the country to operate as a precinct, said Cook County sheriff’s office spokesman Matt Walberg. In the general election, partly as a concession to the pandemic but also due to a smaller population, the jail is set to operate four polling places, three fewer than in the primary.
The jail was a hot spot for the coronavirus in the early months of the pandemic. In the weeks following the primary, COVID-19 spread rapidly in the jail, killing seven detainees before officials stemmed the outbreak. Some inmates decried the jail’s conditions, prompting a lawsuit and subsequent court mandate that the sheriff’s office improve COVID-19 protections for inmates.
Marlena Jentz, assistant executive director of programs at the Cook County sheriff’s office, said the jail has been adhering to health guidelines and will continue doing so for early voting. The jail requires a screen questionnaire and temperature check for anyone entering the facility, and social distancing and masks for detainees and visitors.
The jail plans to conduct in-person voting the weekends of Oct. 17-18 and Oct. 24-25.
“We will continue to follow those guidelines to make sure that we do all that we can to enforce protective measures and make sure that we take the appropriate steps to have a successful early voting,” Jentz said.
Local election officials briefly discussed going back to mail-in voting at the jail because of COVID-19. Community groups pushed back against the idea, said Stevie Valles, executive director of the civic advocacy organization Chicago Votes, which works closely with officials on the jail’s election activities.
Advertisement
It’s difficult to reach and register inmates in time for absentee ballot deadlines, Valles said. In-person voting on the jail’s campus seemed “the most equitable way” to ensure votes were counted.
“They are getting as equal access to the ballot as anybody who’s outside of jail, which is legally their right,” Valles said.
Another initiative impacted by COVID-19 has been the jail’s educational programs. With the facility’s restricted visitor policies, guest speakers haven’t been able to conduct civic-oriented seminars as they did during the primary.
Jentz said officials are airing civic-oriented programs on the jail’s televisions, providing Informational flyers and having questions answered through the inmate services department.
The jail’s voting and educational initiatives are part of a larger effort to ensure those in custody return to the community “more productive, engaged citizens,” according to Jentz.
“It’s not just about compliance with the law in Illinois, but it’s also about social justice, it’s about fairness, it’s about hope,” she said.
Advertisement
If not for COVID-19, Valles said he and his co-workers would be discussing civic participation with detainees at the jail every month.
“Without us being in there every month having those dialogues, there’s a risk that folks are not as engaged as they’ve been in prior elections we’ve been doing this,” Valles said.
He described inmates’ reaction to voting as “an emotional one” hard to put into words. Allowing them to vote in person seemed to communicate a message that “society does care” about them, he said.
“When you see their faces and kind of felt their energy, you knew it was like, ‘Damn, this is a big deal,’” Valles said. "They know it’s a big deal. And the emotion on their faces and the way they verbalized it is just — it makes you feel as an advocate like you’re doing the right thing.”
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--The Tax Divide: How flaws in Cook County property tax assessments harmed the poor and helped the ric

The Tax Divide: How flaws in Cook County property tax assessments harmed the poor and helped the rich

“ Residential assessments have been so far off the mark for so many years that the credibility of the entire @ @ @ @ @ doubt , ” wrote reporter Jason Grotto , who compiled and analyzed more than 100 @ @ @ @ @ the years 2003 through 2015 for the investigation .

In 2017, the Tribune published “The Tax Divide,” a series of investigative stories that contributed to the election of a new Cook County assessor and led to changes in the way local properties are valued for tax purposes.
The series showed that the property tax valuations produced under former Cook County Assessor Joe Berrios were both inaccurate and unfair, giving a break to the owners of expensive homes while placing a higher share of the tax burden on less affluent homeowners.
Advertisement
“Residential assessments have been so far off the mark for so many years that the credibility of the entire property tax system is in doubt,” wrote reporter Jason Grotto, who compiled and analyzed more than 100 million property tax records from the years 2003 through 2015 for the investigation.
The fourth story in the series, a collaboration between the Tribune and ProPublica Illinois, documented similarly severe flaws in the way business properties were valued for tax purposes.
Advertisement
Here are the highlights of the series:
Part I, “An Unfair Burden,” documented how the county’s property tax system for years handed huge financial breaks to homeowners who are well off while punishing those who have far less, particularly people living in non-white communities.
Part II, “The Problem With Appeals,” showed how property tax appeals — which have been called an insiders’ game that favors the well-heeled and well-connected — made the tax system even less fair.
Part III, “Decades of Errors,” revealed that the assessor’s office knowingly produced inaccurate property assessments during the long tenure of Berrios' predecessor, James Houlihan, and even as far back as the 1980s.
Part IV, “Commercial Breakdown," showed how assessments of commercial properties were so riddled with errors that they created deep inequities, punishing small businesses while cutting a break to owners of high-value properties and helping fuel a cottage industry of politically powerful tax attorneys.
Many of those findings were confirmed in subsequent studies that were done independently. In March 2018, current Assessor Fritz Kaegi defeated Berrios in the Democratic primary and went on to win the general election.
You can read more of the Tribune coverage related to “The Tax Divide” here.


