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[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Rich Campbell"
] | 2016-08-30T00:48:55 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Ffootball%2Fbears%2Fct-pernell-mcphee-decision-bears-spt-0830-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4c3cc/turbine/ct-pernell-mcphee-decision-bears-spt-0830-20160829 | en | null | Decision on Pernell McPhee looms for Bears | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | The countdown to the season opener is now flashing red numbers over the Bears and Pernell McPhee.
By 3 p.m. Saturday, the team must decide whether the rugged outside linebacker is fit enough to come off the physically unable to perform list. Keeping him on it would ensure he misses at least the first six games.
And the Bears have to make that call even though McPhee hasn't participated in practice since early January.
Tick ... tick ... tick.
"We have a lot of options," coach John Fox said Monday, "and we'll do what's best for us and him."
Short of magic healing dust raining in Lake Forest, though, the options seem akin to a rock and a hard place.
As expected, Fox isn't divulging much with the Texans looming on Sept. 11. But with each practice McPhee sits out, as he did Monday, it's increasingly likely the Bears will take the field in Houston without their highest-paid defensive player.
In the short time remaining before Saturday's deadline, the Bears are intensifying McPhee's rehabilitation to better evaluate his surgically repaired left knee and project when he might be effective again.
"I think he's closer than he was last week," Fox said. "We're just going to continue to stretch that out on what he can do, some of the change-of-direction things, which are part of football."
For now, though, there is little to no evidence McPhee can move well enough to make a positive contribution in Week 1. Then again, that isn't the main factor in deciding whether to keep him on the PUP list.
If the Bears believe McPhee can help them by, say, Week 3 or 4, they would be more inclined to include him on Saturday's 53-man roster. They could deactivate him for the first two or three games, then bring him back in a situational role. That would be preferable to losing him for six games, but only if he's healthy enough to contribute.
McPhee hasn't weighed in publicly. One of the Bears' most charismatic speakers has not been made available to reporters. But teammates at least sense his determination to join them on the field.
"It's been a grind since his first day out, busting his tail," outside linebacker Willie Young said.
Young said "it's a credit to him" because McPhee is trying to bounce back from what at one time would've been a career-ending injury.
Young's assessment only fueled curiosity about what exactly McPhee's knee surgery entailed. With details scarce, speculation reigns.
Meanwhile, Leonard Floyd returned to practice Monday. The rookie linebacker sat out the third exhibition game with a hamstring injury, the third ailment to sideline him during training camp, following an illness and a left shoulder problem.
When Floyd has been on the field, he has flashed the ability to stave off and shed blockers with his long arms. His speed as a pass rusher was well-established at Georgia, if not in the first two exhibition games.
Given the unlikelihood that McPhee will be at full strength any time soon, Floyd has upside as an outside linebacker opposite Young and Lamarr Houston. Perhaps the Bears will settle for their top rookie continuing his development as a three-down defender. It's a more promising Plan B than the Bears have at any other position.
When McPhee comes back — whenever that is — he'll have to prove he's beyond the type of situation he and the Bears endured during the second half of last season when knee soreness limited his effectiveness.
McPhee was the Bears' best defender and emotional leader through the first eight games, posting five sacks and an interception. But he had only one sack the rest of the way, sat out two games and was limited in others.
Those memories are fresh. The Bears don't want that guy. They want the old Pernell McPhee back.
Regardless of what happens before Saturday's deadline, they could have to wait for him longer than anyone would like.
rcampbell@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @Rich_Campbell | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-pernell-mcphee-decision-bears-spt-0830-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/7c037c6e8e9a606fc1bdc327d3b4b1ce578cb19d5e7df5601205b391e941494b.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Joe Knowles"
] | 2016-08-26T22:47:59 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fbaseball%2Fcubs%2Fct-vin-scully-cubs-dodgers-20160826-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0b9f7/turbine/ct-vin-scully-cubs-dodgers-20160826 | en | null | CSN to broadcast Vin Scully call of Sunday's Cubs-Dodgers third inning | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Cubs fans will get a sample-size portion of one of baseball’s greatest treasures on Sunday. Comcast SportsNet Chicago will carry the live audio of Vin Scully’s call during the third inning of the Cubs-Dodgers game, which begins at 3:10 p.m.
The 88-year-old Scully is retiring at the end of this season after 67 years behind the microphone for Dodgers games. Sunday will be the last time he calls a Cubs-Dodgers game, unless the teams happen to meet in the postseason.
Scully’s unique style -- a restrained eloquence enlivened by his gift for storytelling -- has made him a broadcasting legend. Most remarkably, he works games alone, without a color analyst or sidekick to fill the gaps.
“He’s so much greater than anyone who has ever done this,” Cubs radio play-by-play man Pat Hughes told the Tribune recently. “It’s not even close. It’s an embarrassment of riches. He’s the best, he’s done it the longest and he’s been with one franchise. It’s amazing all of these things can be said about one man.”
Comcast SportsNet is also asking fans to post their favorite Scully memories on Twitter, using the hashtag #VinOnCSN. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-vin-scully-cubs-dodgers-20160826-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/49ff95f6468256d1f993b11d71b85a57405d7204c70faae0742afe660f56a794.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Pat Lenhoff"
] | 2016-08-26T13:20:05 | null | 2016-07-15T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fmundelein%2Fnews%2Fct-vhr-lenhoff-column-tl-0721-20160715-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57891dbd/turbine/ct-vhr-lenhoff-column-tl-0721-20160715 | en | null | Lenhoff: When the news brings tears and no easy solutions | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | The photo says it all. A solitary young female, long dress flowing, stands face-to-face with police officers in riot gear during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Baton Rouge, the site of a recent killing of a black man by police.
The photo is one of so many lately that illustrates our latest national crisis, and it's impossible to not feel touched by coverage of this struggle.
These days, I expect to cry during every news program. And I do. Watching the struggles of a black man pinned down by multiple police officers before being shot and killed brings tears.
Listening to the interview with a very emotional black woman who was injured in the Dallas shootings describe how police officers, even as they were felled by bullets, called out for her to run and covered her as she tried to shelter her own son created a lump in my throat as silent tears glide down my cheeks.
A newspaper photo of a young white boy sharing his flowers with a young black girl during a rally in New Orleans. The kind of picture you love to see, if only it hadn't been spurred by such tragic events.
People of my Boomer generation feel that we've been there with this issue already in the turbulent 1960s when rioting was common, peace marches weren't always peaceful and Martin Luther King Jr., among others, prayed for change without violence. It seemed that progress had been made, but recent events hint that the improvement wasn't as good as believed, and we are reliving those 60s struggles again.
It's funny how your viewpoint varies depending on which side of the pendulum you reside. Until I made the change from my Christian upbringing to Judaism, I felt pretty comfortable that religious prejudice was under control except perhaps in isolated situations with extremists. After my kids entered school, I got a cold water wake-up on how naive I was to believe that inequity was a thing of the past.
What changed then in my case wasn't society, it was my new perspective as a minority. And it altered my outlook forever.
Consequently, if a Native American says that the name of a sports team is a slur, I don't feel comfortable arguing why it's not. Better to listen and open the mind. And if a majority of African Americans, particularly males, have told of biased treatment by police, then we have to listen and try to affect change.
At the same time, being a police officer is a job that many of us are not cut out to perform, nor would we want to. So much is at stake and quick decisions have forever effects. Those decisions carry the heaviest of burdens yet can only be made in seconds.
It's time to show law enforcement officials our support. It's also time to demand necessary changes that will ensure everyone receives equal treatment. I just wish there was a simple clear path to follow.
viewfromvh@yahoo.com
Pat Lenhoff is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/mundelein/news/ct-vhr-lenhoff-column-tl-0721-20160715-story.html | en | 2016-07-15T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/fda5f6b0446b519a69b20c72c8da7e0d3254505752682ccd6c8d14c3342631c2.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Rick Kambic"
] | 2016-08-26T13:20:09 | null | 2016-08-11T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Flibertyville%2Fnews%2Fct-lbr-food-and-beverage-tax-approved-tl-0818-20160811-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57acf759/turbine/ct-lbr-food-and-beverage-tax-approved-tl-0818-20160811 | en | null | Libertyville approves new food and beverage tax expected to generate $700K | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Libertyville's proposed one percent food and beverage tax was approved by a 4-1 vote on Aug. 9, but only after trustees agreed to several concessions.
The new tax applies to food and drinks that are prepared and served for immediate consumption and is expected to generate around $700,000 per year, according to a village memo attached to the ordinance.
Officials called for the new tax several months ago as a response to a number of current and potential problems including rising pension costs, the expiration of Libertyville's downtown TIF district, proposed state legislation that would freeze property taxes and a state budget crisis that could lead to seized income and sales tax revenue.
The tax is in addition to the current seven percent state sales tax on all general merchandise, the village memo says, and will be paid directly to Libertyville. An eight percent tax on dining will be equal to neighboring communities that have already raised their general sales tax, according to the memo.
Before voting, Village Trustee Jay Justice said the hike amounts to 20 cents on a $20 tab.
Village Trustee Todd Gaines was the lone dissenting vote, while Trustee Donna Johnson was absent. Gaines said he believes an overall sales tax hike would be more fair than putting the burden solely on restaurant owners.
"I'm happy to see that we've incorporated a number of things that came out of the public meetings," Village Trustee Rich Moras said.
Five conditions were written into the ordinance, including an Oct. 1 start date that coincides with companies' fourth quarter financial tracking, an April 2018 expiration date, a prohibition on raising the tax beyond one percent during that period, an option to pay the tax via the internet and an exemption for municipalities that sell prepared food and drink — such as schools.
Mayor Terry Weppler said catering companies will be the most difficult to regulate because of their irregular traveling.
"We don't want caterers to have an unfair advantage so we should include them, but we don't want outside caterers to have an advantage coming into Libertyville so we're going to have to make sure we enforce this to the best of our ability," Weppler said.
The proposal was originally up for a vote on April 12, but Weppler pulled it from the agenda after receiving feedback from members of the business community. Several special meetings were arranged to work with local restaurant owners and operators.
A food and beverage tax is one of only a few options available to Libertyville due to its status as a non-home rule community, Weppler told the group.
Business leaders during a May 17 meeting suggested Libertyville research parking fees instead, but that idea was later dismissed.
O'Toole's Rick Kambic / Pioneer Press Brittany Watkins, a bartender at O'Toole's of Libertyville, pours wine for a customer in 2015. Libertyville on Aug. 9 approaved a new one percent food and beverage tax. Brittany Watkins, a bartender at O'Toole's of Libertyville, pours wine for a customer in 2015. Libertyville on Aug. 9 approaved a new one percent food and beverage tax. (Rick Kambic / Pioneer Press)
After the meeting, Kyle Cashman, an office manager for O'Toole's of Libertyville, said a possible referendum in 2017 was talked about during prior meetings with business owners, and he hopes it comes to fruition.
Cashman said the idea involves exempting car dealerships since they already generate significant money, while state law prohibits a sales tax hike on pharmaceuticals.
"I get it, we're the first wave and easiest," Cashman said. "But we're all in this together and it shouldn't be just one sector that helps with this problem."
Weppler during a later interview said a referendum was talked about, but not promised.
"We talked about our options, and because we're not home rule the only way to impose a one percent sales tax increase on everyone is through a referendum," Weppler said. "We said we will review our financial situation at that time, including the effect of the place of eating tax, and assess our options."
The referendum would likely coincide with the food and beverage tax's expiration, thus bringing all sales tax to the same rate, Weppler said.
"Is it possible? Yes. But right now we haven't made any decisions," Weppler said. "It's a wait and see thing."
rkambic@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter @Rick_Kambic | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/libertyville/news/ct-lbr-food-and-beverage-tax-approved-tl-0818-20160811-story.html | en | 2016-08-11T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/13f7d6357c5630d4e497d958cbf288ca4aff38c1494fb355beebbe12abe9ba19.json |
[
"Associated Press",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-27T14:48:10 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fct-governor-lepage-racial-comments-20160827-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c193d5/turbine/ct-governor-lepage-racial-comments-20160827 | en | null | After obscene tirade, Maine governor calls people of color, hispanics 'the enemy' in drug war | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Maine's bombastic Republican governor has built a reputation on his unfiltered comments, but his obscene tirade unleashed on a liberal lawmaker prompted Democratic lawmakers Friday to warn that the governor was becoming unhinged and to call for a political intervention.
Gov. Paul LePage apologized to "the people of Maine" — but not to the legislator — after he left a voicemail message for Democratic Rep. Drew Gattine that said "I am after you" and then told reporters he wished he could challenge Gattine to a duel and point a gun "right between his eyes."
LePage said the angry outburst was justified because Gattine had called him racist — something Gattine denied.
During his apology at a news conference Friday, LePage offered more race-based comments that have drawn fire, saying, "A bad guy is a bad guy. I don't care what color it is. When you go to war ... you try to identify the enemy. The enemy right now, the overwhelming majority of people coming in, are people of color or people of Hispanic origin."
The voicemail followed a controversy that bubbled up Wednesday when LePage, who's white, said at a town hall in North Berwick that photos he's collected in a binder of drug dealers arrested in the state showed that 90 percent of them "are black and Hispanic people from Waterbury, Conn.; the Bronx; and Brooklyn." He displayed the binder at the Friday news conference.
"I want you to prove that I'm a racist," LePage told Gattine in the voicemail Thursday, adding that he had spent his life helping black people and calling Gattine a vulgar name related to oral sex performed on a male. "I want you to record this and make it public because I am after you."
After leaving the voicemail, LePage invited reporters to the governor's mansion, where he said he wished he could turn back the clock so he and Gattine could face off in a duel.
"When a snot-nosed little guy from Westbrook calls me a racist, now I'd like him to come up here because, tell you right now, I wish it were 1825," LePage said, according to the Portland Press Herald. "And we would have a duel, that's how angry I am, and I would not put my gun in the air, I guarantee you, I would not be (Alexander) Hamilton. I would point it right between his eyes."
Gattine said he was stunned to receive the voicemail. "My first thought after I listened, is I'm really glad I'm not in the room. He sounded like if I'd been in the room with him that he'd be attacking me physically," he said.
Gattine clarified that he wasn't concerned about his safety, but he called the voicemail a distraction and the latest of LePage's personal vendettas against lawmakers.
The Maine Democrat has differed with the governor on how to address welfare reform, drug addiction and eligibility for developmental disabilities programs. But LePage said Friday that he didn't know Gattine "from a hole in the wall" until Thursday.
Gattine also revealed that the governor called him again on his cellphone Friday and left a message challenging him to debate the issues at a town hall-style meeting next week in Westbrook. Gattine said there was no apology on the voicemail.
House and Senate Democrats and the Maine Democratic Party on Friday questioned LePage's capacity to lead. LePage said he would not resign unless several of his political opponents, including Gattine, did as well.
Assistant House Democratic Leader Sara Gideon called for a "political intervention" from members of both parties to ensure either that the governor "gets the help that he needs" or that he's removed from office.
Michael Thibodeau, Republican president of the Maine Senate, also rebuked LePage, saying it "damages our public institutions when inappropriate comments come from either party."
LePage, whose second and final term of governor ends in 2019, has a history of drawing attention for his blunt remarks. In January, he said drug dealers with names like "D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty" are getting Maine's white girls pregnant. He later apologized, saying he meant to say "Maine women" and not "white women."
LePage has compared his style to that of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, whom he supports, though he recently said Trump was his third choice for president after Chris Christie and Jeb Bush.
"I was Donald Trump before Donald Trump became popular, so I think I should support him since we're one of the same cloth," he told a radio show host in February.
Police in Westbrook said Friday that they had received a citizen complaint about the voicemail. A police official said the complaint came from someone who didn't live in the city. It's unclear if there will be an investigation.
Chicago Tribune staff contributed.
Associated Press | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-governor-lepage-racial-comments-20160827-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/d5646cd570e8f4ad71892241cc50c323da941af5ad95b5193c184740f0db0fd6.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Lee V. Gaines"
] | 2016-08-26T13:25:12 | null | 2016-08-18T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fskokie%2Fnews%2Fct-skr-nixie-gallery-tl-0825-20160818-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57b60a78/turbine/ct-skr-nixie-gallery-tl-0825-20160818 | en | null | Inspired by nightmares, 'Into the Abyss' opens at Nixie Gallery | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Inspiration for artist Robert Proce's upcoming one-man show at the Nixie Gallery in downtown Skokie stems from his own nightmares.
Proce, a longtime Oak Park resident, said Nixie Gallery owner Gloria Iverson expressed an interest in his darker work after meeting the artist at a recent exhibit at the Oak Park Public Library. Iverson said her first introduction to the artist was through his "50 over Fifty" series, which is Proce's years-long effort to profile aging in America through portraits of individuals aged 50 and older. The series, which in total comprises 72 paintings, has been shown in part at galleries including the Narrow Gallery in Oak Park, the Elmhurst Art Museum and Chicago Cultural Center. Though she found his portrait series intriguing, it was Proce's surrealist and darker material, both his paintings and sculptures, that captivated Iverson.
"He showed me some of his other work, and it has a darker feel to it, and it really explores religion and Catholicism, and I thought that was very interesting and topical," she said.
The upcoming exhibit, dubbed "Into the Abyss," opens at the Nixie Gallery, at 7925 N. Lincoln Ave., on Aug. 26. The show will feature about 32 pieces by Proce, including acrylic and oil paintings and several cage-like sculptures, he said. The sculptures, which range in size from about 2 to nearly 8 feet tall, will be "the main thrust" of the exhibit, Proce said.
"I call it 'outsider art' because you can't really classify these pieces," he said, referring to his sculpture work. "It took me many years to build these."
The stained glass scenes found inside his church and his own bad dreams provided the fodder for his latest exhibition, Proce said.
"When I get nightmares, that's where I get the idea for these paintings," he said.
Iverson said the work is an expression of both Proce's "demons and his redemption."
The pieces on display at the exhibit range in price from several thousand to several hundred dollars, she said. Prints of several of the paintings will be available for purchase at a much lower cost for "those who like the work, but the originals are out of reach for them," Iverson said.
Into the Abyss Robert Proce / Handout An example of work by artist Robert Proce, which will be on display at his upcoming exhibit Aug. 26 at the Nixie Gallery in downtown Skokie. An example of work by artist Robert Proce, which will be on display at his upcoming exhibit Aug. 26 at the Nixie Gallery in downtown Skokie. (Robert Proce / Handout)
Thirty percent of the proceeds from the show will go to support stipends for young adults with autism who work at Iverson's adjacent nonprofit candy store, Mini Man Monkey Brains.
She said Proce's show will mark one year since the community art gallery first opened.
Proce, 76, began his professional art career in earnest a decade ago after he and his wife gave up their costume business. His son, Chicago-based artist Vincent Proce, is known for his work illustrating Magic the Gathering cards.
Proce described himself as a self-taught artist who takes an immense amount of pleasure in his craft.
"If you like it, it's really not work. It's a labor of love. I don't really work on my paintings, I just do what I do and I have a lot of fun at it," Proce said.
Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. Jennifer Johnson contributed to this report. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/skokie/news/ct-skr-nixie-gallery-tl-0825-20160818-story.html | en | 2016-08-18T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/83830c9449d2dcc29ad0f50e420a55afeefb64cb199cc42f9589b0b6e3df6d84.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Mike Isaacs"
] | 2016-08-29T20:52:12 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fskokie%2Fnews%2Fct-skr-backlot-bash-tl-0901-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c48c51/turbine/ct-skr-backlot-bash-tl-0901-20160829 | en | null | Backlot Bash draws thousands for three-day festival | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Shelley Steinman had been thinking about the Zipper for at least the last month, she said, and now the day was here.
She peered up at the lit-up ride, which was hurtling a small group of teenagers though the air before returning them to the grounds of the Backlot Bash in an exhilarated state.
"This is my favorite ride," she said while waiting in line. "It's the first one I ride every year."
She has been coming to the Backlot Bash in downtown Skokie for several years, she said. It's now tradition for her and her friends, who live in Chicago.
"Have to come to the Backlot Bash," she said.
So apparently do many others. Many thousands, in fact, came to downtown Skokie over last weekend's three days of carnival rides, games, food and, of course, music. Music in the day. Music at night. Music for three straight days and nights.
"We're here for our 10th year," Park Board Commissioner Mike Reid told a large crowd awaiting the Blue Oyster Cult band on opening night Friday. "I can't believe it's been this long. Every year, it seems to get a little bit better."
Organizers did not have attendance figures for the Bash's three days, but some said they thought this year's festival might have set a record.
The weather for the three days was mostly cooperative — not too hot, with most of the weekend rain falling outside the key Backlot Bash hours. Opening night on Friday was ideal — warm enough to wander the grounds without a jacket but mild enough so that building up an uncomfortable sweat was never an issue.
Reid explained to the crowd that the Backlot Bash name is a tribute to downtown Skokie's use as a set for classic silent movies many years ago.
"Essany Studios, before there was a Hollywood, filmed Charlie Chaplin shorts over here plus a few westerns that got filmed over by Oakton and Lincoln," he said. "This weekend, more than a hundred years later, we offer you a whole weekend of wonderful and diverse events."
The Backlot Bash's three days featured a classic car show, bingo, a sanctioned foot race, the Skokie Farmers Market, classic movie entertainment at the Skokie Theatre, live entertainment at the Skokie Public Library, a pancake breakfast and more.
Eighteen live bands played over the three days, Reid said.
"Do we have enough time all weekend to do this stuff?" Reid asked after listing for the crowd what was on tap for the next two days and nights.
Hosts of the Backlot Bash were the Skokie Park District, the Village of Skokie, the Independent Merchants of Downtown Skokie (IMODS), Niles Township High School District 219, the Skokie Chamber of Commerce and the Skokie Public Library.
Waiting for Blue Oyster Cult to perform Friday, Jimmy Nelson of Chicago said he was planning on bringing his 1979 Pontiac Trans Am to the classic auto show the next day.
"I go to a lot of car shows, but I come here to see bands, too," he said. "I've been coming here five years to bring my car and to listen to music."
Nelson said he was planning to be back the next night to see headliner Living Colour perform on the same Backlot Bash main stage.
"I'm a car guy and a musician, so this is perfect," he said. "When you're this close to a good band, it's great. Nice night on top of it, too. What more could you ask for?"
misaacs@pioneerlocal.com
@SKReview_Mike | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/skokie/news/ct-skr-backlot-bash-tl-0901-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/daccbc4c1223249fa843cf9f6dc30963169f47c1afdf5c7358b8ddfa3e699c3d.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Phil Vettel"
] | 2016-08-29T20:48:53 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fdining%2Frestaurants%2Fct-review-giant-food-0907-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4814d/turbine/ct-review-giant-food-0907-20160829 | en | null | Review: Unexpected treats await as Giant makes big impact in Logan Square | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Sortallini.
That dish tells you just about all you need to know about 2-month-old Giant and Jason Vincent, iconoclastic chef and partner.
