chicagotribune--2020-09-07--At least 4 people injured in South Shore shooting, officials say

Three males , ages 17 , 31 and 44 , and one woman , age 25 , were hit , @ @ @ @ @ man was taken to South Shore Hospital in good condition with a gunshot wound to @ @ @ @ @ others were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center .

A woman kneels on the ground outside the University of Chicago Medicine's Comer Children's Hospital where Dajore Wilson, 8, was taken after being killed in a shooting that injured three others near the intersection of 47th street and Union Avenue on Sept. 7, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
At least four people were injured in a shooting Sunday evening on the Far South Side, according to Chicago fire and police officials.
A ShotSpotter alert captured more than 15 rounds at 6:45 p.m. in the 7700 block of South Kingston Avenue in the South Shore neighborhood, Chicago police spokesman Ofc. Jose Jara said. People were standing outside on the west sidewalk for a family gathering when a white SUV circled the block and someone inside began firing.
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Three males, ages 17, 31 and 44, and one woman, age 25, were hit, Jara said. The 44-year-old man was taken to South Shore Hospital in good condition with a gunshot wound to the right foot and the others were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center.
The 17-year-old boy was shot in the shoulder, police said. The 31-year-old man was shot in the leg and knee. The 25-year-old woman was shot in the right leg and in good condition.
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All of the victims were in good condition.
No arrests have been made.
The Chicago Fire Department received a call about the shooting around 7 p.m. near East 77th Street and South Kingston Avenue, agency spokesman Cmdr. Frank Velez said. An EMS Plan 1, which sends at least five ambulances to the scene, was ordered minutes later.
Chicago fire had four people taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where their conditions were stabilized, Velez said. One person was taken to South Shore Hospital, where his or her condition was also stabilized.
The Fire Department did not immediately have the victims’ ages, sex or more information on the extent of their injuries.
At the scene, yellow crime scene tape stretched across the one-way residential Kingston Avenue. At least 18 evidence markers were placed in the scene.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.


chicagotribune--2020-09-06--Woman fatally stabbed while working in Wicker Park Walgreens on Sunday morning

A store manager allegedly contacted a former security guard he knew who lived in the area , and that man @ @ @ @ @ , confronting 100-pound Varnado who was suspected of shoplifting , pinning her down and shooting @ @ @ @ @ he knelt on top of her during a violent struggle at 11:30 p.m. at the @ @ @ @ @

Jessica Villagomez, Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas

Police work at the scene where at 32-year-old female employee was fatally stabbed at a Walgreens in the 1300 block of North Milwaukee Avenue on Sept. 6, 2020, in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
A woman who was working at a Wicker Park Walgreens early Sunday was attacked by a knife-wielding man and stabbed to death inside the business, according to Chicago police.
Just after 9:30 a.m., authorities were called to a Walgreens store, 1372 N. Milwaukee Ave., to investigate a homicide, according to police. The 32-year-old woman had been working in the store when she was approached by a man who “stabbed the female victim multiple times and fled the scene,” police said.
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A person of interest is being question as of Monday morning, Chicago police spokeswoman Ofc. Ana Pacheco wrote in an email.
The woman, identified as Olga Calderon, was pronounced dead at 9:55 a.m. at the location, according to the medical examiner’s office.
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Police do not confirm business names, but the parking lot for the Walgreens remained blocked off by yellow police tape Sunday afternoon. A spokeswoman for the Cook County medical examiner’s office also confirmed the woman was pronounced dead at that address.
Chicago police officers work at the scene where a female employee was fatally stabbed by a knife-wielding man at the Walgreens in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago on Sept. 6, 2020. Police were also investigating nearby in the 1300 block of North Wicker Park Avenue. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Standing near the store Sunday afternoon, Officer Jose Jara said
the assailant “walked into the store, identified (the) victim, who is an employee of the store, and stabbed her.”
Detectives are searching the area in hopes of identifying any additional surveillance video that might show the suspect before or after he went into the store. Police also taped off portions of the block at North Wicker Park and North Wolcott Avenue into the afternoon.
Officials said nothing was stolen from the store. It wasn’t clear whether the assailant knew or specifically targeted the woman.
“We cannot provide any further comment (as) this remains an open investigation,” Officer Roberto Garduno, a police spokesman, said in an email.
No arrests had been made.
Police officers let a man and child cross through a blocked-off area near the crime scene after a female employee of Walgreens was fatally stabbed by a knife-wielding man at the store in the 1300 block of North Milwaukee Avenue on Sept. 6, 2020, in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
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In an emailed statement, Jim Cohn, a spokesman for Deerfield-based Walgreens, said the company is cooperating with the police investigation and employees were “saddened to learn of this tragic incident.”
“We are also making counseling and other resources available to our other store team members at this location,” he said.
It was at least the second homicide at a Chicago Walgreens location in a little more than a year. On June 12, 2019, Chicago police began investigating the fatal shooting of another woman, 46-year-old customer Sircie Varnardo.
A store manager allegedly contacted a former security guard he knew who lived in the area, and that man is accused of showing up, confronting 100-pound Varnado who was suspected of shoplifting, pinning her down and shooting her in the face as he knelt on top of her during a violent struggle at 11:30 p.m. at the bustling Northwest Side store.
Louis Hicks, 33, was charged in connection with that homicide at the Walgreens location at 4817 W. Fullerton Ave. Hicks once worked for Monterrey Security and had a record of arrests on drug, assault and impersonating a federal employee charges prior to the 2019 shooting. He was denied bail in that case.
Check back for updates.
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Chicago Tribune’s Rosemary Sobol and Paige Fry contributed.
jvillagomez@chicagotribune.com
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @JessicaVillag
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-09-06--Woman, 20, in critical condition among 3 people shot during drive-by shooting in Gresham

About 1:45 p.m. , police officers were called to the 8000 block of South Green Street , near West 81st @ @ @ @ @ ’ s South Side .
Three people who had been standing in front of a @ @ @ @ @ inside a black sedan , possibly a black Chevrolet Impala , opened fire , according @ @ @ @ @ .

A woman kneels on the ground outside the University of Chicago Medicine's Comer Children's Hospital where Dajore Wilson, 8, was taken after being killed in a shooting that injured three others near the intersection of 47th street and Union Avenue on Sept. 7, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Three people were shot, including a 20-year-old woman who was in critical condition, while they stood outside a home Sunday afternoon in Gresham, Chicago police said.
About 1:45 p.m., police officers were called to the 8000 block of South Green Street, near West 81st Street, on the city’s South Side. Three people who had been standing in front of a home were shot when occupants inside a black sedan, possibly a black Chevrolet Impala, opened fire, according to a statement from investigators.
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A 24-year-old man was shot in the left leg and he was taken to the University of Chicago Hospital, where he was in serious condition after he was stabilized, police said.
The woman, 20, was shot in the chest. She was taken to the University of Chicago Hospital, where she was in critical condition, according to police.
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Another man, 22, was in fair condition at St. Bernard Hospital after being shot in the hand, officials said.
The shooter or shooters fled in the black sedan and no arrests have been made. The shooting remains under investigation.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-09-06--Labor Day weekend violence in Chicago

Labor Day weekend violence in Chicago

Each year , the U.S. spends an astounding $ 100 billion on beer .
Between pints over brunch and after-work sessions , beer holds a prominent place in the American lifestyle , comprising 85 % of the country ’ s alcoholic beverage market .
But the obsession with beer does n't stop with the average consumer , as sharing a round of brews has come to epitomize comradery , celebration , or just simple enjoyment across the worlds of entertainment , politics , sports , and business .
Over the last few decades , the beer landscape has evolved considerably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the consolidation of major brands .
In 2018 , America had over 7,000 breweries producing almost 195 million barrels of beer .
This wasn ’ t always the case .
In fact , as recently as the 1970s , many beer lovers feared that big brewers would completely dominate the industry with their cheap , flavorless lagers and that America ’ s best beer-making days were long behind it .
Those little producers , the craft and microbreweries , saved the industry and made America ’ s beer industry the largest and most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a craft brewery is defined as making less than 6 million barrels per year and a microbrewery produces less than 15,000 barrels annually .
To help understand how these changes impact average beer drinks , Stacker analyzed average price data for 16-ounce malt beverages from 1995 to 2020 along with CPI changes from 1952 to 1995 for at-home consumption of beer , ale , and other malt beverages , both provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( BLS ) .
The national CPI was used to adjust for inflation , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of breweries each year from the Brewer 's Association was added in to complete the analysis .
Read on to rediscover a time where you could get a refreshing pint for under a quarter—and you had to work a little harder to find a brewery to call your own .

