chicagotribune--2020-07-29--The Spin: Former Bear Singletary travels with Trump to Texas | Gov. Pritzker’s dire COVID-19 warning

The Spin: Former Bear Singletary travels with Trump to Texas | Gov. Pritzker’s dire COVID-19 warning | Mayor Lightfoot’s political call to arms

Michelle Obama goes on share that “ I came to learn the same thing you ’ ve learned - that @ @ @ @ @ floor of that fancy law firm and making all that money - that it felt @ @ @ @ @ isolating .
You know I had this amazing view of the South Side of the @ @ @ @ @ could see the lake , and I could see all of the neighborhood that I @ @ @ @ @ I never felt further from that neighborhood than when I was sitting in that office @ @ @ @ @ that had nothing to do with anything that helped a broader group of people outside @ @ @ @

Former Chicago Bear and NFL Hall of Famer Mike Singletary traveled with President Donald Trump on Air Force One to Texas today, the White House tells me. The president is scheduled to talk up the nation’s energy dominance, tour an oil rig and raise some money for his reelection campaign, The Associated Press and other outlets are reporting.
In June, Singletary, a Houston native, Baylor University alum and member of the Bears 1986 Super Bowl-winning team, participated in a Dallas roundtable discussion with the president on race relations.
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With COVID-19 cases rising in Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned today of a “reversal” in the state’s reopening “things are not headed in the right direction.”
In Chicago this morning, Mayor Lori Lightfoot stood in front of the DuSable Museum of African American History, where she melded a eulogy for the late civil rights leader and Georgia Democratic congressman John Lewis with the kind of political speech you might hear at next month’s Democratic National Convention. She called for an end to the partisan divide that Trump seems to relish but which she said drives people away from engaging in “small ‘d’ democracy.”
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Lightfoot’s commentary was a windup — granted, with some detours — to her main message for the day: how engaging in a democracy includes participating in the census, which determines federal funding and the number of congressional seats a state gets.
Some similar themes of duty to community ran through former first lady Michelle Obama’s inaugural podcast, featuring former President Barack Obama, which dropped today. With plenty of Chicago mentions, The Michelle Obama Podcast is also a reminder that we’re less than 100 days away from the presidential election.
And a few people have asked what the deal is with Lightfoot, wearing a mask, turning up on the promotional poster for the virtual Lollapalooza music fest that kicks off tomorrow. In case you missed it, my Tribune colleague Kevin Williams reported that she’ll be showing up, so to speak, at the four-day event for conversations with Lollapalooza co-founder, Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell, as well as LL Cool J.
Welcome to The Spin.
Hall of Famer Mike Singletary is introduced during the Bears100 Celebration Weekend at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont in 2019. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
No word yet on what the Bears great will be doing with Trump on the trip to his home state of Texas. But White House spokesman John Horstman confirmed that former Bear Mike Singletary traveled with Trump about Air Force One to Texas today.
According to The Associated Press: The president is shifting his focus to American energy dominance during a stop in Texas today that will include his first visit to an oil rig.
During the stop at Double Eagle Energy in the west Texas city of Midland, Trump was to discuss how the U.S. is achieving energy dominance by cutting regulations, simplifying permitting and encouraging private investment in energy infrastructure, the White House said.
Trump was also scheduled to tour an oil rig in Midland, the city where former President George W. Bush was raised.
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A college and pro football Hall of Famer, Singletary was among the luminaries who participated in the Gov. Pritzker-led “All in Illinois” campaign to encourage people to honor the statewide stay-at-home order during the initial months of the COVID-19 outbreak. In a video, Singletary said in part “I’m staying all in because I love my family, I love you and I love Illinois.”
Excited that @ChicagoBears legend @coachmsing is joining our team and sharing an important message on the power of #StayingAtHome: "I'm staying all in because I love my family, I love you and I love Illinois." #AllInIllinois pic.twitter.com/teU06h74q3 — Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) April 9, 2020
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Former first Lady Michelle and former President Barack Obama are introduced at the inaugural Obama Foundation Summit on October 31, 2017 in Chicago. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)
We know a lot of their story already. She grew up on Chicago’s South Side, and he cut his political teeth here, but in the first “The Michelle Obama Podcast,” the former first lady and President Barack Obama talk candidly about how their life’s work was driven by a goal to avoid loneliness.
The former president, who earned his undergraduate degree at Columbia University and, like his wife, a law degree at Harvard University, had different outlooks about what came after college.
The former president said, “I think I figured out once I got to school, that if I’m just chasing after my own success that somehow I am going to end up alone and unhappy. And that’s why I ended up going in to community organizing and the work that I was doing because when I thought about ‘how (do) I want to spend my life?’ what I looked at was those civil rights workers. And I thought, you know, that looks like hard work but it never looks like lonely work. That looks like hard and risky work, but it never looks like…selfish, isolated, meaningless work.”
After Harvard, the former First Lady went to work for the high-profile Chicago law firm Sidley Austin.
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“I was on the track I was checking my boxes, because, you know, I was doing what I thought – had thought - I needed to do because I was a poor kid, so I didn’t feel like I have the option to just go off and do other things. But I also had a limited vision of what I could be because schools don’t show you the world, they just show you a bunch of careers.”
Michelle Obama goes on share that “I came to learn the same thing you’ve learned - that while working on the 47th floor of that fancy law firm and making all that money - that it felt lonely, that it felt isolating. You know I had this amazing view of the South Side of the city from my office I could see the lake, and I could see all of the neighborhood that I had come from. And I never felt further from that neighborhood than when I was sitting in that office working on briefs in cases that had nothing to do with anything that helped a broader group of people outside of myself.”
OK, but the law firm is where the couple met.
Eventually she left the firm for a job at then-Mayor Richard M. Daley’s City Hall. You can listen to them banter about spending time together during the pandemic, voting and their hopes for their daughters Malia and Sasha by tuning into the podcast here. Or read CNN’s take here.
Michelle and I have spent a lot of time together these past few months. We’ve had a lot of good talks—and this one’s up there with the best. Take a listen to the very first episode of Michelle’s podcast: https://t.co/JEaVgT6GPC. pic.twitter.com/oRn1figrRK — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 29, 2020
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker at the Illinois State Capitol on May 20, 2020. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Rick Pearson and Jamie Munks: “Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned on Wednesday that Illinois could be headed for a “reversal” in its reopening as the state continues to see a resurgence in coronavirus case numbers, and he called on residents to ‘defend our progress.'
“If the trend continues or worsens, it could mean clamping back down in regions of the state on business restrictions, gatherings or even a return to a stay-at-home order, which Pritzker initially imposed in March, but since eased.” Read the full story here.
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Data: Pritzker issued that warning at a coronavirus news briefing this afternoon where he announced restrictions on youth sports aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19, and as state officials announced another 1,393 new confirmed cases of coronavirus statewide and 18 additional deaths. The statewide totals now stand at 175,124 known cases and 7,462 deaths.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker at a news conference at the University of Chicago's Harper Center, Thursday, July 23, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Rick Pearson: “Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday acknowledged that an alleged ComEd bribery scheme implicating House Speaker Michael Madigan has added to an abounding cynicism among Illinois voters.
“Still, the Democratic governor sought to separate such voter cynicism from how the public should view his Nov. 3 push to change Illinois’ income-tax structure.
“Pritzker also said he has supported ethics reforms in Springfield even before ComEd paid a $200 million fine and agreed to cooperate with federal investigators. But the governor once again stopped short of summoning lawmakers into special session to deal with the issue or calling for Madigan to step down unless his connection to the alleged scheme was proven.” Read the full story here.
Madigan has not been charged with a crime.
Madigan’s fundraising chugging along: Despite the controversy, newly filed records with the Illinois State Board of Elections shows donors are still writing big checks for the House Speaker who also chairs the state’s Democratic party. Details about the $500,000-plus haul here.
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Mayor Lori Lightfoot at South Shore Cultural Center in Chicago on Thursday, July 9, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Over the weekend, the New York Times’ Carl Hulse wrote a piece about a new report that puts in sharp relief the deep political divide in Congress and how COVID-19 has made it worse.
Mayor Lightfoot’s commentary at a news conference this morning, ostensibly to talk about boosting census participation, sounded a lot like a reaction to the piece and the kind of political call to arms that might be delivered at, say, the Democratic National Convention next month. I asked her political team about it, but first some snippets from today.
‘More than just a change in beliefs’ — “This week our nation is celebrating the life of one of the embodiments of our power to be better — Representative John Lewis, ‘Good trouble” John Lewis. ‘Necessary trouble’ John Lewis, a man who advanced our democracy by engaging directly through sit-ins, freedom rides, protests, who always knew that advancing our democracy demanded more than a change in our beliefs, but taking that energy and changing it into engagement all across our nation, and in every forum that represents democracy — in our courts, in our legislation, in our public dialogue, in our public institutions, and in our ballot boxes, all of which John Lewis helped to make possible for black and brown Americans.”
‘Democracy under siege’ by more than Trump: “I’m saying all of this because we are meeting at a moment when our democracy is under siege from multiple directions. To those who think I’m referring to President Trump, and his brazen corruption and attack on our institutions. I’ll save you the suspense. I am. But the siege I’m speaking about is more than just about him. It’s more than just about one man.”
Disengagement from each other, also an ‘alarm’: “We are no longer engaging with each other in a democratic way. And that, I think, is something that should be an alarm. ... Democracy requires us to engage in a public square where we can debate and find the facts and arguments to persuade. It requires us to build coalitions And find common ground. What democratic engagement doesn’t mean is who screams the loudest. It doesn’t mean issuing a set of demands, and then villainizing anyone who doesn’t immediately pledge allegiance to your particular manifesto.”
‘Extremes on the right, left’ are to blame, too; time for compromise: “Make no mistake, this toxic environment is fomented by extremes, on the right and the left. Neither ... leave room for compromise, and compromise is one of the pillars of our democracy, compromise is not a dirty word, compromise is not complicity or capitulation, compromise for the 244 years of this experiment in democracy is the most important tool that we have to find common ground and get to solutions that advance all of our interests together.
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“We always need to fight passionately for what we believe in. But we need to do so in ways that build bridges to allow people, we disagree with to cross over to us and us to them. It’s those bridges that we need to build on.”
A (virtual) Milwaukee speech? Asked whether she’s going to make a speech at the largely virtual Democratic National Convention next month in Milwaukee, Lightfoot’s political adviser Dave Mellet said he was unable to discuss that. He referred my question to organizers but I haven’t heard from them either.
Mellet did say: “We’re making sure the mayor will be participating as a delegate and getting involved with virtual events hosted by national Democrats and progressive organizations.”
Lightfoot on president’s census memo on immigrants and redrawing congressional districts: Again, the point of this morning’s news conference was about the census. Asked about Trump signing a memorandum seeking to exclude immigrants in the U.S. illegally from the total head count that’s used to redraw congressional districts, Lightfoot vowed to take legal actions — as other elected leaders in the country have done. The mayor didn’t deny, however, that efforts like this may discourage participation.
A light traffic day on I-290 on April 9, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
My colleagues Nausheen Husain, Darcel Rockett, Christen A. Johnson and Jemal R. Brinson talk to experts and dig into the policies, old and existing, that contribute to the racial wealth gap in Chicago. The Brookings Institution finds that in the U.S., the net worth of white families is 10 times that of Black families.
The now outlawed redlining policies, under which African Americans couldn’t rent or own property in certain neighborhoods, set in motion inequalities in everything from educational and career opportunities to investment in transportation, business districts and health care. Read the full piece here.
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Twitter @byldonovan