It's a delicious, cheese-filled tortellini, fleshed out with guanciale, pine nuts and a light sauce with basil and tomatoes. But rather than the familiar circular shape, the pasta packets are formed from rectangles. (Vincent couldn't stand the waste from circular cuts, he said.) So, strictly speaking, it's not tortellini. But it's "sort of" tortellini, and thus the name.
We've come to expect this against-the-current ethos from Vincent. In early 2014, months removed from his 2013 award as one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs in America, he left his post at Nightwood (the restaurant closed a year later) and took a two-year pots-and-pans hiatus to be a full-time dad to his young daughters. This year, he announced his return via an April 1 press release (not coincidentally), promising to open a Logan Square restaurant with a menu of "farm-raised ramen tacos" and assuring future customers "we can't wait to take care of your money."
In July, he opened Giant, seemingly an ironic reference to its 1,400-square-foot, 44-seat space. But the name actually references "Me and My Giant," a poem Vincent reads to his daughters, which was written by the late Shel Silverstein, who grew up in Logan Square.
Joining Vincent in this endeavor are chef Ben Lustbader (who cooked with Vincent at Nightwood) and Josh Perlman (ex-Avec), who oversees Giant's wine-focused beverage program.
"I do need to be clear, this is definitely Jason and Ben's food, and I absolutely couldn't do it without him," said Vincent. "Ben is co-chef with me, and Josh isn't just the beverage director. We're running Giant as a three-headed monster."
The trio, then, has produced a menu of 16 tiny to medium plates. Ramen tacos, to the relief of all, are not among them. But there are uni shooters, single-bite fried pasta shells with liquefied sea urchin, condensed milk and gochujang; irresistble flaky biscuits, served with a smear of jalapeno butter; and garlic-buttermilk mashed potatoes inspired by Vincent's days at Fore Street, a legendary restaurant in Portland, Maine.
It's difficult to envision a concept that will embrace that varied a menu, but Vincent, who hates the very concept of a concept, is fine with that.
"The worst thing about a 'concept,'" Vincent said, "is when you come up with a good idea (for a dish) and you either have to retrofit it into the concept, or work outside the concept. And then, what's the point?"
The overall point is contained in Vincent's credo, "Don't commit the cardinal sin of putting interesting before delicious." Beyond their playful, tradition-snubbing instincts, Lustbader and Vincent crank out plates that are all about flavor — generally, layers of them.
Sweet-and-sour eggplant is loaded up with so many goodies (pancetta, cashews, fried wild rice and puffy pita rounds) that the nominal star of the plate is hidden from view, but dig around, and you'll be happy. Niblets of sweet corn with peanuts and mint are jazzed up with Thai chili sauce; charred broccoli sits above a lemon-accented yogurt sauce ringed with bright chili oil.
Besides the sortallini, there is also pici pasta (hand-rolled strands), the noodles not quite precisely pici but, tossed with bacon and given a persuasive jalapeno jolt, absolutely delicious. Fusilli Jerry is a "Seinfeld" reference, and no, the noodles aren't upright, but buried under a blanket of tomato sauce, sausage chunks and cheese and, again, yummy.
More unexpected treats include crab salad, served alongside not-quite waffle fries made of piped mashed potatoes in a pate a choux batter; and onion rings, fried in a Parmesan batter and topped with fresh Parmesan. (These beauties cry out for a big burger, but that would be too, well, expected.)
Despite the haphazard nature of the menu, the kitchen wows with precision, again and again. Swordfish boasts a beautiful exterior char while remaining wonderfully moist inside; bavette steak, served in wide slices, emerges perfectly medium-rare over a bed of dirty rice flecked with peas. Pecan-smoked ribs, which Giant hopes to make available for catering on Sundays (one of two days the restaurant is closed), have just the right amount of chew and bone-sticking stubbornness, glazed with a just-sweet-enough sauce.
When it comes to sweets, "neither of is a pastry chef," said Vincent. "We had help from Scott Green (Travelle), and Mindy Segal (Hot Chocolate) helped us a ton."
Thus assisted, the kitchen manages a few nice sweets. Cajeta ice cream is rolled into large balls and coated with pecan streusel and freeze-dried strawberries, topped with drizzles of cinnamon sugar and cajeta; see if you don't agree that the effect, as Vincent intended, is rather like a Good Humor strawberry shortcake bar. A yellow-cake crepe (the batter made with milk-pureed cake, folded over ricotta, roasted cherries and cocoa nibs and topped with hot fudge and pistachio), is a surprisingly light-tasting indulgence.
I also liked the simple blueberries in ginger cream, but that dessert is about to change.
Service is smart and team-oriented; one or more of your dishes might be delivered by Vincent or Lustbader himself. Regular servers are competent guides through Perlman's no-usual-suspects wine list.
As one might imagine, Giant is a cramped and cheerfully noisy place, not the place for a just-between-us conversation. The couple next to me one night, for instance, had been married only a few weeks, and they didn't tell me that.
pvettel@tribpub.com
Twitter @PhilVettel
Giant
3209 W. Armitage Ave.
773-252-0997
giantrestaurant.com
Tribune rating: Three stars
Open: Dinner Tuesday to Saturday
Prices: Main courses $16-$19
Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V
Reservations: Strongly recommended
Noise: Conversation-challenged
Ratings key: Four stars, outstanding; three stars, excellent; two stars, very good; one star, good; no stars, unsatisfactory. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/restaurants/ct-review-giant-food-0907-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/4c4ee7132c298c7ad123ebd168d804a1b02c1798c3768b4dca70100789929559.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Ed Sherman"
] | 2016-08-27T04:48:02 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fcolumnists%2Fct-sports-tv-future-spt-0828-20160826-column.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0f830/turbine/ct-sports-tv-future-spt-0828-20160826 | en | null | Future of TV sports: Pay up or be blacked out | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | When ESPN sneezes, the entire sports world shivers.
The largest force in the sports TV universe, ESPN has lost more than 11 million subscribers since 2011 and more than 4 million since last summer.
The cable giant — now in 88.78 million homes, according to Nielsen — has been dramatically affected by two factors: Viewers known as cord-cutters are shunning cable or satellite entirely and current subscribers are electing to decline ESPN in scaled-down packages operators offer known as "skinny bundles."
Earlier this year, 56 percent of participants in a BTIG Research survey said they would dump ESPN to save $8 every month on their bill. Those numbers aren't completely surprising, given that most people would prefer not to pay anything for a service. But it is a snapshot that has to concern ESPN and other sports channels regarding their fee structures.
Sports TV networks are already the most expensive on the cable and satellite menus. And if teams such as the Cubs go through with plans to create their own networks, fans will have to pay even more — or be blacked out from the majority of televised games.
The question is: How much more are you, the sports fan, willing to add to your monthly bill?
ESPN charges distributors a monthly fee of $7.21 per subscriber, and another 90 cents for ESPN2, according to SNL Kagen, an offering of S&P Global Market Intelligence. The cost for ESPN is up more than 120 percent from 2007, when it was $3.26 per subscriber.
For Chicago-area subscribers, CSN Chicago, the primary TV home for the Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks and Bulls, is the next highest at $3.86 per month. No other channel, sports and otherwise, is even close. Fox News has a $1.41 monthly fee and CNN is at 71 cents.
There has been a backlash. Several major cable distributors have pushed back over rising sports TV costs that have risen in large part because of the ever-escalating rights fees the networks are paying to pro leagues and colleges.
The bottom line has caused networks to re-examine their options in the effort to bring more people, in the words of one executive, "back into the conversation." The long-term ramifications could affect the Cubs' expressed goal to start their own network in 2020.
What of Cubs?
The Cubs are monitoring the situation in Los Angeles with an eye on their future TV plans. The Dodgers TV network, now in its third season, still isn't seen in nearly two-thirds of the market because operators don't feel it is worth the $4 monthly fee to their consumers. That means most Los Angeles-area viewers are not getting to hear 88-year-old Vin Scully call his last games for the Dodgers.
Could a similar scenario occur in Chicago? Currently, cord-cutters still can see on average 75 games on WGN-9 and WLS-7, the largest free over-the-air offering in baseball. But that figures to change when the Cubs' TV deals with those networks and CSN Chicago expire after the 2019 season.
If the Cubs do launch their own channel, moving all of their games to the network (with the exception of a handful of national games that air on Fox and ESPN), can they convince cable operators to add another $4-$5 per month to subscribers' bills? Keep in mind expectations are that it will be essentially a one-team channel, leaving the fall and winter months largely devoid of any live game programming.
The Cubs are betting that the local passion for their team in Chicago is much higher than for the Dodgers in Los Angeles, and that fans will want their channel. But given what is happening in the marketplace, nothing is a sure thing.
"The Dodgers situation is a cautionary tale for everyone," said Adam Gajo, a sports analyst for S&P Global Market Intelligence. "You can't just say the dollar signs are here, let's just go. You have to know that it is the right package for everyone."
Live sports events long have been considered the geese that lay an infinite pile of golden eggs for cable and satellite providers, the irreplaceable programming for which viewers always will open their wallets. In turn, the rights fees for those events have continued to climb, bankrolling leagues and subsidizing the contracts of highly compensated athletes.
What happens when the people paying to watch those events — you, the sports fans — decide enough is enough? Does the whole house of cards start to wobble?
The decline in subscribers and the cord-cutting trend have produced several doom-and-gloom stories about the future of ESPN. The stories took on additional resonance when the network laid off 300 employees last year.
"We believe ESPN is in serious trouble. They spent far too heavily on long-term rights contracts, given the deteriorating state of the multichannel video bundle and accelerating shift of TV ad dollars to mobile," said Richard Greenfield of BTIG Research.
ESPN President John Skipper counters that everything is fine at the headquarters in Bristol, Conn. He insists the recent turn of events has not surprised ESPN.
The network continues to dominate in all the key demographics, routinely producing the highest ratings on cable thanks to its strong portfolio of live sports.
"We think we still have a little swagger," Skipper said.
Former ESPN President George Bodenheimer, who ran the network from 1998 to 2011, cautioned about using a short-term view to assess the situation.
I don't think the sky is falling. The appetite still is there. It's not going away. It's now about how (consumers) want it. — Adam Gajo, Sports analyst for S&P Global Market Intelligence
"(When I took over), I remember vividly when we were having some ratings issues," Bodenheimer said. "The thought in the industry was, 'Well, gee, there's nothing you can do. The audience is split with this new Internet product.' We simply refused to accept that. We weren't going to accept declining ratings."
CSN President Phil Bedella and BTN President Mark Silverman say their networks have not seen similar erosion because of the strong bonds fans have for local teams. Nevertheless, they both are aware of the fast-moving seismic shifts in the business.
"We're very aware and plotting a strategy," Silverman said. "Does this continue? Will it accelerate? We have to be prepared for how this evolves."
Indeed, these things do tend to run in cycles. However, it appears there are adjustments taking place within the market.
Gajo doesn't believe the bubble has burst. He sees "a contraction." | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-sports-tv-future-spt-0828-20160826-column.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/0b226440448a687a1789efa8bbfaf9a474ca94d4424fb7bb84860a738c49e481.json |
[
"Washington Post",
"Paul Kane"
] | 2016-08-30T04:48:45 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fpolitics%2Fct-john-mccain-reelection-campaign-donald-trump-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4c135/turbine/ct-john-mccain-reelection-campaign-donald-trump-20160829 | en | null | John McCain is in the fight of his political life in the age of Donald Trump | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | After 30 years in the Senate, during which he transformed himself from war hero into political icon, John McCain now finds himself in more jeopardy than at any time during his political career. And for much of that, he can blame Donald Trump.
This reelection campaign, his fifth, is forcing the Arizona Republican to do battle on multiple fronts, testing his political dexterity in ways unlike any of his previous races, including two unsuccessful bids for the presidency.
First he must clear his primary Tuesday, a day after he turns 80, against an arch-conservative whose campaign received a late six-figure boost from a Trump donor. Then, assuming he wins the nomination, he must move into a general election just two months away against a well-funded Democrat, U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, whose campaign is wrapping McCain's support for Trump around the veteran Republican's neck in a bid to drive up Latino turnout.
McCain insists that he will not alter his high-wire campaign strategy, which basically involves steadfast support for Trump while also reserving the right to regularly criticize the GOP nominee when he does or says something objectionable.
But the personal and political antipathy between McCain and Trump has led some experts to suspect that McCain will dump Trump after he secures his party's nomination Tuesday. The political calculus is that he desperately needs Trump's voters to win the primary but needs Trump voters and anti-Trump independents to win the general election. McCain says he does not expect to stop supporting Trump before Election Day.
"I have no plans for that," he said at his campaign headquarters, adding that his position on Trump is "pretty clear," given how often he has challenged the Republican nominee. "My response to some of the things that Trump does, I don't hesitate to speak up."
McCain's challenges extend beyond the Trump complications: He is running as a well-established figure with clout and experience in Washington in an era in which anti-establishment views are on the rise. He's running as a plugged-in senator who will deliver for his state's parochial interests, particularly on water issues, after years of burnishing his image as a maverick who chastised his Senate colleagues for using taxpayer dollars for political pork to win votes back home.
And he's running as a staunch military hawk who wants an international force of 100,000 troops, led by 10,000 Americans, fighting Islamic State forces in Syria at a time when the public has grown weary of wars in the Middle East.
All of that comes with Trump at the top of the ticket, sometimes lashing out at McCain, sometimes tenuously embracing him, but almost always sucking up all the oxygen in the campaign. The first question the senator faced, after a 20-minute presentation to the local chamber of commerce in Scottsdale on Tuesday, was about Trump.
"I'm shocked," the senator deadpanned, in the style of a late-night TV comedian.
The questioner, Kurt Brueckner, 61, a Scottsdale lawyer, said he was deeply dismayed by Trump. His biggest fear was that Trump would sink other Republican candidates farther down the ballot, he said.
The senator explained his position, saying he'd had the "most severe disagreement" with Trump when Trump attacked the parents of U.S. Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who was killed in Iraq in 2004, after Khan's parents delivered a speech at the Democratic convention about their son and attacked Trump. But then McCain went on a rant about Hillary Clinton's email scandal and her handling of the September 2012 attacks on two U.S. compounds in Benghazi, Libya.
He got himself out of the Trump question by segueing to a joke about corrupt Illinois politicians and prison food.
Brueckner said afterward that he is worried that McCain will lose his bid for a sixth term because of Trump. The lawyer said he would vote out of GOP loyalty for Trump but that other "lifelong Republicans" are planning to skip this election.
"I've got friends who say they are fed up with Trump and just aren't going to vote," Brueckner said. This is exactly the kind of sentiment that worries both the campaign and supporters despite recent polling that shows McCain comfortably ahead.
The most immediate embodiment of McCain's problems is Kelli Ward, 47, a former state senator who knows that Trump crushed the field in the March presidential primary by stoking the fires of Arizona's long-running battles over illegal immigrants crossing the southern border.
Ward is McCain's main primary challenger Tuesday; she has attended Trump rallies and embraced his rhetoric while highlighting McCain's bipartisan work on immigration bills that would grant undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship.
"He's the champion of compromise," she said of McCain in an hour-long interview in a Scottsdale campaign office, not intending it as a compliment.
Public and private polling give McCain a big lead over Ward, but this week's CNN poll showed him with just 55 percent of the likely Republican primary vote. "We're going to do well, not great, but we're going to do well," he told supporters at a rally.
That would leave McCain just nine weeks to try to draw anti-McCain conservatives to his side while appealing to independent and moderate Democrats to try to hold off Kirkpatrick.
In a normal presidential year, the state's conservative tilt helps Republicans, as it did for Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who won his 2012 race by three percentage points in part because of Mitt Romney's victory here over President Barack Obama by more than nine points.
Today, according to McCain's pollster, Bill McInturff, "Trump and Clinton are essentially running even in Arizona."
That is not the best news for McCain, but he remains the favorite even as the race is expected to be much closer than any of his previous reelections. For much of the summer, several polls had Kirkpatrick within single digits of McCain, but last week CNN released a poll showing McCain ahead 52 percent to 39 percent, above the crucial 50 percent threshold that pollsters closely watch for incumbent safety. The McCain camp is taking little comfort in the CNN poll, worried that it may not be fully capturing the current reality.
At a fundraiser in April, McCain said: "If Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, here in Arizona, with over 30 percent of the vote being the Hispanic vote, no doubt that this may be the race of my life." Politico first reported the remarks, in which McCain continued: "If you listen or watch Hispanic media in the state and in the country, you will see that it is all anti-Trump. The Hispanic community is roused and angry in a way that I've never seen in 30 years." | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-john-mccain-reelection-campaign-donald-trump-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/e284cccd147378f41190896bf2efd381c2a5739e4368ac730649177b9d160a98.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Todd Shields"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:24 | null | 2016-08-04T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Flake-zurich%2Flifestyles%2Fct-lzc-shout-out-tl-0811-2-20160804-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57a3ab40/turbine/ct-lzc-shout-out-tl-0811-2-20160804 | en | null | Shout Out: Mary Beth Euker, co-founder of Cricket Theatre Company in Lake Zurich | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Mary Beth Euker is an attorney and co-founder of Cricket Theatre Company in Lake Zurich.
Euker, who performed in choruses as a student at Barrington High School, opened the theater with Robin Kern in 2012. She now directs children's musical theater. Earlier this summer, her students performed "Anything Goes," "Urinetown: The Musical" and "James the Giant Peach."
Q. How did you become interested in theater?
A. I got more interested when my children got interested in musical theater. They're all musical and all theatrical (laughs). Community Unit School District 95 in Lake Zurich had so much to offer, and they started attending the shows, and got interested in participating. Robin and I started a musical theater program at Seth Paine Elementary School in Lake Zurich and got involved in directing other theater companies. We later decided to branch out on our own, so we formed Cricket Theatre Company.
Q. What does musical theater do for children?
A. It develops friendships for life, and life skills on how to introduce themselves and interview that can be used for any profession. We've had kids do professional work at Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Mariott Theatre in Lincolnshire and Drury Lane Theatre.
Q. What is something someone may not know about you?
A. Within the last few years, I auditioned for and got into two shows — "The Christmas Carol" at Woodstock Opera House and "Urinetown: The Musical" at Devonshire Playhouse in Skokie.
Shout Out is a weekly feature in which we introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban. Check out more online at ChicagoTribune.com/ShoutOut
tshields@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter @tshields19 | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-zurich/lifestyles/ct-lzc-shout-out-tl-0811-2-20160804-story.html | en | 2016-08-04T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/aa6f1da9bc2242203dea4289b15953d70109a109ff750222b45e282f27f8e1a9.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Brian L. Cox"
] | 2016-08-26T13:21:46 | null | 2016-07-15T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fskokie%2Fnews%2Fct-skr-district-219-language-tl-0721-20160715-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-578b9d05/turbine/ct-skr-district-219-language-tl-0721-20160715 | en | null | District 219 mulls language barrier concerns raised by parents | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Niles Township High School District 219 is considering changing the way it communicates with the community, after staff and parents recently complained that communicating in English only has many shortfalls and does not reflect the racial and ethnic diversity in the district.
District 219 family liaison worker Leticia Garcia's said, by her estimate, there are as many as 90 languages spoken in Skokie, Niles and Lincolnwood and Morton Grove, the ethnically diverse area which makes up the school district. But, she said, all of the district's letters, emails and other correspondence with parents is typically done in English.
"We really need to have things translated," Garcia told the Board of Education during its Tuesday meeting. "Parents are just 'filing' everything that comes in."
"The child, the student, will say to their parent 'that's not important,'" she added. "Of course not. It's not important for a teenager if they have to pay for the bus fee or … any school fees that we might have. Or if the teacher wants to talk to the parents to see if the child needs any other kind of support in school.
"We can't use the students as translators because they're not going to do a good job. We really need to do it in all the languages."
A half dozen Spanish speaking District 219 parents also joined Garcia in asking the board to consider sending out communications to parents in Spanish, Assyrian and other languages commonly used in many households throughout the district. During the board meeting Garcia translated for several parents.
"It's very important," said Garcia. "They want to know how to be able to help their children. They need to be educated but if we have parents that are not educated there's a gap between them that's where psychological problems start to happen. Kids and parents will have that struggle."
Board member Carlton Evans said he is open to the suggestion and also said it ties in well with the district's pledge to respect and foster "diversity."
"Diversity needs to be part of the day to day operation of the schools," Evans said. "We have parents who are from a different country who are adjusting to the country, adjusting to the educational system."
"I think it would be a great idea for this board to seek out ways and avenue to help them to transition better by putting letters for example in a native tongue," he added. "We're going to have to do research to find out where to go about doing that.
"For the sake of equity, which we say we take very pride in and diversity, we need to make sure we're deliberate and thoughtful about doing those things not just talking about it," said Evans. "Tonight we had a great example of a suggestion from parents and staff to bridge that gap so children can be educated as best they possibly be."
Garcia said online translations are available on some websites but said those tend to be "literal translations" and therefore can be hard to understand. She also balked at the suggestion parents in the district should learn English if they want to help their children in school.
"Parents don't have the time to do that," she said. "They wish they could but almost all these parents have two jobs."
"Trying to put food on the table is not easy," she added. "With $9 an hour pay they won't get it. Usually both parents work two jobs if they have two parents. We have a lot of single parents. They know they need it but they're here to get their kids through high school and hopefully they'll go to college."
Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/skokie/news/ct-skr-district-219-language-tl-0721-20160715-story.html | en | 2016-07-15T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/423f40ea6e64fa0bba1092c8c7f4df9e888df482d4f5776f01a47a410bd5b5fa.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Ronnie Wachter"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:15 | null | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fbuffalo-grove%2Fnews%2Fct-bgc-white-orchid-tl-0804-20160801-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-579fc02c/turbine/ct-bgc-white-orchid-tl-0804-20160801 | en | null | Rare, federally protected orchids near Long Grove cause issues for IDOT officials | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | As state transportation officials grapple with how to preserve federally protected flowers near Long Grove, owners of the land, where the rare eastern prairie fringed orchids lie, have said they don't want the state to intervene.
The Illinois Department of Transportation is looking into widening Illinois Route 22 through Long Grove, but that work will bring its machinery close to the bed of rare orchids — located on land owned by Richard and Darlene Prendergast.
The couple's trepidation isn't about how the state would handle the rare orchids, the Prendergasts recently told Long Grove village board members. They simply are worried that the state would not pay them what their land is worth, if IDOT officials move forward on the project and decide to try and purchase a portion of their land to widen Route 22.
Long Grove officials told the couple they don't have any authority in the matter when they brought their case to the village board earlier this summer. The Prendergasts still reiterated how they would not want the state involved.
"You're either supporting the residents or you're supporting some flower," Darlene Prendergast told the trustees.
The Prendergasts declined to comment to Pioneer Press, but they told Long Grove officials IDOT has not yet contacted them about purchasing their land, part of which is known as the Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid Nature Preserve.
In an email, IDOT spokeswoman Gianna Urgo said the agency wants a portion of the couple's land.
"The Department is proposing to acquire the privately-owned Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid Nature Preserve," Urgo wrote. "IDOT would fund short-term restoration and management of the property and then transfer the property to the Long Grove Park District for long-term maintenance."
