chicagotribune--2020-05-20--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: State surpasses 100,000 total COVID-19 cases; restaurant outdoor se

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: State surpasses 100,000 total COVID-19 cases; restaurant outdoor seating allowed in next phase of reopening plan

Health officials on Wednesday announced 2,388 new known cases of the coronavirus .
There were also 147 additional deaths confirmed , bringing the death toll to 4,525 since the pandemic began .
Statewide , there have been 100,418 confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
As lawmakers returned to Springfield on Wednesday , Republicans continued their offensive against Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s reopening plans even as the governor withdrew his emergency rule that allowed businesses violating his stay-at-home order to be charged with a misdemeanor .
Sen. Bill Cunningham , D-Chicago , co-chairman of the legislature ’ s Joint Committee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the governor ’ s office have agreed to work on a bill this week that would address how to enforce Pritzker ’ s order .
6:20 p.m. : Illinois restaurants and bars can go al fresco as soon as next Friday as Gov .
J.B. Pritzker nods to reopening pressure Illinois restaurants and bars will be allowed to reopen with limited outdoor seating as soon as next week , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday amid mounting pressure from thousands of establishments that have suffered severe economic losses during the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the state on track to move to the next phase of Pritzker ’ s “ Restore Illinois ” reopening plan next Friday , bars and restaurants were at risk of being left behind .
The governor ’ s program had banned any dining-in or drinking at restaurants and bars until phase four , which would arrive no earlier than late June .
The Illinois Restaurant Association wanted to bump that up to May 29 , the likely start of phase three .
The al fresco dining option represents a slight softening of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states have moved much faster to allow restaurants to reopen .
Read more here .
— Bill Ruthhart , Louisa Chu and Nick Kindelsperger 5:59 p.m. : Family remembers 12-year-old boy who died from COVID-19 .
‘ Absolutely heartbroken , we are trying to stay strong ’ Standing 6 feet apart and wearing face masks , Ernesto Guzman ’ s teachers bid him farewell with white roses Wednesday as his family drove past his elementary school on their way to the cemetery .
`` Our hearts remain broken for Ernesto and his family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff and families continue to mourn with Ernesto ’ s family .
We are thankful for the opportunity to be a part of Ernesto ’ s remembrance .
His spirit fills us with love and only fuels our commitment to service .
He is our light now , ” an Acero Marquez Elementary School statement said .
Nearly 20 teachers and school staff members waited for the procession that briefly stopped in front of the school .
As part of a symbolic goodbye , a funeral home worker placed a cross with white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
— Laura Rodríguez Presa 5:45 p.m : Good news for Illinois golfers : Phase 3 would allow foursomes , single-rider carts and 10 minutes between tee times Gov .
J.B. Pritzker has said all four regions of Illinois are on track to move to phase three of his reopening plan May 29 , and that would bring significant changes to the state ’ s golf courses .
All of that would be a welcome change for golf course management businesses that have taken a financial hit because of Pritzker ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since May 1 have called for twosomes spread 15 minutes apart .
Now there ’ s the potential to sell 24 green fees an hour , rather than eight .
And cart revenue will increase because players will not have to prove they have a “ physical limitation.
” Forecaddies service a group by finding stray shots , reading greens , raking bunkers and cleaning golf balls — though the latter figures to be discouraged if not banned .
And as of now , in this time of “ touchless ” golf , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A spokeswoman for Mayor Lori Lightfoot did not immediately reply to a question regarding policies in Chicago .
Courses such as Harborside International and Cook County Forest Preserve courses Indian Boundary , Billy Caldwell and Edgebrook were shuttered May 8 with no specific explanation .
Chicago Park District courses such as Jackson Park and Robert A .
Black have remained closed all along , as has the Diversey Driving Range .
Read more here .
— Teddy Greenstein Struggling with severely reduced ridership because of the coronavirus pandemic , Metra hopes to draw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily pass .
Metra is encouraging riders to buy the pass using the Ventra app , so they can show their phones to rail conductors instead of handing them a ticket .
Metra has in the past only offered daily pass bargains during special events , such as Lollapalooza .
It already offers a $ 10 weekend pass .
Metra ’ s ridership has fallen by 97 % compared to pre-pandemic levels due to commuters working from home , or losing their jobs .
The system projects it will lose $ 535.5 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next two years .
“ If you are ready to come back to Metra , we are ready for you , ” Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski said in a statement .
Read more here .
— Mary Wisniewski The Illinois House voted Wednesday to remove Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey from the legislative session a the Bank of Springfield center Wednesday afternoon after he refused to wear a face covering as required in newly adopted House rules .
In a bipartisan vote , the Illinois House adopted rules on Wednesday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members and visitors to the special session to wear a face-covering over their nose and mouth , if they are medically able to do so .
Bailey was asked to come into compliance with the requirement and replied , “ I will not.
” Democratic Rep. Emanuel “ Chris ” Welch made a motion to remove Bailey from the House proceedings .
Bailey , of downstate Xenia , has been an outspoken critic of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s stay-at-home order , which includes requirements for face coverings in many social settings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Munks 3:16 p.m. : When can Illinois reopen ?
Check our daily charts on where each region stands .
The plan to reopen Illinois — from restaurants and salons to open space to non-COVID-19 procedures at the hospital to concerts and festivals — depends on a host of metrics laid out by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker .
The metrics focus on a rolling average of positive coronavirus cases and hospitalizations to keep track of the direction of the outbreak as well as availability of hospital beds and ventilators that would be needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also benchmarks for testing and tracing positive tests .
A key element of the plan is that a region can move both forward and backward , where more parts of society can open and shut depending on the seriousness of the outbreak .
3:11 p.m. : Lightfoot says Chicago reopening ‘ on the horizon , ’ but warned against ignoring stay-at-home order Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said a gradual reopening of the city is “ on the horizon ” but could be jeopardized if residents stop abiding by the stay-at-home order .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all caution to the wind , we ’ re going to see a setback and that means we ’ re going to delay a gradual reopening that I think is on the horizon , ” Lightfoot said .
Lightfoot also said the city is looking to identify a range of businesses that can reopen safely .
The city ’ s coronavirus recovery task force is also looking at specific guidelines “ focused on protecting employees and protecting patrons , ” Lightfoot said .
Lightfoot didn ’ t directly say whether the city will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on May 29 , as Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker has hinted .
Read more here .
—Gregory Pratt 2:58 p.m. : Outdoor seating at bars , restaurants to be allowed in next phase of state ’ s reopening plan Gov .
J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday announced he would allow bars and restaurants to open for outdoor seating on May 29 when the state is expected to enter its next phase for reopening businesses .
Pritzker ’ s gradual reopening plan previously did not allow bars and restaurants to open to dine-in service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state would not hit until late June .
However , the governor announced he ’ s reconsidered that stance after consulting with individuals in the bar and restaurant industry and will allow those establishments to hold outdoor dining only in phase three , which all regions of the state are expected to meet next week .
“ We have to put public health first , and that means the safety of consumers and employees alike , but the epidemiologists now believe that summer offers us an opportunity , ” Pritzker said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an additional option for bars and restaurants interested in resuming operations early , opening for outdoor seating when phase three begins likely for everyone just nine days from now.
” Pritzker also announced that in phase three camping and boating in groups of 10 or less would be allowed as well as at indoor and outdoor tennis centers .
The governor also said concession stands would be allowed to reopen under state guidelines and that foursomes once again would be allowed at golf courses and golf carts would be permitted with a limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ruthhart “ We are seeing a decrease in the numbers of people hospitalized in the numbers of people in the ( intensive care unit ) and the numbers of individuals on a ventilator associated with COVID-19 , ” Ezike reported during Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s daily press briefing .
As of Tuesday night , the state reported 3,914 individuals hospitalized with coronavirus , with 1,005 of those individuals in intensive care and 554 of them on a ventilator .
Ezike said it was “ the lowest number since we were capturing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients in the hospital.
” State health officials announced 2,388 new known cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday and 147 additional deaths confirmed , bringing the death toll to 4,525 since the pandemic began .
Statewide , there have been 100,418 confirmed cases of COVID-19 .
—Bill Ruthhart 1:52 p.m. : Pritzker pulls back on rule that threatened a misdemeanor for businesses that reopen in violation of his order As lawmakers returned to Springfield on Wednesday , Republicans continued their offensive against Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s reopening plans even as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses violating his stay-at-home order to be charged with a misdemeanor .
Sen. Bill Cunningham , D-Chicago , co-chairman of the legislature ’ s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules , said legislative leaders and the governor ’ s office have agreed to work on a bill this week that would address how to enforce Pritzker ’ s order .
Read more here .
—Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella Protesters gathered outside the Bank of Springfield Center Wednesday chanting “ Open Illinois , ” waving Trump 2020 flags and holding signs that read “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Don ’ t let the mask become a muzzle ” and “ J.B get your foot off my throat.
” Few of the 150 or so demonstrators wore masks , a requirement of a modified statewide stay-at-home order that took effect May 1 for people who aren ’ t able to maintain six feet of distance from others in public .
The state House is set to meet at 1 p.m. in the downtown convention center , an accommodation for social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic .
The gathering was smaller than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought hundreds of protesters out to the Capitol steps and lawn .
The protesters cheered and chanted “ Thank you ” when Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey of Xenia walked through the crowd to enter the convention center through the public access point .
Bailey has said he would not wear a mask for session , and he entered the building not wearing one .
10:53 a.m. : Republicans take aim at Pritzker ’ s reopening plan as legislators set to reconvene in Springfield As lawmakers return to session in Springfield on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s reopening plans and an emergency rule that allows businesses violating his stay-at-home order to be charged with a misdemeanor .
House and Senate Republicans issued a joint statement Wednesday contending the measure will “ criminalize individuals trying to protect their livelihoods and support their families , ” the Republicans said , calling it “ a vast government overreach at a time when business owners are doing everything they can to stay afloat.
” “ We believe these emergency rules are also in direct contradiction to the governor ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by potentially keeping businesses deemed as non-essential closed for up to an additional five months , ” the statement says .
“ We should not punish those who are the backbone of our state ’ s economy for trying to survive.
