chicagotribune--2020-11-21--Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 13,012 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 126 more death

Coronavirus in Illinois updates: 13,012 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 126 more deaths reported as Tier 3 restrictions go into effect across state

Additionally , the protocols said clergy and bereavement ministers do not need to attend or minister wakes or funeral vigils @ @ @ @ @ may be more than 10 people .
Parish staff were encouraged to complete work from @ @ @ @ @ limits for Masses and sacramental celebrations , including for weddings and funeral Masses within the @ @ @ @ @ done since in-person services resumed in the late spring .

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CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Illinois health officials on Friday announced 13,012 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 126 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 634,395 and the statewide death toll to 11,304 since the start of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the state moved back into more strict coronavirus restrictions Friday, entering Tier 3 mitigation levels designed to slow the spread of COVID-19.
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[ New coronavirus restrictions: What is open, closed, different in Illinois starting today ]
The measures close most businesses and public places designed for people to congregate, such as theaters, museums and banquet halls, as well as banning indoor dining and closing bars except for outdoor service. The rules limit at-home gatherings to household members, decrease legal capacity at retail stores, personal care service businesses like salons and health and fitness centers.
The crackdown comes as the state continues to see an explosion in COVID-19 cases and a return to high numbers of deaths, coming close to numbers seen in the spring.
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Here’s what’s happening Friday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:
8:09 p.m.: Rise in COVID-19 statewide leading to alarming surge in nursing home cases and deaths, health officials say
An increase in COVID-19 across Illinois is leading to an alarming new surge in cases and deaths among its most vulnerable victims in nursing homes, health officials say.
Just as residents of long-term care facilities were the hardest-hit group in the spring, and make up about half of all deaths statewide, they remain especially susceptible to the spread of the virus from the general population, officials warn.
The increases jumped noticeably in October, and have taken off this month. The latest statistics released by the Illinois Department of Public Health on Friday show 3,547 new cases in long-term care facilities, the largest increase in a week since the peak in May. There were also 289 deaths, more than double the number from two weeks ago, and the most since June.
Illustrating the breadth of the new wave, just in the past week, the number of active outbreaks went from 722 to 832 facilities.
Read more here. —Robert McCoppin, Joe Mahr and Chad Yoder
6:20 p.m.: Second stimulus check updates: President-elect Joe Biden calls on Congress for emergency COVID-19 aid before year’s end
President-elect Joe Biden is pushing Congress to approve billions of dollars in emergency COVID-19 assistance before he takes office, saying in a meeting Friday with the top Democrats in the House and Senate that such a package should be approved during the lame-duck session.
Biden held his first in-person meeting since winning the presidential election with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, hosting them at his makeshift transition headquarters in a downtown Wilmington, Delaware, theater.
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Biden’s new governing team is facing intense pressure to approve another coronavirus relief bill and come up with a clear plan to distribute millions of doses of a prospective vaccine. That comes as Biden is just days away from unveiling the first of his Cabinet picks, which are subject to Senate confirmation.
Read more here. —Associated Press
6:10 p.m.: Chicago airports are expected to handle 60%-70% fewer travelers this Thanksgiving, but there’ll still be crowds and precautions to take
Earlier in the day, lines formed at security checkpoints, some people standing close to one another without masks, despite signs urging people to wear them and practice social distancing.
Chicago Department of Aviation spokesman Matt McGrath said pre-Thanksgiving traffic at the airport was about 50% of normal, but with reductions in the number of flights, there have been brief logjams. “There will be flashes where it looks extraordinarily crowded,” he said. “And then for the next two, three, four hours, there’s nobody there.”
The crowds of passengers moving through O’Hare and Midway next week are expected to be 60%-70% smaller than last year, and flight operations down 35%-45%.
Read more here. —Kelli Smith, Laura Rodríguez Presa and Robert Channick
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5:42 p.m.: As COVID-19 rates continue to rise, New Trier High School parents divided on how to best approach in-person classroom instruction
When dozens of parents gathered for a rally last weekend at New Trier High School, the crowd shared a united message about the impact of COVID-19 on their families: Kids are struggling, and in-person learning should be happening five days a week.
But their growing discontent with the high school’s COVID-era hybrid learning plan is not the only view shared by parents. Others, some of whom say they represent the “silent majority” who did not attend the Nov. 14 rally at the high school’s Northfield campus, say a full return to school goes against public health considerations.
“I didn’t attend the rally, but if I had heard about it in time, I would have gone as a counter protester, because I think it’s insane to be asking to bring more kids together into the school at this time,” said Northfield resident Amy Richmond, whose daughter is a junior at New Trier.
Richmond’s daughter has elected to enroll in the high school’s all-remote learning platform.
“I think a lot of parents feel like I do, that science needs to rule these COVID-related school reopening decisions, but we’re a silent majority,” said Richmond.
Read more here. —Karen Ann Cullotta
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5:27 p.m.: COVID-19 death toll in Illinois again above 100 as 7-day average rises to 115
The seven-day average for deaths of people with COVID-19 in Illinois has risen to 115, more than double where it stood two weeks ago, as the entire state moves into another phase of tightened restrictions meant to stem the pandemic’s strong fall resurgence.
State public health officials reported 126 additional deaths on Friday, a triple-digit death toll for the third consecutive day. The latest fatalities raise the statewide death toll to 11,304.
“If we all stay home as much as possible, if we all avoid the trips outside the house that we don’t need to take right now, we can fight this recent surge and turn things around for our health care workers and hospital systems who are facing an increasingly dangerous situation across the state,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at his daily coronavirus briefing in Chicago. “And we can potentially pull back on these mitigations for everyone before the December holidays.”
Read more here. —Jamie Munks
5:19 p.m.: Catholic archdiocese updates COVID-19 guidance for parishes in Cook, Lake counties
The Archdiocese of Chicago released updated guidance for its parishes this week to address the state’s recent tightening of restrictions meant to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The protocols mandate there may be “no in-person meetings on parish grounds unless absolutely essential” and reminded members that non-church gatherings and graveside final committals must be limited to 10 people. For committals within a cemetery chapel, attendance cannot exceed 25% of the room’s capacity.
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Additionally, the protocols said clergy and bereavement ministers do not need to attend or minister wakes or funeral vigils if they have concerns there may be more than 10 people. Parish staff were encouraged to complete work from home.Parishes also must maintain attendance limits for Masses and sacramental celebrations, including for weddings and funeral Masses within the church, as has been done since in-person services resumed in the late spring.
Bishop Robert Casey, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago, said the guidance was sent because people have been concerned with the rise in coronavirus infection rates. He said church officials continue to monitor and update protocols based on advisories from government and health officials.
”It’s just another communication reminding everybody that we remain diligent in observing how we’re living through this,” Casey said.
The archdiocese also sent out surveys to some of its members to gauge the “temperature of how things are going” in parishes and schools. The survey was meant to touch base with church members given particularly high stress levels with the pandemic, Casey said.
”We’re looking at those results,” Casey said. “It’s not because we are determining some drastic change of course, right, it’s simply again being diligent with the ongoing reality of our pandemic that we’ve done for months.”
—Kelli Smith
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4:01 p.m.: Coronavirus at Illinois long-term care facilities: 43,233 confirmed cases and 5,782 deaths
The Illinois Department of Public Health is releasing information on COVID-19 tied to long-term care facilities in Illinois. The data shows outbreaks have occurred at 1,261 long-term care facilities in 89 counties. Of those, 832 facilities have an “active” outbreak, defined as a positive test result in the past 28 days. In all, 43,233 confirmed cases can be tied to long-term care facilities, with 5,782 deaths, as of Nov. 20.
Read more here. —Chicago Tribune staff
12:55 p.m.: Chicago adding COVID-19 testing facilities at O’Hare and Midway airports next month
The Chicago Department of Aviation is planning to add COVID-19 testing facilities at O’Hare and Midway airports by next month for travelers and employees.
The city announced a request for proposal Friday for drive-up and walk-up facilities, with both the rapid and PCR tests offered. The tests are not free but should be covered by insurance.
”We believe it will be the most comprehensive testing system of any airports in the U.S.,” said Chicago Department of Aviation spokesman Matt McGrath.
At O’Hare International Airport, the plan calls for a drive-up testing site in a remote parking lot on the northeast side of the airport, and a pre-security walk-up site “easily accessible” by foot from the terminals.
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Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Public Health announced this week plans to open a community-based testing site at a Midway Airport parking lot on Tuesday, but the Aviation Department also is looking to add a walk-up site within the terminal, McGrath said.
Read more here. —Robert Channick
12:04 p.m.: 13,012 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and 126 additional deaths reported
Illinois health officials on Friday announced 13,012 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 126 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 634,395 and the statewide death toll to 11,304 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also reported 116,024 new tests in the last 24 hours.
The seven-day statewide rolling positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests was 11.5% for the period ending Thursday, up from 8% on Nov. 1.
—Chicago Tribune staff
10:49 a.m.: Rising COVID-19 cases force hard conversations among families, last-minute travel changes ahead of Thanksgiving
Erin Vickers didn’t want to be the only one not joining her family for Thanksgiving at her brother’s house in Virginia.
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But as soon as Chicago’s stay-at-home advisory was announced, Vickers, 37, of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, emailed her family and told them she wouldn’t be making the flight. They were sad, but didn’t try to change her mind.
No one has broached the topic of Christmas.
“To me, it’s too far away to be talking about. If it’s still like this, it will be tough,” she said.
Rising COVID-19 case counts and new warnings against travel and traditional Thanksgiving celebrations are forcing people to have tough conversations about whether it’s smart to gather. Some are reluctant to commit amid fast-changing conditions, leaving airlines and other travel companies to react to last-minute changes.
Read more here. —Lauren Zumbach
10:12 a.m.: Cafe Marie-Jeanne, the beloved Humboldt Park restaurant, closing Monday
Though we sadly should be getting used to restaurant closings in 2020, this one really hurts. Cafe Marie-Jeanne (1001 N. California Ave.), which is co-owned by the husband and wife team of Michael Simmons and Val Szafranski, made the announcement Thursday night on Instagram.
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In the message, they explained that they are planning to stay open until Monday. They urge fans to “come say hi, get one last cheeseburger, see what fun cmj classics we have on special, and make a deal on a bunch of wine.”
Read more here. —Nick Kindelsperger
9:50 a.m.: CTA to run holiday train and buses, but riders won’t be able to board
The CTA will run its holiday train and buses, despite the coronavirus pandemic, but only Santa, his elves and CTA workers, not regular riders, will be able to board this year because of COVID-19 danagers, the transit agency announced Friday.
The holiday train will start making its runs Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving, the agency said in a news release Friday. Holiday buses will start moving through Chicago’s neighborhoods Dec. 1.
“Santa and his elves will stay socially distanced this holiday season, meaning that customers won’t be able to board the CTA Holiday Train or the CTA Holiday Bus,” according to the release. “Instead, the CTA Holiday Fleet will run along each rail line and multiple bus routes, spreading holiday cheer across the city.”
The six-car holiday train will be “decorated with holiday scenes, thousands of sparkling lights and bright LED signage displays,” with Santa and his reindeer riding on a flatbed car in the middle of the train, according to the release.
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Read more here. —Chicago Tribune staff
7:53 a.m.: Getting COVID-19 tests for kids can be difficult, but schools often require them. ‘It really puts parents in a tricky position.’
For months, many Illinois parents have struggled to get the COVID-19 tests schools and day cares may require before a child can return after illness. They often face confusing obstacles and requirements: Many pediatricians won’t test kids for COVID-19, some testing sites have age restrictions and some day cares and schools only accept certain kinds of tests.
The situation has gotten worse amid the current COVID-19 surge in Illinois, which in many cases has lengthened wait times for testing. At a time when many parents are working from home or worried about keeping their jobs, the challenges surrounding testing adds another level of stress.
Read more here. —Lisa Schencker
7 a.m.: Illinois under Tier 3 mitigation as COVID-19 cases continue surge
The recent surge in coronavirus cases statewide has caused Illinois to move back into harsher coronavirus restrictions Friday.
The state now is under Tier 3 mitigation regulations designed to slow the spread of COVID-19.
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The measures close most businesses and public places designed for people to congregate, such as theaters, museums and banquet halls, as well as banning indoor dining and closing bars except for outdoor service. The rules limit at-home gatherings to household members, decrease legal capacity at retail stores, personal care service businesses like salons and health and fitness centers.
The crackdown comes as the country sees an explosion in COVID-19 cases and a return to high numbers of deaths, with Illinois well above the number of daily known cases seen in the spring and coming close to the number of daily deaths seen in the pandemic’s first wave.
—Chicago Tribune staff
6:15 a.m.: Pfizer seeking emergency use of COVID-19 vaccine, which could bring first batch of shots to public by December
Pfizer said Friday it is asking U.S. regulators to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine, starting the clock on a process that could bring limited first shots as early as next month and eventually an end to the pandemic — but not until after a long, hard winter.
The action comes days after Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech announced that its vaccine appears 95% effective at preventing mild to severe COVID-19 disease in a large and ongoing study.
The companies said that protection plus a good safety record means the vaccine should qualify for emergency use authorization, something the Food and Drug Administration can grant before the final testing is fully complete. In addition to Friday’s FDA submission, they have already started “rolling” applications in Europe and the U.K. and intend to submit similar information soon.
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“Our work to deliver a safe and effective vaccine has never been more urgent,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement.
Read more here. —Associated Press
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chicagotribune--2020-11-21--Chicago airports are expected to handle 60%-70% fewer travelers this Thanksgiving, but there’ll stil