chicagotribune--2020-09-21--March for Peace in Albany Park

March for Peace in Albany Park

Treja Kelley had been hesitant to come forward after witnessing the murder of her 17-year-old cousin .
But she found @ @ @ @ @ stand last year and helped secure a guilty verdict .
Her testimony , though , @ @ @ @ @ head , prosecutors said .
Just a few months after testifying , Kelley was shot @ @ @ @ @ not far from where her cousin had been slain .
She was 18 and pregnant @

Alejandra Vela, right, a cousin of Roberto "Tito" Ramirez, and his mother, Sandra Pellecer, left, hold a photo of Ramirez, who was shot and killed in Albany Park in 2018, as they gather in Ronan Park for a peace march in response to recent gun violence in the area. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)


chicagotribune--2020-09-20--As they focused on others with COVID-19 and refused to walk away, Illinois health care workers bore

As they focused on others with COVID-19 and refused to walk away, Illinois health care workers bore the brunt of pandemic’s fury

“ Whether we are here for 48 , 80 or even 100 years , our time on earth is like @ @ @ @ @ , snapping his fingers .
“ It ’ s that short .
Our job is @ @ @ @ @ leave something positive behind.
” As he looked out at the crowd , he said @ @ @ @ @ did just that .

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Photographs on display show moments in the life of ICU nurse Neuman Kiamco as fellow health care workers from MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn remember the 48-year-old, who died Aug. 30 after a two-month battle with COVID-19. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
This past March, as the nurses in MacNeal Hospital’s intensive care unit were overwhelmed treating COVID-19 patients, Neuman Kiamco did not hesitate to join his colleagues.
The nurse left his post in the Berwyn hospital’s gastrointestinal lab and confronted an invisible enemy in the ICU that many of his colleagues on the medical front line were calling “the beast” or “the killer.”
Advertisement
His family is scattered across the world, including a father in the Philippines, and so Kiamco sent messages and the kind of photos of himself that have become ubiquitous in medicine’s global battle against the virus: at work, covered from head to toe in a face shield, mask, gown and gloves.
“We are in emergency mode,” he texted his sister, Jeanette Kiamco Perez, on March 19. “The streets are dead. A lot of businesses are closing. The emergency department is getting hammered. It is like a war zone here.”
Advertisement
[ Deadly toll of COVID-19 on health care field: A memorial to 46 of those who died ]
Not far away, at Community First Medical Center in Chicago, Nancy Veto was caring for infected patients in the ICU, where the nurse worked for about 45 years and mentored younger staff members.
Relatives said she worried about depleted personal protective equipment and described her workplace as a scene out of “M*A*S*H,” the hit television sitcom about an Army hospital during the Korean War.
“We have bodies lying everywhere,” her brother, Dick Cisner, a retired Chicago police officer, recalled Veto telling him.
Before summer’s end, both nurses were dead.
They died of complications related to the coronavirus, likely infected while laboring to save others at a time when most of the world stayed home.
More than 100 lives of professionals working in the health care field have been lost in Illinois this past six months since COVID-19 began its deadly march through the state.
At last count, at least 115 had died and nearly 15,600 had contracted the virus as of Sept. 18, according to state public health officials, who said the exact figure is unknown and likely higher. Four more deaths and nearly 400 infections were listed in a separate category for first responders, not including law enforcement.
Some states do not collect virus data by occupation. Illinois does. But there are limits to what has been gathered. The state relies on county health departments to provide the information, and officials said they have received occupational information back in only about 30% of all confirmed infection cases for ages 17 to 69.
Advertisement
Christine Sichuan, a nurse at University of Illinois Hospital, listens at a rally Sept. 14, 2020, as more than 4,000 SEIU-represented hospital workers joined nurses on strike. The hospital has lost five staff members during the pandemic. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Advocacy groups are calling for more accurate data nationwide to raise awareness and better protect the workforce. To put the problem in perspective, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledges incomplete information in reporting about 700 health care workers across the country were lost to COVID-19 as of Sept. 18.
National Nurses United has reported about 1,700 deaths, more than double than the CDC, during the same time period. And the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which tracks nursing homes, reports nearly 900 worker fatalities just in those facilities nationwide, including 45 in Illinois.
The Tribune has identified and interviewed the families of nearly 50 deceased health care workers in Illinois to chronicle the devastating loss of life and acts of heroism.
They include nurses, doctors, medical assistants, technicians, therapists and other support staff who clean rooms, serve food and provide security.
The dead worked in hospitals, nursing homes, private offices or on ambulance crews and in homes as health aides. Most were minorities, including those who were Black and by themselves made up nearly half of the 115 counted. Many had an underlying health condition that made them particularly vulnerable.
