chicagotribune--2020-06-28--New laws affecting drivers, students and workers are among the measures taking effect in Illinois We

New laws affecting drivers, students and workers are among the measures taking effect in Illinois Wednesday

In the rest of Cook County , the minimum wage is going up to $ 13 per hour , except @ @ @ @ @ municipalities that have opted out of the county ordinance .
Beginning next year , it @ @ @ @ @ the rate of inflation .

Demonstrators march up Randolph Street on Sept. 4, 2017. According to organizers, a crowd of well over 2,000 showed up in downtown Chicago to protest low wages on Labor Day that year. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)
Contributions members of the LGBTQ community have made to society should be taught in Illinois’ public schools. Workers, regardless of the size of their employer, will now be protected from discrimination on a number of bases including race, sex, age, sexual orientation and religion. And distracted drivers who hurt someone while paying attention to their cellphones could face steeper penalties.
More than a dozen state laws and policy changes for Illinois kick in Wednesday, July 1. Here’s a look at some of the highlights:
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Minimum wage increase
For the second time this year, low-wage workers across Illinois will see a boost to their pay.
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Thanks to a law Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed last year, the statewide minimum wage is increasing to $10 per hour from $9.25. The minimum wage went up by $1, from $8.25 per hour, at the start of the year, the first statewide increase in more than a decade.
Workers will get another $1 per hour raise each Jan. 1 until the minimum wage hits $15 per hour in 2025.
In Chicago, the minimum wage will go up by $1, to $14 per hour. It will increase to $15 per hour on July 1, 2021. Employers with fewer than 20 workers will have until 2023 to reach $15.
In the rest of Cook County, the minimum wage is going up to $13 per hour, except in the more than 100 municipalities that have opted out of the county ordinance. Beginning next year, it will go up based on the rate of inflation.
Pritzker dismissed calls by some business groups and Republican lawmakers to slow the minimum wage increase to help businesses hurt by shutdowns related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Gas tax
After doubling last year to 38 cents per gallon to help pay for road improvements statewide, Illinois’ gas tax will increase by a fraction of a cent this year.
The 0.7 cent-per-gallon boost is the first annual increase under a new formula that ties the gas tax to the rate of inflation.
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A driver uses his phone in his car in downtown Chicago in 2016. Illinois banned texting while driving a decade ago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Stricter penalties for distracted drivers
A new law allows the secretary of state to suspend or revoke driving privileges when a person is using an electronic communication device while driving and “great bodily harm, permanent disability or disfigurement” results. The offense is also subject to a minimum $1,000 fine.
The new penalties extend to using cellphones, laptops, tablets and other hand-held electronic devices while driving, but don’t apply to drivers reporting an emergency, using an electronic device with hands-free or voice-operated modes or drivers parked on a shoulder or stopped in traffic with their vehicle in park.
Illinois banned texting while driving a decade ago, and the new penalties come on top of a new law that took effect last year that made using or even holding an electronic device while driving a moving violation. Three such offenses within a year would result in a suspended license.
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LGBTQ history
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Illinois public schools will now be required to teach students about contributions LGBTQ people have made in Illinois and the United States.
The new law requires that students should be presented with history lessons that include the contributions of members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities before they graduate from eighth grade.
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 49 Gay Liberation Front members march through Bughouse Square (now Washington Square Park) on their way to a rally at the Civic Center (now Daley Plaza) on June 27, 1970, as part of the city’s first Gay Pride Week. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)
Civics education
Starting next school year, all public schools in Illinois will be required to include at least one semester of civics education in sixth, seventh or eighth grades. The civics curriculum will be required to include coursework on government institutions, current events, service learning and “simulations of the democratic process,” which mirrors a mandate that’s on the books for high school students.
In 2015, then-Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a law requiring high school students across the state to complete civics coursework in order to graduate.
Worker protections
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Workers will now be protected from discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, sexual orientation, religion and a range of other protected categories regardless of the size of their employer.
Previously, provisions of the Illinois Human Rights Act only applied to employers with 15 or more workers. The law still allows places of worship to hire based on religion for jobs connected to worship activities.
Workplace harassment and discrimination
A series of new provisions that are part of a package of anti-sexual harassment measures signed into law last year take effect Wednesday, including additional reporting requirements for employers in the state with adverse judgments against them and other new provisions that specifically target casino and hotel employers.
Beginning Wednesday, employers with adverse judgments or administrative rulings must annually report any of those for the prior year to the Department of Human Rights, including the number and whether the actions dealt with sexual harassment, discrimination or harassment on the basis of sex, race, national origin, religion, age, disability, military status, sexual orientation or gender identity.
Lawmakers last year passed an omnibus bill in response to workplace sexual misconduct allegations being leveled in a range of industries, and a mandate for employers to provide annual workplace training on how to identify and prevent sexual harassment took effect Jan. 1. Employers can be subject to steep fines for not complying.
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The measures encompass both the public and private sectors, and among many provisions, prevent employers from requiring employees to sign nondisclosure agreements related to discrimination or harassment, mandate that hotels and casinos equip certain employees with portable emergency contact devices, and require state officials, employees and registered lobbyists to receive annual training.
Also taking effect Wednesday are requirements that casino and hotel employers include in an anti-sexual harassment policy that aims to protect employees against sexual harassment or assault by guests a provision allowing an employee to take paid time off to file a police report or criminal complaint.
The new provisions also allow an employee or a representative for employees to bring a legal action against a hotel or casino employer for violations after notifying the employer and allowing them 15 calendar days to remedy the alleged violation. Under the new law, each day a violation happens would be considered a separate violation, and economic damages for each violation could be up to $350.
Mason’s Law
Drivers who don’t properly yield at crosswalks and in school zones will now have their driving privileges suspended for a year if they cause serious injury.
Previously, drivers who committed such violations were eligible to pay only a fine.
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The new law is named after 24-year-old Iroquois County resident Mason Knorr, who was killed in August 2018 in a crash involving a semi-truck driver who blew a stop sign.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com
dpetrella@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-29--Daywatch: Three more youths killed this weekend, new laws affecting drivers and workers coming and e

Daywatch: Three more youths killed this weekend, new laws affecting drivers and workers coming and employers brace for ‘PTO bomb'

All four regions of the state as designated in Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s “ Restore Illinois ” reopening @ @ @ @ @ of five phases Friday .
For the first time since mid-March , residents are now @ @ @ @ @ , go to the movies and work out at the local gym .
They also @ @ @ @ @ yoga class , grab a drink at the bar , visit zoos and attend summer @ @ @ @ @ , however , come with a caveat from public health officials : It all can @ @ @ @ @ there is a spike in confirmed coronavirus cases or hospitalization rates .
Welcome to phase @ @ @ @ @ with our best behavior , we may be here awhile .

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Good morning, Chicago. Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Chicago police survey the victim's car at St. Bernard Hospital after a woman and child were shot in the 6000 block of South Halsted Street on June 27, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Three more youngsters were killed in another shattering weekend of gun violence in Chicago, one week after five children were fatally shot and a week ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.
The deaths marked a bloody Saturday, in which eight people, including the children, were killed in separate shootings. By Sunday morning, four more fatal shootings added to the growing toll.
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Rio Wojtkiewicz, 11, and her brother Gunner, 7, prepare to watch "The Greatest Showman" at Classic Cinemas York Theatre in Elmhurst as the state moves to phase four on June 26, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
All four regions of the state as designated in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” reopening plan moved into the fourth of five phases Friday. For the first time since mid-March, residents are now permitted to dine inside restaurants, go to the movies and work out at the local gym. They also can bowl, take a yoga class, grab a drink at the bar, visit zoos and attend summer camps. These renewed freedoms, however, come with a caveat from public health officials: It all can be taken away again if there is a spike in confirmed coronavirus cases or hospitalization rates. Welcome to phase four, Illinois. Even with our best behavior, we may be here awhile.
Demonstrators march up Randolph Street on Sept. 4, 2017. According to organizers, a crowd of well over 2,000 showed up in downtown Chicago to protest low wages on Labor Day that year. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)
Contributions members of the LGBTQ community have made to society should be taught in Illinois’ public schools. All workers will now be protected from discrimination on a number of bases including race, sex, age, sexual orientation and religion. And distracted drivers who injure someone while texting could face steeper penalties. More than a dozen state laws and policy changes for Illinois kick in Wednesday, July 1. Here are some of the highlights.
Gabbi Gonzalez and her children, Naobi, 10, and 11-month-old Augustus, paint flower pots in front of their home in Lyons on June 25, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
For some parents, teaching their children at home after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools this spring was challenging, to say the least. For others, it revealed another option. With new cases of COVID-19 continuing and no vaccine, many parents have questions about what a return to school might look like.
Among the myriad challenges employers face at the mid-point of this difficult year is how to manage the stockpiles of unused paid time off that many employees have accumulated as COVID-19 sidelined spring break trips and summer getaways. (Jeffrey Coolidge / Getty Images)
Usually by midyear, employees have burned some paid time off on spring break trips or summer getaways. But with nowhere to get away to during the COVID-19 pandemic, PTO has gone largely unused — and some companies are bracing for an explosion of vacation requests.


chicagotribune--2020-06-29--White St. Louis couple point guns at protesters heading past their home to mayor’s house

“ As a leader , you don ’ t do stuff like that ... it ’ s only right that @ @ @ @ @ home , ” said State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge , D-St. Louis , speaking into a @ @ @ @ @ .