With a budget of $46 million, IDOT is in the second phase of its plan to widen Route 22 from Route 83 to Quentin Road, Urgo said. Construction could start in the early 2020s, she said.
Set back on the Prendergasts' wooded property, a few dozen eastern prairie fringed orchids lie within a small patch of open space. The flowers, experts said, hardly bloom, and grow out of stalks that look like weeds. But the orchids are protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Robert Parker Coffin, the first village president of Long Grove, dedicated land he owned that contained the orchids as a nature preserve in 1995, restricting certain uses designed to protect the flowers, according to state records. The Prendergasts owned a house next to Coffin, and they later bought Coffin's property, including the nature preserve, in 2002.
Urgo said IDOT is working with other environmental groups to preserve the unique flowers, but the Prendergasts have said they mainly are concerned with how the state's financial issues could affect land negotiations.
They told Long Grove officials they have never seen the orchids bloom. On the Prendergasts' property, the flowers bloom for only a week or two in the early summer, if all the conditions are right, experts said.
Cathy Pollack, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, inspects the open space routinely and saw 24 of them bloom this year.
"That's a real high-quality environment for them to be growing in," Pollack said. "To the average person, it looks like a bunch of weeds, but it's a great location that fosters their health. We don't have many places like it."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regard the eastern prairie fringed orchids as a threatened species. After being dedicated as a nature preserve, the orchids landed on the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission's protected areas list as recently as this past December, according to commission records.
Steven Byers, the commissioner for Nature Preserve Area 2, said other patches of the orchid exist around northern Illinois, but he added how the flower is rare.
"We do controlled burning and elimination of invasive species in that area to protect what's there," Byers said.
At the Long Grove Park District, which eventually could be responsible for maintaining the orchids near Long Grove, board president Jane Wittig said preservation of the orchids is a priority even if the open space with the orchids isn't in public view.
"These are so rare that we don't advertise where they are," she said. "We're trying to keep them from going extinct."
rwachter@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter @RonnieAtPioneer | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/buffalo-grove/news/ct-bgc-white-orchid-tl-0804-20160801-story.html | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/7d6fd358655b83a104fe19e921ad0fc3a78d6fb14882764ab2c379635f5d3b90.json |
[
"Blue Sky",
"Will O'Brien"
] | 2016-08-26T13:20:28 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fbluesky%2Foriginals%2Fct-drone-training-aerovista-bsi-20160826-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c03a6f/turbine/ct-drone-training-aerovista-bsi-20160826 | en | null | Drone training company in position as new rules take flight Monday | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | After years of businesses flying in a gray area, drones will finally get an official set of rules from the federal government Monday.
And AeroVista Innovations, a year-old startup incorporated in Highland Park, is ready to stake its claim in the nascent industry by providing a blend of aerial photography (think from-the-sky shots of outdoor concerts and expensive real estate listings), drone training and consulting services.
New Federal Aviation Administration regulations will effectively lower the barrier of entry to use a drone for business. Previously, a company needed licensed pilots and an FAA exemption to legally run a commercial drone operation.
That process took AeroVista seven months, the company said. With the rule change, those wishing to fly commercially will simply have to pass a 60-question written test and register their device before taking off. That means the skies — and the business space — will become more crowded.
AeroVista has worked with construction firm Clayco to develop an in-house drone program and partnered with the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago to create programming geared toward getting girls and women interested in the industry.
AeroVista owns three drones: a Phantom 3, a Phantom 4 and a higher-end Inspire 1, all made by DJI and retailing for about $1,200 to $3,200. The company also owns a host of add-on equipment, including high-definition cameras and thermal sensors, some of which sell for upwards of $10,000, said Brendan Stewart, the company's president of engineering. The contract pilots AeroVista regularly works with generally own their own equipment, he said.
The classes it offers range in cost from $89 for an hour for students to $798 for emergency response courses. Aerial service jobs are usually billed on a day or half-day basis, with post-production editing and data-crunching, if necessary, factoring into the final tabs, Stewart said.
AeroVista declined to disclose revenue but said aerial media, training and consulting account for roughly equal shares of the business. The company expects training and consulting to become its main money-makers in the future, especially as more businesses enter the industry.
“It’s going to become cheaper and easier to get your hands on a drone,” Stewart said.
Training services drew the Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Protection District's Rick Bekielewski and two other suburban firefighters to the Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy’s sprawling Glenview campus earlier this month. AeroVista has been offering two-day courses there for emergency responders.
The classes, a mix of hands-on flight instruction and regulation study, are geared toward helping emergency response professionals earn Federal Aviation Administration clearance to operate drones. In case of fires or floods, drones could be dispatched to scope out scenes or locate people in need of help.
Bekielewski, an avid flier of model airplanes with some limited recreational drone piloting experience, said his department might use its drone to perform safety inspections on some of the large properties in its jurisdiction. Mapping out the rooftops of large corporate campus structures, for example, could be much easier with a drone. Helping police with searches is another possibility, he said.
“We have no idea where this is going and what we’re going to do with it yet,” he said. “But this is a start. To learn what we can do, what we can’t do. Where we can go, where we can’t.”
So far, AeroVista, through a partnership with the training academy, has offered a handful of the emergency response classes. The company plans to eventually host three to five programs each month, Harris said.
The company has also designed courses for commercial operators — a wedding photographer looking for an edge, for example.
AeroVista isn’t the only local group offering training. Other companies selling similar services in the Chicago area include DartDrones, Vortex UAS and FSX Chicago. DartDrones and Unmanned Vehicle University have a presence in numerous states and are probably the biggest players in the training space nationally, said Matthew Engelke, who runs the drone training resources website Drone Training HQ and has seen the industry proliferate in recent years.
“The enthusiasm level has just gone through the roof,” he said.
Lewis University, in Romeoville, has taken the concept of training a step further and is entering its second academic year of offering a bachelor’s degree in unmanned aerial systems.
Ryan Phillips, co-chair of the school’s aviation department and the new program’s director, said the market for drone training is growing, especially as practical applications for the technology become better-known.
“More and more of these (companies) are surfacing every day as the utility of (unmanned aerial systems) is more and more apparent,” he said.
Will O'Brien is a freelance reporter.
Twitter @wpo3 | http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/ct-drone-training-aerovista-bsi-20160826-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/b70f3a0ce2a1cf9ff56cae0a50d1d06b38678aa8ff2fbbf3116232203beb5d09.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"George Houde"
] | 2016-08-31T14:49:03 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fbreaking%2Fct-father-son-killed-palatine-met-20160831-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c6e61b/turbine/ct-father-son-killed-palatine-met-20160831 | en | null | Witness in Palatine slaying trial says he saw suspect, found father, son dead | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Jose Angel Herrera heard a gunshot and footsteps on a creaky stairway in the middle of the night, looked out the window of his Palatine apartment and saw someone he knew.
"It was Marco Lopez," Herrera, 28, testified at Lopez's double murder trial Tuesday. "He was wearing a black hoodie. I was able to see his entire face."
Herrera is a key prosecution witness against Lopez, who was 17 when authorities allege he shot and killed his friend, 15-year-old Luis Reynoso, and Luis' father, Segundo Reynoso, 38, in their apartment. The Reynosos had previously let Lopez stay with them when he was homeless, but authorities say he killed the father and son in an act of gang-related vengeance.
The two were shot to death March 19, 2014, and prosecutors said Segundo Reynoso's two daughters, then ages 5 and 8, were in the apartment at the time. Lopez, a member of a street gang with a juvenile record, believed Luis Reynoso was a police "snitch," prosecutors said.
But in opening statements Tuesday, defense attorneys contended that authorities arrested the wrong person. A member of a different gang shot Luis and Segundo Reynoso, and that suspect was questioned by police but released and now can't be found, Assistant Public Defender Dan Naranjo said.
"There isn't a scintilla of evidence connecting Marco Lopez to this crime," Naranjo told jurors. He said no murder weapon has been recovered and there are no fingerprints, DNA or blood spatters linking Lopez to the scene.
Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Kristin Piper said the state will present witnesses who saw Lopez with a handgun just before the shootings and heard him say, "I have to take care of something."
"This defendant thought Luis Reynoso was a snitch and he was going to go kill this snitch, and that is exactly what he did," Piper said.
The prosecutor said Lopez went to the Reynosos' apartment, fired a shot through the front door and then hunted down Luis, tearing a bedroom door from its hinges. Lopez shot the younger Reynoso three times at close range and then shot Segundo Reynoso above his eye, Piper said.
Carmen Torres, Luis' mother and Segundo's wife, also testified Tuesday at the opening of the trial.
Torres was not home during the shooting but described arriving from work at 2:30 a.m. to find the apartment blocked off by law enforcement officials.
"The police told me they had been killed," Torres said through an interpreter, weeping softly.
She said the family had been living in the apartment about six months before the slayings.
Lopez and the young Reynoso were best friends and members of the street gang, witnesses testified. Torres said the Reynosos had let Lopez stay with them but had told him he had to leave "because he was causing problems."
Herrera, who lived in the same apartment complex and testified to seeing Lopez the night of the shooting, said Lopez was illuminated by lighting at the complex. Herrera said he lived on the ground floor and could see Lopez, now 19, with his hands underneath his sweatshirt, as if he was holding something.
"He looked right at me," Herrera said. "I recognized his walk, the way he leans back when he walks."
A few seconds later, Herrera testified, he heard his neighbor scream his name and he ran upstairs.
"I saw Segundo in the hallway, covered in blood," Herrera testified. "He was missing an eye."
Segundo Reynoso had been shot above his eye and his son had been shot three times in the chest at close range, authorities said.
"I told the police to look for Marco Lopez," Herrera testified.
The trial will continue Wednesday.
George Houde is a freelance reporter. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-father-son-killed-palatine-met-20160831-story.html | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/087c6aa6dda0455e59d547c5e5272982742e766ca9110062b4edc88a25d1c3e4.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Lisa Schencker"
] | 2016-08-27T00:48:10 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fbusiness%2Fct-epipen-schools-mylan-price-0828-biz-20160826-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0bb53/turbine/ct-epipen-schools-mylan-price-0828-biz-20160826 | en | null | Illinois parents feel EpiPen price pain as school year starts | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Bridget Bond tried not to cry at the front of the pharmacy line.
The Hoffman Estates mom had just learned three two-packs of EpiPens for her son could cost more than $1,400. The EpiPens could save the life of her 9-year-old, who's allergic to peanuts and tree nuts.
"I was angry. I felt so taken advantage of," Bond said of that moment, nearly a year ago. "After nine years of preparing my son and showing him how to take good care of himself, now I have to compromise on what we think is good care."
She paid more than $950 to buy two sets instead of three, and spent the year stressing about making sure a set was always near.
The price of EpiPens has only grown since then.
Hand-wringing over the cost of EpiPens has become a back-to-school ritual in Illinois and across the country in recent years as the price of the devices has soared. A two-pack of EpiPens had a wholesale pharmacy price of more than $600 in May — up more than 500 percent since early 2008, according to the Elsevier Clinical Solutions' Gold Standard Drug Database. Consumers are typically charged more than that manufacturer's wholesale price before insurance and/or cost-saving programs kick in.
The spike has forced parents in Illinois and across the country to hold onto the devices past their expiration dates, carry only one at a time instead of the recommend two, or rely on schools to have extras. Illinois, however, is among a majority of states that don't require schools to keep their own supply of epinephrine, the drug in the device.
Wit Andresen Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune Witt Andresen, 8, and his dog Scout play Aug. 25, 2016, in their Glenview backyard. Witt, who has multiple allergies, depends on EpiPens as an emergency remedy, but the increased cost of the devices strains his family's finances. Witt Andresen, 8, and his dog Scout play Aug. 25, 2016, in their Glenview backyard. Witt, who has multiple allergies, depends on EpiPens as an emergency remedy, but the increased cost of the devices strains his family's finances. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune)
In recent weeks, anger over those increases has spilled onto the national stage with politicians, parents and pundits urging Mylan — the company behind the EpiPen — to lower its prices.
Mylan reacted Thursday, saying it would offer $300 savings cards to patients with private insurance to lower their out-of-pocket costs. It also said it's expanding eligibility for its patient assistance program, to up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level for uninsured and underinsured patients. That means a family of four making up to $97,200 a year will now get EpiPens at no cost if they lack insurance or have a plan that only covers generic medications.
The moves, however, have done little calm the furor.
"The bottom line is the price needs to be reduced," said Dr. Sarah Boudreau-Romano, an attending physician in the division of allergy and immunology at Lurie Children's Hospital, who also has three children with food allergies. "These savings cards won't necessarily help everybody."
EpiPens Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune Glenview resident Meg Bowman shows Aug. 25, 2016, a pair of EpiPens she keeps for her son Witt Andresen, 8, who has multiple allergies. Bowman spent about $450 on three EpiPen kits a few weeks ago through a mail-order pharmacy. Glenview resident Meg Bowman shows Aug. 25, 2016, a pair of EpiPens she keeps for her son Witt Andresen, 8, who has multiple allergies. Bowman spent about $450 on three EpiPen kits a few weeks ago through a mail-order pharmacy. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune)
Bond, the Hoffman Estates mom, that even taking $300 off a $600 price tag, the medication's cost is still equal to a car payment.
Plus, when insurers have to pay more, the cost gets passed along to consumers through their insurance premiums, said Clare Krusing a spokeswoman for insurance industry group America's Health Insurance Plans. "We all ultimately end up paying the cost of that drug," she said.
The EpiPen, when pushed into a person's outer thigh, delivers a blast of epinephrine that can counter allergic reactions such as breathing trouble, a drop in blood pressure and swelling and hives around the face and lips.
Parents are "spending enormous amounts on a medication they hopefully won't (need) to use that expires in a year, or they're simply not able to afford it and depending on someone else's EpiPen or the school EpiPen to protect them," Boudreau-Romano said.
EpiPen prices are rising The EpiPen, an important item for people with severe food allergies, has gotten a lot more expensive. The EpiPen, an important item for people with severe food allergies, has gotten a lot more expensive. See more videos
But Illinois parents who forgo buying the pricey devices might be out of luck if they're depending on their schools.
Illinois and 38 other states did not have laws or guidelines requiring schools to stock epinephrine as of July, according to Food Allergy Research & Education, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the health and quality of life for those with food allergies. Mylan is a corporate sponsor for the organization, but the group's CEO James Baker said it uses Mylan's money to support membership activities and does not help Mylan with marketing.
Illinois schools are legally allowed to carry their own epinephrine — and Mylan has a program where schools can get EpiPens for free — but the state hasn't tracked which schools do.
Chicago Public Schools, for example, keeps its own epinephrine on hand, according to its Office of Student Health and Wellness website. But another district, Wheeling's Community Consolidated School District 21, does not, said spokeswoman Kara Beach.
Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill into law earlier this month that will require schools to report if they stock epinephrine auto-injectors.
There's no question that when schools do carry EpiPens, kids use them.
During the 2014-2015 school year, 17 Illinois school districts reported administering their own epinephrine 65 times, according to an Illinois State Board of Education report. More than half of the students and staff members who received the drug had not previously been diagnosed with a severe allergy.
Those numbers highlight the importance of the medication, said Jennifer Jobrack, senior national director of advocacy for the food allergy group.
"This is lifesaving medication that sometimes only has minutes to really work and you don't want to be too far away from it," Jobrack said. "It's that simple."
Jobrack has her own 11-year-old with a peanut allergy. She said she's been lucky that her insurance covers the devices, requiring only a reasonable co-pay.
Glenview parent Meg Bowman, however, said there have been times when she and her husband wondered if they could wait another month to purchase a new EpiPen set because of the price. Bowman spent about $450 on three kits a few weeks ago, through a mail-order pharmacy, for her 8-year-old son who is allergic to dairy and lentils, among other foods.
Like many families who have children with food allergies, Bowman has multiple sets for different locations, such as the school nurse's office, her son's classroom, his school cafeteria, her home and her purse.
"It's a do or die," Bowman said. "I have to have it, and I feel like I have to have a certain number of them to keep him safe."
Mylan says its savings card and patient assistance programs help patients avoid paying the full cost of the device. The drugmaker also has said the proliferation of high-deductible insurance plans is partly to blame for the increasing numbers of patients paying full price for the product.
Critics say there are other factors at play, namely a lack of major competing products.
Sanofi US made a similar device called Auvi-Q, but it recalled the product last year because of potentially inaccurate dosage delivery. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-epipen-schools-mylan-price-0828-biz-20160826-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/075de650863507c6cf9eb0a79b9e10de5aeed40ac375d840c3c390fc70b0c496.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Chicago Tribune Staff"
] | 2016-08-30T12:49:01 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fbreaking%2Fct-man-charged-after-woman-shot-to-death-in-roseland-20160830-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c561ec/turbine/ct-man-charged-after-woman-shot-to-death-in-roseland-20160830 | en | null | Man charged after woman shot to death in Roseland | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Authorities charged a man in the fatal shooting of a 35-year-old woman early Monday morning in the Roseland neighborhood on the South Side.
Terrance Meredith, 43, was charged with a felony count of first-degree murder, according to a news release from the Chicago Police Department.
The shooting happened around 12:25 a.m. in the 100 block of West 112th Place and is domestic related, according to police.
Meredith is accused of shooting the woman, identified as Otha M. Mooney, in the head, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office. Mooney, of the same block on 112th Place, was pronounced dead at 12:55 a.m.
A weapon was recovered and Meredith was taken into custody shortly after the shooting, police said.
Meredith, also of the 100 block of West 112th Place, is scheduled to be in Cook County bond court Tuesday. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-man-charged-after-woman-shot-to-death-in-roseland-20160830-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/43af5e1bff8be2f97963981bbb944587c806924c5c03a8d6de2b8f841cf4a213.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Pioneer Press"
] | 2016-08-26T13:25:29 | null | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fvernon-hills%2Fnews%2Fct-vhr-vernon-hills-rib-fest-blues-tl-0825-20160822-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bb238e/turbine/ct-vhr-vernon-hills-rib-fest-blues-tl-0825-20160822 | en | null | Vernon Hills fest sings the blues with BBQ | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Patrons who browsed the food and beer tents at the Aug. 19 and 20 Little Bear RibFest in Vernon Hills had the chance to chow down while listening to live blues music.
The music budget was about $25,000 total, according to Jack Scherer, special events coordinator for the Vernon Hills Park District, and it paid for blues musicians Kevin Purcell and the Nightburners, John Primer, Chicago Blues Super Session, Mark Hummel and the Golden State/Lone Star Revue, and Red, White & Blues.
Festivities ended at 11 p.m. each night, one hour earlier than in past years. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/vernon-hills/news/ct-vhr-vernon-hills-rib-fest-blues-tl-0825-20160822-story.html | en | 2016-08-22T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/ec724b9bb35cce440824c45d8fa467d050750ad90187bfe2fc0591040c99d1ae.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Natalie Hayes"
] | 2016-08-29T20:51:38 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Flincolnwood%2Fcrime%2Fct-lwr-crime-alert-tl-0901-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c492a2/turbine/ct-lwr-crime-alert-tl-0901-20160829 | en | null | Spike in Lincolnwood crime prompts public safety alert | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | An uptick in crime reported in Lincolnwood and other nearby communities during the summer months prompted Lincolnwood police to issue a public safety alert and remind residents to be aware of their surroundings.
From the beginning of June through mid-August, police reported four armed robberies, three stolen vehicles and at least eight car break-ins. Six of those car break-ins took place during the Fourth of July weekend, according to the Lincolnwood Police Department.
"Unfortunately, people get complacent about their safety mainly because the neighborhoods feel safe," said Deputy Chief John Walsh. "We're working to identify the problem and come up with solutions but at the same time, the public should be educated about what's happening and take steps to protect their property."
A four-day stretch in mid-August saw three armed robberies that followed the July 29 robbery of the Baladna Jewelry store. Two unknown men brandishing a gun made off with $100,000 in gold from the store on the 4300 block of Touhy Avenue, police said.
Other recent robberies have targeted people.
On August 10, a person walking on the 3600 block of West North Shore Avenue at approximately 11 a.m. was robbed by a person described as a white male holding a handgun. The man took the victim's cell phone and several duffel bags filled with clothing and fled, police said.
Two days later, a group of nine black men described to police as wearing dark clothing surrounded a woman as she sat in her vehicle on the 7200 block of North East Prairie Road at approximately 1:15 a.m. One of the men grabbed the cell phone from the driver, who then sped away, according to police Lt. Randy Rathmell.
A third person was targeted in an armed robbery Aug. 1 near the intersection of Estes and Tripp avenues. A group of five black males approached a pedestrian walking in the area around 12:30 a.m., according to the Lincolnwood department.
One of the offenders pulled out a handgun and demanded the victim's phone, police said.
Lincolnwood Police are investigating the possibility that the crimes are connected, according to Walsh, who said Lincolnwood police have not made any arrests in connection to the incidents.
"There's a similarity in the vehicles and the offenders that have been described by witnesses, so that would suggest a pattern," Walsh said. "We don't want it to escalate any further."
Last November, a man was robbed at gunpoint after he parked his car in the parking lot of Lincolnwood Town Center and walked toward the mall, according to a report from police.
Police said criminals tend to target people who aren't paying attention. The department reminded residents in a crime safety alert issued recently to be aware of their surroundings and avoid distractions, such as listening to loud music and texting on phones while out in public.
Police said residents should exercise extra caution during the later evening hours.
"Residents should always be aware of their surroundings, be mindful of possibly being followed and be extremely cautious if anyone approaches you or your vehicle," according to the email alert police sent to the community.
Please don't hesitate to call the police or 9-1-1 about suspicious activity, police said. Anonymous tips can be left at (847) 673-2167.
Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lincolnwood/crime/ct-lwr-crime-alert-tl-0901-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/b8bb7600f590db9cf097357247b2eb13c58dc1a379f4f47b48ee69bdf4c2178b.json |
[
"Justin Bachman"
] | 2016-08-29T16:48:42 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fbusiness%2Fct-airline-passenger-perks-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c44ceb/turbine/ct-airline-passenger-perks-20160829 | en | null | Airlines bring free sandwiches and streaming back to coach | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | After decades of red ink, U.S. airlines have gotten their financial houses in significantly better order. And while this new wherewithal certainly won't mean more legroom or free checked bags, some carriers are exploring inexpensive ways to make flying economy class a smidge less arduous.
Free meals and booze are returning on some long domestic flights, and gratis snacks are common again. A few airlines are even dropping fees for streaming audio and video: American Airlines just matched its two-largest domestic peers by offering cattle class free access to its full menu of in-flight entertainment.
These modest steps follow years of "densification" at the back of the plane as carriers sought to boost profits by adding seats and crunching knees. At the same time, travelers at the front of the plane were courted with ever-increasing opulence. While a seat-count reduction for the less fortunate isn't in the cards, those free movies may be sufficiently engrossing to make you forget the lack of space or your oversized neighbor.
"Even the smallest thing can seem like a big deal," said Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst at Atmosphere Research Group in San Francisco. "When you're an abused animal, even a tiny pat on the head can make you feel like you're loved."
