chicagotribune--2020-07-31--Citing public safety, Mayor Lori Lightfoot removes another statue of Christopher Columbus ‘temporari

Citing public safety, Mayor Lori Lightfoot removes another statue of Christopher Columbus ‘temporarily’

“ Following public safety concerns over planned demonstrations similar to the one in Grant Park two weeks ago , the @ @ @ @ @ Christopher Columbus statue at Drake Fountain in the South Chicago neighborhood until further notice , @ @ @ @ @ said in a statement .
“ This temporary relocation is part of an effort to @ @ @ @ @ statues in an extremely dangerous manner , which has created unsafe situations for protesters and @ @ @ @ @ residents of the surrounding community .
”

The Christopher Columbus statue is transported after being removed in Grant Park in the early hours of July 24, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has removed a third statue of Christopher Columbus from the streets of Chicago, a week after taking down more prominent monuments to the controversial Italian explorer.
The latest statue of Columbus to go down was located at Drake Fountain on 92nd Street at South Chicago and Exchange avenues, and was far less well-known than its brothers in Grant Park and Arrigo Park. Even as national controversy mounted over Columbus statues in public places, the South Chicago monument had largely escaped public notice until a Sun-Times report noted its existence earlier this week.
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A statue of Christopher Columbus sits at 92nd and South Chicago Avenue on Oct. 7, 1970, in Chicago. (Arthur Walker/Chicago Tribune)
According to the city, the statue of Columbus was dedicated in 1892 and was believed to have been the first in Chicago. It was removed Thursday morning, according to a city spokesperson.
“Following public safety concerns over planned demonstrations similar to the one in Grant Park two weeks ago, the city has temporarily relocated the Christopher Columbus statue at Drake Fountain in the South Chicago neighborhood until further notice,” Lightfoot’s office said in a statement. “This temporary relocation is part of an effort to prevent individuals from pulling down statues in an extremely dangerous manner, which has created unsafe situations for protesters and police, as well as residents of the surrounding community.”
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Lightfoot ordered statues of Columbus removed from Chicago’s Grant and Arrigo parks early July 24, hoping to avoid another high-profile confrontation between police and protesters.
The mayor drew criticism from those who believe she caved to activist demands, but she defended the move by saying it was necessary for public safety. She has also promised that the removal of Columbus statues would only be “temporary,” spurring criticism from progressive aldermen who say they don’t want to see them reinstalled.
Lightfoot also said that the city would soon announce “a formal process to assess the monuments, memorials, and murals across Chicago’s communities, and develop a framework for a public dialogue to determine how we elevate our city’s history and diversity.” The city reiterated the point on Friday.
Chicago’s statues of the explorer have become the center of a heated controversy for Lightfoot, who has opposed taking down statues of the Italian explorer on the grounds that it would be erasing history. She also has rejected calls to rename the Columbus Day holiday.
Columbus has been condemned by activists around the country who point to the Italian explorer’s mistreatment of Indigenous people after he landed in the Americas in 1492.
gpratt@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-01--Hurricane Isaias strengthens as Florida’s east coast anxiously watches storm path

Orange County officials said it is not opening its shelters for now but they are prepared to do so if @ @ @ @ @ in place because of COVID-19 .
The county ’ s fire marshal also is in @ @ @ @ @ 100 assisted living facilities to ensure they are prepared for the storm .
County residents @ @ @ @ @ until Saturday .
A list of locations can be found at ocfl.net .

Joe Mario Pedersen, Richard Tribou, David Harris

Hurricane Isaias is expected to bring hurricane-force conditions along portions of Florida’s east coast late Saturday afternoon and Sunday with strong winds, heavy rains and possible flooding in low lying areas, the National Hurricane Center said.
At 5 a.m. Saturday, the hurricane center’s forecasters find Category 1 Isaias barreling slightly more toward the east and toward South Florida late Saturday and early Sunday. The forecast then shows Isaias hugging Florida’s east coast before making a slight northwesterly turn and going farther off the coast after passing Melbourne on Sunday afternoon.
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As of Saturday morning, Isaias was located 80 miles south-southeast of Nassau, moving northwest at 12 mph.
“Maximum sustained winds are near 85 mph with higher gusts. Little change in strength is expected through Sunday, and Isaias is forecast to remain a hurricane during this time,” NHC forecasters said in an advisory.
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South Florida could start feeling the effects of the storm as early as Saturday afternoon.
No new watches or warnings were issued Saturday morning. Friday brought a slew of watches and warnings for Central Florida: a hurricane warning for Brevard and Volusia counties, a tropical storm warning for Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties and a tropical storm watch for coastal Flagler and inland Volusia counties.
As of Saturday morning, Isaias was located 80 miles south-southeast of Nassau, moving northwest at 12 mph. (National Hurricane Center)
Elsewhere in the state, a hurricane warning is in effect for Boca Raton to the Volusia/Brevard line and a hurricane watch is in effect for Boca Raton to Hallandale Beach. There’s also a storm surge watch from Jupiter Inlet to Ponte Vedra Beach.
While the storm’s center is not predicted to make a Florida landfall, Isaias’ hurricane-force winds extend 35 miles from its core, and its tropical-storm-force winds can reach up to 175 miles from its center.
“Isaias has a somewhat ragged appearance in satellite imagery this morning, likely due to the impact of westerly shear and dry air entrainment,” forecasters said. “The area of central convection has shrunk in size, although radar data from the Bahamas shows some banding near the center and occasional attempts to wrap up an eyewall.”
Still, Fox 35 meteorologist Glenn Richards the storm could make landfall in Indian River County or Fort Pierce before going back offshore.
“If you live Brevard, Indian River and Volusia counties, do take this storm seriously,” he said.
Richards said Isaias is similar to Hurricane Matthew in 2016, which skirted along Central Florida’s east coast. While Matthew was stronger, Isaias is closer to land.
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“My concern is just keeping the western eyewall offshore,” he said.
Richards said strong winds from Isaias could cause roof damage, power outages and pool enclosures to collapse.
Tropical storm winds are expected to arrive in the Hurricane Warning area in Florida Saturday afternoon and evening. Preparations to protect live and property in those areas should be rushed to completion #Isaias pic.twitter.com/0Xe1PUGKtK — National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) July 31, 2020
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for every east coast county from Miami-Dade to Nassau in an executive order Friday morning. DeSantis also said the state has 50 generators, the most it has ever had on hand, for emergency managers to distribute. This would ensure all nursing homes and long-term care facilities will be taken care of to avoid power loss like the deadly situation created by Hurricane Irma in 2017.
“The most recent forecast, it brings that eye closer to the coast so we just have to be vigilant,” said DeSantis, who met with President Donald Trump in Tampa discuss matters on both Isaias and COVID-19. “So please heed the warnings of your local officials.”
The state division of emergency management also has a ton of PPE supplies stockpiled in the event of emergency including 20 million masks, DeSantis said.
Attorney General Ashley Moody expanded Florida’s Price Gouging Hotline Friday to receive reports of extreme price increases on essential commodities needed to prepare for Hurricane Isaias.
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During a storm-related declared state of emergency, state law prohibits excessive increases in the price of essential commodities, such as food, water, hotel rooms, ice, gasoline, lumber and equipment, needed as a direct result of the event. Anyone who suspects price gouging should report it to the Attorney General’s Office by using the NO SCAM app or by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM. The Attorney General’s NO SCAM app can be downloaded for free through Apple and Android stores by searching NO SCAM.
What you need to know
The NHC is forecasting 2 to 4 inches of rain with some pockets of up to 6 inches in South Florida and east-Central Florida on Saturday and Sunday that could result in flash flooding in urban areas with poor drainage.
Isaias is generating swells that will spread along the east coast of Florida and the southeastern United States coast Saturday, posing dangerous surf and current conditions.
For the U.S. east coast at large, there is a risk of impacts from winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge through early next week, forecasters said.
Metro Orlando could see tropical storm force wind and gusts, said Melissa Watson, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne. But that could change depending on where the storm is located.
“Keep an eye on the storm,” Watson said. “Always prepare for at least one category higher than what it is forecasted. It’s always better to be over prepared than under prepared.”
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Orange County officials said it is not opening its shelters for now but they are prepared to do so if needed with social distancing measures in place because of COVID-19. The county’s fire marshal also is in contact with the more than 100 assisted living facilities to ensure they are prepared for the storm. County residents can pick up free sandbags until Saturday. A list of locations can be found at ocfl.net.
County crews worked to clear drainage systems ahead of Isaias’ arrival.
“We’re optimistic and hopeful with this storm, based on the current track, that our impact in Orange County won’t be as bad as we’ve seen in some previous years,” said Danny Banks, deputy county administrator and public safety director at a press conference.
SunRail will suspend operations starting on Monday and Volusia County said it would close low-volume six boat ramps and could shutter more.
Quick development
Isaias was officially designated as a Category 1 storm Friday by the Hurricane Center after a special midnight bulletin.
Forecasters had originally hoped that Isaias would lose strength when its low center interacted with the Dominican Republic’s mountain range, but the storm missed the mountains and re-emerged into warm waters along with very little wind shear allowing its intensity to jump in strength, pumping up Isaias into hurricane level strength, forecasters said.
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The midnight shift from tropical storm to hurricane came after an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter determined winds were strong enough for Isaias to be the second named hurricane of the season. It jumped from tropical-storm strength 60 mph sustained winds in its 11 p.m. update to 80 mph sustained winds with the notification one hour later.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 69 A truck drives through rising water in Baltimore's Fells Point neighborhood as Tropical Storm Isaias continues to pelt the region on Aug. 4. (Jerry Jackson)
Death in the D.R.
On Thursday, while still a tropical storm, Isaias toppled trees, destroyed crops and caused widespread flooding and small landslides in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, where hundreds of thousands of people were left without power and water.
Officials reported that a man died in the Dominican Republic when he was electrocuted by a fallen electrical cable.
The Puerto Rico National Guard rescued at least 35 people from floodwaters, which swept away one woman who remains missing.
On Friday, the hurricane knocked shingles off roofs in the Bahamian island of San Salvador as it carved its way through an archipelago still recovering from Dorian’s devastation. Bahamas Power and Light Co. cut off power in certain areas for safety.
Meanwhile, there are two more systems being looked at by the National Hurricane Center including one that became Tropical Depression 10. If either one does become a named storm, it would be Tropical Storm Josephine.
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Get the latest hurricane coverage at OrlandoSentinel.com/hurricane.
Orlando Sentinel staff writers Stephen Hudak, Paola Pérez and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