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 19
A woman kneels on the ground outside the University of Chicago Medicine's Comer Children's Hospital where Dajore Wilson, 8, was taken after being killed in a shooting that injured three others near the intersection of 47th street and Union Avenue on Sept. 7, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)


chicagotribune--2020-09-06--Pro-police demonstrators outnumber activists calling for abolishing police at Chicago Ridge rally

Ochoa , who organized another rally back in June in Ashburn , said the demonstration was designed to create an @ @ @ @ @ neighbors in an effort to get justice for those who have been wronged by the @ @ @ @ @ always to do so peacefully .

A weekend march to demand the abolition of police, prisons and immigration enforcement in Chicago Ridge drew just a handful of demonstrators and faced off with counter protesters who showed up to speak in support of the police.
Dump trucks barricaded entrances to the Chicago Ridge Mall on the 95th Street side while Chicago Ridge and Oak Lawn police set up a mobile command center in the parking lot after a flyer circulated online promoted a 3 p.m. march Saturday in the parking lot of the vacant Sears property. It was expected to move through Oak Lawn, Hometown, Burbank, Chicago Ridge and Chicago’s Ashburn neighborhood.
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Chicago Ridge Police Chief Robert Pyznarski said the heavy law enforcement presence was needed because officials thought there would be a larger crowd and some situations have escalated around the nation. While Oak Lawn police were informed of the expected route, Pyznarski said Chicago Ridge only learned about the march online.
“We didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “If they’re peaceful, no big deal.”
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Roughly an hour after the planned start, only five protesters — including organizer Stephany Ochoa — were on site. A few minutes later, one person left and the other four tried to enter the mall to share their message. A line of security officers met them at the door and turned them away.
“We have to have some alliance in the south suburban towns in the Chicagoland,” Ochoa said. “There have been protests but no action.” The posts promoting the event called for “police, prison & ICE abolition”and “reallocation of police funds for justice to be served to those who have been wronged by the system.”
Dump trucks block entrances to Chicago Ridge Mall on the 95th Street side near the vacant Sears store Saturday in anticipation of a demonstration. (Bill Jones / Daily Southtown)
The group moved along the perimeter of the building along the Ridgeland side, before heading out to one of the entrances and along the sidewalk. Ochoa primarily chanted “Black Lives Matter” on a megaphone, with others reciting it in response.
They were met along Ridgeland Avenue by Pete Thompson, of Bridgeview, wearing a MAGA 2020 T-shirt with a blue line in support of police. He and another counter-protester pointed at the group and shouted “all lives matter” in response to their chants.
Thompson said he came to the mall because — despite the group largely speaking a Black Lives Matter message — the event originally called for a reallocation of police funds.
“We love our police,” Thompson said. “They risk their (expletive) lives every day. They’re going to spit on them? You have to say something. I’m not going to just let them walk.”
Rick Meskauskas, of Oak Lawn, raises a flag in support of police in front of Chicago Ridge Mall, on the 95th Street side. (Bill Jones / Daily Southtown)
After the group rounded the corner to head west on 95th Street, they were met by more counter-protesters. All told, Ochoa’s group was outnumbered by counter-protesters. Among those counter-protesters were Rick Meskauskas, of Oak Lawn, and Joe Amado, of Chicago Ridge.
“I always support the police,” Meskauskas said.
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Amado said he similarly was there to “back the blue” close to his neighborhood. “Defunding the police is ridiculous, asinine,” Amado said. “You can quote me on that. I came out here to support police who put their lives on the line.”
The groups exchanged a bit of shouting for a few minutes near one of the mall’s entrances, with oscillating “Black Lives Matter” and “Back the Blue” chants. Then, the protesters moved east again down 95th Street before moving into Oak Lawn with just three members.
Anthony William Abrams, of Oak Lawn, was not part of the group protesting. But he pulled into the parking lot , stopped his car in a stall along 95th Street, climbed onto his roof wearing a shirt in support of Black Lives Matter and raised a fist — jawing a bit with the nearby counter-protesters.
“I just passed this,” Abrams said of what prompted the show of solidarity. “There is an undeniable divide between races, and it disgusts me as someone who loves everyone.
What better to do on a Saturday? Plus, I got to piss some old white people off.”
Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >
Ochoa, who organized another rally back in June in Ashburn, said the demonstration was designed to create an alliance with her south suburban neighbors in an effort to get justice for those who have been wronged by the system. The intention was always to do so peacefully.
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Stephany Ochoa leads chants in front of one of the entrances to Chicago Ridge Mall after being denied entry by security. (Bill Jones / Daily Southtown)
“We just want to get the conversation going. A lot of people don’t think this is a problem. To get the discussion going would be a good start,” she said. “[Abolishing police] sounds very radical, but it’s not impossible.”
Nick Alonzo, of Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood, joined her in trying to share that message. As someone who is both Puerto Rican and Black, Alonzo said he grew up in Roseland recognizing early in life the segregation that exists in Chicago. He thought the message of the group was one the south suburbs needed to hear.
“The towns like this don’t care or want to pay attention because it doesn’t happen here as much,” he said. “It’s a whole different vibe when you’re not in the city and experiencing it.”
Anthony William Abrams, 19, of Oak Lawn, stands on the hood of his car and raises a fist in support of the Black Lives Matter movement along 95th Street. Abrams said he was not part of a Saturday demonstration, but when he saw counter protesters he decided to stop and show his support for the cause. (Bill Jones / Daily Southtown)
He said the turnout was a disappointment. While other protest events were taking place around the city that may have split numbers, Alonzo said he thinks some people also might have been scared away by the backlash they saw online.
“You’re fighting for a message, to put awareness out there,” Alonzo said. “It’s sad things had to be a bust, especially when I support the message.”
Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.


chicagotribune--2020-09-06--Hammond man says he won’t press charges in downtown Highland shooting: police

The victim , who was alert and bleeding from his right arm , told officers he and a friend had @ @ @ @ @ after the two , with another group of people , left a 45th Street bar @ @ @ @ @ .
As he was getting out of the car , Banasiak said , he heard @ @ @ @ @ name , then turned to see a man dressed in black holding a gun before @ @ @ @

A Hammond man was shot early Sunday morning in a downtown Highland parking lot is declining to press charges should the suspect be found, according to police.
The shooting happened at around 2:19 a.m. in a parking lot east of Growler’s Bar, 2816 Highway Ave., Highland Police spokesman Cmdr. John Banasiak said Sunday in a release. The parking lot is next to Fagen-Miller Funeral Home and across the street from Langel’s Pizza, 2833 Highway Ave., in the heart of the town’s business district.
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Officers were dispatched to the lot on a call of gunshots heard coming from there; they found the man in the alley near the back doorway of Growlers, Banasiak said.
The victim, who was alert and bleeding from his right arm, told officers he and a friend had just pulled in the lot after the two, with another group of people, left a 45th Street bar in Griffith, Banasiak said. As he was getting out of the car, Banasiak said, he heard a man call out his name, then turned to see a man dressed in black holding a gun before he shot him.
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The 34-year-old victim, who was taken to an area hospital for what appears to be non-life-threatening injuries, told Highland investigators “he does not wish to pursue charges against any suspect,” Banasiak said. Should the suspect be caught, however, Highland Police would bring charges to the Lake County prosecutor.
The shooter has neither been located nor identified yet, Banasiak said.
Banasiak said the department will refer the shooting to the Indiana State Excise Police for review as well.
The investigation is ongoing, and the Highland Police Department is asking anyone with any information to please contact Highland Police Department Detective Lee Natelborg at 219-838-3184.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-09-06--Severe weather including gusty winds, hail, rain, chance of tornadoes to accompany systems moving th

Severe weather including gusty winds, hail, rain, chance of tornadoes to accompany systems moving through Chicagoland on Sunday

At 9 a.m. , the weather service said a severe thunderstorm watch that had earlier been in effect was allowed @ @ @ @ @ morning system wasn ’ t going to have much of an effect on area residents @ @ @ @ @ “ the degree of clearing and warming ” to determine how significantly afternoon or early @ @ @ @ @ area , saying , “ The risk for severe storms will return for northern Illinois @ @

