chicagotribune--2020-07-23--Disparities between Black and white students seen in CPS remote learning participation: ‘We are all

Disparities between Black and white students seen in CPS remote learning participation: ‘We are all disheartened to see the gap’

More long-term , however , the numbers were less promising .
Districtwide , only 13 % of students logged in @ @ @ @ @ week for 10 or more weeks of the remote learning period .
Once per week @ @ @ @ @ 36 % overall .
The figure was 17 % for students in temporary living situations @ @ @ @ @ learners and 28 % for students with special education plans .

As CPS debates whether to reopen schools like Orozco Academy in Pilsen, new data highlights how much students participated in remote learning after schools closed in March. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Participation in remote learning after the coronavirus pandemic closed Chicago Public Schools varied significantly for students with different learning needs or racial backgrounds, despite efforts to connect children citywide with computers and internet, according to data released Wednesday.
“I think we are all disheartened to see the gap between African American student participation and their white peers,” CPS CEO Janice Jackson said at Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting. “I think that begs for greater examination across the board, from the district level all the way down to the classroom level.”
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For the entirety of the remote learning period this spring, CPS was unable to make contact with 559 students, mostly elementary age. The district is missing data for an additional 405 students.
Overall, slightly more than half of students in grades one through 12 logged into a Google platform on any given day, according to CPS data.
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That measure represents “an approximation of attendance,” said CPS administrator Shannon Heston, who presented the data to the board. “It gets us started on talking about, what does attendance look like for next year?”
On average, during any one of the last six weeks of the school year, contact was reported with 85% of students — meaning 15% were not contacted that week, no change from early data released in May.
The new engagement data was released as CPS seeks public input on its draft plan to institute a hybrid of remote and in-person learning this fall. The Chicago Teachers Union and some parent advocacy groups are pushing for remote learning only.
Contact with students held fairly steady from mid-May to early June but dipped significantly after graduations started the week of June 7, down to 70% the last week of the school year — less than 52% among high schoolers. The school year formally ended June 18, the last of five days added to the calendar as makeup days for the October teachers strike.
A similar pattern occurred with Google activity, which peaked the week of May 17, the week before a report card day, when 62% of elementary students and 60% of high school students checked in at least three days.
And though the trends held true among students of all races, the equity gaps did not entirely close. During that most engaged week, 53% of African American students logged into Google at least three days, compared with 61% of Latino students, 69% of multiracial students, 70% of students of other races, and 75% of both white and Asian students.
“Even under normal circumstances, there are disparities that do exist,” Jackson said, adding that was true for many school districts nationwide. With variations in access to devices, the ability to hire tutors and parents’ education levels, equity is not something a school district will likely achieve in the middle of a pandemic, she said, but CPS is trying.
“Our approach has been to remove the barriers,” Jackson said, “try to institute as much normalcy as possible into other programs.”
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The challenges were greatest, however, for students in the district’s priority groups. During the peak engagement week, the three-day digital participation rate for students with special education plans was 50%, and the rate was 41% for students in temporary living situations and 57% for those considered English learners.
More long-term, however, the numbers were less promising. Districtwide, only 13% of students logged in at least three days per week for 10 or more weeks of the remote learning period. Once per week, that went up to 36% overall. The figure was 17% for students in temporary living situations, 38% for English learners and 28% for students with special education plans.
Students in grades four through eight were the most engaged, all logging three-day participation rates between 66% and 68% for five or more weeks, and 44% to 50% for eight or more weeks. But over time that shifted, with eighth graders falling below 3% for 10 or more weeks while fourth graders led the district at 24%.
By the end of the school year, digital access had improved, though the district changed how it classifies digital learners to include students who received computers from CPS in addition to those who logged activity on Google platforms. About 3% of students are still considered nondigital.
Students who did not participate digitally but completed paper work packets were not eligible for letter grades but were graded on a pass-incomplete system.
Nearly 1 out of every 5 high school grades in core classes was a “pass,” with close to 75% of grades ranging from A through D and about 5% incomplete, according to CPS data. That compares with 93.5% of passing letter grades and 6.5% failing grades during the prior year.
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At the elementary level, 10% of students got incompletes, while 89% got passing letter grades — down from 98% during the 2018-19 school year. Elementary final grades are cumulative, and students who completed packets for a “pass” during the fourth quarter could earn final grades based on an average of their marks during the first three quarters of the school year.
High school students without digital access were the most likely to need credit recovery such as summer school, with about 30% “incomplete” grades in reading and math. But at around 38% among both high school and elementary schools, the percentage of students who earned As was higher than last year.
A racial breakdown of high school grades in reading and math showed similar disparities in engagement data. White and Asian students earned the highest percentage of As, while African American and Latino students got the most “pass” and “incomplete” grades. Asian students, for example, scored As in math nearly 61% of the time, while that figure for African American students was about 24%. Among elementary students, the overall breakdown was similar.
Yet the data proved no added inequities as a result of the district’s controversial grading policy for remote learning, Jackson said.
“The grading data does dispel the myth that our grading policy disproportionately impacted students of color or in particular African American students,” she said.
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Though glad to see disparity wasn’t greater, Board of Education member Lucino Sotelo said Wednesday that he wondered if “the quality of the education was commensurate with those grades.”
While teachers were more plugged in than students, not all used Google platforms consistently. About 87% of elementary and 93% of high school teachers were active on the platforms at least three days per week for five or more weeks, but those figures dropped to 57% and 47% looking at 10 or more weeks.
While Google is the official CPS platform, some teachers used Zoom or other tools to connect with students.
hleone@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--The Spin: Lightfoot on Trump, ‘I think we understand each other’ |  Scene of Chicago mass shooting b

The Spin: Lightfoot on Trump, ‘I think we understand each other’ |  Scene of Chicago mass shooting becomes political stage | Feds subpoena AT&T as part of probe into Speaker Madigan, lobbying

Mark Curran , the former Lake County sheriff who ’ s challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin , called the @ @ @ @ @ and went on say that crime and politics have been interwoven for decades .
Saying @ @ @ @ @ owned the elected officials in Chicago , ” Curran suggested that “ today it ’ @ @ @ @ @ … ” before rattling off the names of a few other street gangs .
He @ @ @ @ @ standing on the floor of the U.S. Senate ” and saying “ he doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ send in any help with regards to the streets of Chicago.
” You can watch @ @ @ @ @ several candidates said expanding the police force was among the solutions to tamping down crime @ @ @