Some were near retirement or had delayed it as they refused to leave their careers during a time of such crisis. Relatives compared the dedication of their loved one during the pandemic to that shown by 9/11 rescuers who did not pause when facing danger nearly two decades ago.
Advertisement
A dedicated nurse
As a veteran ICU nurse, it was hard to rattle Nancy Veto.
She saw it all in her 45 years at the Portage Park hospital that is now called Community First Medical Center. But even she felt fear as the rapidly spreading coronavirus exploded into a pandemic, overwhelming hospitals this past spring.
Nancy Veto, 65, a longtime ICU nurse at Community First Medical Center, died May 26, 2020, of complications related to COVID-19. (Family photo)
Her daughter, Giavanna Veto, said even so, her mother refused to quit.
“Her hospital at one point was making the nurses reuse their masks, reuse their gloves and reuse their gowns,” she said. “My mother was scared and came home shaking, saying, ‘I don’t know what to do.’”
When she asked her mother to stop working, Veto remembered her responding, “‘I can’t. I can’t. I’ve gone through so much already. Why would I stop now? I can’t give up on these people.’”
Veto died May 26 in her River Grove home after a nearly weeklong illness related to COVID-19. She was 65. Her dedication did not surprise her family. Cisner, her brother, said his sister wanted to be a nurse from a young age. She became a mother later in life and treasured that role as well.
Advertisement
“I’d describe her as very educated, very dignified and very devoted to her profession,” Cisner said. “Not only was she a wonderful nurse, but she was a good mother and provider to her daughter.”
In a statement, hospital officials said the “much-loved ICU nurse” was a “dedicated mentor to many of our ICU nurses and staff. She led by example, demonstrating her commitment to both patients and our hospital every day.”
In her personal life, Veto was the life of the party, decked out in bright, glittery colors with pink nails and lipstick. She loved Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” which her daughter played at her memorial service. After the room emptied, she played Donna Summer’s “Last Dance,” another favorite, as a final goodbye to a mother whom she called her best friend.
Giavanna Veto said her mother never wanted a patient to die alone, and so she often stayed at the bedsides of those without family or friends in their final hour. It was a ritual of profound significance during this pandemic, when safety guidelines keep families away.
‘Superwoman’
One day after she was brought into this world, Dorothy Sims’ mother died after suffering complications from her birth.
Relatives on that day in November 1984 named her Dorothy, after the woman who would never get to care for her. The tragedy marked her life and also set her path. It was her 21-year-old mother’s death that inspired Sims to become a nurse when she grew up, relatives said.
Advertisement
Dorothy Sims, 35, of Schaumburg, died July 7, 2020, after contracting the coronavirus. Relatives say she was a hardworking nurse dedicated to her patients and her three children. (Family photo)
Nurse Dorothy Sims, 35, of Schaumburg. (Family photo)
The 35-year-old Schaumburg nurse died July 7 of complications related to COVID-19. Sims worked at Burr Ridge Senior Living in DuPage County while raising three children and continuing her education to advance her nursing career.
“She knew from a young age that she wanted to help people,” said her sister, Crystal Sims. “She cared about everybody. If you were in her life, she put a smile on your face.”
Dorothy Sims grew up on Chicago’s South Side, the youngest of three girls. She was raised by her mother’s sister, Edna Tellis, who nicknamed the sweet child “Tookie.” She fell in love with her high school boyfriend, Austin McAllister Sr., and the young couple had three children.
Her father, Mario, said his hardworking daughter held down three jobs at times to help support her family.
“She was determined to give her children a better life than what she had,” he said. “She worked full time, went to school and took care of three children. She was a superwoman.”
Her sisters, including Erica, the oldest, said she loved travel, the color purple and throwing lavish birthday parties for her children, ages 17, 15 and 13. Besides “Tookie,” they called her “Nurse D.”
Advertisement
Relatives said she did not complain about her struggles, including that she had lupus, an autoimmune disease. They were worried about her health during the pandemic and encouraged her to quit, but the rapidly spreading virus had other plans.
Dorothy Sims died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital after more than one month on a ventilator. Her father said the family was optimistic that she would qualify for a double lung transplant, but their hopes were dashed when doctors said she did not meet the medical criteria.
“They had our hopes up real high,” he said. “She’s so terribly missed.”
Several weeks after her death, the young nurse still does not have a headstone on her grave. Relatives say her life insurance company has yet to honor her policy. A fundraising campaign has been set up.
Tellis said Sims’ mother would have been so proud of her daughter. “She tried so hard and reached her goals,” Tellis said. “She
Unanswered prayers
Rosie Swain died two days before turning 65, the age when she planned to retire.
Advertisement
She was a nursing supervisor at City View Multicare Center in Cicero, where her family said she worked since the 1980s, beginning as a nursing assistant. The single mother of three children managed to continue her education and work her way up to a registered nurse who trained and supervised staff.
Sisters Tina, top left, and Wendy Swain above a photo of their mother, Rosie Swain, along with Rosie's grandchildren, Ama'n, 14, and Summer Lamar, 19, on Sept. 13, 2020. Rosie Swain, 64, was a nurse who died of COVID-19 complications in June. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