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--Reputed leader of Black Disciples street gang among 23 arrested in federal drug takedown

“ The influx of federal resources under Operation Legend announced last week fits squarely within this same strategy and uses @ @ @ @ @ including the agencies and the leaders that are up here today to help us rid @ @ @ @ @ drug traffickers in order ( to ) restore the rule of law and to help @ @ @ @ @ said Lausch .

The reputed leader of the Black Disciples street gang was among 23 people arrested in a federal gang takedown involving drug and weapons trafficking in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, federal authorities announced Wednesday.
Darnell McMiller, 34, who goes by the street name “Murder,” was charged with distribution of fentanyl-laced heroin to a cooperating individual last September in the 7000 block of South Lowe Avenue, according to court records.
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McMiller, of Chicago, is described in the charges as the current leader of the Black Disciples, a national street gang founded in the city in the 1960s. Also charged was Clarence January, who allegedly leads the gang’s “Dog Pound” faction, and Charles Knight, an alleged high-ranking member of the Gangster Disciples accused of supplying narcotics to McMiller’s crew.
McMiller’s arrest came a little more than a year after his release from federal prison on a separate narcotics conspiracy conviction. Records show he was sentenced to eight years behind bars in 2014 and released in mid-2019. Within weeks, he was captured on undercover FBI wiretaps attempting to arrange new drug pipelines for the gang, according to the charges.
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In one recorded conversation from September 2019, McMiller told an undercover FBI informant that he was thinking of making the birthday of former Black Disciples leader Jerome “Shorty” Freeman a holiday for the gang “everywhere,” according to the criminal complaint unsealed after McMiller’s arrest.
McMiller told the informant that David Barksdale, who founded the original Black Gangster Disciples Nation along with Larry Hoover, is still “the king of kings,” but McMiller had more of a connection with Freeman, according to the charges.
“(Expletive) we know Shorty personally,” McMiller allegedly said.
Prosecutors alleged McMiller also talked about his role as a leader of the gang when it came to settling scores. At one point on the recordings, when the informant asked McMiller about a shooting the night before, McMiller replied, “Ah, they straightened that out,” the complaint alleged.
“Bro and ’nem from the 100s came and did that,” McMiller said, referencing the block in Black Disciples territory where his enforcers live. “They from the 100s.”
During a news conference outside Chicago police’s Englewood District station, law enforcement officials discussed the roundup, which including the seizure of heroin laced with the powerful painkiller fentanyl, as well as cocaine, ecstasy pills, two dozen guns and about $50,000.
U.S. Attorney John Lausch told reporters the multiyear probe was clearly active prior to the start of Operation Legend, an effort announced by the Trump administration last week calling for a surge in federal agents to Chicago to assist Chicago police and other law enforcement in tamping down violence.
But Lausch said the investigation represents the kind of work that law enforcement plans to emulate in Chicago during the new operation.
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“The influx of federal resources under Operation Legend announced last week fits squarely within this same strategy and uses the same enforcement structure, including the agencies and the leaders that are up here today to help us rid our neighborhoods of gun-toters and drug traffickers in order (to) restore the rule of law and to help keep people safe,” said Lausch.
Emmerson Buie Jr., head of the Chicago FBI, said “today is an important day for me” since he grew up in the Englewood area where much of the investigation was centered. But he also pointed to other federal gang investigations that needed the FBI’s help.
“We’re not restricted to one area,” said Buie. “We are seeking out gun violence and criminals throughout the city to give everyone an opportunity to prosper and enjoy a beautiful city like Chicago.”
Meanwhile, Chicago police Superintendent David Brown, whose tenure has been marked by a jarring spike in gun violence, said the drug activity the Black Disciples allegedly engaged in directly affects the level of violence in Chicago.
“This is a big win for our team and for the people of the South Side (of) Chicago,” said Brown. “No one wants illegal drugs on their (block). No one. And no one wants to see drug dealers with guns in their neighborhoods.
“The gangs are fueled by the sale of illegal drugs, and drug dealing goes hand in hand with gun violence.”
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Among the others swept up in the probe was John Ector, owner of the South Side nightclub V-75, who allegedly acted as the gang’s money man. Ector, 47, of Chicago, was charged with bank fraud, court records show.
Also arrested was Shongo Collier, part owner of the popular chicken restaurant Wings Around the World on West 61st Street. Collier, 48, of Riverdale, was charged with dealing fentanyl and other narcotics.
The two-year investigation also resulted in several alleged gang members charged with unlawfully trafficking handguns.
Several other previously convicted felons have been charged with unlawfully possessing firearms, including rifles and a shotgun furnished to members of the Black Disciples, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
jgorner@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--Pritzker: Public cynical about ComEd scheme, but voters should separate that from income tax vote th

Pritzker: Public cynical about ComEd scheme, but voters should separate that from income tax vote this fall

“ The truth is that we have an unfair tax system in the state of Illinois in which wealthy people @ @ @ @ @ state taxes as people who are middle class or people who are working class .
@ @ @ @ @ .
There ought to be a higher rate for people who are millionaires and billionaires @ @ @ @ @ be a lower rate for people who are working class , middle class families trying @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s what this is about , ” he said .