Northern Illinois is in for some severe weather Sunday, according to meteorologists who say hail, strong winds and widespread rain is expected as two systems — with the potential to spawn a few tornadoes — move through the area.
The National Weather Service said the strong winds, which could top out about 45 mph, aren’t directly associated with either of the two systems moving through. The first system should move in Sunday morning and the second is possible in the afternoon or evening.
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At 9 a.m., the weather service said a severe thunderstorm watch that had earlier been in effect was allowed to expire, suggesting the morning system wasn’t going to have much of an effect on area residents. Meteorologists are to monitor “the degree of clearing and warming” to determine how significantly afternoon or early evening storms could affect the area, saying, “The risk for severe storms will return for northern Illinois.”
This Severe T-Storm Watch has been allowed to expire. The risk for severe storms will return for northern Illinois early this evening. How much so and for how much of the area will be dictated by the degree of clearing and warming this afternoon. #ILwx https://t.co/cVa5sIpIU2 — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) September 6, 2020
Forecasters previously were calling for the morning system to potentially drop hail as large as an inch in diameter south and west of a line from Rochelle to Rensselaer, which didn’t seem to materialize. Still, widespread rain, along with embedded storms, could continue throughout the morning, forecasters said.
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“Additional storms will be possible late this afternoon and evening. These storms would have the potential to quickly become severe, with all severe weather threats possible, including a few tornadoes,” the weather service said.
That second system in the afternoon has a higher likelihood of becoming severe, with hail, tornadoes and storm-level winds.
Widespread rain along with embedded storms to continue through the A.M. Any severe weather threat is lowering but some gusty winds are likely, including even apart from storms especially in far northern IL. After storms clear, gusty winds area wide this afternoon/eve. #ILwx #INwx pic.twitter.com/03QAF3Kut1 — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) September 6, 2020
Severe weather is not expected in the weather service’s entire coverage area, but “some gusty winds are likely, including even apart from storms especially in far northern Illinois. After the storms clear, gusty winds are expected area wide this afternoon into early evening,” it said.
[5:00 AM 9/6/2020] Strong (non-thunderstorm-related) winds are expected today, mainly this afternoon and early evening. Secure any loose objects with a period of 35-45 mph gusts expected today. #ILwx #Inwx pic.twitter.com/k8Xg5MjWMI — NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) September 6, 2020
Meteorologists said residents should prepare for afternoon winds by securing tents or any outdoor structures, particularly ahead of 3 p.m., when southwest gusts of 35 to 45 mph are possible. The wind threat will be strongest until 10 p.m., it said. Loose objects will be blown around and some weakened tree limbs could fall, said forecasters, who added there’s a chance of gale-force winds on Lake Michigan.
Rip currents also are possible in the lake and conditions will be poor for swimming or sailing. Illinois’ Lake County beaches are particularly vulnerable to a rip current threat, meteorologists said.
Visit the Tribune’s weather page for more information. Check back for updates.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-09-06--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-09-06--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital data in your area

Among the metrics ( see below ) tracked under guidelines set by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of @ @ @ @ @ , the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses , and the capacity of hospitals @ @ @ @ @ state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics @

Note: With Chicago and Illinois moving into phase 5, the Tribune is no longer updating this data. If the state moves back into bridge phase, the Tribune we reassess. Daily metrics on COVID-19, like cases, deaths and hospitalizations, can be found here. And Daily metrics on the vaccination effort can be found here. More on where the coronavirus stands nationally and around the world can be found here.
To assess how different parts of Illinois are handling the COVID-19 pandemic, officials look at the state through the 11 regions of Emergency Medical Services. The city of Chicago is one region, for example, and the rest of Cook County is another.
Among the metrics (see below) tracked under guidelines set by Gov. J.B. Pritzker are the percentage of coronavirus tests that return positive, the number of people hospitalized for COVID-19-like illnesses, and the capacity of hospitals to take in new patients.The state will decide how much or how little to restrict activities based on these metrics. (Cases, deaths and tests data is as of Dec. 31).
• Check out the Tribune’s coronavirus coverage.
• Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus.
• Other Chicago, suburbs and Illinois COVID-19 metrics.
• See how the governor’s plan to manage the regions works.
Source: Illinois Department of Public Health
Created by the Chicago Tribune dataviz team. On Twitter @chitribgraphics


chicagotribune--2020-09-06--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 5 new deaths, 1,403 new confirmed cases and 46,496 new test resul

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 5 new deaths, 1,403 new confirmed cases and 46,496 new test results

Illinois announced 1,403 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Sunday for a total of 249,580 .
The state also announced 5 @ @ @ @ @ of 8,171 and 46,496 new test results for a total of 4.42 million .

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


chicagotribune--2020-09-06--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,403 new known confirmed cases of COVID-19, 5 additional deaths re

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,403 new known confirmed cases of COVID-19, 5 additional deaths reported Sunday

The statement , which has not yet been finalized , is meant to reassure the public that the companies will @ @ @ @ @ of vaccines under political pressure from the Trump administration .
President Donald Trump has pushed @ @ @ @ @ available by October — just before the presidential election — and a growing number of @ @ @ @ @ health experts have expressed concern over what they see as a pattern of political arm-twisting @ @ @ @ @ its efforts to combat the virus .

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Heading into the Labor Day weekend, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview this week that Illinois and a half-dozen other states with increasing COVID-19 numbers are at risk for a surge in cases over the holiday, according to a Bloomberg report.
On Monday, Illinois health officials announced 1,381 new known cases of COVID-19 and eight additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 250,961 and the statewide death toll to 8,179 since the start of the pandemic.
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This comes days after a significant slowdown in the agency’s test reporting earlier last week led to a backlog that resulted in a unusually high daily count on Friday of both newly diagnosed cases, 5,368, and tests, 149,273.
Additionally, Lake County landed on the Illinois Department of Public Health weekly coronavirus warning list on Friday, one of 29 counties the state put on alert leading into Labor Day weekend.
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Suburban Cook County was not on the weekly list, though it had been a week earlier.
Here’s what’s happening this holiday weekend with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
Monday
‘It’s just sad’: On Navy Pier’s final day until spring, patrons and merchants rue another COVID-19 shutdown
On the surface, it was just another Labor Day at Navy Pier.
Crowds wandered the 3,300-foot-long strip with ice cream cones or dog leashes in their hands, enjoying a brisk northerly breeze that etched whitecaps onto the surface of Lake Michigan and kept the temperature pleasantly mild.
But a closer look revealed the crowd was nowhere near as thick as it normally would be. Numerous restaurants were closed, while others served just a handful of patrons. Some of the massive tour boats that normally would be circling the lake floated idly without a passenger or crew member in sight.
So it went on the last day Navy Pier was open before shutting down — again — in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of Illinois’ most popular tourist attractions, the pier closed from mid-March to June, but even after its reopening, attendance has been only 15% of its normal level, spokeswoman Payal Patel said.
That prompted Navy Pier officials to suspend operations once more until spring. The exact date remains undetermined and could be moved up if a vaccine comes online earlier than expected, Patel said.
“We are remaining fluid and will take each day as it comes,” she said.
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Read more here. —John Keilman
The Summer of COVID-19 ends with US health officials worried about another surge following Labor Day
The Lost Summer of 2020 drew to a close Monday with many big Labor Day gatherings canceled across the U.S. and health authorities pleading with people to keep their distance from others so as not to cause another coronavirus surge like the one that followed Memorial Day.
Downtown Atlanta was quiet as the 85,000 or so people who come dressed as their favorite superheroes or sci-fi characters for the annual Dragon Con convention met online instead. Huge football stadiums at places like Ohio State and the University of Texas sat empty. Many Labor Day parades marking the unofficial end of summer were called off, and masks were usually required at the few that went on.
“Please, please do not make the same mistakes we all made on Memorial Day weekend. Wear your masks, watch your distance and wash your hands,” said Dr. Raul Pino, state health director in Orange County, Florida, which includes the Orlando area.
The U.S. had about 1.6 million confirmed COVID-19 cases around Memorial Day, before backyard parties and other gatherings contributed to a summertime surge. It now has more than 6.2 million cases, according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University. Deaths from the virus more than doubled over the summer to nearly 190,000.
Read more here. —Associated Press
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Hopes fading for COVID-19 relief deal as Congress returns
At least there won’t be a government shutdown.
But as lawmakers straggle back to Washington for an abbreviated preelection session, hopes are dimming for another coronavirus relief bill — or much else.
Talks between top Democrats and the Trump administration broke off last month and remain off track, with the bipartisan unity that drove almost $3 trillion in COVID-19 rescue legislation into law this spring replaced by toxic partisanship and a return to Washington dysfunction.
Expectations in July and August that a fifth bipartisan pandemic response bill would eventually be birthed despite increased obstacles has been replaced by genuine pessimism. Recent COVID-related conversations among key players have led to nothing.
Read more here. —Associated Press
1,381 new known COVID-19 cases, 8 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Monday announced 1,381 new known cases of COVID-19 and eight additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 250,961 and the statewide death toll to 8,179 since the start of the pandemic.
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—Chicago Tribune staff
From death row to model inmate, Renaldo Hudson set free after 37 years. ‘I was preparing to die. I wasn’t preparing for this moment.’
Nearly four decades ago, 19-year-old Renaldo Hudson talked his way into the South Side apartment of a retired carpenter under the guise of fixing a broken light fixture.
Instead, in a drug-fueled robbery plot, Hudson stabbed the elderly man dozens of times, then set his apartment ablaze to hide what he had done. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to die, a punishment later commuted to life without the possibility of parole.
As time passed, the violent, angry teenager grew into a model prisoner and mentor to other inmates. A grade school dropout unable to read or write when he entered prison, Hudson created a statewide essay contest that resulted in a book, started a prison newspaper and helped develop other rehabilitative programs. Three years ago, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Christian studies.
His road to redemption began when he still was on death row and culminated last Wednesday when, at 56, he walked out of a medium-security prison in downstate Illinois and became a free man for the first time since 1983. Gov. J.B. Pritzker commuted Hudson’s life sentence to time served in the latest round of executive clemency decisions since the COVID-19 public health crisis began.
Read more here. —Christy Gutowski
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Teaching to empty classrooms: For some educators, giving lessons from school to students watching from home ‘helps it look and feel more normal’
When school districts across the Chicago area scuttled plans to reopen school buildings, officials said the last-minute shift to remote learning was imperative to ensure the health and safety of students and teachers.
Many teachers unions applauded the shift, saying that bringing students and teachers together for in-person instruction could be dangerous and even deadly. But the pivot to remote learning was unpopular among many parents who’d hoped for classrooms to reopen. Some parents — as well as President Donald Trump — suggested teachers should be considered essential workers and should instruct from their school buildings.
Now, in some suburban districts, the new school year has begun with a different kind of remote learning: The students are still at home, but the majority of teachers are back in the classroom.
Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta
Nick Cordero, Broadway star who died of coronavirus, remembered during emotional memorial
Nick Cordero, the Broadway actor who died in July of coronavirus at the age of 41, was remembered Sunday as a mega-talent with a commanding presence and husky baritone, who remained humble about his many successes when not taking center stage.
The Tony-nominated star of “Bullets Over Broadway,” “The Toxic Avenger” and “Waitress” was honored at a special memorial tribute that streamed on Broadway on Demand. The spiritual center of Cordero’s work life may be closed, but for two hours, at least, members of the showbiz community gathered virtually to celebrate Cordero’s life with songs from the musicals he appeared in and personal remembrances of a promising career cut short.
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Read more here. —Variety
Sunday
1,403 new known COVID-19 cases, 5 additional deaths reported
On Sunday, Illinois health officials announced 1,403 new known cases of COVID-19 and 5 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 249,580 and the statewide death toll to 8,171 since the start of the pandemic.
—Chicago Tribune staff
From wake-up calls to wellness checks, how CPS is trying to make sure no child is left disconnected as remote learning resumes Tuesday
From exhausting phone trees and dropping off Chromebooks to calling police for wellness checks, social workers, counselors and other support staff in Chicago Public Schools have gone to great lengths to track down students who aren’t connecting with their schools during remote learning.
With a new school year starting remotely on Tuesday, school communities are redoubling their efforts, while also figuring out how to build new relationships virtually with incoming kindergartners and high school freshmen.
Read more here. —Hannah Leone
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Saturday
Competing drug companies plan joint statement on vaccine safety, pledging not to prematurely release treatments
A group of drug companies competing with one another to be among the first to develop coronavirus vaccines are planning to pledge early next week that they will not release any vaccines that do not follow rigorous efficacy and safety standards, according to representatives of three of the companies.
The statement, which has not yet been finalized, is meant to reassure the public that the companies will not seek a premature approval of vaccines under political pressure from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has pushed for a vaccine to be available by October — just before the presidential election — and a growing number of scientists, regulators and public health experts have expressed concern over what they see as a pattern of political arm-twisting by the Trump administration in its efforts to combat the virus.
Read more here. —The New York Times
2,806 new known COVID-19 cases, 23 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Saturday announced 2,806 new known cases of COVID-19 and 23 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 248,177 and the statewide death toll to 8,166 since the start of the pandemic.
It is unclear if the previously reported backlog from earlier in the week affected the number of new known coronavirus infections reported Saturday.
—Chicago Tribune staff
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Northeastern University dismisses 11 students who gathered in same hotel room, violating social distance rules, and won’t refund tuition
Northeastern University said Friday it has dismissed 11 freshman students for the fall semester for violating campus social distancing guidelines after they were discovered in the same hotel room.
The students were given 24 hours to leave the Boston campus and were ordered to undergo COVID-19 tests, the university said in a statement. It said any who test positive would be moved into isolated wellness housing rather than sent home, to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Northeastern said the 11 people, whose names were not released, were part of an international experience for first-year students. It said they were among more than 800 students housed in two-person rooms at the Westin Hotel not far from the main campus.
Read more here. —Associated Press