Armed homeowners standing in front their house along Portland Place confront protesters marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's house on June 28, 2020, in the Central West End of St. Louis. (Laurie Skrivan / St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
ST. LOUIS — A white couple stood outside their mansion and pointed guns at protesters in St. Louis as the group marched toward the mayor's home to demand her resignation.
Mark McCloskey, 63, told a TV station that he and wife, Patricia, both personal injury lawyers, were facing an “angry mob” on their private street and feared for their lives Sunday night.
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No charges were brought against them. Police said they were still investigating but labeled it a case of trespassing and assault by intimidation against the couple by protesters.
The marchers were angry at Mayor Lyda Krewson for reading aloud the names and addresses of several residents who wrote letters calling for defunding the police department. The group of at least 500 people chanted, “Resign, Lyda! Take the cops with you!” news outlets reported.
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A social media video showed Mark McCloskey and his 61-year-old wife standing outside their Renaissance palazzo-style home in the city's well-to-do Central West End neighborhood. He can be heard yelling while holding a long-barreled gun. His wife stands next to him with a handgun.
Police said the couple had heard a loud commotion in the street and saw a large group of people break an iron gate marked with “No Trespassing” and “Private Street” signs.
Police said the man and woman told the marchers to leave because they were on a private street. But people in the crowd yelled obscenities and threats, police said. The man and woman said they saw people who were armed, so they armed themselves and called police, according to authorities.
A couple has come out of their house and is pointing guns at protesters in their neighborhood #StLouis #lydakrewson pic.twitter.com/ZJ8a553PAU — Daniel Shular (@xshularx) June 29, 2020
Mark McCloskey told KMOV-TV that a mob rushed toward the home as the family was having dinner and “put us in fear of our lives.”
“This is all private property. There are no public sidewalks or public streets. We were told that we would be killed, our home burned and our dog killed. We were all alone facing an angry mob,” McCloskey said.
Their home, which was featured in the local St. Louis Magazine after undergoing a renovation, is appraised at $1.15 million.
Telephone numbers for the McCloskeys were busy or rang unanswered Monday morning.
Video on social media showed protesters walking through the gate. It was unclear when it was damaged.
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President Donald Trump retweeted an ABC News account of the confrontation without comment.
Krewon has faced demands for her resignation after a Facebook Live briefing on Friday where the white mayor read the names of those wanting to defund the police force. The video was removed and Krewson apologized the same day, saying she didn't intend to cause distress.
The names and letters are considered public records, but Krewson’s actions caused a heavy backlash.
“As a leader, you don’t do stuff like that. ... It’s only right that we visit her at her home,” said state Rep. Rasheen Aldridge, a St. Louis Democrat, speaking into a megaphone at the march.
Protesters nationwide have been pushing to " defund the police " following the death of George Floyd and other Black people at the hands of police. Floyd was pronounced dead May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes.
Krewson, a longtime alderwoman, was elected St. Louis’ first female mayor in 2017 by pledging to work to reduce crime and improve poor neighborhoods. She and her two young children were in the car in front of their home in 1995 when her husband, Jeff, was slain during a carjacking attempt.
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Homicides have spiked in recent years in St. Louis, which annually ranks among the most violent cities in the nation.


chicagotribune--2020-06-29--Monitoring the Montrose Beach plovers: ‘It’s not just bird-watching, it’s like you’re guarding an en

Monitoring the Montrose Beach plovers: ‘It’s not just bird-watching, it’s like you’re guarding an entire line of descendants'

On Tuesday , a day after the official reopening of the Lakefront Trail , Montrose Beach was calm .
A @ @ @ @ @ on what ’ s left of the beach , far from the birds .
Some @ @ @ @ @ a moment to read signs about the plovers .
There were no volleyballs in sight @ @ @ @ @ swallows near the fence and a lot of penny-size toads in the sand .

Imani, a piping plover, stands in the water in the Montrose Beach Dunes Natural Area on July 27, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
As Chicago moves into another phase of reopening, two federally endangered shorebirds are entering their own new phase of trying to save their species.
On June 18, four piping plover chicks hatched on Montrose Beach, the favored nesting spot of parents Monty and Rose, who flew back to Chicago after wintering apart.
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Already, the chicks are down to three.
The piping plovers popularly known as Monty and Rose left their new nesting site two days after the eggs hatched, heading for last summer’s home near the former volleyball courts. For one chick, the journey may have been too much.
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Now the surviving chicks — often referred to as “poof balls” by birders — have a few weeks of dodging predators and eating as much as possible before they’ll fly and make the second act of Monty and Rose’s species-saving effort.
Last summer, Monty and Rose arrived in Chicago before a scheduled beachside music festival and fledged two chicks by the end of August, becoming the first plovers known to nest successfully in Chicago in decades. Last month, their nest had four speckled eggs. Three chicks flying south this summer would be above-average survival.
In the meantime, birders are keeping watch.
Tamima Itani, of the Illinois Ornithological Society, said some Montrose Beach visitors have asked about the plovers — and whether they’re the same pair as last year.
“They’re definitely Chicago celebrities,” Itani said of Monty and Rose.
‘All of a sudden, we see the little chicks’
On Tuesday, a day after the official reopening of the Lakefront Trail, Montrose Beach was calm. A few people were camped out on what’s left of the beach, far from the birds. Some bikers and joggers stopped for a moment to read signs about the plovers. There were no volleyballs in sight, just a few barn swallows near the fence and a lot of penny-size toads in the sand.
A piping plover chick walks at Montrose Beach in Chicago on June 24, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Two piping plover chicks, left, rush to an adult piping plover as a heavy rain comes down at Montrose Beach in Chicago, June 24, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Without binoculars, outside the expanded fencing from the Chicago Park District, you could see the plover chicks: tiny darts a few shades lighter than the sand, already starting to lose their resemblance to tightly packed balls of pollen.
“How many are there this year?” one biker asked, learning of the trio. “That’s awesome.”
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The new family spent its first full day after hatching together near the nest. But early that Saturday, Monty and Rose started talking to each other. Between flights to the volleyball courts and constant calls, the parents herded the chicks toward the grass.
Then, the chicks disappeared.
As the chicks skittered on a more-than-400-foot trek through the dunes, Monty took up a battle with killdeer near the volleyball courts. It looked “kind of like karate,” Itani said. At one point Rose joined the fight.
“They were attacking Monty,” Itani said. “And I was like, oh my God, it’s not worth it Monty, you’re going to get killed!”
But then Monty and Rose pushed the killdeer back, clearing the area. Itani watched with those on site, piecing together that the parents were leading the chicks to their old nesting grounds and ensuring their safety.
“And all of a sudden, we see the little chicks come down the dunes,” Itani said.
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It’s unclear if one of the chicks, presumed to be the last to hatch, didn’t make it through its first night or was too weak to join its family on the perilous journey. Its remains were found, and the hope is that the deceased plover can serve as a research and educational tool at a Chicago museum.
‘They just keep doing their thing’
Brad Semel, an endangered species recovery specialist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said the chicks made an unusually long journey so soon after hatching.
“If they’re going to move from a nesting site they usually wait four or five days,” Semel said. “But they were very intent on moving the youngsters in that short period of time.”
That may have been due in part to the pair’s success last year. Semel picked up on the parents’ affinity for the warm, shallow water pool, which birders call the fluddle — a site that offers enough food to feed the family.
“The very cold waters of the lakeshore are not quite as productive for invertebrates and so they usually have to travel a lot further throughout the day to gather enough resources,” Semel said. “And that shallow water is just sort of a primordial soup of all sorts of great little treats.”
Survival during first migration is dependent on the birds’ weight at the end of the season, Semel said. Between hatching and day 23, when they’ll be considered officially fledged, the chicks need peace and quiet to stock up on flatworms, sand flies and midges.
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“The more time that they’re hiding from potential predators or disturbances from people coming by or disturbances from airplanes going over, then that’s time that they’re not foraging and time that they’re not putting on body weight,” Semel said.
For the next few weeks, mammalian and avian predators pose a threat.
The killdeers are a concern, and options to reduce conflict are being debated. Last year, outside of Chicago, a killdeer killed a plover chick, Semel said.
When predators like the peregrine falcons seen recently make an appearance, a parent plover gives a call that tells the chicks to flatten into the sand.
“From above, their color blends in so beautifully with the sand that they’re hard to see,” Semel said. “So they’ll give that call and all five of them will just lay motionless in the sand in hopes that the predator goes over without seeing them.”
‘Not just bird-watching'
The chicks are growing up fast, said Antonio Flores of the Chicago Audubon Society.
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“They were so tiny, barely even able to walk,” Flores said. “Today, it’s only what, a week later, and they’re huge. They’re running so fast and zooming all over the place. You see them trying to stretch out their little fluffy wings. It’s just nuts.”
Flores, a coordinator in this year’s monitoring effort, misses watching newcomers spot a “moving little poof ball” for the first time.
“I didn’t know what a piping plover was last year,” Flores said. “Some people talked about some special birds at Montrose. So I was like, yeah, I’ll go hang out at the beach.”
Someone offered him a scope.
“Tiny little cotton balls zooming around on toothpicks,” Flores said. “I just fell in love instantly.”
Because of the pandemic, the old practice of sharing binoculars was nixed. But monitors are still on site, dawn to dusk. On Tuesday, near sunset, one volunteer asked those hanging close to the fence to back away. The birds had become static; he worried onlookers were stressing them out.
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“They’re already less fluffy than I thought they would be,” Ruth Castillo said about the chicks, before she left the fence.
Castillo, of Uptown, said she learned about the plovers last year in the lead-up to the Mamby on the Beach concert, which was eventually canceled.
“We were like, wait, what is this little bird that’s standing its ground?” Castillo said. For her birthday, she got binoculars.
“They’re a great addition to our Uptown neighborhood,” Castillo said. “I’m so glad that they’re back.”
Flores said he wants to celebrate but he’s holding his breath.
“When you’re out there monitoring, watching these birds, it feels like you’re touching the cosmos,” Flores said. “It’s not just bird-watching, it’s like you’re guarding an entire line of descendants. Everything that will be is on you and you just have to be razor sharp.”
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Last season, there were 71 pairs of nesting Great Lakes plovers, almost halfway to the 150 goal.
“I think when we get the chicks on their way down south you’re going to feel everyone just collectively exhale,” Flores said. “Yes, we did it.”
mgreene@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-29--Some Illinois parents opt for home schooling instead of sending kids back to school in the fall