chicagotribune--2020-08-01--A July afternoon in the Manor, where friendships as close as family grow, then: ‘Munchie, Munchie, h

A July afternoon in the Manor, where friendships as close as family grow, then: ‘Munchie, Munchie, hold on’

So , behind the ambulance , driving to the hospital after Munchie was shot , Gordon prayed she would not @ @ @ @ @ She had some hope — maybe they had a pulse , maybe they had stabilized @ @ @ @ @ her there .

Omarion Swint attends a vigil on July 17, 2020, for 15-year-old Terrance Malden, his friend since the third grade. Malden was shot to death on July 10, 2020, in the Jeffrey Manor neighborhood. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Kayla Anthony and her younger sister Kayia paced outside their home in the afternoon sun. The girls’ mother sat nearby on their stoop.
Yellow and red police tape hung from cars and trees, and fluttered in a warm breeze.
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Kayla leaned against a car, checking her phone. She stepped from the car toward her mother, holding back tears.
Her mother opened her arms. Kayla stepped into the hug, and her mother pulled her close.
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“He didn’t make it,” Kayla said.
* * * *
On that warm Friday afternoon, a 15-year-old boy named Munchie walked alone down Hoxie Avenue, past Georgian brick townhomes that line both sides of the street, and past the home of two classmates from Burnham Elementary School.
On a typical day, he might have peeked in to ask if Kayia and Kayla were around. If they were outside, he would have stopped to say “hey,” drawing out the end of the word.
“Heyyyyyyy, Kayia.”
The three had known one another for years, and grew even closer after Munchie’s older brother Tyler Malden was killed in April. It wasn’t the first death of someone close to the group, but Tyler’s murder weighed heavily on the teens.
Dominique Collins, center, with her daughters Kayia Anthony, left, and Kayla Anthony, at a vigil for their friend Terrance Malden on July 17, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
It weighed heavily on Munchie — Terrance Malden — and Tyler’s mom, LaTanya Gordon, too. In a city where about 2,300 people have been shot this year, tragedy is often a repeat visitor. The same families, the same groups of friends, sometimes live in a cycle of grief.
At 4:48 p.m. that day, July 10, Chicago’s gunfire monitoring system detected five fired rounds outside the girls’ home. Kayia and Kayla, upstairs with their mother, heard gunfire. An officer monitoring the system used her radio to alert nearby officers.
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Munchie fled through a gangway and collapsed in the alley behind the old Burnham Elementary School. A neighbor who sits quietly on his front steps all day watched from his regular perch.
A few seconds passed, and a dispatcher broadcast the information to officers across the city. The patrol district was in a backlog of calls.
In the alley, Munchie lay on his back. He called his mother.
“Mom, where you at?” he said.
“I’m home,” LaTanya Gordon remembered saying.
“I’ve been shot.”
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“Where you at?” she asked.
“I’m in the alley,” he said.
Gordon jumped in her car, drove half a block south and turned onto 98th Street. She looked left, into the alley, where her son lay on the ground. A young man waved for her.
“Munchie, Munchie, hold on,” she said. “I’m calling for the police.”
Her son’s eyes were open, she said, and he was bleeding from a wound to his side. His phone was in his right hand.
Gordon told the young man to talk to her son while she called 911.
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“Hang in there, man, hang in there,” the man said.
The commotion brought neighbors out of their homes. One neighbor, a firefighter, started CPR. Kayia and Kayla’s mother, Dominique Collins, walked across the street.
“Save my son, save my son,” Gordon recalled saying. “I just buried a son in April, y’all, whatever you do, please save my son.”
Munchie’s hand shook, and his eyes rolled, and Gordon told the 911 call taker she needed the ambulance to hurry.
Police found Munchie in the alley about 90 seconds after dispatchers alerted them to gunfire, according to police radio traffic. Collins said she saw Gordon pressing on her car horn, trying to keep her son alert.
A neighbor makes her way home near the scene in the 9800 block of South Hoxie Avenue in the Jeffery Manor neighborhood where Terrance Malden was fatally shot in the back on July 10, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
A police supervisor said a white Audi was involved — the whole block saw it, but nobody saw the license plate.
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Officers asked Gordon to walk to the end of an alley, where other relatives had started to gather. They asked her to calm them down.
A fire engine arrived a couple of minutes later, an ambulance after that. Paramedics tended to Munchie.
“Please save him,” she prayed.
Collins surveyed the scene and walked across the street to her daughters. She thought Munchie had died.
Gordon waited. She thought of her son Tyler, shot to death a block south in April. He was 20. She thought of Munchie, holding on to life. She waited.
* * *
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Terrance Malden, the youngest of five brothers and a sister, was born in 2004 by emergency cesarean section. When doctors set the boy in his mother’s arms, he had a slight frown and was chomping his lips together because he was hungry.
She smiled. “Munchie,” she said, before he was named.
The Jeffery Manor neighborhood — The Manor — was their home. Kids grow up together, have kids who play with one another, who grow up to have children of their own.
Gordon worked at Burnham Elementary School when she was pregnant with Munchie. All her kids went there, and teachers knew Munchie before he was a student.
Tyler Malden, left, and his brother Terrance in an undated photo. Tyler was shot to death in April, and Terrance died following a shooting in July. (Family photo)
That’s where Kayia and Kayla met him. The girls moved back to Chicago in 2014 after six years in Iowa, a place Collins found unwelcoming. Neighbors called the girls racial slurs and told them to go back where they came from.
Kayia had just turned 8 and Kayla was almost 11. Munchie had just turned 10. The three became friends fast.
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Munchie was close to his mother and protective of Kayia and Kayla. He’d wait for the girls at the school library and walk them home. If boys were disrespectful to the girls, he would intervene.
Other students were drawn to him, too, and he fashioned himself a gatekeeper for the school and the Becoming a Man program he was involved in, according to two teachers who knew him at the school.
After fifth grade, he made a habit of checking in on his teacher, especially if her kids were rowdy.
He was silly, a flirt, too, sneaking into the camera frame if the girls were trying to FaceTime with other friends. But to the girls, he was like a brother.
Kayia Anthony, left, and her sister Kayla hold balloons at a vigil for their friend Terrance Malden, who died after being shot on July 10, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Their friendship grew into one more resembling family. As they grew older, they started seeing friends and family members die.
The girls’ father was shot to death in Englewood just before they moved home. A friend of their mother was shot to death months later. Another family friend, whom the girls looked to as an uncle, was killed.
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Munchie’s father died around this time, from a heart condition. Gordon noticed a change in her sons’ behavior after that.
Then earlier this year, a classmate named Michael was killed. He was 17, just ahead of Kayla in school. He befriended gang members after eighth grade and was with older boys when he fired a gun at someone, who returned fire.
They understood that outcome. He fired a gun at someone. But it was difficult to lose a classmate.
Then, in April, Munchie’s older brother Tyler was killed.
On the July day when Munchie was shot, the gunfire interrupted Kayla’s efforts to style her mom’s hair, following a YouTube tutorial, the family recalled.
Their mother stepped outside. The old man on the porch next door motioned — over there, through the gangway. She followed his direction, across the street, through a gangway to where a small crowd had formed.
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The neighbor doing CPR. Munchie’s mother. A loud car horn.
Munchie looked dead. Collins crossed the street and told her girls that someone killed him.
The girls, one not yet in high school and the other just having finished her first year, said they felt anger that another classmate was shot. That Munchie was shot, outside their home. That Tyler died, that Michael died.
LaTanya Gordon reacts after identifying her slain son Terrance Malden at the Cook County medical examiner's office on July 16, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Paramedics took over for the off-duty firefighter. Munchie was bleeding inside, and EMTs encountered resistance during CPR, so they used a needle to decompress his chest, according to Fire Department information.
Collins told her daughters to go inside. The ambulance pulled away, 18 minutes after arriving, 21 minutes after a fire engine arrived, 27 minutes after the neighbor began CPR and 28 minutes after Munchie was shot.
Collins told her daughters to pray. Munchie was still alive.
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Gordon followed her son to the University of Chicago Medical Center. She prayed he would live, she said, and couldn’t fathom living this again.
* * * *
She had been through this when Tyler was killed. A trip to the hospital. The wait for doctors. Being walked to a small room and told to sit down.
She hadn’t fully processed his death. He was becoming a young man. He earned his GED, stopped hanging around the neighborhood, got a job at FedEx and a second job at a nearby bowling alley.
The day he died, she stopped at a crime scene on her way home from work, just a couple of blocks from where she lived.
She left the scene and went home. She had a knot in her stomach. Tyler was probably sleeping, since he worked the night shift, she thought. Maybe the cramp was because she hadn’t eaten that day. She went to her car for a cigarette.
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One of Tyler’s friends found her outside and asked her to check on him. She didn’t want to wake him, but when she checked, he wasn’t home.
She walked down the street. Police told her to go to the hospital, where she was steered to a room and told her son was dead.
So, behind the ambulance, driving to the hospital after Munchie was shot, Gordon prayed she would not lose a second son. She had some hope — maybe they had a pulse, maybe they had stabilized him. Her sister-in-law met her there.
The vigil for 15-year old Terrance Malden, who was shot to death on July 10, 2020, in the Jeffrey Manor neighborhood. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
LaTanya Gordon looks to the sky after balloons are launched in memory of her son Terrence Malden, 15, during a a vigil on July 17, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)
Hospital staff said Munchie was in surgery. Then a hospital administrator told her doctors were ready to see her. She said she felt uneasy — surgery didn’t seem to last long. They brought her into a small room.
“This is not good, this is not good, I done been in this room, one of those rooms before,” Gordon said.
“Just wait, just wait and see,” her sister-in-law replied.
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A chaplain and a doctor stepped into the room.
The doctor asked if she was the mother. She said yes.
“I already know,” she told him. “Don’t say nothing.”