Chicago airports are expected to handle 60%-70% fewer travelers this Thanksgiving, but there’ll still be crowds and precautions to take

“ Knowing that , in the plane , I have to sit next to someone makes me uncomfortable , ” @ @ @ @ @ who was headed back to Tampa , Florida , after undergoing dialysis care training here @ @ @ @ @ my best to make no contact , have my mask on all the time and @ @ @ @ @ … If I didn ’ t have to travel for work , I wouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ .
Don ’ t travel for fun , this is not the season to travel @ @ @ @

Kelli Smith, Laura Rodríguez Presa, Robert Channick

Dayanara Reyes arrived at O’Hare International Airport Friday, ready to brave the crowds and the pandemic.
She wore a double mask, wiped everything she touched and tried to keep her distance from people as the airport entered one of its busiest times of the year.
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“Knowing that, in the plane, I have to sit next to someone makes me uncomfortable,” said Reyes, 27, who was headed back to Tampa, Florida, after undergoing dialysis care training here. “But I do my best to make no contact, have my mask on all the time and keep my hands to myself … If I didn’t have to travel for work, I wouldn’t do it at all. Don’t travel for fun, this is not the season to travel for fun.”
Easter Coleman couldn’t even get aboard her international flight on United Airlines. She was told she could not get on the plane unless she had a negative COVID-19 test within seven days of her flight. She plans to reschedule but was frantic because “I can’t find a place (to be tested), so now I’m stuck here. This is crazy.”
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Travelers make their way through Terminal 1 at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Nov. 20, 2020. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Earlier in the day, lines formed at security checkpoints, some people standing close to one another without masks, despite signs urging people to wear them and practice social distancing.
Chicago Department of Aviation spokesman Matt McGrath said pre-Thanksgiving traffic at the airport was about 50% of normal, but with reductions in the number of flights, there have been brief logjams. “There will be flashes where it looks extraordinarily crowded,” he said. “And then for the next two, three, four hours, there’s nobody there.”
The crowds of passengers moving through O’Hare and Midway next week are expected to be 60%-70% smaller than last year, and flight operations down 35%-45%.
McGrath said there are floor decals and public address announcements made throughout the day at the airport reminding travelers to wear required masks and maintain social distancing. Also, more than 50 workers at the two airports have volunteered as “social distancing ambassadors” to urge compliance with pandemic precautions.
“We take this very seriously,” he said. “We make every effort to encourage social distancing.”
Experts say the number of Americans traveling this year for Thanksgiving will be the smallest in four years. AAA predicts about 50.6 million Americans plan to travel for Thanksgiving between next Wednesday and the following Sunday, a decrease of 5.5 million from 2019 estimates.
In Illinois, about 2.5 million residents are projected to travel for the holiday, according to estimates by AAA. That’s the lowest since 2014, when models showed about 2.4 million people in the state were expected to travel.
“With everything changing — if not daily, possibly hourly — we are projecting the numbers will be lower than what we did report, especially here in Illinois with shelter in and other states doing the same thing,” said Molly Hart, a spokesperson for AAA.
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The organization projects only about 122,000 Illinois residents plan to travel by plane, meaning about 95% of travelers are expected to hit the road. The same goes for the nation, with forecasts showing about 2.4 million Americans traveling by plane.
“Many, many people are doing the wait-and-see approach to travel instead of thinking about it three weeks or a month or more out in advance,” Hart said. “With Thanksgiving, and COVID-19 cases on the rise, people are definitely thinking twice.”
kelsmith@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @KelliSmithNews


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--The Spin: Pritzker’s new coronavirus restrictions take effect today | Chicago alderman’s office vand

The Spin: Pritzker’s new coronavirus restrictions take effect today | Chicago alderman’s office vandalized again | Limited recount begins in Wisconsin, as Michigan lawmakers head to D.C. meeting with Trump

Dr. Kyle Ross hands a used COVID-19 test through the window of the RV at the rapid-testing location set up @ @ @ @ @ First Presbyterian Church on Nov. 18 , 2020 in River Forest .
Event Medical Solutions @ @ @ @ @ operation that allows testers the ability to get their tests back within an hour or @ @ @ @ @ .