” The GOP called on the legislature ’ s bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules , scheduled to meet Wednesday morning , to block Pritzker ’ s emergency rule .
The would take votes from eight members of the 12-member panel , made up of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Republicans held a Zoom news conference Wednesday morning calling for a vote on Pritzker ’ s phased-in plan to reopen the state , all the while acknowledging that they don ’ t expect such a vote to be called in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly during this week ’ s three-day special session .
“ I don ’ t think that the Democrats will agree with us on this , I think that ’ s the whole point is the fact that the governor has enacted this massive government program , really , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legislature , ” said Rep. Tim Butler , a Springfield Republican .
Republican lawmakers have criticized Pritzker ’ s five-phase reopening plan as too strict , and have called extensions of his statewide stay-at-home order and the emergency rule for businesses that flout his restrictions “ overreach.
” Pritzker ’ s reopening plan divides the state into four regions , a continued stay-at-home order with modified restrictions that took effect May 1 .
All four regions are currently on track to advance to the third phase of reopening on May 29 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening plan , including calls for him to amend it to divide the state into more than four regions , and has said he has acted within the powers given to the governor under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act .
“ One of the things that business owners who are foaming at the mouth trying to get their businesses reopened in a safe manner and can do that are asking for us , their representatives , to be their voice , ” Rep. Dan Brady , a Republican from Bloomington , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understood .
One of the ways you do that is to have input on plans , on the Restore Illinois plan.
” —Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella 10:52 a.m. : Lightfoot introduces new tenant eviction rules , advocates say they don ’ t do enough to protect Chicago renters Mayor Lori Lightfoot is moving ahead with an ordinance to require more notice and in some cases payments to renters from landlords who are evicting them , despite some progressive aldermen saying the measure doesn ’ t go nearly as far as the tenant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negotiate with the administration .
The package Lightfoot introduced to the City Council Wednesday increases to 90 days from 30 days the amount of heads-up landlords would have to give renters before evicting them .
And it requires owners of buildings bigger than six units who are removing tenants in order “ to substantially rehabilitate or demolish such dwelling unit ” to make a one-time $ 2,500 payment to tenants they evict .
Lightfoot brought forward her plan after months of talks with tenants ’ groups and their aldermanic allies failed to produce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workable .
Northwest Side Ald .
Daniel La Spata , 1st , said housing advocates were pressing for much stronger pro-tenant rules , including $ 10,600 payments to those evicted for a considerably broader range of reasons than the ones covered in the mayor ’ s proposal .
La Spata noted the “ Just Cause ” ordinance backed by tenants ’ rights groups would have required the landlords to pay tenants before evicting them , while Lightfoot ’ s allows the payment to be made a week later .
“ That defeats the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spata said .
“ Tenants need that money to help them find new homes , not after they ’ ve already relocated.
” And he said the Lightfoot plan relies far too much on landlords self-reporting their reasons for evicting people .
“ The mayor is basically proposing new rules on notice , and that ’ s not what we need right now in Chicago to protect tenants , ” La Spata added .
Read more here .
—John Byrne and Gregory Pratt 10:16 a.m. : Ford temporarily closed its Chicago Assembly Plant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day after reopening A day after resuming operations at Ford ’ s Chicago Assembly Plant on the city ’ s Southeast Side , the U.S. automaker temporarily closed its facility Tuesday for disinfection because two employees tested positive for COVID-19 .
The Torrence Avenue plant , which makes the new 2020 Ford Explorer , Lincoln Aviator and Police Interceptor SUVs , is open again with two shifts , Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker said Wednesday .
The Dearborn , Michigan-based automaker said it notified workers known to have been in close contact with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 14 days .
“ It is important to note that due to incubation time , we know these employees did not contract COVID-19 while at work .
Our protocols are in place to help stop the spread of the virus , ” Felker said in a statement .
Read more here .
—Abdel Jimenez 8:20 a.m. : Oprah Winfrey provides $ 5 million to start COVID-19 relief network in ‘ home city ’ of Chicago Calling Chicago one of her “ home cities , ” Oprah Winfrey Wednesday launched a major relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ providing medical aid in African American and Latinx communities that face increased risk of severe COVID-19 consequences .
The $ 5 million donation starts Live Healthy Chicago , a consortium of food , religious , medical and other community organizations .
It is part of a larger , $ 12 million relief effort from the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation , she said , aimed at helping the places where she lived on her way to fame and fortune .
“ I wanted to not try to serve the world but go back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
In addition to Chicago , the cities where organizations are receiving grants are Nashville and Baltimore , where she had early broadcast jobs , and Milwaukee and Kosciusko , Miss.
, where she grew up .
“ If this had been the pandemic when I was a kid , what would have happened to me ?
I would have gone hungry , ” she said , becoming emotional on the Zoom call from her home in Santa Barbara , Calif. , where she moved after ending her eponymous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , following 25 years in national syndication .
“ My mother wouldn ’ t have been able to get on that bus to go to the suburbs to clean white people ’ s houses , and I would have gone hungry .
So I am trying to do for those kids who would have been me ... what I would have wanted somebody to step up and do.
” Read more here .
—Steve Johnson and Darcel Rockett 8:16 a.m. : Three Floyds closes legendary brewpub indefinitely due to coronavirus , even as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indiana allows businesses to reopen , Floyd said he chose to furlough staff at his Munster pub , which has become one of the nation ’ s quintessential brewpubs .
“ I can ’ t put people in danger ; no one should die over a beer , '' Floyd said by text message .
`` I would die for beer and probably will , but I ’ m not going to make people endanger themselves.
” He is concerned for both customers and staff , he said .
Read more here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsehood-filled ‘ Plandemic ’ movie spread widely online on YouTube , Facebook There was the time this month when Taylor Swift announced she would air her “ City of Lover ” concert on television .
The time that the cast of “ The Office ” reunited for an 18-minute-long Zoom wedding .
And the time last month that the Pentagon posted three videos that showed unexplained “ aerial phenomena.
” Yet none of those went as viral as a 26-minute video called “ Plandemic , ” a slickly produced narration that wrongly claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus and a potential vaccine to profit and gain power .
The video featured a discredited scientist , Judy Mikovits , who said her research about the harm from vaccines had been buried .
“ Plandemic ” went online May 4 when its maker , Mikki Willis , a little-known film producer , posted it to Facebook , YouTube , Vimeo and a separate website set up to share the video .
For three days , it gathered steam in Facebook pages dedicated to conspiracy theories and the anti-vaccine movement , most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on YouTube .
Then it tipped into the mainstream and exploded .
And now Trump ’ s education chief and CPS are the targets of a federal lawsuit by CTU that seeks an emergency halt to federal and local policies that they say are creating an “ impossible burden ” on special education teachers and families in CPS .
Specifically , the union is taking aim at what they say is a directive from CPS to rewrite about 70,000 individual lesson plans for special education students before the school year ends on June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wallace 7:02 a.m. : Fifth CTA employee dies from COVID-19 , agency announces The CTA has confirmed the death of a fifth employee from COVID-19 .
The bus driver , whose name , age and sex were not released , was a bus operator who started working for the Chicago Transit Authority in 2012 , according to a statement from the CTA .
“ It is with great sadness that CTA announces the passing of a fifth member of the CTA family from COVID-19 , ” according to the emailed statement , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The agency announced its first employee death from the coronavirus on April 11 .
In less than six weeks , four other employees would die as a result of COVID-19 , including the worker who died most recently .
“ The entire CTA family extends its heartfelt sympathies to the family , friends , loved ones and colleagues of this dedicated bus operator , ” the statement quotes CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. as saying .
“ We will collectively remember and honor this employee ’ s service and commitment to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t immediately clear how many of the CTA ’ s some 11,000 staffers have contracted the virus .
By April 19 , that number was less than 100 , according to the CTA .
—Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas 6 a.m. : Illinois General Assembly returns to Springfield as pandemic drives partisan politics and rocks budget plans The Illinois General Assembly returns to Springfield on Wednesday for the first time in nearly 11 weeks , meeting in a special session that figures to be driven by pandemic-heightened divides between Democrats and Republicans , and urban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state forward in the new world of the coronavirus .
Lawmakers are scheduled to meet for just three days to try to put together a spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1 .
And they also will have on their plates a coronavirus response package that covers employment , education , health care and the courts , an enhanced vote-by-mail program for November , and a program to provide funding for safety-net hospitals that care for the poor .
But the pandemic has created plenty of unknowns , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work on a budget can progress without a clear picture of how much relief will be coming from Washington to counter plummeting tax receipts — even as demands for dealing with the state ’ s most vulnerable residents grows .
The reconvening of the legislature also holds the potential for creating a forum for Republicans eager to challenge Democratic Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s stay-at-home orders and plans to reopen Illinois ’ economy .
The first item up for consideration in the newly reconvened House provides potential for partisan pandemic pandemonium .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will not wear face masks — as recommended by Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines — to show their defiance to Pritzker ’ s orders , Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan is proposing a change to the chamber ’ s rules to require masks , daily temperature checks and physical distancing .
“ After the motion passes , any member in violation of this rule change will face discipline , including potentially being removed from the chamber by a vote of the House , ” Madigan said in a statement .
Read @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Munks , Dan Petrella 6 a.m. : As pandemic upends 2020 census , group turns to StreetWise vendors to reach undercounted community StreetWise magazine vendors are shifting to census outreach work among the homeless in Chicago .
They will be paid by the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago , which is among organizations getting state money to communities that risk being undercounted .
Census organizers are hoping workers can help them overcome challenges presented by the pandemic .
Many of the StreetWise vendors live in SROs , are homeless or frequent social services where they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the census , according to Julie Youngquist , executive director of StreetWise .
“ Those are communities and areas that they are accessing anyways as part of their daily existence , ” she said .
The COVID-19 outbreak and stay-at-home orders caused the U.S. Census Bureau to push back its timeline for the decennial count .
The agency had planned to finish collecting data on the country ’ s population by July 31 , but that date has been pushed back to Oct. 31 .
The agency was going to work with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a three-day operation in late March .
It ’ s now uncertain when that will happen in Chicago .
Read more here .
—Elvia Malagón Here are five things that happened Tuesday that you need to know : Here are five things that happened Monday that you need to know :