Mayor Lori Lighfoot takes off her face mask as she prepares to speak at a news conference at the University of Chicago's Harper Center on July 23, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
In a week when tensions flared again between the Republican boss in the White House and Democratic boss at Chicago City Hall, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Gov. J.B. Pritzker stood with President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette, Under Secretary of Energy Paul Dabbar at the University of Chicago. There, science leaders announced the DOE’s plan for “a new quantum internet infrastructure.”
It was all science and no politics. But earlier, Lightfoot was on MSNBC and offered a bit more about her phone call with Trump — one most everyone no doubt wishes we could have listened in on.
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The scene of a mass shooting on the South Side just days ago became a political backdrop today.
A group of Republican candidates in this November’s election, running for everything from U.S. Senate to seats in the Illinois General Assembly gathered to decry the violence. This afternoon, activists with the Black Community Collaborative were holding a rally at the site to demand African American elected leaders use their political muscle to “end the neglect of Black communities.” They pointed out in a statement that the mass shooting in the Gresham neighborhood “is but the latest example of rampant violence in predominantly Black communities.”
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Federal authorities on Friday announced that Commonwealth Edison had cut a deal in a federal bribery case alleging the utility giant improperly gave jobs and contracts to those close to powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Today, my Tribune colleagues report that AT&T was hit with a federal subpoena that same day in a widening criminal probe encircling Madigan’s political operation. Madigan also serves as the state’s Democratic Party chair.
And Illinois U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth is campaigning virtually today in Michigan for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. A reminder that Duckworth, of Hoffman Estates, is herself a candidate to be Biden’s running mate.
Welcome to The Spin.
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the White House on July 23, 2020, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP)
During an interview this morning on MSNBC, the mayor shared a bit more about her takeaway from the brief phone conversation she had with Trump last night.
“I think we understand each other, and I’ve drawn a very, very sharp line,” Lightfoot said during the interview. “We are not going to agree to or accept anything like what’s happening on the streets of Portland, Oregon,” where Department of Homeland of Security agents have been accused of hitting the streets in fatigues and no ID and rounding up protesters. “We’re not going to have unnamed federal agents patrolling our streets, pretending to be the police, sweeping people off and denying them of their constitutional rights. That is not going to happen in Chicago.”
Lightfoot’s take: “What I understand is these are going to be additional FBI, DEA and ATF agents who are going to be augmenting existing investigations around violent crime, managed — and this is a critical difference — managed by the U.S. attorney here in Chicago who I know and trust,” the mayor said.
Reminder: Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said plainly during a White House news conference with Trump — hours before the presidential chat with the mayor — that “the DHS mission in Portland is to protect federal property and our law enforcement officers. In Chicago, the mission is to protect the public from violent crime on the streets.”
The president’s call to the mayor came on the same day he spoke at separate news conferences and painted Chicago as a shooting gallery, called the city a “disaster” and said it was “out of control.” Informed at one point by a reporter that Lightfoot had called his announcement a stunt to distract from a failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he once again blamed “far-left” mayors, including Lightfoot, for failing to put a lid on spiking crime in their cities.
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Black Lives Matter, others file lawsuit against U.S. government over move to bring feds to Chicago: Read the Tribune story here.
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Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in Springfield on Nov. 12, 2019. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
My Tribune colleagues write: “Telephone giant AT&T has been subpoenaed by federal prosecutors amid a widening criminal probe encircling House Speaker Michael Madigan’s political operation, a source with knowledge of the investigation told the Chicago Tribune.”
“Records show that AT&T has used several of the same former Madigan staffers and ex-Democratic state representatives as Commonwealth Edison, which was accused in federal charges unveiled last Friday of orchestrating a ‘yearslong bribery scheme’ involving jobs, contracts and payments to Madigan allies in exchange for favorable action in the state Capitol,” Jason Meisner, Hal Dardick, Jamie Munks and Ray Long write. Read their full story here.
Madigan previously has denied being a target of the investigation. A spokeswoman said last Friday that Madigan “has never made a legislative decision with improper motives” and had engaged in no wrongdoing.
Connections: “Among those who have lobbied for both ComEd and AT&T are Tom Cullen, who served as Madigan’s political director and was considered part of the speaker’s ‘inner circle'; former Madigan legal counsel Heather Wier Vaught; and onetime Madigan staffers Liz Brown-Reeves and D’Javan Conway, state lobbying records show.
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The Tribune story notes: “Also on both companies’ lobbying teams: former Democratic state Reps. Kevin McCarthy and James Brosnahan, both of whom represented areas close to Madigan’s Southwest Side base. Meanwhile, AT&T Illinois President Eileen Mitchell was a top Madigan staff member during the 1990s before joining AT&T in 2003 as a vice president of external affairs. She also worked briefly as chief of staff to then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel.”
Political contributions: AT&T and its employees have donated more than a quarter of a million dollars in recent years to three separate campaign funds the speaker controls, my colleagues note.
FBI interviews Southwest Side state Rep. Theresa Mah about clout players, Chinatown parking lot as they investigate Madigan, the Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Brown reports. “As best as I can tell, Mah has done nothing wrong and isn’t in any trouble. Her own lawyer was later assured as much” Brown writes. But the questions agents asked her connects some dots in his reporting. “Last year, my colleague Tim Novak and I reported on how the parking lot had been a topic of conversation in a 2014 meeting between Madigan, former 25th Ward Ald. Danny Solis and two Chinatown businessmen that was secretly recorded by the FBI.” Read the rest of his piece here.
A row of voting booths at Mid City Nissan in Chicago's Irving Park neighborhood in 2015. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
GOP candidates gather on block where 15 people were shot in Chicago: A small, mostly white group of suburban Republican candidates looking to unseat various Democratic lawmakers this fall — in a variety of state and federal elected offices — called a news conference at the scene of Monday’s mass shooting in Chicago’s Gresham neighborhood, a storied African American community.
Mark Curran, the former Lake County sheriff who’s challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, called the shooters “evil,” and went on say that crime and politics have been interwoven for decades. Saying mobster Al Capone once “owned the elected officials in Chicago,” Curran suggested that “today it’s the Black Gangster Disciples …” before rattling off the names of a few other street gangs. He then accused Durbin of “standing on the floor of the U.S. Senate” and saying “he doesn’t want President Trump to send in any help with regards to the streets of Chicago.” You can watch the news conference, where several candidates said expanding the police force was among the solutions to tamping down crime, here.
In a letter to the president dated Tuesday, Durbin and fellow Illinois Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth stated in part: “You have indicated you may send additional federal agents to the city Chicago to conduct policing activities that traditionally are handled by local law enforcement. We strongly urge you to refrain from taking this action, which is opposed by Governor Pritzker, Mayor Lightfoot and other local leaders.”
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In the hours and days that followed, however, everyone from Durbin and Duckworth to Lightfoot and Pritzker have softened their tone after getting some assurances that agents being sent to Chicago would be beefing up local FBI, ATF and DEA operations, among others and not conducting some, as the mayor called it, “Portland-style” law enforcement.
Durbin and Duckworth both issued a joint statement last night stating: “After needless threats from the president, we’re relieved the Trump administration says they plan to work with local officials and authorities in Chicago rather than undermine local law enforcement and endanger our civil rights, as their agents have done in Portland. We will continue closely monitoring the administration’s efforts to ensure they follow through with this commitment.”
Duckworth on the virtual campaign trail for Biden in Michigan: A crucial swing state won by Trump in 2016, Duckworth is hosting a roundtable today with labor leaders to discuss Biden’s economic recovery plan.
Cashier Vanessa Flores counts cash from a shopper on checkout at Pete's Fresh Market in Chicago on July 22, 2020. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)
From the Tribune’s Abdel Jimenez: “In June, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told lawmakers the flow of coins through the economy ‘kind of stopped’ as states enacted stay-at-home orders. Coin deposits from banks to the Fed have declined significantly. Also, production has slowed at the U.S. Mint as it implemented coronavirus safety measures to protect workers and inventory orders from banks picked up.”
Now in the U.S. and locally “(c)onvenience stores, grocers and national retailers like Walgreens and Walmart are asking customers to pay with a debit or credit card or with the exact amount due as they grapple with a national shortage of coins. Some businesses are offering free drinks or buyback programs to entice people to bring in their spare change” Jimenez writes. Read the full story here.
Coronavirus cases continue to inch up in Illinois: As COVID-19 cases rise in neighboring states, Illinois today announced 1,624 new known cases of the coronavirus, the highest number of new infections in nearly two months, my Tribune colleagues report. There were 20 additional deaths.
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That brings the number of known cases in the state to 166,925 and the statewide death toll to 7,367 since the start of the pandemic.
Worries about COVID-19 spreading through the vents send Chicago building owners in search of cleaner air: The Tribune’s Ryan Ori has the details here.
Virus resurgence sends jobless claims up for first time since March: Read the AP story and catch up on COVID-19 updates here
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the White House, July 23, 2020, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP)
President Trump announced a short time ago that he has canceled segments of the Republican National Convention scheduled for Florida next month, citing a “flare-up” of the coronavirus. Convention events will still be held in North Carolina, the Associated Press is reporting.
“To have a big convention is not the right time,” Trump said of Jacksonville during a White House briefing on the COVID-19 outbreak.
Trump moved parts of the GOP convention to Florida last month amid a dispute with North Carolina’s Democratic leaders over holding an event indoors with maskless supporters. But those plans were steadily scaled back as virus cases spiked in Florida and much of the country over the last month.
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Twitter @byldonovan


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· An obituary for John Mazzucchelli published June 25 incorrectly stated the high school that he attended. He graduated from Lane Tech High School.
The Tribune regrets the error.
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chicagotribune--2020-07-23--Police release person held for questioning in mass shooting outside South Side funeral home