chicagotribune--2020-09-06--Jacob Blake says he’s in constant pain from Kenosha police shooting in video released on Twitter

Blake , who is Black , was shot in the back by a white police officer on Aug. 23 after @ @ @ @ @ and two others who were trying to arrest him .
The officer , Rusten Sheskey @ @ @ @ @ opened his own SUV ’ s driver-side door and leaned into the vehicle .
The @ @ @ @ @ and posted online , sparking several nights of protests and unrest in Kenosha , a @ @ @ @ @ Milwaukee and Chicago .

Madison Taft and Black Lives Matter activists march through a Kenosha neighborhood Jan. 5, 2021, after news that no charges will be issued against the Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Jacob Blake has spoken publicly for the first time since a Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer shot him seven times in the back, saying he’s in constant pain from the shooting, which doctors fear will leave him paralyzed from the waist down.
In a video posted Saturday evening on Twitter by his family’s lawyer, Ben Crump, Blake said from his hospital bed that, “Twenty-four hours, every 24 hours it’s pain, nothing but pain. It hurts to breathe, it hurts to sleep, it hurts to move from side-to-side, it hurts to eat.”
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Blake, a 29-year-old father of six, said he has staples in his back and stomach.
“Your life, and not only just your life, your legs, something you need to move around and forward in life, can be taken from you like this,” Blake said, snapping his fingers.
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#JacobBlake released this powerful video message from his hospital bed today, reminding everyone just how precious life is. #JusticeForJacobBlake pic.twitter.com/87CYlgPDBj — Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) September 6, 2020
He added: “Stick together, make some money, make everything easier for our people out there, man, because there’s so much time that’s been wasted.”
Blake, who is Black, was shot in the back by a white police officer on Aug. 23 after walking away from the officer and two others who were trying to arrest him. The officer, Rusten Sheskey, opened fire after Blake opened his own SUV’s driver-side door and leaned into the vehicle. The shooting was captured on video and posted online, sparking several nights of protests and unrest in Kenosha, a city of about 100,000 between Milwaukee and Chicago.
Sheskey and the other officers who were at the scene were placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. None of them have been charged.
Blake, who had an outstanding arrest warrant when he was shot, pleaded not guilty Friday to charges accusing him of sexually assaulting a woman in May and waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Blake appeared remotely via video conference from his Milwaukee hospital bed, wearing a dress shirt and tie. He spoke only to respond to the judge’s questions.
The state Justice Department has said a knife was recovered from Blake’s vehicle, but it has not said whether he was holding it when officers tried to arrest him.
The man who made the widely seen cellphone video of the shooting, 22-year-old Raysean White, said he saw Blake scuffling with three officers and heard them yell, “Drop the knife! Drop the knife!” before gunfire erupted. He said he didn’t see a knife in Blake’s hands.
The Kenosha police union said Blake had the knife and refused orders to drop it. Blake fought with police, including putting one officer in a headlock, the union said. Police twice used a Taser, which did not stop Blake.


chicagotribune--2020-09-06--1 dead, 3 injured after vehicle hits pole in Lake Shore Drive crash, police say

A female passenger , who also hasn ’ t been identified , was pronounced dead at the scene , police @ @ @ @ @ , a 27-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man , were also taken to the University @ @ @ @ @ fair condition .