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Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Health officials on Wednesday announced 2,388 new known cases of the coronavirus. There were also 147 additional deaths confirmed, bringing the death toll to 4,525 since the pandemic began. Statewide, there have been 100,418 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
As lawmakers returned to Springfield on Wednesday, Republicans continued their offensive against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plans even as the governor withdrew his emergency rule that allowed businesses violating his stay-at-home order to be charged with a misdemeanor.
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Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, co-chairman of the legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, said legislative leaders and the governor’s office have agreed to work on a bill this week that would address how to enforce Pritzker’s order.
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ How will Illinois reopen? Three charts breaking down Pritzker’s plan ]
[ As the coronavirus spreads, the Tribune is tracking Illinois cases here ]
Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
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9:23 p.m.: Chicago Police fine three churches for violating stay-at-home order; businessman Willie Wilson says he’ll pay
Following through with Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s promise to take action against churches that violate social distancing rules, the Chicago Police Department issued $500 fines to three separate houses of worship that held services over the weekend, city officials said.
Police cited Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church, Philadelphia Romanian Church of God and Metro Praise International for their services.
Police also acknowledged temporarily banning parking near churches “as a precaution to prevent planned large gatherings from taking place.” Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
8:26 p.m.: Court hearing Friday is latest round in battle over legality of Illinois stay-at-home order
A downstate court is expected to rule Friday on a request to invalidate the stay-at-home order in Illinois, part of a legal process that could determine the fate of measures meant to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Clay County Judge Michael McHaney said he plans to resolve the case of Rep. Darren Bailey, a Republican, who challenged Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive order that closed most businesses and churches, and kept people at home with some exceptions.
McHaney previously ruled that Bailey was not bound by the order, but now Bailey ― who was removed from the General Assembly meeting Wednesday for refusing to wear a mask — is seeking to eliminate the governor’s order for all citizens of the state.
The legal battle is playing out even as Pritzker moves to relax some restrictions May 29 as part of a phased reopening plan. Read more here. — Robert McCoppin
7:30 p.m.: 530 Chicago police staffers stricken with COVID-19
Chicago Police confirm 530 of its approximately 13,000 members have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement from its media affairs department on Wednesday evening.
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Of the 530, 27 are civilian staffers and 503 are sworn members. All have had their diagnosis’ confirmed through the medical section of the department. – Rosemary Sobol
6:20 p.m.: Illinois restaurants and bars can go al fresco as soon as next Friday as Gov. J.B. Pritzker nods to reopening pressure
Illinois restaurants and bars will be allowed to reopen with limited outdoor seating as soon as next week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday amid mounting pressure from thousands of establishments that have suffered severe economic losses during the state’s two-month shutdown.
With all regions of the state on track to move to the next phase of Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” reopening plan next Friday, bars and restaurants were at risk of being left behind.
The governor’s program had banned any dining-in or drinking at restaurants and bars until phase four, which would arrive no earlier than late June. The Illinois Restaurant Association wanted to bump that up to May 29, the likely start of phase three.
The al fresco dining option represents a slight softening of the plan for Pritzker as many neighboring states have moved much faster to allow restaurants to reopen. Read more here. — Bill Ruthhart, Louisa Chu and Nick Kindelsperger
5:59 p.m.: Family remembers 12-year-old boy who died from COVID-19. ‘Absolutely heartbroken, we are trying to stay strong’
Standing 6 feet apart and wearing face masks, Ernesto Guzman’s teachers bid him farewell with white roses Wednesday as his family drove past his elementary school on their way to the cemetery.
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Ernesto is the youngest person in Cook County to die from COVID-19. He was 12.
"Our hearts remain broken for Ernesto and his family. Acero Marquez teachers, scholars, staff and families continue to mourn with Ernesto’s family. We are thankful for the opportunity to be a part of Ernesto’s remembrance. His spirit fills us with love and only fuels our commitment to service. He is our light now,” an Acero Marquez Elementary School statement said.
Nearly 20 teachers and school staff members waited for the procession that briefly stopped in front of the school. As part of a symbolic goodbye, a funeral home worker placed a cross with white flowers by the sidewalk. Read more here. — Laura Rodríguez Presa
5:45 p.m: Good news for Illinois golfers: Phase 3 would allow foursomes, single-rider carts and 10 minutes between tee times
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said all four regions of Illinois are on track to move to phase three of his reopening plan May 29, and that would bring significant changes to the state’s golf courses.
Pritzker spokeswomen Charity Greene confirmed that the following, all currently restricted, would be allowed:
Threesomes and foursomes.
Single-rider carts, with members of the same family allowed to share a ride.
Outdoor dining.
Forecaddies.
A 10-minute spread between tee times.
All of that would be a welcome change for golf course management businesses that have taken a financial hit because of Pritzker’s “strict safety guidelines,” which since May 1 have called for twosomes spread 15 minutes apart.
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Now there’s the potential to sell 24 green fees an hour, rather than eight. And cart revenue will increase because players will not have to prove they have a “physical limitation.”
Single-rider carts are considered safer than dual-rider ones because of social distancing.
Forecaddies service a group by finding stray shots, reading greens, raking bunkers and cleaning golf balls — though the latter figures to be discouraged if not banned. And as of now, in this time of “touchless” golf, bunkers don’t have rakes.
A spokeswoman for Mayor Lori Lightfoot did not immediately reply to a question regarding policies in Chicago. Courses such as Harborside International and Cook County Forest Preserve courses Indian Boundary, Billy Caldwell and Edgebrook were shuttered May 8 with no specific explanation.
Chicago Park District courses such as Jackson Park and Robert A. Black have remained closed all along, as has the Diversey Driving Range. Read more here. — Teddy Greenstein
4:19 p.m.: Struggling with severely reduced ridership, Metra offers a new $10 daily pass
Struggling with severely reduced ridership because of the coronavirus pandemic, Metra hopes to draw in more passengers with a $10 daily pass.
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Metra is encouraging riders to buy the pass using the Ventra app, so they can show their phones to rail conductors instead of handing them a ticket. Metra has in the past only offered daily pass bargains during special events, such as Lollapalooza. It already offers a $10 weekend pass.
Metra’s ridership has fallen by 97% compared to pre-pandemic levels due to commuters working from home, or losing their jobs. The system projects it will lose $535.5 million in ticket and sales tax revenues over the next two years.
“If you are ready to come back to Metra, we are ready for you,” Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski said in a statement. Read more here. — Mary Wisniewski
4:00 p.m.: Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey removed from House session for refusing to wear a face covering
The Illinois House voted Wednesday to remove Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey from the legislative session a the Bank of Springfield center Wednesday afternoon after he refused to wear a face covering as required in newly adopted House rules.
In a bipartisan vote, the Illinois House adopted rules on Wednesday that include a requirement for members, staff members and visitors to the special session to wear a face-covering over their nose and mouth, if they are medically able to do so.
Bailey was asked to come into compliance with the requirement and replied, “I will not.” Democratic Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch made a motion to remove Bailey from the House proceedings.
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The House voted 81-27 in favor of Bailey’s removal.
Bailey, of downstate Xenia, has been an outspoken critic of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order, which includes requirements for face coverings in many social settings. Read more here. — Jamie Munks
3:16 p.m.: When can Illinois reopen? Check our daily charts on where each region stands.
The plan to reopen Illinois — from restaurants and salons to open space to non-COVID-19 procedures at the hospital to concerts and festivals — depends on a host of metrics laid out by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
The metrics focus on a rolling average of positive coronavirus cases and hospitalizations to keep track of the direction of the outbreak as well as availability of hospital beds and ventilators that would be needed to handle a possible surge. There are also benchmarks for testing and tracing positive tests.
A key element of the plan is that a region can move both forward and backward, where more parts of society can open and shut depending on the seriousness of the outbreak.
Here is a breakdown of where each region stands. —Chad Yoder, Nausheen Husain, Jennifer Smith Richards and Jonathon Berlin
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3:11 p.m.: Lightfoot says Chicago reopening ‘on the horizon,’ but warned against ignoring stay-at-home order