“She took care of herself last,” said her youngest daughter, Tina Swain. “She just always wanted to help people, and that’s what she did with her life. … We heard from so many of her co-workers who said they wouldn’t be the nurses they are today if it weren’t for her.”
Rosie Swain was at work the night in November 1987 that her only son, Ronnell, 17, was fatally shot after leaving a Chicago teen dance hall. She persevered, becoming a supervisor while raising two daughters, including Wendy Swain, her oldest. The girls grew up to give her four grandchildren, including a grandson named after the boy she had lost.
She loved to take her grandchildren shopping, to the movies and to dinner. The family gathered for Sunday meals, typically in Swain’s home in the Marquette Park neighborhood, where she served up staples like sweet potato pie. She was known as a sharp dresser who loved the blues.
When Swain tested positive for COVID-19 in April, the nurse warned her family to stay away so she would not infect them, Tina Swain said. She said her mother fought to survive for nearly three months, including stays in four hospitals, but died June 7 after her heart gave out during a blood transfusion.
“My mom taught us to believe in Jesus,” Tina Swain said. “She said, ‘If you’re going to worry, then you don’t need to pray.’ We were hopeful because we believe in prayer.”
Advertisement
The facility where Swain worked has had 256 positive cases and 15 deaths of patients and staff as of Sept. 18, state officials said.
‘Honey, I have the virus’
At 78, Dr. Joseph Bongiorno Sr. could have retired years ago. But the Chicago psychiatrist loved his work and was committed to his patients, relatives said.
The son of a general practitioner, he earned his medical degree from the University of Wisconsin and completed his residency in Chicago. In the 1970s, he served as a U.S. Air Force Medical Service Corps officer providing mental health services to men returning from the Vietnam War while stationed at the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
Dr. Joseph Bongiorno Sr., 78, a private psychiatrist who lived in the city’s Lakeview area, died April 14, 2020, of COVID-19-related complications. (Family photo)
Afterward, Dr. Bongiorno returned to Illinois and opened a private practice in Chicago and Skokie. He also joined the staff of what was then St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago for a decade before focusing solely on his private practice, including counseling priests in the Archdiocese of Chicago.
“He was such a wonderful man,” said his daughter, Maddi Bongiorno, the oldest of four. “He could have hidden out in his house, but he just couldn’t abandon his patients."
She said the family tried without luck to encourage him to take a break during the pandemic. In mid-March, she said her father told her he was ill. “Dad answered (his phone) from the ICU,” she said. “He was like, ‘Honey, I have the virus. I can’t breathe.’”
Advertisement
He was placed on a ventilator the next day. With most of the family living out of state and unable to travel, his children, including daughter Catherine and sons Joseph Jr. and Carlo, began a “letter reading campaign." His nurses dutifully read their emails to him for encouragement.
“We want you to know that we are with you every single minute,” one letter read. “We have so many friends and family praying with you, sending you healing energy and love. We are all so proud of your courage. You will get through this challenge, we have zero doubt. ...
“Words cannot express how much we love you, Dad.”
Dr. Bongiorno died nearly one month later on April 14 at St. Joseph, where he had once worked.
A policeman’s daughter
Karon Hoffman decided to go back to school and pursue nursing late in life.
Her decision did not surprise her family. The daughter of a decorated Chicago police officer who survived being shot in the chest, Hoffman made a habit of trailblazing through life and embracing new challenges.
Advertisement
Karon Hoffman, 69, of McHenry, a nurse who died May 18, 2020, of COVID-19-related illness. She worked at Alden Terrace of McHenry. (Family photo)
She graduated from the Chicago police academy and worked for the Sleepy Hollow Police Department as a 911 dispatcher and patrol officer at a time when few women pursued law enforcement as a career. She also worked as a fire department paramedic, a CPR instructor and, later, as a real estate appraiser.
“She never stopped learning and never stopped trying new things,” said her daughter, Jessica Allen.
Hoffman passed the state nursing exam and graduated from community college with high honors at 65. She spent the next few years caring for her husband, Dave, before reentering the workforce so the couple could afford medication not covered by Medicare.
In January, she was excited to begin her first nursing job at Alden Terrace of McHenry but became ill in April. Allen said her mother, who tested positive for the coronavirus, was hospitalized about six weeks before she died May 18. She was 69.
Hoffman did not work with COVID-19 patients, but her family said the staff shared many common areas as the virus spread in the facility. They said the staff lacked adequate personal protective equipment during the early days of the pandemic.
The facility had 87 confirmed cases and 13 deaths of patients and staff as of Sept. 18, state officials said.
Advertisement
Hoffman had three children, including her oldest daughter Jenny Winkler and a son, Karl Hoffman, and eight grandchildren. She loved farming, animals, canning jelly and vegetables, gardening and attending the county fair. She was so honest she would go back through a drive-thru if given too much change.