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday acknowledged that an alleged ComEd bribery scheme implicating House Speaker Michael Madigan has added to an abounding cynicism among Illinois voters.
Still, the Democratic governor sought to separate such voter cynicism from how the public should view his Nov. 3 push to change Illinois’ income-tax structure.
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Pritzker also said he has supported ethics reforms in Springfield even before ComEd paid a $200 million fine and agreed to cooperate with federal investigators. But the governor once again stopped short of summoning lawmakers into special session to deal with the issue or calling for Madigan to step down unless his connection to the alleged scheme was proven.
Speaking at an unrelated news conference at the Thompson Center, the first-term governor said he was “concerned overall” about a history of corruption in Illinois “among Republicans and among Democrats.”
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“There’s just no doubt I think there’s cynicism that abounds among voters, and rightfully so when you hear about what Commonwealth Edison did and what anybody that was engaged may have done,” Pritzker said.
Prosecutors this month accused the state’s largest utility of orchestrating a “yearslong bribery scheme” involving jobs, contracts and payments to Madigan allies. Prosecutors said ComEd attempted to “influence and reward” Madigan by providing financial benefits to some close to him, often through Downstate lobbyist Michael McClain, a key confidant and adviser at the center of the probe.
Madigan has not been charged with any wrongdoing, and a spokeswoman previously issued a statement saying the speaker “has never made a legislative decision with improper motives and has engaged in no wrongdoing here.” Madigan, the Illinois Democratic Party chairman, is the nation’s longest-serving speaker and has served in the post since 1983 with the exception of two years.
Pritzker is seeking voter approval Nov. 3 of a change in the state’s constitution to move Illinois from a flat-rate income tax to a graduated-rate tax structure that increases as income rises.
Such a change would generate billions of dollars in new tax revenue. But Republicans and their allies, who have long campaigned against Madigan, have worked against the measure and suggested voters question why they should send more tax dollars to a state with a long history of financial mismanagement.
Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune who is bankrolling the campaign for the tax change, sought to separate the ComEd-Madigan issue from his proposal.
“I know that there are people who would like to have these things related to one another. They’re not,” the governor said.
“The truth is that we have an unfair tax system in the state of Illinois in which wealthy people pay the same rate in state taxes as people who are middle class or people who are working class. That’s not fair. There ought to be a higher rate for people who are millionaires and billionaires, and there ought to be a lower rate for people who are working class, middle class families trying to make ends meet. That’s what this is about,” he said.
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Pritzker said he offered proposals months ago for improving ethics in government, including a revolving-door ban on legislators who leave and lobby their colleagues.
“So we need to move on ethics legislation, no doubt about it,” he said without addressing his powers to call legislators back into session to deal with the issue. Pritzker previously has dismissed calls from Republican lawmakers for such a special session, instead saying he hoped it could be dealt with in the scheduled fall veto session.
Pritzker stood by his view that Madigan should resign “if these allegations are true,” saying his past calls for others to step down followed “a raid” or “an indictment.”
“That is the standard that I think is reasonable,” Pritzker said. Federal authorities issued a subpoena to Madigan on July 17 for records, including information about lobbying.
The Democratic governor noted that the legislature’s GOP leaders, Rep. Jim Durkin of Western Springs and Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, initially issued statements about Madigan with the same caveat. Days later, Brady joined his Senate GOP colleagues in calling for Madigan to resign “immediately.”
As Pritzker was making his comments, Democratic state Rep. Terra Costa Howard of Glen Ellyn called on Madigan to do “the honorable thing” and step down from his speakership and party chairmanship.
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“Even if he was not directly involved in this scheme, these accusations clearly demonstrate that the speaker’s leadership has failed,” she said.
“Speaker Madigan has a duty to recognize that these allegations have cast a deep shadow on the reputation of our House. He must take action now to avoid inflicting further damage on the members of the House and the Democratic Party,” she said.
A freshman lawmaker who defeated Republican state Rep. Peter Breen of Lombard in 2018, her call was the strongest so far among Madigan’s 73-member caucus. It reveals concerns among some Democrats about how the issues surrounding the speaker will play out in representing what had been GOP suburban areas. She is in a rematch with Breen this fall.
Meanwhile Madigan, the state’s most powerful politician, reported more than $930,000 in campaign contributions to his chief political fund. The bulk of the donations came from organized labor.


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--As pandemic concerns grow, Ogden Dunes beach closes; Dunes state park, Dunes national park remain op

As pandemic concerns grow, Ogden Dunes beach closes; Dunes state park, Dunes national park remain open: ‘(It’s) like Cancun spring break every day'

In Porter County , the Ogden Dunes Beach and all beach accessways closed effective Wednesday until further notice per the @ @ @ @ @ concerns , according to a release that requests that people not go onto any beach @ @ @ @ @ until the closure is lifted .

Nice weather and the calm waters of Lake Michigan resulted in large crowds at the Indiana Dunes State Park in Chesterton Wednesday July 1, 2020. Andy Lavalley/Post-Tribune (Andy Lavalley / Post-Tribune)
As officials in surrounding communities close beaches because of crowding and concerns about COVID-19, most of the beaches in Porter County remain open, at least for now.
Gary officials closed the beach at Marquette Park, as well as the shelters and adjacent parking, for two weeks effective Wednesday, following a recent decision by Whiting to shutter the beach there.
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In Porter County, the Ogden Dunes Beach and all beach accessways closed effective Wednesday until further notice per the town council because of COVID-19 concerns, according to a release that requests that people not go onto any beach accessways or the beach itself until the closure is lifted.
The beach at Indiana Dunes State Park and those within the Indiana Dunes National Park remain open, though the national park is working on a proposal to handle crowds that the superintendent there described as being “like Cancun spring break every day.”
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The closing of nearby beaches funnels more people to the already crowded beaches that are still open.
“It’s going to get worse,” said Paul Labovitz, superintendent at the national park, which includes Kemil, Porter and West beaches, as well as the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk.
Any other time, he said, park superintendents within the National Park Service have the latitude to change facility operations but in the COVID-19 climate, there’s a process that stretches upward in the chain of command to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
“We’re trying to figure out a smart strategy to continue to allow people to get outside, which is good for them, without exposing them to harm,” Labovitz said.
Park officials are working on a proposal to present to higher-ups for handling the growing crowds at the beaches, an issue that started at the beginning of the season with Memorial Day weekend.
In the meantime, park officials have come up with their own strategy.
“We are managing our parking in a dynamic way,” Labovitz said, adding when there are long lines, park staff tries to redirect potential beachgoers through a phone number about available beach parking to areas that are less crowded, at 219-395-1003.
The problem, he said, is that there are no beaches that are less crowded.
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Illegal behavior on the beaches, including drug use and underage drinking, became enough of a problem for both the national park and the state park, where alcoholic beverages are prohibited, that law enforcement officials from several departments worked together on a crackdown campaign this month, which Labovitz said worked.
“We wrote more tickets collectively in July than we did in 2019,” he said, adding those tickets went to both Illinois and Indiana residents.
At the state park, which, unlike the national park, charges a gate fee for entrance, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources will continue to work with health experts and take a data driven approach, according to an email from JB Brindle, director of the division of communications.
“While keeping the properties open, we take precautionary steps when necessary,” he said. “During the past five months, those steps have included temporarily closing or limiting access to selected facilities and activities for the health and safety of our guests and staff.”
Officials continue to monitor the situation there, Brindle said, adding there are no announcements concerning the beach at the state park at this time.
“Guests at all of our properties are asked to maintain social distancing and wear a mask when social distancing is not possible,” he said.
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Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--Remembering the lives of those in Illinois who died from coronavirus

As the number of deaths attributable to COVID-19 ticks upward , the Tribune is working to chronicle those who have @ @ @ @ @ Chicago area or who have connections to our region .
These are some of those @ @

They were mothers and fathers, daughters and sons. Many were proud grandparents. Two were sisters from a tight-knit South Side family. All were loved, relatives say, and will be forever missed.
As the number of deaths attributable to COVID-19 ticks upward, the Tribune is working to chronicle those who have lost their lives in the Chicago area or who have connections to our region. These are some of those victims.
If you know of someone or would like to offer a remembrance of someone please share your information here. To file a death notice, go here.
Subscribe to the Chicago Tribune: Our mission is to deliver trusted and meaningful local news. Your support allows us to continue providing the award-winning, watchdog and in-depth journalism our community deserves. Subscribe here.


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--Arrest of alleged serial killer in Ohio leads to murder charges in 1997 Lake County case

“ We are so thankful we were able to take the first steps of providing justice to Julie Konkol and @ @ @ @ @ County Sheriff John Idleburg said .
“ We always strive to be the voice of @ @ @ @ @ anymore , and always stand with victims as their advocates to ensure they can achieve @ @

An arrest has been made in a case that had gone cold after the 1997 discovery of 39-year-old Julie A Konkol’s body at an abandoned truck stop on Old Route 41 and Russell Road in unincorporated Lake County, near the Wisconsin border.
The January 2019 capture and arrest of suspected serial killer Samuel William Legg lll, 52, of Chandler, Ariz., in Medina, Ohio, eventually led to Wednesday’s filing by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office of two counts of first-degree murder against him in Konkol’s death, according to a news release.
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Legg’s arrest was a collaborative effort by multiple law-enforcement entities including the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Chicago Field Office, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations, and authorities in Medina, Wood, Lorain and Mahoning counties in Ohio.
“We are so thankful we were able to take the first steps of providing justice to Julie Konkol and her family,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said. “We always strive to be the voice of those who cannot speak anymore, and always stand with victims as their advocates to ensure they can achieve justice.
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“Even if investigative leads on a case begin to go cold, we will never allow a victim’s case to collect dust on a shelf, " he said. “Our Cold Case Unit regularly looks at them in our relentless pursuit of justice for victims.”
Legg was being held Wednesday in the Medina County, Ohio, jail. He will eventually face extradition to Lake County to face the charges related to Konkol’s killing.
A Lake County Court judge set his bond at $3 million, officials said.
Julie A. Konkol. - Original Credit: News-Sun (Lake County Sheriffs Office / HANDOUT)
Legg’s arrest stemmed from an investigation that began on Oct. 23, 1997, when Konkol’s body was discovered behind an abandoned truck stop at 43067 Old Route 41 in Russell — an unincorporated community in Lake County. At the time, the truck stop was known as Senter’s.
Following an autopsy, Konkol’s death was ruled a homicide caused by asphyxiation by manual strangulation, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office conducted an extensive investigation and after all leads were exhausted, the case went cold, officials said.
In 2006, the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) linked DNA collected from Konkol’s homicide with a 1996 homicide in Wood County, Ohio; and again in 2012, with a 1992 homicide in Mahoning County, Ohio.
At that time the DNA was said to have been from an unknown male.
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Legg’s DNA was not logged in CODIS because he had not been arrested in, or convicted of a felony since collecting began, which resulted in the collected DNA samples being labeled as that of an unknown male contributor, according to authorities.
In 2018, the unknown male contributor’s DNA was tested looking for a familial or a direct connection. A familial connection was found. That connection was investigated, and the link steered investigators to a break in the outstanding cases, which led to Legg being identified as the primary suspect.
Officials said Legg was subsequently found to be a one-in-one-trillion match as being the source of the DNA found on Konkol.
At the time of the outstanding homicides, Legg was an over-the-road truck driver, also known as a long-haul trucker, primarily working in the Midwest and living in Ohio, officials said.
In January 2019, Medina, Ohio authorities obtained an arrest warrant for Legg for a separate 1997 sexual assault case. At the time, Legg was living in Arizona, where he was arrested and subsequently extradited to Ohio. There, he was interviewed by Lake County Sheriff’s Office detectives and Ohio authorities regarding the homicides.
After reviewing the facts and evidence in the Konkol investigation, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the first-degree murder charges.
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“This is a great example of what can happen when law enforcement agencies work together,” Lake County State’s Attorney Michael Nerheim said. “This case has been a dark cloud hanging over Lake County for nearly 25 years.
“But, through the gallant effort and tenacity of numerous law enforcement agencies and people involved, a murderer will finally answer for his crime,” he said.