The improvements are funded by billions of dollars in profits, including $12 billion reported by the 10 largest U.S. carriers in the first half of this year. That's about $700 million more than in the same period last year, according to industry trade group Airlines for America. "For the first time since the Great Recession, airlines are finally achieving profit margins on par with the average U.S. corporation," said John Heimlich, the group's chief economist.
Even the smallest thing can seem like a big deal. When you're an abused animal, even a tiny pat on the head can make you feel like you're loved. — Henry Harteveldt, travel analyst at Atmosphere Research Group
This year, on their longest routes to Hawaii, American and Delta Air Lines have restored free meals and alcoholic beverages after years of charging you for snacks. The change aligns those carriers' meal policies with those on their long-haul flights to Europe and South America.
There are smaller touches, too. United Continental Holdings has touted its new premium Italian coffee, from Illy, along with the debut in February of a Dutch snack, stroopwafel-which came with a video the carrier produced to show how to eat it. Last month, it also began stocking a more premium single malt scotch, Glenfarclas, and a craft beer from Goose Island.
On some European routes, United has begun serving an additional mid-flight snack, part of an upgraded dining experience in which the airline has divided economy-class meal service into three courses, hoping to make the experience slightly nicer.
This effort to make customers happy isn't limited to free food, booze, and films. In April, Delta ditched its fees for purchasing a ticket over the phone or at the airport. American, like some others, will now refund money on nonrefundable tickets if the reason is suitably compelling. A company spokesman declined to say what issues American considers valid for refunds; telephone and airport agents have been given discretion to make the call.
"Airlines are taking a look at not just what drives purchases but what drives complaints," Harteveldt said.
In the end, though, all that free stuff may not be free at all. Another factor in the analysis, Harteveldt said, is finding a way to stand out from rivals: Carriers are always keen to command higher fares, and a unique perk might allow them to charge a few additional bucks. (Delta frequently cites its "revenue premium" over others, as do JetBlue Airways Corp. and Virgin America Inc. on some of their networks.)
Moreover, any new crumbs for coach dwellers pale next to investments being plowed into new aircraft, airport terminals, and employee contracts. And some issues just aren't on the table, no matter how much industry profits rise. The checked-bag fee is sacrosanct, as are those ubiquitous fees to select certain "better" seats at the time of ticketing. And airlines will continue to pamper their more lucrative passengers in first class and business class.
Nevertheless — back in economy — now you can get Game of Thrones and a free biscuit. And that's better than nothing. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-airline-passenger-perks-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/2f1231b07ce6493cbe1fb6ad623630ec579dbf8be3029867e31e5c887bcaeb6e.json |
[
"Anna Edgerton Raymond Colitt",
"Samy Adghirni",
"C"
] | 2016-08-30T16:49:06 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fsns-wp-blm-brazil-bg-7bb4c3ea-6ebb-11e6-993f-73c693a89820-20160830-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56f02a81/turbine/chi-default-open-graph-ct-logo/1200/1200x650 | en | null | Rousseff fails to sway Senate in trial for political life | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Dilma Rousseff's plea against the impeachment process that she likens to a political "death sentence" failed to sway senators, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle expecting the Brazilian president's permanent ouster this week.
In her first appearance in Congress since proceedings started in December 2015, Rousseff on Monday cited minutia of budget laws, recalled her fight against the dictatorship and took questions from more than 40 senators in a session that ran about 14 hours. Supporters said she made a solid case for her defense, though critics countered it won't matter when it comes to the final vote on Tuesday or Wednesday.
"Dilma is defending herself with a lot of dignity and intelligence, but the senators came here with their minds made up," said Senator Regina Sousa of Rousseff's Workers' Party. "It's very difficult to turn around the vote."
Acting President Michel Temer expects at least 60 votes in favor of Rousseff's ouster, according to one of his aides who asked not to be named because the tally isn't public. That would be six more than the two-thirds majority needed to permanently remove her from office and confirm him as president until new elections in 2018. Brazil's main newspapers counted at least 52 pro-impeachment votes, with 18 or 19 senators against it and the others undecided.
The trial is scheduled to resume on Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time, when representatives of the defense and prosecution will have time to speak. More than 50 senators have also signed up to give remarks. Temer's aide said he expected a final vote after 11 p.m. on Tuesday.
Rousseff's testimony was her last defense in a nearly nine-month impeachment process that has plunged Brazil into political turmoil and deepened its recession. The Senate forced her to temporarily step down in May when it decided to try her on charges of using accounting tricks to mask a budget deficit.
Her conviction would give Temer some of the legitimacy he needs to revive growth. Yet he faces opposition within his own coalition to the austerity measures he says are needed to restore business and consumer confidence.
Brazil's Ibovespa, the world's best performing equity index this year, surged 1.6 percent on Monday amid investor optimism that impeachment would make way for more market-friendly policies under Temer. The real gained 1.1 percent.
"Dilma's speech didn't bring anything new -- nothing that could threaten the impeachment process," said Henrique de La Rocque, a fixed income and derivatives manager at Brasif Management.
In her opening remarks to Senators, Rousseff said the country's elite manufactured allegations against her after they lost the 2014 presidential election. She cautioned that inequality would increase under Temer, whose policies would undo the social gains achieved by her party. She remained defiant after hours of questioning, saying in her closing comments just before midnight that ousting a president on trumped-up charges would be a major mistake.
Rousseff also likened her travails to those she suffered as a prisoner of the military government, which ruled Brazil from 1964 to 1985.
"During the fight against dictatorship, my body was marked by torture. I tasted the bitter suffering of prison for years," Rousseff said, her voice cracking on several occasions. "I can't help but to again taste the bitterness of injustice."
Critics of Rousseff said they weren't impressed by her appeal. Senator Ana Amelia de Lemos said the president's budget policies were on trial, not her life's story. The chamber will still vote in favor of Rousseff's impeachment, said Senator Alvaro Dias of the Green Party, which is neither part of the government coalition nor the opposition.
Behind charges that Rousseff financed government spending without congressional approval is broader sentiment among many legislators and Brazilians that she mismanaged the economy. Several senators accused her of misleading voters in the 2014 election about the true state of public finances and the economic slowdown. Over the past two years, the budget deficit more than trebled to around 10 percent of gross domestic product, while the downturn drove unemployment into the double digits.
Rousseff, a 68-year-old trained economist, blamed the slowdown in China, monetary tightening in the U.S. and a severe drought in Brazil for the country's woes. She said her opponents in Congress torpedoed many of her efforts to balance the budget.
Prominent figures joined Rousseff in what may have been her last public appearance as president, including 20 of her former Cabinet members. Television often cut to images of her supporters watching in the Senate gallery, focusing frequently on her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was once the most popular politician in Brazil. Federal police have charged him with money laundering and corruption, though he denies the allegations.
Rousseff would be the second president impeached in the Senate since Brazil's return to democracy, even though then-President Fernando Collor de Mello in 1992 resigned shortly before the final vote.
The proceedings attracted limited attention in Brazil. Only a few hundred people gathered outside the Senate building in the country's capital. Police used tear gas to disperse crowds marching in favor of Rousseff in downtown Sao Paulo, while protesters blocked a major avenue in Rio de Janeiro. The demonstrations were a far cry from the mass protests that drew millions to the streets in favor of impeachment over the past year.
"Brazil is going to be fine," said Riordan Roett, director of Latin American studies at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. "It will be back to politics as usual after they get through this."
---
Vinícius Andrade and Mario Sergio Lima contributed. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-wp-blm-brazil-bg-7bb4c3ea-6ebb-11e6-993f-73c693a89820-20160830-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/9a30af8b2709a98866c46ff50c5571fccf380f6ec5e4f95991d7b27a7c40d459.json |
[
"Associated Press",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-27T00:48:06 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fpolitics%2Fct-clinton-calendars-state-department-20160826-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0d9ac/turbine/ct-clinton-calendars-state-department-20160826 | en | null | State Department: Clinton calendars won't be released until after election | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Seven months after a federal judge ordered the State Department to begin releasing monthly batches of the detailed daily schedules showing meetings by Hillary Clinton during her time as secretary of state, the government told The Associated Press it won't finish the job before Election Day.
The department has so far released about half of the schedules. Its lawyers said in a phone conference with the AP's lawyers that the department now expects to release the last of the detailed schedules around Dec. 30, weeks before the next president is inaugurated.
The AP's lawyers late Friday formally asked the State Department to hasten that effort so that the department could provide all Clinton's minute-by-minute schedules by Oct. 15. The agency did not immediately respond.
The schedules drew new attention this week after the AP analyzed the ones released so far. The news agency found that more than half the people outside the government who met or spoke by telephone with Clinton while she was secretary of state had given money — either personally or through companies or groups — to the Clinton Foundation. The AP's analysis focused on people with private interests and excluded her meetings or calls with U.S. federal employees or foreign government representatives.
The AP's reporting was based on official calendars covering Clinton's entire term plus the more-detailed daily schedules covering roughly half her time as secretary of state. The AP first asked for Clinton's calendars in 2010 and again in 2013. It then sued the State Department in federal court to obtain the detailed schedules, and the department so far has provided about half of them under court order.
Clinton has said the AP's analysis was flawed because it did not account fully for all meetings and phone calls during her entire term as secretary. She also said the analysis should have included meetings with federal employees and foreign diplomats. The AP said it focused on her meetings with outsiders because those were more discretionary, as Clinton would normally meet with federal officials and foreign officials as part of her job.
Clinton said she met with people outside government regardless of whether they gave money or charitable commitments to her family's charity.
"These are people I would be proud to meet with, as any secretary of state would have been proud to meet with, to hear about their work and their insights," Clinton said this week on CNN.
With the foundation drawing continued attention, Clinton promised Friday to put in place additional safeguards to prevent conflicts of interest with the charity should she win the White House.
The foundation issue, along with continued focus on her use of a private email server, has dogged Clinton politically throughout the week, drawing strong criticism from opponent Donald Trump.
Former President Bill Clinton said last week that if she is elected president, the foundation will no longer accept foreign or corporate donations.
The State Department is now estimating there are about 2,700 pages of schedules left. Under its process, it is reviewing and censoring them page-by-page to remove personal details such as private phone numbers or email addresses. In some cases it has censored names of people who met privately with Clinton or the subjects they discussed.
A State Department spokeswoman, Elizabeth Trudeau, declined to discuss the ongoing case and noted the agency is struggling with thousands of public records requests.
In court, the AP in December had asked U.S. District Judge Richard Leon to order the State Department to produce specific percentages of the remaining schedules every 30 days under a formula so that all would be released before the presidential primary elections were complete.
Instead, because the State Department said it did not know how many pages were left, Leon ordered it in January to release at least 600 pages of schedules every 30 days. Each 600-page group covers about three months of Clinton's tenure.
Under the present rate, a government attorney working on behalf of the State Department notified the AP's lawyers, it will take about four and one-half months — or until Dec. 30 — to release all the remaining schedules through the end of Clinton's term, in February 2013. The government's notice late Thursday was the first time the State Department has provided the AP with a measure of how many pages were remaining and when it expected to complete the job.
It was unclear whether the judge will reconsider his earlier decision and order faster results. In the AP's lawsuit over other Clinton-related files, Leon has said it would be "ridiculous" to allow the State Department to delay until even weeks before the election. He also cited "mounting frustration that this is a project where the State Department may be running out the clock."
Associated Press | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-clinton-calendars-state-department-20160826-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/232b1c193f96d071aeb49337b20e6a48c111f2435723510c08e551947dc42d4a.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Steve Rosenbloom"
] | 2016-08-31T14:49:11 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Frosenblog%2Fct-pernell-mcphee-pup-list-rosenbloom-20160831-column.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c6d266/turbine/ct-pernell-mcphee-pup-list-rosenbloom-20160831 | en | null | Pernell McPhee’s injury resounds with issues on and off the field | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | You watch, Willie Young probably will be fined. It sounds like he committed a big sin -- a big sin under this Bears administration, at least: He told the truth.
John Fox doesn’t like telling the truth, not publicly, anyway, and especially not about injuries. But there was Young on Monday, letting on that Pernell McPhee’s knee injury might’ve been career-threatening at one time.
That’s why the Bears’ most impactful defensive player coming off knee surgery started training camp on the physically unable to perform list for a Bears administration that remains on the physically unable to tell the truth list.
McPhee’s injury sounds worse than Fox and GM Ryan Pace let on when training camp began, but it explains why they reached for pass rusher Leonard Floyd.
The Bears face a PUP list decision by Saturday, and it’s not that McPhee won’t be ready for the opener. That’s a long shot. It’s whether he can help in Week 3 or 4 or just stay on the PUP list and miss the first six games. Who knows, he might miss more. Maybe the whole season. The Bears leave everyone to guess, so those are the guesses.
But perhaps more importantly, this also calls into question again why anybody let McPhee on the field last December when a Super Bowl wasn’t going to happen for the Bears.
McPhee was the Bears best defensive player through the first half of the season, registering five sacks and an interception. But then he came up lame, sitting out two games and clearly looking hurt and slow in the others. I love the guy’s heart. He wanted to play. I get that. But it looks like one of the adults in charge should’ve been a lot smarter than that.
McPhee’s injury resounds on and off the field, and the way Fox’s teams have gotten injured, somebody somewhere had better wise up going forward.
Fox said the first half against the Chiefs in what is supposed to be the most important practice game was as “rough’’ of a half as he has seen.
That first half featured five drives for eight yards. Total. Cominbed. Altogether. Tell you what, if Adam Gase didn’t take the offense with him to Miami, then he at least hid it from Dowell Loggains and everybody else.
Say this for Fox: He has certainly orchestrated the perfect exhibition season for a guy who likes to under-promise and over-deliver.
Browns coach Hue Jackson said he’ll play his starters against the Bears in Thursday night’s practice game. The Bears are checking to see if they have any starters left.
Good luck finding any on offense. Against the Chiefs, the Bears second, third and fourth series run by the alleged first-string offense all went three and out with zero -- count ‘em, zero -- yards combined.
The alleged first-string offense ended the half with a false start, an incompletion and a sack-strip of Jay Cutler. But hey, at least it wasn’t a three-and-out.
Brian Hoyer missed Paul Lasike on fourth-and-1, so, yeah, Loggains is doing a great job of making making sure each alleged offensive unit can master some form of a three-and-out.
Rookie cornerback Deiondre’ Hall figures to get a lot of reps against the Browns, and that means a lot of all-or-nothing -- either a sparkling play in the end zone to break up a pass or having no clue how to look for the ball, and boom, there’s a 50-yard completion.
I’d expect Hall to face more of those chances because the Bears apparently decided to forfeit the pass rush this summer.
NFL standing headline for August: “Your Name Here lost for the season.’’
We already knew this, but science claims pizza in a workplace increases productivity. In fact, according to a study in Duke professor Dan Ariely’s upcoming book, pizza increased production more than praise and money. Can Malnati’s deliver to Cutler’s huddle?
Kyle Hendricks, your table is ready. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/rosenblog/ct-pernell-mcphee-pup-list-rosenbloom-20160831-column.html | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/fee70f4a093993327ec33ed3da02b138cb99ee67d5d7b6387d42b99a7b460e6e.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Lee V. Gaines"
] | 2016-08-26T13:21:49 | null | 2016-06-23T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fmorton-grove%2Fnews%2Fct-mgc-morton-grove-accident-tl-0630-20160623-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-576c64cf/turbine/ct-mgc-morton-grove-accident-tl-0630-20160623 | en | null | Fire department extracts injured man, 75, from car after crash in Morton Grove | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | A Thursday morning two-vehicle crash in Morton Grove sent a 75-year-old man to the hospital, according to the village's police department.
The Morton Grove resident was traveling eastbound in a Mercury Mountaineer on Capulina Avenue at about 7:15 a.m. when he stopped at the intersection of Austin Avenue and proceeded to pull forward into the roadway, said Morton Grove Police Cmdr. Paul Yaras. The SUV was subsequently struck by a Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by a 30-year-old Morton Grove resident traveling north on Austin Avenue, he said.
Yaras said the 75-year-old's vehicle was hit in the rear quarter panel, spun around, struck a curb and rolled over onto the driver's side. He said the village's fire department was called in to extract the driver from the car.
The 75-year-old man was transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Yaras said. He did not know the extent of the man's injuries but said he was conscious following the crash.
Yaras said the 30-year-old motorist was not injured in the crash.
The injured driver was cited for failure to yield at the intersection, he said.
Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/morton-grove/news/ct-mgc-morton-grove-accident-tl-0630-20160623-story.html | en | 2016-06-23T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/3417ff6deddf917efc0369e1d02b6381608c9fe6b71f58ab179beb006bfeff0e.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Rick Kambic"
] | 2016-08-26T13:20:07 | null | 2016-08-16T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fvernon-hills%2Fnews%2Fct-vhr-kumas-corner-vernon-hills-tl-0825-20160816-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57b34e47/turbine/ct-vhr-kumas-corner-vernon-hills-tl-0825-20160816 | en | null | Kuma's Corner restaurant in early talks for Vernon Hills location | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | The volume might soon be turned way up on the Vernon Hills dining scene as popular heavy metal-themed restaurant Kuma's Corner is in early talks to join a new development in town.
The restaurant is known for its loud music and names burgers after heavy metal bands. It first opened in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood in 2005 and followed with restaurants in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, Schaumburg and Indianapolis.
Ron Cain, owner and president of Kuma's Corner, first told Crain's Chicago Business that he's looking at a new location in Vernon Hills. He later confirmed to Pioneer Press that he's in preliminary talks to join the Mellody Farm project at Milwaukee Avenue and Townline Road.
Named after the former Cuneo family company, the Mellody Farm subdivision would involve 260 apartments and 265,000 square feet of retail space across from Hawthorn Mall on vacant farmland, according to Vernon Hills planning documents.
Village officials have already announced that Whole Foods will anchor the retail front and have numerous retail stores and restaurants between it and the apartments. The project is expected to open in 2018.
Cain said he knows the general manager at Uncle Julio's Mexican restaurant, which opened in April along Hawthorn Mall's Ring Road, and he's impressed with their success in Vernon Hills.
Cain said he spoke with a real estate broker and Vernon Hills showed very strong demographics.
Joe Carey, Vernon Hills assistant village manager, said he has not received any official paperwork from Kuma's Corner, but he's heard a lot about the company and thinks it would be a positive addition to the village's restaurant scene.
According to Crain's Chicago Business, Kuma's Corner has one more project in Chicago before attempting another suburban endeavor.
Cain told Pioneer Press that after Vernon Hills, the company will be done expanding in Illinois and will focus on out-of-state sites. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/vernon-hills/news/ct-vhr-kumas-corner-vernon-hills-tl-0825-20160816-story.html | en | 2016-08-16T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/9853caf89756b00e6607f719b82164d51cb842ae51b9d597a20db5283e202d41.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Irv Leavitt"
] | 2016-08-29T14:51:51 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fnorthbrook%2Fnews%2Fct-nbs-novak-retires-tl-0901-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c44018/turbine/ct-nbs-novak-retires-tl-0901-20160829 | en | null | Judge in Northbrook Mission Hills - Red Seal case quits the bench | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | A Cook County judge who presided over two recent headline-generating cases has retired during the early stages of a third, the suit by Mission Hills residents seeking to stop a housing development on the golf course flanking their homes.
During a pre-trial hearing on the lawsuit over the unincorporated property near Northbrook, Associate Judge Rita M. Novak took aside lawyers and told them she was retiring from the bench, effective Aug. 31.
Her retirement was confirmed by a spokesman for Chief Judge Timothy Evans, and a clerk in Novak's office. Novak declined to comment for this story.
Robert O'Donnell, the attorney representing Mission Hills, said Friday that the judge's decision was personal, and that she wanted to do something else in life. He said that her retirement was not a complete surprise.
"It was floating around for a couple of weeks," he said.
On what will be her last day on the Mission Hills case, Novak ordered that Cook County Building and Zoning Department officials must choose representatives from among themselves to be deposed by the Mission Hills lawyers. County lawyers had requested that no officials be forced to testify.
The plaintiffs are seeking to prove that the County Board's dismantling of the 1972 planned unit development that joined 781 Mission Hills units to the golf course was wrong, and that the approval by the board in February 2015, of a new planned unit development allowing 137 units to be built on half the course was also improper.
Red Seal Development received Cook County building permits this month, and has started earth-moving work on the property for their Provenance development. Mission Hills lawyers maintain that if they won, they'll force restoration of the property to open space.
In recent months, Novak's cases have included a suit that sought to shut down Chicago's embattled red-light camera program, which she dismissed April 1. In July 2015, she found that Illinois' cobbled-together plan to bring pensions closer to solvency was unconstitutional.
Novak has served as a judge since 1999. Her term would expire on July 30, 2019.
Mission Hills homeowners association leader Michael Delmore said it might take a while for a new judge to get up to speed, but the trial is not expected to be underway until February.
"I hope she has a good retirement," he said.
Red Seal representatives could not immediately respond to questions.
ileavitt@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter @IrvLeavitt | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/northbrook/news/ct-nbs-novak-retires-tl-0901-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/4af5f6b8eb2d3ef6385c09b32d9e051c12626ffedd95f33eff6ef6f0ac05c394.json |
[
"Washington Post",
"Steven Overly"
] | 2016-08-26T16:49:27 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fbusiness%2Fct-dominos-pizza-delivery-drone-new-zealand-20160826-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c051cc/turbine/ct-dominos-pizza-delivery-drone-new-zealand-20160826 | en | null | Domino's unveils pizza-delivery drone | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Exactly how much should you tip a pizza delivery drone?
That's just one question likely to vex hungry New Zealanders who could soon find their Domino's Pizza order landing on the doorstep via an aerial drone.
Other quandaries to ponder: What happens if it starts to rain before my food arrives? What if the neighbor's dog beats me to the door? Is creating a pizza delivery drone really the best use of an engineer's time?
Who cares? It's pizza, and now it flies!
Domino's Pizza Enterprises in New Zealand has successfully demonstrated a flying drone that can transport pizza, and the chain will partner with a drone delivery company called Flirtey to make the service available to customers later this year, according to the Guardian. The paper reports that New Zealand approved commercial drone delivery last year, becoming one of the first countries to allow such services.
Domino's Pizza Enterprises holds the master franchise rights for the Domino's brand in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, France and Germany, among other countries. The largest Domino's international franchise, the company has 1,900 storefronts in all.
What's behind Domino's Pizza's Recipe for success? Domino's Pizza Group CEO Patrick Doyle discusses the company's growth. (Bloomberg) Domino's Pizza Group CEO Patrick Doyle discusses the company's growth. (Bloomberg) See more videos
"With the increased number of deliveries we make each year, we were faced with the challenge of ensuring our delivery times continue to decrease and that we strive to offer our customers new and progressive ways of ordering from us," Domino's Group chief executive and managing director Don Meij told the New Zealand Herald.