“ She ’ s got a long recovery to go .
I have raised that girl , and I helped @ @ @ @ @ he told the Tribune .
“ It ’ s misfortunate that she was collateral damage @ @ @ @ @ she ’ s being wrote off as .
...
Her life will never be the @ @ @

Chicago police investigate the scene of a mass shooting near 79th Street at Morgan Street on July 21, 2020. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)
A person brought in for questioning after this week’s mass shooting outside a South Side funeral home was released without charges, police said Thursday.
At least 15 people were wounded in the attack, Chicago’s worst in recent memory. Police linked the shooting in the Gresham neighborhood Tuesday evening to a retaliatory cycle of gang violence.
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No other suspects were in custody as of Thursday afternoon. A source familiar with the matter said to expect a lengthy investigation, given the number of possible shooters involved.
Police have said two people fired from a car toward people outside the funeral home, and that some within the group returned fire.
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Victor Doss, the uncle of one of the victims, said his 43-year-old niece was shot eight times.
She was a bystander — she lived near the funeral home and had stepped outside for a cigarette when the gunmen opened fire, Doss said.
“She’s got a long recovery to go. I have raised that girl, and I helped raise her daughters,” he told the Tribune. “It’s misfortunate that she was collateral damage because that’s what she’s being wrote off as. ... Her life will never be the same.”


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--Watch live: President Trump holds coronavirus briefing

President Donald Trump is expected to hold a coronavirus briefing at the White House .
Get the latest updates on @ @ @ @ @

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chicagotribune--2020-07-23--More Illinois college faculty call for remote learning this fall, say schools are ‘prioritizing fina

More Illinois college faculty call for remote learning this fall, say schools are ‘prioritizing financial health over’ the lives of students and employees

“ We ’ re concerned at our university … that the faculty or the teacher voice needs to be heard @ @ @ @ @ Janet Smith , an urban planning professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago .
@ @ @ @ @ teach in the classroom , and we know what the issues are , but we @ @ @ @ @ issues — personal health issues as well as health issues as caregivers .
”

Faculty and staff of the University of Illinois at Chicago are among a group opposing a reopening of college campuses in the fall. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
A coalition of faculty and staff from Illinois colleges and universities insisted Thursday that their institutions stick with remote learning in the fall, with very few exceptions for courses that require face-to-face interaction.
The group released a joint statement voicing its demands, which included predominantly online learning in the fall until more is understood about COVID-19, extended health insurance, more collaboration with administrators and increased attention to science, rather than economics or the need for normalcy.
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“We want to speak in unity to express our concerns and demands that the latest science dictate and guide the reopening of our colleges and universities to protect the safety of our students, faculty, employees, their families and communities,” John Miller, president of University Professionals of Illinois, said at a Thursday news conference. “With so much still unknown about COVID-19, this is not the time to rush to reopen our institutions.”
Faculty and staff from Columbia College Chicago, Eastern Illinois University, Malcolm X College and the University of Illinois’ Chicago and Springfield campuses joined the news conference, adding their voices to the chorus of educators at all levels who are calling for remote learning to continue in the fall.
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They flagged issues with potential outbreaks, students congregating, employee health care access, ventilation in older campus buildings and enforcement policies, and say they’ve been denied adequate input in reopening decisions.
“We’re concerned at our university … that the faculty or the teacher voice needs to be heard and understood,” said Janet Smith, an urban planning professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “We know how to teach in the classroom, and we know what the issues are, but we also are individuals with health issues — personal health issues as well as health issues as caregivers.”
The group also released a plan detailing safe ways to reopen campuses for in-person courses, which stressed the importance of air quality in buildings, surveillance testing and other mitigation techniques.
“No one must be forced to return to campus should they feel unsafe doing so for fear of losing their job,” said Andrea Dymond, who teaches theater at Columbia College.
Akiza Boddie-Willis, an adviser at Malcolm X College, added student interactions on campus typically don’t lend themselves to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, and remote services have already proved to be possible.
“I take the decision to return to campus very seriously,” Boddie-Willis said. “As a single parent, I have to consider what would happen to my child if I were to fall ill — and I have to question whether or not a return to campus is worth the risk.”
Other higher education groups are also pushing back against campus reopening plans — including more University of Illinois faculty and instructors, who issued a statement Thursday expressing alarm that their institutions are moving ahead.
“We worry that universities are prioritizing financial health over the very lives of our students, workers, and community members,” Augusto Espiritu of Illinois’ Urbana-Champaign campus and Charitianne Williams of UIC wrote in the statement.


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--A Country Club Hills man gunned down in Morgan Park was a suspect in the 2018 bar shooting that prec

A Country Club Hills man gunned down in Morgan Park was a suspect in the 2018 bar shooting that preceded Jemel Roberson’s death

Over the next several months , detectives spoke with the man by phone and in person , but he never @ @ @ @ @ was not able to convince any witnesses to come forward with new information , the @ @ @