Gonzalez said her daughter craves peer-to-peer contact and doesn ’ t want to stay home from school after months of @ @ @ @ @ want to go back and be able to play with her friends , ” Gonzalez @ @ @ @ @ to add group activities into their home-schooling schedule , and only after assessing safety concerns @ @ @ @

Gabbi Gonzalez and her children, Naobi, 10, and 11-month-old Augustus, paint flower pots in front of their home in Lyons on June 25, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
For some parents, teaching their children at home after the coronavirus pandemic shuttered schools this spring was challenging, to say the least.
For others, it revealed another option.
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With new cases of COVID-19 continuing and no vaccine, many parents have questions about what a return to school might look like.
Will young children be able to concentrate with face masks required? Will schools close over and over again if outbreaks occur, disrupting kids’ ability to learn? What if kids contract the disease and spread it to vulnerable family members?
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Some parents are considering home-schooling their children.
Gabbi Gonzalez began thinking about home schooling after she didn’t hear enough from her daughter’s school to make her feel confident about returning. She has two children: her 11-month-old son, Augustus, and her 10-year-old daughter, Naobi. The family lives in Lyons after recently moving from Chicago.
Naobi Gonzalez, 10, applies paint to her hand to make an imprint on a flower pot with her mother, Gabbi Gonzalez, at their home in Lyons on June 25, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
She wonders whether her daughter, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, will be too distracted wearing a mask, or able to keep it on and never touch her face.
“I know teachers just don’t have the capabilities to monitor every student to make sure that they are taking the precautions required,” she said.
Gonzalez isn’t alone in her hesitation.
Home schooling support groups are receiving more calls and questions from parents. Winifred Haun, part of The Northside Unschoolers, said people learned a bit about home schooling this spring as schools were closed and families improvised to remotely teach their children.
“People do seem more interested in home-schooling their kids, especially when they learned that they don’t have to do everything just like the schools do it,” she said.
It’s an interesting moment, said Rachel Coleman, an Evanston mom of two and executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education. While home-schoolers aren’t in a building with other students, they are typically involved in many social activities, including play dates and museum outings.
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“If a family is home-schooling for serious health concerns, they’re probably not going to be comfortable going out to museums and a whole bunch of play dates,” Coleman said. “It creates a very different picture of what home schooling can look like.”
Naobi Gonzalez, 10, paints flower pots outside of her home in Lyons on June 25, 2020. Naobi's mother is considering home schooling this fall. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
If parents will be working full time, she advises considering whether the child might be better off at school. Home schooling works best when a parent is available to fully concentrate. She issued the same caution for any ideas a parent might have of leaving, for example, a teenager home alone to learn independently or with a younger sibling.
“It’s just not set up to work that way,” she said. “Education needs to involve engagement and interaction with someone who is not a computer.”
Coleman’s group has quickly tried to pull together an Introduction to Home Education course for first-time home-schoolers, she said, in part because of growing interest from families.
Illinois parents who home-school do not need to register with the state, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. The state offers a voluntary registration process, which parents can complete here. ISBE spokesperson Max Weiss noted that parents or guardians should notify their child’s school about their new plan by sending a dated letter and keeping a copy for their own records. Otherwise, the school might mark a student absent and eventually refer them to a truancy officer.
State requirements for home schooling include providing instruction in English in these subject areas: language arts, math, biological and physical science, social science, fine arts and physical development and health. Students do not need to take standardized tests.
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If parents want to eventually send a child back to public school, that school will make a determination of grade placement, and may administer a test to assess material covered during home schooling.
Coleman suggests parents find out how their child will be reassessed upon return. Use state standards as a guide for what children should learn in reading, writing and math. Consider whether your child’s school district is offering a distance learning plan.
Sara Lester was a preschool teacher for years, and her husband, Adam Lester, teaches high school. The Aurora resident said she feels confident about her ability to home-school their two sons, ages 3 and 4, instead of enrolling them in preschool and prekindergarten.
As a teacher, she knows the value of being at school. But she isn’t comfortable with the extra risk.
“I’m just not really confident sending them anywhere right now,” she said. “I guess until there’s a vaccine, a cure, or numbers drop more significantly, I just won’t feel comfortable putting my kid in that germy school.”
Her uncle had COVID-19, she said, and although he recovered, he said it felt like razor blades in his throat for weeks. Every day, she sees people bringing their kids to the playground near her home, even though it’s closed. And she sees many people not wearing masks.
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“My family, we’re still taking social distancing really seriously,” she said.
She created a classroom in part of her kids’ playroom. She has been working on lesson plans.
“I’m just excited that my kids can learn at their own pace, and they can kind of help create the curriculum,” she said. “We can learn about things that they’re interested in and really just focus on learning and playing and having fun.”
Gonzalez is in touch with other parents who already home-school, and do it in groups — one parent teaches science, another teaches reading. She said she might feel more comfortable with a smaller, contained group, where the parents can share teaching responsibilities and ensure their families are taking similar safety precautions.
“It won’t be easy,” she said. “It’s not like our No. 1 choice here, because it will be a very tough year.”
The Lesters and Gonzalezes said they still plan to send their children to public schools when they feel it is safer.
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“It wouldn’t be a permanent solution,” Gonzalez said. “But it would be for the next year at least, to make sure that there aren’t waves of this every now and again.”
Gonzalez said her daughter craves peer-to-peer contact and doesn’t want to stay home from school after months of quarantine. “She does want to go back and be able to play with her friends,” Gonzalez said. So she hopes to add group activities into their home-schooling schedule, and only after assessing safety concerns with those too.
Adam Lester, who teaches at Batavia High School, said he’s glad he and his wife didn’t have to weigh whether their sons’ learning would be disrupted. With his wife’s preschool experience, they will keep them home for now.
“Because our oldest son will be in kindergarten in a year, I would assume if everything’s back to normal by then, which everyone’s hoping, he would just go to to kindergarten like normal,” Lester said.
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Lyons.
abowen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-06-29--Man injured after falling onto Pink Line tracks

The train operator saw him and slowed down the train , which went over him as he laid between the @ @ @ @ @ He was not hit directly by the train .

A 40-year-old man was taken to a hospital for some minor scrapes and bruises after he fell on the Pink Line tracks Sunday night, according to Chicago police.
The man said he was intoxicated when he fell onto the tracks about 9:40 p.m. in the 2000 block of South Kostner Avenue in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side, police said.
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The train operator saw him and slowed down the train, which went over him as he laid between the rails, police said. He was not hit directly by the train.
The man was taken to Mt. Sinai Medical Center in good condition, police said.
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Pink Line trains were temporarily suspended between the 54th/Cermak stop and Pulaski stop due to the incident, according to CTA. The trains began running again with delays by 10:40 p.m.
pfry@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @paigexfry


chicagotribune--2020-06-29--3 youngsters shot and killed in second deadly weekend in a row ahead of Fourth of July holiday

She heard gunshots in a nearby alley about two weeks ago but said she had never felt unsafe on the @ @ @ @ @ of living there .
Because of fewer people outside with the pandemic , she started @ @ @ @ @ at night to ride his scooter , she said .
Often right by where the @ @ @