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said a gradual reopening of the city is “on the horizon” but could be jeopardized if residents stop abiding by the stay-at-home order.
With the weather warming, Lightfoot said she hopes the city doesn’t have a setback due to increased socializing.
“If we retreat from that and throw all caution to the wind, we’re going to see a setback and that means we’re going to delay a gradual reopening that I think is on the horizon,” Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot also said the city is looking to identify a range of businesses that can reopen safely. The city’s coronavirus recovery task force is also looking at specific guidelines “focused on protecting employees and protecting patrons,” Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot didn’t directly say whether the city will be ready to move to phase three on May 29, as Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has hinted. Read more here. —Gregory Pratt
2:58 p.m.: Outdoor seating at bars, restaurants to be allowed in next phase of state’s reopening plan
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday announced he would allow bars and restaurants to open for outdoor seating on May 29 when the state is expected to enter its next phase for reopening businesses.
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Pritzker’s gradual reopening plan previously did not allow bars and restaurants to open to dine-in service until phase four, which regions of the state would not hit until late June. However, the governor announced he’s reconsidered that stance after consulting with individuals in the bar and restaurant industry and will allow those establishments to hold outdoor dining only in phase three, which all regions of the state are expected to meet next week.
“We have to put public health first, and that means the safety of consumers and employees alike, but the epidemiologists now believe that summer offers us an opportunity,” Pritzker said. “Today, I’m announcing an additional option for bars and restaurants interested in resuming operations early, opening for outdoor seating when phase three begins likely for everyone just nine days from now.”
Pritzker also announced that in phase three camping and boating in groups of 10 or less would be allowed as well as at indoor and outdoor tennis centers. The governor also said concession stands would be allowed to reopen under state guidelines and that foursomes once again would be allowed at golf courses and golf carts would be permitted with a limit of one golfer per cart. —Bill Ruthhart
2:36 p.m.: Illinois passes 100,000 total COVID-19 cases
As the state topped the grim milestone of 100,000 COVID-19 cases, Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike reported “good news” on hospitalizations.
“We are seeing a decrease in the numbers of people hospitalized in the numbers of people in the (intensive care unit) and the numbers of individuals on a ventilator associated with COVID-19,” Ezike reported during Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s daily press briefing.
As of Tuesday night, the state reported 3,914 individuals hospitalized with coronavirus, with 1,005 of those individuals in intensive care and 554 of them on a ventilator. Ezike said it was “the lowest number since we were capturing these numbers that we have for COVID patients in the hospital.”
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State health officials announced 2,388 new known cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday and 147 additional deaths confirmed, bringing the death toll to 4,525 since the pandemic began. Statewide, there have been 100,418 confirmed cases of COVID-19. —Bill Ruthhart
1:52 p.m.: Pritzker pulls back on rule that threatened a misdemeanor for businesses that reopen in violation of his order
As lawmakers returned to Springfield on Wednesday, Republicans continued their offensive against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plans even as the governor withdrew his emergency rule that allowed businesses violating his stay-at-home order to be charged with a misdemeanor.
Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, co-chairman of the legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, said legislative leaders and the governor’s office have agreed to work on a bill this week that would address how to enforce Pritzker’s order. Read more here. —Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella
12:18 p.m.: Protesters chant ‘Open Illinois’ outside Springfield convention center where state House will meet
Protesters gathered outside the Bank of Springfield Center Wednesday chanting “Open Illinois,” waving Trump 2020 flags and holding signs that read “Pritzker the real virus,” “Don’t let the mask become a muzzle” and “J.B get your foot off my throat.”
Few of the 150 or so demonstrators wore masks, a requirement of a modified statewide stay-at-home order that took effect May 1 for people who aren’t able to maintain six feet of distance from others in public.
The state House is set to meet at 1 p.m. in the downtown convention center, an accommodation for social distancing because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The gathering was smaller than some previous Springfield protests on weekends that brought hundreds of protesters out to the Capitol steps and lawn.
The protesters cheered and chanted “Thank you” when Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey of Xenia walked through the crowd to enter the convention center through the public access point. Bailey has said he would not wear a mask for session, and he entered the building not wearing one.
Bailey has filed one of several lawsuits over Pritzker’s stay-at-home order. —Jamie Munks
10:53 a.m.: Republicans take aim at Pritzker’s reopening plan as legislators set to reconvene in Springfield
As lawmakers return to session in Springfield on Wednesday, Republicans continued their offensive against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plans and an emergency rule that allows businesses violating his stay-at-home order to be charged with a misdemeanor.
House and Senate Republicans issued a joint statement Wednesday contending the measure will “criminalize individuals trying to protect their livelihoods and support their families,” the Republicans said, calling it “a vast government overreach at a time when business owners are doing everything they can to stay afloat.”
“We believe these emergency rules are also in direct contradiction to the governor’s own ‘Restore Illinois’ plan by potentially keeping businesses deemed as non-essential closed for up to an additional five months,” the statement says. “We should not punish those who are the backbone of our state’s economy for trying to survive.”
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The GOP called on the legislature’s bipartisan Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, scheduled to meet Wednesday morning, to block Pritzker’s emergency rule. The would take votes from eight members of the 12-member panel, made up of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans from the House and Senate.
Four House Republicans held a Zoom news conference Wednesday morning calling for a vote on Pritzker’s phased-in plan to reopen the state, all the while acknowledging that they don’t expect such a vote to be called in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly during this week’s three-day special session.
“I don’t think that the Democrats will agree with us on this, I think that’s the whole point is the fact that the governor has enacted this massive government program, really, under Restore Illinois without any input from the legislature,” said Rep. Tim Butler, a Springfield Republican.
Republican lawmakers have criticized Pritzker’s five-phase reopening plan as too strict, and have called extensions of his statewide stay-at-home order and the emergency rule for businesses that flout his restrictions “overreach.”
Pritzker’s reopening plan divides the state into four regions, a continued stay-at-home order with modified restrictions that took effect May 1. All four regions are currently on track to advance to the third phase of reopening on May 29.
Pritzker has repeatedly deflected criticism of the reopening plan, including calls for him to amend it to divide the state into more than four regions, and has said he has acted within the powers given to the governor under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.
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“One of the things that business owners who are foaming at the mouth trying to get their businesses reopened in a safe manner and can do that are asking for us, their representatives, to be their voice,” Rep. Dan Brady, a Republican from Bloomington, said. “And that’s simply understood. One of the ways you do that is to have input on plans, on the Restore Illinois plan.” —Jamie Munks and Dan Petrella
10:52 a.m.: Lightfoot introduces new tenant eviction rules, advocates say they don’t do enough to protect Chicago renters
Mayor Lori Lightfoot is moving ahead with an ordinance to require more notice and in some cases payments to renters from landlords who are evicting them, despite some progressive aldermen saying the measure doesn’t go nearly as far as the tenant protections housing advocates have been trying to negotiate with the administration.
The package Lightfoot introduced to the City Council Wednesday increases to 90 days from 30 days the amount of heads-up landlords would have to give renters before evicting them.
And it requires owners of buildings bigger than six units who are removing tenants in order “to substantially rehabilitate or demolish such dwelling unit” to make a one-time $2,500 payment to tenants they evict.
Lightfoot brought forward her plan after months of talks with tenants’ groups and their aldermanic allies failed to produce a compromise plan the two sides deemed workable.
Northwest Side Ald. Daniel La Spata, 1st, said housing advocates were pressing for much stronger pro-tenant rules, including $10,600 payments to those evicted for a considerably broader range of reasons than the ones covered in the mayor’s proposal.
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La Spata noted the “Just Cause” ordinance backed by tenants’ rights groups would have required the landlords to pay tenants before evicting them, while Lightfoot’s allows the payment to be made a week later.
“That defeats the purpose of the payment,” La Spata said. “Tenants need that money to help them find new homes, not after they’ve already relocated.”
And he said the Lightfoot plan relies far too much on landlords self-reporting their reasons for evicting people.
“The mayor is basically proposing new rules on notice, and that’s not what we need right now in Chicago to protect tenants,” La Spata added. Read more here. —John Byrne and Gregory Pratt