Five people were shot, two fatally, at about 11:50 p.m. July 19, 2020, in the 11300 block of South Carpenter Street in the Morgan Park neighborhood, according to Chicago police.
The man suspected of firing into a crowded Robbins bar in 2018 and setting off a chaotic chain of events that culminated in the death of security guard Jemel Roberson was killed Sunday night in Chicago.
Devonte Merrill, 26, of Country Club Hills, was one of five people shot just before midnight in the 11300 block of South Carpenter Street in the city’s Morgan Park neighborhood, police said.
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Chicago police said Merrill was standing in the street with a group of other men when someone began firing shots in their direction. He was struck multiple times in the head and body and died a short time later at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.
A police spokesman said he could not confirm whether Merrill’s slaying was related to any other recent shootings. No arrests have been made.
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Merrill was identified by witnesses as the shooter who opened fire Nov. 11, 2018, inside Manny’s Blue Room Lounge, shortly after he’d been removed from the bar by security, according to police reports.
Four people were shot and wounded in the pandemonium that followed, including Merrill, but no one was ever charged.
A spokesman for the Cook County sheriff’s office, which investigated the shooting, said Wednesday that the portion of its investigation focusing on Merrill would be closed following his death.
The case remains open, however, “as there are other offenders,” the agency said in a statement.
Sheriff’s officials did not disclose how many other offenders they believe were involved in the shooting and said there were no updates in the case.
Merrill is the only suspect identified by name in the more than 200 pages of police reports provided to the Daily Southtown last year in response to a public records request.
In those reports, which detail interviews and in some cases re-interviews with nearly 50 patrons, security guards, bar employees and first-responders, multiple witnesses identified a man fitting Merrill’s description as the gunman.
The accounts recall a frantic scene that started with a fight between two groups of men near the bar at about 4 a.m., shortly after last call. Security guards separated the two groups and escorted them out separate doors.
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Moments later, as security was still in the process of pushing unruly patrons out of the bar, a man forced his way back inside through a side entrance and fired multiple shots, according to witness accounts.
In a brief cellphone video that captured the moment and was released by investigators, a man bursts into the doorway underneath an illuminated red exit sign and fires four shots in quick succession.
In the early morning hours of Nov. 11, 2018, a fight broke out at Manny’s Blue Room in Robbins. Shots were fired in the bar. A series of dashboard camera, body camera and recovered cellphone videos depict some moments throughout that evening. (Cook County sheriff's office) (Cook County sheriff's office/Chicago Tribune)
Multiple witnesses told police the gunman was a Black male with dreadlocks and some facial hair who was wearing a red or maroon puffy coat, according to reports.
A security guard who was working the front door told police that a man in a red puffy coat with dreadlocks, facial hair and a medium build had threatened her with a gun when she prevented him from re-entering the main entrance about a minute before shots were fired at the side entrance, reports show.
“My friend is in there,” the guard reported he told her with his hand in his right pants pocket. “You don’t want this problem.”
The man then removed a small semi-automatic handgun from his pocket and lifted his arm in the air before walking away, according to the report.
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Another security guard told police that a man wearing a puffy maroon coat that he’d pushed out the front door earlier had returned to the side door, raised a firearm in the air and fired it several times. He said he followed the gunman outside and saw him fighting with the bar’s DJ before shooting him, according to reports.
The bar’s DJ told investigators he’d tussled with the gunman over his small, two-toned, silver and black weapon before being shot in the left forearm.
The guard told police he’d fallen to the ground after the DJ was shot and saw the shooter run off, but a man identified in police reports as the security manager told police months later that the guard had actually shot the gunman in the buttocks.
Amid the chaos, Roberson, a 26-year-old Chicagoan who had been working security inside Manny’s that night, managed to apprehend a man witnesses described as a gunman.
He was holding the man at gunpoint on the ground in the parking lot when Midlothian police officer Ian Covey, who had just arrived on scene, encountered them and began yelling at Roberson to drop his weapon, witnesses reported.
One Blue Island police officer, who was within earshot but did not see the shooting, told investigators he heard someone shout “Drop the gun!” three to four times, and then heard four gunshots come from the parking lot area.
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He said when he walked over he saw a Midlothian officer holding an AR-15 rifle, and two black men — Roberson and the man he was restraining — on the ground nearby. Roberson appeared to be unresponsive, the Blue Island officer told investigators.
An autopsy later found Roberson had been shot four times in the back and side.
More than 20 months since Roberson’s fatal shooting, which the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force investigated separately from the shootings that preceded it, prosecutors have yet to decide whether to charge Covey in the security guard’s death.
Friends and family remember Jemel Roberson as caring and playful. (Myeisha Green photo / Family photo)
Sheriff’s detectives, who were not involved in probing the police shooting, have been unable to determine the identity of the man Roberson was restraining.
Only one of numerous witness accounts, provided by a security guard whom investigators later learned had lied about what he was doing at the bar that night, said the man was wearing a red coat.
Other witnesses provided descriptions of the man that did not fit Merrill’s description or indicated the man Roberson was restraining had been an associate of Merrill’s.
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Merrill did suffer a gunshot wound to his left buttocks during the frenzy and remained on the ground in the bar’s parking lot writhing in pain until an ambulance arrived and transported him to Advocate Christ hospital, according to police reports and videos.
Bodycam footage released by the sheriff’s office shows officers watching over a man in a red puffy coat with dreadlocks and facial hair who is lying on his side in the parking lot pavement crying out in pain.
The man, who identifies himself as Devonte Merrill when asked, tells police he doesn’t know where he was shot, but that it hurts too much to sit or stand up.
At one point, after an officer says he was told Merrill was one of the shooters, two officers roll him over to search him for weapons as he wails in agony.
Officers did not find any weapons on Merrill, but did recover $993 in cash, in addition to a plastic bag with a “green leafy substance,” according to an evidence report.
A Robbins police officer later informed investigators that a security guard told him a heavyset man in a light-colored jacket had walked up and taken Merrill’s firearm from him before police searched him, according to police reports.
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When paramedics with the Crestwood Fire Department arrived to transport Merrill to the hospital, a Robbins officer was assigned to follow him there.
Five days later, when Merrill was discharged from Christ, police immediately took him into custody, confiscated two of his cellphones and brought him to an interview room at the Sixth District Courthouse in Markham, according to police reports.
Merrill told police he wanted to speak with an attorney before having any further discussions, and there is no evidence police ever questioned him again.
Multiple security guards who initially identified a man fitting Merrill’s description as a gunman stopped cooperating with investigators in the days ahead, reports show.
At least two guards retained attorneys and said they would not cooperate with police, according to the reports.
Two others viewed lineups for police, but did not select any of the individuals presented to them.
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The attorney for one of the guards who ultimately decided not to cooperate told investigators that her client was “highly certain” he could identify the shooters, but wanted an immunity agreement before proceeding.
Prosecutors would not agree to immunity, but worked out a proffer agreement for her and her client to meet with investigators and share information.
The attorney told them her client would only view lineups, photos and videos, but would not provide a statement, according to reports.
But when it came time to meet with investigators, the security guard’s attorney called to tell them he’d decided not to cooperate after all and immediately hung up the phone, the reports state.
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Ten days after the shooting, reports detail a meeting between detectives and a man who told them he wanted to serve as “a conduit between Law Enforcement and the security guards in an effort to convince them to cooperate, give their statements and possibly view line-ups.”
Over the next several months, detectives spoke with the man by phone and in person, but he never provided them any evidence and was not able to convince any witnesses to come forward with new information, the reports state.
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Last November, on the anniversary of the shooting, the sheriff’s office released a statement saying that, despite its detectives’ best efforts, they had failed to secure criminal charges in the case.
“Sheriff’s Detectives put in countless hours, interviewed numerous witnesses and utilized the latest technology to run down every lead to try and hold individuals accountable,” the statement reads. “Unfortunately, charges cannot be secured at this time.”
The statement went on to stress the importance of witness cooperation in solving crimes and encouraged anyone with information to call the sheriff’s police at 708-865-4896.
zkoeske@tribpub.com
Twitter @ZakKoeske


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--Kentucky man charged with murder in connection with 2015 disappearance of pregnant Indiana college s

Kentucky man charged with murder in connection with 2015 disappearance of pregnant Indiana college student

Police conducted two canine searches for Stubblefield ’ s remains – on Aug. 25 , 2016 and Jan. 24 , @ @ @ @ @ found , according to court records .
During the 2017 canine search , the K-9s @ @ @ @ @ human remains on the sandy hillside ” behind the school , but when officers “ @ @ @ @ @ area ” nothing was found , according to court records .

A Kentucky man has been charged with murder in the 2015 disappearance of a pregnant woman who vanished after leaving a northwestern Indiana college campus.
A Lake County judge entered not guilty pleas on behalf of Derron Fuller, 25, during a Tuesday hearing. Prosecutors allege he killed Rochelle Thomas Stubblefield, 20, in November 2015.
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Stubblefield’s mother, Thelma Thomas, told police that her daughter was last seen by a teacher at Calumet College and was seen with friends at a basketball game on Nov. 10, 2015, according to court records.
Thomas told police that her daughter was eight months pregnant at the time, and her phone wasn’t working, according to court records. Police spoke with college administrators and learned that Stubblefield didn’t go to class Nov. 11 or Nov. 12, 2015, according to court records.
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After police spoke with Thomas, according to court records, police contacted Fuller, who told officers that Stubblefiled “talked about going to Atlanta but did not know where she was.”
When officers referred to Fuller as Stubblefield’s boyfriend, he stated he wasn’t her boyfriend, according to court records. Then, when officers referred to Fuller as the father of Stubblefield’s child, he told officers that he’s not the father, according to court records.
On Nov. 20, 2015, police received a tip from Illinois police that two people had information about a possible homicide, according to court records. The two individuals were Fuller’s cousins, who told police that Fuller “admitted to killing a female who was eight months pregnant with Fuller’s child” during a phone conversation, according to court records.
The cousins told police that Fuller stated the woman was Stubblefield, and that she was buried behind Williams School in Gary, according to court records. The woman’s body has not been found, officials said.
Fuller told his cousins, according to court records, that “he was afraid of paying child support so he choked and stabbed her in the temple.”
On Nov. 23, 2015, Fuller was arrested after officers found him at his girlfriend’s house, according to court records. The girlfriend later told police that she picked Fuller up from Williams Elementary School and that he told her that “something happened to (Stubblefield) and that he did it,” according to court records.
Police conducted two canine searches for Stubblefield’s remains – on Aug. 25, 2016 and Jan. 24, 2017 – but nothing was found, according to court records. During the 2017 canine search, the K-9s “indicated the presence of human remains on the sandy hillside” behind the school, but when officers “probed and dug in the area” nothing was found, according to court records.
In August 2019, Fuller’s then-ex-girlfriend again stated as they drove away from the school, he started throwing Stubblefield’s items out the window of the car. She told police that Fuller said he killed Stubblefield by choking her to death, according to court records.