Hoffman’s father was Clarence Kerr, who survived being shot in 1955 by a serial robber when she was 5 years old. The shooter was executed three years later for killing another police officer days before injuring Kerr.
When planning Hoffman’s funeral, Winkler recalled how her mother was impressed when seeing long funeral processionals. The deceased must have been someone special, she would say. Winkler ensured her mother’s service was led by police and fire officials from four departments. A bagpiper played “Amazing Grace” at her gravesite.
“To some, she may be remembered as a health care hero who sacrificed to help others,” Winkler said. “To those who knew and loved her, she was so much more. She followed her dreams and achieved a meaningful life helping others.”
Leaving a mark
Neuman Kiamco was a beloved presence at MacNeal Hospital, where the distinctive tap of his shoes could be heard as he hustled up and down the hallways. He was so skilled and meticulous that some colleagues called him “Dr. Neuman” or used the term “Neumanized” when referring to his care of patients.
Neuman Kiamco, 48, of Oak Park, died Aug. 30, 2020 after a two-month battle with COVID-19. Kiamco was a longtime nurse at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn. (Family photo)
“I’ve been doing this over 30 years and there has never been another Neuman,” said Sylvia Acosta-Janecki, a fellow nurse at the Berwyn hospital.
Advertisement
Kiamco grew up in Mandaue City, Cebu, the central part of the Philippines. His parents pushed him and his four siblings toward the medical field with the goal of living abroad. Kiamco set his sights on the United States. After nursing school, he joined his uncle’s family in the Chicago area in his early 20s.
He worked at Loyola University Medical Center before joining MacNeal’s staff about 15 years ago. In March, during the pandemic, Acosta-Janecki said her friend did not hesitate to transfer from the GI lab to help in the short-staffed ICU.
More than three months later, when Kiamco showed up for a June 22 shift with a fever, he was admitted as a patient after he tested positive for the coronavirus. No one could predict just how dire the 48-year-old nurse’s condition would become.
Fellow health care workers from MacNeal Hospital remember nurse Neuman Kiamco at a candlelight vigil on Sept. 12, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
His fellow nurses cared for him at MacNeal for nearly two weeks, including in the ICU. Acosta-Janecki said the normally gregarious man was quiet and humble. He preferred his room dark and quiet, even ignoring the Fourth of July fireworks when she raised his room’s window blinds.
“It broke my heart, as bright of a spirit as he was,” she said. “He asked for people to continue praying for him. He kept thanking God. He knew he had a long road ahead of him.”
On July 5, Kiamco asked his nurse to dial longtime friend Gwendolyn Trinidad so he could tell her the staff planned to put him on a ventilator due to his low oxygen saturation level. Trinidad, also a nurse who had previously worked alongside Kiamco, tried to encourage him that he would be OK.
Advertisement
“I’ll talk to you later,” he said as they ended their video chat call. It was the last time the two ever spoke.
Co-workers sent this photo to Neuman Kiamco to cheer up the longtime nurse while he was in the hospital over the summer fighting the coronavirus. It shows several staff members at McNeal Hospital, making heart signs, wishing him to get well. (Sylvia Acosta Janecki)
Kiamco went into cardiopulmonary arrest. Staff resuscitated him and he was transferred that same day to Loyola, where he eventually was placed on a more advanced life support machine. Kiamco fought the virus another two months, at times in a medically induced coma, but he never regained consciousness and died Aug. 30.
When he still could speak, colleagues say, Kiamco told them he hoped to donate his plasma and volunteer for research studies with the hope of curing other COVID-19 patients.
“That was my friend.” Trinidad said. “He would go out of his way to help you.”
His sister, Jeanette Kiamco Perez, said the family is comforted by all the messages of love and praise. She recalled the image of her younger brother as a child singing his solo part in the song “Climb Every Mountain” with siblings as she played the piano or how he, at times playfully mischievous, messed up her bedroom.
“I didn’t realize that he was so heroic,” said Kiamco Perez, who lives in Canada. “To know he made such an impact, in a way, kind of eases the pain of losing him.”
Advertisement
More than 100 mourners gathered outside the Berwyn hospital Sept. 12 for a vigil for Kiamco that Acosta-Janecki organized. His cousin, Robin Kiamco, thanked health care professionals and spoke of the importance to heed public safety guidelines. He described Kiamco as a “man with a plan,” always trying to better himself.
“Whether we are here for 48, 80 or even 100 years, our time on earth is like this,” he said, snapping his fingers. “It’s that short. Our job is to leave a mark, leave something positive behind.” As he looked out at the crowd, he said it is clear his cousin did just that.
In social media posts before he became ill, Neuman Kiamco, who was single, occasionally shared inspirational photos or quotes. One was particularly poignant and prophetic.
“Work for a cause, not for applause,” it read. “Don’t strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt.”
(Editor’s note: To read more about the lives of dozens of health care professionals who died in Illinois during the pandemic, click here.)
Chicago Tribune’s John Keilman contributed.
Advertisement
cmgutowski@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-20--COVID-19′s toll on Illinois' health care field: A memorial to 45 of those who died

