chicagotribune--2020-03-23--Tracking the Bears’ moves in free agency: Barkevious Mingo and Brent Urban sign 1-year deals; DeAndr

Tracking the Bears’ moves in free agency: Barkevious Mingo and Brent Urban sign 1-year deals; DeAndre Houston-Carson returning on a 1-year contract

What it means : The Bears get an upgrade at edge rusher with the swap .
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The Chicago Bears have been quite active as they build their 2020 roster.
On March 18, general manager Ryan Pace made his biggest move of the offseason, trading a fourth-round pick to the Jaguars to acquire veteran quarterback and former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles.
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The Tribune’s team is tracking all of the Bears’ moves — with players arriving and exiting — and providing insight into what each move means.
[ Bears draft tracker: 7-player class is complete, from a local tight end to a pair of cornerbacks and a speedy receiver ]
May 13
Former Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara is signing with the Raiders, according to NFL Network .
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What it means: Amukamara will begin his 10th NFL season in Las Vegas after the Bears released him earlier this offseason. The deal reportedly is for one year. Amukamara was a Giants first-round pick in 2011 and played five seasons with the Giants, one with the Jaguars and three with the Bears. He had three interceptions, including a pick-six, and 29 passes defended in his Bears career. The Bears cut Amukamara to clear $9 million in salary-cap space and drafted his expected replacement last month when they took Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson with the 50th pick.
May 5
Edge rusher Aaron Lynch signed a one-year deal with the Jaguars, the team announced .
What it means: Lynch played two seasons in a reserve role for the Bears, totaling five sacks, 22 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss and 17 quarterback hits. A 49ers fifth-round pick in 2014, Lynch will join the Jaguars for his seventh NFL season. He has 20 career sacks. The Bears already had secured reserve outside linebackers to play behind starters Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. They signed former Browns first-round pick Barkevious Mingo to a one-year deal and traded a future draft pick to grab Tulsa’s Trevis Gipson in the fifth round of the draft last month.
April 30
The Bears are adding veteran safety Tashaun Gipson on a one-year deal, according to Pro Football Talk.
What it means: The Bears appear to have a starting safety to play alongside Eddie Jackson. Gipson has started 104 games over eight NFL seasons, including 62 over the last four years with the Jaguars and Texans. He has 23 career interceptions, three of which came in 2019 in his lone season in Houston, and 47 career passes defended, including eight last year. He also had a pick-six in 2019.
Gipson, who will be 30 in August, signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming in 2012. He made the Pro Bowl in 2014, when he returned six interceptions for 158 yards and one touchdown.
The Texans signed Gipson to a three-year, $22.5 million contract last year, but he finished the season on injured reserve with a back injury. They cut him this week.
The Bears are signing veteran receiver Ted Ginn Jr. to a one-year deal, an NFL source confirmed.
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What it means: Ginn, who turned 35 this month, will join the Bears for his 14th NFL season after three with the Saints. He had 30 catches for 421 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games last season. The 2007 Dolphins first-round pick also spent time with the 49ers, Cardinals and Panthers.
Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara knocks a ball down in the end zone as Saints wide receiver Ted Ginn is unable to make a catch in the second quarter at Soldier Field on Oct. 20, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
He had three straight seasons of at least 700 receiving yards from 2015-2017, including a career-high 10 touchdown catches in 2015 with the Panthers. He has played in 15 playoff games in his career. And he also was a punt and kick returner earlier in his career, with seven career return touchdowns.
Ginn provides the Bears with a speedy, experienced competitor to join a fairly young receivers room beyond veteran Allen Robinson.
April 29
The Bears signed wide receiver and returner Trevor Davis to a one-year deal, the team announced .
What it means: A fifth-round draft pick by the Packers in 2016, Davis joins the Bears for his fifth NFL season. Davis, 26, played in 31 games with the Packers, totaling nine catches for 122 yards. He bounced between the Packers, Dolphins and Raiders in 2019 and had seven catches for 83 yards in nine games (four starts) with the Raiders.
He also is an experienced return man. He had a career-high 24 punt returns for 289 yards (12.0 average) and 31 kickoff returns for 707 yards (22.8) in 2017. And among his three teams in 2019, he had 22 punt returns for 145 yards (6.6) and 23 kickoff returns for 506 yards (22.0).
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April 28
The Bears signed defensive tackle John Jenkins to a one-year deal, the team announced .
What it means: The Bears are bringing back the seven-year NFL veteran to serve as depth on the defensive line after Nick Williams left for a two-year contract with the Lions. Jenkins has played for five teams since he was drafted in the third round in 2013, including eight games for the Bears in 2017. He played in all 16 games for the Dolphins last year, making five starts, with 34 tackles, including two for a loss, and a sack.
April 22
Tight end Trey Burton signed a one-year contract with the Colts, the team announced .
What it means: It took Burton five days after the Bears cut him to latch on with a new team. He reunites with coach Frank Reich, who was the offensive coordinator with the Eagles for two seasons when Burton was there. Burton’s contract is for the veteran minimum, NFL Network reported, which will deduct from the $4 million the Bears owe him for this season.
The Bears cut Burton after an injury-plagued 2019 season in which he caught just 14 passes for 84 yards over eight games.
We have signed TE Trey Burton. — Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 23, 2020
April 17
The Bears are releasing tight end Trey Burton, the team announced.
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What it means: Burton’s tenure in Chicago comes to an end two years before his four-year, $32 million contract is up.
The Bears are cutting him after he totaled 14 catches for 84 yards and no touchdowns during an injury-plagued 2019 season. It’s the latest development for Burton in a dramatic 16-month span that started when he was a late scratch for the 2018 playoff loss to the Eagles because of a groin injury. He had sports hernia surgery last offseason, battled a groin injury over eight games in 2019 and then had hip surgery in December.
The Bears signed veteran tight end Jimmy Graham this offseason, and Burton’s departure could mean they’re eyeing another in next week’s draft.
The Bears are signing former Packers offensive lineman Jason Spriggs to a one-year deal, ESPN reported.
Packers' Jason Spriggs runs a drill at training camp on July 25, 2019. (Morry Gash/AP)
What it means: The 6-foot-6, 301-pound Spriggs adds depth to the Bears at tackle after free agent tackle Cornelius Lucas left for the Redskins. Spriggs, a 2016 second-round pick, has started just nine games for the Packers in his career. He’s dealt with back and elbow injuries leading up to the 2019 season and spent the year on injured reserve. An Elkhart, Ind., native, Spriggs, who will turn 26 next month, was an All-American at Indiana in his senior season in 2015.
The Bears signed free-agent kicker Ramiz Ahmed and exclusive-rights free agents J.P. Holtz and Rashaad Coward, the team announced.
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What it means: Ahmed joins the Bears on a one-year deal as apparent competition for kicker Eddy Pineiro. He last kicked in 2018 at Nevada, where he made 15 of 20 field-goal attempts and 40 of 44 extra-point attempts. He made Nevada’s team in 2017 in a walk-on tryout and did kickoffs that season. The Bears settled on Pineiro after a wild kicking competition last year, and he was 23-for-28 on field goals and 27-for-29 on extra points in his rookie year.
Holtz and Coward return as expected. Coward is expected to compete for the starting spot at right guard with newcomer Germain Ifedi after Coward started 10 games in 2019. Holtz, one of nine tight ends on the roster, played in 14 games for the Bears in 2019 and had seven catches for 91 yards.
April 16
Defensive back Sherrick McManis is expected to re-sign with a one-year contract.
What it means: Veteran defensive back Sherrick McManis is expected to re-sign with the Bears on a one-year contract. The longtime special teams standout will be entering his ninth season with the organization after arriving via a trade during the 2012 preseason. McManis missed the final four games last season with a groin injury that didn’t require surgery. He had 11 tackles in defense last season and a forced fumble in the Week 5 loss to the Raiders in London.
McManis, a Peoria native and Northwestern product, had eight stops on special teams last season. The 32-year-old has 88 special teams tackles in the last eight seasons. He’s the third free agent in the secondary to re-sign with the Bears following safeties Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson. All three are on one-year contracts.
April 15
Defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris signed his restricted free-agent tender.
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What it means: The move ensures Robertson-Harris will be back in the fold in 2020. The Bears tendered the former undrafted free agent at the second-round level, meaning he will earn $3.259 million this season. That higher tender ensured no other teams would attempt to lure him away with an offer sheet.
Had the Bears tendered Robertson-Harris at the original-round level, they would have had only right of first refusal on an offer sheet because he was undrafted coming out of UTEP. The 26-year-old had 30 tackles, 10 quarterback hits and 2½ sacks in 15 games last season. Provided he remains healthy, he figures to do well for himself in free agency next March.
By signing the tender, Robertson-Harris will be eligible to participate in the team’s virtual voluntary offseason workout program.
March 25
The Bears are bringing back third-string quarterback Tyler Bray, ESPN reported.
What it means: Bray returns for a third season as the Bears’ third-string quarterback. He spent the last two years on the practice squad behind Mitch Trubisky and Chase Daniel. Bray, 28, has a long history with coach Matt Nagy, dating back to their mutual arrival in Kansas City in 2013. Bray also spent the 2016 Chiefs season with new Bears quarterback Nick Foles.