10:16 a.m.: Ford temporarily closed its Chicago Assembly Plant after two employees contracted the coronavirus a day after reopening
A day after resuming operations at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant on the city’s Southeast Side, the U.S. automaker temporarily closed its facility Tuesday for disinfection because two employees tested positive for COVID-19.
The Torrence Avenue plant, which makes the new 2020 Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator and Police Interceptor SUVs, is open again with two shifts, Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker said Wednesday.
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The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker said it notified workers known to have been in close contact with the infected individuals and asked them to self-quarantine for 14 days.
“It is important to note that due to incubation time, we know these employees did not contract COVID-19 while at work. Our protocols are in place to help stop the spread of the virus,” Felker said in a statement. Read more here. —Abdel Jimenez
8:20 a.m.: Oprah Winfrey provides $5 million to start COVID-19 relief network in ‘home city’ of Chicago
Calling Chicago one of her “home cities,” Oprah Winfrey Wednesday launched a major relief effort aimed at fighting food insecurity and providing medical aid in African American and Latinx communities that face increased risk of severe COVID-19 consequences.
The $5 million donation starts Live Healthy Chicago, a consortium of food, religious, medical and other community organizations. It is part of a larger, $12 million relief effort from the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation, she said, aimed at helping the places where she lived on her way to fame and fortune.
“I wanted to not try to serve the world but go back to the places that have given to me,” she said. In addition to Chicago, the cities where organizations are receiving grants are Nashville and Baltimore, where she had early broadcast jobs, and Milwaukee and Kosciusko, Miss., where she grew up.
“If this had been the pandemic when I was a kid, what would have happened to me? I would have gone hungry,” she said, becoming emotional on the Zoom call from her home in Santa Barbara, Calif., where she moved after ending her eponymous talk show made in Chicago in 2011, following 25 years in national syndication.
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“My mother wouldn’t have been able to get on that bus to go to the suburbs to clean white people’s houses, and I would have gone hungry. So I am trying to do for those kids who would have been me... what I would have wanted somebody to step up and do.” Read more here. —Steve Johnson and Darcel Rockett
8:16 a.m.: Three Floyds closes legendary brewpub indefinitely due to coronavirus, even as Indiana moves to reopen businesses
Northwest Indiana’s legendary Three Floyds Brewing has shuttered its brewpub indefinitely due to safety concerns during the coronavirus pandemic, brewery founder Nick Floyd said late Tuesday.
Even as Indiana allows businesses to reopen, Floyd said he chose to furlough staff at his Munster pub, which has become one of the nation’s quintessential brewpubs.
“I can’t put people in danger; no one should die over a beer," Floyd said by text message. "I would die for beer and probably will, but I’m not going to make people endanger themselves.”
He is concerned for both customers and staff, he said. Read more here. —Josh Noel
8:13 a.m.: How the falsehood-filled ‘Plandemic’ movie spread widely online on YouTube, Facebook
There have been plenty of jaw-dropping digital moments during the coronavirus pandemic.
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There was the time this month when Taylor Swift announced she would air her “City of Lover” concert on television. The time that the cast of “The Office” reunited for an 18-minute-long Zoom wedding. And the time last month that the Pentagon posted three videos that showed unexplained “aerial phenomena.”
Yet none of those went as viral as a 26-minute video called “Plandemic,” a slickly produced narration that wrongly claimed a shadowy cabal of elites was using the virus and a potential vaccine to profit and gain power. The video featured a discredited scientist, Judy Mikovits, who said her research about the harm from vaccines had been buried.
“Plandemic” went online May 4 when its maker, Mikki Willis, a little-known film producer, posted it to Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and a separate website set up to share the video. For three days, it gathered steam in Facebook pages dedicated to conspiracy theories and the anti-vaccine movement, most of which linked to the video hosted on YouTube. Then it tipped into the mainstream and exploded.
Just over a week after “Plandemic” was released, it had been viewed more than 8 million times on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and had generated countless other posts. Read more here. —The New York Times
7:47 a.m.: Chicago Teachers Union sues Trump administration and CPS over special education
The Chicago Teachers Union is unhappy with how U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and Chicago Public Schools are handling special education during the coronavirus crisis.
And now Trump’s education chief and CPS are the targets of a federal lawsuit by CTU that seeks an emergency halt to federal and local policies that they say are creating an “impossible burden” on special education teachers and families in CPS.
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Specifically, the union is taking aim at what they say is a directive from CPS to rewrite about 70,000 individual lesson plans for special education students before the school year ends on June 18. Read more here. —Diana Wallace
7:02 a.m.: Fifth CTA employee dies from COVID-19, agency announces
The CTA has confirmed the death of a fifth employee from COVID-19.
The bus driver, whose name, age and sex were not released, was a bus operator who started working for the Chicago Transit Authority in 2012, according to a statement from the CTA.
“It is with great sadness that CTA announces the passing of a fifth member of the CTA family from COVID-19,” according to the emailed statement, which did not say when the driver died.
The agency announced its first employee death from the coronavirus on April 11. In less than six weeks, four other employees would die as a result of COVID-19, including the worker who died most recently.
“The entire CTA family extends its heartfelt sympathies to the family, friends, loved ones and colleagues of this dedicated bus operator,” the statement quotes CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. as saying. “We will collectively remember and honor this employee’s service and commitment to Chicagoans and our city.”
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It wasn’t immediately clear how many of the CTA’s some 11,000 staffers have contracted the virus. By April 19, that number was less than 100, according to the CTA. —Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas
6 a.m.: Illinois General Assembly returns to Springfield as pandemic drives partisan politics and rocks budget plans
The Illinois General Assembly returns to Springfield on Wednesday for the first time in nearly 11 weeks, meeting in a special session that figures to be driven by pandemic-heightened divides between Democrats and Republicans, and urban and rural splits over how to move the state forward in the new world of the coronavirus.
Lawmakers are scheduled to meet for just three days to try to put together a spending plan for the budget year that begins July 1. And they also will have on their plates a coronavirus response package that covers employment, education, health care and the courts, an enhanced vote-by-mail program for November, and a program to provide funding for safety-net hospitals that care for the poor.
But the pandemic has created plenty of unknowns, not the least of which is how far work on a budget can progress without a clear picture of how much relief will be coming from Washington to counter plummeting tax receipts — even as demands for dealing with the state’s most vulnerable residents grows.
The reconvening of the legislature also holds the potential for creating a forum for Republicans eager to challenge Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home orders and plans to reopen Illinois’ economy.
The first item up for consideration in the newly reconvened House provides potential for partisan pandemic pandemonium.
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With a few Downstate Republican lawmakers declaring they will not wear face masks — as recommended by Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines — to show their defiance to Pritzker’s orders, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan is proposing a change to the chamber’s rules to require masks, daily temperature checks and physical distancing.
“After the motion passes, any member in violation of this rule change will face discipline, including potentially being removed from the chamber by a vote of the House,” Madigan said in a statement. Read more here. —Rick Pearson, Jamie Munks, Dan Petrella
6 a.m.: As pandemic upends 2020 census, group turns to StreetWise vendors to reach undercounted community
StreetWise magazine vendors are shifting to census outreach work among the homeless in Chicago. They will be paid by the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, which is among organizations getting state money to communities that risk being undercounted.
Census organizers are hoping workers can help them overcome challenges presented by the pandemic.
Many of the StreetWise vendors live in SROs, are homeless or frequent social services where they come across others they can talk to about the census, according to Julie Youngquist, executive director of StreetWise.
“Those are communities and areas that they are accessing anyways as part of their daily existence,” she said.
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The COVID-19 outbreak and stay-at-home orders caused the U.S. Census Bureau to push back its timeline for the decennial count. The agency had planned to finish collecting data on the country’s population by July 31, but that date has been pushed back to Oct. 31.
The agency was going to work with local service organizations to count the homeless during a three-day operation in late March. It’s now uncertain when that will happen in Chicago. Read more here. —Elvia Malagón
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
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chicagotribune--2020-05-20--Central Michigan town could be under 9 feet of water after dams fail, possibly moving toxic Dow Supe