One person is dead and three others are injured after the driver of a Mitsubishi sedan lost control and hit a light pole while driving on Lake Shore Drive early Sunday, according to preliminary information from the Chicago police.
The crash occurred just before 4:30 a.m. in the 3000 block of South Lake Shore Drive, police said. Four people were inside the sedan, which was traveling southbound.
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The male driver, who has not been identified, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said.
A female passenger, who also hasn’t been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Two other passengers, a 27-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man, were also taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition.
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The crash is under investigation.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-09-05--Biker who was told to ‘go back to where you’re from’ returns to Winnetka pier for a welcome ride

Riders said they showed up to make clear that they , the mostly white North Shore citizens , don ’ @ @ @ @ @ by Irene Donoshaytis of Northfield , who appeared in court this week facing a class @ @ @ @ @ .
Winnetka has about 12,500 residents .
Ninety percent are white ; census data from @ @ @ @ @ Black residents at zero because there are so few .
Neighboring Northfield , with about @ @ @ @ @ the same .
Glencoe too ; about 1 % of the roughly 8,900 residents are @ @

Otis Campbell, center left, leads a group of bicyclists to Tower Road Beach, Sept. 5, 2020, in Winnetka. About 75 bicyclists rode with Campbell from the Tower Road Boat Launch in Northfield to Tower Road Beach as a gesture of solidarity, after an Aug. 17 incident when Campbell was harassed and threatened by area resident Irene Donoshaytis for being at the beach pier with friends following a 15-mile bicycle ride. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Friendly people at Saturday’s bike ride kept saying, “Welcome.”
In truth, Otis Campbell didn’t feel unwelcome, even after a white woman — who was arrested and later charged with a hate crime — accosted him on the Winnetka pier where he and friends ended a long bike ride on Aug. 17. In the now widely circulated video Campbell took of the encounter, the woman tells him to “go back to where you’re from.” He lives in Skokie.
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“I went to Niles North,” the 25-year-old said on Saturday, standing among a crowd of cyclists gathered to ride with him to the pier and make the point that Campbell, and Black people generally, are welcome in Winnetka. He regularly rides his Schwinn through the North Shore suburbs. He has a specialty sneaker business, has a background in computers and likes anime.
One white woman insisting he wasn’t welcome did not make him question what he believed about himself or his belonging, he said. He thinks she made some assumptions about him, perhaps. But she didn’t even know him.
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When one of the organizers of the welcome ride, meant to be a message of anti-racism, told Campbell, “Welcome back to Tower Road,” he laughed. He’d already been back on rides.
“I honestly never intended to not go back. There was never any type of animosity against Winnetka or anybody from the North Shore or any white person in general. It was just one instance. I’m taking it as a little hiccup in the world of Otis at the moment,” Campbell said the day before the ride.
Holding a microphone set up to kick things off on Saturday, he told cyclists: “All your Black friends get judged every day. This happened. Now is the time to stand up against it.”
Otis Campbell uses a microphone and speaker to thank supporters and friends after a bicycle ride to Tower Road Beach on Sept. 5, 2020, in Winnetka. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
By the time riders took off on the trail toward the pier, there were more than 75 of them. Some carried posters meant for onlookers. One said, “Not a Racist? Great! COME JOIN US.”
Dozens more waited at the pier. Natalie Anthony, who lives on the east side of Glenview, saw the video Campbell took at the pier a couple of weeks ago and messaged him directly on Twitter to say she’d like to ride with him. It grew from there as a group of her friends helped organize the ride; she’d never done something like that before.
“I’m raising mixed-race kids on the North Shore,” she said. Explaining that she initially wasn’t sure how to take action, she said that liking anti-racist messages on Facebook didn’t feel like enough. “I can get off the couch and show I care.”
Riders said they showed up to make clear that they, the mostly white North Shore citizens, don’t share the views expressed by Irene Donoshaytis of Northfield, who appeared in court this week facing a class 4 felony hate crime charge. Winnetka has about 12,500 residents. Ninety percent are white; census data from 2018 registers the percentage of Black residents at zero because there are so few. Neighboring Northfield, with about 5,500 residents, is about the same. Glencoe too; about 1% of the roughly 8,900 residents are Black.
“There are a lot of folks on the North Shore who don’t feel welcome here, don’t feel like they belong, and there are a lot of people who make people feel like they don’t belong,” said Patrick Hanley, a Winnetka community activist who has spent the summer helping organize anti-racism walks and Zoom seminars about racism. He helped with the bike ride too. “White folks have a hard time contextualizing Black people being in the north suburbs.”
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Hanley talked about a man who lives in Winnetka and works at a coffee shop. People are friendly to him there. But when he was out in the community walking his dog, he was met with stares, somehow out of place and less welcome.
Supporters of Otis Campbell raise signs at a rally after a bicycle ride to Tower Road Beach on Sept. 5, 2020, in Winnetka. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)
Ami Desai Das, a physician and community activist also from the east side of Glenview who was helping lead the ride, told the group of cyclists preparing to ride a story of her friend’s recent experience being confronted in an ice cream shop.
“A prominent white lawyer comes up to her and says, stop speaking Spanish,” she said. “We can’t let that happen again and again and again.”
Not all racism involves a white woman screaming at a Black man that he doesn’t belong in her neighborhood. Even as she leads school diversity and equity committees, and talks about racist language and the experiences of people of color in her community, Desai Das said she regularly encounters people who don’t believe racism still exists.
Saturday’s organizers and riders came because they do.
It was about “just showing up and saying we have a voice, to show there are more of us than those disgusting people who don’t create an inclusive environment,” Karl Bilimoria said.
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A couple of miles from the Tower Road Boat Launch, where the group began, as the ride neared the pier where Campbell had been told he wasn’t welcome, girls and boys smiled and held signs that said, “Welcome Otis and Friends.”
As he and his friend prepared to begin the route, Campbell said again that he never felt unwelcome. But with so many more riders there than he expected with a “Welcome” message, he said his heart was racing.
“All this is love,” he said.


chicagotribune--2020-09-08--Young girl, 3 adults shot in car on South Side

So far this year , at least 175 children ages 16 or younger have been shot in Chicago , with @ @ @ @ @ dying , according to Tribune data .
Of those , at least 45 children age @ @ @ @ @ shot , five of them fatally .
In total , more than 2,850 people have @ @ @ @ @ this year , at least 464 of them fatally .

Police work the scene where an 8-year-old girl was killed and three adults were injured when someone shot into a car Sept. 7, 2020, near the intersection of 47th Street and Union Avenue. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Three firefighters knelt next to the 8-year-old girl where she lay on Union Avenue with a gunshot wound to the back, checking her injuries and measuring signs of life while a chaotic scene spread around them.
Every few seconds, more people arrived: more cops, more paramedics, more neighbors, more people stopping their cars on 47th Street to see what this commotion was about.
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But in the minutes before the first ambulance arrived, before police tied tape to light poles and fences, everyone focused on those trying to save the girl, fighting what would be a losing battle.
The girl did not move. Her eyes were closed. She wore black flip-flops.
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An officer stood nearby with his back to the girl, checking on her and those trying to save her but also watching for the ambulance.
When the first ambulance arrived, a sergeant yelled to officers in a beat car parked on 47th Street.
“Follow the ambo, give it a lead wherever it’s going,” he said.
Other officers walked out onto 47th Street and stopped traffic.
Paramedics rushed the yellow stretcher to the girl. Her short braids moved as the paramedics lifted her onto the stretcher. They rushed her back to the ambulance. A paramedic had cut her shirt open and was doing CPR. Those who had been standing near her jogged along with the stretcher, even if not working.
One woman standing, watching, repeated the same profanity over and over. Another cried.
“They’re going to Comer’s,” a Fire Department chief said to a paramedic. “Follow the beat car.”
Three other ambulances arrived, and the first departed with a Police Department escort. Three adults were in the car, and a 31-year-old man who likely was the target was shot but expected to survive. A woman, 30, was shot and the girl’s mother, 30, was injured, possibly by broken glass, when the car crashed.
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“I stand before you, saddened and angered that another child has lost their life in senseless gun violence in the city of Chicago,” Brian McDermott, chief of operations for the Police Department, told reporters at the scene Monday night.
[ Devastating toll of Chicago’s violence: Number of shooting victims younger than 10 years old three times higher than last year ]
A woman kneels on the ground outside the University of Chicago Medicine's Comer Children's Hospital where an 8-year-old girl was taken after being shot on Sep. 7, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Before the shooting, the car that the girl was in was stopped at a red light at 47th Street facing north, with another vehicle, a black Dodge Charger, behind it, McDermott said. When the light turned green, someone in the Charger opened fire, he said.
The car the girl was in kept going north and crashed into a tree, and the Charger turned around and headed south on Union, McDermott said.
At Comer Children’s Hospital, a group of women came outside before 8:30 p.m., crying. Two helped hold up one as they walked to a car.
One man slammed the doors of the hospital while crying out. He ran down the street, then ran back and shook a pole while talking on the phone.
By the time the girl had been shot, Labor Day weekend had seen at least 44 people shot, six of them fatally. So far this year, at least 175 children ages 16 or younger have been shot in Chicago, with at least 21 of them dying, according to Tribune data. Of those, at least 45 children age 13 or younger have been shot, five of them fatally. In total, more than 2,850 people have been shot in the city this year, at least 464 of them fatally.
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Chicago Tribune’s Michael Hawthorne contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-09-08--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,381 new known COVID-19 cases reported as state passes more than 2

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 1,381 new known COVID-19 cases reported as state passes more than 250,000 total confirmed infections


chicagotribune--2020-09-08--Watch live: CPD provides update after young girl, 3 adults shot on South Side

Chicago police provide an update after a young girl and three adults were shot in a car and seriously wounded @ @ @ @ @ Side .
Read more here .