He has one career pass attempt in one career regular-season appearance, in 2017 with the Chiefs. Even with the signing, the Bears could still draft a quarterback to add to their mix.
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The Bears agreed to a one-year deal with former Seahawks offensive lineman Germain Ifedi, NFL Network reported.
What it means: The Bears are in need of competition at right guard with Rashaad Coward and depth at tackle behind Charles Leno and Bobbie Massie. The 6-foot-5, 325-pound Ifedi played both guard and tackle during his four seasons with the Seahawks.
Seahawks offensive guard Germain Ifedi tries to stop Bears linebacker Khalil Mack during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field on Sept. 17, 2018. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Ifedi, who will turn 26 in June, was a 2016 first-round draft pick and started 60 games in Seattle, including 100% of their offensive snaps in 2019. He has been called for 12 holding and 29 false start penalties in his career, according to Pro Football Reference.
March 23
The Bears are re-signing safety DeAndre Houston-Carson to a one-year contract, a source told the Tribune.
What it means: Houston-Carson, a sixth-round pick in 2016, is back in the mix as a core special teams player. Houston-Carson has been one of the team’s most dependable players in that area for the last two seasons. With the addition of fellow safety Jordan Lucas, the Bears have been making sure they add depth for special teams coordinator Chris Tabor.
The Bears are bringing back veteran defensive lineman Brent Urban, news that his wife, Kate, announced on Twitter.
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What it means: Urban, 28, appeared in nine games in a reserve role last season after injuries forced some depth moves on the line beginning in October. Urban made 16 tackles and added two pass breakups. A one-year deal for Urban isn’t surprising as the Bears are going to need to add depth to the line, especially after Nick Williams departed for the NFC North rival Lions on a two-year contract. Urban will be in position to compete for a roster spot.
@AdamSchefter DE Brent Urban is re-signing with the Chicago Bears on one year deal. Per source. I’m the source. — Kate Salerno Urban (@Kate_KanSkate) March 23, 2020
The Bears agreed to terms on a one-year deal with outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo, NFL Network reported .
What it means: Mingo, 29, looks like a replacement for Aaron Lynch. He’s a veteran that can play a backup role on defense and a core special teams player.
Defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano had Mingo in Indianapolis and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor was in Cleveland when the Browns used the No. 6 pick in 2013 on him. While he has never panned out as a pass rusher — five of his 10 career sacks came during his rookie season — he’s a reliable player that has missed only two games and he has developed as a versatile guy on special teams. The contract is worth $1.187 million. The Bears become Mingo’s sixth team in the last six years.
March 22
The Bears signed safety Jordan Lucas to a one-year deal, NFL Network reported .
What it means: Lucas, 26, joins the Bears after playing two seasons each with the Dolphins and Chiefs. He has played in 49 career games but started just four, in 2018 in Kansas City, when he totaled 32 tackles, a sack, his lone career interception and two passes defended.
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Chiefs safety Jordan Lucas gestures during the first half of a game against the Chargers on Dec. 29, 2019. (Ed Zurga/AP)
Lucas, a former Dolphins sixth-round pick, was a key special teams player for the Chiefs last season, playing 63% of those plays. He provides more depth for a group of safeties that includes Deon Bush, who re-signed with the Bears on Friday and might compete for the starting spot alongside Eddie Jackson. Lucas’ contract is for $1 million.
March 21
Cornerback Artie Burns is joining the Bears on a one-year contract.
What it means: Agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed Saturday’s move, a one-year “prove it” deal that puts Burns in position to compete for a starting cornerback job opposite Kyle Fuller.
Steelers cornerback Artie Burns tackles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams during a game on Oct. 13, 2019. (Kyusung Gong/AP)
Burns was a first-round pick out of the University of Miami in 2016, selected No. 25 overall by the Steelers. But he never became the impact playmaker the Steelers hoped. The organization did not pick up his fifth-year option last year and Burns fell deeper into a reserve role. Over four seasons in Pittsburgh, Burns started 32 of the 58 games he played in. He recorded three interceptions as a rookie but only one more over the following three seasons.
Burns has intriguing length and speed and offers a skillset that could allow him to replace Prince Amukamara as a reliable man-to-man cover corner. But he will certainly have to earn that role whenever the Bears are cleared to get back on the practice field. Kevin Tolliver is also in the mix for that job. And the Bears signed CFL star Tre Roberson earlier this winter to compete as well.
March 20
The Bears are signing safety Deon Bush to a one-year contract, ESPN reported.
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What it means: The $1.4 million deal means Bush will return for a fifth season in Chicago. The Bears are in need of a new starter at safety alongside Eddie Jackson after Ha Ha Clinton-Dix signed with the Cowboys. It remains to be seen whether Bush will get a chance to compete for the starting spot or if the Bears have someone else in mind to fill that role, either through free agency or the draft. Bush, a 2016 fourth-round pick, has started eight games over four seasons. He played in 15 games in 2019, playing 5% of the Bears’ snaps on defense and 63% on special teams. He had eight tackles and two passes defended.
Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is headed to Dallas to play for Cowboys.
What it means: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting that Clinton-Dix’s one-year deal in Dallas is worth $4 million with $2.5 million guaranteed, a similar “prove it” deal to what he signed with the Bears last March. It’s no surprise the Bears allowed Clinton-Dix’s contract to expire or that the 27-year-old safety is moving on, now joining his fourth team since 2018.
Dix was signed to play free safety, per source. That would mean that Xavier Woods would move to strong safety https://t.co/2zyAabm4Oh — Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) March 20, 2020
He will reunite in Dallas with his former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. Clinton-Dix had two interceptions last season for the Bears, including a 59-yard touchdown return against the Redskins in Week 3. He was solid on the back end of the defense. But the Bears also awarded Eddie Jackson a record-setting extension in January, dishing out $33 million guaranteed and keeping Jackson under contract through the end of the 2024 season. There was little chance the Bears were going to spend big to fill that second safety spot.
While the Bears were happy with Clinton-Dix’s play last season, they would ideally like to find a second starting safety who has a more complementary skill set to Jackson, a defensive back who will allow the Bears to use Jackson’s biggest strengths as a free-ranging ball-hawk more easily. General manager Ryan Pace has had success identifying safeties in the draft. He chose Jackson with a fourth-round pick in 2017 and scooped up Adrian Amos in Round 5 two years earlier. The Bears may still browse the bargain bins of free agency for help and depth at the position. But keep a close eye on next month’s draft as well.
March 19
The Bears are bringing back long snapper Patrick Scales on a one-year deal.
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What it means: Scales, 32, will return for his sixth year in Chicago. One of those years, 2017, was spent on injured reserve, but he played in all 16 games each of the last two seasons. He’ll be back with a special teams unit that also includes returning punter Pat O’Donnell and kicker Eddy Pineiro.
The Redskins are signing former Bears offensive lineman Cornelius Lucas to a two-year deal .
What it means: The Bears will be in search of a new swing tackle after Lucas leaves for the $5.3 million deal. Lucas started a game in September and then the final five of the year filling in for injured Bobby Massie. The Redskins will be his fifth team in seven NFL seasons.
March 18
The Bears have acquired Nick Foles from the Jaguars in exchange for a fourth-round pick in next month’s draft.
What it means: No one is more invested in learning what this move means than Mitch Trubisky, the incumbent starting quarterback who has received multiple votes of public confidence from general manager Ryan Pace since last season ended.
Trubisky’s inconsistency and the unraveling of the Bears offense in 2019 was well-documented and created a new sense of urgency behind closed doors at Halas Hall. So while Pace has publicly said he expects Trubisky to be the starter when next season begins, the Bears’ desire to create real competition opens the door for Foles to slide into the starting role fairly easily and soon.
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Per @NFLNetwork reports, we have traded for QB @NickFoles.
(NFL policy currently prohibits teams from making any official announcements.)@SNICKERS | #DaBears — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 18, 2020
Foles’ chemistry with the offensive coaching staff — he spent time in previous stops with coach Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo — is a major plus. And his understanding of Nagy’s offensive system gives him a chance to hit the ground running when the the Bears get the all-clear to begin practicing this spring or summer. In giving up a fourth-round pick for Foles, the Bears have only two selections in the top 150. Foles’ contract with the Jaguars, which the Bears will inherit, runs through 2022 and has a base salary of more than $15 million for this season. Before long, Pace and Nagy will have to communicate their vision for their quarterback situation. It will be interesting to see when the team schedules those first public comments.
Leonard Floyd has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rams worth $10 million.
What it means: A day after the Bears released him, Floyd found a new home in Los Angeles, reuniting with first-year Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who was Floyd’s position coach with the Bears in 2017 and 2018. The Bears exercised the fifth-year option on Floyd’s rookie deal last year but wiggled out of it Tuesday, freeing themselves from a $13.2 million commitment. Now Floyd gets a one-season “prove-it deal” in Hollywood. The Bears, for what it’s worth, are scheduled to play the Rams in Los Angeles next season.