In the United States, drone delivery is a bit more complicated. Federal aviation regulators and the Obama administration have imposed tight controls on who can operate drones and where they can do so, although Amazon.com and Google, among other big corporations, are seriously experimenting with the concept. Amazon Chief Executive Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Washington Post.
Nevertheless, few take pizza innovation as seriously as the Kiwis and their neighboring Australians. Earlier this year, a Domino's Pizza Enterprises research lab in Australia unveiled an autonomous robot that looks like a warming drawer on wheels and can transport as many as 10 pizzas in a single trip. In March, the Domino's Robot Unit carried out its first successful delivery.
U.S. Pizza Museum firing up in Chicago Kendall Bruns, founder of the U.S. Pizza Museum, shows some items from the collection. (Bill Daley / Chicago Tribune) Kendall Bruns, founder of the U.S. Pizza Museum, shows some items from the collection. (Bill Daley / Chicago Tribune) See more videos
"We have a relentless passion to push the boundaries of what's possible with pizza delivery," Michael Gillespie, chief digital officer for Domino's in Australia, told The Post in March. "As we get further, it's not hard to believe that we might have a store with a couple of [robots] that are doing deliveries." | http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-dominos-pizza-delivery-drone-new-zealand-20160826-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/bf42b3cfac6b1fa34ebe62c4865daef54c37cc032c30b50c75ba8dcacc0d57ff.json |
[
"Washington Post",
"Robert Costa",
"Karen Deyoung"
] | 2016-08-31T02:49:04 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fpolitics%2Fct-donald-trump-mexico-president-meeting-20160830-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c630b9/turbine/ct-donald-trump-mexico-president-meeting-20160830 | en | null | Trump accepts last-minute meeting in Mexico with the country's president | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Donald Trump is jetting to Mexico City on Wednesday for a meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, just hours before he delivers a high-stakes speech in Arizona to clarify his views on immigration policy.
The plan, which was hatched in recent days by Trump and his campaign advisers, comes after Trump has wavered for weeks on whether he would continue to hold his hard-line positions on the central and incendiary issue of his campaign, in particular his call to deport an estimated 11 million immigrants who are living in the United States illegally.
Sources said Tuesday that talks between the Trump campaign and Mexican officials were ongoing, with Trump interested in going but logistics and security concerns still being sorted out. But Tuesday night, Trump tweeted that he accepted Pena Nieto's invitation.
Pena Nieto extended an invitation for the businessman to visit him in Mexico to talk about various political and economic issues, people close to Trump's campaign said. Trump, sensing an opportunity, decided over the weekend to accept the invitation and push for a visit this week.
Trump is scheduled to hold fundraisers Wednesday morning in California and deliver his immigration speech in the evening at the Phoenix Convention Center. His trip to Mexico, should it occur, would come between his events.
Trump's newly installed campaign chief executive, Stephen Bannon, played a key role in devisingthe stop while Trump met Sunday with his aides and family at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, according to two people who have been briefed on the campaign's deliberations.
Bannon, who previously headed the conservative website Breitbart News, made the case to the group that Trump must underscore his populist immigration views in the final weeks of the general-election campaign, perhaps with an audacious gesture.
Peña Nieto's invitation was brought up, and Bannon said it offered Trump an opening to make headlines and showcase himself as a statesman who could deal directly with Mexico.
Trump was intrigued by Bannon's proposal and agreed, but not all aides and allies were as enthusiastic, the people said.
Trump, who appointed Bannon to his post and veteran pollster Kellyanne Conway as campaign manager this month after the resignation of campaign chairman Paul Manafort, has been navigating a flood of conflicting advice this summer about where to land on immigration as he has publicly wrestled with himself on the details of his position.
Following Sunday's strategy session, plans came together quickly but not without hurdles and some tensions.
Early this week, representatives for Trump contacted the U.S. Embassy in Mexico about his intentions, according to a person in Mexico familiar with the communications between the two camps.
Trump's representatives were told privately by officials that it would be logistically difficult for Trump to visit. But the businessman's proxies insisted that Trump would not delay his plans, the person said.
Overseas visits by senior U.S. officials normally require weeks of intricate planning on both sides, as every movement and meeting is plotted. When more security is required, such trips become even more complicated.
Security staffs traveling with the visitor are usually beefed up, with personnel added. While Mexico is not considered a hostile place, the crime level is high and Trump, should he appear in public, would require significant protection. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-donald-trump-mexico-president-meeting-20160830-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/2a99bad15abffa796b5aebf175abdefa2b91ce0ac1ffcf5001d0441b327d10ff.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Rick Kambic"
] | 2016-08-26T13:22:31 | null | 2016-08-19T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fmundelein%2Fnews%2Fct-mun-stem-lab-complete-stoyer-tour-tl-0825-20160819-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57b77012/turbine/ct-mun-stem-lab-complete-stoyer-tour-tl-0825-20160819 | en | null | Mundelein H.S. opens new STEM lab, impresses scientist | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Science teacher Joe Maxwell said his lesson plan options are endless with the equipment in Mundelein High School's newly constructed $23.8 million three-story wing, which includes a free-standing STEM lab and other rooms devoted to science, technology, engineering and math education.
Last year, science classes were using microscopes with technology invented in the 1600s that display images between 100 and 400 times normal magnification, according to Maxwell, who teaches nanotechnology.
"There are two scanning electron microscopes in the new lab. They display 130,000 times magnification and identify the specimen you're looking at," Maxwell said. "That's top of the line. The possibilities are wide open, I can't even guess what we might come across and add into future coursework."
School started Aug. 9 and students had plenty of opportunity to work the new equipment before Aug. 16, when Mark Stoyer of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory stopped in to receive a tour and give lectures.
Stoyer is listed as a co-discoverer of six chemical elements and gave a lecture to three classes during his visit, including talks about radioactive half-life decay and his collaboration with Russian scientists on experiments using laser beams.
"I wish I had these types of materials and facilities when I was in school," Stoyer said. "The STEM education is a great start on the science path."
Lindsay Dickens, a junior, has class in the lab and said she enjoyed learning about Stoyer and how laboratories create the elements she sees in the microscope. Dickens said she's excited about Mundelein High School's new equipment.
STEM lab Brian O'Mahoney / Pioneer Press Paul Yoo, 14, and Nicholas Quint, 15, work on an experiment in their Introduction to Engineering Design class at Mundelein High School. Paul Yoo, 14, and Nicholas Quint, 15, work on an experiment in their Introduction to Engineering Design class at Mundelein High School. (Brian O'Mahoney / Pioneer Press)
"It's amazing. We can literally see anything. It's really cool," Dickens said.
Principal Anthony Kroll said even the old classrooms themselves were antiquated. He said they were too small for students to properly spread out for experiments or group work, and they did not have enough electrical sockets.
"We would have extension cords duct taped to the floor. It didn't happen very often, but a student walking by a certain area and tripping on the cord would yank several projects onto the floor," Kroll said. "These new classrooms have modern layouts, and plenty of outlets and ventilation ducks."
Four of those old science rooms were renovated this summer and have become math classrooms, while the fifth was transformed into two small conference rooms and a hallway connecting the new wing to the existing school, according to Kroll. Other math and world language classes are now on the second floor, Kroll said.
"We strategically relocated classes out of the D-wing, which is the furthest north part of the school, and thus shrank the footprint that students will be traveling during passing periods," Kroll said. "A lot of the more common classes are now closer to each other."
Mark Stoyer Brian O'Mahoney / Pioneer Press Research scientist Mark Stoyer of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory talks to students at Mundelein High School during an Aug. 16 visit. Research scientist Mark Stoyer of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory talks to students at Mundelein High School during an Aug. 16 visit. (Brian O'Mahoney / Pioneer Press)
Rooms in the D-wing, which was built in 1988, have been converted into administrative offices, an extra choir room, another fitness room for athletics and physical education, a robotics team room and storage for band equipment. Miniature sound-reduction pods were also built in one room for band students to individually practice.
Mundelein High School also gained 584 lockers, according to a report generated by the architect.
"For a long time we used to be woefully short on lockers," said Andy Searle, District 120 business manager. "My kids all went through here and they all shared lockers."
Searle said the project's financial side is also looking good. He said while final accounting is not done, he believes the cost stayed within the estimated $23.8 million.
That budget does include a contingency account. Searle said money was used when crews unexpectedly found and relocated a water main they thought was further away, and when an unknown concrete foundation needed to be removed from the courtyard during early construction.
"We looked at a 1960 schematic for the original building and I guess the plan was to have an 'outdoor auditorium,' or an amphitheater as we now call them, built in a C-shape with seats built into that rim," Searle said. "It was never built and we don't know why, but someone clearly chose to bury it in dirt."
About 35 percent of the entire project — or $8.3 million — is coming from a state grant, according to Searle. He said Mundelein High School had to incur the expense and then file for reimbursement, which is done.
The state budget impasse had some district officials worried, but Searle said funding for the Capital Development Board was included in the six-month stopgap budget Gov. Bruce Rauner signed in June.
"We've got all the paperwork submitted," Searle said. "They had a few questions and we recently sent answers. We should be good to go."
The rest of the money is coming from a refinancing of the 2011 bonds that Mundelein High School bought following a successful referendum.
"It's like a rolling line of credit," Searle said. "We're almost done paying off those 2011 expenses and we'll quickly get into payments on this stuff."
rkambic@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter @Rick_Kambic | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/mundelein/news/ct-mun-stem-lab-complete-stoyer-tour-tl-0825-20160819-story.html | en | 2016-08-19T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/5f5a2f5a255d51e6a1008a3508247032a9fec88f3e0dc05a5a2f7844b3b3a972.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Brad Biggs"
] | 2016-08-31T14:49:02 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Ffootball%2Fbears%2Fblog%2Fct-bears-mailbag-brad-biggs-20160831-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56f02a81/turbine/chi-default-open-graph-ct-logo/1200/1200x650 | en | null | Bears Q&A: Additions and subtractions to 53-man roster | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | The Tribune's Brad Biggs answers your Bears questions weekly.
What are the chances the Bears and John Fox think about bringing in Terrance Knighton for a workout? -- @j0n_land1n
It’s a lock that anytime a name player is released, whether in March or any other time of year, the questions will come fast and furiously. Is Player X a fit for the Bears? Why haven’t the Bears brought Player X in yet? How long will it take for the Bears to sign Player X? Knighton played for Fox previously in Denver, and the Bears could have signed him in March 2015 and again this past March. Knighton went from the Broncos to the Redskins and then joined the Patriots this spring. Of course, the Bears were able to get a close look at Knighton during joint practices with the Patriots earlier this month and in the exhibition game. Knighton was in good shape in New England, but at age 30, his best football could be in the rear-view mirror. The Bears have a nose tackle in Eddie Goldman who should be very good this season. He’s really ascending. I don’t think they have much behind Goldman, but that doesn’t mean Knighton is the answer either.
What occurs in a walk-through practice? I had thought the players walked through their game plan, but I've read a few times of certain players (Alshon Jeffery and Antrel Rolle last year) who were hurt during walk-throughs. -- David P.
Good question. Walk-throughs are shorter practices held the day before a game. It’s more or less a review course for what the team has worked on during the week; the offense and defense work from scripted plays against the scout team. But while it’s called a walk-through, they don’t actually walk through it all. It's tough to simulate football by walking, right? Last season coach John Fox said his walk-throughs are perhaps done at a higher tempo than some other teams.
Fox said this at the time Rolle was injured: “Like everything, I think especially at the professional level, if you practice, it kind of helps, regardless of what sports you’re talking about. I don’t know too many coaches that feel like they don’t have to practice. Understanding sports, I don’t know how many golfers go out and work on their half-swings or tennis work on half-speed to practice. It’s a professional sport, and we have to practice it to stay finely tuned.”
Is it worth going after Geoff Schwartz to bolster the offensive line? -- @RFR123
Geoff Schwartz, Chase Farris Duane Burleson / AP Lions guard Geoff Schwartz, left, goes up against offensive lineman Chase Farris during training camp in July. Lions guard Geoff Schwartz, left, goes up against offensive lineman Chase Farris during training camp in July. (Duane Burleson / AP) (Duane Burleson / AP)
I knew you were lurking out there somewhere -- a question about another veteran player with some name recognition. Schwartz, a guard by trade, is an eight-year veteran who has appeared in 74 games with 39 starts. The Lions let go of Schwartz, and when I was in Allen Park, Mich., to check out the Lions at the start of training camp, I can tell you the interior of their line was a significant question mark. The Lions obviously have chosen to go the young route up front in letting Schwartz go. He has experience but he’s listed at 6-foot-6, 340 pounds, and I’ve gotten the impression the Bears prefer slightly smaller linemen who might be a little more athletic and mobile. That said, if you’ve got a serious need at this time of year, it’s tough to be incredibly choosy. Coach John Fox said Kyle Long should be back in the mix to prepare for Week 1. If that is the case and the team believes Long will play, I don’t know that they seek a lineman on the street. In that scenario, they likely will push Ted Larsen back to center where he seems better suited than at guard. Don’t forget Amini Silatolu, whom the Bears have as a veteran option at guard.
What is there to gain by not fully disclosing Pernell McPhee's injury? Why do John Fox and his staff do that? -- @JoeHofman1
It is fair to say Fox believes injury information, at any time of year, has a more significant influence on the outcome of games than you do.
Has Ryan Pace put the Bears in good position with his first two drafts and cap space? -- @jtbarczak
It’s premature to really assess the 2015 draft under Pace and far too early to draw conclusions about this year’s class. Nose tackle Eddie Goldman looks like a fine pick in Round 2 from a year ago. Running back Jeremy Langford and safety Adrian Amos got a lot of playing time as rookies and should make a greater impact this season. We can’t make a judgment regarding first-round pick Kevin White at this point. And this year’s class has yet to play a down in the NFL. As far as the surplus cap space, that’s partially a result of the Bears having a low number of players under contract long term. Cap space is great but you need to eventually put it to action, and the way is to re-sign core players on your roster. Alshon Jeffery could be a candidate for a multiyear contract after this season. At some point, the Bears will want to talk extension with right guard Kyle Long as well.
How is Ben Braunecker after his ankle injury? Any chance for the 53? -- @rubgyron1 | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/blog/ct-bears-mailbag-brad-biggs-20160831-story.html | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/6ff904c91485d6333029971985dc5851a7c343c83dfcdebebd0fca46e4de3f0b.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Brad Biggs"
] | 2016-08-31T04:48:51 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fcolumnists%2Fct-zach-miller-young-offense-biggs-spt-0831-20160830-column.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c63c0c/turbine/ct-zach-miller-young-offense-biggs-spt-0831-20160830 | en | null | Zach Miller asks fans to hang with offense that needs youngsters to produce | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | All Zach Miller is asking for is a little patience.
"Let's stick together, Chicago," Miller said after Tuesday's practice at Halas Hall, the first time the tight end has spoken in a month as he just exited the NFL's concussion protocol.
Miller is unlikely to play Thursday in the preseason finale against the Browns in Cleveland. Coach John Fox declined to say if any starters would be used, but Browns coach Hue Jackson, disappointed with his team's August effort, already announced plans to use his first unit.
Miller will give the Bears a boost when the season opens Sept. 11 against the Texans in Houston and wide receiver Eddie Royal, who missed the same amount of time with a concussion, is also back in the mix.
But can the veterans inject life into what has been a listless offense through three exhibition games? That's a tall task for a tight end who was an electric playmaker for just half of last season and a slot receiver clearly on the back side of his career.
With quarterback Jay Cutler on the field, the Bears have had 12 possessions and run 64 total plays (the number the offense averaged in regular-season games last year) and scored 11 points. Half the possessions went three-and-punt and the offense gained 203 yards with 12 first downs and five penalties (two more declined).
"I think we are capable of being great," Miller said. "When we put everybody together and we start rolling. As you see us get out on the football field, we stop ourselves. We make some dumb penalties and things like that. The positive thing is we can correct it. This is all stuff that we can control. As soon as we get rolling on all cylinders we will be a great offense."
Fox said he expects right guard Kyle Long, out with a shoulder injury since the Patriots game Aug. 18, to be "back out there to get ready for Houston" next week and that bodes well.
For the Bears to take a step forward they're going to need young players to make advancements. That list includes players such as left tackle Charles Leno, left guard Cody Whitehair, the stable of running backs and wide receiver Kevin White.
White's preseason has been uneven. He has logged 73 snaps and has eight targets, three catches for 12 yards, two drops and a penalty for lining up wrong at New England. Sitting in the classroom for a year and learning along the way is good, but there is no substitute for on-field work.
"We're a young football team," Fox said. "He's one of those guys that really is in his rookie season because he didn't play last year. He's a hard worker, a tireless worker and very competitive. I like his progress."
Football Outsiders highlighted an ominous statistic for wide receivers who were drafted in the first round and missed a lot of time in their rookie season. Before White and the Ravens' Breshad Perriman, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, there were 23 first-round wide receivers through 2014 who played in nine or fewer games as a rookie. Only four went on to produce a 1,000-yard season: Santana Moss (2001), Haywood Jeffires (1987), Mike Quick (1982) and Frank Lewis (1971).
That doesn't mean White can't be a dynamic producer. The Bears' blueprint for turning things around has him as a building block for seasons to come. But there's an adjustment for a player coming from a spread system in college where he lined up almost exclusively on one side of the field. There's a precision required for routes in the NFL. White got a reminder when he wasn't where he was supposed to be in the red zone against the Chiefs. Cutler had an animated discussion with him on the sideline. Afterward, the quarterback called it "growing pains."
Bears fans are likely to hang in there as Miller asks. In return, they're going to demand progress, the kind measured on the scoreboard. Maybe it won't manifest itself in wins right away, but there needs to be a feeling that those young players are putting down roots and building toward something.
"When you look across the board, we have a ton of playmakers," Miller said. "But when the ball comes our way, we have to make plays. We have to be on the same page. We've seen it. We may have not put it out there in the preseason — we all know that and are well aware that we have not lit it up at all. But we just have to keep working, keep grinding, and when it comes Week 1 we have to put a product on the field."
bmbiggs@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @BradBiggs | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-zach-miller-young-offense-biggs-spt-0831-20160830-column.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/5f427cc403bacf11a7be8c06111dc3a147484db1e543f144ea31bcad27ba1b84.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Phil Rockrohr"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:31 | null | 2016-08-15T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Flake-zurich%2Fnews%2Fct-lzc-charity-shopping-spree-tl-0818-20160815-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57b317a6/turbine/ct-lzc-charity-shopping-spree-tl-0818-20160815 | en | null | Lake Zurich shopping spree for children in need one of many acts planned by new foundation | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | The Dave Farbaky Foundation wants to spread the spirit of "random acts of kindness" to Lake Zurich area families, according to Scott Konecke, spokesman for the foundation.
The foundation did just that with its inaugural event, a shopping spree on Aug. 14 for four area sisters at Learning Express Toys, 315 S. Rand Road, Lake Zurich, store owner Rick Derr said.
"At the end, after the four girls shopped, I said, 'I want to thank you for shopping here and providing us a glimpse of giving,'" Derr said. "One of them, about 7 years old, said, 'No, I want to thank you.' And they all looked you in the eye. I felt they were literally good kids. I thanked their mother, too. They were humble."
Farbaky, a North Barrington resident who owns Aloha Construction Inc. in Lake Zurich, chose to launch the foundation after getting a taste of giving on a smaller scale, Konecke said.
"He decided that through doing smaller charitable acts, he wanted to start leading charitable events," he said. "So, he started looking at different things you can get into. We wanted to use this event as a launching point. We figured it would be a good outlet for us."
The foundation contacted Communities That Care in Lake Zurich and OMNI Youth Services, based in Buffalo Grove, to find an ideal needy family to offer the shopping spree, Konecke said.
"We're pretty much targeting children and trying to do random acts of kindness for children," he said. "It teaches them and helps them develop that same type of giving mentality. We want to help improve Lake County for the next generation."
Ifra Zaidi Brian O'Mahoney / Pioneer Press Ifra Zaidi, 7, of Arlington Heights sprints through Learning Express Toys, grabbing as many items as possible on a 60-second shopping spree. Ifra Zaidi, 7, of Arlington Heights sprints through Learning Express Toys, grabbing as many items as possible on a 60-second shopping spree. (Brian O'Mahoney / Pioneer Press)
The foundation plans to host a different charity event every other month, Konecke said. Future programs may include giving away tickets for a drive-in movie theater or Six Flags Great America, bowling, or more shopping sprees, he said.
"We're going to try to do whatever the kid needs the most," Konecke said. "Children in need is the perfect way of saying it."
On Aug. 14, the Zaidi sisters -— Anoosheh, Azka, Kinza and Ifra — were given large garbage bags and 60 seconds to grab as many toys as possible, he said. After each of them got a turn, they were all given an additional 30 seconds to go back and grab a few more toys, Konecke said.
"It was excellent," he said. "It was exactly how we wanted it. The kids loved it. I was surprised they didn't try to grab more toys. They were pretty respectful of the store. They definitely enjoyed it."
Each girl filled about eight to 10 bags, Konecke said. Altogether, their haul was worth about $7,000 in retail value, Derr said.
Inspired by the foundation's generosity, Derr upped the ante. The store gave the foundation a 40 percent discount on the toys the girls grabbed, he said.
"We thought it was special and felt honored they selected us," Derr said. "I told the foundation we would put some skin in, too, by offering a generous discount, so the foundation can use its money the best it can."
Phil Rockrohr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-zurich/news/ct-lzc-charity-shopping-spree-tl-0818-20160815-story.html | en | 2016-08-15T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/c5c7f7d9102c10c2251372c05049753deee19e81e73fded9cc31757caad9230c.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Chicago Tribune Staff"
] | 2016-08-31T10:48:55 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fpolitics%2Fct-pat-quinn-redistricting-met-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c6625a/turbine/ct-pat-quinn-redistricting-met | en | null | Morning Spin: Quinn's redistricting reform has own legal issues | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield.
Topspin
Former Gov. Pat Quinn thinks he knows how to get a redistricting ballot question past the Illinois Supreme Court.
The Democrat, who lost his 2014 re-election bid to Republican Bruce Rauner, has been on a bit of a petition drive since becoming a private citizen. Until Tuesday, his focus had been local — he spent the summer soliciting Chicagoans for signatures to get mayoral term limits on a future ballot.
Last week’s state Supreme Court decision to keep the Independent Maps group’s redistricting question off the Nov. 8 ballot created an opening for Quinn to again remind people that he led the only successful citizen-driven petition to change the state constitution — in 1980.
That experience makes Quinn an authority on the matter, he contends. So he took the redistricting proposal that died in the courts this summer and slimmed it down to something simpler. Under his plan, the state Supreme Court would appoint an 11-member commission to draw new lines after each once-a-decade census, and the map would have to be approved by at least seven of the members.
“I think it’s important to have something lean and clean and pristine,” Quinn said.
The timing of the announcement was unusual, given that the Illinois Constitution does not allow petitions to be circulated until two years before the next election. Also, it’s worth noting that it was Quinn who approved the current map, which was last redrawn during his governorship in 2011. The Illinois Republican Party certainly noted it.