chicagotribune--2020-08-01--Moms and daughters growing closer during coronavirus pandemic, survey finds: ‘I could see her, reall

Moms and daughters growing closer during coronavirus pandemic, survey finds: ‘I could see her, really, really see her.’

“ All that other noise , that just stopped ; in terms of taking her to soccer or dance , @ @ @ @ @ ” said the mother of three about her 11-year-old daughter .
“ And so it @ @ @ @ @ see her , really , really see her.
” They connected by being in the @ @ @ @ @ and through Lynch ’ s encouragement of her daughter ’ s new interests , like @ @ @

Lindsay Kosciuk and her daughter, Katalina, have grown closer while staying at home. (Lindsay Kosciuk)
Many parents have felt the stress of balancing being a parent, a de facto teacher and a child’s sole entertainer during months stuck at home amid the coronavirus pandemic.
But there also are silver linings.
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Some moms say the quarantine has helped them grow closer to their daughters. Recent research from anthropologist Grant McCracken indicates that moms are fostering closer bonds; he said among the more than 500 moms in the United States that he surveyed, 59% said they felt the relationship between mother and daughter was becoming more connected.
“That was striking,” he said. Out of all possible relationships in the home, “This was the one that was really flourishing.”
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That’s the case for Lindsay Kosciuk, a Bartlett, Ill., mom who said she and her 9-year-old daughter have been able to spend more time together, without the usual packed schedule — swim lessons, play dates, camps.
“Without so many distractions, our bond is even stronger than it was before,” she said. “I have to be her mom, teacher and best friend to really fill the void that COVID has left.”
Her daughter recently started putting together care packages to give to seniors who are isolated because of the virus, and mom and daughter deliver them together. They also have been quarantine pen pals to the seniors.
It isn’t only daughters and parents who might be growing stronger bonds; Kosciuk said she and her husband and son have grown closer, too. They hike nearly every day — something they wouldn’t have been able to make time for before the pandemic.
For Wilmette mom Beth Lynch, the absence of classes and activities propelled new closeness.
“All that other noise, that just stopped; in terms of taking her to soccer or dance, all that completely stopped,” said the mother of three about her 11-year-old daughter. “And so it was like, I could see her, really, really see her.” They connected by being in the same space more often, and through Lynch’s encouragement of her daughter’s new interests, like the ukulele.
[ Raising a daughter? Handle with care — especially when she's 14 ]
They also continued a program called MoonBeams, which aims to nurture mother-daughter connection through group classes. When the pandemic hit, the program went remote, but the Lynches continued to meet virtually with other mom-daughter pairs throughout the spring.
One thing brought up in a discussion, Lynch said, was seeing a daughter as a mirror of yourself, and looking at things through her eyes.
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“I was bringing those things back to, ‘How do I see this from her point of view?’” Lynch said.
McCracken said he heard from moms who were bonding through things like watching John Hughes movies or finally figuring out TikTok.
“Women were saying things like, ‘My daughter could see me in a way she couldn’t before,’” he said.
abowen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-01--Chicago Public Schools families given until Aug. 7 to opt out of in-person classes, even before fina

Chicago Public Schools families given until Aug. 7 to opt out of in-person classes, even before final decision on CPS fall plan

But some parents have grumbled on social media that , to keep their options , they have little choice but @ @ @ @ @ hybrid plan , because if they choose remote learning , they will be locked in @ @ @ @ @ term .
Those who choose the hybrid plan can decide at any point to switch @ @ @ @ @ .

Although no final decision has been made on what instruction will look like in Chicago Public Schools this fall, parents learned Friday that they have a week to decide whether they will opt their children out of the proposed hybrid approach for fall.
The state’s largest school system has been seeking feedback on its preliminary framework for fall, which combines two days a week of in-person classes with three days of remote learning.
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Officials have stressed that parents can opt out of in-person instruction for any reason, though the Chicago Teachers Union continues to push back against any reopening of schools this fall without what its members believe are adequate protections against the spread of COVID-19.
Many parents have indicated they share those concerns, but others have said that remote learning is a poor substitute for classroom instruction and that they trust school officials to mitigate the risks of coronavirus transmission.
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Parents received word Friday that they will be required to indicate by Aug. 7, through a registration form to be sent to families soon, whether their children will opt-out of the hybrid plan.
CPS CEO Janice Jackson said this information is needed to start planning for both in-person and remote learning and to schedule teachers accordingly.
“Once we have that data from our parents as well as our teachers, principals will be in a better situation to talk about how classes will be organized, how schooling will be organized and what you should expect in the fall,” said CPS CEO Janice Jackson at Friday’s session.
But some parents have grumbled on social media that, to keep their options, they have little choice but to opt in to the hybrid plan, because if they choose remote learning, they will be locked in for the remainder of the term. Those who choose the hybrid plan can decide at any point to switch to remote learning, however.


chicagotribune--2020-08-01--‘I started praying,’ says witness who called 911 after 9-year-old boy fatally shot while playing on

‘I started praying,’ says witness who called 911 after 9-year-old boy fatally shot while playing on Near North Side

“ I was just saying hello , and before we knew it , we just heard the gunshots .
They @ @ @ @ @ all ran , ” said the woman , who identified herself as Miss Cooper .

Jalisa Ford sits on the ground on Aug. 1, 2020, while rubbing the walkway where her 9-year-old son, Janari Andre Ricks, was fatally shot while playing with friends at the Cabrini Green rowhouses the previous evening. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
A gunman opened fire into a parking lot, fatally hitting a 9-year-old boy who was playing with friends behind the Cabrini Green townhomes Friday evening in an attack of “senseless violence,” Chicago police and witnesses said.
The child, identified by the Cook County medical examiner’s office as Janari Andre Ricks, was in the 900 block of North Cambridge Avenue when shots were fired around 6:45 p.m. and he was hit in the chest, said Chicago police Officer Michelle Tannehill.
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He was pronounced dead at Lurie Children’s Hospital, where he was taken, initially in “very critical” condition, said Tannehill and Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.
The boy was struck “multiple times” in an attack of “senseless violence,” said Chief of Operations Brian McDermott, a police representative who spoke briefly to the media at the hospital.
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The boy was playing in a parking lot with several others when it happened and was the “unintended target” of gunfire.
“An unknown offender approached on foot and fired multiple rounds in the direction of the victim and several other bystanders,” McDermott said.
McDermott told reporters he did not have a detailed description of the shooter or an idea of his motive.
“We don’t know who the intended target was.”
“Any time a child is a victim of gun violence in the city of Chicago, it greatly saddens and affects us all,” McDermott said, urging anyone with information to come forward.
A 45-year-old woman was on her way home from her regular cancer treatments at Northwestern Memorial Hospital when she decided to stop and visit with old friends and some family in the Cabrini Green townhomes.
As they strolled and chatted, three to six deafening blasts of gunfire rang out. They didn’t know where they were coming from but began running.
“I was just saying hello, and before we knew it, we just heard the gunshots. They just started crying and we all ran,” said the woman, who identified herself as Miss Cooper.
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“I started praying.”
Cooper then picked up her cellphone and called 911.
“I called police so someone can get the little baby,” Cooper said.
The boy had been playing, running up and down with other children behind the complex, where there is a playground with swing sets and a slide.
“Kids are always running around playing tag, chasing each other, jumping rope there,” Cooper said.
Cooper, who was raised in that neighborhood, has suffered from gun violence personally. She said her son was fatally shot.
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“I am a mother. My son was shot in the street. I understand,” Cooper said.
“I grew up in that area. It’s always something.‘'
rsobol@chicagotribune.com
jaanderson@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-08-01--9-year-old boy fatally shot on Near North Side