March 17
The Redskins are signing inside linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis to a one-year deal, NFL Network reported.
What it means: Pierre-Louis leaves the Bears after one season. He did a nice job filling in for most of four games after Roquan Smith was injured. He had 37 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two quarterback hits, three passes defended and an interception and also played on special teams. His play earned him a deal worth up to $3.45 million as he joins his fifth team for his seventh year in the league.
The Bears are signing edge rusher Robert Quinn to a five-year deal and releasing Leonard Floyd, NFL Network reported .
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What it means: The Bears get an upgrade at edge rusher with the swap. Quinn, who will turn 30 in May, joins the Bears and All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack for his 10th NFL season. He had 11 ½ sacks with the Cowboys in 2019, the second-most in his career behind the 19 he had in 2013 as an All-Pro. He also had 22 quarterback hits and 13 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles and three passes defended. Quinn was a Rams first-round pick in 2011, and he spent his first seven seasons with the team before spending a year each with the Dolphins and Cowboys. He has 80 ½ sacks in his career. The deal, for $70 million with $30 million guaranteed, makes the Bears defensive front, with Mack and Akiem Hicks, even more formidable.
Floyd’s departure isn’t entirely surprising given he was owed $13.2 million in 2020. Floyd had a career-low three sacks in 2019. The Bears’ No. 9 overall draft pick in 2016 never quite lived up to the expectations for him. Bears general manager Ryan Pace has said multiple times he likes what Floyd provided in coverage and on run defense, but the Bears also noted his pass rushing production was not where they would like it to be. Floyd becomes Pace’s second first-round pick to leave, behind Kevin White.
Chase Daniel is headed to the Lions on a three-year deal, ESPN reported .
What it means: It was known the Bears likely weren’t going to bring Chase Daniel back for a third season as Mitch Trubisky’s backup, so he moves on to be the backup to Matthew Stafford.
Bears quarterback Chase Daniel sits on the bench before the first half against the Lions at Soldier Field on Nov. 10, 2019. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
The Lions will be his fifth team in 11 seasons, a remarkable career for someone who has made only five starts. For the Bears, Daniel was a veteran presence to help guide Trubisky through coach Matt Nagy’s offense, and he also served as a team leader and the Bears’ representative to the NFLPA. He also started three games, throwing six touchdown passes and four interceptions. His presence is valued enough that the Lions gave him a $13.05 million deal, which contains a voidable clause.
The Lions agreed to terms with defensive lineman Nick Williams on a two-year deal.
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Bears defensive tackle Nick Williams celebrates after sacking Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins at Soldier Field on Sept. 29, 2019. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: Nick Williams, 30, received his first significant pay day in the NFL after totaling six sacks last season when his playing time expanded because of injuries on the defensive line. Williams appeared in all 16 games with five starts and totaled 42 tackles. He’d made just 19 tackles with no sacks in 28 previous career games.
The Bears will hope to replace a chunk of Williams’ playing time (he was on the field for 49 percent of the snaps) with greater health. Akiem Hicks’ injury led to a lot of his playing time.
Can say thank you enough to the McCaskey family and the @ChicagoBears organization for giving me the opportunity. Thanks to my teammates and to the fans! Big Bear 97 Out ✌🏾 #OnePride 🦁 What’s good 😤 pic.twitter.com/9kVcmREelU — Nicholas Williams (@NickWilliams_98) March 17, 2020
The Lions are re-tooling their defensive front with coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn under pressure to break out of losing ways in Detroit and Williams is expected to be just one new piece along the defensive line, a familiar face the Bears will see twice a year. He reportedly will earn $10 million over the next two seasons. That’s not a bad deal for a guy that was on a minimum-salary benefit contract last year.
March 16
The Bears agreed to terms with veteran tight end Jimmy Graham on a two-year deal.
What it means: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Bears will guarantee Jimmy Graham $9 million on a two-year deal that could be worth up to $16 million.
It’s a hefty price to pay for a 33-year-old veteran in the twilight of his career. But it also speaks to the Bears’ desperate need for production at tight end. Last season, six Bears tight ends combined for 46 catches, 416 yards and two touchdowns, woeful production for an offense that relies heavily on the tight end. Graham, in a 2019 season that could be characterized as ordinary at best, provided the Packers with 38 catches, 447 yards and three touchdowns.
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Bears GM Ryan Pace, of course, has familiarity with Graham from their days together with the Saints. From 2010 to 2014, Graham averaged 77 catches, 950 yards and 10 touchdowns and was selected to three Pro Bowls. That was a long time ago. And while it’s difficult to forecast how much Graham has left in his tank, he will be given every opportunity to be a major difference-maker in the Bears offense. His arrival also raises legitimate questions as to whether the Bears are ready to pull the plug on Trey Burton for 2020, even with $4 million of guaranteed money still owed.
The Raiders agreed to terms with former Bears linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski on a three-year deal.
What it means: The Bears say goodbye to their 2016 fourth-round pick, a player who served them well when they needed him during the 2019 season.
Kwiatkoski earned himself a solid new deal when he filled in for eight starts last year while veteran Danny Trevathan was injured, totaling 76 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, three sacks, four passes defended, a forced fumble and an interception. The Bears had to decide between trying to keep Kwiatkoski or Trevathan, and they went with the latter. Kwiatkoski’s deal is for $21 million with $13.5 million in guarantees, NFL Network reported.
March 13
The Bears tendered restricted free agent defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris .
Roy Robertson-Harris (95) goes after Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins for a sack in the second quarter t Soldier Field on Sept. 29, 2019. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: The tender is believed to be at the second-round level, making it unlikely another team will try to sign him. The Bears have the right of first refusal and would receive a second-round draft pick if they didn’t match another team’s contract offer. Robertson-Harris, who joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2016, had 30 tackles, 10 quarterback hits and 2 ½ sacks in his third season on the field.
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March 12
The Bears signed inside linebacker Danny Trevathan to a three-year contract extension, NFL Network reported.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fumbles the ball as Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan flips over in the third quarter at Soldier Field on Sept. 5, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: The Bears bring back a key piece of their defense on and off the field. The eight-year NFL veteran, who turns 30 later this month, had 70 tackles, two for a loss, four quarterback hits, a sack and a forced fumble over nine games in his fourth season with the Bears. He sat out the remainder of the year with an elbow injury. He will team up with Roquan Smith for a third season. His return, on a deal that could be worth $24 million, could signal the departure of inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski to another team in free agency.
Feb. 21
The Bears released cornerback Prince Amukamara and wide receiver Taylor Gabriel.
Bears wide receiver Taylor Gabriel signs autographs on Nov. 24, 2019 at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: The Bears cleared $13.5 million in salary cap space when they cut the veterans. But they now must find a starting cornerback to pair with Kyle Fuller and a speedy, deep-threat wide receiver to replace Taylor Gabriel.
Prince Amukamara, 30, started 44 games over three seasons with the Bears. He had three interceptions and a touchdown, all in 2018, along with 29 passes defended over three years. Gabriel, 29, had 96 catches for 1,041 yards over two seasons with the Bears. He was limited to nine games in 2019 as he dealt with two concussions. The Bears very likely will add to both rooms in the offseason. But cornerbacks Kevin Toliver and Tre Roberson and wide receivers Javon Wims and Riley Ridley are among the current players who could compete for playing time after the roster moves.
Feb. 20
The Bears signed veteran tight end Demetrius Harris to a one-year contract.
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Browns tight end Demetrius Harris tries for a catch in front of Steelers strong safety Terrell Edmunds (34) during the second half on Dec. 1, 2019. (Don Wright/AP)
What it means: Demetrius Harris, 28, joins the Bears to potentially fill a role as their “Y” blocking tight end. He spent his first five NFL seasons with the Chiefs in Kansas City when Bears coach Matt Nagy was a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator there. He had 57 catches for 605 yards and six touchdowns with the Chiefs. The Browns released him in February after one season in which he had 15 catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns. The addition of Harris is likely the first of several moves to rebuild the Bears tight ends room this offseason.
Jan. 29
The Bears signed CFL cornerback Tre Roberson to a two-year contract.
Calgary's Tre Roberson celebrates an interception against Ottawa during the second half of the Grey Cup at Commonwealth Stadium on Nov. 25, 2018. (Codie McLachlan / Getty Images)
What it means: Tre Roberson, 27, picked the Bears from nine NFL contract offers after he had an All-Star season with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders in 2019. The former Indiana and Illinois State quarterback, who spent time with the Vikings on their practice squad in 2016 and in training camp in 2017, had seven interceptions and two touchdowns in his second season in the CFL. The 6-foot, 190-pound Roberson provides needed depth at cornerback in a room that includes Kyle Fuller, Buster Skrine and Kevin Toliver.