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--‘Everybody was thrown into the water’: 7-year-old boy dies, 8 rescued after boat capsizes in Chicago

‘Everybody was thrown into the water’: 7-year-old boy dies, 8 rescued after boat capsizes in Chicago River when tugboat passed  smaller craft

“ That ’ s what they ’ re trained for .
The visibility is usually zero and you can ’ @ @ @ @ @ front of you .
A lot of it is done by feel .
They search @ @ @ @ @ their eyes , ” Langford said .
“ You also look to see if there @ @ @ @ @ ... anything that you notice in your field of vision , you check it out @ @

A 7-year-old boy died and eight others were rescued Wednesday evening after a boat capsized in the South Branch of the Chicago River and the child became trapped underneath it.
All of the victims were wearing life vests, but the boy was underneath the 16- to 18-foot-long vessel before being pulled out of the river, Chicago Fire Department Deputy District Chief Jason Lach told reporters during a Thursday afternoon news briefing.
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Earlier, Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said none of boat’s occupants were wearing jackets.
Lach, who said he wasn’t 100% sure how the boat overturned yet, urged boaters to be very careful.
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“Keep in mind, the beaches are closed now. We have a lot of incidents … the lake is at an extremely high level. Dangerous conditions can occur at a moment’s notice,” Lach said.
“The water out here is extremely dangerous,” he added.
U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Joshua Jurgens, who reminded boaters to obey signs that display a “no wake zone,” told reporters he believes they were successful at saving as many lives as they did because they were already patrolling nearby.
The city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications began getting 911 calls about 6:40 p.m. of people in distress at 1500 S. Lumber St., and a full water response with about 20 crew went into action, Langford said. Emergency responders from the Coast Guard and the Chicago police marine unit were also on hand.
Nine people were pulled out of the water, officials said, including 7-year-old Victor Lobato, who was taken to Mercy Hospital & Medical Center in serious to critical condition. He later was pronounced dead in an apparent drowning, police said.
They learned the motorized boat Vincent was aboard with eight adults hit a wake caused by a passing tugboat and flipped over, Langford said. “When that happened, everybody was thrown into the water.”
Two Fire Department divers who jumped from a helicopter began an underwater rapid grid search, starting at the point where the boat overturned, Langford said.
“That’s what they’re trained for. The visibility is usually zero and you can’t see a foot in front of you. A lot of it is done by feel. They search with their hands more than their eyes,” Langford said. “You also look to see if there is any kind of motion ... anything that you notice in your field of vision, you check it out.”
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A few minutes later, they found the boy underwater, apparently trapped under the boat.
Divers plucked him out of the river and passed him over to a marine unit boat, where first responders began CPR on him. They didn’t stop until Mercy Hospital & Medical Center staffers took over, Langford said.
“We don’t stop. We don’t give up on somebody,” he said. “But a 7-year-old is not as strong as an adult.”
Eight other adults from the same boat were also pulled from the water and taken to various hospitals, including the University of Illinois Medical Center, all in good condition.
The cause of death for Victor, of the 3000 block of South Homan Avenue in the Little Village neighborhood on the West Side, was drowning, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. His death was ruled an accident.
The boat, which was moving at the time, was privately owned, Lach said.
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The passing tugboat likely caused a “substantial wake,” but “all boats are going to make a wake,” Langford said.
There are things the boat can do to navigate through a wake — sometimes by going parallel with it or other times plowing right through it.
“It’s not to say the larger boat was improperly operating,” he said.
Check back for updates.


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--What is Operation Legend? A breakdown of Trump’s federal agent surge and what it means for Chicago.

On Wednesday , Barr said that Operation Legend “ is a different kind of operation , obviously , than the @ @ @ @ @ defend against riots and mob violence.
” Chicago leaders have raised concern the incoming surge @ @ @ @ @ that has been seen operating against protesters in Portland , Oregon , but officials on @ @ @ @ @ going to be the case .

President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the White House on July 2, 2020. (JIM WATSON / AFP via Getty Images)
President Donald Trump announced plans Wednesday to flood American cities — namely Chicago — with a “surge of federal law enforcement” to address ongoing violence as an extension of the Justice Department’s Operation Legend.
But what is Operation Legend? Where did it come from? And how will Chicago in particular be affected?
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[ Calling Chicago ‘a disaster,’ Trump announces surge of federal agents will be sent to deal with violence spike ]
Here’s a simple breakdown on what we know so far about Trump’s Operation Legend.
What is Operation Legend?
Operation Legend is a recent federal law enforcement initiative created “to fight the sudden surge of violent crime” in U.S. cities, according to the Department of Justice. Under Operation Legend, federal agents are “surged” into select cities to work with state and local law enforcement.
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Attorney General William Barr launched Operation Legend in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 8, 2020. The operation is named after 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was fatally shot while sleeping in a Kansas City apartment late last month.
Where is Operation Legend currently taking place?
Operation Legend has been operating in Kansas City since July 8.
On July 22, President Trump announced the expansion of Operation Legend to Chicago and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
No other cities have been officially announced at the moment. But on Wednesday Trump said “other cities need help, they need it badly, they should call, they should want it,” after mentioning New York and Philadelphia.
Why did Trump expand Operation Legend to Chicago?
Trump singled out Chicago as the place in the most critical need of more resources to help drive down violence. Trump, at one point, said there’s been a “radical movement” calling for U.S. cities to abolish and defund police departments, although Mayor Lori Lightfoot has made no such plan.
The move comes a day after a mass shooting outside a South Side funeral home that injured 15 people. Police have said an ongoing gang conflict may have led to the incident. The city has experienced one its most violent years in recent memory so far in 2020, with 414 homicides through last week, compared with 275 at the same time last year official CPD statistics show. That represents a 51% increase.
Who exactly is being sent to Chicago? What will they be doing?
According to a July 22 news release, the Department of Justice plans to send more than 100 federal investigators from the FBI, DEA and ATF to Chicago “in the coming weeks” to collaborate with local law enforcement. They would work cases involving gangs, gun crime and drug trafficking.
The DOJ also plans to involve some 100 members of the U.S. Marshals Service and at least 100 agents from the Department of Homeland Security.
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On Wednesday, Barr said that Operation Legend “is a different kind of operation, obviously, than the tactical teams we use to defend against riots and mob violence.” Chicago leaders have raised concern the incoming surge could look like the group that has been seen operating against protesters in Portland, Oregon, but officials on Wednesday said that is not going to be the case.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance will earmark $3.5 million to reimburse the Chicago Police Department and city of Chicago for the work of local law enforcement on Operation Legend. The federal government has also made $9.375 million available to the Chicago Police Department to fund the hiring of 75 officers.
The FBI has also recently offered monetary rewards for information on individuals responsible for recent homicides in Operation Legend cities, including that of 14-year-old Vernado Jones, Jr. who was shot in Chicago on July 4.
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How do those numbers compare to Operation Legend federal surges in Kansas City and Albuquerque?
The DOJ plans to send more than 25 federal investigators from the FBI, DEA and ATF as well as up to 10 HSI agents to Albuquerque to work closely with “preexisting task forces” directed at combating violent crimes.
The DOJ has made more than $10.97 million available for Albuquerque to hire more deputies and cops and more than $1.4 million available to reimburse the Albuquerque Police Department and city of Albuquerque for the work of local law enforcement on Operation Legend.
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In Kansas City, an additional 225 federal agents from the FBI, DEA, Marshals service and ATF joined 400 agents already in the metro area with a focus on unsolved shooting cases.
How has Operation Legend been going in Kansas City?
The first federal arrest made under Operation Legend was announced on July 20 in Kansas City. Monty W. Ray, 20, was charged with “being an unlawful drug user in possession of firearms,” according to the Western District of Missouri U.S. attorney’s office.
The arrest fueled some local debate as it was not related to a shooting — the stated emphasis of Operation Legend’s Kansas City federal surge.
This morning, the Kansas City Star reported that Barr’s claim on Wednesday that 200 arrests had been made within the first two weeks of Operation Legend in Kansas City is “not even close to being true.” According to a Senior Justice Department official, the 200 figure would have to include arrests dating back to 2019 between both state and FBI operations.
Has the federal government done something like Operation Legend before?
During Wednesday’s remarks, Barr said that “the federal government didn’t play much of a role” in violent crime until 1992, the beginning of the era of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, the largest crime bill in U.S. history.
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act is known for its “tough on crime” language and has become recently controversial due to the fact that former Vice President Joe Biden helped write it.
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In response to rising crime rates midway through the Trump administration, Barr announced an operation in late 2019 titled “Relentless Pursuit” meant to “surge federal law enforcement resources into seven of America’s most violent cities,” including Albuquerque, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Memphis and Milwaukee. Chicago was not on the initial Relentless Pursuit list.
Relentless Pursuit was abandoned due to COVID-19. But Barr claimed that the “attack on the police forces” following the police killing of George Floyd, which Barr referred to as “that terrible event in Minneapolis,” directly resulted in an increase in violent crime significant enough to warrant the institution of Operation Legend.
vsturm@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--Man accused of writing homophobic slurs on Wheaton church, parking lot and park benches, DuPage Coun

Man accused of writing homophobic slurs on Wheaton church, parking lot and park benches, DuPage County prosecutors say

Joe Fustar , of Wheaton , is charged with two felony counts of criminal damage to government property and one @ @ @ @ @ to a school or place of worship , according to a news release from the @ @ @ @ @ attorney ’ s office .