The Tribune has identified and interviewed dozens of families to chronicle the devastating loss of life and acts of heroism @ @ @ @ @ you would like to submit to this memorial , please contact us here .

Christy Gutowski, John Keilman, Jonathon Berlin

More than 100 professionals working in the health care field have died in Illinois since COVID-19 began its deadly march through the state this past spring, according to public health officials, who said the exact figure is likely higher.
They include nurses, doctors, medical assistants, technicians, therapists and other support staff who clean rooms, serve food and provide security. They worked in hospitals, nursing homes, private offices or on ambulance crews and in homes as health aides. Most were minorities.
[ As they focused on others with COVID-19 and refused to walk away, Illinois health care workers bore the brunt of pandemic’s fury ]
The Tribune has identified and interviewed dozens of families to chronicle the devastating loss of life and acts of heroism. If you know someone you would like to submit to this memorial, please contact us here.


chicagotribune--2020-09-20--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what happened Sept. 19-20 with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

“ We ’ re not trying to get rid of remote learning , we ’ re not trying to force @ @ @ @ @ school that can ’ t do that , we want our kids back in school @ @ @ @ @ “ There are districts all around us … where schools are offering full in-person education @ @

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois public health officials Sunday announced 1,402 newly diagnosed cases of COVID-19 and 14 more deaths. That raises the statewide known case tally to 274,258 throughout the course of the pandemic. The state reported death toll is now 8,450.
Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 48,011 new tests, according to the IDPH, bringing the total number of tests to date to 5,105,153.
Advertisement
On Friday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that bars and indoor dining can reopen in the region that includes Will and Kankakee counties after weeks under stricter rules aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus.
The region that encompasses Will and Kankakee counties was the second to see tougher rules imposed after it surpassed a state threshold of 8% positivity rate for three consecutive days. As of Friday, the region’s positivity rate was 5.6%.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, DuPage County is no longer among the Illinois counties at “warning level” for a possible resurgence of the new coronavirus. With DuPage being removed from the list, no Chicago-area counties are currently under warning.
Here’s what’s happening this weekend with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
Sunday
Lawry’s to close at year’s end after 46 years in downtown Chicago — but leaves room for return
Lawry’s the Prime Rib, which has been a fixture on Ontario Street (just west of Michigan Avenue) for 46 years, is calling it quits at the end of the year. Staffers were notified on Saturday.
The coronavirus, recent civil unrest and an expiring lease all contributed to the decision, said Ryan Wilson, CEO of Lawry’s Inc.
“In a year of incredible turmoil, this is a tough one for sure,” he said. “But with the industry in general in such a state of flux, we felt we had to push the pause button.”
Note the use of “pause button,” and not “stop button.”
“I think there’s a future for Lawry’s in the Chicago area,” Wilson said. “It was always a favorite of my grandfather’s; after visits, he always brought home boxes of Frango Mints. And I think Chicago is the best food city in the country.”
Read more here. —Phil Vettel
Advertisement
Saturday
‘Let us play’: High school students and parents rally in the Loop, demanding Gov. Pritzker allow fall sports after halt due to COVID-19 pandemic
About 100 parents and students rallied Saturday morning at the Thompson Center, chanting “Let us play” and demanding that Gov. J.B. Pritzker allow students to participate in fall sports.