Central Michigan town could be under 9 feet of water after dams fail, possibly moving toxic Dow Superfund site

Dow said the ponds held only water , and it has detected no chemical releases from the plant in Midland @ @ @ @ @ , though the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said state officials would evaluate the plant when @ @ @ @ @ Once the flooding recedes , Dow will be required to assess the Superfund site — @ @ @ @ @ dumped in the last century — to determine if any contamination was released , the @ @ @

CARLOS OSORIO, COREY WILLIAMS and TAMMY WEBBER

Tyler Marciniak, of Grand Rapids, carries hanging plants through floodwaters as he helps his father, Tom Marciniak, assess the damage to his home on Red Oak Drive on Wixom Lake, on May 19, 2020, in Beaverton, Michigan. (Katy Kildee / Midland Daily News)
MIDLAND, Mich. — Floodwaters surging through Central Michigan on Wednesday were mixing with containment ponds at a Dow Chemical Co. plant and could displace sediment from a downstream Superfund site, though the company said there was no risk to people or the environment.
Dow said the ponds held only water, and it has detected no chemical releases from the plant in Midland where the company was founded, though the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said state officials would evaluate the plant when they’re able. Once the flooding recedes, Dow will be required to assess the Superfund site — contaminated with dioxins the company dumped in the last century — to determine if any contamination was released, the EPA said.
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Meanwhile, the Tittabawassee River crested at just over 35 feet in Midland, about 3 feet below the forecast level.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had warned that the city of 42,000 people could end up under 9 feet of water by Wednesday evening after floodwaters overtook two dams and forced the evacuation of about 10,000 people from their homes.
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But the danger isn't over, and Midland officials asked that residents not return yet. The National Weather Service said communities farther downstream were bracing for flooding in the coming days.
No injuries or fatalities related to the flooding have been reported, Midland spokeswoman Selina Tisdale said.
A view of the flooded area near the Sanford Dam on May 19, 2020. Residents were told to evacuate due to area dams no longer being able to control or contain the amount of water flowing through the spill gates. (Kaytie Boomer/MLive.com/The Bay City Times)
Water rushes through the Edenville Dam on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 in Edenville, Mich. (Katy Kildee/Midland Daily News)
Residents near the river were urged to seek higher ground following what the National Weather Service called “catastrophic dam failures” at the Edenville Dam, about 20 miles northwest of Midland, and the Sanford Dam, about 8 miles downriver.
Midland City Manager Brad Kaye said Wednesday that the Sanford Dam is overflowing but that the extent of structural damage isn’t yet known.
If the entire dam structure were to fail, “there would be a much higher surge that will come down the river and that could raise the level much more quickly than what we’re seeing right at the moment,” Kaye said.
In nearby Edenville, Bob Yahrmarkt, 79, evacuated his home along the river on Tuesday afternoon. He said he couldn’t believe what he saw when he returned Wednesday. “Just devastation,” said Yahrmarkt.
His garage, which housed tools and equipment he amassed over 70 years, was swept away. His home was heavily damaged by water: It has three levels — two beneath the main floor, which itself was more than a foot underwater.
“I’m looking at a sand pile and concrete where the garage was,” Yahrmarkt said, noting that floodwaters also pushed his antique 1953 Ford sedan and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle around in his yard.
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His neighbor, 58-year-old Dan Dionne, returned home to find everything beneath his home washed away.
“I never saw nothing like this,” Dionne said. “We had a flood before, but nothing like this. It’s like someone picked up my garage and shook it. There’s a freezer, refrigerator in my backyard. I don’t know where it’s from.”
Ruins of the Curtis Road Bridge on May 20, 2020, in Edenville Township, north of Midland, Mich. (Jake May/The Flint Journal, MLive.com)
Sunny Clark, her husband Clint and their 8-year-old son Caron, all of Sanford, Mich., walk along what was once the bottom of Wixom Lake on May 20, 2020, in Edenville Township north of Midland. (Jake May/The Flint Journal, MLive.com)
The river topped a previous record of 33.9 feet set in 1986, the National Weather Service said. Its flood stage is 24 feet, and it had been expected to crest at about 38 feet.
Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Midland County, and the towns of Edenville, Sanford and parts of Midland were evacuated, Tisdale, the Midland spokeswoman, said. Midland is about 130 miles north of Detroit.
[ Trump threatens to hold up coronavirus relief money for Michigan, falsely tweeting state sent millions of absentee ballots to voters ]
The governor said her office had been in touch with federal officials and would ask the Federal Emergency Management Agency for support.
“This is an event unlike anything we’ve ever seen before," she said.
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President Donald Trump tweeted that he was closely monitoring the situation and praised first responders. But he also took a jab at Whitmer, whom he has criticized for her stay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of the coronavirus: “We have sent our best Military & @fema Teams, already there. Governor must now ‘set you free’ to help. Will be with you soon!”
The state has been a national hot spot for COVID-19, with more than 52,000 cases and 5,000 deaths, but Midland County has had fewer than 80 cases and under 10 deaths. Still, residents were advised to take precautions and schools set up as shelters spaced cots to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Whitmer said the state would investigate the operators of the dams and “pursue every line of legal recourse we have.”
“The initial readout is that this was a known problem for a while and that’s why its important that we do our due diligence,” Whitmer said.
In 2018, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission revoked Boyce Hydro’s license to operate the Edenville Dam due to non-compliance issues that included spillway capacity and the inability to pass the most severe flood reasonably possible. That year, the state rated the dam, built in 1924, in unsatisfactory condition.
The Sanford Dam, which was built in 1925, received a fair condition rating. Both are in the process of being sold.
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The commission said it has directed Boyce Hydro to establish an independent investigation team to determine the cause of the damage to Sanford Dam, and that it would reach out to state officials regarding the Edenville Dam. It will send an engineer to assist with the investigation when it’s safe to do so.
Dow Chemical has been headquartered in Midland for more than 120 years, and its main plant sits on the city’s riverbank. It is a quintessential company town: One high school is named after the company’s founder, the other high school’s mascot is the Chemics. A Dow foundation has funded many community amenities including a botanical garden, and the city is known for midcentury modern structures first introduced by architect Alden B. Dow.
The company, with 9,000 employees and contractors in Midland, on Tuesday shut down all operating units except those needed to contain chemicals, spokesman Kyle Bandlow said. No chemical releases have been detected, he said.
But the flooding likely will pose a significant setback to the Superfund cleanup, said Allen Burton, a professor of environment and sustainability at the University of Michigan. Dioxins released by Dow contaminated sediments and floodplains along 50 miles of the Tittabawassee and Saginaw rivers to Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay. The federal Superfund program investigates and cleans up toxic waste sites.
Dow and the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy will have to determine where the floodwaters have moved the dioxins, Burton said.
“They knew where all that stuff was, but the power of water is unbelievable and it’s going to move things around,” Burton said.
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The Weather Service issued flood warnings because 4 to 7 inches of rain has fallen since Sunday. Heavy runoff pushed rivers higher. This coming Saturday, there’s a 30% chance of rain, with more moving into the area Sunday and Monday.
“It’s going to continue downriver,” Sara Pampreen, a weather service meteorologist, said. “Just exactly how much, that’s the question.”
[ Roads still flooded, rivers close to cresting as Chicago hits wettest May on record ]
John Flesher contributed from Traverse City, Michigan. Webber reported from Oak Park, Illinois, and Williams from West Bloomfield, Michigan.


chicagotribune--2020-05-20--A Chicago woman launched a computer coding charity for underserved children. Now she’s innovating wa

A Chicago woman launched a computer coding charity for underserved children. Now she’s innovating ways to keep it going during the pandemic.

Two years ago , Caplan launched Code Your Dreams , an after-school program built out of her side job as @ @ @ @ @ about 25 volunteers have partnered with community centers on the South and West sides to @ @ @ @ @ youths so far — a needed service , as students in the poorest high schools @ @ @ @ @ access to computer science classes .

In high school and college, Brianne Caplan felt that learning to code was always out of reach for students like her — a boys’ club she couldn’t access.
“It felt like everyone was pounding at their computers already, at a level I didn’t feel like I would be able to catch up to,” Caplan said. “I felt like I didn’t belong.”
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And although her path to a career in computer science has been more winding than some, she is determined to teach coding skills to any student who wants to learn them — even amid a pandemic.
“Coding is the new literacy, and it is core to the future economy, to the current economy,” she said. “It’s something that everyone is going to need to learn.”
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From her Chicago apartment, Brianne Caplan conducts an online session of CoderHeroes, which introduces kids to the language of computer coding. She asked a student to write code for the steps in making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which got the attention of her dog Piper. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Two years ago, Caplan launched Code Your Dreams, an after-school program built out of her side job as a tutor. She and about 25 volunteers have partnered with community centers on the South and West sides to teach coding to about 250 youths so far — a needed service, as students in the poorest high schools tend to have the least access to computer science classes.
“For my students, the closest free coding program would be an hour bus ride to downtown,” Caplan said. “And that doesn’t make sense to me as being right.”
She has seen its impact on students, like one sixth grader who had trouble focusing in school and experienced trauma from seeing family members shot. Through Code Your Dreams, he built a safety app that could emit a siren noise if the user feels threatened, text emergency contacts with their location and connect them with other resources.
“Coding just sparked something in him,” Caplan said.
From its beginning, Caplan has self-funded Code Your Dreams with the help of a few donors and her paycheck working as a data scientist for Edovo, a Chicago-based software company that provides education and communication programs for incarcerated people.
But the coronavirus pandemic has taken a financial toll — her salary was recently cut 40%, Caplan said. It left her motivated to get Code Your Dreams to a point where it can sustain itself without depending on her personal financial status.
The result: CoderHeroes, which has two services meant to help students citywide learn how to code, while also giving parents a little respite from the challenges of parenting under the stay-at-home order. Its buy-one-give-one model means that families who pay for classes are helping to fund Code Your Dreams programs for students in underserved neighborhoods.
Brianne Caplan has taken her summer coding camps online in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but Code Your Dreams needs more funding to address gaps in access to internet and tech equipment. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Through CoderHeroes, CoderCamp will offer six-week and two-week virtual summer camps for students ages 6-18, at a cost of about $2,100 and $800, respectively. For three hours each weekday, kids will learn how to build an app, conducting research and using Android phones to test it out. Private programs are also available.
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CoderSitters, meanwhile, provides one-on-one interactive activities for children ages 6 and up. “Sitters” work with children — virtually, for the time being — on drawing, prototyping, crafting and brainstorming skills for $35 per hour.
Caplan hopes CoderHeroes can raise $100,000 this summer for Code Your Dreams, which is offering six-week virtual programs through After School Matters and community centers. But there are challenges that come with taking Code Your Dreams virtual: Tutors usually bring wireless hot spots, laptops and Android devices to community centers during in-person classes, and Caplan estimates that half the students don’t have adequate internet service at home.
Making coding lessons available to all students can have a major impact on their future. Research suggests that taking high school coding classes makes minority students far more likely to study computer science in college, helping to bridge the diversity gap in technology.
And that’s why Caplan does what she does — to make sure students now don’t suffer the setbacks she herself faced.
“You can create anything with code. You can solve problems and use your imagination," she said. “You can make something that someone on the other side of the world can use and benefit from. You can make something real.”
archeung@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-20--Pritzker backs down, unmasked lawmaker escorted out: First day of legislature’s special pandemic ses

Pritzker backs down, unmasked lawmaker escorted out: First day of legislature’s special pandemic session a mix of political drama and showmanship