chicagotribune--2020-03-23--FaceTime video chats reassure families of seniors in nursing homes and assisted living residences

“ As in any human , our immune system powers decline naturally from their peak at a relatively early age @ @ @ @ @ Jim Curto wrote in a letter to staff and residents ’ families .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ and without symptoms spread the new coronavirus disease to others .
It ’ s awful @ @ @ @ @ really need to suspect everyone .
”

The precautions implemented to protect the elderly, the people most vulnerable to the coronavirus, can also make them feel the most isolated.
The staff at area nursing homes and assisted living facilities, however are finding new ways for their residents to spend quality time with relatives, while still not allowing any visitors.
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“I think it’s important for all residents in nursing facilities to have the presence of family in their lives,” said Pat Dance, whose 97-year-old mother has lived in HCR ManorCare of Hinsdale for four or five years.
Senior residential facilities, such as ManorCare and The Birches Assisted Living in Clarendon Hills, not only have prohibited visitors since March 14, the residents are eating in their rooms instead of gathering in the dining room for meals.
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“As in any human, our immune system powers decline naturally from their peak at a relatively early age,” Birches Executive Director Jim Curto wrote in a letter to staff and residents’ families. “We know that anyone can unknowingly and without symptoms spread the new coronavirus disease to others. It’s awful to consider, but we really need to suspect everyone.”
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Dance said she and other relatives had organized so one of them was at ManorCare with her mother at lunch, dinner and bedtime seven days a week.
“Six of us were going,” including a paid caregiver, said Dance, who comes from a large family. “We wanted to be there. She was a great mom.”
Her mother no longer communicates very well and eats very slowly.
“When we are there, she can take her time eating and it takes some of the burden off the (certified nurses’ assistants),” Dance said.
When the facility implemented the no visitor policy, it was “devastating,” Dance said.
No matter how caring and competent the staff at a nursing home is, “I don’t think there is any replacement for family,” Dance said.
People can talk to relatives via telephone, but many elderly residents reach an age where they no longer carry on conversations, she said.
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Recently, The Birches and ManorCare have begun helping residents use the Apple FaceTime application to see and talk to their family members.
Dance said her mother still has great eyesight. So with FaceTime, “I can see her and she can see me.”
It’s very reassuring for families to be able to see a loved one is up and dressed, Dance said. “It has been a godsend.”
Joseph Pszczola, the activity director at HCR ManorCare, brought in two MacBook laptops patients can use to video chat live, starting March 17. The staff had notified family members that they could schedule time to FaceTime. Pszczola would call the relative’s phone number from the laptop at the appointed time.
Four video chats were scheduled the first day, Pszczola said. By Friday, 70 of the 155 or so patients staying at ManorCare had a Facetime chat that day.
“The connection and quality have been great,” Pszczola said. “This is the most rewarding and important thing I have done here.”
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Valerie Skruch, who lives in Clarendon Hills, had never used FaceTime before Pszczola contacted her.
Her mother is bipolar and has been living in ManorCare for about a year, Skruch said.
“This is really hard on her not being able to see us. She is very anxious right now, but this helps a great deal,” Skruch said. “It kinds of calms her down.”
Christine Marek said FaceTime has been invaluable to communicate with her 68-year-old brother who has cerebral palsy and is deaf. A phone conversation with him was impossible.
Marek, who lives in Napa, California, and her siblings had been using sign language and FaceTime to talk to him, but that ended when he was hospitalized with pneumonia and then went to ManorCare to rehabilitate.
Since the coronavirus lockdown, the steps the ManorCare staff have taken to put laptops in the residents’ hands and schedule time for the video chats has been “huge,” Marek said. Her brother is very sharp and loves the interactions, she said. “For us to be able to see him on the Facetime is fabulous.”
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Pszczola hopes to continue the video chats once the coronavirus subsides and the lockdown is lifted.
“At least something good and rewarding can come out of this,” he said.
Chuck Fieldman contributed to this report.


chicagotribune--2020-03-23--My first visit to Alinea comes during the COVID-19 pandemic

As Kokonas pointed out in an email sent to employees , and then shared on Twitter , this retooling of @ @ @ @ @ as many of the restaurant ’ s furloughed workers as possible .
He hopes to @ @ @ @ @ meals for curbside pickup as possible , ” so that he can “ bring as @ @ @ @ @ work as is possible , rotating through to give you each work if you choose.
@ @ @ @ @ “ everyone will be paid the same — there are no managers , head chefs @ @ @ @ @ we are all identical in our pay .
Ownership will take no salary .
”

Can I now admit that until last Friday I had never been to Chicago’s most acclaimed restaurant? Sure, I’m a Chicago food writer, but my beat usually finds me driving around the city to find the best taquerias and ramen shops. I’m not complaining.
Yet, with an international pandemic and everything seemingly upside down, I suppose it makes sense that now I’d try Alinea for the first time. When co-owner Nick Kokonas announced that the restaurant would offer to-go orders last week, I was lucky enough to snag a meal, for only $34.95 per person, before they all sold out.
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The to-go meal from Alinea during the coronavirus pandemic. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
That’s how I found myself idling in my car in front of a stylish unmarked townhouse in Lincoln Park, waiting for a to-go order. Less than a minute after pulling up, someone handed me a large brown bag and a bottle of wine. (I couldn’t help but add a beverage option, though I personally paid for it, as Tribune doesn’t cover the bar tab.) Inside were a bunch of containers along with a single sheet of paper with directions on reheating all the components.
Beef Wellington with 50-50 mashed potatoes from Alinea during the coronavirus pandemic. Friday, March 20, 2020. (Nick Kindelsperger / Chicago Tribune)
While the food came from Alinea’s kitchen, this was hardly a typical Alinea meal. Instead of dozens of courses, I got beef Wellington with mashed potatoes and creme brulee — a decidedly old-school meal. Of course, there were a few twists. In an Instagram post, Alinea chef Grant Achatz writes that instead of using the traditional tenderloin, the kitchen used a “48 hour cooked USDA Prime Black Angus short rib.” The potatoes are actually “50-50 mashed potatoes,” which have a silky smooth texture thanks to an incredible amount of butter.
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Comfort food tastes especially good during uncertain times, and it's hard to imagine a more uneasy time than now. And there is no doubt that the meal was an absolute delight. Each bite of the short rib packed as much meaty flavor as a steak.
But it's not really about the food anymore, is it?
As Kokonas pointed out in an email sent to employees, and then shared on Twitter, this retooling of Alinea was done to help as many of the restaurant’s furloughed workers as possible. He hopes to “sell as many simple meals for curbside pickup as possible,” so that he can “bring as many of you back to work as is possible, rotating through to give you each work if you choose.” He also wrote that “everyone will be paid the same — there are no managers, head chefs, porters, runners... we are all identical in our pay. Ownership will take no salary.”
If you follow Kokonas on Twitter, you know that he has been on the forefront of both recognizing the need for drastic action to stop the spread of the virus and trying to figure a way for restaurants to stay in business. It’s inspiring to see someone working hard on behalf of others.
I noted last week that all of the Alinea dinners were sold out on Tock, but at this exact moment there are some options available on March 29. I’d be quick if I were you. Otherwise, check out this list of restaurants offering delivery or curbside pickup.
nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-23--50 of the more than 1,300 FCC complaints about Jennifer Lopez and Shakira at the Super Bowl

American history can often be remembered through our consumer habits .
That 's why Stacker ranked the iconic products released @ @ @ @ @ born , from 1919 to 2018 .
From Slurpees to iPods , this list is @ @ @ @ @ memory lane .
Visit thestacker.com for similar lists and stories .

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 50 "This was at least PG13. There needed to be parental guidance. Little kids love football, but the display of sex was over the top." (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Some viewers of the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show were unimpressed with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's performance and concerned about the display of sexuality, according to complaints submitted to the Federal Communications Commission.


chicagotribune--2020-03-23--Judge grants bail for accused attacker in fatal Richard’s Bar stabbing

Prosecutors said Paterimos had been at the bar celebrating with his brother and friends when he and Tansey began fighting @ @ @ @ @ was severely intoxicated and was bumping into people inside the bar , ” prosecutors said @ @ @ @ @ He and Paterimos started punching each other and both fell to the floor , according @ @ @ @ @ From all witnesses interviewed , it is unclear who started the fight .
”

Diona Bueno, center, remembers her son Kenneth Paterimos as family and friends rally outside Richard's Bar on March 3, 2020, demanding justice in his death. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
A Cook County judge granted bail Monday to an ex-Marine accused of fatally stabbing a man outside Richard’s Bar in West Town last month.
Thomas Tansey, 30, faces first-degree murder charges in the Feb. 21 death of barista Kenneth Paterimos. Tansey had been ordered held without bail earlier this month, but a judge now says he can be released from Cook County Jail if he posts 10% of $250,000, according to court records.
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But Judge John F. Lyke Jr. ordered that Tansey be fitted with an ankle monitor and comply with special conditions of his bail, which often includes having no contact with witnesses.
Thomas Tansey. (Chicago Police Department)
Prosecutors said Paterimos had been at the bar celebrating with his brother and friends when he and Tansey began fighting. “(Tansey) was severely intoxicated and was bumping into people inside the bar,” prosecutors said in a court document. He and Paterimos started punching each other and both fell to the floor, according to the document. “From all witnesses interviewed, it is unclear who started the fight.”
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Tansey left the bar and Paterimos followed, and the pair continued trading blows outside. As a friend of Paterimos’ pulled him off, prosecutors said Tansey pulled a box cutter and stabbed Paterimos in the back of the head, right ear, middle back, right collar bone and right arm.
The last wound severed an artery and caused Paterimos to bleed to death, authorities said.
At Tansey’s initial hearing, Judge Charles S. Beach II denied bail after casting doubt on claims from Tansey’s attorney that the stabbing of the smaller, unarmed Paterimos occurred as a result of self-defense.
Tansey’s attorney argued that his client was attacked and followed outside by Paterimos. He said the media spotlight and false social media claims against his client put pressure on prosecutors to file criminal charges.
Both sides are scheduled to return to court April 2.


chicagotribune--2020-03-23--Roy Bellavia, Chicago radio executive involved in birth of WXRT, dies

“ A foreign language station needs a guy who understands the culture and goings-on , which one minute would be @ @ @ @ @ Serbian the next , and then Italian the next .
It was like the United @ @ @ @ @ ” Lee said .
“ The way he went about things was so special .
@ @ @ @ @ 1 guy and everybody knew who he was but he never showed it .
He @ @ @ @ @ go to .
”