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

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 21 Jalisa Ford sits on the ground on Aug. 1, 2020, while rubbing the walkway where her 9-year-old son, Janari Andre Ricks, was fatally shot while playing with friends at the Cabrini Green rowhouses the previous evening. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Nine-year-old Janari Ricks was fatally shot in the 900 block of North Cambridge Avenue on July 31, 2020, in the Cabrini Green rowhouses area, police said.


chicagotribune--2020-08-01--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 11 counties at ‘warning level’ for COVID-19 resurgence as state rep

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 11 counties at ‘warning level’ for COVID-19 resurgence as state reports 1,941 new known cases, 21 more deaths and daily testing record

Illinois announced 1,941 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday .
The state also reported 21 more deaths and a new daily record for test results with 49,782 .
The new cases confirmed Friday are the highest daily count since May 24 .
Meanwhile , 11 Illinois counties have been put on a state “ warning level ” based on key metrics for measuring the resurgence of COVID-19 , officials said Friday .
The state classifies a county as reaching a “ warning level ” when it sees an increase in at least two risk indicators under the state ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows for tighter restrictions for regions that breach levels set for various metrics .
“ We ’ re at a danger point , ” Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said at a news conference Thursday in Peoria , warning again that Illinois could be headed for a “ reversal ” in its reopening as the state continues to see a resurgence in case numbers and regions see positivity rates of coronavirus tests creeping up .
9:05 p.m. : CPS students have until Aug. 7 to opt for hybrid instruction or all-remote learning Although no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instruction will look like in Chicago Public Schools this fall , parents learned Friday that they have a week to decide whether they will opt their children out of the proposed hybrid approach for fall .
The state ’ s largest school system has been seeking feedback on its preliminary framework for fall , which combines two days a week of in-person classes with three days of remote learning .
Officials have stressed that parents can opt out of in-person instruction for any reason , though the Chicago Teachers Union continues to push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall without what its members believe are adequate protections against the spread of COVID-19 .
Many parents have indicated they share those concerns , but others have said that remote learning is a poor substitute for classroom instruction and that they trust school officials to mitigate the risks of coronavirus transmission .
6:32 p.m. : College students from states under Chicago ’ s quarantine order can begin their stints in isolation before traveling to Illinois — if their school allows College students moving to Chicago from a designated coronavirus hotspot are allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14-day quarantine in their home state , officials said Friday .
Students who do so will remain in compliance with the city ’ s emergency travel order as long as they finish the remaining week of quarantine upon arriving — either in a dorm or an off-campus residence .
It ’ s not clear why the Chicago Department of Public Health adjusted the order for college students , or whether all schools will adopt the approach .
Previously , the city has not allowed travelers from states with rising COVID-19 infections to split @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order affects travelers from 22 states , including nearby Wisconsin and Missouri .
DePaul University in Lincoln Park announced the option on Thursday .
Students who complete the first week of quarantine at home will be allowed to move into dorms early and must get tested for COVID-19 shortly after arriving on campus , according to the announcement .
The students must also sign a certification showing they followed the order .
“ If you choose to quarantine on campus with us ... we will deliver meals and urgent mail to your room @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV streaming , etc , ” the announcement says .
“ Students must stay in their rooms and not interact in-person with anyone else , including other students , for any reason except for urgent medical care and COVID testing during the quarantine period.
” The department ’ s guidance doesn ’ t specify whether using certain modes of transportation to get to Chicago after a one-week quarantine out of state — such as a crowded plane or train — would violate the order .
Contact tracers working on behalf of the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in touch with the about 270 people who were at the event , which had been planned since the spring .
Department epidemiologist Alpesh Patel on Thursday urged those who are showing signs of the virus to get tested , and for those who are asymptomatic “ it is absolutely necessary to quarantine yourself ” for 14 days and self-monitor , including taking their temperature at least three times a day .
Although not tying the increase to prom attendees , county health officials noted that the region that includes Will and Kankakee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed a seven-day run of increases in positive virus cases .
They pointed out that all regions statewide had showed increases for at least six days .
Sue Olenek , executive director of the department , said the increases are an indication of people being slipshod about taking necessary precautions .
“ We have people finding their ways to events , out of town or out of state , where the important precautions are not being observed , ” she said in the statement .
4:37 p.m. : Chicago bars now can add @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner with a restaurant to provide food In a surprise and undoubtedly welcome move , Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Friday afternoon announced an expansion of the city ’ s Outdoor Dining Program that will allow taverns without a retail food license to operate temporarily on the sidewalk area in front of their establishment .
Under the expanded program , bars may set up outdoor tables , enclosed by barriers ( as is required of sidewalk cafes ) and leaving at least 6 feet of pedestrian clearance .
In addition , bars must identify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure that food is available to bar customers .
“ While we ’ ve had to implement restrictions and take hard measures to combat a recent rise COVID-19 activity , we will continue to ensure our restaurants , bars and businesses have the supports they need to survive during these unprecedented times , ” said Mayor Lightfoot in a statement .
“ Our innovative Outdoor Dining Program has already helped more than 250 restaurants and bars in our communities , and now by expanding our efforts to better support our bars impacted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lifeline to hundreds of local establishments across Chicago ’ s neighborhoods.
” In addition , establishments holding a retail food license will be able to operate in outdoor areas — such as courtyards , terraces or patios — without securing an outdoor patio license , which ordinarily would be required .
Though temporary , this move will relieve restaurants and bars with food licenses from the lengthy and onerous outdoor patio license process .
United Airlines plans to resume service on more than 25 international routes in September , including a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the airline said Friday .
Chicago-based United ’ s September schedule has about 37 % of the flights it flew the same month last year .
That ’ s about 4 % more flights than it plans to operate in August , as recent increases in COVID-19 cases slows passengers ’ return to flying .
Several of the routes United is adding back are beach destinations in the Caribbean and Hawaii , as leisure travel is expected to recover more quickly than business travel .
3:40 p.m. : Teachers who are at high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they will be allowed to teach remotely Paul Dombrowski has been teaching art at Willow Bend Elementary School in northwest suburban Rolling Meadows for 23 years , and it shows ; he instinctively calls his students “ my kids , ” and the school , “ my school.
” His voice fills with excitement when he talks about the projects he would normally be preparing for at this time of year : student self portraits , papier-mache cake slices , glazed ceramic monsters with elaborate horns and fangs .
Instead , Dombrowski @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , waiting anxiously for the response to his request to stay home and teach remotely .
Dombrowski , 57 , is one of thousands of teachers throughout the Chicago area who are at higher risk from COVID-19 due to age or chronic health conditions .
For many of them , this is an anxious time ; while the Americans with Disabilities Act provides protections for those with the most serious health conditions , it ’ s still unclear exactly how schools will respond to a wide range of potential risk levels .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he isn ’ t allowed to teach remotely , he may make the emotionally and financially difficult decision to retire early .
“ It is a matter of life and death , ” he said of his request to teach remotely .
“ I ’ ve been very careful since March .
I ’ m a mask-wearer , and I don ’ t go out unless I really need to.
” 2:28 p.m. : Chicago airports restrict access to people with tickets and those helping them , workers City officials didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keeping anyone but passengers , those helping passengers and airport employees from entering the airport , but said in a news release that it ’ s to “ to ensure the safety and security of our valued passengers and employees.
” City Aviation Department officials and Chicago police were scheduled to set up a nightly checkpoint at the airports ’ CTA stations to confirm people entering the airport have a reason to be there , according to the release .
Eleven of Illinois ’ s 102 counties have been put on a state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ metrics for measuring the resurgence of COVID-19 , officials said Friday , as the state logged its highest daily count of new known coronavirus cases since May 24 .
State public health officials said that during the prior 24 hours , there were 1,941 newly confirmed coronavirus cases across the state , and an additional 21 people with COVID-19 in Illinois had died .
The seven-day average statewide positivity rate is now 3.9 % , and the statewide totals now stand at 178,837 known cases of COVID-19 in Illinois and 7,495 deaths since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois Department of Public Health .