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chicagotribune--2020-09-08--‘It’s just sad’: On Navy Pier’s final day until spring, patrons and merchants rue another COVID-19 s

‘It’s just sad’: On Navy Pier’s final day until spring, patrons and merchants rue another COVID-19 shutdown

So it went on the last day Navy Pier was open before shutting down — again — in the face @ @ @ @ @ One of Illinois ’ most popular tourist attractions , the pier closed from mid-March to @ @ @ @ @ its reopening , attendance has been only 15 % of its normal level , spokeswoman @ @ @ @

People enjoy the nice weather at Navy Pier on Sept. 7, 2020, on the final day before it closes for the season. It's closing early this year due to the coronavirus. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
On the surface, it was just another Labor Day at Navy Pier.
Crowds wandered the 3,300-foot-long strip with ice cream cones or dog leashes in their hands, enjoying a brisk northerly breeze that etched whitecaps onto the surface of Lake Michigan and kept the temperature pleasantly mild.
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But a closer look revealed the crowd was nowhere near as thick as it normally would be. Numerous restaurants were closed, while others served just a handful of patrons. Some of the massive tour boats that normally would be circling the lake floated idly without a passenger or crew member in sight.
So it went on the last day Navy Pier was open before shutting down — again — in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of Illinois’ most popular tourist attractions, the pier closed from mid-March to June, but even after its reopening, attendance has been only 15% of its normal level, spokeswoman Payal Patel said.
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That prompted Navy Pier officials to suspend operations once more until spring. The exact date remains undetermined and could be moved up if a vaccine comes online earlier than expected, Patel said.
“We are remaining fluid and will take each day as it comes,” she said.
But for now, the closure has left merchants who operate on the pier and their employees in a bind.
Some workers said they would rely on second jobs, while Phil Mostaccio, owner of the Completely Nuts snack shop, said he was launching a new store in Norridge’s Harlem Irving Plaza and opening a seasonal location two months early in the Oakbrook Center mall.
“It’s all about keeping your people working when you can,” Mostaccio said, noting that the business has also lost weekend work at festivals and craft shows.
Unlike some other tour boats, the Tall Ship Windy gave passengers one last ride around Lake Michigan on Monday. Bruce Randall, owner and captain of the four-masted schooner, said he would have continued to operate for only two weeks more had Navy Pier not made the decision for him.
His ship will spend the winter on the South Branch of the Chicago River and will return as soon as the pier reopens, he said. But even then, he isn’t counting on crowds immediately flocking back.
“I’m hoping for the best, planning for the worst,” he said. “There’s not much we can do between that. I just don’t think we can get back to normal right away, no matter what happens.”
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Some attractions remained dormant during the pier’s short-lived reopening, including the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the Chicago Children’s Museum and the signature Ferris wheel. But Schaumburg resident Pawel Milek and his fiancee were still drawn there, and took photos in front of the motionless carousel.
“It’s a pretty iconic place for Chicago,” Milek said. “For me it’s perfect, especially when you want to take a picture.”
Julie and Mark Troup and their son Ryan cycled to the pier from their home in Wicker Park, even though they knew their entertainment options would be limited and the energy of the normally buzzing attraction would be muted.
“It’s just sad,” Julie Troup said.
But first-time visitor Michelle Johnson, wrapping up a road trip from her hometown of Buffalo, New York, was fine with the scant crowd.
“I don’t know what to compare it to since I’ve never been here before, but this is nice,” she said.
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For her friend and traveling companion, Andre Hill, fresh from a dip in Lake Michigan — the road trip was designed to fulfill his goal of swimming in all five Great Lakes — reminisced about his days as a motor coach driver when he would drop off passengers at the pier.
“I’d come back a few hours later and I remember them talking about how nice of a time they had here,” he said. “I always said I’d come back and visit, and here I am.”
Lucy and Tom Forster-Smith, conversely, are regular visitors, since they live only a short distance away on Lake Shore Drive.
Sitting on a bench with their goldendoodle Molly, they said the pier’s earlier shutdown had been a downer for everyone, regardless of their address.
“It’s such a landmark of Chicago,” Lucy Forster-Smith said. “It’s so beautiful and it makes you feel really sad that you can’t get out and enjoy it, especially for people who live away from the lakefront.”
Her husband, Tom, said he wasn’t counting on a swift return of the crowds in the spring.
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“It depends on people’s comfort level — if there’s a vaccine and it’s readily available,” he said. “And even then I think there’s going to be a lag until people return like old times.”
jkeilman@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @JohnKeilman


chicagotribune--2020-09-07--Community leaders, tradesmen on Labor Day decry lack of Black representation in union apprentice pro

Community leaders, tradesmen on Labor Day decry lack of Black representation in union apprentice programs: ‘We don’t have anything to celebrate’

“ We will not sit idly by and allow the continuation of these racist decisions based upon policies that make @ @ @ @ @ said in an interview later , saying he plans to hold hearings and do investigatory @ @ @ @ @ “ I just don ’ t know how you have an apprenticeship program and no @ @ @ @ @ all in a place like Illinois , in a city like Chicago .
”

Black tradesmen listen to speakers talk about their lack representation in local trade unions at an event Sept. 7, 2020, at the Charles A. Hayes Family Investment Center in Bronzeville. (Jose M. Osorio)
For Eddie Read, Labor Day isn’t a real celebration. It isn’t for tens of thousands of Black people in Illinois, he said.
“Black people are not working, so we don’t have anything to celebrate on Labor Day,” said Read, chairman of the Chicago Black United Communities organization.
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“Everybody’s all excited about unions and labor and people working,” he added. “And I just couldn’t stand by anymore.”
To mark the day, Read gathered Monday with tradesmen and community leaders at the Charles A. Hayes Family Investment Center in Bronzeville for a news conference to discuss a lack of access to jobs for Black people in the building trades and construction industry.
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The news conference was in response to construction industry data that Read said Chicago Black United Communities obtained that showed “the state’s predominant trade unions have systematically excluded Black tradesmen and workers from the construction industry by denying these men and women access to apprenticeship programs needed for certification and licensing” for two decades, according to an event news release.
The data, which couldn’t be verified independently, shows no Black or Hispanic apprentices in various trades, such as boiler operators, gas utility workers and sprinkler fitter, with higher percentages in some other trades.
Read and other speakers — including U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Chicago, — decried discrimination in apprenticeship programs and organized labor, calling for an overhaul of the policies, rules, ordinances and statutory requirements “that allow this sort of discrimination to persist.”
“We will not sit idly by and allow the continuation of these racist decisions based upon policies that make no sense,” Davis said in an interview later, saying he plans to hold hearings and do investigatory work on the data. “I just don’t know how you have an apprenticeship program and no Black person in it at all in a place like Illinois, in a city like Chicago.”
Read said in an interview after the news conference that Black people are trained and qualified for these jobs, but there isn’t a placement component to ensure they’re hired and represented in the construction industry.
He said he wants to see the money Gov. J.B. Pritzker has offered for community-based organizations going to “legitimate Black contractors who have work and who can develop a workforce.”
“Everyone now is suggesting that Black lives matter,” Read said. “So if Black lives matter, then people being able to work, support themselves and support their families will be one of the most critical ways to show that they have value.”
Read said he has a list of contractors and tradesmen willing to go to court over the matter. He said Chicago is projected to create a billion-dollar construction boom in the next two years and he plans to proceed with a lawsuit “as soon as the attorneys prepare it” in hopes of confronting the issue of discrimination by 2021.
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“I’m a 71-year-old man; I’ve been here before, I’ve seen this movie before,” Read said. “But we are not going to wait optimistically. The difference that we are going to do this time is we’re going to court.”
Randee Haynes, 38, is an Englewood native and 20-year carpenter who attended the event. He said the findings were “a testimony to discriminations” he has seen during his entire construction career, particularly with apprenticeship hirings and barriers discouraging those from the inner city from seeking industry employment.
By giving inner-city residents jobs, “you empower them” and give their community the means to build a nicer area, changing its situation, Haynes said.
“There are so many young Americans that live in the inner city that are willing, that are ready, to work,” Haynes said. “But simply because of the uneasiness ... intertwined with the makeup of our society, some people just are more comfortable when there are not so many young Black people in the same place.
“I think it’s important that people know we are here, we are qualified and ready. We just need a chance, that’s all.”
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
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Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-09-07--Teen fatally stabbed trying to break up fight after Facebook feud, prosecutors say

Blackhawk , who authorities said at the time was stabbed in 7400 block of South Parnell Avenue , near where @ @ @ @ @ to the University of Chicago Medical Center , where she was pronounced dead .
Prosecutors @ @ @ @ @ Saturday about a week and a half after the attack .