Dr. Kyle Ross hands a used COVID-19 test through the window of the RV at the rapid-testing location set up in the parking lot of First Presbyterian Church on Nov. 18, 2020 in River Forest. Event Medical Solutions is operating a mobile rapid-testing operation that allows testers the ability to get their tests back within an hour or two, and sometimes faster. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
New coronavirus restrictions took effect today in Illinois, as the state announced 13,012 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and 126 additional fatalities, bringing the total number of known infections in Illinois to 634,395 and the statewide death toll to 11,304 since the start of the pandemic.
Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez’s 15th Ward office in the Brighton Park neighborhood was vandalized for a third time this year.
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And, a recount in two Wisconsin counties — home to Milwaukee and Madison — started today as Republican lawmakers from the neighboring battleground state of Michigan were in Washington, D.C., today to meet with President Donald Trump.
Welcome to The Spin.
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Marisa Massey of Elmwood Park grimaces as Dr. Kyle Ross gives her a COVID-19 test at the rapid-testing location set up in the parking lot of First Presbyterian Church on Nov. 18, 2020 in River Forest. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
With the coronavirus surging across Illinois, as in the rest of the country, Gov. J.B. Pritzker imposed new restrictions aimed at curbing the disease’s spread. For a closer look at what’s included in the new restrictions that took effect today, you can find a breakdown from the Tribune’s Kori Rumore here.
At his daily COVID-19 briefing today, Pritzker noted the “increasingly dangerous situation across the state” and said there’s still time to reverse course in time for the upcoming holidays.
“We can potentially pull back on these mitigations for everyone before the December holidays,” Pritzker said.
A still photograph from surveillance video showing what Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th, says is a third attack this year on his ward office. (Surveillance photo via Ald. Raymond Lopez)
From the Tribune’s Laura Rodríguez Presa: “A Southwest Side alderman reported vandalism against his ward office for the third time this year late Thursday, on top of an attack on his home this summer.
“This time, a group was caught on camera breaking a window of Ald. Raymond Lopez’s 15th Ward office in the Brighton Park neighborhood.
“Lopez posted a surveillance video of the attack on Twitter and called on the public to help identify the people who are shown running away after throwing bricks at the office, 2736 W. 47th St.
“Though he said he is uncertain of the reason for the attack, Ald. Lopez believes it is gang-related and the attackers were seeking to retaliate for his efforts to target troubled buildings and a recent arrest of a local gang leader.” Read the rest of the story here.
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Recount observers watch ballots during a Milwaukee hand recount of presidential votes at the Wisconsin Center on Nov. 20, 2020, in Milwaukee. The recount of the presidential election in Wisconsin’s two most heavily Democratic counties began Friday with President Donald Trump’s campaign seeking to discard tens of thousands of absentee ballots that it alleged should not have been counted. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
From The Associated Press: “Wisconsin on Friday will begin recounts of the presidential race in the state’s two biggest and most Democratic counties. It’s a long-shot bid by President Donald Trump — who paid a required $3 million fee — to undo Joe Biden’s victory.
“Trump, who lost by more than 20,600 votes in Wisconsin, has alleged ‘mistakes and fraud’ in the two counties, though he has produced no evidence to back up his claims.” Read more about what’s going on here.
* Barack Obama debunks Trump’s conspiracy theories on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’
* Georgia certifies vote, ‘numbers don’t lie’: Track progress in key battleground states.
* Political parties can caucus despite health concerns during pandemic, judges rule — Read The Daily Southtown’s Ted Slowik’s column about it here.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the briefing room of the White House in Washington on Nov. 20, 2020, on prescription drug prices. (Susan Walsh/AP)
From The Associated Press: “Michigan state legislators headed to the White House on Friday as President Donald Trump made an extraordinary and sure-to-be futile attempt to block Joe Biden’s victory in the battleground state and subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election.
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“The state has yet to certify its results for Biden, who won Michigan by more than 154,000 votes, according to unofficial results. Trump and his allies have been trying to convince judges and lawmakers in the state to set aside the popular vote and swap in Republican-chosen electors.
“The president personally called two county canvass board officials earlier this week who had refused to certify the results in Wayne County, the state’s most populous county and one that overwhelmingly favored Biden. The two GOP officials eventually agreed to certify the results, but following Trump’s call, they later said they had second thoughts.
“Then Trump invited Republican state legislators to Washington. As he departed Detroit for Washington on Friday morning, state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey was swarmed by activists bearing signs that read: ‘Respect the Vote’ and ‘Protect Democracy.’ House Speaker Lee Chatfield was also headed to D.C., as were at least two other GOP leaders.
“‘What this president is doing unconscionable,’ said former Bush administration official Christine Todd Whitman. ‘It is unacceptable. It’s un-American and it’s a dereliction of his duty.’” Find out more here.
Coffee cover Thanksgiving turkey, prepared and styled by Shannon Kinsella, in the test kitchen on Oct. 31, 2019. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Joe Gray: “With a week until the big event, organization is key at this point. So here, in one place, are all of our Thanksgiving recipe offerings this year, plus a host of ideas from our colleagues at The Daily Meal, and a few essentials from previous Thanksgivings.
“We’ve got turkey recipes a plenty, a cornucopia of sides and tons of tips — including carving the bird, whipping potatoes and making gravy.” Read it all here.
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Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--COVID-19 death toll in Illinois again above 100 as 7-day average rises to 115

“ If we all stay home as much as possible , if we all avoid the trips outside the house @ @ @ @ @ need to take right now , we can fight this recent surge and turn things @ @ @ @ @ workers and hospital systems who are facing an increasingly dangerous situation across the state , @ @ @ @ @ said at his daily coronavirus briefing in Chicago .
“ And we can potentially pull @ @ @ @ @ everyone before the December holidays .
”

CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
The seven-day average for deaths of people with COVID-19 in Illinois has risen to 115, more than double where it stood two weeks ago, as the entire state moves into another phase of tightened restrictions meant to stem the pandemic’s strong fall resurgence.
State public health officials reported 126 additional deaths on Friday, a triple-digit death toll for the third consecutive day. The latest fatalities raise the statewide death toll to 11,304.
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“If we all stay home as much as possible, if we all avoid the trips outside the house that we don’t need to take right now, we can fight this recent surge and turn things around for our health care workers and hospital systems who are facing an increasingly dangerous situation across the state,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at his daily coronavirus briefing in Chicago. “And we can potentially pull back on these mitigations for everyone before the December holidays.”
New restrictions taking effect Friday include reduced crowd limits at most retail stores and the shutdown of many public places including casinos and museums.
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More than 6,000 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state for the second straight day, which is up more than 60% from a month earlier when 2,261 people were hospitalized with COVID-19. As of Thursday night, 6,111 people were reported to be in the hospital with the illness, well above the spring high of 5,037, recorded on April 28.
Nearly 1,200 of the hospitalized patients were in intensive care units as of Thursday, and 604 were on ventilators.
State officials continue to sound the alarm about the potential for the fall coronavirus resurgence to overwhelm hospitals. Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said some hospitals in the state over the past month have reported full emergency rooms or bed availability issues and the state agency is helping to coordinate “so that an ambulance is not taken to that hospital where there are already issues with beds.”
“There have been situations where the (emergency department) was full and they haven’t been able to move the patients from the E.D. to a bed because there’s not an available bed,” Ezike said, without providing the names of hospitals where this has occurred.
“So those requests have been made in many an occasion in the last month or so, so I think we have had to grant that in some situations. I can’t tell you the names now but I think many requests have been made and then we’ve tried to figure out when we just really had to, because that obviously increases transport time for ambulances.”
When hospitals are nearing reaching capacity, “what they’re looking to do is find out is there a way to take people who are in a less acute condition and perhaps move them to another facility, to another hospital, or to divert folks who might otherwise come to that hospital before they ever enter a hospital to go to another hospital,” Pritzker said.
The state on Friday also reported 13,012 newly confirmed and probable cases, raising the tally to 634,395 known and probable cases over the course of the pandemic.
The state also logged another daily testing high, with 116,024 tests reported Friday from the previous 24 hours. Nearly 9.6 million tests have been conducted in the state to date.
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The seven-day statewide positivity rate for cases as a share of total tests conducted was 11.5% for the period that ended Thursday, which has leveled out over the past week after weeks of steady growth.
jmunks@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--Kyle Rittenhouse freed from Kenosha jail after attorneys post $2 million bail despite pleas from fam

Kyle Rittenhouse freed from Kenosha jail after attorneys post $2 million bail despite pleas from families of men he shot

Anthony Huber ’ s father , John Huber , attended the hearing earlier this month and suggested a bail amount @ @ @ @ @ million .
He called Rittenhouse ’ s self-defense argument “ impossible ” and described his @ @ @ @ @ ” who tried to stop the teen .
He argued Rittenhouse might flee if released @ @ @ @ @ attorneys have said he will not and denied he poses any threat to the public @