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--Chicago police mourn the loss of a deputy chief to suicide

“ He always wanted to make sure the officers were OK , ” said the supervisor , who was not @ @ @ @ @ record to the Tribune .
“ He would say , ‘ listen , you go @ @ @ @ @ everything is going to get better .
Just hang in there .
’ ”

Chicago firefighters put away a large American flag outside the Cook County medical examiner’s office in Chicago, July 28, 2020, following a procession for a high-ranking police officer who died at the Homan Square police facility on the West Side. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
A Chicago police deputy chief was found dead Tuesday morning in a suicide, police leaders said, the highest ranking department member in recent memory to take their own life.
Dion Boyd was found shot to death at the Homan Square police facility on the West Side. He was identified by Chicago police Superintendent David Brown at a Tuesday afternoon news conference.
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During brief remarks at police headquarters, Brown talked about the family and friends Boyd left behind.
“Many lives will be forever changed from this moment on,” said Brown, flanked by other police officials. “And Deputy Chief Boyd’s presence will be greatly missed. I ask you to keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.”
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Boyd, 57, had recently been promoted to deputy chief of criminal networks, which focuses on long-term gang and narcotics investigations.
Law enforcement sources said Boyd was found dead in his office inside the Homan Square facility, 3340 W. Fillmore St., and he may have shot himself overnight or Monday night.
“This devastating loss will not only be felt at every level of this Department, but in the countless communities and homes Deputy Chief Boyd touched during his decades-long service to our city,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday on Twitter. “Our prayers are with Deputy Chief Boyd’s two sons, along with his family, fellow officers, and many friends during this very painful time.”
An autopsy Wednesday found that Boyd died of a gunshot wound to the chest and his death was ruled a suicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Boyd is at least the 10th Chicago cop to die by suicide in two years.
Boyd was promoted to deputy chief earlier this month after serving in several lower-ranking leadership roles, including as commander of the Wentworth patrol district, which covers such South Side neighborhoods as Hyde Park, Washington Park and Bronzeville.
A 29-year CPD veteran, Boyd also served as a field lieutenant earlier in his career in the Calumet patrol district, covering such Far South Side neighborhoods as Roseland and West Pullman. He also worked as a sergeant in the Bureau of Internal Affairs and in a detective unit.
“The job of a Chicago police officer is not easy, particularly in a time where there is intensified stress,” Brown said as he addressed the loss of Boyd. “Every day life can seem insurmountable at times for anyone. But for police officers the stakes are even higher due to the tireless work they do to safeguard others.”
Police supervisors who have worked directly with Boyd described him as an upbeat and positive boss who pushed officers to do their best.
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“He was always happy,” said one South Side supervisor, who declined to be identified because he’s not authorized to speak to reporters. “He appeared to always be in good spirits ... a lot of energy.”
The supervisor said Boyd was the boss who notified him when he got a promotion. At one point, the supervisor recalled, Boyd offered words of encouragement, telling him to “keep doing what you’re doing” so that other bosses notice and promote him even further.
Within the last two months, the supervisor said, he witnessed Boyd give “inspirational” words to a group of officers amid the national unrest, including in Chicago, following the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota.
“You guys keep your heads up,” the supervisor said, paraphrasing Boyd’s remarks. “We’re going to weather this storm together.”
Keith Calloway, a former top-ranking Chicago police official, said he knew Boyd for more than 20 years and worked with him in Internal Affairs at one point.
“Always a hard worker, very tenacious,” Calloway said of Boyd. “Very mild-mannered. ... He was always easygoing to work with.”
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Another supervisor recalled how Boyd made a point to check in and offer encouraging words in the department’s recent difficult months.
“He always wanted to make sure the officers were OK,” said the supervisor, who was not authorized to speak on the record to the Tribune. “He would say, ‘listen, you go through these down times but everything is going to get better. Just hang in there.’ ”
The supervisor noted that Boyd’s suicide provided him with a critical reminder.
“No matter how upbeat someone is, you still need to check on them,” he said.
During Boyd’s time as head of Wentworth, one of his officers, Samuel Jimenez, was shot and killed by a gunman at Mercy Hospital & Medical Center in November 2018. During the incident, the gunman also fatally shot his ex-fiancee, who was an emergency room doctor at the hospital, and a pharmacist before dying in a shootout with police.
Scores of officers in marked and unmarked squad cars — with their emergency lights activated but no sirens — escorted Boyd’s body in a procession from Homan Square to the medical examiner’s office Tuesday. The cars rode between two fire trucks, where an American flag was draped between the trucks’ two elevated ladders.
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The Chicago Police Department’s problem with officer suicides was highlighted in a 2017 report by the U.S. Justice Department of the city’s policing practices. At that time, one Chicago police official told the Justice Department that CPD’s officer suicide rate was higher than the national average.
“To our men and women in uniform, please know that there is no shame in reaching out for help,” Brown said. “If you see any signs that your colleagues are having trouble coping with stress, please check in on them and let them know you’re there.”
WGN-Ch. 9 contributed.
jgorner@chicagotribune.com
asweeney@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--Two large Illinois teachers unions threaten ‘health and safety strikes’ without adequate school COVI

Two large Illinois teachers unions threaten ‘health and safety strikes’ without adequate school COVID protections: ‘No avenue or action is off the table’

The two unions said in their joint statement : “ We are working to ensure that any district providing in-person @ @ @ @ @ and able to abide by the safety measures outlined by the state , the federal @ @ @ @ @ .
If those measures are not met , we will do everything we can to @ @ @ @ @ who care for them — teachers and professors , bus drivers , classroom aides , @ @ @ @ @ everyone in between .
”

An umbrella union affiliated with the Chicago Teachers Union has said strikes are a possibility this fall if schools reopen with inadequate safety measures. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)
Illinois teachers and other school employees could strike if school districts implement in-person learning without meeting safety measures outlined by government entities or medical professionals, two of the largest teachers unions in the state said in a joint statement Wednesday.
The Illinois Education Association and Illinois Federation of Teachers — representing around 238,000 employees in public and private schools, colleges and universities in the state, including Chicago Public Schools teachers — said they will pursue whatever means necessary to ensure that schools have adequate safety protections.
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“No avenue or action is off the table — the courts, the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board - nothing, including health and safety strikes,” the statement said. “The entire weight of the IEA and the IFT will be used in whatever way is necessary to protect the students and the staff who educate them.”
In response, officials at the state’s largest school system, Chicago Public Schools, reiterated that “under no circumstances will the district open its doors to students and staff in the fall if public health officials do not believe it’s safe to do so.”
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In a statement Wednesday evening, a CPS spokesman said the district’s preliminary plan for a hybrid of in-class and virtual learning “accounts for a variety of public health scenarios and allows the district to quickly switch to a remote model if needed.” The proposal also is “in alignment with guidelines from the Illinois State Board of Education, which strongly recommends schools provide in-person learning opportunities."
CPS is seeking feedback on its hybrid proposal as the Chicago Teachers Union continues to vigorously call for entirely-remote learning, with a final decision expected in the coming weeks. Parents are split on whether schools should reopen, though many are weary with lingering concerns about safety.
In his own statement Wednesday, CTU President Jesse Sharkey did not directly address whether the his membership would consider another strike if schools reopen this fall, having walked off the job just last October for 11 school days. The union, which is affiliated with the Illinois Federation of Teachers, said CPS’s hybrid proposal “simply lacks the essential guarantees or details to ensure the safety of students, families and educators this fall.”
“Our own rank and file members deserve and demand protections — including the right to teach without putting our lives or the lives of our students and their families on the line,” Sharkey said. “We demand to be allowed to educate and support our students remotely until this pandemic has been brought under control.”
The statewide unions said in their statement they do believe some types of in-person learning are possible with mitigation strategies in individual communities. “But absent a practical safety plan that includes a clear line of responsibility and enforcement,” the two groups are calling for the upcoming school year to start with remote learning.
Illinois Education Association president Kathi Griffin said there are several districts especially in central and rural Illinois that satisfy the union’s guidelines. She said these plans were “developed collaboratively with both the administration and the union” and have proper enforcement and cleaning procedures as well as adequate PPE.
Meanwhile, Illinois Federations of Teachers president Dan Montgomery said he thinks “the most prudent thing in most places is to start remotely.” Regarding the CPS plan, “it’s hard for me to look at that plan and the city, all the structural things happening, and think that the responsible thing is to bring all kids back into buildings,” Montgomery said.
Announcements from suburban school districts range from fully remote classes to a partial return, though virtually all give families the option to continue online schooling. Several districts have walked back initial plans for some in-person learning, instead opting to conduct the semester online until further notice.
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Illinois colleges plan to open for some in-person learning in the fall with varying levels of flexibility for instructors to choose how they will teach their classes. Faculty at universities across the state have emerged as a key bloc opposing face-to-face learning, in some cases prompting administrators to reverse course and shift most learning online.
The CTU pointed out that White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci this week called the reopening of schools an “experiment.”
“We are not science experiments,” Sharkey said. “We are teachers, school nurses, counselors, social workers, school psychologists and workers in a host of other fields who support students. We signed up to educate and support children in a profession we love. We did not sign up to be science experiments in a scenario that may literally take our lives or the lives of our students or their family members.”
CPS, in its Wednesday statement, said: “No one will be asked to come to school if state and local health officials deem it is unsafe to do so.”
Monica Trevino, director of communications for the Illinois Federation of Teachers, said the union has a host of expectations if schools reopen for in-person instruction in the fall. These include limiting classroom capacity to 15, allowing instructors to choose whether to teach in-person or remote, required 2-week quarantine upon exposure, special paid leave for employees who need to quarantine, testing availability and revamping of building ventilation systems.
The two state unions said in their joint statement: “We are working to ensure that any district providing in-person instruction in Illinois is prepared and able to abide by the safety measures outlined by the state, the federal government, and medical professionals. If those measures are not met, we will do everything we can to protect our students and those who care for them — teachers and professors, bus drivers, classroom aides, secretaries, building janitors and everyone in between.”
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The is a developing story. Check back for further details.