A 15-year-old girl was killed trying to break up a brawl between two feuding branches of a family — a dispute that began on social media and escalated into a chaotic street fight late last month.
Erica Blackhawk was unarmed and trying to hold someone back from the scrum Aug. 26 when an older teen, Barbara “Meeka” Clifton, stabbed her with a knife her mother had handed her moments before, Cook County prosecutors said.
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Blackhawk doubled over and tried to walk home. She said, “Meeka stabbed me” as she collapsed on the ground, prosecutors said.
Clifton, who turned 19 on Sunday, was charged with first-degree murder. Judge David Navarro ordered her held in lieu of $250,000 bail. She must pay $25,000 to get out of jail while her case proceeds.
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“I can’t think of a greater failure of any of the so-called adults present to control or mitigate anything that occurred there,” Navarro said from the bench Monday.
Clifton, who appeared in court via videoconference from Cook County Jail, rocked back and forth in her seat as prosecutors laid out the allegations against her.
The social media feud was sparked when one of Blackhawk’s friends blocked Clifton from viewing a Facebook Live video, prosecutors said.
Barbara Clifton, 19, is charged with murder in the Aug. 26, 2020, stabbing death of Erica Blackhawk, 15. (Chicago Police booking photo / HANDOUT)
Matters escalated, and two days later, on Aug. 26, Clifton’s mother began arguing on Facebook with her own sister — who is Blackhawk’s boyfriend’s mother, prosecutors said.
Clifton’s mother challenged her to a face-to-face fight. Her sister said she would be at her home near Hamilton Park in the Englewood neighborhood, and Clifton’s mother responded that she “better not have any guns or dogs.”
About 7 p.m., Clifton’s mother drove her daughters and a female friend toward the 500 block of West 74th Street, near the park, prosecutors said. A boyfriend of one of the daughters drove there as well, with children in tow.
As they arrived, they encountered Blackhawk’s boyfriend’s mother walking with her daughters, Blackhawk and another friend.
Two of them saw Clifton’s mother advance “in a menacing way” holding a knife, which she then handed to Clifton, prosecutors said.
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The two groups were arguing with each other, and the fight turned physical after Clifton’s mother took a metal object wrapped in a sock and hit her sister in the head with it, prosecutors said. Both sides started punching each other, prosecutors said.
As Blackhawk tried to hold back one of her friends from the fight, Clifton grabbed her shoulder and appeared to hit her two or three times in the chest and stomach, prosecutors said.
She doubled over in pain and began walking away as the two groups continued to brawl, prosecutors said. Clifton’s mother and her sister were fighting on the ground, and Clifton’s mother bit her sister on the arm, prosecutors said.
The fight broke up after the husband of one of the women encountered the scene on his way home from work.
Blackhawk, who authorities said at the time was stabbed in 7400 block of South Parnell Avenue, near where she lived, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Prosecutors said Clifton was arrested on Saturday about a week and a half after the attack.
Assistant Public Defender James Kozlowski noted that the scene was “an extremely chaotic environment,” and said that it was Clifton’s mother — not Clifton — who instigated the physical violence.
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“My client was not the aggressor in this, even if the allegations were true,” he said.
Clifton is a college student studying psychology and in the past has done volunteer work, he said. She has no criminal history.
From the bench, Navarro castigated the “so-called adults” at the scene, and noted that Blackhawk was killed “attempting to, I don’t know if I could say calm, or just at least reduce chaos that was occurring out there.”
mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-09-07--Forecasters: ‘Life-threatening waves’ possible. Beach hazards statement, small craft advisory extend

Forecasters: ‘Life-threatening waves’ possible. Beach hazards statement, small craft advisory extended through Wednesday night for Illinois, Indiana.

The weather service also will add a lakeshore flood advisory beginning at 4 a.m. Tuesday for northern Cook County — @ @ @ @ @ potential should be north of the city , from Evanston north into Lake County and @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday .
Still , he said that because the waves could reach 10 feet in @ @ @ @ @ is so high , there ’ s potential for damage to the Lakefront Trail , @ @ @ @ @ coming days .

Felipe Lascurain prepares his boat before sailing as the sun rises at the very calm waters of Monroe Harbor on Monday, Sept. 7, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Forecasters Monday said waves as high as 10 feet are possible for the next few days as strong, sustained northeast winds prompted forecasters to issue a lakeshore flood advisory for points north of Evanston and a beach hazards statement and small craft advisory for most of the area’s Lake Michigan shoreline.
“Tonight it will get worse here as the northeast winds get worse,” Matt Friedlein, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said about 4 p.m. Monday. “We extended the beach hazards statement for all of Illinois and Indiana through Wednesday night, so we’re talking out over 48 hours here.”
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The same large, slow-moving system that was expected to slam Denver with blizzard conditions Tuesday after a prolonged heat wave with temperatures in the 90s Monday, could wreak havoc in the Midwest as well, Friedlein said.
“We’re just going to keep getting the northeast winds locked in and driving the waves,” he said.
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The weather service also will add a lakeshore flood advisory beginning at 4 a.m. Tuesday for northern Cook County — Friedlein said the worst flooding potential should be north of the city, from Evanston north into Lake County and Wisconsin — through 10 a.m. Wednesday. Still, he said that because the waves could reach 10 feet in Chicago and the lake level is so high, there’s potential for damage to the Lakefront Trail, which should be avoided in coming days.
“With the lake running as high as it has, well above normal, it doesn’t necessarily require as high of waves to cause flooding,” he said.
Swimming in the lake is dangerous, forecasters said. Rip currents and structural currents that can sweep swimmers into deeper water are likely. Rip currents are powerful channels of water flowing quickly away from the shore and which most often occur at low spots and structural currents form along piers where longshore currents and wave action flow into the structure.
Chicago beaches have not opened this year and swimming is prohibited. Labor Day normally would be the last day Chicago lifeguards would be on duty for the summer.
For more information visit the Tribune’s weather page.
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-09-07--Navy Pier's final day of the year

Navy Pier's final day of the year

Each year , the U.S. spends an astounding $ 100 billion on beer .
Between pints over brunch and after-work sessions , beer holds a prominent place in the American lifestyle , comprising 85 % of the country ’ s alcoholic beverage market .
But the obsession with beer does n't stop with the average consumer , as sharing a round of brews has come to epitomize comradery , celebration , or just simple enjoyment across the worlds of entertainment , politics , sports , and business .
Over the last few decades , the beer landscape has evolved considerably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the consolidation of major brands .
In 2018 , America had over 7,000 breweries producing almost 195 million barrels of beer .
This wasn ’ t always the case .
In fact , as recently as the 1970s , many beer lovers feared that big brewers would completely dominate the industry with their cheap , flavorless lagers and that America ’ s best beer-making days were long behind it .
Those little producers , the craft and microbreweries , saved the industry and made America ’ s beer industry the largest and most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a craft brewery is defined as making less than 6 million barrels per year and a microbrewery produces less than 15,000 barrels annually .
To help understand how these changes impact average beer drinks , Stacker analyzed average price data for 16-ounce malt beverages from 1995 to 2020 along with CPI changes from 1952 to 1995 for at-home consumption of beer , ale , and other malt beverages , both provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( BLS ) .
The national CPI was used to adjust for inflation , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of breweries each year from the Brewer 's Association was added in to complete the analysis .
Read on to rediscover a time where you could get a refreshing pint for under a quarter—and you had to work a little harder to find a brewery to call your own .

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 10 People enjoy the nice weather at Navy Pier on Sept. 7, 2020, on the final day before it closes for the season. It's closing early this year due to the coronavirus. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
People enjoy Navy Pier on its final day until spring. The tourist attraction is closing early this year due to the coronavirus.


chicagotribune--2020-09-07--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood


chicagotribune--2020-09-07--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da


chicagotribune--2020-09-07--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 8 new deaths, 1,381 new confirmed cases and 28,975 new test resul

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 8 new deaths, 1,381 new confirmed cases and 28,975 new test results

Illinois announced 1,381 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Monday for a total of 250,961 .
The state also announced 8 @ @ @ @ @ of 8,179 and 28,975 new test results for a total of 4.45 million .


chicagotribune--2020-09-07--Police: North Chicago man, 18, fatally shot and neighbor, 77, also wounded during attack

The 77-year-old woman , who had been gardening in her nearby yard , was hit in the leg by a @ @ @ @ @ , according to police .
She was transported to a local hospital where she was @ @ @ @ @ life-threatening .