Kyle Rittenhouse, center, walks into the courtroom with attorney Corey Chirafisi for a motion hearing in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sept. 17, 2021. (Sean Krajacic/The Kenosha News )
Kyle Rittenhouse was released from jail in Wisconsin on Friday afternoon after his attorneys posted $2 million bail, setting the teenager free as he awaits trial for fatally shooting two men and wounding a third during summer protests in Kenosha, police said.
His release came over the objections of family members and lawyers for two of the men he shot. They had asked for higher bail and voiced concerns Rittenhouse would flee, which his lawyers have said he would not.
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The 17-year-old’s release was funded by donations sought by his attorneys, who appealed to the political right, where Rittenhouse is popular. Those lawyers also are seeking to overturn Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
An attorney set up the payment and then a private security detail transported him from the jail about 2 p.m. Friday, according to Sgt. David Wright of the Kenosha County sheriff’s department.
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One of Rittenhouse’s lawyers, John M. Pierce, said previously that the bail money would come entirely from funds raised by a nonprofit that champions conservative causes led by another of the teen’s attorneys, L. Lin Wood. In a tweet Friday celebrating Rittenhouse’s release, Wood thanked actor Ricky Schroder and a Minnesota businessman allied with President Donald Trump for “putting us over the top.”
Pierce could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.
Rittenhouse spent the last 2 ½ months in custody on a murder charge and other counts stemming from his shooting of three men with an AR-15-style rifle during protests Aug. 25. The chaotic demonstrations followed white police Officer Rusten Sheskey’s shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, days earlier.
Rittenhouse fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26. A third man, Gaige Grosskreutz, who prosecutors have said was armed with a handgun, survived being shot in the arm. Rittenhouse’s attorneys have argued he shot all the men in self-defense.
Grosskreutz’s lawyer, Kimberley Motley, said she was disappointed that Rittenhouse bailed out, and she cited the seriousness of the charges and her belief that he might flee. She had argued at a recent online court hearing that his bail should have been $4 million.
“Two people died. My client nearly died and nearly lost his arm due to Rittenhouse’s reckless behavior,” she said. “I do believe that (Rittenhouse) is a danger to the public.”
Anthony Huber’s father, John Huber, attended the hearing earlier this month and suggested a bail amount as high as $10 million. He called Rittenhouse’s self-defense argument “impossible” and described his son as a “hero” who tried to stop the teen. He argued Rittenhouse might flee if released; the teen’s attorneys have said he will not and denied he poses any threat to the public.
Prosecutors asked for a bail figure of $2 million — matching the amount a judge previously had set — while one of Rittenhouse’s attorneys asked for a bail of $750,000.
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Court Commissioner Loren Keating cited the “incredibly serious charges” as he found Rittenhouse would be a flight risk and set bail at $2 million. In Illinois, detainees generally need to pay 10% of their bail amount to be released, but the rules are different in Wisconsin and Rittenhouse’s allies had to pay the full sum.
Prosecutors also have charged Rittenhouse’s friend Dominick Black with illegally providing the rifle to the teen. Videos released Thursday showed that Rittenhouse’s older sister, Faith, and Black told police that the family discussed the possibility of the teen fleeing or hiding after the shooting but he wanted to turn himself in to Antioch police, which he did.
It is unclear where the teen will live pending trial. He previously lived with his mother, Wendy Rittenhouse, in Antioch, but she moved to an undisclosed location after the shootings and has cited threats to her safety.
The next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 3.
Rittenhouse’s case has been a popular cause on the political right, and his lawyers have been seeking donations for his legal defense since shortly after he was charged.
Wendy Rittenhouse has made media appearances in recent weeks and asked for donations for bail. Meanwhile, attorneys Pierce and Wood have used their Twitter accounts to call for donations for Rittenhouse’s bail while also touting other conservative messages, including the false claim that President Donald Trump won reelection. Pierce, for example, tweeted, “This was a completely rigged election. So obvious it blows the mind.”
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For his part, Wood — the chairman of the nonprofit that has led the fundraising effort for Rittenhouse — on Friday tweeted, “President Trump will NEVER concede to Joey ‘Bribes’ Biden. President Trump won reelection by a landslide. Biden cheated. Biden is a traitor.”
Wood also has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent the certification of the 2020 election results in Georgia, where he lives. A judge on Thursday rejected Wood’s motion to stop certification, saying the outcome the lawyer sought “has no basis in fact or law.” Wood vowed to appeal. On Friday, Georgia certified Biden’s victory in the state.
Wood’s Twitter biography contains a hashtag popular with followers of QAnon, a right-wing conspiracy theory positing that top Democrats, among others, are Satan-worshiping pedophiles. He tweeted in late August that despite his use of the hashtag he is not a conspiracy theorist.
Last weekend, a chant of “break out Kyle” erupted at pro-Trump demonstrations in Washington that involved extremist groups including the Proud Boys.
Beyond the main legal defense fund, two other organizations — one that supports gun rights and another that backs militias — have given Wendy Rittenhouse about $100,000 total, Pierce has said. She’s using the money to pay bills while on leave from her job, he said.


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--Illinois AG secures $370K for community health in Little Village after smokestack demolition, but so

Illinois AG secures $370K for community health in Little Village after smokestack demolition, but some say it’s not enough

About half of Little Village ’ s residents are uninsured and some are living in the country without legal permission @ @ @ @ @ state could have directed the use of the funds from the settlement to test residents @ @ @ @ @ said .

The Crawford Coal Plant in Little Village after the chimney demolition, May 14, 2020. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune)
After a demolition at a former coal-fired power plant caused a thick cloud of dust to blanket the Little Village neighborhood in April, the site’s developer and its contractors have agreed to pay $370,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the state.
Northbroook-based Hilco Redevelopment Partners will pay the bulk of the funds under a settlement announced Thursday with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. The funds will go to Access Community Health Network’s Little Village health center to help address long-term health concerns in the community, including asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure.
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But some in the community say it’s not enough.
Dr. Howard Ehrman, co-founder of Mi Villita, a neighborhood organization in Little Village focused on informing residents about development projects, said the amount Hilco agreed to was “chump change,” and more could have been done to ensure the needs of the community were met after the demolition.
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On April 11, Hilco demolished a 378-foot smokestack on the property that caused a dust cloud to blanket the area as hundreds of Little Village residents sheltered at home to quell the spread of the novel coronavirus. The settlement resolves a May 5 lawsuit Raoul filed in Cook County Circuit Court alleging Hilco and its contractors violated the state’s air pollution laws with the demolition.
Ehrman, 73, who lives about a half a mile from the site, said he woke up the morning of the demolition to a “huge thunderous noise.”
Ehrman, who served as assistant commissioner of health under former Mayor Harold Washington, said he rode his bike to check out the scene, but had to go back home because the dust made it hard to see.
Kimberly Ramirez-Mercado, left, with wife Kathryn Ramirez-Mercado collect soil samples around their house on Harding Avenue in Little Village, with the former Crawford Power Generating Station in the background. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
“Thousands of people who live four blocks (away from the site) got exposed. We don’t know what the consequences are. We haven’t done an epidemiological study,” Ehrman said about the need to conduct a study on the long-term effects.
About half of Little Village’s residents are uninsured and some are living in the country without legal permission, he said. The state could have directed the use of the funds from the settlement to test residents’ respiratory function, he said.
Hilco Redevelopment Partners is required to pay $250,000 under the settlement. Subcontractors MCM Management and Controlled Demolition will pay $60,000 each. The settlement also requires Hilco and its contractors to comply with dust mitigation plans for the remainder of the demolition project.
Edith Tovar, a community organizer for Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, said no amount of money offered in a settlement could change the trauma and damage caused to the community. Tovar said parts of Chicago’s Pilsen and North Lawndale neighborhoods were also affected.
“It’s hard to explain to Hilco and the city of Chicago that Little Village residents weren’t the only ones impacted. Air is not stagnant. Air travels. It doesn’t stay in one place,” she said.
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The demolition occurred at a time when many hospitals were dealing with COVID-19 patients. Almost all emergency room patient visits from April 11-13 at Mount Sinai Hospital in the nearby Douglas Park neighborhorhood were attributed to respiratory issues, spokesman Dan Regan said via email.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot in April called the demolition “utterly unacceptable.”
Little Village leaders and some aldermen called on Lightfoot to strip Hilco of its $19.7 million in tax subsidies after the demolition. Last month, City Council approved an ordinance that would take away tax incentives in the future from developers who fail to comply with environmental rules and other city regulations.
The ordinance is not retroactive and won’t affect Hilco, Tovar said.
The demolition is part of a $100 million project that will redevelop the former Crawford Power Generating Station, which has been shuttered since 2012 after a push by activists, into a 1.06-million-square-foot warehouse.
Hilco nor its subcontractors responded to requests for comment.
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abjimenez@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @abdel1019


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--Chicago adding COVID-19 testing facilities at O’Hare and Midway airports next month

“ We ’ re hearing travelers tell us they ’ re trying to get the test to fly to Costa @ @ @ @ @ s not easy to get an appointment if you ’ re asymptomatic , ” Ritter @ @ @ @ @ will be limited to travelers and employees , who will be able to make that @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re not ill .
”