Paige Fry, Jessica Villagomez, William Lee, Morgan Greene

Chicago police survey the victim's car at St. Bernard Hospital after a woman and child were shot in the 6000 block of South Halsted Street on June 27, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
Three more youngsters were killed in another shattering weekend of gun violence in Chicago, one week after five children were fatally shot and a week ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.
A 10-year-old girl, identified by the Cook County medical examiner’s office as Lina Nunez, was struck in the head by a stray bullet that came through a second-floor apartment window in Logan Square, according to Chicago police. She was the second young child shot and killed Saturday.
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Earlier, police said Sincere Gaston, a 20-month-old boy, died after he was shot in a car seat while riding with his mom in the Englewood neighborhood.
Chicago police Chief Fred Waller, center, holds a news conference June 26, 2020, after a 20-month-old boy was shot in a car seat while riding with his mom in the Englewood neighborhood. (Abel Uribe/Chicago Tribune)
Also on Saturday, a 17-year-old boy, identified as Antiwon Douglas, was fatally shot before noon in the Humboldt Park neighborhood after he became embroiled in a fight with someone in a “large crowd,” police said.
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The deaths marked a bloody Saturday, in which eight people, including the children, were killed in separate shootings. By Sunday morning, four more fatal shootings added to the growing toll.
“Too many times children are killed,” Chicago police Chief Fred Waller told reporters at a news conference after the 20-month-old died but before the 10-year-old was shot.
“It seems like just yesterday, it was actually last Saturday, I was in front of you all talking about a 3-year-old kid. ... When is this gonna stop?” Waller demanded.
The shootings come on the cusp of the Fourth, generally the most violent time in the city. Last year, at least six people were killed and 63 others wounded by gun violence over the long weekend — fewer than other times in recent years like 2017 when the weekend lasted four days and resulted in more than 100 people shot, 15 fatally.
Last weekend, at least 106 people were shot in Chicago, 14 of them fatally, from midafternoon Friday through early Monday, according to authorities and Tribune data. It was one of the most violent weekends in recent memory.
In the first six months of the year, Chicago has experienced a large spike in shootings and homicides over the same time last year.
Through last Sunday, the city saw a jump of more than 25% in the number of homicides, reaching 295, which is 60 more than the same period a year ago, according to a review of crime statistics. Ninety-six of those occurred during a 28-day stretch that covered most of June, the statistics show.
The 10-year-old girl and her 8-year-old cousin were sitting in the front room of an apartment in the 3500 block of West Dickens Avenue when a man fired multiple shots in the alley across the street, police said, citing preliminary information. The 8-year-old’s face was struck with glass.
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Two groups of men may have been firing at each other, police said, possibly including someone firing from a vehicle. It’s unclear which party fired the bullet that hit the girl. No arrests have been made, police said, and detectives are investigating.
At the scene of the 10-year-old’s shooting Saturday night, police tape stretched across the intersection of Dickens and North Drake Avenue. Evidence markers were placed in an alley behind houses on the north side of Dickens, and on Drake.
A bullet hole is seen June 28, 2020, in the second-floor window of a building where a 10-year-old girl was shot and killed the previous night. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
Several families on Dickens, many with young children, came out of their homes to look at the scene.
One 23-year-old neighbor, who asked not to be named, said she heard five to seven gunshots back to back but the night had also been filled with fireworks. Her part of the neighborhood is a working-class Latino community, she said, and every other house seems to have children.
She heard gunshots in a nearby alley about two weeks ago but said she had never felt unsafe on the block in her three years of living there. Because of fewer people outside with the pandemic, she started taking her 7-year-old son out at night to ride his scooter, she said. Often right by where the shooting occurred.
Now, it feels unsafe to take him outside.
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“All of the violence going on, and it’s affecting the children more than anything — innocent bystanders being hurt,” she said.
Victor Sanchez, 62, was sitting on his porch when he heard the shots, he said. He thought someone fired some sort of celebratory shots in the air — until he heard an ambulance outside his home and saw police lights flashing on his garage.
“It’s an isolated incident as far as I’m concerned. I hope so anyway,” Sanchez said. “It’s sad. It’s really troubling because there’s just too many guns out there and they’re in the wrong hands.”
Less than two hours after the 10-year-old girl was shot and her cousin injured, another 8-year-old girl was grazed by a bullet on her head in the West Englewood neighborhood. She was also indoors, sitting on a couch inside a home in the 6600 block of South Wood Street, when a bullet came through the window, police said.
That 8-year-old girl was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in fair condition, police said.
In fatal Sunday shootings, a 19-year-old man was walking about 7 a.m. near the 1400 block of West Lunt Avenue in the Rogers Park neighborhood when an unknown male approached him and fired one gunshot in the back of the man’s head. The gunman ran to a black SUV that traveled west on Lunt toward Clark Street, police said. The 19-year-old was transported to Amita Health St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
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About 15 minutes later in the South Chicago neighborhood, an 18-year-old man was shot multiple times in the torso in the 8200 block of South Escanaba Avenue, police said. He made it to the 8300 block of South Muskegon Avenue, where officers responded and offered aid. He was rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he later died, according to police.
Around 8:30 a.m., a 38-year-old man was walking in a South Lawndale alley in the 2500 block of South Troy Street when an SUV approached the alley and an unknown male exited the vehicle and shot the man multiple times. He was pronounced dead on the scene, officials said.


chicagotribune--2020-07-01--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area

On the other end of the spectrum , the University of Chicago recently announced that it will not require any @ @ @ @ @ graduate students , to teach in person for the fall quarter , which begins Sept. @ @ @ @ @ In an update released Tuesday , U. of C. said a limited number of classes @ @ @ @ @ New students will be given priority to enroll in such courses so they can acclimate @ @ @ @ @ Read more here .
—Elyssa Cherney