Groups of students from Loyola Academy, Glenbrook North High School, Batavia High School and other, mostly suburban, schools gathered in jerseys with signs decrying Pritzker’s decision to halt football and a number of other sports deemed higher risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Student speakers at the rally pointed to other Midwest states that are allowing football and other contact sports to proceed, and said students will lose out on college scholarships and miss out on opportunities to get exercise, maintain good mental health and build leadership skills.
Read more here. —Madeline Buckley
2,529 new known COVID-19 cases and 25 more deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Saturday announced 2,529 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 25 additional fatalities. The Illinois Department of Public Health is now reporting a total of 272,856 cases, including 8,436 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois since the start of the coronavirus' spread.
The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 3.5%. Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 74,286 new tests, according to the IDPH, bringing the total number of tests to date to 5,057,142.
Advertisement
—Chicago Tribune staff
Chicago suburbs warn ComEd: It’s time to pay up on local utility taxes
Already caught up in a high-profile federal bribery scheme, Commonwealth Edison is embroiled in an escalating fight with dozens of cash-squeezed Chicago suburbs that are demanding the power company deliver millions of dollars in utility taxes the communities say they are owed.
“The longer that it keeps going, the more revenue that we’re out,” said Chicago Heights Mayor David Gonzalez.
The crux of the dispute stems from how utility taxes are collected. Towns are allowed to levy their own taxes on utilities such as phones and electricity. Those local charges show up on consumers' monthly bills, and ComEd collects the tax and distributes the money to the individual towns.
Suburban frustration with how well ComEd handles that the complex details of that job dates to at least the 2000s. In 2006, Des Plaines sued ComEd as a test case on the issue, but the lawsuit wasn’t resolved until the end of 2019.
That resolution meant dozens of suburbs expected ComEd to start paying up. Then COVID-19 hit, slowing down the economy, causing local sales tax revenues to drop and busting budgets. Fearful that help isn’t coming from Washington, D.C., mayors now are turning over the couch cushions looking for money to make up shortfalls.
Advertisement
Read more here. —Ray Long
Friday
North Shore school district backs off proposed COVID-19 policy keeping quarantined kids off remote learning: ‘There are no travel police’
At the urging of officials with the Illinois State Board of Education, Sunset Ridge School District 29 on Friday have scrapped a proposed policy that would have prohibited students who are quarantining from participating in remote learning.
The proposal from a District 29 task force, which was approved by the school board, would have required that students at the Northfield-based school district who are on quarantine for travel-related reasons, like visiting a high risk area, “not be permitted to access remote learning during the travel or quarantine period,” District 29 Superintendent Ed Stange said in a Sept. 16 parent letter.
Stange said the recommendation was made due to the difficulties educators face when students transition between in-person and remote instruction.
“Our general goal is to maintain consistency in the learning environment, and limit unnecessary movement between in-person and remote environments,” Stange said. “That is why we asked families to commit to in-person or remote learning through the first trimester.”
The communication, which was emailed to parents and posted on the district’s website, was quickly followed by a second message, with Stange apologizing and acknowledging that he was hearing from “concerned families,” and hoping to provide “perspective” on the recommendation.
Advertisement
Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta


chicagotribune--2020-09-20--Joe Biden headed to Manitowoc Monday for second Wisconsin visit

The stop comes two weeks after Biden made his first visit to Wisconsin as the nominee .
Biden on Sept. @ @ @ @ @ the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake .
His stop there came two @ @ @ @ @ also came to Kenosha , where he thanked police for their response to sometimes violent @ @