The Chicago Department of Aviation is planning to add COVID-19 testing facilities at O’Hare and Midway airports by next month for travelers and employees.
The city announced a request for proposals Friday for drive-up and walk-up facilities, with both the rapid and PCR tests offered. The tests are not free but should be covered by insurance.
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“We believe it will be the most comprehensive testing system of any airports in the U.S.,” Chicago Department of Aviation spokesman Matt McGrath said.
Many international destinations and some domestic ones, including Hawaii and Alaska, require a negative PCR test result, which may take up to 72 hours to receive. Rapid test results should be available within 20 minutes.
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The three major New York airports — LaGuardia, Newark and JFK — all offer COVID-19 testing along with a patchwork of other airports across the country.
Amber Ritter, chief commercial officer at the Department of Aviation, said one reason to provide testing at airports is the difficulty some asymptomatic travelers have lining one up.
“We’re hearing travelers tell us they’re trying to get the test to fly to Costa Rica, but it’s not easy to get an appointment if you’re asymptomatic,” Ritter said. “These tests will be limited to travelers and employees, who will be able to make that appointment, even though hopefully they’re not ill.”
The airport testing will also provide “peace of mind” when people are traveling to visit loved ones, Ritter said.
At O’Hare International Airport, the plan calls for a drive-up testing site in a remote parking lot on the northeast side of the airport, and a pre-security walk-up site “easily accessible” by foot from the terminals.
As COVID-19 cases surge within the city, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Department of Public Health announced plans to open a community-based testing site at a Midway Airport parking lot on Tuesday, but the Aviation Department is looking to add a walk-up site within the terminal, McGrath said.
[ Officials want you to stay home for the holidays. Still traveling? Here’s what to expect. ]
The three new testing sites will be limited to travelers and airport employees, with proof of air travel or employment required.
The maximum price providers can charge is $150 per test, which will either be billed to the customer or through insurance, if covered. The city will be paid $2 for every test, Ritter said.
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The sites will be temporary facilities, with a service contract for no more than one year. Ritter said potential applicants may range from traditional medical providers to drugstore chains to companies set up specifically to provide airport COVID-19 testing.
The city will also promote the testing opportunity among diverse communities, Ritter said.
All of the applicants that meet the threshold requirements will qualify for a lottery, with one company chosen at random to provide the testing service at both airports.
The due date for testing facility proposals is Nov. 30.
rchannick@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--Coronavirus at Illinois long-term care facilities: 43,233 confirmed cases and 5,782 deaths

The Illinois Department of Public Health is releasing information on COVID-19 tied to long-term care facilities in Illinois .
The @ @ @ @ @ at 1,261 long-term care facilities in 89 counties .
Of those , 832 facilities have @ @ @ @ @ , defined as a positive test result in the past 28 days .
In all @ @ @ @ @ be tied to long-term care facilities , with 5,782 deaths , as of Nov. 20 @

The Illinois Department of Public Health is releasing information on COVID-19 tied to long-term care facilities in Illinois. The data shows outbreaks have occurred at long-term care facilities in 94 counties. Of those, 1,003 facilities have an “active” outbreak, defined as a positive test result in the past 28 days. In all, 71,103 confirmed cases can be tied to long-term care facilities, with 9,263 deaths, as of Jan. 22.


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--Alabama man arrested in 1987 killing of Rockford woman, 19, whose body was found in forest preserve

Alabama man arrested in 1987 killing of Rockford woman, 19, whose body was found in forest preserve a year later

“ This murder investigation was never cold , as some may have called it , but there were leads that @ @ @ @ @ on by law enforcement , and they did that , ” Hite Ross told the @ @ @ @ @ They were relentless in following up on these leads .
”

An Alabama man has been arrested in the 1987 killing of a 19-year-old northern Illinois woman following his indictment by a grand jury on first-degree murder charges.
Jesse Smith Jr., 64, was arrested Thursday in Albany, Georgia, in the killing of Tammy Tracey, a Rockford resident who vanished in May 1987 after going to a park to wax her car.
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Tracey’s skeletal remains were found in April 1988 at the Sugar River Forest Preserve. An autopsy found that she had been fatally shot and also suffered a stab wound that contributed to her death.
Tracey was last seen May 27, 1987. Her car was found abandoned near the west entrance of Searles Memorial Park in northwest Rockford.
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Smith was indicted Wednesday by a Winnebago County grand jury. He was being held Friday at the Dougherty County Jail in Albany, Georgia, on a $5 million bond, awaiting extradition to Winnebago County.
It was not immediately clear if he has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
Smith is a resident of Tuscumbia, Alabama, said Rita Bravo, an executive assistant for Winnebago County State’s Attorney Marilyn Hite Ross.
Hite Ross said Thursday that Smith was an associate of Tracey’s family and lived in the Rockford area at the time of her death. She did not elaborate on their relationship, except for saying “they were not strangers.”
“This murder investigation was never cold, as some may have called it, but there were leads that needed to be followed up on by law enforcement, and they did that,” Hite Ross told the Rockford Register Star. “They were relentless in following up on these leads.”
The details of the case against Smith have not yet been released to the public, but his grand jury indictment alleges that he kidnapped and robbed Tracey and shot and stabbed her.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Rockford Police Chief Dan O’Shea, adding that the Tracey family can now get closure 33 years after their loved one’s killing as the case moves through the court.


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--Georgia certifies vote, ‘numbers don’t lie’: Track progress in key battleground states.

Each state has laws that set the deadline and process for the results to be certified .
This process takes @ @ @ @ @ the state level .
Those deadlines in key battleground states are underway .

The battle over the results of the 2020 election has brought new attention to an important but often-overlooked part of the U.S. election process: certification of the results.
Each state has laws that set the deadline and process for the results to be certified. This process takes place locally and eventually at the state level. Those deadlines in key battleground states are underway.
Here is where the race stands in the battleground states — and the deadlines for certification. This also lists whether a state has a law to prevent electors casting electoral votes for a party other than the one that nominated them.
How the Electoral College process unfolds
Nov. 3: Election Day
Dec. 8: Deadline for states to resolve any issues over appointing electors
Dec. 14: Electors vote in their states
Dec. 23: Electoral votes and other documentation is received by president of the Senate
Jan. 6: Congress counts the votes in a joint session
Jan. 20: New president is inaugurated
More on the politics and the process
• Love it or hate it, here’s how the Electoral College came to be
• Here’s what will happen between Election Day and Inauguration Day
• ‘We are going to reclaim the United States’: President Trump, his lawyers and allies take frantic steps to overturn Joe Biden’s victory
• What if a state can’t agree which presidential candidate won? It’s happened before, and voters don’t necessarily get the final word.


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--Thanksgiving weather in Chicago: What to expect next week and the warmest, coldest, snowiest and wet

Thanksgiving weather in Chicago: What to expect next week and the warmest, coldest, snowiest and wettest since 1872

If you need to make some last-minute preparations for the holiday , however , then you might want to make @ @ @ @ @ with you Tuesday night into Wednesday .

Since Thanksgiving doesn’t occur on the same date each year, the temperature and precipitation values can vary dramatically.
Here’s a look back at the warmest, coldest, wettest and snowiest Thanksgiving holidays in Chicago, going back to 1872. Data is from the National Weather Service and was measured at the city’s official recording site, which has been O’Hare International Airport since Jan. 17, 1980. For almost a century prior to that, sites around downtown Chicago, the University of Chicago and Midway International Airport were used to gather definitive weather data.
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Warmest
Chicago experienced its warmest Thanksgiving on Nov. 24, 1966, when it was 69 degrees.
In 2022, the high was 54 degrees.
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Coldest
Chicago experienced its lowest low Thanksgiving temperature on Nov. 23, 1950, when it was -1 degrees.
In 2022, the low was 35 degrees.
Photos and story about the -1 degree low temperature on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, 1950. As published in the Nov. 24, 1950, edition of the Chicago Tribune. (Chicago Tribune Archives)
Wettest
Rain accumulating in more than 1 inch of precipitation has occurred once since 1872, according to the National Weather Service.
But at least a little bit of rain tends to fall on Thanksgiving — precipitation ranging from a trace to more than an inch has fallen in more than half of the almost 150 years on record.
Snowiest
Since 1872, snowfall of more than a trace has been recorded just 17 times on Thanksgiving.
A record snowfall of 3 inches fell at O’Hare airport on Nov. 27, 1980.
Chicago Tribune, Nov. 28, 1980. (Chicago Tribune Archives)
Sources: National Weather Service Chicago; Tribune archives and reporting


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--Charges upgraded to murder for Naperville-area woman charged with shooting her boyfriend

After the shooting , prosecutors say LaGrone contacted the other woman Manns had been dating through a video chat feature @ @ @ @ @ was on the floor in the background in what appeared to be a pool of @ @

DuPage County charges against Rosa Lagrone have been upgraded to first-degree murder in connection with the alleged Oct. 30 shooting of her boyfriend at her townhouse in unincorporated Naperville. (DuPage County sheriffs office / HANDOUT)
Charges were upgraded to first-degree murder for Rosa LaGrone, 34, in the death of her boyfriend at her townhouse in the 25W000 block of Keswick Lane in unincorporated Naperville last month, court records show.
LaGrone is accused of shooting her boyfriend, identified as Darnell Manns, 27, about 2:15 p.m. Oct. 30 during an argument over his relationship with another woman.
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Manns died three days later, and the DuPage County coroner’s office ruled his cause of death was a gunshot wound.
Paul Darrah, spokesman for the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, said charges against LaGrone were upgraded Thursday as a result of the coroner’s findings.
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Manns was shot once, and the bullet went through his arm and lodged in his spine, DuPage County Assistant State’s Attorney Mandy Meindl said during LaGrone’s bond hearing.
Prosecutors said LaGrone learned the day of the shooting that her boyfriend was having a relationship with another woman.
The couple argued over that relationship and Manns attempted to pack his bags to move out, Meindl said.
LaGrone told DuPage County sheriff’s investigators that her gun went off accidentally, she said.
After the shooting, prosecutors say LaGrone contacted the other woman Manns had been dating through a video chat feature on Facebook while her boyfriend was on the floor in the background in what appeared to be a pool of blood.
LaGrone also is facing charges of aggravated battery/discharge of a firearm and aggravated domestic battery.
subaker@tribpub.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--Watch live: Gov. J.B. Pritzker gives a COVID-19 update

Illinois Gov .
J.B. Pritzker will give an update on the state ’ s response to the coronavirus in a @ @ @ @ @ Get the latest updates on COVID-19 here .