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
The Fulton Market area of Chicago is no longer the ghost town it was during the depths of the COVID-19 virus pandemic shutdown. As restrictions on restaurants are eased, a worker takes a woman's temperature before she can enter Federales restaurant on Morgan Street on July 1, 2020. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois health officials Wednesday reported 828 new known cases of COVID-19 and 30 additional confirmed fatalities, bringing the total number of known cases to 144,013 and the confirmed death toll to 6,951.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned the United States is “going in the wrong direction” as novel coronavirus cases surge across the country and said he “would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around.”
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The next day, some states and cities began pausing their reopening plans, including all of Indiana, as well as Madison, Wisconsin. California ordered a stop to indoor services at restaurants, movie theaters, museums and others in certain counties seeing an increased spread of COVID-19. New York City pulled back on resuming indoor dining Monday.
In Illinois, state health officials have now made it possible for residents to track weekly COVID-19 figures at the county level and watch for signs of concern, such as a rise in cases or more people testing positive.
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So how you stay safe when returning to work? Visiting a zoo? Working out at a gym? The Tribune talked to experts to get answers on how to assess the level of risk with which you are comfortable.
[ How to assess your COVID-19 risk when going out in public: Use this chart ]
[ Phase four of Illinois’s COVID-19 reopening: Settle in, folks, we may be here a while ]
[ Illinois enters phase 4 of reopening plan. Here’s a guide to what’s allowed. ]
[ COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood ]
Here’s what’s happening Wednesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
8:50 p.m.:McDonald’s plan to reopen dining rooms on hold as COVID-19 cases surge in parts of U.S.
McDonald’s is halting plans to reopen its dining rooms for three weeks as COVID-19 cases rise in more than half of U.S. states.
The announcement by the Chicago-based fast food giant comes as numerous states reimpose restrictions on bars, restaurants and other businesses just as consumers hoped to resume a sense of normalcy.
In a letter viewed by the Tribune, and first reported by the Wall Street Journal, McDonald’s said it is pausing dine-in reopening plans for 21 days. It cited a 65% increase in infections over the last two weeks and rising cases in 32 states over the last seven days.
The letter, dated Wednesday and addressed to the “McFamily,” was signed by McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger and National Franchisee Leadership Alliance Chair Mark Salebra.
The company is advising operators that have already reopened to review local and state guidance to determine whether they should revert to a takeout, delivery and drive-thru model. Owner/operators that wish to pull back even when local regulations don’t require it should consult with the franchisee leaders but can decide on their own how to proceed, the letter said. Read more here. — Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz
5:27 p.m.: Taste of Chicago To-Go details announced — a much more modest Taste
The Taste of Chicago was among a host of popular summer events spiked by the city last month out of precaution for the novel coronavirus. On Wednesday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events announced the schedule of events for this year’s stand-in, called “Taste of Chicago To-Go.”
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The Taste’s original schedule of July 8-12 remains intact, but gone are the dozens of vendors representing Chicago’s restaurants and thousands of customers eager for bites of rib tips, gator bites and Polish sausages. Instead, a more modest Taste To Go will feature a variety of virtual events in lieu of a real-life gathering and eating in Grant Park. Read more here. — Adam Lukach
5:11 p.m.: As other states reverse course amid COVID-19 surge, Illinois and Chicago officials watching metrics but say they have no plans to tighten restrictions
With neighboring Indiana and other states pausing their reopening plans or even moving backward as new cases of the coronavirus surge, officials in Chicago and Illinois said on Wednesday they have no plans to alter loosened rules that took effect statewide last week.
When Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced his “Restore Illinois” reopening plan in early May, he acknowledged that surges in hospitalizations or the percentage of people testing positive, or shortages of intensive-care unit beds or ventilators could lead him to tighten restrictions once again.
Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in a statement Wednesday that the governor and medical experts at the Illinois Department of Public Health are watching the data closely to see whether the looser restrictions in the new phase have any effect on the state’s health care system.
”The governor has been clear that he will follow the guidance of medical experts and if they advise reinstituting previous mitigations he will not hesitate to do so,” Abudayyeh said.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city tracks its data closely and will “not hesitate” to take action if they see an upward swing. Read more here. — Dan Petrella and Gregory Pratt
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4:40 p.m.: Health officials urge coronavirus testing after demonstrator in McHenry tests positive
Health officials are urging anyone who attended a recent protest in McHenry to get checked for the coronavirus after a demonstrator there tested positive.
The demonstrator was asymptomatic, and took part in protest between 1 and 2:30 p.m. Saturday that began at Knox Park in the city of McHenry and ended at the McHenry Police Department, county health officials said.
A map with testing locations can be found here. Read more here. — Chicago Tribune Staff
4:29 p.m.: More companies are making masks to battle the ‘sweat factor’ this summer, but are they effective? Here’s what you need to know.
As a pastry chef who spends her workdays in a surgical-style mask next to hot ovens, Leigh Omilinsky is no stranger to the face mask “sweat factor.”
So she has little patience for those griping about muggy mouths now that Chicago’s weather has turned steamy.
“This has to be more comfortable than a ventilator,” said Omilinsky, 35, of Logan Square.
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When health officials began recommending people wear masks in public places to slow the spread of COVID-19, they turned to whatever was available, be it a hand-sewn fabric mask, cut up t-shirt or winter balaclava. Now they’re often required, in places where social distancing is a challenge. As Illinoisans cautiously return to more activities put on hold during the pandemic, some are looking for masks that are tolerable for more than a quick grocery run. Read more here. — Lauren Zumbach
4:13 p.m.: President Trump supports new round of direct coronavirus payments: ‘It has to be done properly’
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he supports a fresh round of government payments to individuals to help them weather the coronavirus pandemic but “it has to be done properly.”
Trump also said he wants payments larger than the $1,200 the government sent to most individuals earlier this year. He did not say how big he’d like the payments to be. Read more here. —Associated Press
4:09 p.m.: Well St Market reopening, becoming the first Chicago food hall to remerge during the coronavirus pandemic
Although food hall operators and chefs expressed much trepidation only a few months ago, Wells St Market announced Wednesday that it will re-open Monday, making it the first Chicago food hall to do so during the pandemic. But not all its vendors are included in its first phase.
Firecakes Donuts, Fry the Coop,Tabo Sushi and Grand Central Bar will offer online ordering and pickup as well as limited seating for now. Piggie Smalls, Dos Toros Taqueria, Tempesta, FARE and Flowers for Dreams may come later, but currently the food hall is focused on the operations that felt comfortable enough to return.
General Manager John Williamson noted that fewer tenants operating means fewer people in the space, which is outfitted with large windows that open to Wells Street.
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In addition to Firecakes, Fry the Coop and Tabo Sushi’s normal offerings, Grand Central Bar is working on to-go cocktails that are in compliance with the recently passed bill.
Health and safety regulations apply for both employees and visitors, who are required to wear masks and adhere to distancing guidelines with the help of floor decals. High-touch, non-food surfaces will receive increased sanitation and cashier stations have shields to separate guests and employees. The food hall will also be counting the number of people entering the space and patrons may have to line up outside during peak hours. Read more here. — Grace Wong
3:22 p.m.: Illinois to open more small business development centers, including 5 in Chicago, to help COVID-19 recovery
Illinois will invest $11.5 million to open seven small business development centers, including five in Chicago, to support businesses hurt by the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis and damaged during widespread civil unrest in early June.
The Chicago sites announced Wednesday will be located at the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, South Shore Chamber of Commerce, the Build Bronzeville initiative through the Urban Juncture Foundation, Rogers Park Business Alliance and the Chinese Mutual Aid Association. Other locations are being managed by Joliet Junior College and Elgin Community College. Read more here. — Abdel Jimenez
3:19 p.m.: Brookfield Zoo reopens at reduced capacity — right now there may be more animals outside than people
Brookfield Zoo is reopening this week, albeit slowly, with lions and tigers and zoo members first. The zoo’s gates in the west suburbs swung open Wednesday for those holding seasonal memberships, with the general public to follow July 8.
Biggest change from before coronavirus-related closures shut down the zoo to visitors in late March: Tickets are being sold at reduced capacity, with timed admissions and only in advance. Read more here. — Doug George
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2:55 p.m.: United adding 25,000 flights in August despite spikes in COVID-19 cases
United Airlines plans to fly about three times more routes in August than it did last month as passengers slowly return to the skies, even as the number of new COVID-19 cases across the U.S. rises.
Chicago-based United will have about 60% fewer flights on its schedule in August compared with the same month last year. But travelers are slowly coming back, particularly when it comes to domestic flights, said Ankit Gupta, United’s vice president of domestic network planning.
The number of people passing through U.S. airport security checkpoints each day topped 600,000 on certain days in late June, down from 2.7 million people a year ago. Still, airports are busier than they’ve been since late March.
United is scheduling about 600 more domestic flights a day in August than July, including more flights between Hawaii and hubs including Chicago. The airline said it has seen interest in beach travel, suggesting passengers may be seeking outdoor vacation spots where social distancing could be easier.
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
2:40 p.m., (Updated 4:23 p.m.) : 828 new known COVID-19 cases, 30 additional deaths
Illinois health officials Wednesday reported 828 new known cases of COVID-19 and 30 additional confirmed fatalities, bringing the total number of known cases to 144,013 and the confirmed death toll to 6,951.
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Additionally, the expanded testing hit new record daily high with 33,090 new results.
—Chicago Tribune staff
2:38 p.m.: Health experts slam US deal for large supply of the only drug licensed so far to treat COVID-19
Public health experts on Wednesday criticized the U.S. for securing a large supply of the only drug licensed so far to treat COVID-19.
The U.S. government announced this week that it had an agreement with Gilead Sciences to make the bulk of their production of remdesivir available to Americans for the next three months. The Department of Health and Human Services said it had secured 500,000 treatments through September, which amounts to all but 10% of production in August and September.
Read more here. —Associated Press
2:30 p.m.: Indiana delays reopening plan, keeps capacity limits on restaurants, bars over coronavirus spike worries
Indiana will keep capacity limits in place for restaurants, bars and entertainment venues because of worries about a possible increase in coronavirus cases across the state, Gov. Eric Holcomb said Wednesday.
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The state’s reopening plan had called for those restrictions to be lifted this weekend, but Holcomb said he would keep them in place until at least July 18. The state will also continue its current 250-person limit on social gatherings.
Read more here. —Associated Press
1:52 p.m.: Coronavirus and unemployment: How bad is it? 5 key questions.
With the viral outbreak worsening and unemployment at Depression-era levels, the government on Thursday will issue what will almost surely be another remarkable jobs report.
Hiring in June might have reached the highest monthly total on record — 3 million. Yet so deep were the layoffs this spring that a gain that large would still leave tens of millions of Americans out of work and the unemployment rate in double digits. And even a jobless rate above 10% wouldn't fully capture the scope of the pandemic's damage to the job market and the economy.