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--East Chicago police officer shown punching Libertarian Congressional candidate Mike Strauss placed o

East Chicago police officer shown punching Libertarian Congressional candidate Mike Strauss placed on leave pending an investigation

Strauss , of Gary , and Cook have different versions of what led to the arrest , according to Strauss @ @ @ @ @ said the arrest stemmed from him asking Cook for his name and supervisor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ a complaint after the officer didn ’ t respond professionally to him asking about the @ @ @ @ @ out .

The East Chicago Police Department issued a statement Wednesday that explained circumstances when an officer punched a man during an arrest over the weekend while also announcing the officer is on administrative leave while an internal investigation is completed.
Libertarian candidate for Indiana’s First Congressional District Mike Strauss, 38, was punched in the face Saturday night while pinned on the sidewalk by East Chicago police officer Kayvionne Cook. The arrest was filmed by bystanders and shared on Facebook.
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According to the police statement, Cook has not been medically cleared to return to work. He has also been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation, according to the statement.
Strauss, of Gary, and Cook have different versions of what led to the arrest, according to Strauss and police records. Strauss said the arrest stemmed from him asking Cook for his name and supervisor’s name so he could file a complaint after the officer didn’t respond professionally to him asking about the officer’s headlight being out.
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Cook said he was headed to the police station at 1 a.m. Sunday to finish an accident report when he saw a group of men he believed needed help, according to a probable cause affidavit. But, when the officer approached the men, they ran toward his vehicle screaming expletives, according to records.
In the East Chicago Police Department statement, officials said that “several males ambushed and surrounded” Cook’s squad car and started to “scream profanity in a loud, aggressive and boisterous manner toward him.”
Following the arrest, Strauss was charged with intimidation of a law enforcement officer, resisting a law enforcement officer, battery on a law enforcement officer and disorderly conduct, according to the statement.
“Strauss has a criminal history that involves trespassing, resisting arrest and invasion of privacy. He is also known to various law enforcement agencies for his harassment of police officers under the disguise of an auditor,” according to the statement.
Strauss told the Post-Tribune that he is known for raising his concerns with law enforcement officers.
“Its not that I seek out to harass law enforcement, I seek out to better my community,” Strauss said. “Law enforcement should be held to a higher standard. We put people in law enforcement to make them a pillar in society and lead by example.”
Strauss said, and records confirm, that he told the officer he would “break his face” if the officer touched him.
“It sounds like a threat, but legally there is an argument that if you do A then B will happen, so a threat becomes a warning,” Strauss previously said. “Anyone has a right to defend themselves if they are touched unlawfully.”
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In the police statement, after Strauss threatened bodily harm, Cook “went to place (Strauss) under arrest for intimidation on a law enforcement officer.”
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According to records, Cook said Strauss’ leg was wrapped around his leg and that Strauss was applying pressure, hyperextending the officer’s left leg. When Strauss wouldn’t stop applying pressure, the officer punched him, according to records.
“Officer Cook then attempted to strike Strauss with a closed fist to the side of the neck known as a brachial stun. The strike that the officer used is also known as a pain compliance technique. After the officer used the technique, Strauss then released the officer’s legs and began to comply with officers commands,” according to records.
In the police statement, officials state that during the struggle Strauss “intentionally wrapped his legs around Officer’s Cook left leg while applying pressure to Officer Cook’s left leg.”
“Officer Cook could be heard on video screaming in pain, due to the leg lock (Strauss) had him in. Officer Cook then used the force necessary to get (Strauss) to release the leg lock he had on him. Once the leg lock was released Officer Cook immediately stopped using force and placed him under arrest,” according to the statement.
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Once Strauss was handcuffed, the officer lifted him and took him to a squad car, according to the video. Three other officers can be seen in the video with Cook, two kneeling near Strauss during the arrest and one standing near Strauss’ head.
Cook went to the hospital after he felt “extreme pain in the left knee,” according to records. A doctor diagnosed him with acute pain of the left knee, according to records.


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--Gov. J.B. Pritzker lays out stricter rules for youth sports, with risk levels based partly on amount

Gov. J.B. Pritzker lays out stricter rules for youth sports, with risk levels based partly on amount of contact between participants

If multiple people report having symptoms or test positive for the coronavirus , coaches or leagues should report that to @ @ @ @ @ maintain logs of participants to allow for contact tracing .
Athletic equipment should be cleaned @ @ @ @ @ , pads or gloves should not be shared , the guidelines state .

Deerfield's Rafi Feldman rounds third base before scoring a run against Buffalo Grove's Jacob Schwerdlin in Buffalo Grove on July 18, 2020. Youth sports and adult recreational leagues in Illinois will be limited under stricter state rules in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. (Mike Mantucca / Pioneer Press)
Youth sports and adult recreational leagues in Illinois will be further limited under stricter state rules in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus after outbreaks of the illness have been tied to organized sports.
The new guidelines apply to school sports, travel teams, private and recreational leagues and clubs, and park district programs, but not to professional and collegiate sports. Gov. J.B. Pritzker unveiled the restrictions at a news conference in Chicago on Wednesday as Illinois, like many other states, has seen a resurgence in coronavirus cases since entering phase four of Pritzker’s reopening plan in late June.
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The guidelines put sports into three “risk levels” — low, medium and high — which Pritzker said is based on how much contact and proximity participants have during play.
Pointing to professional sports leagues such as baseball that have resumed play and struggled to keep the coronavirus from spreading, “it’s obvious that there won’t be enough protection for kids on our school playing fields,” Pritzker said.
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“This virus is unrelenting, and it spreads so easily, that no amount of restrictions seems to keep it off the playing field or out of the locker room,” Pritzker said.
The new rules take effect Aug. 15 and also set out four “levels of play” for different sports. In level one, only practices and training with no contact are permitted, while team scrimmages would be allowed in the second level with parental consent for minors.
Rules for the third level allow for intraleague play, and sports that are categorized as low risk would be able to hold state or league championship games. The fourth level allows for tournaments, championship games, out-of-conference or league play and out-of-state play.
Based on where the state coronavirus metrics stand, lower-risk sports can be played at the first three levels, sports classified as medium risk can be played at the first two levels and higher-risk sports can be played at the first level.
Archery, badminton, bowling and tennis are among the sports considered “lower risk” under the new state guidelines, while baseball and softball are considered lower if players stay 6 feet apart in dugouts or while sitting on bleachers. Otherwise, baseball and softball are considered medium risk.
Basketball, soccer, volleyball and water polo are among the sports the state considers medium risk, while football, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, wrestling, and competitive cheer and dance are categorized as higher risk.
A number of other sports including cross-country, gymnastics and ice skating are considered lower risk if certain distancing or equipment cleaning protocols are followed, but are otherwise considered to be in a medium- or higher-risk category.
“We hope that when metrics and risks improve measurably, we will be able to restart these sports,” Pritzker said.
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Geoff Meyer, president of the Chicagoland Youth Football League, called it a "sad day" but said the governor made the right call.
The league had already decided to cancel its fall season earlier this month, Meyer said. If the outlook improves, they may consider holding a season in the spring.
“There was no way I could feel safe putting kids on the field,” Meyer said. “It’s the opposite of social distancing.”
Three Republican legislators criticized Pritzker’s new sports restrictions as “clear overreach.”
U.S. Reps. Rodney Davis, Darin LaHood and state Rep. Tim Butler, of Springfield, questioned how the decision to classify the risk level of sports was made, including why basketball and soccer are considered lower risk than ultimate Frisbee and lacrosse.
“Local schools, in consultation with parents, athletes, coaches, and their conferences, should get the final say,” Davis said. “The governor’s office has no business determining who can and cannot play youth sports.”
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Youth sports with restrictions have been allowed in some capacity in Illinois since late May, when the state moved into the third phase of Pritzker’s reopening plan. In late June, the state moved into the fourth phase of reopening, and Pritzker has repeatedly warned that a resurgence in coronavirus case numbers could mean restrictions are reimposed.
Children and young teens who signed up for a Naperville-based youth football league had been attending practices and doing noncontact conditioning exercises in the hopes that football games would be deemed safe by mid-August, said Dean Washington, co-president of Patriots Youth Travel Football.
But the guidelines announced by Pritzker on Wednesday have mostly quashed that hope, Washington said, though the league is still seeking some clarifications on the rules.
"You can't do football without contact," Washington said.
Still, the league, which serves children from 6 to 14 in the Chicagoland area, may keep practicing with agility exercises for a time. They plan to confer with parents on the matter.
“We’ll continue to work the kids out and keep them in shape, give them something to do,” he said.
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The guidelines call for sports organizations to make temperature checks available, and suggest that participants and coaches should monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms and not participate if they are feeling ill.
If multiple people report having symptoms or test positive for the coronavirus, coaches or leagues should report that to the local health department and maintain logs of participants to allow for contact tracing. Athletic equipment should be cleaned between uses, and helmets, pads or gloves should not be shared, the guidelines state.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com
mbuckley@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--Chicago man sentenced to 20 years in prison for pistol whipping a Carpentersville gas station clerk:

Chicago man sentenced to 20 years in prison for pistol whipping a Carpentersville gas station clerk: state’s attorney’s office

Prosecutors said Young went into the station in the 1300 block of Kings Road about 5:30 p.m. Jan. 14 , @ @ @ @ @ , waited for other customers to leave and then asked the clerk what he could @ @ @ @ @ Young then pulled out a gun and demanded money , the release said .

Antonio Young, of Chicago, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for an armed robbery he committed in Carpentersville in January 2019. (Kane County Sheriffs Office / HANDOUT)
A 26-year-old Chicago man who pistol-whipped and punched a Carpentersville gas station clerk during a 2019 armed robbery has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office said.
Antonio D. Young agreed to plead guilty July 23 to one county of armed robbery, a class X felony, in exchange for the prison term, a deal that was accepted by Kane County Circuit Judge John A. Barsanti, according to a news release.
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Prosecutors said Young went into the station in the 1300 block of Kings Road about 5:30 p.m. Jan. 14, 2019, purchased a cigar, waited for other customers to leave and then asked the clerk what he could buy for 50 cents. Young then pulled out a gun and demanded money, the release said.
“As the clerk – the victim – attempted to retrieve a phone and push Young away, Young struck the victim on the head and face with the gun,” the release said. “Young then punched and knocked down the victim, took a bottle of liquor and cash, and fled.”
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Barsanti ordered Young to pay $1,562 in restitution to cover the victim’s medical expenses and recommended Young receive treatment for substance use while in prison, the release said.
Young will receive 557 days credit toward his prison term for the time he spent in Kane County jail, where he had been held since his arrest.


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--IHSA pushes football, several other fall sports to 2021: ‘The spring is better than nothing, and it

IHSA pushes football, several other fall sports to 2021: ‘The spring is better than nothing, and it gives the kids something to look forward to.’

“ I ’ m not real happy about this .
This is not a plan .
I want every sport @ @ @ @ @ .
If the governor says certain sports can play in the fall and the IHSA @ @ @ @ @ to the fall , then I want an explanation of why those sports are being @ @ @ @ @ in the summer , when they ’ re going to be competing against travel and @ @ @ @ @

Richards football players go through drills during summer camp in Oak Lawn on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The long wait regarding the fate of high school football this fall is over.
The decision? The kids will have to wait longer to take the field.
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The Illinois High School Association on Wednesday put the football season — at least in the traditional sense — on ice due to continuing concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a new plan introduced by the IHSA, there will be a streamlined football season from Feb. 15 to May 1. Girls volleyball and boys soccer have also been moved to that time frame.
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The only fall sports in 2020 the IHSA plans to conduct, starting Aug. 10 and ending Oct. 17, are boys and girls cross country, boys and girls golf, girls tennis and girls swimming.
The new plan, which awaits final approval from the Illinois Department of Public Health, calls for condensed versions of four seasons, with “winter” sports starting Nov. 16 and ending Feb. 13, “spring” sports starting Feb. 15 and ending May 1, and “summer” sports starting May 3 and ending June 26.
Decisions about state tournaments will be made “on a sport-by-sport basis as each season progresses,” according to the news release.
“This plan, like nearly every aspect of our current lives, remains fluid,” IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said in a news release. “Changes may come, and if they do, we will be agile while putting safety and students first. It was important that we provide a framework today for our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and officials to begin preparing for the 2020-21 school year.”
According to the IHSA’s release, the organization’s bylaws don’t prevent schools that utilize remote learning from participating in sports. Many school districts in the Chicago suburbs are planning to start the 2020-21 school year with remote learning.
Richards football coach Tony Sheehan wrapped up summer camp Wednesday, shortly before the announcement.
“It makes the most sense,” Sheehan said of the IHSA’s plan. “It’s going to be different not playing in the fall, and the kids will be disappointed. The spring is better than nothing, and it gives the kids something to look forward to.”
Even if it’s not exactly football weather during February in the Midwest.
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Marist football coach Ron Dawczak doesn’t believe it will play a major factor.
“The coaches were joking, wondering if Under Armour makes parkas,” Dawczak said. “I think the weather could play into things a little. But even in the fall the weather … we were playing in an ice storm last season.
“But what the IHSA proposed, this is what I was hoping for. This is the best outcome. Our kids are really excited. The players are excited there is a concrete date to start the season.”
Richards coach Tony Sheehan makes a point as his players go through drills during summer camp in in Oak Lawn on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Before the IHSA’s board meeting ended Wednesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced there will be restrictions for youth, high school and adult recreational sports, saying “it is obvious there won’t be enough protection for kids on our playing fields.”
Pritzker said sports would be categorized into three risk levels — lower, medium or higher — based on contact between athletes and proximity during play. That guidance set four levels of play, including no contact on Level 1, scrimmages on Level 2, conference or region play on Level 3 and state championship games at Level 4.
Pritzker’s plan seemed to open a window for baseball and softball to be played in the fall. Aurora Central Catholic baseball coach and athletic director Sean Bieterman was less than pleased that the IHSA chose to go with a shorter “summer” season for baseball and softball.
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“In the end here, three major government organizations, the IHSA, ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education) and governor’s office, pointed fingers at each other of who was to make this decision,” Bieterman said. “And in the end, they followed their traditional way to do things — delay, delay, delay. Cancel, cancel, cancel. Rinse, repeat.
“I’m not real happy about this. This is not a plan. I want every sport to get in this year. If the governor says certain sports can play in the fall and the IHSA is not moving those sports to the fall, then I want an explanation of why those sports are being played at a reduced season in the summer, when they’re going to be competing against travel and club sports nonstop.”
High school sports came to an abrupt halt March 13, when the Class 1A and 2A boys basketball finals weekend and sectional finals in 3A and 4A were canceled.
The decision came on the heels of the NCAA canceling its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and professional sports being halted by the NBA and NHL.
When Pritzker announced on March 17 that schools would be closed, the IHSA put the spring sports season on hold.
For nearly a month, Anderson kept a hopeful outlook, leaving open the possibility of starting a shortened season in May and extending it later into June.
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On April 21, spring sports were officially canceled.
In early June, as part of its Return to Play plan, the IHSA allowed student-athletes in fall sports to begin voluntary strength and conditioning activities.
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Several restrictions were imposed that included limiting the numbers in groups, requiring social distancing and wearing masks. Athletes also were to be monitored at the start of the activity for symptoms of COVID-19.
While most schools went on with conditioning and camps, Lake Zurich shut down its summer camps after 36 student-athletes tested positive — several having taken part in the camps.
It added to the heat that the IHSA already was facing to come up with some kind of decision regarding the 2020-21 sports year.
A bleak picture — at least for now — is a bit brighter.
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“Kudos to all of the IHSA for all the hard work they put in,” Lincoln-Way East athletic director Mark Vander Kooi said. “I think Craig and the IHSA were committed to giving all sports an opportunity to play.
“They put a lot of work in this. They really thought this out. Obviously, no one wants to be here, but this is where we’re at with it. So hats off to them.”
Rick Armstrong and Pat Disabato contributed.


Corrections and clarifications

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· An article about Italian beefs on the front page of Wednesday’s Health & Family section included incorrect URLs to the Facebook pages of four of the restaurants featured, Paradise Pup, Patio Restaurant, Mr. D’s Shish Kabobs and Johnnie’s Beef. The correct links can be found with the online story at chicagotribune.com/dining.
The Tribune regrets the error.
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chicagotribune--2020-07-29--Illinois’ new COVID-19 plan: How the state will manage any outbreaks, in 3 charts

The plan also includes mitigation steps unique to different categories , like restaurants and bars , offices or salons , @ @ @ @ @ specifically respond to a type of outbreak in a specific part of the state .
@ @ @ @ @ s plan here .