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chicagotribune--2020-11-20--Former Portage official pleads guilty to conflict of interest charge, agrees to $56K restitution

“ While this case is not yet concluded , it is encouraging to see that the special prosecutor will not @ @ @ @ @ I am confident that the judge will issue a sentence that is fair and just @ @ @ @ @ he said .
“ Portage has work to do to rebuild trust with the citizens @ @ @ @ @ Rivas , Mayor ( Sue ) Lynch , and the Board of Works are working @ @ @ @ @ as possible with the City ’ s financial activity .
I am confident that their @ @ @ @ @ more trusted city government .
”

Former Portage Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham, shown during a 2019 city meeting, is expected to be sentenced Jan. 22 after pleading guilty to charges Friday. (Kyle Telechan / Post-Tribune)
Former Portage Clerk-Treasurer Christopher Stidham agreed during an online court hearing Friday to plead guilty to a felony charge of conflict of interest and pay almost $57,000 in restitution, much of that going back to the city.
Stidham, 37, of the 3900 block of Wingstem Drive, was charged in late February with official misconduct, also a felony, for allegedly hiring his then-girlfriend, whom he later married, as a contractor for bookkeeping and other services for the city that were never provided.
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A felony plea would force Stidham, an attorney, to give up his law license but under the terms of the proposed plea, his attorney, Paul Stracci, could argue for the judgment to be entered as a Class A misdemeanor at the time of sentencing.
Regardless, according to the proposed plea agreement, any sentence would be suspended and served as formal probation. The agreement also calls for Stidham to pay $56,564.55 in restitution, which includes the cost of a special audit performed by the State Board of Accounts and funds to be returned to the city of Portage. Restitution is due at or before the sentencing.
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City officials are looking forward to Portage receiving restitution and putting the matter behind them.
“It’s an unfortunate situation all around. Mr. Stidham needs to answer for his misconduct and the residents of Portage need to be made whole,” said city attorney Dan Whitten. “We are happy for the taxpayers of our city that this is coming to an end.”
Stidham is taking responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty to a felony charge and agreeing to pay restitution to the citizens of Portage, said City Councilman Collin Czilli, D-5th.
“While this case is not yet concluded, it is encouraging to see that the special prosecutor will not simply drop these charges. I am confident that the judge will issue a sentence that is fair and just for this circumstance,” he said. “Portage has work to do to rebuild trust with the citizens. Clerk-Treasurer (Nina) Rivas, Mayor (Sue) Lynch, and the Board of Works are working hard to be as transparent as possible with the City’s financial activity. I am confident that their work will result in a more trusted city government.”
The special audit revealed a slew of problems, including paying Rachel Glass, now Stidham’s wife, for bookkeeping services that were never done and not submitting invoices for her businesses to the Board of Works.
According to court documents filed Friday, between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2016, Stidham’s contracts with Glass “exceeded $250,000 and Stidham did not make a written disclosure” as required by state statute.
Stidham, during that time period, provided more than half of the support for Glass, and Stidham “knowingly or intentionally had a pecuniary interest” in a contract with Glass, documents said.
Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer took the matter under advisement and scheduled sentencing for 1:30 p.m. Jan. 22. That hearing, at the request of Stanley Levco, the special prosecutor in the case, will be held in person, though Clymer said it could move online depending on the status of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Friday’s hearing was held via the online platform Zoom. Stidham appeared with Stracci and co-counsel James Woods from their law office.
Levco said he preferred sentencing to be held in person but Stracci said he didn’t want the case “going on indefinitely,” though Stidham was willing to waive his right to be sentenced within 30 days.
“He’s anxious to get his life figured out. He’s also going to have disciplinary repercussions and what is that all going to mean,” Stracci said.
Clymer said he had to balance Stidham’s rights with concerns about COVID-19.
“I will balance COVID and court safety for court personal and everyone involved in the case,” he said. “At this point we don’t know how long COVID is going to last and Mr. Stidham has a right to be sentenced.”
Stidham, a Democrat, finished his second term as clerk-treasurer at the end of 2019. He ran unsuccessfully against Lynch in the spring primary that year for a spot on the general election ballot as a mayoral candidate.
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Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--Alderman’s ward office vandalized for 3rd time this year, 3 caught on video throwing bricks through

Alderman’s ward office vandalized for 3rd time this year, 3 caught on video throwing bricks through window

Someone threw a brick through the front window of an office at 2700 block of West 47th Street about 10:40 @ @ @ @ @ in a media notification .
The surveillance video Lopez released appears to show three young @ @ @ @ @ alderman ’ s office and throw something at the windows .
All appear to be @ @ @ @ @ , one in all-dark clothing , one in a dark hooded sweatshirt or jacket with @ @ @ @ @ the side and on the sleeves , with a light gray stripe on the sleeves @ @ @ @ @ dark pants and a light-blue sweatshirt or jacket .

A Southwest Side alderman reported vandalism against his ward office for the third time this year late Thursday, on top of an attack on his home this summer.
This time, a group was caught on camera breaking a window of Ald. Raymond Lopez’s 15th Ward office in the Brighton Park neighborhood.
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Lopez posted a surveillance video of the attack on Twitter and called on the public to help identify the people who are shown running away after throwing bricks at the office, 2736 W. 47th St.
Though he said he is uncertain of the reason for the attack, Ald. Lopez believes it is gang-related and the attackers were seeking to retaliate for his efforts to target troubled buildings and a recent arrest of a local gang leader.
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If you know who these criminals are, call my office. Your information with be kept confidential as we work with @ChicagoCAPS09 to hold them accountable. #EnoughIsEnough pic.twitter.com/t1jB7ZDcA1 — Ald. Raymond Lopez (@RLopez15thWard) November 20, 2020
“These gang members are desperate to keep the control in the neighborhood by any means and now they are feeling that they are feeling pressured, they’re trying to push me to the corner,” he said in a phone interview.
Someone threw a brick through the front window of an office at 2700 block of West 47th Street about 10:40 p.m. Thursday, police said in a media notification. The surveillance video Lopez released appears to show three young men come up to the alderman’s office and throw something at the windows. All appear to be wearing hooded sweatshirts and masks, one in all-dark clothing, one in a dark hooded sweatshirt or jacket with a large white stripe down the side and on the sleeves, with a light gray stripe on the sleeves, and the third in dark pants and a light-blue sweatshirt or jacket.
A witness saw three males running away from the scene, but police released no further description.
Lopez said that neighbors called the police after they heard loud noises and noticed unusual activity in the area.
In the summer, Lopez reported two other attacks to his ward office and one to his home, each time saying that gang members in the area intended to intimidate him for his work to dismantle them.
In the two previous attacks on his ward office, the windows were also shattered, costing an estimated $6,000 to repair, he said. Lopez also spent another $2,000 on damages to his home and his neighbors’ garage after it was set on fire by a group of males who also threw a brick in his front window.
Lopez, who represents parts of the Back of the Yards, Gage Park and West Englewood neighborhoods, has repeatedly said he has received threats from gang members through social media.
According to Lopez, all of the attacks follow the same pattern and he said that he is collaborating with the police to identify those responsible.
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Chicago police confirmed they are investigating.
Larodriguez@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--COVID-19 in Illinois by the numbers: Here’s a daily update on cases, positivity rate and hospital da

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

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 126 new deaths, 13,012 new confirmed and probable cases and 116,0

Daily Illinois coronavirus graphs: 126 new deaths, 13,012 new confirmed and probable cases and 116,024 new test results

Illinois announced 13,012 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 Friday for a total of 634,395 .
The state also @ @ @ @ @ a total of 11,304 and 116,024 new test results for a total of 9.59 million @

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


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--Secluding schoolchildren in isolated spaces would be illegal under a new federal bill, introduced on

Secluding schoolchildren in isolated spaces would be illegal under a new federal bill, introduced one year after Tribune/ProPublica Illinois investigation

ISBE investigated the district after a complaint last December by an occupational therapist at one of the schools .
The @ @ @ @ @ was restrained with a lap belt on several days during lunch , art and morning @ @ @ @ @ student and causing him or her to kick and hit .
The student also was @ @ @ @ @ the lap belt after throwing food .
The complaint was about that one student , @ @ @ @ @ restraints were used districtwide .