While Quinn cast his idea as one that would avoid the legal pitfalls of past efforts, his proposal also raises potential constitutional questions.
In the high court’s ruling last week, it rejected the Independent Maps plan because it extended new duties to the state’s auditor general, going beyond the scope of the one legislative article that can be amended by the citizen initiative process. But the justices did not address other issues that Cook County Judge Diane Larsen also had found unconstitutional, including an expanded role for the high court and changes to the attorney general duties.
Currently, the state Supreme Court plays a role in the tie-breaking process, when they select the names of one Republican and one Democrat who will be chosen at random to end stalemates on the current eight-member redistricting commission, made up equally of House and Senate Republican and Democratic representatives.
Quinn’s argument is that because the state Supreme Court already has a role in redistricting under the legislative article, expanding the court’s role to select a new remap commission would fall under the court’s ruling and be constitutional. But it’s also questionable whether the justices would find the additional duties imposed on them to be constitutional.
Quinn’s proposal also could suffer from its simplicity. The proposal is silent on what would happen if the commission couldn’t reach a seven-member agreement on a new map.
Meanwhile, the Independent Map group said after the ruling that it was weighing whether to seek a rehearing from the high court. The group will announce its plans at a Wednesday news conference. (Kim Geiger, Rick Pearson)
What's on tap
*Mayor Rahm Emanuel will talk about all the TV episodes being filmed in Chicago along with producer Dick Wolf, the guy who accounts for something like four shows with "Chicago" in the title.
*Gov. Bruce Rauner will address a business conference in Naperville. He's been on a TV interview tour of sorts.
*The Chicago City Council Education Committee will hold a hearing on the issue of lead in CPS water.
*U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins will appear at Northwestern University's Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center to talk about spending more money on scientific and biomedical research.
What we're writing
*Emanuel releases Police Department oversight measure that's heavy on mayoral control.
*CPD's Johnson files paperwork to fire five cops in Laquan McDonald shooting.
*Would-be Duckworth successors clash on Trump, Clinton.
*Chicago Teachers Union, in contract dispute, plans a second strike authorization vote.
*LaRaviere quits before CPS can fire him.
*Campaign rhetoric spurs Muslim voter registration drive.
*Law clerk who pretended to be judge is fired (and unopposed for judge job in November election). | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-pat-quinn-redistricting-met-story.html | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/0bc4dc5624685d01adc1c54ee05787c2cd7084f51b559391bd0cc6f0ab27e5ce.json |
[
"Jonathan Stearns",
"C"
] | 2016-08-27T12:48:14 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fsns-wp-blm-turkey-migrants-e08629c2-6bb8-11e6-91cb-ecb5418830e9-20160826-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56f02a81/turbine/chi-default-open-graph-ct-logo/1200/1200x650 | en | null | EU's refugee pact with Turkey may collapse over visa dispute | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | The foundations of Turkey's agreement with the European Union to curb the flow of migrants into Greece are looking increasingly shaky.
With Turkey battling Islamic State and Kurdish militants both at home and in neighboring Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insists he won't scale back the anti-terrorism legislation that European leaders say undermines democratic standards. Even if he did, the EU may no longer be willing to make good on a promise to award visa-free travel to Turkey in return, according to Ian Lesser, senior director for foreign policy at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Turkey has pledged to end the pact unless the EU delivers in October.
"Visa liberalization for Turkey in the current circumstances is going to be a very tough sell in the EU," Lesser said in an interview in Brussels. "It's an explosive issue politically in Europe. I am very skeptical about the prospects for the refugee agreement."
Erdogan's response to a failed coup in July, worries in Europe about Mideast terrorism and EU jitters over immigration after the Brexit vote in June have altered the political calculus since European leaders sealed their pact with Turkey in March. Throw in evidence that refugee flows across the Aegean Sea into Greece were dropping before the migrant accord and European governments may see fewer risks in snubbing Erdogan than in keeping their word to him.
While big declines in refugee numbers followed the Turkey pact, EU governments had already closed transit routes north from Greece months earlier by reintroducing internal border checks -- acts that also deterred would-be migrants. The EU aims to lift those controls by the end of the year, but the checks could be extended until mid-2018 if the bloc opted to reduce its reliance on Turkey.
Turkey launched its biggest military operation in Syria on Aug. 24, aiming to force Islamic State militants away from its border and deter further advances by Syrian Kurds allied with Turkish separatists. On the domestic front, Erdogan has declared a three-month state of emergency since the coup, jailed more than 20,000 suspects and removed almost 80,000 people from public duty since the deadly July 15 putsch was put down.
In response to the crackdown, the EU toughened its rhetoric on Turkey's membership prospects and the U.S. questioned the country's longstanding role in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
"We're continuing on our way, defeating the ploys of all those who think they can cut us off with coups, terrorism, economic attacks, diplomatic games and political maneuvers," Erdogan said Aug. 24.
So far, EU governments have continued to stress the benefits of working with Turkey on migration.
"I am convinced that the cooperation with Turkey in refugee matters is right," German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Aug. 22. "Otherwise, we can't win the battle against the smugglers."
EU leaders turned to Turkey for help after almost a million people streamed into Greece last year. Heading north through the Balkans in a bid to reach Germany, the columns of migrants stirred the fears of locals, opened up divisions among EU nations and fueled a populist backlash against establishment parties.
The influx turned into a trickle after Turkey agreed to accept the return of people who had entered Greece illegally (and the EU said it would allow Syrian refugees in Turkish camps to resettle in Europe). In return, Erdogan was promised hassle-free travel to Europe, 6 billion euros ($6.8 billion) in migrant aid and faster progress in membership talks that began in 2005.
Even at the time, Merkel was predicting "further setbacks'' in the cooperation with Erdogan. Five months later, it's visa liberalization that's the sticking point. The anti-terror law is the main EU condition that remains unfulfilled, but even if Erdogan did back down on that, the politics are tricky.
"Developments in Turkey since the attempted coup and the reaction of Erdogan in particular make it very difficult to grant visa liberalization," said Hrant Kostanyan, a researcher at the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels. "The politics matter. In the case of Turkey, there are a lot of complications."
This week, Turkey recalled its ambassador in Vienna after Austrian authorities permitted a rally in support of Kurdish separatists. Last week, it was Sweden riling the Turks when Foreign Minister Margot Wallstroem criticized changes to their laws on child sex abuse. At the start of August, Erdogan got into a public spat with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
On Friday, the Turkish minister for EU affairs, Omer Celik, attacked European Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn's treatment of Turkey, saying he'd neglected the relationship since the coup attempt and demanding Hahn treat the country with "European values" and leave aside "personal prejudices."
Despite the noise, Turkey may be loath to pick another battle and end up backtracking on the threat to pull out of the refugee accord even if it is denied visa-free status. Turkish authorities are already trying to protect the economy from investor flight following the foiled coup on top of the hostilities with Islamic State and Kurdish groups.
For now, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is sticking to the EU script. Turkey can win visa-free travel to the bloc "if all the conditions are fulfilled," he said Aug. 21. The following day, the commission sent a team of experts to Ankara to continue work on the remaining benchmarks.
Amanda Paul, an analyst at the European Policy Centre in Brussels, said she believes Erdogan will spare EU governments their dilemma.
"I don't think Turkey will meet the conditions," she said. "Turkey isn't going to adjust its anti-terror law at this point in time because of the security situation in the country."
---
Contributors: Carolynn Look, Ian Wishart and Onur Ant. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-wp-blm-turkey-migrants-e08629c2-6bb8-11e6-91cb-ecb5418830e9-20160826-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/3f23dc9b88ed14a54123a7b7126bbc8fa3ccb9d047676779913d39ea0451b4c6.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"David Haugh"
] | 2016-08-28T00:48:07 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fcolumnists%2Fct-bears-inept-haugh-spt-0828-20160827-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c21dd7/turbine/ct-bears-inept-haugh-spt-0828-20160827 | en | null | What a waste of a Saturday at Soldier Field watching Bears | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | On Bears quarterback Jay Cutler's final play in Saturday's dismal 23-7 exhibition loss to the Chiefs at Soldier Field, he waved his right hand in frustration and walked away in disgust.
Cutler had just thrown a third-down incompletion to the spot he expected wide receiver Kevin White to be. But White zigged when Cutler thought he would zag. Everybody in the sleepy, spotty crowd of 48,377 understood Cutler unsnapping his chin strap like a guy whose patience had worn thin with an offense going nowhere fast.
"There are going to be growing pains,'' acknowledged Cutler, who pulled White aside on the sidelines once he calmed down. "He's doing everything he possibly can to work through it. I just said, 'Now you know. It can't happen again. We can't have repeat mistakes.' He's a good kid.''
Applaud Cutler for making attempts to maintain team chemistry as a team leader. But you have every right to feel as fed up as Cutler looked, Bears fans.
In the final dress rehearsal for starters before the regular season, the Bears flubbed their lines and hardly looked ready for opening night. In what the NFL community considers every team's most important exhibition game, the Bears delivered their least impressive effort of preseason. This was a waste of a perfectly good weekend afternoon. So many cluttered garages around the Chicago area deserved better.
"I don't think it was all bad,'' Bears coach John Fox insisted.
Oh, but it was, Coach. Remember those good vibes and momentum the Bears created against the Patriots? They never made the trip back from New England, quickly replaced by a mixture of anxiety and dread over a team that resembled one of the worst in the league. The Bears starting offense managed two measly first downs and minus-seven passing yards in the first half — 18 yards overall. This is no way for new Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains to remove doubts about him being ready for the job.
"Most of it has been fixable,'' Fox said.
Maybe to Fox's trained eye but, to casual observers, the Bears have shown little evidence of improvement, no signs of coaching no matter how much management trusted Fox to hire an elite staff. At some point, a staff living off Fox's reputation must start producing noticeable results. In Year 2 under Fox, the Bears still can't imagine seeing the playoffs without a periscope.
A talent deficit Bears officials cannot deny explains some of the struggles but not all of them for a team with no distinguishable characteristic. The Bears don't do anything that stands out. They have no distinct style and even less substance.
Forget the scoreboard and watch the videotape: The Bears lose too many one-on-one matchups and lack rhythm and cohesion — particularly on offense. The offense can't protect the quarterback well enough to throw deep. The defense can't cover long enough or pressure the quarterback soon enough to get off the field on third-and-long. As a result, rare highlights get exaggerated and progress remains scarce.
You can blame injuries to right guard Kyle Long, cornerback Kyle Fuller and tight end Zach Miller, among others. You can point out that the Bears played three straight AFC playoff teams in the preseason, as Fox suggested. You can keep telling yourself that preseason means nothing and nobody can argue.
But that sounds like rationalizing. That seems like living in denial if you have watched the Bears this month and expect them to put it all together magically once the games start to count. Based on what? On Tuesday, the Bears must reduce their roster to 75 players. On Saturday, it wasn't obvious they have that many guys in uniform who belong in the NFL. Yes, the Chiefs arrived with a very good defense. That doesn't change the fact the Bears offense remains very bad.
Even with the injuries, the Bears had Cutler, running back Jeremy Langford and two wide receivers in White and Alshon Jeffery who believe they can be among the best tandems in the league. Yet nothing of significance happened.
None of the skilled players showed skill and none of the so-called stars starred, or even flashed. White and Jeffery each had bad drops. For all the buzz about White, he likely will end the preseason with three catches for 12 yards and questions whether he can find that second gear while running NFL pass routes that apparently confuse him.
Teams intentionally hide a lot in preseason games but explosiveness shouldn't be so easy to conceal for the Bears. With pass-rusher Pernell McPhee injured, their defense lacks a playmaker the opponent must account for every play. The Chiefs' offensive game plan depended on football hypnosis, a swinging pendulum of short passes and handoffs that induced the Bears secondary into a state of sleepiness. The Bears offense couldn't take advantage of its most dangerous players — Jeffery and potentially White — because of a line that couldn't create a pocket for the quarterback.
"We still have some time to get better,'' Cutler said.
The regular season starts two weeks from Sunday. Consider yourself warned, Chicago.
dhaugh@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @DavidHaugh | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-bears-inept-haugh-spt-0828-20160827-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/ec9de0f77c4000b03eb5ac0ed3fd5a23228f45790460951be2c846006ab542a1.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Clifford Ward"
] | 2016-08-26T18:51:14 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fhinsdale%2Fnews%2Fct-hinsdale-lady-justice-tree-statue-0827-20160826-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c08be9/turbine/ct-hinsdale-lady-justice-tree-statue-0827-20160826 | en | null | Judge: Tree-carved Lady Justice statue can remain outside Hinsdale law office | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | The scales of justice tilted this week in favor of a wooden statue in front of a law office after a DuPage County judge ruled that the Village of Hinsdale's order to remove the carving violate constitutional rights.
The ruling, which was handed down Tuesday, means that the statute of Lady Justice, the traditional image of a blindfolded woman holding a set of scales, can remain outside the Dana Kurtz Law offices in Hinsdale.
The office, at 32 Blaine St., is located in an old house near the village's downtown in an area zoned for residences and small businesses.
Kurtz said the statue was art, but village officials said it advertised the law practice and, therefore, violated the Hinsdale sign ordinance.
But in his ruling, Judge Paul Fullerton said the village of Hinsdale had failed to provide convincing evidence that the statue would pose a traffic safety problem or aesthetic harm. The village ordinance also failed to assert a compelling state interest in regulating a content-based sign, and, therefore, violated the free speech provision of the Constitution, Fullerton said.
Curtis Kmiecek Chuck Berman / Chicago Tribune Curtis Kmiecek is chained to a sculpture of Lady Justice on the front lawn of the home at 52 Blaine St. that he shares with his wife, Dana Kurtz, which also houses her law office on Oct. 14, 2014. Curtis Kmiecek is chained to a sculpture of Lady Justice on the front lawn of the home at 52 Blaine St. that he shares with his wife, Dana Kurtz, which also houses her law office on Oct. 14, 2014. (Chuck Berman / Chicago Tribune) (Chuck Berman / Chicago Tribune)
The village issued a statement saying it was disappointed by the ruling and was analyzing it. Hinsdale issued a statement, which read in part:
"From a resident perspective, this was a simple case. Neighbors complained about a fairly large statue in a residential yard that appeared to be a commercial sign for (Kurtz's) law office. The Village permits certain small, non-disruptive businesses to locate in residential areas. The complaints of the neighbors were real and valid and the Village's response was made in good faith and in an effort to maintain the reasonable expectations of our residential neighborhoods."
The attorney and the village have been at odds since 2014 when Kurtz and her husband commissioned a carver to produce the statue from the trunk of a dead tree in front of the law office.
Kurtz said the statue was artwork — a tribute to her husband's 30 years of service in the military. In a 2015 interview, Kurtz's husband, Curtis Kmiecek, said the statue cost several thousand dollars to produce. Hinsdale officials, though, said Lady Justice was essentially a commercial sign for the law practice, and, as such, violated the village's sign ordinance.
The statue was completed in July 2014, and in October the village cited Kurtz for violating the sign ordinance. Kurtz appealed, saying the statue was not a sign. She has said the statue does not convey a commercial message or advertise her business.
The village denied the appeal and issued an ordinance violation in December. The issue made its way into DuPage County court last fall.
After the village demanded that the statue be removed, Kmiecek, protested by spending a rainy day in October in a wheelchair chained to it. Kmiecek said he was using the wheelchair because he had been injured in a sky-diving injury. He had the American flag draped over his knees.
Kurtz did not immediately return a call Friday seeking comment.
Hinsdale said that as it considers the ruling, it "continues to hope residents will be sensitive to, and respectful of, their neighbors."
Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/hinsdale/news/ct-hinsdale-lady-justice-tree-statue-0827-20160826-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/140e3f7ec8d9f03639da02e8d27c9cdbba8d27d52a3632690be4431c8025e578.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Ronnie Wachter"
] | 2016-08-26T13:18:28 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Flake-zurich%2Fnews%2Fct-bgc-long-grove-village-president-tl-0901-20160825-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf43f0/turbine/ct-bgc-long-grove-village-president-tl-0901-20160825 | en | null | Long Grove village president decides against re-election bid | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Long Grove will have a new village president in 2017 after current officeholder Angie Underwood recently decided not to seek a second term.
Citing sleeping problems and stress that comes with the position, Underwood said her first term will be her last despite an upturn in downtown business activity during her tenure that also was marked by divisions among village board members following the spring 2015 election.
"I made the decision this spring," she said. "I sat with it over the summer, and I was sleeping much better."
A former village trustee, Underwood, 53, ran for village president uncontested in 2013, succeeding the retiring Maria Rodriguez. Underwood's years as the top officeholder in Long Grove have been eventful.
Underwood oversaw the board during a heated campaign last year for village board seats, won by a slate of three candidates who defeated two incumbents in the process. The campaign last year focused heavily on how to develop the local economy in Long Grove.
Board meetings can last multiple hours when the divided group debates what to do with the aging downtown covered bridge — a village landmark.
Other changes have happened since 2013. Excavators have torn up the downtown area this year, laying the pipes to replace water wells with a municipal water supply
After a long trial period, video-gambling machines now occupy several restaurants. A few downtown businesses have closed, while several new operations have opened .
Underwood first announced her election decision in an Aug. 24 post on her blog "Life in Long Grove." In the post titled "I Thought It Was Menopause, But It Was Just The Village," Underwood said she didn't anticipate how greatly the job of village president would affect her quality of life.
But she said she felt privileged and honored to serve Long Grove residents as a village official.
"Starting last summer and all through the fall and winter, I have not slept well and many mornings woken up before daylight and been unable to stop worrying, mostly, about Long Grove," she wrote. "But in May of this year, I came to a decision that has given me such a sense of peace."
No one yet in Long Grove has announced plans to launch a candidacy for village president. The filing period begins Dec. 12 for any candidate seeking election during municipal elections held on April 4, 2017, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
Community leaders in Long Grove and Underwood's counterparts in nearby municipalities said they were saddened to hear of her decision not to seek re-election. Several village board members did not return calls for comment.
"I'm extremely disappointed," said Marsha Forsythe, a Long Grove native who owns several downtown buildings and serves as treasurer of the Long Grove Business & Community Partners. "Her and I don't always see eye to eye on everything, but I think she's very fair."
Buffalo Grove Village President Beverly Sussman said her board tries to come to unified conclusions on issues that can spark disagreements. That hasn't been the case recently in Long Grove, she said.
"I'm so disappointed to hear this," Sussman said. "I know how hard she works. It's a big loss for Long Grove."
Underwood steps away as the last volunteer village president in Long Grove.
When her replacement takes office next year, he or she will be the first to receive a stipend — $14,400 a year. The board approved the change in 2015 after many in support of the move said it would attract more professional candidates.
Underwood, who did not have to vote, asked to be called during the roll call and voted against it.
Once her current term expires, she's looking toward vacationing in Peru and the Galapagos Islands with her husband, Aaron, she said.
Once she returns to Long Grove, she is thinking about community volunteerism again.
"I'm not ready to retire," Underwood said.
rwachter@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter @RonnieAtPioneer | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-zurich/news/ct-bgc-long-grove-village-president-tl-0901-20160825-story.html | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/f2c19b19d2663c7618d8885e1fe93db1d6d5f3af1b933ccd248563e21602ec3a.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Mike Isaacs"
] | 2016-08-29T22:52:13 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fskokie%2Fnews%2Fct-skr-nixie-art-gallery-exhibition-opener-tl-0901-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4b374/turbine/ct-skr-nixie-art-gallery-exhibition-opener-tl-0901-20160829 | en | null | Downtown Skokie art gallery marks anniversary with darker show | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Nixie Art Gallery in downtown Skokie, owner Gloria Iverson has welcomed in darkness and nightmares.
In fact, when she first invited artist Robert Proce to showcase his work after seeing a one-man show and then his studio, she was specific in her request.
"She said, 'we want to have a one-man show at our gallery, but just bring the dark stuff,' " Proce recalled. "So that's what I brought."
"Into the Abyss," a show inspired by Proce's own nightmares, he says, is plenty dark and sets a perfect pre-Halloween tone.
"We've had a lot of light, approachable shows," Iverson said. "I thought it would be interesting to have something a little bit deeper, a little bit darker to draw in a younger audience."
In asking for the dark side of this artist, Iverson was also conscious that summer is closing out, and Day of the Dead and Halloween are around the corner, she said.
During Friday's opening, Proce walked visitors through his series — some paintings, some sculpture work, all exquisitely and meticulously rendered.
"There's some pretty stuff here, but even that's dark," he said.
It's hard to believe that Proce, now 76, began painting only 10 years ago. He and his wife, Joyce, owned one of the largest costume shops in the Midwest — Razzle Dazzle Costumes — before they moved on.
Proce went to art school when he was very young, he said, but he never graduated from the American Academy of Art or the Chicago Art Institute because he "ran out of dough."
"I wanted to paint for years and had been thinking about it," he said. "I originally wanted to be a portrait painter, but you couldn't make any money doing that."
Creating dark art, he said, "expunges demons" that he carries with him. "Just reading the newspaper and looking what's going on TV — the abuse, the rape, the murder — it just started giving me nightmares."
According to the artist, only his art and going to church provide him relief.
The one-year anniversary of the Nixie Art Gallery at 7925 Lincoln Ave. represents a key milestone — especially since the gallery is located across from the Skokie Theatre in downtown Skokie, which the village has been trying to revitalize for years.
Iverson, a special education teacher at Skokie/Evanston School District 65, opened the Mini Man Monkey Brains candy store downtown a few years ago to provide work opportunities for children on the autism spectrum.
The gallery has a similar mission, she said: to help support "occupational independence" for children with autism. Proceeds from the galley help to pay children with autism who work at the store next door, Iverson said.
"Nixie Gallery is our newest project," Iverson says in her pitch for the gallery. "We are right next door to our other business Mini Man Monkey Brains. We are always looking for new artists. We also are an event space."
Proce's work will be at Nixie Gallery through September. For more information about Nixie Art Gallery, access nixiegallery.com.
misaacs@pioneerlocal.com
@SKReview_Mike | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/skokie/news/ct-skr-nixie-art-gallery-exhibition-opener-tl-0901-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/9d13ae5efd23f4f41ee69e7ae4a509d870cb26614e90378e0f1020f5e2f63846.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"John Mutka"
] | 2016-08-28T22:51:38 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fpost-tribune%2Fsports%2Fct-ptb-john-mutka-column-st-0829-20160828-column.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c35859/turbine/ct-ptb-john-mutka-column-st-0829-20160828 | en | null | Mutka: Valparaiso return ace Jarrett Morgan ready for tailback duties | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | You name it, Jarrett Morgan's done it.
Since signing on for Valparaiso University out of Cooper City, Fla., he's impacted the football program in a variety of ways.
Flashing the speed he displayed in setting his high school's 400-meter dash record, the junior jet has been a dangerous kickoff return threat the past two years.
In his sophomore season, he had kick returns of 89 yards for a touchdown and 56 yards, rushed for two touchdowns and tossed a 4-yard touchdown pass to total 919 all-purpose yards.