On Wednesday a survey by payroll company ADP found that U.S. companies added nearly 2.4 million jobs in June, a large gain that still leaves total employment far below its pre-pandemic levels.
Read more here. —Associated Press
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12:57 p.m.: Madison health officials close indoor service at bars ahead of holiday weekend as COVID-19 cases rise in college town
Public health officials are closing indoor service at bars in Madison as the Fourth of July weekend approaches and as the number of reported coronavirus cases accelerate, many involving young people in Wisconsin’s largest college community.
The order from Public Health Madison & Dane County effective Thursday allows bars that have patios to keep them open and it limits the number of people who may eat inside restaurants to 25% capacity, the Journal Sentinel reported. Since June 13, 614 people have tested positive for coronavirus and half of them were between the ages of 18 and 29.
”For the past week, Dane County has seen a sustained, high number of cases. After consultation with our contact tracing team, gatherings and visits to bars and restaurants continue to be implicated in interviews with cases,” Janel Heinrich, the agency’s director said in a statement.
Bar owners are weighing a legal challenge. Tavern League of Wisconsin lobbyist Scott Stenger said public health officials are unfairly punishing bar owners and not taking into account what role recent protests over police brutality may have in the surge.
Read more here. —Associated Press
11:33 a.m.: A COVID-19 surge in your county? New Illinois website offers ways to check.
As Illinois shifts into phase four of its reopening plan, state health officials have now made it possible for residents to track weekly COVID-19 figures at the county level.
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Their new website includes a warning system to highlight instances where the latest numbers — such as a rise in cases or more people testing positive — signal trouble.
Score poorly overall and the county will show up as orange on a blue map of the state. (Only one has qualified thus far. More on that in a moment.)
“If your county is colored orange, that’s a caution or a warning that something is going on,” the department’s director, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, said last week at a briefing with reporters. “And our goal is that, with that caution, you will think twice of your own personal habits and activities.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health unveiled the site just before the state on Friday officially entered the latest phase of its reopening plan, which allows people more freedom to gather and move about.
Read more here. —Joe Mahr
11:32 a.m.: Online auction raises over $10,000 for immigrant restaurant workers
The online auction #AskChefsAnything raised $10,595 in June for immigrant workers in Chicago’s food industry.
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Organizers Gaeleen Quinn and Anna Polonsky, two consultants with extensive restaurant experience in New York, said they were moved to start the charity to help those most in need.
”We know a lot of chefs who have had to lay off employees, and many of those were immigrants,” says Quinn. She notes that undocumented immigrants haven’t received unemployment money or stimulus checks from the government. “We realized that they needed some support.”
To help, the two decided to organize an online auction in different cities across the country, where people could bid for the chance to chat with someone in the food world for 30 minutes, and, as the name makes clear, ask them anything.
According to Quinn and Polonsky, the winners take full advantage of the time.
“I witnessed one chef in St. Louis teaching a friend of mine to make St. Louis-style ribs,” says Quinn. “They had such a good time. Some ask for career advice or just about any random subject.”
The event in Chicago pulled together some of the biggest local chefs, including Stephanie Izard, Rick Bayless, Erick Williams and Lamar Moore, along with wine experts like Belinda Chang and Regine T. Rousseau.
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Since there is still no vaccine for the coronavirus, #AskChefsAnything is considering whether to return to cities like New York and Chicago for another auction. “
The work is not over,” says Quinn. “We do both have jobs that we have to fulfill, but it’s in my mind every day. We are super stressed out but hoping to make this long term.”
The next stop for #AskChefsAnything is San Francisco. You can bid here.
—Nick Kindelsperger
11:24 a.m.: Bad Hunter, the plant-based darling of Chicago food scene, closes permanently due to coronavirus
Bad Hunter and its second floor event venue The Herbarium are closing for good because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
”While several outliers factored into this decision, ultimately we could not continue to withstand the realities of operating this business during a global pandemic,” according to an Instagram post Tuesday.
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The West Loop restaurant, which survived a fire and re-opened in 2019, thanked patrons for their support and for celebrating major milestones with it. It also expressed gratitude to its staff, saying that they created “magic, day in and day out.”
Known for its vegetable-and-grains-forward menu, Bad Hunter was voted the Chicago restaurant with the best plant-based menu in the Chicago Tribune Readers’ Choice Dining Awards earlier this year.
And the restaurant was praised by critics not only for its playful name, but also tasty morsels like fried sunchoke in black garlic butter with a touch of Aleppo pepper-laced honey, maitake mushrooms with a lavender parsnip puree and butter dumplings filled with charred cabbage and shiitake mushrooms served with Asian pear and oyster kimshi. And carnivores weren’t forgotten on the menu, created by Dan Snowden. From chicken thigh skewers with preserved lemon yogurt to salmon crudo with garlic rice “cracklings,” there were exciting bites for everyone.
After the restaurant was forced to close in November 2018 because of a kitchen fire, Snowden moved over to Lone Wolf to create a takeout pizzeria that operated in the dive bar. Named Pizza Lobo, it has moved out of Randolph Row and into a standalone shop in Logan Square (3000 W. Fullerton Ave.) slated to open in late July. With a larger menu featuring pizzas with New York-style crust and duck fat chicken wings, the restaurant will be to-go only, although patrons are able to use its socially distanced patio space for carryout food sans service.
The rest of the staff was given notice late last week and Heisler Hospitality, the restaurant group that also operates Pub Royal, Estereo and Lone Wolf, said in a press release that its goal is to “rehome” as many employees as possible while continuing to pay health insurance costs through the end of July for those laid off.
”Having such a large shift happen at once is extremely bittersweet,” said Heisler Hospitality co-owner Matt Eisler in a press release. “It’s devastating to say goodbye to a place like Bad Hunter, especially when it’s not fully on our terms. But, it’s also the beginning of a new, really exciting chapter with Pizza Lobo.”
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—Grace Wong
10:56 a.m.: Little evidence that protests following George Floyd’s death spread coronavirus in US
There is little evidence that the protests that erupted after George Floyd’s death caused a significant increase in U.S. coronavirus infections, according to public health experts.
If the protests had driven an explosion in cases, experts say, the jumps would have started to become apparent within two weeks — and perhaps as early as five days. But that didn’t happen in many cities with the largest protests, including New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C.
In what’s considered the first systematic look at the question, a team of economists determined that only one of 13 cities involved in the earliest wave of protests after Memorial Day had an increase that would fit the pattern.
Read more here. —Associated Press
10:14 a.m.: 20 questions about assessing your COVID-19 risk at restaurants, gyms, the office and more
COVID-19 outbreaks in the south and west have added a layer of anxiety to how to think about the public activities now available to Illinoisans in phase four. Each person must now assess what level of risk they are comfortable with when it comes to activities such as dining out, working out or returning to the office.
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Read more here. —Kori Rumore
9:26 a.m.: Fighting over face masks becoming new normal as US workers now have to deal with conflict resolution on top of COVID-19 risks
Masks were already a political flash point, and months of mixed messages about their usefulness have contributed to the confusion. Now, they’re also fodder for viral videos.
A surge of reported cases of coronavirus in states like California, Texas and Florida has led authorities in those states to issue new guidance on masks. Evidence suggests masks can help prevent transmission of the virus even when worn by seemingly healthy people.
Early in the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said several times that those without symptoms did not have to wear masks. On April 3, the agency shifted, saying that masks should be worn in public.
But President Donald Trump, announcing the new guidance, said, “Somehow, I don’t see it for myself” and has continued to appear in public without a mask. On Sunday, after months of shunning a mask himself, Vice President Mike Pence urged Americans to wear them.
Orders regarding masks that carry the force of law have been left to individual states. And in states where altercations over masks have been reported, those orders have recently changed.
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Read more here. —The New York Times
6:55 a.m.: Chicago bringing back normal ticketing enforcement, starting with street sweeping violations Wednesday
After almost four months of suspending ticketing Chicago drivers for various types of code violations and debt collection for unpaid ticekts, refraining from booting vehicles and impounding cars, Chicago begins to return to its normal ways Wednesday.
Street sweeping tickets will be the first to be issued, starting Wednesday, followed Monday by booting of cars with multiple unpaid tickets, according to a news release from the mayor’s office.
On July 16, the city will start writing tickets to cars with expired city stickers and those parked in residential parking areas without a permit. Finally, the city will follow the state’s lead and not write tickets for expired Illinois vehicle registration stickers until Oct. 2.
“Now that the City has entered phase four of the reopening framework, debt collection and payment plan defaults will also resume,” according to the news release.
Anyone needing help with outstanding debt can visit the city’s New Start Chicago website here or set up a payment plan here. —Chicago Tribune staff
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6 a.m.: Colleges campuses are trying to reopen in the fall. The main source of opposition? The faculty.
Just because students might be returning to college campuses this fall doesn’t mean professors will be joining them.
Controversy over whether instructors need to be in the classroom during the fall term has erupted at campuses including the University of Notre Dame, where professors are pushing back, noting the dangers of face-to-face classes while the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage.
Notre Dame, however, is asking those with objections to in-person instruction to submit documentation of medical conditions and a formal request for accommodations. Those who taught remotely prior to the pandemic likely will not need to obtain special approval, said Paul Browne, a spokesman for Notre Dame.
Notre Dame’s position on in-person instruction is among the most rigid, showing how far universities are willing to go to compel professors to return to campuses after classes were abruptly moved online this spring.
On the other end of the spectrum, the University of Chicago recently announced that it will not require any of its instructors, including graduate students, to teach in person for the fall quarter, which begins Sept. 29 for most classes. In an update released Tuesday, U. of C. said a limited number of classes will be held in-person. New students will be given priority to enroll in such courses so they can acclimate to the university setting.
Read more here. —Elyssa Cherney
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6 a.m.: Are the Blue Men ever coming back? Chicago’s commercial theaters are in serious trouble
Indoor gatherings of more than 50 people remain banned in Illinois and there is still no discernible, let alone bankable, timeline for the return of large-scale live entertainment. COVID-19 has created a world of pain for all sectors of the Chicago theater.
Notably, the city’s commercial, for-profit operations are showing the most immediate and visible stress.
June, the cruelest month so far, saw L. Walter Stearns, the hardy and well-regarded owner of the Mercury Theater, his elegant two-theater venue in the Lakeview neighborhood, declare his intention to close up shop and sell his building. Charna Halpern, the owner of the iO improv theater in Lincoln Park, facing a tsunami of property taxes, running costs and internal criticism over the climate at her theater, also called it quits.
And on Monday in Canada, the venerable but now massively indebted Cirque du Soleil sought protection from its creditors, throwing into question the future of the Blue Man Group, a hugely popular show that has been running since 1997 — that’s 23 years — at the Briar Street Theatre on Chicago’s North Side, along with similar productions in Las Vegas and New York.
Read more here. —Chris Jones
Breaking coronavirus news Stay up to date with the latest information on coronavirus with our breaking news alerts.
Here are five things that happened Tuesday related to coronavirus in Illinois:


chicagotribune--2020-07-01--20 questions about assessing your COVID-19 risk at restaurants, gyms, the office and more

Bohnert : This is tricky , and inevitable .
One thing you could do is wear a mask yourself , @ @ @ @ @ you are taking measures to protect yourself and others .
The mask also sends a @ @ @ @ @ in protective measures , which also entails not being too close to anyone right now @ @ @ @ @ away from someone as they move closer , which also conveys that you ’ d @ @ @ @ @ these steps are not enough , you could just say , “ I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ happening is unlikely , but I would hate to make you sick , can you @ @ @ @ @ space ?
” If you are still uncomfortable , you may just need to leave @ @ @

COVID-19 outbreaks in the south and west have added a layer of anxiety to how to think about the public activities now available to Illinoisans in phase four. Each person must now assess what level of risk they are comfortable with when it comes to activities such as dining out, working out or returning to the office.
To help in this process, the Tribune again talked to Dr. Benjamin Singer, assistant professor of medicine (pulmonary and critical care) and biochemistry and molecular genetics at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; Dr. Amy Bohnert, associate professor of clinical and developmental psychology at Loyola University Chicago; and Dr. Erica Hartmann, assistant professor of environmental engineering at Northwestern University. The three earlier answered questions about the risks associated with summer travel.
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The City of Chicago put out a guide on how to think about risk and COVID. The Tribune wrote about it here.
(Jemal R. Brinson)
Returning to the office
What should I look for to determine if my employer and office building owner are doing enough to protect me? What would you consider a safe office environment?
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Hartmann: At the minimum, make sure they’re following the guidelines.
I wouldn’t frame it in terms of a “safe” office environment, but rather one in which as much as is reasonably possible is being done to minimize risks.
How should I decide whether it’s worth the risk to go back to the office?
Bohnert: At this point, focus on what you can continue to do to mitigate risk for yourself and family. Part of calculus for returning to the office would include:
1) Your vulnerability and those of members of your family to COVID-19.
2) The value of being at the office, which would include factoring in how well you can work from the office and expectations from supervisor about how much you need to be at the office.
3) Is your office following local and national health guidelines about maintaining a safe work environment?
4) How many people, what are number of people at the office and layout — do you have your own office with a door, or are you in large, open space in close proximity with others? Keep in mind that it is generally safest to work from home, but in the event you have to be at the office, take the recommended precautions to reduce risk.
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Should I avoid public transportation? Is it better to drive, take an Uber, train, bike, walk, use a scooter?
Hartmann: Considering traffic-related fatalities and the contribution of vehicle emissions to climate change, public transit sounds like the best option, particularly if you can commute during off-peak hours. Otherwise, the weather’s been pretty great for riding a bike ...
Singer: If taking public transportation, wearing a mask and doing your best to stay at least 6 feet away from other passengers makes good sense.
Other resources:
• Going back to work won’t be business as usual. A group of Chicago companies is creating a playbook to restart Chicago’s economy.
(Jemal R. Brinson)
Distance and masks
For which outings is a cloth mask fine? And for which outings should you really be using a more substantive mask?
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Singer: Any mask is better than no mask, but double-layer cloth masks work well. Single-layer bandanas and fleece provide less of a barrier.
It’s going to happen — someone will stand a little too close to me without wearing a face mask. Should I say something? Remove myself from the situation? How should I handle this?
Bohnert: This is tricky, and inevitable. One thing you could do is wear a mask yourself, which at least communicates that you are taking measures to protect yourself and others. The mask also sends a message that you are engaging in protective measures, which also entails not being too close to anyone right now. You can also back away from someone as they move closer, which also conveys that you’d prefer more distance. If these steps are not enough, you could just say, “I’m sure the event of anything happening is unlikely, but I would hate to make you sick, can you give me a little more space?” If you are still uncomfortable, you may just need to leave the situation.
(Jemal R. Brinson)
Dining out
My friends want to meet up for dinner and I don’t yet feel comfortable eating inside a restaurant. What do I do?
Bohnert: The outdoor dining options in Chicago during summer months are plentiful, and given how much we have been (and may still need to be) cooped up inside to keep COVID-19 at bay, this is the perfect opportunity to suggest meeting up at your restaurant with a patio or grab take out and dine at a park or on a friend’s deck. Indicate to your friends that you are not quite ready for indoor dining, suggest a few outdoor dining alternatives, but in the end, stand your ground. Even with the liveliest group of friends, you won’t enjoy dinner if you are worried about getting sick all night.
More resources:
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• What you need to know about dining out as pandemic continues
(Jemal R. Brinson)
Visiting zoos and museums
What are my best practices for keeping me and my family safe at a zoo (outdoors) and at a museum (indoors)?
Singer: Outdoor spaces appear to be less risky to spread the virus than indoor ones. Wearing a mask and keeping your group at least 6 feet from others makes sense outside or inside.
Should I keep my mask on the whole time when I visit these places? Whether I’m outdoors or indoors?
Singer: Yes!
More resources:
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• Lincoln Park Zoo open, with Shedd Aquarium and Brookfield Zoo restarting on July 1
(Jemal R. Brinson)
Recreation
Is it safe to go bowling while wearing rented shoes and touching a rented ball?
Hartmann: I don’t think we should be thinking in terms of what is or isn’t safe. Everything has some degree of risk associated with it. That said, I don’t think the major source of coronavirus risk associated with bowling is the shoes. I would say the biggest source of risk is probably the other people in the bowling alley. After that, probably high-touch surfaces like countertops or if there’s a touch screen to put in players’ names and scores. In general, I would recommend washing your hands and try not to touch your face while out.
If I play a few games, is it safe to be inside a bowling alley for that duration of time?
Hartmann: If you are the only person in the bowling alley, have at it for as long as you’d like!
Is it safe to swim in a pool or lake?
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Singer: Swimming by itself probably does not increase the risk, but swimmers still need to be mindful of social distancing even in the water.
How likely am I to become infected with the coronavirus from someone running or biking past me?
Singer: These brief encounters are unlikely to transmit the virus. Nevertheless, wearing a mask and trying to maintain a 6-foot distance are still good ideas.
More resources:
• Beaches and pools are beginning to reopen throughout the suburbs. But in Chicago, at least officially, the wait continues.
(Jemal R. Brinson)
Working out
My gym says they’re cleaning equipment before and after each use. Should I trust them? If I want to clean equipment at the gym myself before using it, what do I need to do?
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Hartmann: I would hope that any business currently in operation is genuinely adhering to their stated policies about cleaning and infection prevention. Moreover, according to guidelines, it is your responsibility to clean equipment before and after using it. The gym should have cleaning supplies out. Remember to use them correctly and, in particular, don’t just wipe and go. Wait for the appropriate amount of time (even if it’s only 15 seconds) for the cleaning product to do its work.
Can I use the showers, locker rooms or towels at the gym? If I put something in a gym locker, do I need to clean my belongings afterward too?
Hartmann: I don’t think there are any prohibitions against it, but you might want to double check that the gym has let the water run to prevent Legionnaires’ disease.
As for cleaning belongings, if no one else has handled them and they haven’t been sitting out, I wouldn’t worry about it too much.
What about the sauna at my gym, should I feel safe using it?
Hartmann: No. If the sauna is open, that’s a sure sign your gym is not following the guidelines.
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If I decide not to wear a mask at the gym, or if other people at my gym aren’t wearing masks, how far apart do I need to be from the nearest person to stay safe? Do I need to allow more than 6 feet if I’m breathing hard?
Hartmann: This question is outside of my direct expertise, but my colleagues in aerosol science strongly recommend wearing a mask. If you decide not to wear a mask when working out inside a gym, I suggest you stay home or maybe outside.
Are certain types of gyms or workouts riskier than others? For instance, am I better off at a big fitness club or a small workout studio?
Singer: I would look for facilities that maintain a good degree of airflow, enable separation between people, sanitize frequently and encourage masks in shared spaces.
Are outdoor workout classes safer than working out indoors?
Singer: In general, outdoor spaces appear to be less risky than indoor ones, but distancing and mask-wearing are good practices regardless.
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Should I attend group classes versus individual activities like lifting weights or running on a treadmill?
Singer: Ultimately, that is a personal decision based on your level of risk tolerance. In general, individual activities will be lower risk simply because you are exposed to fewer people.
I heard the World Health Organization advised against wearing masks during exercise. Should I wear a mask when working out indoors or taking an outdoor workout class?
Singer: If possible, wearing a mask is preferred. But keep in mind that working out with a mask may mean the need to change it more often if it becomes damp or wet.
More resources:
• Stricter rules in Chicago have some gyms worried


chicagotribune--2020-07-01--3-year-old girl shot in the chest in West Englewood, apparently in retaliation for shooting hour ear

3-year-old girl shot in the chest in West Englewood, apparently in retaliation for shooting hour earlier that wounded 15-year-old boy

Police are investigating whether the shooting was in retaliation for an attack about an hour earlier that wounded a 15-year-old @ @ @ @ @ of South Honore Street , also in West Englewood .
The boy was hit at @ @ @ @ @ from a black car , police said .
The boy was taken to University of @ @ @ @ @ condition .