Roy Bellavia was a Chicago-area radio executive who for decades oversaw an eclectic potpourri of ethnic and foreign-language programming on WSBC-AM.
In the 1960s, Bellavia was program director of WSBC’s FM counterpart, which eventually took the call letters WXRT.
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“He was wonderful. He was very inventive and very creative,” said Danny Lee, former owner of WSBC and WXRT.
Roy Bellavia (Estate of Marty Zivin)
Bellavia, 88, died of complications from Parkinson’s disease Feb. 20 while in hospice care at the Presence Resurrection Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Park Ridge, said his wife, Kathy Byrne-Bellavia. Bellavia had been a Sauganash resident since 1990.
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Born on the West Side to a Sicilian immigrant father and a mother who was from Abruzzo, Italy, Bellavia moved as a youngster with his parents to the Marquette Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. He graduated from Lindblom Technical High School and served in the Army in Germany.
He received a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Roosevelt University, and while in school, he worked part time for the McCann Erickson advertising agency.
Bellavia’s first job in radio was as program director at WGRY-AM in Gary, which later took the call letters WLTH-AM. At that station, he worked with its longtime on-air personality, Lucky Cordell, who later was a longtime DJ at Chicago’s WVON-AM.
Around 1960, Bellavia was hired by Lee and Lee’s father, Louie Lee, to serve as program director of both WSBC-AM and the newly launched WSBC-FM.
“Dad hired him as the program director of WSBC-FM, which started out playing classical music and Broadway film music during the day and classical music and folk and jazz at night with an audience of about 12,” Lee said.
“He was the first program director, and we had a staff of maybe two engineers, plus myself and my father, and we had a couple hundred albums. That’s what we were working with. And he had a field day — he had an open board. He was the kind of guy you’d put in a room with two sticks and he’d build a house for you.”
Bellavia’s wife said he enjoyed the music played on WSBC-FM in those early years.
“He loved to hear the music of that era, (including) Big Band and easy listening,” she said. “He loved the Italian American crooners. Vic Damone was his favorite.”
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In 1963, WSBC-FM became WXRT-FM. Bellavia remained as WXRT’s program director until 1971, when the station began planning its transition to an alternative rock format, which took effect the following year.
Bellavia remained as the program director of WSBC-AM, which was a time-brokered radio station that sold blocks of time to individual ethnic broadcasters.
“A foreign language station needs a guy who understands the culture and goings-on, which one minute would be Greek language, and then Serbian the next, and then Italian the next. It was like the United Nations in our lobby,” Lee said. “The way he went about things was so special. He was the No. 1 guy and everybody knew who he was but he never showed it. He was always the guy to go to.”
WXRT midday personality Lin Brehmer met Bellavia when he joined WXRT in 1984 and called him “the guy who managed a true melting pot of Chicago radio broadcasters.”
“He was like the good-natured uncle that worked in a different world than the rest of us, but he got along with everyone,” Brehmer said. “He had a contagious energy and loved bad jokes, which he shared generously.”
“Ethnic radio is very much alive,” Bellavia told the Tribune in 1987. “Chicago has always been a melting pot of different ethnic groups. Oftentimes, the only way of communication is through ethnic radio.”
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Former WXRT program director Norm Winer, who was with the station from 1979 until 2016, recalled sharing offices in the early years with WSBC, and noted that “the undeniable source of power in that building was Roy Bellavia.”
“Roy had a passion for radio, and unsurpassed knowledge of the history of Chicago radio,” Winer said. “Roy and I never had a conversation where I didn’t learn something. Even during a brief chat, Roy would inevitably make you smile or laugh aloud.”
Bellavia also hosted a half-hour public affairs talk show on WSBC and on WXRT in the 1990s, titled “Community Speaks.”
Bellavia retired from WSBC in early 1999, about a year after Lee sold the station to Newsweb.
After retiring, Bellavia enjoyed playing the piano, listening to some of the 1,700 or so LPs in his collection, and collecting 16-inch transcription records, which were used exclusively by the radio industry. Bellavia also was involved in the Chicago chapter of the Italian American service organization UNICO National.
Apart from Bellavia’s wife, there were no other immediate survivors.
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Services were held.
Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-03-23--14 vehicles damaged in spree that included smashed windows in residential driveways: Glenview police

“ We are actively investigating these incidents and I would say the manner of damage in all cases can not @ @ @ @ @ .
Jim Foley said in an email .
“ We believe some were consistent with @ @ @ @ @ .
”

The windows on 14 vehicles in Glenview were recently reported shattered over a three-day period, causing an estimated $5,500 in damages, Glenview police said.
“We are actively investigating these incidents and I would say the manner of damage in all cases cannot be confirmed,” Sgt. Jim Foley said in an email. “We believe some were consistent with damage from a pellet/BB projectile.”
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The incident occurred on 10 village streets March 12-15.
Foley did not offer details on any suspects, including whether any had been identified.
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“Anecdotally, this type of damage is generally related to younger adults and teens who live within miles of the incidents,” Foley said.
Four of the incidents occurred on Larkdale Drive, while the others were spread over other blocks.
Larkdale Drive
The driver’s side front window of a vehicle parked in the 1900 block of Larkdale Drive was reported shattered March 12, causing a reported $300 in damage. Another vehicle parked in a driveway on the same block had its rear window shattered that day, causing $400 in damage.
Another resident on the block reported someone shattered the rear window on their vehicle parked in a driveway overnight March 13, causing $350 in damage.
About four blocks down, in the 2300 block of Larkdale Drive, the driver’s side front window on a vehicle parked overnight March 13 was also reportedly shattered, causing $350 in damage.
Lincoln Street
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The rear hatch window on a vehicle parked in a driveway in the 100 block of Lincoln Street was reportedly shattered overnight March 13, causing $300 in damage.
Linneman Street
The rear hatch window on a vehicle parked overnight March 13 in the driveway of a home in the 2200 block of Linneman Street was reported shattered, causing $300 in damage. Another resident in the 2200 block of Linneman Street reported someone shattered the driver’s side rear window on their vehicle overnight March 13, causing $150 in damage.
Michael Manor
The rear window on a vehicle parked overnight March 13 in a driveway in the 400 block of Michael Manor was reported shattered, causing $500 in damage.
Pleasant Lane
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A resident of the 1400 block of Pleasant Lane reported someone shattered the rear window on their vehicle parked in a driveway overnight March 13, causing $350 in damage.
Ridgewood Lane
The front driver’s side window of a vehicle parked on the street for two hours in the 1700 block of East Ridgewood Lane was reported shattered March 14, causing an estimated $1,000 in damage.
Rolling Pass
The front driver’s side window on a vehicle parked on the street for two hours in the 900 block of Rolling Pass was reported shattered March 14, causing an estimated $400 in damage.
Henley Street
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The rear window of a vehicle parked overnight March 15 the a driveway of a home in the 2000 block of Henley Street was reported shattered, causing $300 in damage.
Meadowlark Lane
The rear window of a vehicle parked in the driveway of a home in the 1000 block of Meadowlark Lane March 15 was reported shattered, causing $350 in damage.
Keiss Drive
The driver’s door window on a vehicle parked overnight March 15 in the 3800 block of Kiess Drive was reported shattered, causing $500 in damage.
Elizabeth Owens-Schiele is a freelancer.


chicagotribune--2020-03-23--Chicago Symphony Orchestra music director Riccardo Muti on life in Italy amid coronavirus, the role

Chicago Symphony Orchestra music director Riccardo Muti on life in Italy amid coronavirus, the role music plays

“ But it was too mystical , too deep , too high .
I was not able to – to @ @ @ @ @ to move the arms .
( But ) to go deeply into this kind of @ @ @ @ @ becomes not just an exercise but all these lines so full of intensity .
It @ @ @ @ @ in the ‘ Missa Solemnis ’ has reached the highest level not only of inspiration @ @ @ @ @ .
His technique as a composer – using the counterpoint and winning against the rules @ @ @ @ @