Considering that resume, he should be cloned. Despite his eye-popping achievements, the Crusaders managed just five victories in the last two seasons.
"Last year we were pretty young," Morgan said. "Now we're a lot more experienced as a whole in the offensive line."
Morgan scores in nearly every conceivable manner, as evidenced in his freshman year. He weighed in with a 91-yard runback against Morehead State and a dazzling punt return for a TD against Missouri State. He also squeezed in four blocked kicks, a specialty seldom associated with offensive skilled positions.
Because of his versatility, his role as a running back was not a priority. Look for that to change. You can expect more than 27 carries this season, which begins Saturday at Illinois State.
"He's much more comfortable at tailback now," coach Dave Cecchini said. "That will be his primary area of responsibility, but he'll still be returning kicks."
Morgan weighs in at 185 pounds, which makes you wonder if he can handle the punishment a tailback is expected to absorb. Fortunately, he combines strength with speed.
"He's not the biggest tailback, but he runs with power," Cecchini said. "Much greater than you might expect and he's got good hands."
This is not the first rodeo for co-captain Brian Lang, Connor Rettig, Tom Schofield, Eric Rentschler, Terrance Roberts and Shannon Taliaferro. Add Jack Jarnigan to the equation and Cecchin ranks this his strongest offensive line in three years.
Look for Lang and Rettig to provide leadership in the offensive line. Both repeated on the Pioneer Football League academic honor roll.
"They played a lot of snaps last year," Cecchini said. "Lang's a bit undersized (6-4, 255), but very smart. Rettig started at center, but we can switch him to guard and play Jarnigan there."
Rentschler, a sophomore from Highland, is one of seven linemen battling for five starting assignments. In his freshman year he played the last three games.
His late breakthrough proved invaluable. Jumping from high school to college is never easy. Some don't make the adjustment.
"The speed of the game is much quicker," Rentschler said. "In high school you run maybe eight or so plays. It's more about pushing people around ... about you being bigger than the guy across from you.
"Here it's more about technique. You have to play 100 percent."
Providing pass protection has been his toughest nut to crack.
"It's been a problem," Rentschler said. "It was a big hurdle after running the ball down people's throats at Highland."
It's a work in progress, but offense is his passion. He loves the mental aspect of working as a unit.
"You have to think on every single play," he said. "Our coaches preach about having to be square to the line of scrimmage instead of turning to the defender."
Old habits are hard to break.
"Yeah, especially when you're passing about half the time," Rentschler said. "When you're facing D-I college players they're searching for when you turn your head. They target that."
Nobody said it would be easy. Just ask Frank Catrine, a possession-type receiver who led VU with 41 catches. He is studying a thicker playbook.
"It'll be more complicated, but that's good," the junior co-captain said.
A gimpy knee may keep him out of VU's opener and Jean Rene, the team leader in reception yardage, is struggling with turf toe, so he's also questionable.
John Mutka is a freelance columnist for the Post-Tribune.
jmutkapt@gmail.com | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/sports/ct-ptb-john-mutka-column-st-0829-20160828-column.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/f87d369340d1b9c52a4fcebda102d8f91d35f2abb0b836f3d49390e39d8c8d75.json |
[
"Associated Press",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-28T20:48:22 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fbreaking%2Fct-protecting-us-open-tennis-20160828-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c346a5/turbine/ct-protecting-us-open-tennis-20160828 | en | null | More exhausting than a five-setter: Protecting the US Open | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | In a less-traveled part of the 46-acre Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, an imposing black metal fence offers a reminder of the multiple security worries that come with hosting the U.S. Open.
New York Police Department counterterrorism officials insisted that the fence, near a new 8,000-seat grandstand stadium, be reinforced earlier this year with thick strands of cable capable of withstanding a crash from a truck loaded with explosives.
"A lot of this stuff is off the radar, but it goes back to what's happening in the world," the event's security director, Michael Rodriguez, said during a flurry of last-minute preparations for Monday's opening matches.
Attacks in Europe and mass shootings in the U.S. have created a climate that's added to vigilance over this year's U.S. Open, which already posed daunting security challenges because of its sheer size: 700,000 spectators over two weeks packed into two stadiums, two grandstands and other seating at more than a dozen other tennis courts, all connected by sprawling pedestrian walkways.
Officials say they know of no credible threats against a Grand Slam event that happens to end with the men's final on the 15th anniversary of 9/11. But the NYPD, which ordinarily has hundreds of officers in and around the tennis center, plans to increase its presence this year. That's on top of the tournament's roughly 300 private security guards.
Layers of protection include installation of temporary closed-circuit surveillance cameras, including some perched atop the 23,771-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium, along with devices to detect chemical, biological or radiation risks.
"I've already warned people they're going to see it," Rodriguez said of the extra security. "And they should feel good about seeing it."
Rodriguez, a former NYPD detective sergeant and supervisor for the Joint Terrorism Task Force, said he meets twice a day with representatives from the various local and federal law enforcement agencies monitoring the U.S. Open. Sample topic: the difficulties of "drone mitigation."
Such widening risks were underscored last year when a small drone crashed into the stands during a match — it turned out a science teacher lost control of it while flying it in a nearby park — and in 2014, when an NYPD intelligence analyst told a gathering of private security directors that an al-Qaida online publication encouraged a car-bomb attack on the tournament.
Just outside the gates of the tennis center, the NYPD will keep heavily armed officers trained to respond to terror attacks at the ready. As with other with other events like New Year's Eve in Times Square, plainclothes officers will mix with the crowds.
Other defenses include strict screening checkpoints for the throng of spectators. In the past decade, the U.S. Open became among the first sporting events to prohibit backpacks and use airport-style, walk-through metal detectors instead of less-reliable wands to check people for weapons.
The event also has a rigorous inspection system for the more than 1,600 trucks that make deliveries during the event. Drivers are vetted, given a bar code and directed to an inspection point deliberately located a quarter-mile from the tennis center before they can enter the grounds.
Last week, United States Tennis Association officials held a meeting at the tennis center with their counterparts from the French Open and other major tournaments to discuss ways to keep spectators safe.
"Anything can happen," Rodriguez said. "The question is, 'What are we doing to minimize the risks?'"
APphoto_US Open Security Tennis Kathy Willens / AP In this Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016 photo, spectators go through a metal detector while entering the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, site of the U.S. Open, in New York. In this Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016 photo, spectators go through a metal detector while entering the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, site of the U.S. Open, in New York. (Kathy Willens / AP) (Kathy Willens / AP)
With success at hardening the entrances at big tournaments, security directors have turned their attention to deterring threats to the potential target created by fans congregating in the longer lines to get in, said Richard Bower, owner of Bower Events, Inc., a private security firm that consults on the BNP Paribus Open in Indian Wells, California.
That event now deploys SWAT and plainclothes officers, along with police dogs, where the lines form.
"Part of it is about making people approaching the event feel safe," Bower said.
Sally Kane, 71, of New Rochelle, one of the many fans to turn out last week for free admission qualifying matches, scoffed at the potential risks.
"Terrorists don't want to come here," she said. What really bothered her was having to pay to store her metal water bottle — on a list of banned items — outside the center.
"I'm very annoyed," Kane said. "I would have felt just as safe with my water bottle."
Associated Press | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/ct-protecting-us-open-tennis-20160828-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/9429f9e93fb07a9b12ff739a565f40d0e5f5ef2455a094d6e178143a86fa6f3f.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Michael Osipoff"
] | 2016-08-29T02:51:38 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fpost-tribune%2Fsports%2Fct-ptb-baseball-railcats-st-0829-20160828-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56f02a81/turbine/chi-default-open-graph-ct-logo/1200/1200x650 | en | null | By any other name: Aryton Costa pitches gem in spot start for RailCats | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Ayrton or Aryton?
That is a question.
When Costa, a 24-year-old right-hander for the RailCats, was born, there was a miscommunication between his parents about the spelling of his first name.
He was named after Ayrton Senna, the late Formula One star from Brazil.
But when Costa's mother filled out his birth certificate, his father wasn't present. They were talking via a spotty pay phone connection — cell phones weren't omnipresent in 1992 — and she heard a spelling of "Aryton" instead of "Ayrton."
So on legal documents, including his RailCats' contract, it's Aryton. It's that way on the team's roster and on his nameplate at his locker in the clubhouse.
But he uses Ayrton with his friends and on social media. And he was listed that way during his career at the University of Antelope Valley.
On occasion, he'll write Ayrton on a document, then get questioned when it doesn't match the Aryton on his driver's license.
"It's kind of a pain in the butt," Costa said with a laugh.
Indeed, he has a sense of humor about the situation. With his father a big racing fan, Costa was going to be named after whichever driver won the 1991 Formula One world championship. He joked he prefers the name Ayrton/Aryton to Nigel — British star Mansell was the runner-up to Senna in '91.
By any name, Costa gave the RailCats a chance to complete a sweep of Kansas City in Sunday's series finale at the Steel Yard.
In a spot start, he allowed one run — a homer to Ryan Retz to lead off the fifth — on four hits with one walk and three strikeouts. He departed after five innings with the score tied at 1-1.
But the T-Bones took a 5-1 decision, ending the RailCats' four-game win streak and stretch of 10 in 11 games.
The RailCats (49-44) trail Lincoln (49-43) by a half-game in the Central Division, with Sioux City (48-44) a game behind. The RailCats have a day off Monday, when the Saltdogs open a series at the Explorers.
With his team competing for a postseason berth, RailCats manager Greg Tagert praised Costa's performance. The rookie received a no-decision as Kansas City starter Jared Messer pitched six innings of one-run ball, stopping the T-Bones' six-game losing streak.
"To have a great chance at this thing, you have to everybody contribute," Tagert said. "And, boy, did Aryton Costa contribute. We just couldn't get any offense going against Messer."
Costa didn't find out until Saturday night he was starting as the RailCats' staff wanted to wait to make a decision until after that game.
In the spring, Costa completed his college career at Antelope Valley, going 10-3 with a 2.03 ERA in 15 starts as a senior, throwing an NAIA-high 110 2/3 innings. Because of the workload, Tagert typically likes to use just-graduated college starters out of the RailCats' bullpen. Gvein the extra workland, he has been particularly cautious with Costa, who signed Aug. 14.
But Costa, who made one previous one-inning spot start for the RailCats among his four appearances before Sunday, delivered against Kansas City in lowering his ERA to 3.29.
"One thing you cannot undervalue is that he throws strikes," Tagert said.
"He didn't break 83 mph. But I don't care what pitcher it is over the years ... There has to be a place, in our mind at least, for somebody who throws strikes."
Costa acknowledged it has been an adjustment shifting from starting to relieving. After his strong outing Sunday, the Californian was receiving a stream of calls and text messages from family members and friends, who were watching on the internet.
"I had to eat up some innings," Costa said. "I felt pretty good, but I let one pitch get away from me."
mosipoff@post-trib.com
Twitter @MichaelOsipoff
Up next: RailCats (Charle Rosario 10-3) at Sioux Falls (TBA), 7:05 p.m. Tuesday, WEFM-FM 95.9. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/sports/ct-ptb-baseball-railcats-st-0829-20160828-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/829a6bf5c9d14199ab61ba1fbf64e51c2bdf5bd8c589f58026338ec7e025eb8d.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Phil Rockrohr"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:33 | null | 2016-07-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Flake-zurich%2Fnews%2Fct-lzc-blue-and-you-tl-0728-20160725-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57965b7b/turbine/ct-lzc-blue-and-you-tl-0728-20160725 | en | null | Blue & You event in Lake Zurich extra important, organizers say | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Although she lives in Lake Zurich, Elke Kadzielawski has volunteered at Kops-N-Kidz in southwest suburban Lemont for years, Kadzielawski said.
After the annual event to bring together police and Lemont children won the Governor's Hometown Award twice, Gov. Bruce Rauner encouraged Lemont officials to spread the idea to other towns, she said.
"I approached [Police] Chief [Steve Husak] and [Recreation Manager] Bonnie [Caputo], and said, 'Can we do something along these lines?'" recalled Kadzielawski, an administrative assistant at the Lake Zurich Parks and Recreation Department.
Husak and Caputo thought the idea was great, Caputo said.
"We have many events in Lake Zurich focused on adults," she said. "We thought this would be a great addition with such a great mission that we couldn't pass up the opportunity to offer it to our community."
On Friday, the local police and parks and recreation departments will host the second annual "Blue & You" event from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Lake Zurich police station, 200 Mohawk Trail, during a time in U.S. history when relations between police and youth are strained, Kadzielawski said.
Events, such as "Blue & You," provide an opportunity for police to interact with residents in an informal setting, designed to ease any potential tension between the two, she said.
"Police have such a bad reputation these days," she said. "Children are afraid to approach a police officer because they feel they are going to get into trouble or that police are not friendly."
Five police officers were fatally shot and seven others wounded on July 7, when a sniper shooter opened fire in downtown Dallas during a protest over recent police shootings in Minnesota and Louisiana, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Ten days later, a former Marine shot and killed three Baton Rouge law-enforcement officers, less than two weeks after a black man was fatally shot by police there in a confrontation, which sparked protests nationwide, the Tribune reported.
Blue & You organizers this year specifically will promote interactions between police and youth Friday with a scavenger hunt, Kadzielawski said.
"By us creating a scavenger hunt, where kids have to approach a police officer and ask a question and have police sign a sheet of paper, they will turn that ticket in for a prize," she said. "We want the kids to know police are good and are somebody you can go to. You don't have to be afraid of them. Our police officers are wonderful and love to interact with these children."
Representatives from at least eight other police and state agencies, including the K-9 unit of the Lake County Sheriff's office and an Illinois Department of Transportation's ID unit, will be on hand Friday for the event, Kadzielawski said.
Other features intended to attract area kids are a DJ, face painters, inflatables, a diesel train and various giveaways, including bike helmets, T-shirts and goodie bags, Caputo said.
Husak is especially pleased Battle House Laser Combat, of Lake Barrington, is offering free laser-tag fights on the grassy area behind the station. The added activity should appeal to families and children, he said.
"We look forward to welcoming the community to our police station, so the public can meet and greet the men and women who work hard to make Lake Zurich a safe place to live," Husak said.
Phil Rockrohr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-zurich/news/ct-lzc-blue-and-you-tl-0728-20160725-story.html | en | 2016-07-25T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/195679593b7985d342618c81c3d64499dc0bf0cbd2a2b35b8e6e3a9b1b348668.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Irv Leavitt"
] | 2016-08-26T13:23:38 | null | 2016-08-16T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fnorthbrook%2Fnews%2Fct-nbs-mission-hills-tl-0818-20160816-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57b3706b/turbine/ct-nbs-mission-hills-tl-0818-20160816 | en | null | Judge denies Mission Hills request to back key claim against Red Seal | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | The Cook County judge presiding over the lawsuit seeking to stop Red Seal Development's Mission Hills housing project refused Friday to reinstate a key portion of that lawsuit, as had been requested by residents of the unincorporated Northbrook community bringing the suit.
But Judge Rita Novak's attempt to clarify her position on whether Mission Hills' 44-year-old planned unit development status expired elicited claims from both sides that her words solidified their own cases.
Meanwhile, Cook County officials confirmed Tuesday that Red Seal has been granted all permits necessary for construction of the 137-unit Provenance development that the residents oppose. An omnibus permit covering mass grading and excavation, and concrete, electrical, sewer, plumbing, water and general work, was approved Aug. 8, according to documents received through the Freedom of Information Act.
Mission Hills residents fighting the development have said they expected the permits to be issued, and they might demand that the property be restored in the event they win. The trial could start as early as September.
Novak's ruling came in the 15th month of motions in the lawsuit brought by seven Mission Hills homeowners associations against Red Seal. The home builder in February 2015 won Cook County Board approval to build 137 housing units on half of the Mission Hills Golf course. The people bringing the suit live in some of the 781 Mission Hills housing units surrounding the course, in a planned unit development approved by the county in 1972. They maintain the new housing will depress their property values and harm their way of life.
Cook County officials, also defendants, claim that the planned unit development expired shortly after Mission Hills was built. Red Seal claims it expired in the early 1990s, because a 1972 restrictive covenant, signed by the late builder Eugene Corley, promises that the separately-owned golf course will remain as open space for 20 years.
The homeowners say the covenant was only put in place to satisfy the concerns of the Northbrook Park District, which worried that open space would quickly disappear. No government representatives were signatories to the covenant.
Friday, Novak told the litigants that the planned unit development did not expire, but she also said that when Cook County Board members approved Red Seal's new zoning designation for its Provenance project in 2015, the project was "properly treated as a new planned unit development."
"We are pleased with the judge's ruling today which once again confirmed what we all know to be true – namely, that the 20-year open space covenant at Mission Hills has expired and proper due process was followed," said Red Seal Vice President Brian Hoffman said in a statement.
Hoffman said the installation of the off site storm sewer has been completed and mass grading was to continue this week.
Provenance construction work, according to residents, has been mostly confined so far to trenching and other drainage work on the portion of the golf course adjacent to the Provenance site.
"The clarification did not hurt us," said Mike Delmore, representing the Mission Hills residents.
He said he thinks the judge appreciates his side's stance that the density of the existing Mission Hills property was allowed only because of the golf course, so Mission Hills became illegal when the County Board approved a new planned development in 2015.
The judge's statements were made after Mission Hills filed a motion asking for reconsideration of her March 2016, dismissal of a count in the suit which held that Provenance could not be built because Mission Hills homeownmers hadn't voted out their planned unit development. The Mission Hills motion asked for a clarification, if no reconsideration were granted.
The case, without the zoning count, is based on whether the Provenance project will significantly harm existing property owners, according to Mission Hills attorneys.
ileavitt@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter @IrvLeavitt | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/northbrook/news/ct-nbs-mission-hills-tl-0818-20160816-story.html | en | 2016-08-16T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/2bb345f34c2a2c13229f410fdd8cd37a59716ff6ef970ab553cd12d0e003bc09.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Mary Wisniewski"
] | 2016-08-27T04:47:56 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fbusiness%2Fct-tollway-canadian-pacific-20160826-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c0e01b/turbine/ct-tollway-canadian-pacific-20160826 | en | null | Tollway to railroad: Get on board with O'Hare road or face lawsuit | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Calling the railroad's refusal to negotiate over a highway project just west of O'Hare International Airport "irresponsible," the Illinois Tollway chair threatened to sue Canadian Pacific Railway.
Tollway Chairman Bob Schillerstrom said in an interview on Friday that he does not want to file a lawsuit and would prefer that the two parties talk through their differences.
But he said the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority is prepared to file a suit before the U.S. Surface Transportation Board if necessary, though a resolution could take years. The board has regulatory oversight of railroads.
"We have employed every avenue we can think of to try to talk to them . . ." Schillerstrom said. "We've been rebuffed at every turn."
A Canadian Pacific spokesman countered that the two sides have talked for years and that the Tollway failed to come up with an offer that addresses the loss of its property and the impact on the national rail network that the project would create.
"The two sides have been unable to reach an agreement and CP is under no obligation to do so," said spokesman Martin Cej in an email.
A proposed western access highway to O'Hare has been discussed for nearly 20 years, and the Illinois Department of Transportation began talking with Canadian Pacific to review ways to cross its Bensenville rail yard in 2008, the Tollway said. The road also will need to cross CP tracks, Schillerstrom said.
The Tollway has already built part of I-390 with the intention of extending it east to O'Hare. A new tollway would meet I-390 and connect it north to I-90 and south to the Tri-State Tollway along the airport's western border. The project is expected to cost about $3.5 billion.
Schillerstrom said western access is crucial to an expanded O'Hare airport, and shutting down the project would cost thousands of jobs.
In March 2014, Canadian Pacific asked for $114 million for land acquisition and improvements to its Bensenville yard. The Tollway wants to use about 36 acres of the yard for the highway project. But the Tollway said CP restricted Tollway access to the yard, interfering with its ability to study the area to respond to the offer.
Schillerstrom said that the Tollway presented plans that addressed the railroad's operational and land acquisition worries in November 2015, but CP ended discussions and since then has not been willing to discuss anything.
"I just don't understand it," Schillerstrom said. "The fact that they won't explain it and won't talk about it — basically they're taking their ball and going home — is further mystifying and unbelievably irresponsible." He said that while the railroad did have a change in management, it still has a responsibility to negotiate over a project with such a big impact on regional transportation.
CP sued the Tollway over the issue in federal court in 2015, but its case was dismissed this year. On June 20, CP President Keith Creel wrote a letter to Gov. Bruce Rauner and Surface Transportation Board Chair Daniel Elliott saying that the expressway project threatens the rail network.
Creel said that an expressway through the rail yard would "significantly impact existing rail operations, severely limit our ability to reconfigure the remaining track and facilities, and would permanently prevent future use and capacity." He said that the problem caused by rail gridlock was showcased by the bitter 2013-14 winter, when problems in Chicago cascaded through the national rail network.
"A reduction of capacity at our only yard in Chicago is not something we can agree to," Creel wrote.
Schillerstrom followed up with a July 25 letter to Elliott and Rauner, copying members of the Illinois Senate and congressional delegations, expressing surprise at Creel's letter. Schillerstrom said if CP kills the project, it would be a waste of $140 million Congress appropriated for it and $1.5 billion the Tollway has already spent.
"It remains unclear to me why Canadian Pacific Railway officials waited until long after we began pouring concrete before changing their minds to say they opposed the alignment," Schillerstrom wrote.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., encouraged CP to come back to the negotiating table, spokesman Ben Marter said.
"With $140 million in federal dollars already invested in the project, Sen. Durbin is concerned about Canadian Pacific's newfound unwillingness to work with the Tollway and other stakeholders," Marter said. "After years of working toward a mutually beneficial solution, the railroad's about-face is troubling."
Congressman Mike Quigley, D-Ill., said in an interview that it looked like an issue for the courts.
"I'd like to see the western access go forward, but it looks like a matter that's going to be resolved in the courts and we will watch with interest," Quigley said.
mwisniewski@tribpub.com
Twitter @marywizchicago | http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-tollway-canadian-pacific-20160826-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/a85fa5382c4848939002e38095ce4bb9d8686509315172162065b8ffe88e3fce.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Rick Kogan"
] | 2016-08-26T14:50:20 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fentertainment%2Fct-wrigley-beer-slinger-kogan-sidewalks-20160824-column.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c035ce/turbine/ct-wrigley-beer-slinger-kogan-sidewalks-20160824 | en | null | Get to know your Wrigley beer slinger | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Is there a better job at the moment — as the calendar moves into September and the Chicago Cubs move into … well, perhaps something special — than being a beer vendor at Wrigley Field?
"It is the greatest job anyone could ever have," says Justin Peters, currently in the middle of his 17th season working the stands at Wrigley. "I remember 2003, getting myself all excited as we got in the playoffs and then …. After that I have learned not to look forward to anything. But if we do make it, you'll find me in the left field grandstand, in the 200 section."