A 60-year-old man has been accused of writing homophobic slurs on several structures in Wheaton, including on the door of a church, DuPage County prosecutors said Thursday.
Joe Fustar, of Wheaton, is charged with two felony counts of criminal damage to government property and one felony count of criminal damage to a school or place of worship, according to a news release from the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office.
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Prosecutors allege that on Monday morning, Fustar wrote a homophobic slur with a permanent marker on a door at the Gary United Methodist Church in the 200 block of North Main Street and on a stone bench outside the church.
Later in the morning, according to prosecutors, Fustar wrote the same slur on elevator doors at the municipal parking lot on Wesley Street.
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About 7 p.m. that evening, Fustar wrote the same slur on more than 10 benches at Adams Park on Wesley Street, prosecutors said.
An investigation into the graffiti led to Fustar’s arrest, authorities said.
Fustar on Thursday appeared in DuPage County court, where Judge Maureen Dunsing released Fustar on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond, according to the news release. He is scheduled for arraignment on Aug. 17.


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--Illinois’ new COVID-19 plan: How the state will manage any outbreaks in 3 charts

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

Jemal R. Brinson, Nausheen Husain, Jonathon Berlin

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


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--COVID-19 cases in Illinois by ZIP code: Search for your neighborhood

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

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


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--Illinois coronavirus graphs: 7,367 deaths, 166,925 confirmed cases and 2.39 million tests

Illinois announced a 1,624 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Thursday , the highest daily total of new cases since the @ @ @ @ @ Also announced were 20 new deaths and the results of 39,706 tests .

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


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--Illinois bar exam board reverses course, will move to remote test this year after appeals by law sch

Illinois bar exam board reverses course, will move to remote test this year after appeals by law school graduates, faculty

Everyone originally registered for the September exam — itself previously postponed from July because of the pandemic — will automatically @ @ @ @ @ s exam and has until Aug. 7 to withdraw or defer taking the exam until @ @ @ @ @ the announcement .
Registration will also be open for others who want to take the @ @ @

The Illinois bar exam, which was to take place in person in September, has been canceled and will be replaced with a remote version in October “due to continuing public health concerns raised by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Illinois Supreme Court announced Thursday.
The change comes after months of student advocacy and a letter earlier this week from nine Illinois law school deans to the court recommending a remote exam.
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Recent law school graduates seeking to practice in Illinois have been pushing the organization that administers the bar exam to reconsider plans to hold it face-to-face.
In legal back-and-forth between those students and the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar, the board declined to do so, even releasing eight pages of safety protocol last week to move forward with an in-person exam.
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The Supreme Court also declined last week to grant diploma privilege, meaning they could practice law without taking the bar exam.
However, the admissions board Thursday reversed its decision, referencing Illinois statistics that have “shown discouraging signs of a resurgence” of COVID-19. Illinois has seen an uptick in coronavirus cases over the last two weeks, recording its highest daily case count Wednesday since early June when the state was coming down from the peak of the outbreak here so far.
7 days ago, IBAB insisted that they wouldn’t plan a remote exam. & now, here we are. No one has to risk their life to take the exam anymore—and that’s a huge win. — Mollie McGuire (@molliejmcguire) July 23, 2020
The remote exam, scheduled for Oct. 5 and 6, will cover the same topics as the in-person exam, the announcement said. It will use questions prepared by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.
Everyone originally registered for the September exam — itself previously postponed from July because of the pandemic — will automatically be registered for October’s exam and has until Aug. 7 to withdraw or defer taking the exam until February 2021, according to the announcement. Registration will also be open for others who want to take the remote exam.
Students are still advocating for the state Supreme Court to grant diploma privilege. They contend even a remote exam will exacerbate disparity issues, especially for students without access to stable internet or needed technology.
The Illinois board has said diploma privilege does not ensure “a necessary prerequisite to licensure, that of competence and public protection.”
One of the aspiring lawyers who fought for the remote exam, Mollie McGuire, celebrated the news on Twitter, writing that a week ago, the bar admissions board “insisted that they wouldn’t plan a remote exam. & now, here we are. No one has to risk their life to take the exam anymore—and that’s a huge win.”
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But she noted that the equity issues are “massive” and need to be addressed.


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--Naperville man sentenced to 7 years for DUI crash that killed 17-year-old girl crossing the street a

Naperville man sentenced to 7 years for DUI crash that killed 17-year-old girl crossing the street at Downers Grove North

At the time of the crash , Kucharski ’ s blood alcohol content was .031 and Kucharski showed further signs @ @ @ @ @ that in addition to alcohol , Kucharski also had Xanax and cocaine in his system @ @ @ @ @ pipes , crack cocaine , other drugs , vodka and beer in a hotel room @ @ @ @ @ .
Authorities also found Xanax , Benadryl and suboxone in Kucharski ’ s car , @ @ @ @ @ DuPage County State ’ s Attorney ’ s Office said .

Joseph Kucharski, of Naperville, was sentenced to seven years in prison after he drove his car into Downers Grove High School student Elizabeth Dunlap, who later died from her injuries. (DuPage County States Attorneys / HANDOUT)
A Naperville man was sentenced this week to 7 years in prison for a 2019 crash that killed a 17-year-old Downers Grove North High School student.
Joseph Kucharski, 52, entered a blind plea of guilty in January to aggravated DUI involving a death and reckless homicide. He faced a maximum of 14 years in prison.
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Kucharski was the driver of the vehicle that struck Elizabeth Dunlap on Feb. 19, 2019. Dunlap was crossing Main Street, at the intersection of Grant Street, when she was struck by Kucharski’s car. She died three days later from the injuries sustained in the crash, the DUPage County State’s Attorney’s Office said.
At the time of the crash, Kucharski’s blood alcohol content was .031 and Kucharski showed further signs of impairment. Police found that in addition to alcohol, Kucharski also had Xanax and cocaine in his system. Authorities found two crack pipes, crack cocaine, other drugs, vodka and beer in a hotel room where Kucharski had been staying. Authorities also found Xanax, Benadryl and suboxone in Kucharski’s car, a news release from the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office said.
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A police investigation also revealed that Kucharski’s vehicle, which was traveling north in the southbound lanes, drove through a red light and into the intersection. Dunlap was walking across Main Street with the walk signal.
“Joseph Kucharski’s incredibly reckless actions killed 17-year-old Beth Dunlap,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a news release. “This senseless loss of such a young, promising life also deeply wounded the entire community, hitting the students and staff at Downers Grove High School, where Beth was a standout member of the student body, particularly hard.”
Prosecutors had asked for the maximum penalty of 14 years in prison for Kucharski.
“While I respect the judge’s decision, this case warranted the maximum punishment of 14 years,” Berlin said.
He added that the case exposed what he believed to be “inadequate sentencing parameters available to the court that do not equate the loss with the punishment.”
“Just as those working in construction zones rightfully enjoy enhanced penalties the law provides, I believe our children deserve similar, if not stronger, protections,” Berlin said.
Kucharski must serve 85 percent of his term before he can be eligible for parole.