The state classifies a county as reaching a “ warning level ” when it sees an increase in at least two risk indicators under the state ’ s coronavirus Resurgence Mitigation plan , which allows for tighter restrictions for regions that breach levels set for various metrics .
The counties at warning level include Jo Daviess County in the state ’ s northwestern corner , and , in central Illinois , Cass and Sangamon counties , the latter of which includes Springfield .
“ Residents of many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been proven to reduce the spread of COVID-19 , ” the state Department of Public Health said in a news release Friday .
“ Public health officials are finding that most contacts to cases are testing positive as well.
” Some of the counties that were issued warnings have imposed limits on activities considered risky for the spread of COVID-19 , including a measure Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder imposed earlier this month making bars and restaurants that aren ’ t compliant with Phase 4 rules in Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ license suspensions .
The state is monitoring a range of metrics to determine whether there ’ s a coronavirus resurgence in a given community , including deaths , hospital admissions , new cases per 100,000 people , weekly test positivity and ICU availability .
To date , the state Department of Public Health has conducted nearly 2.7 million COVID-19 tests , with 49,782 in the most recent 24-hour period .
As of Thursday night , 1,369 people in Illinois were hospitalized with COVID-19 , with 346 of those patients in an intensive care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the only drug given emergency approval for treatment of COVID-19 , appears to provide equal benefits to white , Asian , Black and Latino patients , according to an analysis led by researchers at University of Chicago Medicine .
It ’ s encouraging news , infectious disease experts say , because of the disparate effects of the disease on different groups .
Black people are dying at higher rates than people of other races , and Latinos are contracting the disease at higher rates than others .
Dr. Kathleen Mullane , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the results — which were reviewed by other scientists but are not published in a medical journal — are particularly encouraging for her institution given that it treats many patients of color .
“ We are so proud and excited and happy that our patients did well , ” she said .
The White House and its GOP allies appear to be retreating from their opposition to a $ 600 per week supplemental unemployment benefit that has propped up both the economy and family budgets but is expiring Friday .
President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , undercutting his GOP allies on Capitol Hill who have spent considerable effort on devising an alternative to it that could unite Republicans .
The unemployment insurance is a principle element as talks continue on a COVID-19 relief bill , which is expected to grow considerably from a $ 1 trillion-plus GOP draft released this week .
The negotiations are continuing Friday after late-night talks at the Capitol failed to produce a breakthrough .
Illinois health officials on Friday announced 1,941 new known cases of COVID-19 and 21 additional fatalities , bringing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the statewide death toll to 7,495 since the start of the pandemic .
Officials also reported 49,782 new tests in the last 24 hours .
The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 3.9 % .
12:27 p.m. : Fauci says he believes Americans will get COVID-19 vaccine over course of 2021 Appearing before a House panel investigating the nation ’ s response to the pandemic , Fauci expressed “ cautious ” optimism that a vaccine would be available , particularly by next year .
“ I believe , ultimately , over a period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be able to get it , ” Fauci said , referring to the vaccine .
There will be a priority list for who gets early vaccinations .
“ I don ’ t think we will have everybody getting it immediately , ” Fauci explained .
But “ ultimately , within a reasonable time , the plans allow for any American who needs the vaccine to get it , ” he added .
The coronavirus forced another change in Major League Baseball ’ s schedule , bringing the league ’ s total to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days of the season .
The league announced the schedule change hours before the game was to be played .
It said the postponement in Milwaukee is “ consistent with protocols to allow enough time for additional testing and contact tracing to be conducted.
” The teams plan to resume their schedule Saturday night at Miller Park , pending results from the testing and contact tracing , and make up Friday 's game as part of a doubleheader Sunday .
“ We are supportive of Major League Baseball ’ s decision to postpone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to playing our home opener as soon as conditions safely allow , ” Brewers general manager David Stearns said in a statement .
“ The health and safety of our players and employees are , and will continue to be , our top priorities.
” Two other games scheduled for Friday involving the Marlins , Nationals , Blue Jays and Phillies had already been postponed because of an outbreak among Miami players and two positive tests on Philadelphia ’ s coaching staff .
11:01 a.m. : Children may carry high levels of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much as adults , new Lurie Children ’ s Hospital study finds It has been a comforting refrain in the national conversation about reopening schools : Young children are mostly spared by the coronavirus and don ’ t seem to spread it to others , at least not very often .
Infected children have at least as much of the coronavirus in their noses and throats as infected adults , according to the research .
Indeed , children younger than age 5 may host up to 100 times as much of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the authors found .
That measurement does not necessarily prove that children are passing the virus to others .
Still , the findings should influence the debate over reopening schools , several experts said .
“ The school situation is so complicated .
There are many nuances beyond just the scientific one , ” said Dr. Taylor Heald-Sargent , a pediatric infectious diseases expert at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children ’ s Hospital of Chicago , who led the study , published in JAMA Pediatrics .
“ But one takeaway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t assume that just because kids aren ’ t getting sick , or very sick , that they don ’ t have the virus.
” “ This is kind of like our last chance , really , and we ’ re all in dire situations .
Most of us are ‘ phase five ’ businesses.
” According to the state ’ s phase-five plan , “ conventions , festivals , and large events ” can not fully restart until there is a widely available treatment or vaccine , contact tracing or no new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. : Small clusters of flu or other ailments may be popping up for the same reason COVID-19 is spreading : ‘ Strict social distancing isn ’ t in place ’ As Illinois continues testing for COVID-19 , many people showing symptoms end up with negative results .
Instead , they may have fallen ill with a common cold or the flu .
While some people may wonder why they might catch a cold during this time of social distancing and hand washing , the answer is fairly simple , according to medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internal physician at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center , said that not everyone adheres to social distancing measures , contributing to cases of the flu and other respiratory illnesses .
“ If everyone lived in a bubble no one would get a contagious disease , ” Javier said .
“ Unless everyone is social distancing 100 % of the time , you ’ re still going to get pockets of outbreaks.
” Strict social distancing measures could ultimately curb both viruses , said Dr. Ben Singer , a pulmonary and critical care specialist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Chicago parents struggle to get rid of car seats , children ’ s items after COVID-19 closures : ‘ Recycling is really seeing a decline ’ If you ’ re hoping to donate your child ’ s car seat or crib this year , many thrift stores and retailers likely won ’ t take it .
But throwing it away may not be the best option , either .
Some Chicago-area parents say they ’ ve been struggling to get rid of unneeded car seats and other children ’ s items because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years limited what children ’ s items they ’ ll take , but even after reopening in recent weeks , many also have limited donations because of staff shortages .
Trashing children ’ s gear can harm the environment , but to limit face-to-face contact , corporations such as Walmart and Target have canceled their trade-in programs , which had allowed people to exchange car seats for a credit , discount or upgraded product .
“ It stinks ( the programs ) are closed , ” said Tory Andrews , 34 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been trying to give away her child ’ s car seat .
“ I don ’ t understand why they are closed , but the pandemic is affecting nearly everything.
” 5 a.m. : Online education was a mess in the spring .
As COVID-19 prompts schools to stay virtual , will it get better this fall ?
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced Chicago Public Schools to make a hurried switch to remote instruction earlier this year , Lidia Muro said it didn ’ t work out so well for her 5-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marvin Camras Elementary .
Some of the schoolwork he was given required logins and passwords his parents didn ’ t receive , she said .
Communication with his teacher was lacking .
And while it took Elijah a single day to finish math lessons that were supposed to stretch over months , he fell behind in reading .
“ The program was mostly games , I think , ” Muro said .
“ Educational games are good , but ( children ) can only do games for so long.
” Contrast that with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tori Mraz .
She found her school ’ s online classes to be rigorous but flexible , and while a lack of face-to-face instruction created challenges , she gave virtual education high marks .
“ I did really well , ” said Mraz , 16 , who woke at 6 a.m. each day to start her assignments .
“ It was on my own time , my own pace .
If I had questions , I didn ’ t feel rushed .
If I wanted to email for help , I could , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FaceTime and they ’ d explain it to me .
I feel I worked a lot harder because of all that was going on.
” Such is the varied landscape many will face when school resumes .
Though some districts have pledged to return to in-person classes , many appear headed to full-time online instruction or a hybrid approach , ensuring that education by internet will remain a staple in Illinois .
Here are five things that happened Thursday in Illinois related to COVID-19 :