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, right, leaves the Capitol on Oct. 21, 2020, in Washington. He's the the Senate sponsor of the seclusion ban legislation. (Stefani Reynolds/Getty)
Congressional Democrats introduced legislation Thursday that would make it illegal to put students in seclusion and would limit the use of physical restraint in schools that receive federal funds.
The bill, called the Keeping All Students Safe Act, would enact a national ban on restraints that can restrict breathing, including prone restraint where students are held face down on the floor. Other restraints in the standing or seated positions could be used only when there is an immediate risk of serious physical harm.
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This story is a collaboration between the Tribune and ProPublica Illinois.
Under the bill, physical restraints could not be included as an option in written behavior and education plans for students with disabilities. That would further emphasize that restraints are to be used only in an emergency and when other efforts to work with children in crisis have failed.
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Seclusion, or confining students alone in a room or area they can’t leave, would be banned entirely on the grounds that it can be traumatic and isn’t helpful for a student in crisis.
The legislation was motivated by differences among rules at the state level, with some states placing few if any restrictions on seclusion and restraint and many providing no oversight, said Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., one of the bill’s sponsors in the House.
The Keeping All Students Safe Act (ProPublica illustration)
“A lot of the states do a terrible job of that. It’s been such a huge problem, it demands national standards,” Beyer said in an interview Thursday.
“The primary thing is there are other techniques that work just fine,” he added. “You don’t have to isolate them.”
The legislation comes one year to the day after ProPublica Illinois and the Tribune published an investigation, “The Quiet Rooms,” that found public schools throughout Illinois had put students in seclusion, isolated from their peers, every day for reasons that violated state law.
The investigation, cited by the lawmakers who introduced the legislation, also found that school employees sometimes physically restrained children not because there was an emergency but out of frustration or as punishment. Similar legislation has been passed in the House before but failed to gain support in the Senate.
New federal data, released last month, confirmed widespread use of seclusion and restraint in Illinois and across the country in 2017-18, the most recent year for which data was collected. In Illinois, school employees reported using seclusion or restraint at least 23,530 times on at least 5,197 students. Nationally, more than 100,000 students were subjected to the practices.
Other Midwestern states — Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Indiana — also stood out among the most frequent users of these interventions, according to an analysis of the federal data by the Tribune and ProPublica Illinois. Wisconsin secluded more students at school than any other state and was second only to Texas in the number of students restrained in the 2017-18 school year, the analysis shows.
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Most of the children who were restrained or secluded nationwide had disabilities. The data shows a disproportionate number of affected students were identified as Black and as boys.
Seclusion rooms are typically small and empty spaces, sometimes padded, that are meant to be used only in a safety emergency. Seclusion does not include times when a student chooses to take a break from class to calm down or go to a sensory room, a space with equipment and tools to help students regulate their emotions.
Disabilities advocates say putting children in seclusion rooms is inhumane and causes lasting trauma, though some school officials say they need the option to educate students with significant behavioral challenges. Some Republicans have opposed similar legislation in the past because they said states are better equipped to identify students’ and schools’ needs.
“No parent should have to send their child to school knowing that his or her child could be pinned down or locked in a closet by school staff,” said Annie Acosta, director of fiscal and family support policy for The Arc, which advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“A federal ban is needed to ensure that all students are protected, not just those who live in states that have some degree of protection. This is a civil rights issue that should not have any geographic boundaries.”
The legislation would require states to have enough school workers who are trained in state-approved programs that teach better ways to address crisis situations. It also would require that parents be notified the same day their child is restrained, followed by more detailed written notification and then a meeting within five days. States also would be required to report annually on their use of restraint.
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The law would allow students who are subjected to seclusion or restraint in a way that violates the law to file a civil lawsuit against the school or program. The U.S. Department of Education would be required to investigate complaints and withhold payments to schools found in violation. The department also could award grant funding to help schools reduce the use of seclusion and restraint.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., the Senate sponsor of the measure, called seclusion and restraint “inhumane” and sometimes fatal. He said the legislation would keep students safe “while providing school staff with alternatives to address disruptive behavior with evidence-based, trauma-informed, proactive strategies and the resources to put those alternatives into practice.”
In Illinois, after publication of “The Quiet Rooms,” the State Board of Education banned locking students in seclusion rooms and began requiring public and private schools to alert the state when they use the interventions. Illinois rules do not ban prone restraint, but the General Assembly plans to take up legislation in January that would prohibit it.
The federal legislation also would prohibit the use of mechanical and chemical restraints. Both already are outlawed in Illinois, but records obtained this week by ProPublica Illinois and the Tribune revealed how one suburban special education program still used mechanical restraints in a program for students with disabilities.
The Mount Prospect-based Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization, which operates several schools and programs for about 400 students, used lap belts to restrain students and restrict them from taking part in classroom activities, according to an Illinois State Board of Education investigation.
ISBE investigated the district after a complaint last December by an occupational therapist at one of the schools. The complaint alleged that a student was restrained with a lap belt on several days during lunch, art and morning circle time, upsetting the student and causing him or her to kick and hit. The student also was sent to timeout while in the lap belt after throwing food. The complaint was about that one student, but ISBE looked at how restraints were used districtwide.
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ISBE determined that there was no medical or therapeutic need for the district to use the lap belts and that they were “utilized as a behavioral restraint to promote attention to task.” The cooperative, known as NSSEO, denied to ISBE that it used lap belts to punish students or out of convenience, contending they were used to help students sit with therapeutic support, according to ISBE’s report.
The district superintendent did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NSSEO used physical restraint more often — 1,170 times — than any other district in Illinois during the 2017-18 school year, according to the new federal data.
Congressional efforts to ban seclusion have repeatedly stalled since 2009. Legislation was last introduced in 2018.
But “The Quiet Rooms” and the swift action Gov. J.B. Pritzker took to ban isolated, locked seclusion in Illinois the day after the story published put the issue in the national spotlight again, Beyer said.
Beyer said he believes this effort to ban seclusion will gain broad bipartisan support, both because of greater public awareness of the issue and because legislative staffers worked with school groups to find common ground in the bill’s language. He said he doesn’t expect the bill to be voted on during the current session but supporters will try to gather more sponsors and reintroduce it when lawmakers reconvene next year.
The legislation’s other sponsors are Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., chair of the House education and labor committee; Rep. Patty Murray, D-Wash.; and Rep. Donald McEachin, D-Va.
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Jodi S. Cohen is a reporter for ProPublica Illinois. Jennifer Smith Richards is a Tribune reporter.
jrichards@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--13-year-old gets 7-year juvenile prison sentence for vehicle thefts in Champaign-Urbana

State ’ s Attorney Julia Rietz told the court that after the first vehicle theft , the boy had been @ @ @ @ @ diversion program that would have kept him out of the juvenile justice system , but @ @ @ @ @

URBANA, Ill. — A 13-year-old central Illinois boy who admitted stealing five vehicles earlier this year has been sentenced to seven years in a juvenile prison after a judge rejected his pleas for another chance.
The Rantoul teen sobbed Wednesday as a Champaign County judge sentenced him for the vehicle thefts, which occurred in Champaign and Urbana between June and October, The News-Gazette reported. The boy had begged the judge for another chance to remain free.
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State’s Attorney Julia Rietz told the court that after the first vehicle theft, the boy had been given a chance at a diversion program that would have kept him out of the juvenile justice system, but he was arrested again.
The teen pleaded guilty to an August vehicle theft and was on home detention with an ankle monitor awaiting sentencing when he was arrested again the day before his sentencing hearing.
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After he was charged with two September vehicle thefts, he pleaded guilty to those and was again released on home detention with an ankle monitor pending sentencing. Rietz said the teen then committed the fifth vehicle burglary in October.
“This is extraordinarily frustrating because we started out with (the boy) to give him the opportunity to move forward positively,” she said.
Assistant Public Defender Matt Ham had asked for probation for the teen in the thefts.
But Champaign County Kudge Roger Webber called the boy a “serious danger to the public and property of others and to himself.”
“I know you are sorry, but there are consequences to your decisions,” Webber told the boy.


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--Thanksgiving and COVID-19: Rising cases force hard conversations among families, last-minute travel

Thanksgiving and COVID-19: Rising cases force hard conversations among families, last-minute travel changes

If he does go home , he would drive , but isn ’ t sure he ’ s up for @ @ @ @ @ car and 22 hours behind the wheel .
Still , it would be the first @ @ @ @ @ both Thanksgiving and Christmas away from home .