“ So we want to clarify that ( arrest ) is not part of our effort , that if there @ @ @ @ @ , it would not be anything beyond a fine that would be adjudicated in the @ @ @ @ @ some administrative system and not through the criminal courts , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ fair to say we would like to do it with a soft touch .
”

Senators are allowed inside chambers 10 at a time to vote on a measure during a session at the Illinois State Capitol on May 20, 2020, in Springfield, Illinois. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)
Springfield — Faced with the potential of an embarrassing loss to kick off the General Assembly’s special session on Wednesday, Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker backed off a proposal that would have businesses facing a misdemeanor criminal charge for opening in violation of his stay-at-home order.
Pritzker’s decision, amid complaints that proposing a criminal offense carrying a maximum of jail time was too harsh, came as a Downstate Republican lawmaker was ejected from the temporary home of the Illinois House in a bipartisan vote for not wearing a mask in violation of the chamber’s coronavirus-inspired health rules.
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Rep. Darren Bailey of Xenia, an outspoken critic of the Democratic governor’s pandemic orders, chose not to wear a mask to display his defiance to Pritzker. He was asked to comply with the rule and after responding, “I will not. Thank you,” the House voted 81-27 to remove him. He was escorted from the Bank of Springfield convention center.
“The representative has shown a callous disregard for life, callous disregard for people’s health,” Pritzker said. He said the purpose of wearing masks is to protect others “so clearly, the representative has no interest in protecting others.”
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Bailey’s actions on the floor of a convention center that once hosted the Ringling Bros. circus provided the day’s most overt example of political showmanship as lawmakers reconvened for the first time in more than two months. The three-day session is aimed at producing a state budget and relief for residents and businesses hit hard by the coronavirus and stay-at-home orders.
The legislature got an addition to its workload when Pritzker abruptly pulled an emergency rule he proposed Friday that would allow owners of nonessential businesses opened in defiance of his stay-at-home orders to face a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to $2,500 and 364 days in jail.
Pritzker’s emergency rule faced immediate criticism from Republicans as well as some Democrats, though the governor spent days defending it by saying that it was the misdemeanor’s fines that he envisioned for enforcement, not arrest.
“It’s never been my intent to have law enforcement to prosecute somebody or arrest somebody or put them in jail,” Pritzker said. “We wanted to have some kind of enforcement mechanism and I think a citation is the right way to do it. We’ve never looked at the maximum penalty."
Pritzker said that for a business, being fined was preferable to being shut down by the Department of Public Health or having a license revoked by other agencies.
But with a bipartisan legislative rule-making panel prepared to potentially block the rule, the governor had it withdrawn and said lawmakers would craft their own enforcement mechanism.
“I think it’s fair to say that there was a bit of an overreaction to the original rule and that I think was created by the fact that it referred to a Class A misdemeanor,” said state Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, the co-chair of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.
“So we want to clarify that (arrest) is not part of our effort, that if there is any sanction in place, it would not be anything beyond a fine that would be adjudicated in the civil court system or through some administrative system and not through the criminal courts,” he said. “I think it’s fair to say we would like to do it with a soft touch.”
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Brendan Kelly, the director of the Illinois State Police, said law enforcement has been seeking and wants to get from lawmakers an enforcement tool based on “consistency, clarity and fairness.”
“This is probably the most difficult public policy problem that law enforcement has faced, certainly in our lifetimes. Balancing the need for public health and public safety as well as the need for personal rights and personal concerns and the ability for people to live their lives,” he said.
The controversy over the emergency rule was a subset of a larger fight as Republicans, a minority in the legislature, want to challenge Pritzker’s overall “Restore Illinois” phased-in plan to reopen the state’s economy.
Amid growing discontent building throughout the state, including pockets of the suburbs and Downstate reopening in advance of his plan, Pritzker moved Thursday to relax some provisions of his next phase to aid restaurants and encourage outdoor activities — moves perhaps aimed at providing a political pressure release valve.
Earlier in the day, a group of House Republicans called for a vote on Pritzker’s reopening plan, while acknowledging that they didn’t expect to get a roll call from the Democratic-controlled General Assembly.
“I don’t think that the Democrats will agree with us on this. I think that’s the whole point is the fact that the governor has enacted this massive government program, really, under ‘Restore Illinois’ without any input from the legislature,” said Rep. Tim Butler, a Springfield Republican.
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Pritzker’s reopening plan divides the state into four regions, which are under a continued stay-at-home order with modified restrictions that took effect May 1. All four regions are on track to advance to the third phase of reopening on May 29.
Pritzker has repeatedly deflected criticism of the reopening plan, including calls for him to amend it to divide the state into more than four regions, and has said he has acted within the powers given to the governor under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.
“One of the things that business owners who are foaming at the mouth trying to get their businesses reopened in a safe manner and can do that are asking for us, their representatives, to be their voice,” Rep. Dan Brady, a Republican from Bloomington, said. “And that’s simply understood. One of the ways you do that is to have input on plans, on the Restore Illinois plan.”
The smaller state Senate met in its statehouse chambers. As a safety precaution, senators were called to the floor 10 at a time to vote on rules for the special session, which were approved on a 53-1 vote without controversy. Unlike in the House, the special session rules do not require face coverings, but all senators present wore them.
Outside the convention center arena, a group of protesters chanted “Open Illinois,” waved Trump 2020 flags and held signs that read “Pritzker the real virus,” “Don’t let the mask become a muzzle” and “J.B get your foot off my throat.”
The crowd was smaller than some previous Springfield protests on weekends that have brought hundreds of protesters out to the Capitol steps and lawn.
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Few of the 150 or so demonstrators wore masks, a requirement of the modified statewide stay-at-home order that took effect May 1 for people who aren’t able to maintain 6 feet of distance from others in public.
[ When can Illinois reopen? Check our daily charts on where each region stands. ]
[ Republican state Rep. Darren Bailey removed from House session for refusing to wear a face covering ]
Munks reported from Springfield; Petrella and Pearson reported from Chicago.
Chicago Tribune’s Bill Ruthhart contributed.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
rap30@aol.com


chicagotribune--2020-05-20--The Spin: Shutdown showdown as General Assembly reconvenes | Pritzker moves up date to reopen bars,

The Spin: Shutdown showdown as General Assembly reconvenes | Pritzker moves up date to reopen bars, restaurants | Lightfoot marks year in office, asks for ‘prayers’

What the governor had to say when asked this week about it : “ Three years ago when I decided @ @ @ @ @ I put all assets in blind trust form , and they continue to be in @ @ @ @ @ ’ m not involved .
I really don ’ t even know the engagement of @ @ @ @ @ has to do with this , and I ’ m really three years from having @ @ @ @ @ of those .
”