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Paca Kujtim of Arlington Heights self-administers a COVID-19 test in his car at the Arlington International Racecourse on March 31, 2021 in Arlington Heights. Kujtim was getting testing as a precaution for upcoming travel. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois announced 1,941 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday. The state also reported 21 more deaths and a new daily record for test results with 49,782. The new cases confirmed Friday are the highest daily count since May 24.
Meanwhile, 11 Illinois counties have been put on a state “warning level” based on key metrics for measuring the resurgence of COVID-19, officials said Friday. The state classifies a county as reaching a “warning level” when it sees an increase in at least two risk indicators under the state’s coronavirus Resurgence Mitigation plan, which allows for tighter restrictions for regions that breach levels set for various metrics.
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“We’re at a danger point,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at a news conference Thursday in Peoria, warning again that Illinois could be headed for a “reversal” in its reopening as the state continues to see a resurgence in case numbers and regions see positivity rates of coronavirus tests creeping up.
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
[ Illinois’ new COVID-19 plan: How the state will manage any outbreaks in 3 charts ]
[ Illinois coronavirus graphs: Here's the latest data on deaths, confirmed cases, tests and more ]
Here’s what’s happening Friday regarding COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
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9:05 p.m.: CPS students have until Aug. 7 to opt for hybrid instruction or all-remote learning
Although no final decision has been made on what instruction will look like in Chicago Public Schools this fall, parents learned Friday that they have a week to decide whether they will opt their children out of the proposed hybrid approach for fall.
The state’s largest school system has been seeking feedback on its preliminary framework for fall, which combines two days a week of in-person classes with three days of remote learning.
Officials have stressed that parents can opt out of in-person instruction for any reason, though the Chicago Teachers Union continues to push back against any reopening of schools this fall without what its members believe are adequate protections against the spread of COVID-19.
Many parents have indicated they share those concerns, but others have said that remote learning is a poor substitute for classroom instruction and that they trust school officials to mitigate the risks of coronavirus transmission.
—Claire Hao
6:32 p.m.: College students from states under Chicago’s quarantine order can begin their stints in isolation before traveling to Illinois — if their school allows
College students moving to Chicago from a designated coronavirus hotspot are allowed to complete the first half of a required 14-day quarantine in their home state, officials said Friday.
Students who do so will remain in compliance with the city’s emergency travel order as long as they finish the remaining week of quarantine upon arriving — either in a dorm or an off-campus residence.
It’s not clear why the Chicago Department of Public Health adjusted the order for college students, or whether all schools will adopt the approach. Previously, the city has not allowed travelers from states with rising COVID-19 infections to split the quarantine period in half. The order affects travelers from 22 states, including nearby Wisconsin and Missouri.
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DePaul University in Lincoln Park announced the option on Thursday. Students who complete the first week of quarantine at home will be allowed to move into dorms early and must get tested for COVID-19 shortly after arriving on campus, according to the announcement. The students must also sign a certification showing they followed the order.
“If you choose to quarantine on campus with us ... we will deliver meals and urgent mail to your room, provide access to WiFi and Philo TV streaming, etc,” the announcement says. “Students must stay in their rooms and not interact in-person with anyone else, including other students, for any reason except for urgent medical care and COVID testing during the quarantine period.”
The department’s guidance doesn’t specify whether using certain modes of transportation to get to Chicago after a one-week quarantine out of state — such as a crowded plane or train — would violate the order.
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
5:45 p.m.: Will County health officials issue warning following Lincoln-Way East prom tied to COVID-19 cases
Will County health officials are delivering a warning to teens and adults who attended a recent student-organized prom in Indiana for graduates of Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort.
Contact tracers working on behalf of the county Health Department have been working to get in touch with the about 270 people who were at the event, which had been planned since the spring.
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Department epidemiologist Alpesh Patel on Thursday urged those who are showing signs of the virus to get tested, and for those who are asymptomatic “it is absolutely necessary to quarantine yourself” for 14 days and self-monitor, including taking their temperature at least three times a day.
Although not tying the increase to prom attendees, county health officials noted that the region that includes Will and Kankakee counties had, as of Thursday, showed a seven-day run of increases in positive virus cases. They pointed out that all regions statewide had showed increases for at least six days.
Sue Olenek, executive director of the department, said the increases are an indication of people being slipshod about taking necessary precautions.
“We have people finding their ways to events, out of town or out of state, where the important precautions are not being observed,” she said in the statement.
Read more here. —Mike Nolan
4:37 p.m.: Chicago bars now can add outdoor service on sidewalks, if they partner with a restaurant to provide food
In a surprise and undoubtedly welcome move, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Friday afternoon announced an expansion of the city’s Outdoor Dining Program that will allow taverns without a retail food license to operate temporarily on the sidewalk area in front of their establishment.
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This offers some relief to bars and taverns affected most severely by the mayor’s recent rule rollback, which banned indoor service to bars lacking a food license.
Under the expanded program, bars may set up outdoor tables, enclosed by barriers (as is required of sidewalk cafes) and leaving at least 6 feet of pedestrian clearance. In addition, bars must identify a “partner food establishment” to ensure that food is available to bar customers.
“While we’ve had to implement restrictions and take hard measures to combat a recent rise COVID-19 activity, we will continue to ensure our restaurants, bars and businesses have the supports they need to survive during these unprecedented times,” said Mayor Lightfoot in a statement. “Our innovative Outdoor Dining Program has already helped more than 250 restaurants and bars in our communities, and now by expanding our efforts to better support our bars impacted by these new restrictions, we are providing a lifeline to hundreds of local establishments across Chicago’s neighborhoods.”
In addition, establishments holding a retail food license will be able to operate in outdoor areas — such as courtyards, terraces or patios — without securing an outdoor patio license, which ordinarily would be required. Though temporary, this move will relieve restaurants and bars with food licenses from the lengthy and onerous outdoor patio license process.
—Phil Vettel
3:52 p.m.: United to add international routes in September, including a flight between Chicago and Tel Aviv
United Airlines plans to resume service on more than 25 international routes in September, including a new route between Chicago and Tel Aviv, the airline said Friday.
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Chicago-based United’s September schedule has about 37% of the flights it flew the same month last year. That’s about 4% more flights than it plans to operate in August, as recent increases in COVID-19 cases slows passengers’ return to flying.
Several of the routes United is adding back are beach destinations in the Caribbean and Hawaii, as leisure travel is expected to recover more quickly than business travel.
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
3:40 p.m.: Teachers who are at high risk from COVID-19 are anxious to know if they will be allowed to teach remotely
Paul Dombrowski has been teaching art at Willow Bend Elementary School in northwest suburban Rolling Meadows for 23 years, and it shows; he instinctively calls his students “my kids,” and the school, “my school.”
His voice fills with excitement when he talks about the projects he would normally be preparing for at this time of year: student self portraits, papier-mache cake slices, glazed ceramic monsters with elaborate horns and fangs.
Instead, Dombrowski is checking his phone five times a day, waiting anxiously for the response to his request to stay home and teach remotely.
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Dombrowski, 57, is one of thousands of teachers throughout the Chicago area who are at higher risk from COVID-19 due to age or chronic health conditions. For many of them, this is an anxious time; while the Americans with Disabilities Act provides protections for those with the most serious health conditions, it’s still unclear exactly how schools will respond to a wide range of potential risk levels.
Dombrowski, who has diabetes, said if he isn’t allowed to teach remotely, he may make the emotionally and financially difficult decision to retire early.
“It is a matter of life and death,” he said of his request to teach remotely. “I’ve been very careful since March. I’m a mask-wearer, and I don’t go out unless I really need to.”
Read more here. —Nara Schoenberg
2:28 p.m.: Chicago airports restrict access to people with tickets and those helping them, workers
Chicago aviation officials are restricting access to O’Hare International and Midway airports starting Friday night for unspecified “safety and security” reasons.
City officials didn’t spell out why they plan on keeping anyone but passengers, those helping passengers and airport employees from entering the airport, but said in a news release that it’s to “to ensure the safety and security of our valued passengers and employees.”
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City Aviation Department officials and Chicago police were scheduled to set up a nightly checkpoint at the airports’ CTA stations to confirm people entering the airport have a reason to be there, according to the release.
Read more here. —Sophie Sherry
2:15 p.m.: Illinois puts 11 counties at ‘warning level’ for coronavirus resurgence as daily case count pushes close to 2,000
Eleven of Illinois’s 102 counties have been put on a state “warning level” based on key metrics for measuring the resurgence of COVID-19, officials said Friday, as the state logged its highest daily count of new known coronavirus cases since May 24.
State public health officials said that during the prior 24 hours, there were 1,941 newly confirmed coronavirus cases across the state, and an additional 21 people with COVID-19 in Illinois had died.
The seven-day average statewide positivity rate is now 3.9%, and the statewide totals now stand at 178,837 known cases of COVID-19 in Illinois and 7,495 deaths since the pandemic began, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The state classifies a county as reaching a “warning level” when it sees an increase in at least two risk indicators under the state’s coronavirus Resurgence Mitigation plan, which allows for tighter restrictions for regions that breach levels set for various metrics.
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The counties at warning level include Jo Daviess County in the state’s northwestern corner, and, in central Illinois, Cass and Sangamon counties, the latter of which includes Springfield.
The remaining warning level counties are in Metro East near St. Louis and southern Illinois: Gallatin, Jackson, Johnson, Perry, Randolph, Saline, St. Clair and White, according to the state health department.
The counties have experienced coronavirus outbreaks from a range of activities and settings, including parties, bars and restaurants, religious gatherings, long-term care facilities and sporting events, state health officials said.