Jemal R. Brinson, Nausheen Husain, Jonathon Berlin

Amid an uptick of COVID-19 cases over the past month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker laid out a new approach to managing any resurgence across the state.
The new approach is more surgical, dividing the state into 11 regions — Illinois’ existing Emergency Medical Services regions — and tightening the metrics officials will watch to determine if any action is warranted.
The plan also includes mitigation steps unique to different categories, like restaurants and bars, offices or salons, that could be used to specifically respond to a type of outbreak in a specific part of the state. Read more on Pritzker’s plan here.
Check our tracker for daily metrics for each region.
Here is a breakdown of the plan.


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--Illinois coronavirus graphs: 7,462 deaths, 175,124 confirmed cases and 2.61 million tests

Illinois announced a 1,393 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Wednesday , the 7th straight day with more than 1,000 new @ @ @ @ @ announced 18 new deaths and the results of 38,187 tests .

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


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--Fire causes extensive damage to Orland Park restaurant Don’s Hot Dogs

Firefighters responded just before 1 a.m. to a 911 report of a fire at Don ’ s Hot Dogs , @ @ @ @ @ and were able to bring the fire under control within an hour , the district @ @ @ @ @ .

A fire early Wednesday caused extensive damage to Don's Hot Dogs, 7245 151st St., in Orland Park, according to the Orland Fire Protection District. (Orland Fire Protection District)
An Orland Park restaurant sustained extensive damage from a fire early Wednesday, according to the Orland Fire Protection District.
Firefighters responded just before 1 a.m. to a 911 report of a fire at Don’s Hot Dogs, 7245 W. 151st St., and were able to bring the fire under control within an hour, the district said in a news release.
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It was determined the fire began in the rear of the building, and the cause is under investigation.
In 1977, Donald Habich opened a franchise of Jr.‘s Hot Dogs in Oak Forest, and three years later opened a second store in Orland Park, according to a May 2016 Daily Southtown obituary for Habich.
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In 1998, the eateries became known as Don’s Hot Dogs and in 2000 Habich sold the business to his son, Joel.
mnolan@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--Traveling outside Illinois? Chicago residents must quarantine after visiting 22 states. Here’s what

Traveling outside Illinois? Chicago residents must quarantine after visiting 22 states. Here’s what you need to know to avoid a large fine.

Those traveling through Wisconsin on their way to Chicago from a state not on the list do not need to @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin for less than 24 hours .
But Individuals who travel to Wisconsin , even @ @ @ @ @ hours still need to quarantine upon returning unless deemed an essential worker and follow other @ @ @

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Dick DeGray, of Brattleboro, Vt., puts on his mask before going into the Municipal Building, in Brattleboro, as the town started to require visitors and staff to put their masks back on Aug. 11, 2021, due to COVID-19 virus numbers increasing in Windham County. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer)
Chicago has revamped its travel quarantine order to reflect rising rates of the coronavirus in Chicago and the rest of Illinois, moving from a blanket list of states to a color-coded list comparing the rate of infection here with that in other states.
On Tuesday, the city added New York, California and Washington, D.C., to its orange list, requiring all travelers from those states to either quarantine or prove they have had a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before arriving in Chicago. Idaho was moved from the stricter red list to the orange list.
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Under the original version of the emergency travel order, states had been added to the list when they reached an infection rate greater than 15 cases per 100,000 residents and removed once the daily case average remains below that rate for two consecutive weeks.
Now, the city is using a color-coded list, which will be updated every two weeks.
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“First and foremost, I would like people to avoid travel at this time if at all possible. But by creating a tiered system and using Chicago’s case rate as a category threshold, it allows us to be responsive to the changing dynamics of the pandemic,” said city health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.
States that weren’t on the quarantine list that were added to the orange list the first week were Michigan, Connecticut, Arizona, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Oregon, Washington and Louisiana.
Yellow-coded states are those with a rolling seven-day average below 15 cases per day per 100,000 residents. Anyone returning from these states doesn’t have to quarantine. Three states qualified as of Tuesday.
Orange-coded states are those with a rolling seven-day average between 15 cases per day per 100,000 residents and Chicago’s rolling seven-day average, which was 60 as of Tuesday. People traveling from these states must either quarantine for 14 days or show they had a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours before arrival in Chicago. There were 35 orange states, plus Washington, D.C., as of Tuesday.
Red-coded states are those with a rolling seven-day average above Chicago’s. Anyone traveling from these states has to quarantine. There were 11 red-coded states as of Tuesday.
People who commute across the Indiana or Wisconsin state lines to or from Chicago to work or go to school will be exempt from the quarantine rule, a nod to the symbiotic relationship between the neighboring states. But workers in Chicago from Indiana will be expected to avoid restaurants, bars and other public spaces in the city.
Here’s what you need to know about the city’s quarantine policies:
City says people will be fined
Anyone who visits red-listed states should stay inside for two weeks upon their return or risk a fine of $100 to $500 per day, according to the city. Those who visit orange-listed states are subject to the same fines if they don’t have a negative COVID-19 test or quarantine.
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Despite the list’s fluctuating size, enforcement of the order so far has been nonexistent, save for some billboards and signs that Mayor Lori Lightfoot has said are intended to “educate” people into compliance.
Lightfoot’s initial self-quarantine requirement was implemented during the Fourth of July weekend.
If city contact tracers get information that people who’ve caught the virus were in proximity to someone from a quarantine state and flouted the rules, they’ll issue a citation, Arwady has said.
They’ll also be on the lookout for people who are on social media “flagrantly posting their social activities, clearly out and about in Chicago after being in settings that are subject to our quarantine order, within the time frame,” she said. Investigators will look into any reports about city workers not following the guidelines, the health commissioner said.
Arwady has since clarified that the city “is not Big Brother,” nor does it have the resources to dedicate anyone to aimlessly scroll feeds from Chicagoans.
But if the agency receives a tip or is already looking into someone to determine whether to fine them, that’s when the city may scour social media.
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“One of the easiest ways to sort of get enough proof … without me having to send out an inspector … is to look at social media,” Arwady said.
Details for travelers
The order has plenty of exceptions for different types of workers and depending on how long travelers spend in the listed states.
If someone drives through a state on the list but does not stay more than 24 hours, that person does not need to quarantine. But a city employee clarified that Chicagoans who choose to drive into Wisconsin and go out in public, regardless of whether they return later in the same day, do need to quarantine after such voluntary activities.
For example, Chicagoans who drive through Indiana (a red-listed state), Ohio and New York (orange-listed states) to spend a week in Vermont (a yellow-listed state) but who did not stay in Indiana and Ohio more than 24 hours do not need to quarantine. There are similar restrictions for air travelers. .
Travelers visiting Chicago from red- or orange-listed states also are subject to the order if they are staying longer than a day. Everyone older than age 2 who lands at a Chicago airport is required to wear a mask, then quarantine if they’ve come from a listed state.
If someone is staying with a Chicago resident after traveling to an affected state, the traveler must quarantine, but other people in the home who did not travel to a listed state are not required to quarantine. The resident should follow guidance for being around someone who has potentially been exposed.
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Travelers or area residents who leave a Chicago airport and immediately travel to a suburb or outside Chicago limits are not required to quarantine — unless their municipality also has a travel restriction in place. The order also states that face coverings should be worn and that public transportation should not be used by those headed outside city limits.
Testing and exceptions to quarantine requirements in the revised rules
Under the guidance revised in November, Chicago residents returning from travel in red states or residents of red states who travel to the city are required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival here, according to the city travel order website.
People in similar circumstances entering Chicago from orange states must either quarantine for 14 days or, with a “pre-arrival negative test result” from no more than three days before traveling to Chicago, may choose instead to employ “strict masking, social distancing and avoidance of in-person gatherings.”
There also is an option for those who can’t get a test while visiting an orange state, such as a visit not much longer than 24 hours. Someone can quarantine upon arrival in Illinois until a test can be arranged locally, according to the city’s travel order website. The test needs to be issued by a private provider because of concerns about limited capacity at public health testing sites.
“If you cannot be tested for COVID-19 prior to arriving in Chicago and do not take a post-arrival test, you must quarantine for 14 days (or the duration of your stay, whichever is shorter),” according to the website.
Essential workers and other exceptions
For those who live outside Chicago but work in the city, it’s important to determine whether you’re an essential or nonessential worker according to the executive order.
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There are limited exceptions to the quarantine order for essential workers who have to travel for work. Travelers who don’t live in Chicago but who have to be in Chicago to work and who traveled to an orange- or red-listed state for work do not need to quarantine. Travelers who live in Chicago and who travel to a listed state for work do not have to quarantine, according to the order.
But if workers go to a listed state when they didn’t have to, or for medical care, or because of parental shared custody, they would be subject to quarantine.
People who work in Chicago and live elsewhere can do so if they haven’t traveled to a high-incidence state. If they have traveled to a high-incidence state, they are subject to requirements regarding essential workers who are Chicago residents.
For the purposes of the order, an “essential worker” is a person who works in any one of the 16 critical employment sectors. The term also includes any government workers traveling in their official capacities. Essential workers must:
Avoid any nonessential interactions until the quarantine period has ended. They must limit themselves to work-related activities and related functions, and avoid public spaces as much as possible.
Monitor temperature and signs of symptoms, wear a face covering when in public, maintain social distance, and clean and disinfect workspaces.
Avoid as much as possible extended periods in public, contact with strangers and large congregate settings.
What does quarantine mean?
According to the emergency travel order, quarantine means staying at one place for 14 days before doing any activities outside of the home. Included in the restrictions:
Not go out in public or otherwise leave home, unless seeking medical care or COVID-19 testing.
Wear a face covering and do not use public transit if seeking medical care or testing, or when traveling to or from an airport, train station or bus station.
Don’t go to the grocery store; instead have food and other supplies delivered.
Stay in separate quarters with a separate bedroom and, if possible, use a separate bathroom than non-traveling household members.
Travelers still must quarantine even if they had a negative COVID-19 test because people “can develop symptoms and become contagious up to 14 days from their last exposure.”
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Are the rules different for each state or territory?
Generally, the emergency order is applied uniformly to any state or territory on the list. However, with neighboring states, travelers should pay close attention to what constitutes a visit and distinctions between essential and nonessential workers.
What are the state lists?
The following is a rolling list of states on Chicago’s red, orange and yellow lists. The lists will be updated every two weeks:
Red-listed states (11): Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Orange-listed states and Puerto Rico (36): Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.
Yellow-listed states (3): Hawaii, Maine and Vermont.
Chicago Tribune’s Alice Yin, John Byrne and Gregory Pratt contributed.
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kdouglas@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--Aurora fire crews battle blaze at apartment complex