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--What is one thing that has helped you stay calm, optimistic, even happy during the COVID-19 pandemic

What is one thing that has helped you stay calm, optimistic, even happy during the COVID-19 pandemic? We want to know.

We need your help in this time of anxiety , fear and stress .
We want to know what one @ @ @ @ @ a pandemic easier for you ?
How does this item bring joy to your life @ @ @ @ @ frustrating time ?
It could be something you already had at home when Illinois ’ @ @ @ @ @ March , or something you ’ ve acquired since then .
Please tell us why @ @ @ @ @ to you .

We have lifted the paywall on this story. To support essential reporting, please consider becoming a subscriber .
Coronavirus has forced us to change just about every aspect of our daily lives. Keeping our distance from those we love in order to protect them can take an emotional toll.
We need your help in this time of anxiety, fear and stress. We want to know what one thing has made living during a pandemic easier for you? How does this item bring joy to your life during such a confusing, frustrating time? It could be something you already had at home when Illinois’ stay-at-home order was issued in March, or something you’ve acquired since then. Please tell us why this object means so much to you.
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Here’s an example to help get you thinking. My family purchased an inexpensive fire bowl in May and it’s given us a reason to spend more time outside together — and eat more s’mores.
Soon, we will share this full collection of items to help inspire creativity and hope in the months ahead.
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If you have a photo of this item, please share it — email to krumore@chicagotribune.com.


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--Wall of Moms emerges in Portland

Wall of Moms emerges in Portland

It may come as a surprise to know which big-name companies own these smaller , seemingly independent brands .
Many @ @ @ @ @ small — some even out of a truck or a suburban basement — but after @ @ @ @ @ , they caught the eye of their industry ’ s big players .
( Zareen @ @ @ @ @ )

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 9 Norma Lewis holds a flower while protesting with the group Wall of Moms during a Black Lives Matter rally in Portland, Oregon, on July 20, 2020. (Noah Berger / AP)
As federal agents were deployed by President Donald Trump to Portland, Oregon, a group called Wall of Moms have shown up by the hundreds each night, wearing yellow T-shirts and bicycle helmets and ski goggles for protection.


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--Elementary schools may be safer to reopen, doctors say

“ When you have such surges of disease in the community , you ’ re basically asking for trouble if @ @ @ @ @ Tan said .
“ You ’ re bringing in now individuals from all across the @ @ @ @ @ exposed to COVID , and you ’ re putting them in a more enclosed setting @ @ @ @ @ is infected regardless of what other protocols are in place , you still run a @ @ @ @ @ COVID through that population .
”

An empty classroom at Woodson South Elementary School in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood. Research indicates that younger children might be less likely to get COVID-19 or transmit it. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Elementary schools could potentially more safely reopen than schools for older students, infectious disease doctors said Thursday.
A panel with doctors from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) expressed concern about reopening schools, but also noted research that indicates younger children might be less likely to get COVID-19 or transmit it.
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“There’s very good data that suggests that younger children are infected less frequently,” said Wendy Armstrong, a member of the board of directors at the IDSA and a professor at the Emory University School of Medicine. “There seems to be a difference between children under 10 and over 10.”
Opening elementary schools, versus schools with older children, “is definitely a strategy that should be considered,” she said. But even as studies indicate younger children may be less likely to have or transmit COVID, doctors emphasize that much depends on whether local cases are rising and schools use correct protocols.
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Armstrong noted an Iceland study showed that children under of the age of 10 had an infection rate of 6.7%, and that for children older than 10, that rate nearly doubled.
If schools reopen, the doctors said openings must include protocols such as wearing masks and social distancing. Key will be access to rapid testing, Armstrong said. “Testing eight days later is not helpful,” she said, but added that a strategy where all kids were tested regularly would be nearly impossible.
Should schools reopen, said Tina Tan, an IDSA board member and pediatrics professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, there is no way to know which children are most vulnerable to getting COVID-19, or the mysterious related illness impacting some more severely, including some in Illinois.
“We know that children do get COVID-19,” she said. “They may not become as symptomatic as adults, but they do get the disease. … There is a population of children that potentially could become very seriously ill with COVID, and there’s no way to predict which child.”
Tan would not recommend opening schools in a hot spot like Florida.
“When you have such surges of disease in the community, you’re basically asking for trouble if you open schools,” Tan said. “You’re bringing in now individuals from all across the community that potentially may be exposed to COVID, and you’re putting them in a more enclosed setting, so that if someone is infected regardless of what other protocols are in place, you still run a much higher risk of spreading COVID through that population.”
Right now, regarding rates of COVID in Illinois, Tan said, it is probably safe to open schools — provided all those precautions are in place, and that protocols exist if and when someone tests positive. She can foresee a scenario where some schools in one part of the city or state open, and others don’t.
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“Everybody would like to have a one-size-fits-all solution, and that’s not ever going to happen,” she said.
She added, “Chicago is a challenge in that you have all different types of schools, meaning you have some schools that are more affluent, and they can afford to make all the changes possible. But it’s going to be those kids in the lower socioeconomic classes, where there’s not going to be equality.”
Armstrong said she is still deciding whether to send her high schooler back to school; she lives in Georgia, which has had a rise in cases.
Noelle Ellergson Ng, associate executive director of policy and advocacy at the School Superintendents Association, said school officials are feeling the pressure to reopen. But they will only do so “when it is safe for the students and staff that they’re responsible for,” she said.
“Just as the economy can’t reopen until the schools reopen, the schools won’t be able to fully reopen until we can get COVID under control,” she said.
It’s not simply preparing the schools; superintendents know how to open a school, she said. But they will also be addressing the mental health impact and trauma that children might have experienced in the meantime.
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“That’s all on the shoulders of school districts,” she said.
Parents, Tan said, should inquire about protocols and speak up if some of the ones they listed — such as masking and distancing — are not apparent. And, she added, ensure children are up to date on their routine immunizations.
“One of the unintended consequences of COVID was that we saw a significant decline in immunization rates, and the last thing that you want to happen is to have an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease when school starts,” she said.
abowen@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--Man shot to death near CTA Howard Street station in Evanston, 2nd man wounded

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An Evanston police officer investigates a fatal shooting in the 300 block of Howard Street near the CTA Howard Street station on July 23, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
A man was shot to death and another man wounded in an attack in Evanston near the Howard Street CTA station early Thursday, police said.
The person was shot in the 300 block of Howard Street in Evanston about 1:15 a.m., and later died, according to Evanston police Cmdr. Ryan Glew. Police later said the man shot to death was in his 20s.
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The address of the shooting coincided with an address for the Howard CTA station, according to Evanston police, but Chicago officials said the attack did not take place in the station.
Evanston police were called to the area and found the man in his 20s lying on the ground, according to a news release. Evanston paramedics tried to treat the man, but he was pronounced dead.
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Chicago police found a second person, a 21-year-old man who suffered a graze wound to the head apparently in the same attack, nearby, according to the Evanston release. The second man was taken to Amita St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was treated, then released.
[ New Chicago police video displays chaotic scene as 2 gunmen on Wabash Avenue Bridge appear to fatally shoot man, injure woman ]
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Initial investigation found that the shooting happened after a dispute on the street near Marshfield Avenue and Howard, according to Evanston police.
Photos and video from the scene showed evidence markers and police tape on the north side of the street on Howard, across from the main entrance to the Howard Street Station. West of the CTA “L” right of way, Howard marks the border between Chicago and Evanston.
Police did not immediately release information about the man who was killed, pending notification of his family, and the Cook County medical examiner’s office had not been notified of the death in time for the man’s information to be released in the office’s morning list of deaths. No one was in custody.
Evanston police asked anyone with information to call detectives at 847-866-5040 or Text-A-Tip to CRIMES (274637), starting the message with EPDTIP.
Check back for updates.
[ Calling Chicago ‘a disaster,’ Trump announces surge of federal agents will be sent to deal with violence spike ]


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--Person fatally shot near Howard CTA station


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--DaBaby, Keke Wyatt, Chosen Few DJs to headline a 3-day, socially distanced, drive-in music festival

DaBaby, Keke Wyatt, Chosen Few DJs to headline a 3-day, socially distanced, drive-in music festival in Hazel Crest this weekend