Chicago police work the scene near where a 3-year-old girl was shot in the 7000 block of South Damen Avenue in the West Englewood neighborhood on June 30, 2020. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
A 3-year-old girl was shot in the chest outside her home in West Englewood Tuesday night when a gunman opened fire into a yard filled with children, minutes after a 15-year-old boy was wounded just blocks away, according to Chicago police.
Investigators said they were looking into whether the two attacks were related, as Chicago experiences one of its worst stretches of gun violence against children. This past weekend a 20-month-old boy was killed, a 10-year-old girl was fatally shot, and an 8-year-old suffered a graze wound to the head. A week earlier, five children were shot and killed in Chicago, including a 3-year-old boy.
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“This is not and this cannot be our new normal,” said Chicago police Chief of Operations Fred Waller, echoing remarks of the mayor and the police superintendent over the last few weeks. “Where is the outrage? Our babies are being shot. These are our babies.”
Police say the girl was outside her home in the 7000 block of South Damen Avenue about 8 p.m. Tuesday, playing in the yard with other children, when someone fired shots from a car. Relatives said they thought the gunfire was fireworks, but the girl’s mother ran outside and found the girl lying face up with a wound to her chest.
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She was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in critical condition, but was stabilized and upgraded to serious condition overnight, according to community activist Andrew Holmes, who was with the family at the hospital. She underwent emergency surgery for internal bleeding, and was alert and talking afterward, he said.
The girl has pierced ears and, before the surgery, she told a nurse who was apparently prepping her not to touch her earrings, Holmes said.
“The bright moment was when they came back out and told the family that she didn’t want anyone to touch or take out her earrings. That was a spark to the grandmother, to the whole family, indicating that she was well and alert,” Holmes said. “I guess usually she would tell them, don’t anybody touch her earrings. So that brought a smile to their faces, kind of brightened them up, and the first thing the grandmother said is, ‘She’s going to pull through.‘
“When you look at the age of that baby and considering the amount of pain and suffering that she’s going through, to say that out of her mouth, with all of that pain, that’s a lot of strength and a lot of awareness of her surroundings,” he continued. “I told the mother, I say, well you know that’s 50% of her strength and once she lays eyes on you, and you being able to touch her, that’s the other 50%. That would bring 100% recovery.”
Holmes said he wasn’t sure where the 3-year-old was hit. “Not by the heart or anything right in there, or we’d be looking at the same thing as last week. If it was dead center I think we’d be looking at another child lost,” he said.
The girl is expected to remain under observation in the hospital for a few days.
Bursts of fireworks kept going off as police worked the scene of the shooting, cordoning off the block and laying out markers next to shell casings.
A woman visiting friends said she was sitting on their couch when she heard a series of shots. “I’m like, they’re shooting out here, when there’s kids out here?” the woman said. “As soon as I came out, all the yellow tape was up.”
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Police are investigating whether the shooting may have been in retaliation for an attack about an hour earlier that wounded a 15-year-old boy in the 7100 block of South Honore Street, also in West Englewood. The boy was hit at least twice when someone fired from a black car, police said. The boy was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition.
No one was in custody for either shooting.
3yr old girl shot in the 7000 block of S. Damen. 7th Dist. Media staging 70th & Damen. Will update shortly. #ChicagoPolice pic.twitter.com/8lqAmbA1mU — Tom Ahern (@TomAhernCPD) July 1, 2020
Police also have reported no arrests in the fatal shootings of two other children in Chicago over the weekend.
On Saturday, 20-month-old Sincere Gaston died after he was shot in a car seat while riding with his mom in the Englewood neighborhood. Police said the gunman may have been targeting his father, who was not in the car.
Later that day, 10-year-old Lena Nunez was struck in the head by a stray bullet that came through a second-floor apartment window in Logan Square. Her 8-year-old cousin was injured on her face by glass broken in the shooting. Police said gang members a block away had been firing at rivals near the girl’s home.
Less than two hours later, another 8-year-old girl was grazed by a bullet on her head. The scene in the West Englewood neighborhood was similar to the Logan Square shooting. The girl was sitting on a couch inside a home in the 6600 block of South Wood Street when a bullet came through the window. She last was reported in fair condition.
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In the first six months of the year, Chicago has experienced a sharp spike in shootings and homicides over the same time last year, a jump of more than 25% in homicides, reaching 295, which is 60 more than the same period a year ago, according to a review of crime statistics.
According to the statistics, 96 of those occurred during a 28-day stretch that covered most of June.
Holmes said the most important thing neighbors can do is to turn over any surveillance video of an area around the time of a shooting. If a resident wants a detective to retrieve footage, they can call 800-883-5587 and a call-taker will reach out to Chicago police on their behalf.
“Anybody walking, running, standing, anybody they don’t recognize acting suspicious or staying a good length of time that shouldn’t be there, or any car stalled in an alley like they’re waiting, any of that could lead to an arrest and conviction,” he said.
Holmes, a crisis worker for Chicago Survivors, lost his daughter Tamara Sword in 2015 when she was shot in Indianapolis. He said the recent gun violence against children is unprecedented.
“We’ve lost so many babies in Chicago through the years, so many. But never this many. Not like this,” he said. “I’ve seen many of them hurt but not this many, so close together within weeks after week after week and just days apart, not this close.”
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mgreene@chicagotribune.com
ayin@chicagotribune.com
kdouglas@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-01--Stabbing on Red Line train on Near North Side leaves man in critical condition

The man had been riding the train on the Near North Side when another man began to argue with him @ @ @ @ @ , police said in a media notification .
The other man took out a knife @ @ @ @ @ said .

Two men were fighting on a CTA Red Line “L” train on the Near North Side early Wednesday when one of them pulled a knife and stabbed the other in the chest, Chicago police said.
The 33-year-old man was stabbed about 1:20 a.m. and taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition, officials said.
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The man had been riding the train when another man began to argue with him and later physically attacked him, police said in a media notification. The other man took out a knife and stabbed him, police said.
The man was stabbed at least once in the left side of the chest, officials said. He left the train at the North/Clybourn station, 1599 N. Clybourn Ave., where a Chicago police officer found him injured.
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No arrests had been made and the stabbing remained under investigation. Check back for updates.
kdouglas@chicgaotribune.com
Twitter @312BreakingNews


chicagotribune--2020-07-01--Daywatch: Why COVID-19 varies by ZIP code, what happens when restaurant workers get sick and the Dre

Daywatch: Why COVID-19 varies by ZIP code, what happens when restaurant workers get sick and the Dreadhead Cowboy travels city streets by horseback

Just because students might be returning to college campuses this fall doesn ’ t mean professors will be joining them @ @ @ @ @ need to be in the classroom during the fall term has erupted at campuses including @ @ @ @ @ , where professors are pushing back , noting the dangers of face-to-face classes while the @ @ @ @ @ .

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Good morning, Chicago. Here’s the coronavirus news and other top stories you need to know to start your day.
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Illinois health officials Tuesday reported 724 new known cases of COVID-19 and 23 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known cases to 143,185 and the confirmed death toll to 6,923
The state’s Northeast region — which includes Chicago and its suburbs — has a 4.4% positivity rate. Here’s where each region stands on key metrics for reopening.
Illinois is now in phase 4 of its coronavirus reopening plan. Here’s a guide to what’s allowed.
Thomas McDade, a biological anthropology professor at Northwestern University, holds blood samples that just arrived from research participants in a study for coronavirus antibodies at his lab in Evanston on June 30, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Northwestern University scientists will be asking Chicagoans to prick their fingers and send in a dried blood sample as part of an effort to figure out why some parts of the city are hit so much harder by COVID-19 than others nearby — research they hope could help control future disease flare-ups.
The blood tests for COVID-19 antibodies, also known as serology testing, will be conducted in five pairs of adjoining city ZIP codes initially. Each pair includes an area with much higher infection rates than its neighbor, as determined by city data from the end of April that is based on traditional coronavirus tests.
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A state board has approved plans by Northwestern Medicine to spend more than $100 million to expand care at its downtown hospital. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
A state board has approved plans by Northwestern Medicine to spend more than $100 million to expand care at its downtown hospital and open a suburban medical office building — despite concerns from labor leaders that minority workers and patients are being left out of the system’s efforts.
The University of Chicago is letting instructors decide whether fall classes will be virtual or in person. Faculty at other colleges like Notre Dame are clamoring for the same option. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Just because students might be returning to college campuses this fall doesn’t mean professors will be joining them. Controversy over whether instructors need to be in the classroom during the fall term has erupted at campuses including the University of Notre Dame, where professors are pushing back, noting the dangers of face-to-face classes while the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage.
Alinea restaurant manager Rizqi Soeharsono checks on carryout customers in Chicago, June 20, 2020. The restaurant closed twice in recent weeks for cleaning after two instances of an employee testing postitive for COVID-19. (Nam Y. Huh / AP)
Although the city gave restaurants the green light to open indoor dining up to 25% capacity as part of phase four of the pandemic plan, which started last Friday, some restaurant operators are wondering if it’s worth it to do so with COVID-19 infection risks still present.
Adam Hollingsworth rides his horse Bella as he joins protesters in front of a line of police officers during a march to remember the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on May 30, 2020, in downtown Chicago. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune) horse (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Adam Hollingsworth is known to his growing fan base as the Dreadhead Cowboy. Even in a city full of spectacles, he draws stares as he makes his way up and down the street, sometimes cantering swiftly in an open traffic lane, sometimes pausing to chat with strangers.