The last time Chicago Symphony Orchestra music director Riccardo Muti conducted a concert, Feb. 23 in Orchestra Hall, few of us realized that the music was about to stop.
By March 12, Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered a halt to large gatherings in the wake of the deadly coronavirus, shutting down large Chicago venues such as Symphony Center. A few days later, Pritzker expanded the moratorium to bars and restaurants, meaning that live music went silent across Illinois.
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After Muti’s last CSO concert, in which he performed Beethoven’s Symphonies Nos. 2 and 5 and Nicolas Bacri’s “Ophelia’s Tears,” the conductor returned to his home in Ravenna, Italy – and has been there ever since.
Italy now stands as the coronavirus’ epicenter. And Muti marvels at the country’s heroes and grieves for its dead.
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“The Italians have shown in this difficult, difficult time a great sense of discipline and courage,” said Muti, speaking by phone from his home.
“For people that generally are considered extroverts, we are giving an image of a country that when it’s the moment – when the moment becomes very serious – we are like one person. So, of course, there are a few people that still don’t obey the rule, but this is a very small minority. To see the Italians to stay outside the pharmacy or market – all in line, distant, at least one meter, it’s something that we -- it’s a new experience for us.
“Because generally people know that in the past, even when we have to go to a bus, instead of having an English line full of discipline, we have an assault. But now, in this moment, everybody is trying his best.”
Still, as the casualties mount and the disease spreads, there’s no escaping the pandemic’s toll. Especially in Muti’s homeland.
“Italy, where many people die in the hospital, they cannot even have the comfort of the relatives,” said Muti. “The husband or the wife or the father or the son cannot go to say the last goodbye, to hold the hand.
“So people die in absolute solitude. And the other day, I saw on television, Bergamo – one of the cities more in trouble – in the evening a long line of (Army) trucks full of coffins, a long line going to the cemetery. And now the cemeteries are full. And people don’t know where to put (the dead).
Conductor Riccardo Muti.
“If we start to analyze the situation, in every detail, it’s so tragic that we should really be more than desperate. Where do you find comfort? Where?”
For Muti and for listeners around the world, some comfort and consolation, escape and hope, can be found in music. This is why, he said, we all have seen so many videos of Italians singing together outside their apartments – physically separated but united in song.
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“Napoli, the city where people were outside the balconies singing – that is not a sign of superficiality,” said Muti. “It is the typical way of the Italians, and especially for the Neopolitans, to find a way through the music, through singing, to push away the evil.
“In any case, we remember the phrase that I told you one evening: St. Augustine, he said: ‘Cantare amantis est,’” which roughly translates as “singing belongs to one who loves.”
Or as Muti interpreted it, “If you love mankind, if you love nature around you, you feel that you can sing the glory.”
So the conductor – whose post-Chicago concerts in Japan, Vienna and Paris were canceled – also turned to music. Now he can spend time at the piano playing Schumann, Chopin and Debussy, he said. More important, he has immersed himself in one of the most profound and mysterious works ever penned: Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis.”
Muti is scheduled to conduct the CSO in the massive composition Sept. 24-26 in Orchestra Hall, toward the beginning of the next season. He finds that the current grave moment – in which millions, including himself, are confined to home – may be ideal for trying to understand an epic work that ponders nothing less than humanity’s place in the universe.
“Now my mind is completely in ‘Missa Solemnis,’” said Muti. “Going back to the score after so many decades – I started to look at the score in 1970. Then I left because it was too complicated." To clarify, he then said, "Not complicated, because I was a very good student of counterpoint, and ‘Missa Solemnis’ is the triumph of counterpoint.
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“But it was too mystical, too deep, too high. I was not able to – to conduct is one thing, to move the arms. (But) to go deeply into this kind of mysterious music, where counterpoint becomes not just an exercise but all these lines so full of intensity. It’s clear that Beethoven in the ‘Missa Solemnis’ has reached the highest level not only of inspiration, but also the craft. His technique as a composer – using the counterpoint and winning against the rules of the counterpoint itself!
“Now that I’m studying the score, after having for years conducted so much music of different composers, I am approaching this score with a new perspective, with a deeper understanding.”
Riccardo Muti conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as they perform Beethoven's Concerto in C Major for Piano, Violin and Cello at Symphony Center. (John J. Kim, Chicago Tribune)
At 78 and arguably at the height of his powers as conductor and interpreter, Muti indeed seems well-positioned at last to take on a work he never has performed before.
Earlier this year, he explained to me his reluctance to take on the “Missa Solemnis” by citing his friend and fellow conductor, Carlos Kleiber. As Muti recalled, Kleiber told him “there is certain music that should remain on paper, should not be brought to life, because it’s so deep, so metaphysical, that it’s impossible to create in reality what you feel (by) looking in the score.”.
So what has it been like for Muti finally to confront this masterpiece – at a time when the entire world is in crisis, facing the sobering truths Beethoven contemplated in the “Missa Solemnis”?
“It’s a full immersion in – I cannot say heaven, because it would be too rhetoric(al) to say this,” explained Muti.
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“But it’s like you’re alone in the Sistine Chapel, without other people near you. You can deeply absorb this masterpiece.
“It’s important in this moment, because I have time. … I don’t have to go to the rehearsal, to have a meeting or to prepare for travel, to go there, to go there. It’s a dedication completely to this work. And fortunately, I can look at these notes with much more understanding than before.
“And I’m not saying I’m enjoying, because it’s a verb that I hate. Too much in America: Enjoy the fish, enjoy the wine.
“In front of a masterpiece like the ‘Missa Solemnis,’ you don’t enjoy. You just go deeply in the music. It is so metaphysical, mysterious now. … It’s like the last sonatas of Beethoven, the last quartetti. In an area where the air is very pure and very refined and very subtle.
“It’s like to be on the high mountains.”
In this music, said Muti, he hears echoes of earlier works by previous masters, their influence shaping the “Missa Solemnis.”
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Beethoven’s magnum opus is “a demonstration of his great ability – like Mozart in the last movement of ‘Jupiter’ Symphony,” which indeed in its final pages seems to sum up the tragedies and beauties of life itself.
“Or Verdi – the finale of ‘Falstaff,' when he uses the fugue for the demonstration of great ability to use the academic forms, but being able to win against the academy. … And after (Muti conducted) so many masses of Cherubini, you understand why Beethoven had such great respect for Cherubini.”
Sooner or later, the scourge of the coronavirus will end, and we’ll all be left to pick up the pieces of what remains. Muti sees great challenges not only in getting to that much longed-for moment but in facing what comes after.
“Suddenly, everybody will go in the streets, everybody will be like lost people,” said Muti, trying to envision how we rebuild.
“Now we are all in a tunnel. I don’t know if some of the scientists, doctors can (yet) see the light at the end of the tunnel. But unless it’s the end of the world, at a certain point we have to see this light. From this enormous tragedy, I think that people are learning to respect each other, to be kind one to the other, much more than before.
“And now the question I ask to myself: Is it possible that after this great tragedy, mankind will come out better in the sense that we, after this fear, we understand the importance of life, the importance to love each other, the importance of culture, the importance to help the poor people, the nations that are in trouble? To come out better?”
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At the same time, Muti wonders whether the pandemic “is sort of a general rehearsal for mankind. That tomorrow a war, based on the virus, can destroy completely mankind in a few days. So maybe this will be a lesson.”
As for his colleagues and friends in Chicago, where Muti has been CSO music director since 2010, he said that he misses them greatly, that the separation makes him “feel lonely – it’s a terrible feeling.”
He advises them to stay away from the 24-hour TV news reports, as much as possible, and to spend more time reading and listening to music. In addition to his study of the “Missa Solemnis,” he has been preparing for his upcoming CSO performances of Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3 and the world premiere of CSO composer-in-residence Missy Mazzoli’s “Orpheus Undone” .
Because these concerts have been canceled due to the coronavirus, Muti will schedule them for whenever the music-making resumes, he said.
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In the meantime, the crisis injures everyone and “certainly it’s very, very difficult for an orchestra, musicians that for decades every day have been together, sitting one near the other, suddenly to stay away one from the other – it’s tragic,” said Muti.
“Then when this period will end, this tragic period, then it will not be easy to put together again the orchestra and to start again to find the emotions that we have abandoned,” and that the musicians express through music.
“Because psychologically, it’s possible that we will be different immediately after this disease disappears.
“The return to normal life will not be something that in 24 hours (will be) very easy to find.
“But then we will find ourselves again.”
Howard Reich is a Tribune critic.
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hreich@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-23--Chicago’s beauty pros offer a few tips and products to try from home

Businesses like salons and spas are closed , and getting your nails done or hair colored suddenly seems like an @ @ @ @ @ you may only be going out for essentials or a quick dog walk , there @ @ @ @ @ give up your beauty routines .
In fact , trying to keep them up while @ @ @ @ @ through these challenging times , says licensed clinical psychologist Alana Kingsley , who practices in @ @ @ @ @ neighborhood .

Even though you may only be going out for essentials or a quick dog walk, there’s no reason to give up your beauty routines. (Getty Images/Getty Images)
Businesses like salons and spas are closed, and getting your nails done or hair colored suddenly seems like an unnecessary luxury. Even though you may only be going out for essentials or a quick dog walk, there’s no reason to give up your beauty routines. In fact, trying to keep them up while at home may help get through these challenging times, says licensed clinical psychologist Alana Kingsley, who practices in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.
“We are all desperately wanting to feel grounded. For most of us, the things we would typically lean on are not accessible to us,” Kingsley says. “So we have to get really creative to find that sense of normalcy and have those coping skills to deal with the uncertainty that is our world right now.”
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Here, Joseph Bartucci, owner of Bartucci Salon in the West Loop, Inka Erdene-Ochir, nail esthetician at Juko Nail + Skin Rescue in Wicker Park, and Jessica Cruel, features director at Allure magazine, offer at-home beauty treatments you can totally do yourself.
Color Wow Root Cover Up shadow. $34.50, colorwow.com, target.com, walmart.com (Color Wow)
Touch up your hair color
If you color your hair regularly, don’t freak if you missed your chance to get to the salon before it closed, there are great at-home options.
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The easiest, most foolproof way to cover your roots with no damage to your existing color, say salon professionals like Bartucci, is with a temporary root cover up product, such as Color Wow Root Cover Up shadow. The pigmented shadow, made from mineral powder, comes in an easy-to-carry compact and should stay on your hair until it’s shampooed out.
If you feel you need something more permanent, you can try a root touch-up kit, which can be found at any local drugstore. Bartucci says to look for a tried-and-true brand, like L’Oreal, which makes a root coloring kit that processes in 10 minutes.
“L’Oreal has incredible shine,” Bartucci says. “The longevity is there and it will last like four weeks.”
To choose the right color and to avoid ending up with the wrong shade, the salon professional says to veer on the lighter side.
Essie Expressie Quick-Dry Nail Polish. $9, target.com, ulta.com (Essie)
DIY manicure/pedicure
Glossy, shiny, polished nails — yes you can do this at home while your favorite nail salon is closed.
“The basic steps are remove polish, cut nails straight across with a nail clipper, then file nails into shape and apply polish,” says Erdene-Ochir of Juko. “And before you polish, remove any oil or residue from the nails with a nail polish remover.”
Olive & June The Poppy nail polish bottle handle. $16, oliveandjune.com, target.com (Olive & June)
To make polishing nails even easier, Cruel likes a polish application tool The Poppy by Olive & June. “I’m horrible at at-home manicures personally and this tool helps make it a lot easier to apply the polish,” she says, noting the tool helps to steady the hand while polishing.
She also suggests the quick-dry Expressie polishes by Essie for easy at-home application. “I like that it’s quick dry,” she says. “You’re at home, you’re constantly moving and doing things so that’s why I think a quick-dry polish is perfect.”
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Frank Body Original Coffee Scrub. $9.95, ulta.com, amazon.com (Frank Body)
Indulge in a body scrub
A mild body scrub is a great way to remove dead skin cells and make your skin feel smooth and vibrant — especially this time of year when everyone’s skin is so dry.
Cruel swears by Frank Body Coffee Scrub. “Some scrubs have too much oil in them; this is a dry scrub. You can get a really good exfoliating treatment,” she says. For sensitive skin, the editor suggests Skinfix Glycolic Renewing Scrub. “It’s got glycolic acid, something that will be great for keratosis pilaris, those red dots you get on your arms and legs,” she says.
Virtue Restorative Treatment Mask. $30, sephora.com, amazon.com (Virtu)
Deep condition your hair
With the extra time at home, there’s no time like the present to deep condition your hair. Bartucci’s favorite moisturizing mask that works on all hair types is the Virtue Restorative Treatment Mask, designed to strengthen, hydrate and repair the hair.
“We’re coming out of winter and the heat has been on in the house and your hair is dehydrated and parched,” Bartucci says. “The key is putting on a mask in the shower with a shower cap on and keeping the moisture in and letting the heat of the scalp work for like 10 to 15 minutes.”
Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask. $48, sephora.com (Summer Fridays)
Relax with a moisturizing face mask
You don’t need to go to a spa to reap the benefits of a luxurious face mask. “There are a lot of nice masks out there, and if you want to create the at-home facial experience, you always want to start with a nice shower because it softens the skin,” says Cruel, who likes moisturizing masks like the Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask.
“It’s full of moisturizing ingredients,” she says. “You literally just apply it, it soaks into the skin almost like a moisturizer, sometimes you don’t even have to rinse it off.”
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For those who prefer sheet masks, Cruel likes the Facial Treatment Mask by SK-II.
“They have a patented pitera essence (a natural ingredient high in amino acids) that really soaks into the skin and comes with a lot of extra serum in the pack, so after you use the mask, you can take that extra serum and rub it allover your face, hands, decolletage,” she says. “It’s one of my favorites. My skin instantly feels brighter and it gets rid of dullness and dryness.”
Kristin Larson is a freelance writer.