“ We understand the need to be responsible amid this pandemic , however , we know there is a desire @ @ @ @ @ months of virtual events and socializing , ” PR Pop-Ups co-producer Rita Lee said in @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re excited to announce this will be the first of many live drive-in @ @ @ @ @ area .
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The Headlights Festival will come to Cross Pointe Park in Hazel Crest for the weekend of July 24-26 and boasts a strong set of headliners including Atlanta rapper DaBaby during its three-day run. (Daniel DeSlover/Zuma Press/TNS)
While this year’s Chicago summer festivals were halted due to COVID-19 precautions, Chicagoland will be welcoming a pandemic-friendly music festival in a few weeks, headlined by North Carolina rapper DaBaby.
The Headlights Festival will come to Cross Pointe Park in Hazel Crest Friday-Sunday and boasts a strong set of headliners during its three-day run.
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Chicago house DJ collective Chosen Few DJs would normally be making the rounds on Chicago’s summer festival circuit, so members Mike Dunn, Andre Hatchett, Terry Hunter and Wayne Williams will finally get in a summer show as they kick off Friday.
DaBaby stands out as the festival’s biggest draw, as the star rapper’s single “Rockstar” featuring Roddy Ricch currently sits atop the Billboard Hot 100, and his last two studio LPs, “Kirk” and “Blame It On Baby,” have each also peaked at number-one on Billboard’s album chart.
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Saturday will feature two separate sets by DaBaby. While gates open at noon for the full day of the festival, tickets to each of DaBaby’s shows will be sold separately. Both sets of tickets will include access to Saturday’s remaining performances from Atlanta producer DJ Drama, Chicago rapper Napalm and South African rapper PatricKxxLee, who will perform virtually.
The festival closes Sunday with shows by singer Keke Wyatt, gospel artist and former Chicago church pastor Charles Jenkins. Making his live debut will be Keedron Bryant, the 12-year-old whose song “I Want To Live” went viral earlier this year amid the height of Black Lives Matter protests.
Gates open at noon each day. The two Saturday performances from DaBaby are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively. The full schedule can be found on the Headlights website.
PR Pop-Ups organized the multi-day festival. The Headlights Festival will be the second pop-up event for the company, which is trying to break into a live-show industry that has been upended by the pandemic.
“We understand the need to be responsible amid this pandemic, however, we know there is a desire for live entertainment options after months of virtual events and socializing,” PR Pop-Ups co-producer Rita Lee said in a press release. “We’re excited to announce this will be the first of many live drive-in concerts coming to the Chicagoland area.”
Up to 500 cars will be allowed in the park, with a limit of 8 people per vehicle. Each car is required to have a parking pass ($100-$200), as well as individual tickets for each guest ($50-$75). VIP Cabana tickets are also available ($2,000-$2,500).
Music schedules for each day are 2 p.m.-9 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m.-11 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.
Social distancing between vehicles will be mandatory, while wearing masks will be encouraged.
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Cross Pointe Park, 2801 W. 167th St., Hazel Crest, Illinois; prpopups.com
adlukach@chicagotribune.com
@lucheezy
This story has been updated to correct where DaBaby was raised.


chicagotribune--2020-07-23--Tighter restrictions take effect at Chicago fitness centers Friday, and club owners are worried

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Daniela Spaid, center, works out with others in a high intensity strength and cardio class at FFC Lincoln Park in Chicago, July 22, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Gym-goers have been cautiously but steadily returning to health clubs and fitness studios in the 3½ weeks since those businesses were allowed to let members back in for more than personal training.
But gym operators worry a new 10-person cap on the size of indoor fitness classes, which takes effect Friday, will hamper their efforts to rebuild business after the coronavirus pandemic forced them to close temporarily. More stringent rules for bars that also take effect Friday have prompted some to call it quits for good.
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Some fitness clubs and studios were surprised by the more stringent regulations. They’ve already taken precautions like temperature checks and more aggressive cleaning, and in Chicago, members must wear masks during exercise in addition to practicing social distancing.
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Jimmie Penro, front desk receptionist, takes clients' temperatures before they enter to work out at FFC Lincoln Park in Chicago, July 22, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Teresa Delgado wipes down doors following a high-intensity strength and cardio class at FFC Lincoln Park in Chicago on July 22, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
“We definitely didn’t think we’d be the subject of being pulled back given all the vigilant measures we’re taking,” said David Blitz, CEO of Chicago-based Studio Three.
In Chicago, workout facilities were capped at 25% of their capacity, and classes had to be small enough to allow for social distancing, with no more than 50 participants. Many businesses made investments to abide by the rules and enlisted members to help, passing out bottles of hand sanitizer or disinfectant at the door.
Chicago Public Health Department Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said the city focused on group classes because they involve a higher risk than other activities, especially now that the uptick in COVID-19 cases increases the chances a participant might have the virus.
“It’s about trying to take a more surgical approach, and limiting that without totally closing things,” she said.
How big a setback the new class size limit poses depends on the type of gym.
Yan Lazaro joins others in a high-intensity strength and cardio class at FFC Lincoln Park in Chicago on July 22, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
A sign reminds people to stay a measured distance from others during a high-intensity strength and cardio class at FFC Lincoln Park in Chicago, July 22, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
For Orangetheory Fitness, 10-person classes simply aren’t sustainable, said Brad Ehrlich, CEO of Orangetheory Fitness in Illinois. Studios were designed to accommodate 24 to 40 people, depending on the location. Even allowing for social distancing, they could accommodate 18 to 21.
Ehrlich said he hasn’t decided whether the new limits could force him to shut down studios that reopened about a month ago.
“Unless this changes, you’re going to start to see fitness deserts in the city of Chicago,” he said.
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Larger fitness clubs that offer more ways to work out than group classes are getting by but say they too have to consider more drastic actions.
Daily visits to East Bank Club are down about 70%, and the club may have to lay off some of its more than 600 employees. It’s never had to resort to such measures in its 40-year history, said Mel Kleist, president and executive director.
“We kind of got looped in with the bar and restaurant scene, but we’re not busy,” said Kleist, who estimated the club has been getting about 30% of its usual daily traffic.
Teresa Delgado sanitizes weights following a high-intensity strength and cardio class at FFC Lincoln Park in Chicago on July 22, 2020. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
At Studio Three, which reopened July 1, classes have been drawing only about 10 to 12 people. The studios could accommodate as many as 27 people even with social distancing requirements, so the “slow but steady” growth Studio Three had been seeing would be curtailed, Blitz said.
A new outdoor workout space will provide extra capacity for as long as weather permits, he said.
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Some people have been eagerly returning, especially when it comes to activities tougher to do at home, like strength training or swimming. But others are still wary of venturing back to shared workout spaces, especially if they invested in home exercise equipment while their gym was closed, or are struggling with new financial pressure.
Gale Landers, founder and CEO of Fitness Formula Clubs, with 11 Chicago-area locations, was “pretty pleased” to see traffic at some clubs approaching about half the level they had at this time last year. Locations near offices have been quieter, since many people are working from home.
Jimmie Penro, front desk receptionist, fills bottles with sanitizer that is handed out to clients with a small towel and used to spray down equipment after use. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
Landers estimated about 10% of clients have dropped their memberships during the pandemic, though that is roughly in line with the turnover clubs typically see, he said. Meanwhile, new membership sales have been strong since clubs reopened. The number of memberships on pause varies by location, but the “vast majority” of members have resumed paying for access to the clubs, he said.
The city hasn’t seen clusters of cases in Chicago fitness clubs but is aware of the potential for spread, said Arwady, who pointed to a situation in South Korea where 112 COVID-19 cases were linked to fitness dance classes at 12 studios. A separate study in Norway suggested gym-goers were not at greater risk of infection in places where COVID-19 case numbers are low, she said.
That’s why the city wants to respond quickly to increases in case numbers and try to head off the need to reimpose broader restrictions, especially later in the year, when people may have a harder time working out or dining outdoors, she said.
“It’s the moment now to get this as under control as we can,” she said.
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lzumbach@chicagotribune.com