Workers have nearly completed preparations for the arrival of Illinois state representatives at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield. (Ted Schurter/AP)
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced this afternoon that restaurants and bars with outdoor seating could open their doors for alfresco dining and drinking in the next phase of reopening the state’s economy, which is expected to start May 29.
It comes as Illinois lawmakers reconvened in Springfield for a three-day session that showcased an intensifying partisan divide between Republican lawmakers challenging Democrat Pritzker’s emergency stay-at-home order. It continued even after Pritzker scrapped his previous decision to order possible fines and arrests for businesses that ignore his stay-at-home order.
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Some drama played out in the House, too, where lawmakers voted to boot state Rep. Darren Bailey, a downstate Republican, from proceedings after he refused orders to wear a mask.
Marking a year since she was sworn into office, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a thank you via her campaign staff that struck a somber tone that she’ll need “support" and “prayers” to deal with the public health and fiscal crisis the pandemic has only served to deepen. She and others also received some virtual huzzahs from members of the City Council during yet another meeting today via videoconference.
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And in a new campaign email titled “China Lied. Americans Died,” Illinois U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger doesn’t mince words about who he believes is to blame for COVID-19 arriving on U.S. shores. The only Chicago-area Republican in the state delegation, Kinzinger solicits donations in the note to backers, touting his recent appointment to the House GOP China Task Force created, as the mailer explains, “to examine the Communist cover-up, corruption, and failures surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.” U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, of Peoria, also sits on the task force.
Welcome to The Spin.
Empty chairs sit inside the Illinois Senate at the state Capitol building Tuesday Jan. 15, 2019, in Springfield, Ill. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
The governor announced a short time ago he would allow bars and restaurants “to open for outdoor seating on May 29 when the state is expected to enter its next phase for reopening businesses,” the Tribune’s Bill Ruthhart writes.
“Pritzker’s gradual reopening plan previously did not allow bars and restaurants to open to dine-in service until phase four, which regions of the state would not hit until late June," Ruthhart notes. “However, the governor announced he’s reconsidered that stance after consulting with individuals in the bar and restaurant industry and will allow those establishments to hold outdoor dining only in phase three, which all regions of the state are expected to meet next week.”
Sam Toia, president of the Illinois Restaurant Association, was on hand for the governor’s announcement today, thanking the governor — a clear change of heart from earlier this month when he told the Tribune the governor’s plan caught him and other industry leaders flatfooted, suggesting they didn’t have any input in the strategy and that it was a “gut punch” to “hemorrhaging” eateries that have been closed statewide because of the stay-at-home order.
Pritzker also announced today: Once the state hits the May 29 mark, state restrictions would be lifted to allow camping and boating in groups of 10 or less as well as at indoor and outdoor tennis centers, the Tribune’s Ruthhart notes. “The governor also said concession stands would be allowed to reopen under state guidelines and that foursomes once again would be allowed at golf courses and golf carts would be permitted with a limit of one golfer per cart.” Read more here.
Caveat: Local jurisdictions like Chicago that imposed stricter reopening criteria would still follow those local guidelines - Asked today about Pritzker’s May 29 date, Lightfoot didn’t directly say whether the city will be ready to move to phase three at that time, the Tribune’s Gregory Pratt notes. (The mayor says she’s working on plans to reopen the lakefront this summer. See below.)
Dining in the streets? ‘Arlington Heights Alfresco’ plan aims to help restaurants: The Daily Herald’s Christopher Placek has the story about what’s happening in the northwest suburb here.
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The governor’s announcement about lifting restrictions comes as the state marks a grim milestone: Today, state public health officials announced that, to date, Illinois has seen 100,000-plus people who have tested positive for COVID-19 since the outbreak began. In the last 24 hours alone, 147 people in Illinois have died from the virus. More here.
Protesters chant ‘Open Illinois’ outside Springfield convention center where state House is meeting: The Tribune's Jamie Munks has the details here.
Lawmaker booted from session after failing to wear a face mask: Bailey, who hails from Xenia and filed a lawsuit over the governor’s stay-at-home order, was thrown out of the House, which is convening at the downtown Springfield convention center for social distancing purposes. (The Senate, meantime, gathered in its chambers at the statehouse.) Bailey arrived at the session mask-free. House Speaker Michael Madigan successfully pushed a measure to expel those members who don’t follow guidelines.
At his daily briefing, Pritzker said of Bailey: “The representative has shown a callous disregard for life, callous disregard for people’s health,” Pritzker said. “You just had a doctor tell you why people wear masks in the first place. It’s to protect others. So clearly, the representative has no interest in protecting others.” Read Jamie Munks’ story here.
Protesters gather outside the Bank of Springfield Center where the House will hold session today, chanting "Open up the state," "Recall Pritzker," waving Trump 2020 flags and holding signs that say "Don't let the mask become a muzzle" & "Let Illinois Breathe Again". pic.twitter.com/yDduVKNDAt — Jamie Munks (@by_jamiemunks) May 20, 2020
Legislative session: Rent relief in Illinois could be on its way: “If signed into law, the COVID-19 Emergency and Economic Recovery Renter and Homeowner Protection Act, which Chicago Democrat Rep. Delia Ramirez introduced Friday, would cancel rent debt and suspend mortgage payments for those experiencing hardships related to COVID-19,” the Tribune’s Ariel Cheung writes. Read the full story here.
Related: Mayor Lori Lightfoot introduces new tenant rules at City Council meeting today, but advocates say they don’t do enough to protect Chicago renters - Read the story from Tribune’s John Byrne and Pratt here.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker arrives in a mask to speak April 19, 2020, at the Thompson Center during the coronavirus pandemic. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
In recent days, Gov. Pritzker has been asked during his weekday coronavirus briefings about recent social media posts alleging he may be profiting from the pandemic.
The Tribune’s Jamie Munks and Rick Pearson wrote this week: "The Pritzker Group, an investment firm founded by Pritzker and his brother, Anthony, has investments in at least two health care companies involved in testing. The governor had resigned from the firm more than a year before it invested in Cue Health, which announced in March that it had won a $13 million federal contract to develop a new COVID-19 test.
“In addition, the Pritzker Group’s private equity division has owned Tennessee-based Pathgroup since 2016," Munks and Pearson wrote. "The company, which provides myriad testing services for hospitals, announced last month that it would be conducting COVID-19 antibody testing.”
What the governor had to say when asked this week about it: “Three years ago when I decided to run for governor, I put all assets in blind trust form, and they continue to be in that form, so I’m not involved. I really don’t even know the engagement of those businesses in anything that has to do with this, and I’m really three years from having had any knowledge about any of those.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot presides over a City Council meeting April 22, 2020, as Jeff Levine, attorney with the city's Law Department, left, and Mark Flessner, corporation counsel, look on. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
With the Memorial Day weekend approaching, a time when people gather at the lakefront to mark the unofficial start of summer, the mayor is facing increasing pressure to reopen the beaches, paths and parks on Lake Michigan. She ordered them closed after pedestrians, cyclists and others failed to adhere to social distancing rules.
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Pointing to guidance from public health science and experts, the mayor said, “While I don’t believe that it’s a time for us to open up the lakefront” right now, “what I’ve said is at some point this summer the lakefront will open.”
She said it will be done with the input of “a lot of different stakeholders” including aldermen representing lakefront wards from the North Side to the South Side.
She has said access will be limited, explaining: “We cannot have people congregating en masse along the lakefront” a nod to the social distancing experts say is necessary amid a deadly pandemic without a cure. "That’s what we saw before I closed the lakefront.”
The mayor personally misses hanging out on Lake Michigan In a just-released interview on David Axelrod’s podcast “The Axe Files,” the mayor said “Look I get it. I love the lake. There’s nothing more calming to me than ... taking a drive along Lake Shore Drive, finding that little secret spot which I won’t reveal, that I go to just to watch the water and waves. It’s cathartic, and I get it.” But she had no choice but to shut it down after people ignored social distancing rules.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s PAC donating $17K to local charities from sales of “stay home, save lives” meme merchandise: Money raised from the sale of shirts and stickers will go to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Mujeres Latinas en Accion and Thresholds, Lightfoot’s political director, Dave Mellet, tells The Spin.
The Tribune’s Gregory Pratt wrote about the effort earlier this month, which he notes “plays off popular internet memes that depict her enforcing stay-at-home orders. The memes, some of which are collected on the ‘Where’s Lightfoot?’ Instagram page, flooded social media after Lightfoot ordered the city’s Lakefront Trail and key parks closed to the public as an anti-coronavirus measure.”
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Ford temporarily closed its Chicago Assembly Plant after two employees test positive for COVID-19 a day after reopening: The Tribune’s Abdel Jimenez has the details here.
Suburban news: Naperville council adopts resolution denouncing racism and lauding diversity in wake of ‘carpetbagger’ comment — The Naperville Sun’s Erin Hegarty writes that it “comes in response to a woman who called Asian residents supporting a ban on selling recreational marijuana in Naperville ‘roving carpetbaggers.’ Her comment was part of a statement read at a council meeting when the topic was discussed.” Read the full story here.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, shown in February 2020. (Alex Brandon / AP)
From the Tribune’s Diana Wallace and Sophie Sherry: “The Chicago Teachers Union is suing President Donald Trump’s secretary of education, Betsy DeVos, as well Chicago Public Schools, over their handling of special education during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The suit prompted a sharply worded rebuke from DeVos’ office that the union is ‘making excuses’ for its own failures.” Read the story here.
View of the city from the 727 W. Madison building in Chicago, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. Willis Tower (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune) (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The Tribune’s Laura Rodriguez Presa writes: "The Willis Tower, formerly and perhaps better known as the Sears Tower, went dark when its electricity was shut down after heavy rain flooded its lower levels Monday night.
“The power outage kept the building closed to tenants and paused the broadcasting of some TV and radio stations. It also brought a new look to Chicago’s skyline."
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After adjusting and readjusting the antenna, I now know why I haven’t been able to tune into WTTW’s nightly news program “Chicago Tonight”: It’s a TV habit, and when I’ve switched it on the last two evenings a “Digital Channel Signal Strength Is Low" flashes on the screen. The PBS affiliate’s website has a statement pointing to the flooding at Willis Tower. Geoffrey Baer explained in a “Chicago Tonight” segment a few years ago the city’s tallest building is home to the station’s two transmitters. Likewise, WBBM-Ch. 2 is experiencing the same problems as a result of the power outage there, the station is reporting.
Have you seen the creepy pictures of Sears Tower sans lights? Flooding knocked out power to the building. Also, I like that people still call it the Sears Tower. Which reminds me, I need to stop at Hooks on the way home from work today. pic.twitter.com/phspRyfVGl — Sean Copeland (@TheSeanCopeland) May 20, 2020
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Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-05-20--Fire damages home in Lakeview’s Alta Vista Terrace District

The fire began in the garage of the rowhouse in the 3800 block of North Alta Vista Terrace , which @ @ @ @ @ just below the kitchen , according to Battalion Chief John Gruber .
It was out @ @ @ @ @

A small house fire broke out Thursday morning in the Alta Vista Terrace Historic District in Lakeview.
No injuries were reported, and there was no major structural damage, a Chicago Fire Department spokesman said.
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The fire began in the garage of the rowhouse in the 3800 block of North Alta Vista Terrace, which was attached to the basement just below the kitchen, according to Battalion Chief John Gruber. It was out before about 10:45 a.m.
“It’s mostly smoke damage,” Gruber said. “The fire was mostly contained in the garage.”
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House fire on historic Alta Vista Ave. No injuries. Smoke damage mostly and it’s out now. pic.twitter.com/GFGWBwCHsk — Paul Sullivan (@PWSullivan) May 20, 2020
The cause of the fire was not known.
Alta Vista Terrace is a one-block street near Wrigley Field consisting of 20 rowhouses on each side whose designs are mirrored diagonally across the block. It was named a Chicago Historic District in 1971.
psullivan@chicagotribune.com