chicagotribune--2020-03-23--Column: With no opening day to prepare for at Sox Park, ‘The Sodfather’ watches his field from home

“ I ’ m not worried about edging , and I ’ m raising the height of the grass , @ @ @ @ @ I usually cut it 1 inch , and I ’ m going to be cutting @ @ @ @ @ the summer I literally cut grass every day .
I want to get away with @ @ @ @ @ two or three times a week to limit the time we ’ ve got to @ @ @

It was only a few weeks ago that Roger Bossard and I were on a backfield at White Sox camp in Glendale, Ariz., laughing about the days in the 1960s when the Sox “froze” baseballs to level the playing field for their offensively challenged hitters.
Now the man known to one and all as “The Sodfather” is confined to his home like everyone else in Illinois as part the ongoing effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
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Normally at this time of the year, Bossard arrives at Sox Park before the crack of dawn and begins tending to the field to get it ready for opening day. He has been doing it for 54 years, eventually taking over the head groundskeeper duties from his father, Gene, in the “Winning Ugly” season of 1983.
But Thursday’s scheduled opener against the Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field was postponed, of course, with MLB suspending the start of the season until mid-May at the earliest and probably much longer based on the need for another three to four weeks of spring training.
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So Sox Park is closed to employees, even one as essential as The Sodfather, who obviously can’t work from home like many of us. You can’t mow the grass on Zoom.
“Instead of me being at the park right now plowing the snow off the field, I’m sitting here at home watching ‘Andy Griffith’ and ‘Hogan’s Heroes,' " he said with a laugh.
Usually in late March, Bossard is putting ammonia nitrate and ammonia sulfate on the field to warm the grass during the chilly spring weather and help it grow.
Now he’s is letting the field remain “as dormant as possible” so he and his crew don’t have to maintain it as often in the coming weeks.
An overhead view of Guaranteed Rate Field on opening day in 2017, when the White Sox played the Tigers. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf “is trying to keep everybody home as much as possible,” Bossard said, limiting the amount of fertilizer he has put on the grass. Bossard doesn’t know how long the shutdown order — which currently runs through April 7 — will remain in effect, so he’s doing whatever he can to ensure a perfect field without hands-on maintenance.
“I’m not worried about edging, and I’m raising the height of the grass,” he said. “I usually cut it 1 inch, and I’m going to be cutting it at 2. In the summer I literally cut grass every day. I want to get away with where I cut it only two or three times a week to limit the time we’ve got to be there.
“Jerry hit on this thing quick too. As soon as the (season was suspended), they had a special crew come in and completely clean the place. Typical Jerry.”
Bossard said his four-man man crew is not working now but will be back 10 days before the start of the season. When that happens he knows there’s going to be a new norm and already wonders what things in life will soon become obsolete.
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“Our world is going to change," he said. “I don’t know how, but things are just going to be different. After this is over, I can’t see myself shaking hands or hugging everybody anymore.”
Obviously baseball and all sports are the least of our concerns right now. Our priority should be practicing social distancing and flattening the curve.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 32 White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Still, this baseball-free period has been tough on a lot of people, no matter where you live or what team you root for. It’s particularly hard on Sox fans, who have been waiting years for a team they could rally around and looked at this season as the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.
Thursday’s opener was going to be the much-anticipated debut of prized rookie Luis Robert, Lucas Giolito’s first opening-day start and the Sox debut of slugger Yasmani Grandal. Now the only reminder of what might have been will be the TV trucks camped outside the park on 35th Street, with reporters discussing the suspension of the baseball season because of the pandemic.
How long until it starts is anyone’s guess. For those looking for any nugget of hope, the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal retweeted a post from the Lotte Giants of the Japanese League promoting the broadcast of team scrimmages. At least they’re thinking baseball somewhere in this world.
If you want to watch some live baseball… https://t.co/TXzguznA0v — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 23, 2020
But we’re still a long way off on this continent. As Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro said Sunday: “The reality certainly looks like we are not dealing with days and likely not weeks, but closer to months.”
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We probably won’t know until we see how much progress is made in flattening the curve, which is dependent on everyone following the guidelines of social distancing for the immediate future. As we’ve seen on social media and internet reports, many still aren’t taking this crisis seriously, which will only endanger more lives and prolong the process.
In the meantime, we can only dream of the day we’ll walk back into a ballpark and marvel at the perfectly coiffed grass field in front of us.
Bossard hopes to see us all sometime this summer and promised the field at Sox Park will meet your specifications.
“Stay safe, stay home,” he said.
Listen to your Sodfather.


chicagotribune--2020-03-23--Work from home master class: 4 Chicago WFH veterans give tips, talk perks

Part of working from an office is camaraderie , and working from home means no water cooler chitchat .
While @ @ @ @ @ , other times it can be distracting , especially when you ’ re trying to @ @ @ @ @ said she uses timers to stay on task .
“ If I ’ m feeling @ @ @ @ @ get going , I tell myself , I ’ m just going to do this @ @ @ @ @ helps , ” she said , adding that timers also keep track of how she @ @ @ @ @ .
She also sets reminders to get up and stretch .

Stay hydrated: Fressko's stylish Rise bottles multitask, like you. The reusable Borosilicate glass bottle has an infuser for tea or to add fruit to flavor your water. $29.95, madebyfressko.com (Fressko)
Working from home sounded great when you could do it occasionally, but now just about everyone is in full-blown WFH mode amid the spread of the coronavirus.
We know what’s playing out at home. You, your spouse and kids are all calling dibs on the kitchen table to work, and with everyone using the Wi-Fi, it’s slower than dial-up. In a few days it’s going to be a Lord of the Flies situation.
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If you’re lucky enough to work from home all the time, you’ve got it down. But If you’re a newbie, working from home can be fraught with challenges. There’s no tech support down the hall, and there’s no chatting up your colleague when you’re bored. If you live alone, your place might be quieter than a meditation retreat, but if you and the fam are stuck inside, it might be louder than a rock concert. Remain calm.
Carrie Lannon, a communication and branding consultant who lives in the Lakeshore East neighborhood, has worked from home for six years. She said she’s getting a lot of calls for tips from friends because many people are bewildered being out of their workday element. “A consultant friend of mine is a on his third day at home and said, ‘I don’t know how you do this.’ He just can’t imagine it. It’s so different from working in a corporate environment.”
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[ More advice: Working from home because of coronavirus? Here’s how to be successful ]
Sure, there are plenty of perks to working from home — comfy slippers replace shoes, you don’t worry too much about your wardrobe and the snacks are far better than the office vending machine. But this is not a license to go feral. Get out of your PJs. Shower. Put on clothes. Comfy is fine. “I’m on a lot of video conference calls, so I do make sure I look pretty good from the waist up,” Lannon said.
To help the uninitiated, we spoke to four veteran WFH Chicagoans for their insights on how to adjust.
Make it comfortable
Even if working from home is temporary, consider an inexpensive mobile desk. The Edge Desk is only $399, and a vast improvement over the ergonomic nightmare of working at the kitchen table. If you don’t want to splurge for an office chair, at least make your current seating comfortable. Analyst Kylee Magno, who lives in Lakeview and has worked from home for 18 years, tricked out her chair with back support so she sits up straight and uses a gel seat. Tempur-Pedic makes a highly rated one for $62.
Surround yourself with what makes you happy
Lannon has fresh flowers on her desk weekly, and when she has to do a lot of writing and creating, she lights incense to relax. Magno uses an essential oil diffuser and has a foot massager at her desk. “You can make it a nice environment,” she said.
Splurge on nicer beverages or good lunches for yourself since office mates aren’t going to steal your food. (Well, maybe the kids will.) Treat yourself to a pretty water bottle to stay hydrated. Rise from Fressko has a fruit infuser, so, like you, it multitasks. And now that coffee shops are mostly closed, step up your coffee game and make barista-style coffee with Breville’s Bambino Plus.
Get better tech
Sharon Angelus, a web analyst in Woodridge who has worked from home for about 10 years, said having bigger monitors and higher internet speeds are a must. She also uses an external hard drive for backing up data; Seagate has a version with 2 terabytes of space for about $90. Cloud-based data backups are another option, and many WFH vets use both.
Jason Patterson of Bucktown works in software and has had a home office for four years. He said better routers, such as Google Nest’s Router, and Wi-Fi extenders are critical. “Home connectivity is extremely important because you’re not going to be at your desk all day. You’ll probably walk around the house to take a call and you might work on the internet in a different part of the house.”
For noise, from the loud neighbor to the everyone’s favorite, the sound of a jackhammer on the street, Patterson swears by noise-cancelling headphones. Look into a wireless set that also has Bluetooth capabilities for phone calls, like the ones from JLab Audio.
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[ A playlist for our working-from-home lives ]
Control your day
Part of working from an office is camaraderie, and working from home means no water cooler chitchat. While sometimes that break is good, other times it can be distracting, especially when you’re trying to get work done. Lannon said she uses timers to stay on task. “If I’m feeling overwhelmed and can’t get going, I tell myself, I’m just going to do this for 15 minutes and it helps,” she said, adding that timers also keep track of how she’s using her time. She also sets reminders to get up and stretch.
Enjoy multitasking
The No. 1 perk of being at home is the ability to do laundry, cook and perform other home tasks. Magno said sometimes she pops on a face mask in the middle of the day. “Not only does it lift my spirits, but it lifts my eyelids,” she said, joking. “The only downside is if you get that unexpected package and the UPS man sees you.”
Debbie Carlson is a freelance writer.