An 18-year-old man was killed and a 77-year-old woman was shot in the leg Sunday night during a shooting in North Chicago.
Police were dispatched about 7:15 p.m. to the 2000 block of Greenfield Avenue in Lake County and found the man shot and lying unresponsive in the road. He later was pronounced dead, said authorities from a task force investigating the shooting.
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A preliminary investigation determined the shooter arrived in a car, which he or she then exited to shoot “several times,” said a news release from the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force. The shooter then jumped back in the vehicle and drove away, officials said.
The 77-year-old woman, who had been gardening in her nearby yard, was hit in the leg by a stray bullet during the shooting, according to police. She was transported to a local hospital where she was treated for injuries not considered life-threatening.
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Authorities were tipped to the location by a person who reported gunfire in the area, according to Chris Covelli, a spokesman for the task force.
Police were investigating and had spoken “with several individuals who live or were in the area when the shooting occurred,” Covelli added.
An autopsy for the man, who was from North Chicago, was scheduled for Wednesday.
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-09-07--Column: On this Labor Day in the midst of a pandemic, our front-line and essential workers are the h

Column: On this Labor Day in the midst of a pandemic, our front-line and essential workers are the heroes

In the 18th century , workers had no rights and they were often abused .
The average unskilled American worked @ @ @ @ @ seven days a week just to earn a decent living .
It was commonplace to @ @ @ @ @ 4 or 5 toiling away in the textile mills .
Employers actually preferred children because @ @ @ @ @ , and they could pay them very little and in many cases , no wages @ @ @

Americans often take Labor Day for granted. It is one of those ambiguous holidays that we know has something to do with workers but in modern times has come to symbolize the end of summer.
We use the holiday as a marker for moving from one season to the next, often regrettably. By the time the first Monday in September arrives, it is too late to take that great summer vacation we’ve dreamed about or surprise the kids with a trip to Disney World.
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Labor Day puts us on notice that it is time to get back into the mindset required for nine months of school and work ahead. In other words, it signals the return to normal.
But not this year. COVID-19 destroyed our sense of normalcy. The pandemic stole our summer and much of our spring. The lockdowns and restrictions caused our days to flow one into the other with no real sense of distinction.
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Though summer does not officially end until Sept. 22, Labor Day reminds us that winter is on the horizon. And COVID-19 threatens to hit us just as hard or worse than before.
We tried to make the best of summer with the few opportunities we had, but there is little about it to cherish. There will be fewer backyard cookouts on Monday, and parades and festivals are canceled.
Businesses, crippled by the shutdown and again by looting, are cautiously creeping toward reopening. But thousands of jobs remain in jeopardy. Many are gone for good. The American workplace is unstable and high unemployment has left families at risk.
So this year we should return to observing the holiday’s original purpose — recognizing the American worker. We can start with those who toiled under the most difficult circumstances to help us through the pandemic, often with low wages and little time off.
Our front-line and essential workers are the heroes of this crisis. These unselfish doctors, nurses and other health care workers, grocery store clerks, public transit workers, mail carriers, grocery, meal and package deliverers deserve to be honored Monday.
Even if we just take a moment to say thank you when we’re at the grocery store checkout, it would be a thoughtful acknowledgment.
Of course, these modern-day employees were not the intended beneficiaries of Labor Day when it became an official federal holiday in 1894. It recognized the factory employees, miners, railroad workers who were the essential workers in America’s Industrial Revolution.
It was one of the many ugly periods of our nation’s history, but industrialization also helped America thrive.
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In the 18th century, workers had no rights and they were often abused. The average unskilled American worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week just to earn a decent living. It was commonplace to see children as young or 4 or 5 toiling away in the textile mills. Employers actually preferred children because they were easier to manage, and they could pay them very little and in many cases, no wages at all.
The period gave rise to unions and thankfully, those days are behind us. But when it comes to providing decent wages for many of the people who keep our country up and running in times of crisis, America still lags behind.
Many of the essential workers during the pandemic earn minimum wage, which in some states isn’t enough to keep them out of poverty. That is shameful in a country as prosperous as ours.
Still, over the past few months, these workers rose to the occasion. We could not have filled our pantries without the people who worked overnight stocking grocery store aisles so that when we arrived in the morning, there would be an array of fresh vegetables from which to choose.
For the elderly and those with chronic illnesses who could not risk leaving home, grocery shoppers did all the work, sorting through piles of tomatoes or bananas to choose the perfect ones just as we would have done ourselves. When items were out of stock, they texted photos of possible substitutions and allowed us to choose.
Doctors, nurses and aides left their families behind to attend to the sick in hospitals, clinics and nursing homes, even when there were insufficient masks, gowns, gloves and other protective gear to shield them from the virus.
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As the COVID-19 numbers spiked, they worked around the clock. Some stayed in hotels so as not to expose vulnerable relatives at home. Many of them got sick. Some of them died.
Many essential workers depend on public transportation. So bus drivers, train conductors, taxi drivers and ride-share drivers donned their masks and took them wherever they needed to go.
Through it all, mail carriers delivered our letters every day. Amazon, UPS and FedEx brought the packages we ordered online and left them at our door.
Because of these workers, life was a little bit easier for the rest of us during the pandemic. We were able to stay healthy because they put their own health at risk. We can’t forget their sacrifices.
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It is easy to get testy these days, given the strain of the pandemic. We sometimes forget that we owe so much to these workers who often go unnoticed. Sometimes we’re rude.
I have a confession. At the grocery store one day, I snapped at a clerk who summoned me from a long checkout line with a cashier to the self-checkout station. I followed her, thinking she was going to open a new register. But she left me on my own.
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Fearing exposure to the virus by touching keypads and other surfaces, I told her that she should have allowed me to stay where I was. She explained that she was just trying to be helpful and move the line along. I wasn’t rude, but I wasn’t kind either.
I plan to return to the store on Monday to look for her, though I’m sure she won’t remember me. But I will apologize anyway and thank her for her service.
This Labor Day shouldn’t be spent brooding over how awful life has been. It should be about letting people like her know that we never could have made it without them.
dglanton@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @dahleeng


chicagotribune--2020-09-07--Daywatch: Chicago lags on releasing police body cam footage, how CPS is prepping for remote learning

Daywatch: Chicago lags on releasing police body cam footage, how CPS is prepping for remote learning and full-time living in Midwestern vacation homes

There have been at least five people shot by on-duty Chicago cops since July , two of them fatally , @ @ @ @ @ released from any of them in a summer when shootings in other cities have brought @ @ @ @ @ .
Now some are questioning if the city ’ s policy to make video and @ @ @ @ @ public within 60 days is strong enough to restore public trust .

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Good morning, Chicago. Going into Labor Day weekend, Illinois was named as one of the seven states at risk of a COVID-19 surge.
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If you’re looking to safely celebrate the holiday with some good eats, here’s a list of 51 Chicago-area restaurants offering Labor Day specials for dining in or carrying out.
And has the coronavirus left you working from home for good? Or out of work? This is what you’ll need to know for next year’s tax season.
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Here’s more coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
Maria Vega, right, holds her son Anthony as people gather in the 1300 block of West 19th Street in Chicago on Sept. 2, 2020, for a vigil for another of Vega's sons, Miguel Vega, who was shot and fatally wounded by police in the area. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
There have been at least five people shot by on-duty Chicago cops since July, two of them fatally, yet no video has been released from any of them in a summer when shootings in other cities have brought closer scrutiny of police actions. Now some are questioning if the city’s policy to make video and other evidence available to the public within 60 days is strong enough to restore public trust.
Chavara Turner, a student support manager with Communities In Schools Chicago, gives away makeup sets and school supplies at Clay Elementary in Hegewisch on Friday. At right is student Mia Guerrero. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
From exhausting phone trees and dropping off Chromebooks to calling police for wellness checks, social workers, counselors and other support staff in Chicago Public Schools have gone to great lengths to track down students who aren’t connecting with their schools during remote learning.
With a new school year starting remotely on Tuesday, school communities are redoubling their efforts, while also figuring out how to build new relationships virtually with incoming kindergartners and high school freshmen.
Bus contractors, uniform suppliers, trophy makers: Many Chicago-area companies feel the pain as schools begin with remote learning
Boarded-up shops are seen Sept. 2, 2020, in the Lake Meadows Shopping Center at 35th Street and King Drive in Chicago. Businesses are preparing to reopen after looting. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
While many businesses in neighborhoods affected by the civil unrest that followed George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police have reopened, not all are ready to lower their guard. Some are still working to repair the damage, especially those hit by a second round of looting and vandalism last month. Others fear the unrest isn’t over.
Bears offensive linemen warm up and run during training camp at Halas Hall in Lake Forest on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
The Chicago Bears set their 53-man roster Saturday as they prepare for their season opener against the Lions in Detroit on Sept. 13. In the coming days, they can continue to adjust the roster with waiver claims and free-agent signings and also will sign players to a 16-man practice squad. For now, here’s the Bears roster, a positional breakdown of how it formed Saturday and analysis from the Tribune’s Bears reporters.
This $3.9 million, four-bedroom home in Spring Lake, Michigan, offers ample outdoor space on the shores of Lake Michigan. (Alec Uvirez/Greenridge Realty)
As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves from crisis to chronic, the appeal of a remote, off-the-grid vacation place for getting away from it all has been replaced by homebuyers’ determination to transplant work and school to an airier locale — complete with broadband access.