Travelers make their way through Terminal 1 at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Nov. 20, 2020 in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Erin Vickers didn’t want to be the only one not joining her family for Thanksgiving at her brother’s house in Virginia.
But as soon as Chicago’s stay-at-home advisory was announced, Vickers, 37, of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, emailed her family and told them she wouldn’t be making the flight. They were sad, but didn’t try to change her mind.
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No one has broached the topic of Christmas.
“To me, it’s too far away to be talking about. If it’s still like this, it will be tough,” she said.
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Erin Vickers outside her Chicago home, Nov. 19, 2020. Vickers decided not to fly to see family in Virginia after the stay-at-home advisory was announced. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Rising COVID-19 case counts and new warnings against travel and traditional Thanksgiving celebrations are forcing people to have tough conversations about whether it’s smart to gather. Some are reluctant to commit amid fast-changing conditions, leaving airlines and other travel companies to react to last-minute changes.
United Airlines’ bookings declined and cancellations increased during the past week as a result of the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, forcing the Chicago-based carrier Thursday to adjust its flying schedule for the fourth quarter. Southwest Airlines and American Airlines also said sales have slowed in recent weeks.
Airlines have worked to reassure wary customers by touting health and safety precautions and dropping change fees.
David Jeffery, 41, of Uptown, said airlines’ decision to drop change fees made him feel more comfortable booking a ticket.
“We felt like we had a bit more freedom in terms of what our choices were,” he said.
Jeffery and his partner, Mike Vance, originally planned to visit friends in Washington, D.C., before celebrating with Vance’s family in Virginia. After hearing about Chicago’s stay-at-home advisory and looking at data on COVID-19 cases, they decided to skip the visit with friends but will fly to Virginia to see Vance’s family.
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David Jeffery, left, and partner Mike Vance, seen Nov. 20, 2020 outside their Chicago home, are traveling for Thanksgiving to see family in Virginia. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
“They said you’re welcome to come but maybe flying, a hotel, friends and Amtrak isn’t the best idea,” Jeffery said.
Carla Benton, 33, of Edgewater, said some family members didn’t understand why she has been avoiding travel since the pandemic began, but were understanding when she said she wasn’t comfortable flying to Houston for Thanksgiving.
“I feel like I would rather let a year go by without seeing them than live with the knowledge of passing it on to a family member,” Benton said.
Despite smooth experiences earlier in the pandemic, some are hesitant to travel during the holidays because of the potential for crowds.
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Shavawnte Sullivan, 26, who lives in Washington D.C. and grew up in West Pullman, felt comfortable on a September flight that only had a dozen passengers but expects planes will be more crowded around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It wasn’t hard to tell his mom he won’t be home for Thanksgiving. He’s more worried about telling his grandmother he’s thinking about not coming home for her birthday, on Christmas Eve, either.
“It’s the only time of year we all get together,” Sullivan said.
If he does go home, he would drive, but isn’t sure he’s up for the cost of renting a car and 22 hours behind the wheel. Still, it would be the first time he’s spent both Thanksgiving and Christmas away from home.
“I’m a very indecisive person. I live alone, and as it gets closer I might want to go home,” he said.
Raj Gungaram holds on tight to his young son, Rishi Gungaram, as they walk through Terminal 1 at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Nov. 20, 2020 in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
Most people traveling for Thanksgiving are expected to drive, according to AAA. Airlines are still scheduling more flights during the peak holiday travel days, but far fewer than during the busiest days of the holiday period last year.
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The Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving are expected to be American Airlines’ two busiest travel days this holiday season, with more than 4,100 flights per day, down from 7,046 and 6,879 last year.
United expects the week of Thanksgiving to be its busiest since March, even though it anticipates seeing roughly half as many passengers as last year.
“We will continue to be nimble and flexible as we have been with our schedules throughout the pandemic by making the appropriate adjustment to our schedules as needed based on fluctuating demand trends,” spokesman Jonathan Guerin said in an email.
Average domestic airfares are expected to drop roughly 40% around Thanksgiving and Christmas because of lower demand, travel data firm Hopper said last month, and some travel companies are promoting last-minute deals.
“When change is the only constant, a last-minute hotel might be just what you need,” online travel agency Orbitz said in an email promotion.
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Airbnb has also seen people book stays closer to their arrival date and said more U.S. customers are booking entire homes over the holidays. While solo travel is down by nearly half compared with last Thanksgiving, bookings from groups of at least three are up, the company said earlier this month.
Some travelers have changed plans multiple times in search of the safest option. Libby Snyder, 29, of Lincoln Park, decided to book a rental car instead of her usual Thanksgiving flight months ago.
Earlier this month, as case numbers spiked in both Illinois and Kansas, where her family lives, even driving began to seem questionable. Her family had already scaled back plans for their Thanksgiving celebration, which typically includes 30 to 40 people.
When Snyder told her parents she was having doubts, they agreed to think it over for a few hours and talk again.
“We were all really upset. It’s not what I want to do,” she said. “It just came down to, I wouldn’t want to risk it to have this one Thanksgiving that isn’t even going to be that great and have something possibly happen.”
She got all but $50 of the money she spent on the rental car back. On Thanksgiving, she plans to make roasted chicken and pecan pie and eat with family over Zoom, while avoiding talk of Christmas.
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“I don’t think anyone is ready for that conversation yet,” she said.
lzumbach@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--Cafe Marie-Jeanne, the beloved Humboldt Park restaurant, closing Monday

It ’ s most famous dish was probably the duck frites , which featured crisp-skinned pieces of duck set atop @ @ @ @ @ , all bathed in ultra rich pan sauce .
Those in the know made sure @ @ @ @ @ make it even more delectable .
But that was just the beginning .
From enticing @ @ @ @ @ brains , Cafe Marie-Jeanne was always full of surprises .
It even had a phenomenal @ @ @ @ @

Customers line up outside Cafe Marie-Jeanne as they wait to order food on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020. The cafe's announcement that it is closing permanently Monday led to a long line all afternoon. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
Though we sadly should be getting used to restaurant closings in 2020, this one really hurts. Cafe Marie-Jeanne (1001 N. California Ave.), which is co-owned by the husband and wife team of Michael Simmons and Val Szafranski, made the announcement Thursday night on Instagram:
“Hi. We have to tell you. The string has run out for CMJ. We hung in as long as we could and it’s time to let go. Everything must end. WE WILL MISS YOU ALL!”
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In the message, they explained that they are planning to stay open until Monday. They urge fans to “come say hi, get one last cheeseburger, see what fun cmj classics we have on special, and make a deal on a bunch of wine.”
Co-owners Mike Simmons and Val Szafranski, pictured May 3, 2017, at Cafe Marie-Jeanne, have asked customers to visit before the restaurant's closing. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
The Humboldt Park restaurant filled its menu with French-influenced dishes, but it was the opposite of a stuffy, pretentious place. In his two-star review, Phil Vettel called the restaurant a “a neighborhood treasure.”
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Once news spread of the closing, crowds flocked to the restaurant, hoping to visit one last time. Lines stretched down the block, and Simmons had to shut down early on Friday because he ran out of food. “It’s really sweet and overwhelming,” said Simmons after another busy day on Saturday. “It made me think that people need to eat at their favorite restaurants like they are going out of business, because they are.”
But even with the rush of customers, Simmons notes that the restaurant still wouldn’t be able to break even. “If we were open six days a week and were as busy as we were today, it would still be a fraction of what we were doing with a dining room,” said Simmons. “Our model is sort of dependent on people sitting for a long time and ordering a bunch of little plates.”
Cafe Marie-Jeanne’s most famous dish was probably the duck frites, which featured crisp-skinned pieces of duck set atop a pile of crunchy fries, all bathed in ultra rich pan sauce. Those in the know made sure to add foie gras to make it even more delectable. But that was just the beginning. From enticing breakfast items to sauteed calf brains, Cafe Marie-Jeanne was always full of surprises. It even had a phenomenal and completely unique burger.
Since the pandemic hit, the restaurant had focused on its to-go offerings, refusing to open its dining room, because Simmons didn’t think it would be safe for his employees or customers. While he wishes that the government had provided more financial help to struggling restaurants, he’s not surprised that nothing came.
“It’s infuriating, but if I’m being honest, I can’t expect anything different with the people who run our country,” says Simmons. “Even big restaurants aren’t making it through this. We’re paying rent on this huge dining room that we don’t use. The rent isn’t stopping. We can’t continue to operate at that big of a loss without getting into bad trouble.”
nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-11-20--CTA to run holiday train and buses, but riders won’t be able to board because of COVID-19

“ Santa and his elves will stay socially distanced this holiday season , meaning that customers won ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ Holiday Train or the CTA Holiday Bus , ” according to the release .
“ @ @ @ @ @ Fleet will run along each rail line and multiple bus routes , spreading holiday cheer @ @ @ @ @

Santa Claus rides the Allstate Chicago Transit Authority Holiday Train as it runs on the Green Line in Chicago on Friday, Nov. 29, 2019. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)
The CTA will run its holiday train and buses, despite the coronavirus pandemic, but only Santa, his elves and CTA workers, not regular riders, will be able to board this year because of COVID-19 dangers, the transit agency announced Friday.
The holiday train will start making its runs Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving, the agency said in a news release Friday. Holiday buses will start moving through Chicago’s neighborhoods Dec. 1.
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“Santa and his elves will stay socially distanced this holiday season, meaning that customers won’t be able to board the CTA Holiday Train or the CTA Holiday Bus,” according to the release. “Instead, the CTA Holiday Fleet will run along each rail line and multiple bus routes, spreading holiday cheer across the city.”
The six-car holiday train will be “decorated with holiday scenes, thousands of sparkling lights and bright LED signage displays,” with Santa and his reindeer riding on a flatbed car in the middle of the train, according to the release.
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For more details, check the CTA’s website.