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to reporters before he boards his campaign plane at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, in Hebron, Ky., on Oct. 12, 2020. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
MADISON, Wis. — Former Vice President Joe Biden plans to campaign Monday in northeast Wisconsin for his second visit to the battleground state in two weeks.
Biden’s campaign announced Sunday that the Democratic presidential nominee would be campaigning in Manitowoc, a city of about 32,000 that’s on the shores of Lake Michigan about 80 miles north of Milwaukee. Biden did not immediately release any additional details about the visit.
Advertisement
The stop comes two weeks after Biden made his first visit to Wisconsin as the nominee. Biden on Sept. 7 went to Kenosha in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake. His stop there came two days after President Donald Trump also came to Kenosha, where he thanked police for their response to sometimes violent protests.
Trump returned to the state last week for a rally in Mosinee in the central part of Wisconsin.
Advertisement
Biden is campaigning in a county that Trump won in 2016 with 57% of the vote. Trump needs to win big in more rural parts of the state like Manitowoc County in order to counter the heavy Democratic vote in urban areas.
Polls show Biden with a slight lead over Trump in Wisconsin, a state the president carried by fewer than 23,000 votes in 2016.


chicagotribune--2020-09-22--Daywatch: Chicago’s winter dining guidelines, Old Post Office opens nation’s biggest rooftop deck an

Daywatch: Chicago’s winter dining guidelines, Old Post Office opens nation’s biggest rooftop deck and ‘Chicagohenge’ over the years

To participate , all establishments must have a sidewalk cafe permit , an outdoor patio license or an expanded outdoor @ @ @ @ @ the structures , heating devices and other safety considerations are outlined in the memo — @ @ @ @ @ Friday , and is a reiteration of existing fire and safety codes .
More information @ @ @ @ @ expected to be released later this week .

Want Daywatch delivered to your inbox? Sign up here. | Get the top Tribune stories of the day on your smart speaker | Here’s how to get the most out of your Tribune subscription | Got something to say? Join the conversation on our Facebook page
Good morning, Chicago. State officials on Monday reported 1,477 newly diagnosed cases and seven additional deaths of people with COVID-19, raising the statewide tally to over 275,000 known cases and nearly 8,500 deaths.
Advertisement
Also, Illinois set a new one-day statewide testing high for COVID-19 over the weekend and has third highest testing average in the nation, according to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Meanwhile, guidelines over the coronavirus are constantly changing, and on Monday the CDC only added to the confusion. It posted new guidance about a change in its stance on how easily the virus can spread in the air — and then took it down.
Advertisement
Here’s more coronavirus news and other top stories need to know to start your day.
People celebrate at the City Winery river domes along the Chicago Riverwalk on April 6, 2018. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
Questions still swirl around how to successfully execute outdoor dining during fall and winter, but Monday, the city of Chicago shared guidelines to help bars and restaurants make plans. Yet some restaurant owners expressed concern about the costs for adding heated outdoor structures like tents or geodesic domes.
To participate, all establishments must have a sidewalk cafe permit, an outdoor patio license or an expanded outdoor dining permit. Guidelines on the structures, heating devices and other safety considerations are outlined in the memo — this initial overview was released Friday, and is a reiteration of existing fire and safety codes. More information, resources and regulations are expected to be released later this week.
Then-Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios appears before the Cook County Board on July 18, 2017, to answer questions raised by a Chicago Tribune investigation, which documented how assessments shifted more of the tax burden onto less affluent homeowners. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Under Fritz Kaegi’s predecessor as Cook County assessor, commercial properties as a group were valued far too low, valuations varied widely among similar properties, and the property tax burden was unfairly shifted onto the owners of less expensive properties, according to a new study Kaegi commissioned from an international nonprofit organization.
Jonathon Hampton, left, and Ivry Hall box during the third annual Respect 90 Main Event charity boxing fundraiser Aug. 17, 2017, in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
A Chicago Golden Glove boxer from Englewood and the 2018 Tilden Career Academy valedictorian on scholarship at Alabama State University was arrested this weekend in connection with the disappearance and death of a fellow student, according to authorities.
An overhead view of The Old Post Office's new 3.5-acre rooftop deck. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
The Old Post Office has opened the nation’s largest private rooftop deck, giving office workers in the riverfront behemoth 3.5 acres of outdoor space to spread out during the coronavirus pandemic. The rooftop deck, which cost $19 million to build, opened Monday to tenants in the building.
The sun sets between buildings looking west down Randolph Street in Chicago on Sept. 21, 2020, the evening before the fall equinox. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Twice a year, during the spring and fall equinoxes, the rising and setting sun lines up with Chicago’s east-west street grid, creating spectacular photo opportunities as the sun is framed within Chicago’s skyline. Here are Tribune photos of 'Chicagohenge’ through the years.