“Residents of many communities are not wearing face coverings that have been proven to reduce the spread of COVID-19,” the state Department of Public Health said in a news release Friday. “Public health officials are finding that most contacts to cases are testing positive as well.”
Some of the counties that were issued warnings have imposed limits on activities considered risky for the spread of COVID-19, including a measure Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder imposed earlier this month making bars and restaurants that aren’t compliant with Phase 4 rules in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan subject to fines and liquor license suspensions.
The state is monitoring a range of metrics to determine whether there’s a coronavirus resurgence in a given community, including deaths, hospital admissions, new cases per 100,000 people, weekly test positivity and ICU availability.
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To date, the state Department of Public Health has conducted nearly 2.7 million COVID-19 tests, with 49,782 in the most recent 24-hour period. As of Thursday night, 1,369 people in Illinois were hospitalized with COVID-19, with 346 of those patients in an intensive care unit and 148 on ventilators.
—Jamie Munks
2:05 p.m.: Antiviral drug remdesivir helps white, Black and Latino patients equally, Chicago study finds
Remdesivir, the only drug given emergency approval for treatment of COVID-19, appears to provide equal benefits to white, Asian, Black and Latino patients, according to an analysis led by researchers at University of Chicago Medicine.
It’s encouraging news, infectious disease experts say, because of the disparate effects of the disease on different groups. Black people are dying at higher rates than people of other races, and Latinos are contracting the disease at higher rates than others.
Dr. Kathleen Mullane, a UChicago Medicine infectious disease expert, said the results — which were reviewed by other scientists but are not published in a medical journal — are particularly encouraging for her institution given that it treats many patients of color. “We are so proud and excited and happy that our patients did well,” she said.
Read more here. —Hal Dardick
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1:50 p.m.: White House, GOP soften on opposition to $600 unemployment benefit
The White House and its GOP allies appear to be retreating from their opposition to a $600 per week supplemental unemployment benefit that has propped up both the economy and family budgets but is expiring Friday.
President Donald Trump is plainly eager to extend the benefit, undercutting his GOP allies on Capitol Hill who have spent considerable effort on devising an alternative to it that could unite Republicans.
The unemployment insurance is a principle element as talks continue on a COVID-19 relief bill, which is expected to grow considerably from a $1 trillion-plus GOP draft released this week. The negotiations are continuing Friday after late-night talks at the Capitol failed to produce a breakthrough.
Read more here. —The Associated Press
12:30 p.m.: 1,941 new known COVID-19 cases and 21 more deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Friday announced 1,941 new known cases of COVID-19 and 21 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known cases to 178,837 and the statewide death toll to 7,495 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 49,782 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 3.9%.
12:27 p.m.: Fauci says he believes Americans will get COVID-19 vaccine over course of 2021
Once a coronavirus vaccine is approved as safe and effective, Americans should have widespread access within a reasonable time, Dr. Anthony Fauci assured lawmakers Friday.
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Appearing before a House panel investigating the nation’s response to the pandemic, Fauci expressed “cautious” optimism that a vaccine would be available, particularly by next year.
“I believe, ultimately, over a period of time in 2021, that Americans will be able to get it,” Fauci said, referring to the vaccine.
There will be a priority list for who gets early vaccinations. “I don’t think we will have everybody getting it immediately,” Fauci explained.
But “ultimately, within a reasonable time, the plans allow for any American who needs the vaccine to get it,” he added.
Read more here. —The Associated Press
11:57 a.m.: Cardinals-Brewers game postponed after 2 Cardinals employees test positive for COVID-19
The coronavirus forced another change in Major League Baseball’s schedule, bringing the league’s total to eight teams affected in the first nine days of the season.
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Friday’s game between St. Louis and Milwaukee was postponed after two Cardinals employees tested positive for the coronavirus.
The league announced the schedule change hours before the game was to be played. It said the postponement in Milwaukee is “consistent with protocols to allow enough time for additional testing and contact tracing to be conducted.”
The teams plan to resume their schedule Saturday night at Miller Park, pending results from the testing and contact tracing, and make up Friday's game as part of a doubleheader Sunday.
“We are supportive of Major League Baseball’s decision to postpone today’s game and look forward to playing our home opener as soon as conditions safely allow,” Brewers general manager David Stearns said in a statement. “The health and safety of our players and employees are, and will continue to be, our top priorities.”
Two other games scheduled for Friday involving the Marlins, Nationals, Blue Jays and Phillies had already been postponed because of an outbreak among Miami players and two positive tests on Philadelphia’s coaching staff.
Read more here. —The Associated Press
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11:01 a.m.: Children may carry high levels of the coronavirus, up to 100 times as much as adults, new Lurie Children’s Hospital study finds
It has been a comforting refrain in the national conversation about reopening schools: Young children are mostly spared by the coronavirus and don’t seem to spread it to others, at least not very often.
But Thursday, a study introduced an unwelcome wrinkle into this smooth narrative.
Infected children have at least as much of the coronavirus in their noses and throats as infected adults, according to the research. Indeed, children younger than age 5 may host up to 100 times as much of the virus in the upper respiratory tract as adults, the authors found.
That measurement does not necessarily prove that children are passing the virus to others. Still, the findings should influence the debate over reopening schools, several experts said.
“The school situation is so complicated. There are many nuances beyond just the scientific one,” said Dr. Taylor Heald-Sargent, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, who led the study, published in JAMA Pediatrics. “But one takeaway from this is that we can’t assume that just because kids aren’t getting sick, or very sick, that they don’t have the virus.”
Read more here. —The New York Times
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10:47 a.m.: Chicago venues, theaters asking for economic relief from Congress before August recess
As some Chicago businesses have chanced a reopening under the city’s “phase four” plan, venues and theaters have been notably absent from that group
Institutions like the Metro, the Hideout and Logan Theatre — among many more — have had their doors shut since March, and, with infection rates yo-yo-ing nationwide, the timeline for large venue spaces to reopen remains unclear at best.
This week, operators throughout the city called on legislators to pass at least one of two proposed pieces of legislation, the RESTART or Save Our Stages acts — if not both — which would offer urgent financial relief to live venues, theaters and similar arts and entertainment operations. These industries have been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 regulations.
“Think of it this way: no revenue. No revenue, but the bills keep coming. And a lot of us are facing this cliff very quickly,” said Katie Tuten, who is co-owner of the 24-year-old Hideout, as well as a founding member of the Chicago Independent Venue League (CIVL), a coalition that has been spearheading the publicity push for legislation. The last time the Hideout welcomed a show to its stage was March 12.
“This is kind of like our last chance, really, and we’re all in dire situations. Most of us are ‘phase five’ businesses.”
According to the state’s phase-five plan, “conventions, festivals, and large events” cannot fully restart until there is a widely available treatment or vaccine, contact tracing or no new cases over a sustained period.
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Read more here. —Adam Lukach
6 a.m.: Small clusters of flu or other ailments may be popping up for the same reason COVID-19 is spreading: ‘Strict social distancing isn’t in place’
As Illinois continues testing for COVID-19, many people showing symptoms end up with negative results. Instead, they may have fallen ill with a common cold or the flu. While some people may wonder why they might catch a cold during this time of social distancing and hand washing, the answer is fairly simple, according to medical professionals.
Dr. Desler Javier, an internal physician at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, said that not everyone adheres to social distancing measures, contributing to cases of the flu and other respiratory illnesses.
“If everyone lived in a bubble no one would get a contagious disease,” Javier said. “Unless everyone is social distancing 100% of the time, you’re still going to get pockets of outbreaks.”
Strict social distancing measures could ultimately curb both viruses, said Dr. Ben Singer, a pulmonary and critical care specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Read more here. —Jessica Villagomez
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5 a.m.: Chicago parents struggle to get rid of car seats, children’s items after COVID-19 closures: ‘Recycling is really seeing a decline’
If you’re hoping to donate your child’s car seat or crib this year, many thrift stores and retailers likely won’t take it. But throwing it away may not be the best option, either.
Some Chicago-area parents say they’ve been struggling to get rid of unneeded car seats and other children’s items because of COVID-19. Most resale shops have for years limited what children’s items they’ll take, but even after reopening in recent weeks, many also have limited donations because of staff shortages.
Trashing children’s gear can harm the environment, but to limit face-to-face contact, corporations such as Walmart and Target have canceled their trade-in programs, which had allowed people to exchange car seats for a credit, discount or upgraded product.
“It stinks (the programs) are closed,” said Tory Andrews, 34, a parent from the Northwest Side who has been trying to give away her child’s car seat. “I don’t understand why they are closed, but the pandemic is affecting nearly everything.”
Read more here. —Kelli Smith
5 a.m.: Online education was a mess in the spring. As COVID-19 prompts schools to stay virtual, will it get better this fall?
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced Chicago Public Schools to make a hurried switch to remote instruction earlier this year, Lidia Muro said it didn’t work out so well for her 5-year-old stepson Elijah, then a kindergartner at Marvin Camras Elementary.
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Some of the schoolwork he was given required logins and passwords his parents didn’t receive, she said. Communication with his teacher was lacking. And while it took Elijah a single day to finish math lessons that were supposed to stretch over months, he fell behind in reading.
“The program was mostly games, I think,” Muro said. “Educational games are good, but (children) can only do games for so long.”
Contrast that with the experience of Wauconda High School junior-to-be Tori Mraz. She found her school’s online classes to be rigorous but flexible, and while a lack of face-to-face instruction created challenges, she gave virtual education high marks.
“I did really well,” said Mraz, 16, who woke at 6 a.m. each day to start her assignments. “It was on my own time, my own pace. If I had questions, I didn’t feel rushed. If I wanted to email for help, I could, or text my friends. We would FaceTime and they’d explain it to me. I feel I worked a lot harder because of all that was going on.”
Such is the varied landscape many will face when school resumes. Though some districts have pledged to return to in-person classes, many appear headed to full-time online instruction or a hybrid approach, ensuring that education by internet will remain a staple in Illinois.
Read more here. —John Keilman
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Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Here are five things that happened Thursday in Illinois related to COVID-19:


chicagotribune--2020-08-02--Hurricane warnings for eastern Florida coastlines as Tropical Storm Isaias expected to re-strengthen

Hurricane warnings for eastern Florida coastlines as Tropical Storm Isaias expected to re-strengthen overnight

“ The hurricane is currently undergoing about 25 knots of westerly vertical shear , and some mid-level dry air is @ @ @ @ @ .
This combination should prevent any more intensification , and , while Isaias is expected @ @ @ @ @ it passes near the Florida coast , at least slight weakening should occur during this @ @ @ @ @ the NHC .

Tropical Storm Isaias has slightly weakened but maintained its tropical status overnight as it approached the southeastern Florida coast early Sunday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center's 5 a.m. update.
Isaias was expected to return to hurricane status overnight. It downgraded to tropical-storm strength from a Category 1 hurricane Saturday afternoon.
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Isaias’ maximum sustained winds are near 65 miles per hour, just below hurricane strength of 74 mph, the NHC said in its latest advisory.
Forecasters expect the center of Isaias to move near or over east coast of Florida through late Sunday. Isaias will then turn to the north and northeast on Monday and Tuesday with an increase in forward speed. It’s currently heading northwest at 9 mph.
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Hurricane warnings along the east coast of Florida has been replaced with a tropical storm warning As Isaias grows closer to the state.
A tropical storm warning was in effect at 5 a.m. Saturday for Brevard, coastal Volusia, and inland Seminole, Orange, Osceola and Okeechobee counties, acccording to the National Weather Service. This warning, meaning tropical storm conditions are expected in the areas within the next 36 hours, were cancelled south of Hallandale Beach.
Tropical storm warnings also extend northward along the southeast U.S. coast to South Santee River, South Carolina, and tropical storm and storm-surge watches were issued from Edisto Beach, South Carolina to Cape Fear, North Carolina.
The storm is expected to skirt the coast of Brevard and Volusia counties late Sunday before turning northeast and taking aim at North Carolina’s Outer Banks by 2 a.m. Tuesday.
Rain is expected throughout the day on Sunday, about 2 to 4 inches in some areas of Central Florida, with up to 6 inches closer to the coast.
Forecasters warned that any wobble in the path could bring strong winds into Central Florida.
Isaias’ center was about 45 miles southeast of Fort Lauderdale at 5 a.m. After having its strength drained during a pass through the Bahamas, where dry air and wind sheer were present, Isaias was expected to draw strength upon arriving in warmer waters from the Gulf Stream near the Straits of Florida.
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The NHC said that a small window of opportunity for Isaias to regain strength overnight is now closing. Isaias has remained adversely affected by the vertical wind shear, making it more difficult to maintain organization.
“Since Isaias has not shown any signs of re-organizing overnight, it appears that the window of opportunity for it to re-strengthen is closing,” the NHC said at 5 a.m.
Aug 2, 5AM | Tropical Storm Isaias will move north along our coast today into early Monday. Damaging winds to focus along the coast.
Coast: Wind gusts up to 75 mph in passing squalls, especially for the barrier islands.
Inland: Wind gusts up to 45-55 mph in passing squalls. pic.twitter.com/ZqAYzPB0GI — NWS Melbourne (@NWSMelbourne) August 2, 2020
Models show tropical-storm-force winds, which extend 115 miles away from Isaias’ core, could be felt in the Florida Keys by 8 p.m. Saturday, said NHC director Ken Graham.
Tropical-storm winds range in strength between 45 and 73 mph. Graham’s message to Floridians was hopeful in a Saturday Facebook video, but urged residents to take the storm seriously.
“When you have tropical-storm-force winds, it’s just too dangerous to be outside,” Graham said.
Hurricane warnings are in effect for Bimini, the Berry Islands and the Grand Bahama Island. A storm-surge watch remains in effect from the Jupiter Inlet to Pointe Vedra Beach.
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The Bahamas
Hurricane Isaias snapped trees and brought down heavy sheets of rain throughout the Bahamas, which is still recovering from the devastation brought less than a year ago from Category 5 Hurricane Dorian.
So far, little damage has been reported from the archipelago nation, with nothing resembling the destruction of the 2019 September storm. The loss of power from four substations was reported in New Providence, according to the Bahamas Power and Light Company Ltd.
A time frame for power restoration hasn’t been offered. Advance teams are out in New Providence assessing the situation at this time, reports said.
Multiple Instagram users uploaded videos of gusty winds and tumultuous waves, but damage seems limited to not catastrophic outside of fallen debris, according to early reports.
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hurricane hunter aircraft departed from Lakeland Linder International Airport at 4:30 a.m. Saturday to take readings of Isaias’ center as it moved toward Andros Island. The team found that Isaias’ center of circulation wasn’t tight and remained open on its west side, according to Ashley Lundry, flight director with the NOAA hurricane hunters.
“We never saw a closed eye on the aircraft tail or belly radar, only about 50%. We encountered the most turbulence on the northeast side of the storm and also flew around a good amount of convection on the east side of the storm,” Lundry said.
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‘Remain prepared’
At Saturday news conferences, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged preparedness and advised Floridians to have seven days’ worth of food, water and medicine on hand. The governor declared a state of emergency Friday for all of Florida’s east coast counties from Miami-Dade to Nassau ahead of Isaias’ arrival.
“The most important thing we want people to do now is stay vigilant,” DeSantis said Saturday.
The governor also announced his request for federal assistance had been approved by President Donald Trump.
“The response to Hurricane Isaias comes after five consecutive hurricane seasons in which the State has been impacted by multiple million, and in some cases, multiple billion-dollar storms, all while in the midst of the largest disaster event managed by FEMA and the State of Florida, the COVID-19 Pandemic/Public Health Emergency,” DeSantis wrote to the president.
President @realDonaldTrump has approved my request for a pre-landfall emergency declaration for the counties in the path of Hurricane #Isaias. This will help our state respond quickly to any impacts from the storm. — Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) August 1, 2020
The approval means the Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide reimbursement for expenses related to weathering the storm.
Meteorologists are monitoring Isaias as any slight western adjustment of its path could dramatically vary the storm’s impact on Sunshine State, said FOX-35 meteorologist Jayme King.
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“Any westerly wobble will bring these gusts further inland,” King said. “Remain prepared.”
The Saharan dust in the area also should help reduce the intensity of the storm, FOX 35 chief meteorologist Glenn Richards said Friday. Some beach erosion along the Volusia and Brevard coasts is possible, he said.
Hurricane Isaias 5 a.m. update.
What happens next?
On Monday and Tuesday, the center of Isaias will move from offshore the coast of Georgia into the southern mid-Atlantic states.
Current projections show Isaias losing strength over the next 72 hours. The storm is expected to become post-tropical by Wednesday as it moves up the northeast coast.
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“Gradual weakening should occur as the storm moves northward along the east coast of the United States,” the NHC said at 5 a.m.
However, for this weekend the Metro Orlando area could see wind gusts of 40 mph and heavy rains with some localized flooding in low-lying areas on Sunday, according to John Pendergrast, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The area could see 3 to 4 inches of rain with up to 5 inches along coastal areas like Brevard and Volusia counties, Pendergrast said.
What you need to know
Orange County officials said they were monitoring the storm and extended the free, self-serve sandbag handouts until Saturday, pending weather.
Orange County Fire Rescue went door-to-door Saturday morning to manufactured homes in east Orange to help residents prepare. Firefighters distributed weather radios and preparedness guides, according to a press release.
Residents should remain vigilant and be prepared, officials said.
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“Even as the storm continues to track east, residents should be aware that severe weather may be in the forecast for this weekend,” a press release said.
Florida and Orange County have halted coronavirus testing in wake of the storm through at least Wednesday, though some sites may reopen before then, depending on the storm’s impact.
For more Central Florida updates, visit our Isaias blog for live updates.
An enigma of a storm
Isaias has been somewhat of an enigma of a storm thus far for meteorologists trying to predict its development.
Forecasters expected the ninth storm of the year to form Tuesday night, but instead saw winds rise to tropical-storm force strength without a well-defined center of circulation. The large storm, over 500 miles wide, had a broad and elongated center of circulation; without tightened organization, Isaias remained only a “potential cyclone” until late Wednesday.
Meanwhile, there are two more developing systems being monitored by the National Hurricane Center. If either one becomes a named storm, it would be Tropical Storm Josephine.
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The 2020 hurricane season already has seen seven tropical storms: Arthur, Bertha, Cristobal, Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, plus Hurricane Hanna, which hit Texas over the weekend, and now Isaias. The next named storms would be Josephine, Kyle, Laura, Marco, Nana, Omar, Paulette, Rene, Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred.
As a public service, the Orlando Sentinel is now offering free, unlimited access to hurricane coverage on our website.
Orlando Sentinel staff reporters Paola Pérez and Matthew J. Palm contributed to this story.