chicagotribune--2020-03-23--Two Oak Park residents have tested positive for COVID-19 virus, village says

“ One physician had not been seeing patients for several days prior , when he would have been contagious , @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
“ The other may have had patient and peer contact and we @ @ @ @ @ of exposure , working with the Illinois Department of Public Health and advising patients and @ @ @ @ @ is likely these cases were community acquired .
”

Oak Park officials announced another resident has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, bringing the village's total to two confirmed cases. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)
Two Oak Park residents have now tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, village officials recently announced.
Village public health director Mike Charley announced the positive results, saying a woman in her 40s had been tested March 18, with confirmed results two days later. That woman was the village’s second confirmed case of COVID-19. According to Charley, the woman is currently recovering at home and is in isolation.
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On March 18, the village announced its first confirmed case of COVID-19 when a man in his 30s tested positive for the virus. That man had been screened and tested at Rush Oak Park Hospital, and is at home recovering, officials said.
On March 19, two emergency room physicians at Rush Oak Park were revealed to have tested positive for the virus, with hospital officials saying the two doctors likely “acquired” the virus through the “community” and not the hospital.
“One physician had not been seeing patients for several days prior, when he would have been contagious,” the hospital said in a statement. “The other may have had patient and peer contact and we are assessing the overall risk of exposure, working with the Illinois Department of Public Health and advising patients and peers as appropriate. It is likely these cases were community acquired.”
Following the report of its first confirmed case of COVID-19, the village of Oak Park issued a shelter-in-place order, which was made to “ensure that the maximum number of people self-isolate” in their homes.
Days later, the village announced it would defer to the state’s order following Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order, which is set to remain in effect through at least April 7.
Local public health officials, hospitals and first responders are following protocols consistent with the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Officials are encouraging residents to protect themselves from the virus by practicing a variety of guidelines, including:
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Staying home if you are sick
Avoiding close contact with people who are sick
Practicing social distancing – stay away from gatherings of more than 10 people
Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol
Covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth
Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe
Anyone with questions or concerns about COVID-19 can contact the Illinois Department of Public Health hotline at 1-800-889-3931.
The village of Oak Park will be posting updates on the COVID-19 situation online at www.oak-park.us/covid19.
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-03-23--Hobart pastor discharged from hospital ‘hopeful,’ but ‘no change’ in wife’s condition from coronavir

Hobart pastor discharged from hospital ‘hopeful,’ but ‘no change’ in wife’s condition from coronavirus, he says; state records 7th death

For most people , the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms , such as fever and cough .
@ @ @ @ @ adults and people with existing health problems , it can cause more severe illnesses , @ @ @ @ @ the World Health Organization , people with a mild illness recover in about two weeks @ @ @ @ @ severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover .

Jeff Spencer shown Monday in his Calumet Township home. Spencer and his daughter have tested positive for COVID-19 and are in quarantine. His wife, Darlene, is currently hospitalized. - Original Credit: Post-Tribune (Provided by Sami Spencer / HANDOUT)
A Hobart pastor said Monday there’s been “no change” in his wife’s condition since she was hospitalized with COVID-19 last week.
Jeff Spencer, 65, said his wife Darlene’s oxygen levels are steady, but low. The machine is “turned up as high as it can go,” he said. She was expected to be on another round of dialysis Monday, he said.
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“No improvement, also no decline,” he said. “I’m staying hopeful.”
The number of deaths from COVID-19 grew to seven, the Indiana State Department of Health said Monday with 11 confirmed cases in Lake County and two in LaPorte County so far. No deaths have been reported in Northwest Indiana to date.
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Last week, Darlene Spencer became one of Lake County’s first confirmed COVID-19 cases, Spencer confirmed, a pastor for 18 years at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Hobart.
He and his daughter, Sami, were admitted to the hospital over the weekend, then later discharged. For now, they are isolated at his Calumet Township home.
The Spencer family in an undated photo. - Original Credit: provided by Jeff Spencer (provided by Jeff Spencer / HANDOUT)
Spencer expects to learn his test results in a day or two, he said. Both were sent home and told to watch for symptoms, such as shortness of breath, “until things get worse, if they do,” Spencer said.
If positive, he’ll stay quarantined at home for another two weeks.
Jeff and Darlene Spencer both work in the School City of Hammond bus department, he said. He is a bus driver, while Darlene Spencer is a monitor. Hammond Superintendent Scott Miller sent a letter to parents March 17, without naming the couple, warning children were on their routes two weeks ago.
Spencer has chronicled his family’s plight on Facebook. While hospitalized, he gave a sermon from his hospital bed Sunday with 32,000 views. A online fundraising page has raised nearly $6,200 of its $5,000 goal.
“It’s unbelievable, the amount of outpouring,” he said, encouraging others dealing with the outbreak. “In the midst of this, we need to come together. Trust God and don’t give up.”
Gov. Eric Holcomb issued an executive order spanning Wednesday through at least April 7, asking people to stay home unless getting essentials like food and medicine or working in “essential” businesses.
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Three deaths were reported in Marion County, which includes Indianapolis and has 110 confirmed cases, officials said. One death each was reported in Allen, Delaware, Johnson and Scott counties.
Indiana now has 259 confirmed cases out of 1,960 tested, officials said.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illnesses, including pneumonia. According to the World Health Organization, people with a mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
British scientists warned recently losing taste or smell could be other symptoms.
The Associated Press contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-03-23--Staff members at 3 school districts in Libertyville, Vernon Hills test positive for COVID-19

County public health officials also have stated they will not be updating the treatment status of confirmed cases since the @ @ @ @ @ to keep increasing .
They also stated they can not provide information about how many @ @ @ @ @ virus .

Numerous school districts in central Lake County recently reported new positive cases of the coronavirus among their respective staffs.
Officials at Libertyville High School District 128 and Hawthorn School District 73 announced over the past weekend two total confirmed cases of COVID-19.
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The new case at District 128 is in addition to the confirmed case reported at the school district on March 17, which marked the first known case of the disease at a K-12 school in Lake County at the time.
Libertyville Elementary School District 70 officials also announced Sunday a staff member at Highland Middle School has a “presumed positive” case of the virus. The staff member reported feeling onset symptoms March 17 but was not tested because of a lack of testing kits, District 70 officials stated.
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A staff member at Elementary North in District 73, meanwhile, tested positive for the disease on Saturday, according to a district statement.
District 128 officials posted on their website that the second confirmed case there involves a staff member at Libertyville High School who tested positive Friday.
Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough and breathing trouble. Most people with the virus develop only mild symptoms but some, usually those with other medical complications, develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal.
As of Sunday afternoon, the Lake County Health Department reported 15 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the county to 80 since the first Lake County case was identified March 11.
No fatalities related to the coronavirus have been reported in the county.
Officials at District 70, District 73 and District 128 all stated they will not be releasing additional information on their respective cases. All three districts said they are working with the Lake County Health Department on what next steps need to be taken.
“At this juncture, we should not be surprised when presumed positive or positive tests results are identified within our community,” District 128 officials stated. “We assume this will continue to happen, and this is a major reason why schools in Illinois are currently closed.”
As the number of local cases balloon, the county health department also has stated they will no longer release any demographic information about patients, such as age or gender, as the coronavirus outbreak moves into “a new phase."
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County public health officials also have stated they will not be updating the treatment status of confirmed cases since the number of cases is expected to keep increasing. They also stated they cannot provide information about how many patients have recovered from the virus.
jnorman@chicagotribune.com