The fire was contained to one unit within the building , but there is smoke damage throughout .
Crews are @ @ @ @ @ check the damage , Rhodes said .

Aurora firefighters battled a fire Wednesday afternoon at an apartment complex on the city’s near West Side that sent six residents to the hospital with minor smoke inhalation, officials said.
Firefighters were called to Sage Crest Apartments, 827 N. Lake St., for a fire on the third floor of an apartment building after a resident called 911. The fire began around 1:07 p.m. Wednesday, Aurora Fire Department Battalion Chief Jim Rhodes said.
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Upon arrival, crews saw heavy smoke showing from a sliding glass door from the balcony of an apartment. Within 15 minutes, Rhodes said the fire was under control.
Six residents were taken to local hospitals for minor smoke inhalation related to the fire, he said.
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All the residents of the building were safely evacuated or sheltered in place during the fire, Rhodes said.
The fire was contained to one unit within the building, but there is smoke damage throughout. Crews are working on an assessment to check the damage, Rhodes said.
One firefighter was treated on the scene for a minor injury and did not need to be taken to a hospital.
The unit where the fire started and several adjacent units were deemed uninhabitable, Rhodes said.
The apartment complex has 102 units in two six-story buildings. The complex was originally built in 1969 and underwent renovations in 2017, according to its website.
The fire brought approximately 40 firefighters to the area. The cause of the fire is undetermined so far, Aurora Fire Department officials said.
mejones@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--Roger Claar’s longtime reign as mayor of Bolingbrook ending this week, eight months before his curre

Roger Claar’s longtime reign as mayor of Bolingbrook ending this week, eight months before his current term was due to conclude

During his tenure as mayor , Claar has seen the village more than double in population ( 35,000 residents when @ @ @ @ @ residents today ) and go from a town with about 160,000 square feet of industrial @ @ @ @ @ million square feet of industrial space .
The village also saw a boom in business @ @ @ @ @ several hotels , the Bolingbrook Promenade and other retail developments .

Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar talks with colleagues as election judges count absentee ballots in the race for mayor of Bolingbrook on April 18, 2017, at the Will County Government Center in Joliet. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Roger Claar’s longtime reign as mayor of Bolingbrook is ending this week.
Claar led his last regularly scheduled village board meeting Tuesday night and will leave office Friday, about eight months before his current four-year term was set to conclude. A special village board meeting will be held Thursday to pick an acting mayor. It was not known Wednesday who is likely to be selected for the post.
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Claar, 74, in his ninth term, is stepping down after more than 33 years as mayor. He said he announced earlier this year that he planned to retire this summer.
“It doesn’t get any more summer than July 31,” he said.
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He said he was retiring to spend more time with his 5-year-old granddaughter.
“My daughter grew up in the mayor’s world,” said Claar, who has one daughter and one granddaughter. “I was gone frequently at meetings and I missed a lot of her functions. I’m not going to do that to my granddaughter.
“I plan to spend some time with her before my number comes up,” he added.
Claar, who was appointed mayor in 1986 and elected mayor in 1987, has spent more than 40 years in public life in Bolingbrook. Prior to being elected mayor he served a village trustee and a police and fire commissioner.
During his tenure as mayor, Claar has seen the village more than double in population (35,000 residents when he took office to 76,000 residents today) and go from a town with about 160,000 square feet of industrial space to more than 35 million square feet of industrial space. The village also saw a boom in business growth adding a hospital, several hotels, the Bolingbrook Promenade and other retail developments.
In his last election, Claar saw his most contested race when he narrowly defeated Will County Board member Jackie Traynere, a Bolingbrook Democrat.
Claar, a Republican, hosted a fundraiser in 2016 for then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Bolingbrook Golf Club. The move prompted Traynere and a slate of candidates for other village offices to challenge Claar and his allies in the 2017 municipal elections.
Claar’s political life has not been without controversy.
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Claar was appointed in 1991 to the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority board by Gov. Jim Edgar, but he resigned in 2000 following controversy over his acceptance of campaign donations from contractors who got tollway business. Claar was not charged with any wrongdoing.
In 2008, a businessman alleged in a federal court filing that he was pressured in 2001 to donate thousands of dollars to Claar’s campaign and selected charities in order to keep his village contracts.
The man, Gary Lindesmith, was part of a scheme to defraud the village that resulted in the firings or resignations of a dozen Bolingbrook employees. Seven people, including Lindesmith, pleaded guilty to federal charges in the scam.
Records show his company donated $7,250 to the mayor’s campaign fund from 2001 to 2007 and received more than $908,000 in contracts. Claar denied knowledge of the scheme and donated the company’s campaign contributions to the village after Lindesmith was indicted.
Village trustees Tuesday voted to make the mayor’s job a part-time position.
Residents and trustees heaped praise on Claar at the close of the meeting. Several in the crowd shouted “no” and “four more years” when Claar asked for a motion to accept his resignation.
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“You are the George Bailey of Bolingbrook,” Trustee Maria Zarate said to Claar. “You are loved more than you know.”
Traynere, who recently announced her plans to run again for mayor in the April election, welcomed the news of Claar’s retirement but questioned if he was really out of Bolingbrook politics.
“I’m glad Roger is retired, but we already know that his fingerprints will be all over village hall,” Traynere said.
Claar said that although he will be spending time with his daughter’s family in the suburbs of San Diego, he won’t be leaving Bolingbrook anytime soon. He said he plans to stick around to help answer any questions that may arise from a new administration.
“I’ll be available to help out how I can,” he said, adding he won’t “impose” himself. “I’ve got too much invested in this town to let anything go bad.”
Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-07-29--Wendella won’t restart its Chicago Water Taxi service until next year

As it resumed its tour boat operations last month , Wendella instituted various safety protocols like requiring guests to wear @ @ @ @ @ cash transactions , limiting seating capacity and installing hand sanitizer stations on all its vessels @ @ @ @ @ to wear face masks and gloves , and takes their temperatures when they arrive to @ @

A Wendella water taxi departs a stop Thursday, July 5, 2018 near Ogilvie Transportation Center along the Chicago River. Wendella is suspending Chicago Water Taxi service for the rest of the year. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Wendella Sightseeing Co. won’t run its Chicago Water Taxi service for the rest of the year after determining its coronavirus safety measures wouldn’t work for the bright yellow commuter boats.
As it resumed its tour boat operations last month, Wendella instituted various safety protocols like requiring guests to wear face coverings, not accepting cash transactions, limiting seating capacity and installing hand sanitizer stations on all its vessels. It also requires employees to wear face masks and gloves, and takes their temperatures when they arrive to work.
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But the company determined the safety measures weren’t practicable for its water taxis, which carry commuters around the Loop during rush hour, because it would be hard to clean the boats at each stop, said Andrew Sargis, chief of operations for Chicago Water Taxi.
“We couldn’t make it work. At the end of the day, after talking with our employees and commuters, we said it’s going to be safest to wait until next year,” Sargis said.
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Last year, Chicago Water Taxi carried 415,000 passengers between March and December, Sargis said.
The water taxi service will resume in the spring, Sargis said. Wendella continues to operate its tour boats.
Wendella began running river boats, including its popular architecture tours, with capacity restrictions along the Chicago River last month.
For its sunset boat tour, Wendella has capped capacity at 100 passengers and has been selling out on the weekends, Sargis said. Without restrictions, the boats typically seat up to 300 passengers, he said.
Since resuming operations, Wendella has brought back about 100 of its more than 200 employees, Sargis said. But the drop in tourism continues to affect the company.
“There’s really no tourists right now. Most of our riders we do have are local or regional riders, people who live in downtown Chicago or in the suburbs,” he said.
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Wendella was among thousands of Illinois businesses to receive a loan from the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which offered businesses with fewer than 500 employees loans of up to $10 million to help keep workers employed during the coronavirus pandemic. Wendella’s loan was $1.2 millon, Sargis said.
abjimenez@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @abdel1019