There are as many as 120 people selling beer on a good day at Wrigley, with dozens of others offering everything from popcorn to score cards. And what do you know of these people? They are, like so many other service folks we encounter in our daily lives, relatively faceless: Just give me what I want, here's your money and now move along. We know nothing about their lives, their dreams, their fears or their accomplishments. We don't even know their names.
"I'm still a novice here," Peters says. "There are guys who've been working Wrigley since the 1950s. It's just one of those jobs you never give up, unless you go to prison.
MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR
"We are people from all walks of life. There are attorneys, a few guys with Ph.D.s, a novelist and a lot of teachers. But not even my regulars know me as an author."
That he is. He is an editor at large for the Columbia Journalism Review, special correspondent for Slate, the pleasantly provocative and entertaining online magazine (www.slate.com), and earlier this year published his first book. It is "The Idealist: Aaron Swartz and the Rise of Free Culture on the Internet."(www.freejustinpeters.com).
It is a compelling, fascinating and ultimately sad story of a young man who was born and raised in Highland Park and who was a computer genius (helping shape the online era by co-developing RSS and Reddit), an ardent activist (believing that academic research should be available for free rather than locked behind publishers' pay walls) and an intriguingly puzzling and tragic figure.
In early January 2011 he was arrested and charged by the federal government with downloading 4.7 million academic articles from a nonprofit online catalog website, JSTOR. Even though the website's operators informed prosecutors "that it did not want to see (Swartz) go to jail," the government was unrelenting and the young man lived under a black cloud comprised of 13 felony charges, which could result in 95 years in prison and $3 million in fines.
On Jan. 11, 2013, he was found dead in his "small and dark studio apartment" in Brooklyn. He had hanged himself. There was no suicide note. He was 26 years old.
"I was covering the crime beat for Slate and I started reporting that day," says the 35-year-old Peters. "I told my wife, as I was working on the story, 'After this, everything is going to change. This isn't the end of this story.' And it wasn't. The day after the story ran the book publishers called."
The publisher Simon & Schuster got more than it bargained for. Not only is the book a thoroughly researched and artfully reported story of Swartz's life and death, it also puts the man's life mission into context. As Peters writes, "(The book) is a provisional narrative introduction to the story of free cultures in America, using Swartz's life as a lens on the rise of information sharing in the digital age."
It is filled with a number of fascinating characters — the hot-tempered Noah Webster, the man most responsible for American copyright law; Michael Hart, who spent more than 40 years personally transcribing tens of thousands of books for public use; and Carl Malamud, who fought for free access to millions of corporate documents — as Peters compellingly charts the history of copyright laws and the "free culture" movement.
"Who would have thought such things exciting?" he says. But they are. He makes them so.
In person, Peters is ebullient, smart, articulate and funny. He has a quick laugh that brightens a pleasant face surrounded by wild, dark, curly hair. He looks like a roadie for a rock band.
Like Swartz, he grew up in the northern suburbs, Lake Bluff specifically, and stays there with his parents, Janet and Randall, during the baseball season. After graduating from Lake Forest High School, he attended Cornell University, where he earned a degree in American history. He and his wife spend the nonbaseball year in New York and Boston. She is Alexa Mills, who teaches editing and web producing at Emerson College in Boston and writes for the Boston Globe.
He also travels the country as part of the improv-comedy duo "From Justin to Kelly," (Kelly being Kelly Buttermore), not to be confused with the dreadful 2003 movie of the same name. The pair performs monthly in New York City and will be doing so in Wisconsin and Utah in September and elsewhere later in the fall.
But wait, there's more. In February 2015, Peters was a contestant on the television game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" He worked his way up to a $500,000 question. He could have walked away with $250,000 but took the risk to play on. He guessed wrong and left with $25,000.
He wrote a rollicking story about that experience for Slate and another after he was brought back to compete on the show later in 2015.
He is a prolific and immensely talented writer, filing stories all summer long on a variety of topics, many of the most recent focused on the Olympic Games.
"He's a quirky, original talent, and I really love his stuff for us," says former Chicagoan Jacob Weisberg, the chairman and editor-in-chief of The Slate Group. "I thought his coverage of the Olympics was delightful."
An example: "If we have learned anything over the course of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, it is that Olympians like to hug. They will hug each other on the occasion of a good performance or a bad one, when there is a break in the action and when they are on the "Hug Cam." Hugging and overexertion — those are the seemingly opposite forces that come together to form the Olympic spirit."
Peters does not dwell on his "Millionaire" mistake. That's old, if lamentable, news. He's been busy promoting his book, turning out pieces for Slate and, even more to his enjoyment, the Cubs are hot and the beer is cold. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-wrigley-beer-slinger-kogan-sidewalks-20160824-column.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/d86ed73e4aa678387e103a9ace79fbc064a20a3bbb39b08b50d1bcccda5e3580.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Chicago Tribune Staff"
] | 2016-08-29T10:48:20 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fpolitics%2Fct-illinois-november-ballot-clinton-trump-duckworth-kirk-20160828-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c354b6/turbine/ct-illinois-november-ballot-clinton-trump-duckworth-kirk-20160828 | en | null | Morning Spin: State elections board drops fringe candidates from November ballot | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield.
Topspin
The list of candidates seeking office from Illinois has been shortened slightly through the elimination of a few candidates for president and U.S. Senate as a result of action by the State Board of Elections to certify the Nov. 8 ballot.
The board on Friday formally removed from the presidential balloting Emidio Soltysik of Los Angeles, who was running as the Socialist Party USA candidate, and his running mate, Angela Nicole Harner.
Also dropped from the ballot was Constitution Party presidential candidate Frank Fluckiger of Layton, Utah, as well as Mary Vann, running as the Human Rights Party candidate for the White House. Vann’s candidacy included the notation that she was “formerly known as Mary Metcalf until name changed on Oct. 1, 2012.”
As for the voting for president, there will be other choices on the ballot besides Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump. Also qualifying were Libertarian Gary Johnson and Jill Stein from the Green Party.
The elections board also removed two U.S. Senate candidates: the Constitution Party’s Chad Koppie of Gilberts, a perennial contender for public office, and independent Eric Conklin of LeRoy.
Along with Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk and Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth, the ballot will include Green Party candidate Scott Summers of Harvard and Libertarian Kenton McMillen of Melrose Park.
Candidates are often removed over failure to file enough signatures or other irregularities with their candidacy petitions. Michael Bigger of Downstate Wyoming, a member of the Republican State Central Committee, filed challenges to the candidacy of Conklin and the Constitution Party candidates for president and senator. (Rick Pearson)
What's on tap
*Mayor Rahm Emanuel has a morning preschool announcement on the Northwest Side.
*Gov. Bruce Rauner has no public schedule.
*Clerk David Orr and other public officials will hold a morning news conference to talk about the upcoming 10,000 same-sex marriage licenses to be issued in Cook County. The state law legalizing gay marriage took effect June 1, 2014.
What we're writing
*Red-light scandal figure John Bills to be sentenced.
*Rauner loses $400 million teacher pension vote.
*Rauner vetoes $15/hour wage for disabled care workers.
*Emanuel's two-for-one: sell Goose Island land for windfall, move maintenance garage to Englewood.
What we're reading
*Track every Chicago police shooting over six years.
*Two brothers charged in shooting death of Dwyane Wade's cousin.
*Heckling and gunfire as CPD investigates shooting.
From the notebook
*Another week, another half-million in GOP ads: The House Republican Organization, the campaign arm of the minority House GOP caucus, has dropped more than $420,000 in cable TV ads for a dozen candidates either running against Democratic targets or trying to keep office, reports show.
Top on the list is $157,590 for ads on behalf of Republican Rod Drobinski of Wauconda, who is challenging Democratic Rep. Sam Yingling of Grayslake.
Another $64,140 was spent on Republican Rep. Sheri Jesiel of Winthrop Harbor, who is being challenged by Democrat Nick Ciko of Lindenhurst.
The Republican State Senate Campaign Committee also is spending $172,875 on cable ads, including $71,430 on behalf of Republican Seth Lewis of Bartlett, who is challenging Democratic Sen. Tom Cullerton of Villa Park.
The Senate GOP campaign also is spending $69,100 on behalf of Republican Michael Amrozowicz of Gurnee, who is taking on Democratic Sen. Melinda Bush of Grayslake. (Rick Pearson)
*The Sunday Spin: This week's guests included 5th Congressional District Republican candidate Vince Kolbert.
Follow the money
*Our Twitter feed of Illinois campaign contributions is down for maintenance. In the meantime, you can track campaign contributions in real time here. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-illinois-november-ballot-clinton-trump-duckworth-kirk-20160828-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/1bff8f111fca68dde85b8ada3cf4a026542c1e1191c38f4d717ef39ac0ca1285.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"David Haugh"
] | 2016-08-26T13:22:50 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fbaseball%2Fcubs%2Fct-andrew-berlin-cubs-haugh-spt-0826-20160824-column.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bfa773/turbine/ct-andrew-berlin-cubs-haugh-spt-0826-20160824 | en | null | Andrew Berlin 'all in' for the Cubs - in South Bend and in Chicago | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | The ideal next owner of the White Sox was discussing his love affair with the Cubs.
It peaked in 1969, when Andrew Berlin was a 9-year-old in Glencoe who idolized Ernie Banks, but he sounded like a kid again Thursday over lunch describing his meeting here two years ago with Cubs President Theo Epstein.
Epstein, along with general manager Jed Hoyer and player development head Jason McLeod had come to hear Berlin sell them on the idea of changing Class A affiliations.
"When that window opened in 2014 to leave the Diamondbacks and talk to the Cubs, we made a beeline for Theo, Jason and Jed and begged them to visit South Bend,'' the South Bend Cubs owner said. "What I showed them was the road to the World Series starts in South Bend. That was the headline of the presentation. That was the pitch. Bold, but fortune favors the bold.''
Berlin married his wife, Courtney, after meeting her at Heathrow Airport. The CEO of Berlin Packaging in Chicago became a limited partner with the White Sox in 2007 after hearing from his daughter's friend that her grandfather wanted to unload shares. He invited the BoDeans to play on the outfield grass at U.S. Cellular Field for his 50th birthday party.
Bold could be Berlin's vanity plate and nobody would blink.
"I told Theo, 'I know you don't care how good our hot dogs are or customer service is or how pretty the ballpark is,''' Berlin, 56, said. "'What you care about is our player development is better here than anywhere in the (Cubs) system. I'm going to commit millions of dollars of my own money to build a facility for players so you know when you send Single-A players or major-leaguers here for rehab assignments, we will take care of them.'"
Andrew Berlin, Jimmy Gonzalez Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune South Bend Cubs owner Andrew Berlin greets manager Jimmy Gonzalez, in the team clubhouse as he makes his rounds at Four Winds Field on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016. South Bend Cubs owner Andrew Berlin greets manager Jimmy Gonzalez, in the team clubhouse as he makes his rounds at Four Winds Field on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Before Thursday's game in the refurbished Cubs clubhouse, players ate whatever healthy concoction Marta, the team nutritionist, prepared. The state-of-the-art South Bend Cubs Performance Center (naming rights for sale) that opened in April 2015, complete with six batting cages, offered pre-game refuge for prospects like hotshot Eloy Jimenez.
Berlin greeted concessionaires by name as he enthusiastically led a stadium tour, stopping to admire the bronzed likeness of Baseball Hall of Famer and South Bend legend Stanley Coveleski he had commissioned by the same sculptor who did the Michael Jordan statue.
"You have to respect local traditions,'' Berlin said.
Since buying the team in 2012 and signing a 20-year lease, Berlin has put $8 million of his own money into the 29-year-old, city-owned ballpark. Upgrades included adding outdoor suites, a splash pad and a tiki bar, as well as hiring Sox groundskeeper Roger Bossard to install a new field. Earlier Thursday, Berlin received approval to purchase more land surrounding the park to construct four apartment buildings that will continue the revitalization in a neighborhood that needed it.
"I get more people shaking my hands on the street thanking me for turning South Bend around than bringing the Cubs here,'' Berlin said.
To serve fans better, Berlin identified 24 moments called "touch points" intended to make sure customers want to return. The team worked with the city of South Bend to change directions of one-way streets to ease traffic congestion. It employs high school cheerleaders in the parking lot and pipes in oldies music. The mascot is sprayed with "cotton-candy cologne" so kids want to take pictures with him. Hot dogs are flown in from Boston because the Baseball Writers Association of America voted the Fenway Frank baseball's best. Bathroom attendants wear tuxedos.
"Little things add up to a first-class experience for a $14 ticket,'' Berlin said. "Because we did all this, word got out.''
Andrew Berlin Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune South Bend Cubs owner Andrew Berlin greets fans during the game at Four Winds Field on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016. South Bend Cubs owner Andrew Berlin greets fans during the game at Four Winds Field on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Attendance at Four Winds Field increased exponentially. In the season before Berlin bought the team at 11:11 a.m. Nov. 11, 2011 — for superstitious reasons — the team drew 112,795. Attendance was 347,678 last year and, with crowds averaging 5,053, looks poised to break that record. Merchandise sales increased 700 percent since the Cubs affiliation. Winning the John H. Johnson President's Award as America's premier minor-league team represented how far the franchise had come.
"It's all Andrew's passion and vision,'' South Bend Cubs President Joe Hart said. "I remember asking him during my interview, 'You live in Chicago and the team is in South Bend, so how involved will you be?' He said, 'I'm all in.' And this has been his second home.''
On busy days, instead of driving, Berlin goes from Glencoe to Chicago Executive Airport for the 19-minute flight over Lake Michigan. He stays in different hotels, to split the business equally. The 2005 World Series ring Berlin received when he become a limited White Sox partner remains in a safe; and he has shelved the ambition he once had to buy the team from Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. The type of hands-on, energetic owner a sleepy Sox franchise needs, Berlin made unsuccessful overtures to Reinsdorf in 2009 and again in 2012.
"When Jerry was unwilling to sell, I respected that completely,'' Berlin said. "It's an iconic franchise. It's a beautiful stadium to go to. I would have had a lot of fun if the timing had been different.''
Berlin proudly acknowledged he now has more money invested in his beloved Cubs than the Sox. Before major-league baseball ownership rules changed last year, Berlin converted his Sox investment into a trust for his sons Cole and Gavin. He also began the process of converting the boys from Sox to Cubs fans.
"I thought it was important for everyone to know I'm all in on the Cubs,'' Berlin said.
Nobody in a city whose downtown Berlin helped revitalize has any doubt about that.
dhaugh@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @DavidHaugh | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-andrew-berlin-cubs-haugh-spt-0826-20160824-column.html | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/33bfe9e1ff5f673cbe76951e6afe980b2374c7ca04e7bcd6fb4e562ddca73f10.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Donald Liebenson"
] | 2016-08-26T13:25:23 | null | 2016-07-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fvernon-hills%2Fnews%2Fct-hpn-garry-marshall-remembered-tl-0728-20160725-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-5797714d/turbine/ct-hpn-garry-marshall-remembered-tl-0728-20160725 | en | null | Former 'Happy Days' actor recalls working with Garry Marshall | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Harris Kal was in a hotel on July 19 when he received word that famed director and producer Garry Marshall had died at the age of 81.
Kal appeared for four seasons on the Marshall-created "Happy Days" as Bobby, a goofball student in Fonzie's auto mechanics class.
"It hits your heart," Kal said. "I pictured my first day on the set. I was at that point not even a recurring character. I stayed about eight-feet from the bathroom because I was so nervous. And Garry came up to me, put his arm around my shoulder, and said (affecting Marshall's distinctive Brooklyn accent), 'You're gonna do fine. We really like you.' That was Garry."
Kal, now a Vernon Hills resident, is president of Highland Park-based Harris Kal Productions, which produces and provides entertainment for private and corporate parties and events.
Marshall, a writer, director and actor, was behind several of the most beloved television shows and movies of the past 50 years, including, "The Odd Couple," Laverne & Shirley" and "Mork & Mindy." He also directed "Pretty Woman," "Beaches" and "The Princess Diaries," among others.
In its fourth season, "Happy Days" was TV's top-rated series. It was in the top three over the next two years and produced several spin-offs.
In 1979, Kal was playing baseball in Highland Park, taking acting classes and working as a waiter at the Fulton Street Fish Market when he went on the first audition that would eventually lead to a spot in the cast of "Happy Days."
"They were looking for fresh Chicago talent," he said.
He joined the cast in 1980. Kal said he was welcomed immediately into the "Happy Days" family and credits Marshall for the set's inclusive and mentoring atmosphere.
"He was just a nice man," he said. "Whether you were Henry Winkler, or a guest star on the show or the guy at craft services who fed us lunch, he treated everybody with respect. To know him was to love him. I never saw him in a bad mood or get upset with anybody."
Marshall, he said, also encouraged creative input from the actors. Kal recalled that in his third season with the show they were filming a beach scene when his character was to be hit in the head by a Frisbee. When the perpetrator, an adorable girl, asked if her Frisbee had hurt him, Kal ad-libbed a joke in his "very poor" John Wayne impression. Marshall, standing nearby, said, "That's why we like you."
In addition to his acting, Kal had something else going for him that endeared him to Marshall; he was an athlete. Within a week of his first episode, he was recruited to join the "Happy Days" softball team. Those games took Kal all over the country and the world. Marshall also invited Kal to play in Sunday morning basketball games at his house.
More than three decades later, Kal is hazy on the celebrities whom he played alongside, but one, he recalled, was Hector Elizondo, who appeared in all 18 of Marshall's films.
"Garry always called me 'The Ballplayer,'" Kal recalled with a laugh.
When "Happy Days" ended its 11-season run, Kal returned to Chicago. After a stint as director of special events and promotions at the Multiplex in Deerfield, Kal founded his own company, which has been in operation for more than 20 years.
Kal reunited with Marshall two years later. The director filmed "Nothing in Common," a 1986 dramatic comedy starring Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason in Chicago. Marshall offered Kal a tailor-made role in the film. He played a shortstop on a softball team that played against Hanks' team. The scene was filmed, but cut from the film.
"But if you look in the end credits," Kal said with a smile, "you'll see my name. Garry left it in, being the nice guy he was. I still get the residuals."
But Marshall's influence on Kal has been an even more rewarding residual.
"He instilled a sense of goodness, pride and professionalism," Kal said. "(He set the example) to come in on time and do the best you could do."
Donald Liebenson is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/vernon-hills/news/ct-hpn-garry-marshall-remembered-tl-0728-20160725-story.html | en | 2016-07-25T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/49b69e0f401aa9a24b771c502dfd88e36e6d4d42fd88af10dc1bfbb8af73bf29.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Mark Gonzales"
] | 2016-08-28T00:48:11 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fbaseball%2Fcubs%2Fct-cubs-onesie-trip-20160827-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c20b85/turbine/ct-cubs-onesie-trip-20160827 | en | null | Cubs' onesie trip might not be so comfy | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | A miscalculation on the part of manager Joe Maddon might make for an uncomfortable departure Sunday from Southern California.
Maddon didn’t realize that the Cubs’ series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers was a day game until a few days ago, so Maddon and maybe a few other Cubs players might be sweating profusely as they prepare for their onesie trip to O’Hare International Airport.
“I really thought us being here that it definitely would be a Sunday night (game),” said Maddon, who fears the temperatures at Dodger Stadium will touch the low 80s when they dress following Sunday’s game.
“A horrible assumption on my part. Then again, we’re playing the next game at home, so I should have made the connection.”
The Cubs held their first onesie trip after Jake Arrieta threw a no-hitter here nearly a year ago on a Sunday night.
Nevertheless, Maddon said he and his wife Jaye won’t disappoint when they wear matching onesie outfits.
“It’s pretty solid,” Maddon said. “But it will be a warm onesie departure.”
Maddon revealed that onesie outfits always are welcome on trips after Arrieta’s no-hitter.
“It’s just up to the guys who want to do it or not,” Maddon said. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-onesie-trip-20160827-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/b41e69e30db3416f33e58e760bfaefa0486ca5aa079f67217910a6a67518574c.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Mike Isaacs"
] | 2016-08-26T13:24:59 | null | 2016-08-12T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fskokie%2Fnews%2Fct-skr-meyer-school-addition-tl-0811-20160812-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57ae41ee/turbine/ct-skr-meyer-school-addition-tl-0811-20160812 | en | null | Skokie commissions back plans for additions at Meyer, Middleton schools | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Skokie School District 73.5's plans for major additions at Elizabeth Meyer and John Middleton schools gained unanimous support over the last couple of weeks from Skokie's Plan and Appearance Commissions.
The Skokie Village Board will have final say on the Plan Commission case involving Meyer School, by far the largest of the additions, at a future meeting.
Estimated to cost $10.3 million, the project calls for just about doubling the size of Meyer School for an estimated $9 million and adding a multipurpose room to Middleton for an estimated $1.3 million, officials say.
District officials say space has especially been a problem at Meyer, which serves preschool pupils and kindergartners.
"Space is a commodity here at the school," District 73.5 Board President Gary Dolinko said at a recent community meeting on the addition. "We are crushed on, and there are certain things we cannot accomplish for the betterment of the students because of the space needs."
The one-story addition at Meyer will head north and then sharply turn west with a new library at the elbow of an "L-shape," according to plans presented to the two village commissions. In addition to the new library and a new gymnasium, the Meyer project calls for seven new classrooms including a room for art and music, a gross motor room for special education students and three small instructional offices. The addition is expected to total 23,000 square feet, according to planners.
For the Meyer plan to move forward, however, the district needs site plan approval and approval to vacate a nearby alley from the Village Board. Both measures were unanimously recommended this month by the Plan Commission.
"The building addition is necessary to meet the school district's educational needs and is accommodated with adequate parking and safe pickup and drop-off facilities for children," Skokie's Planning Department reported to the Skokie Plan Commission. "As presented, the request is harmonious with and will not adversely affect adjacent properties."
The Appearance Commission also signed off on the Meyer addition as well as the Middleton addition — although their recommendations do not have to go before the Village Board.
The addition at Middleton is proposed at 1,900 square feet for the one multipurpose room, plans show.
For both projects, the Appearance Commission asked that the additions aesthetically "match" the current structures, already a part of the district's design plans.
Meyer plans show it will be adding multiple parking spaces and will not plant trees within the lot as is usually required. But the district's landscaping plan for Meyer was addressed and supported by the Appearance Commission.
District 73.5 had an easier time gaining unanimous recommendations for the additions from the village panels than it did — at least initially — from the full public.
Although most district residents appear to support the additions, a small group argued the Meyer addition is too large and pushed for the project to be subject to a voter referendum. The group, however, failed to gain enough petition signatures to mandate that the issue be on the November ballot.
"It should be noted that this case is a site plan approval, not a special-use permit case," planners told the Plan Commission in their report. "As such, what is at issue is the functionality of the site plan, not the actual uses per se."
In borrowing money for the additions, District 73.5 leaders say the district's current debt repayment schedule will remain flat because of other expiring debt. That schedule will extend nine more years, they say, but they expect a much better interest rate.
In a related matter, the Skokie School District 73.5 Board recently approved an intergovernmental agreement with the village over building and maintaining a water detention area at Meyer. The Skokie Village Board was due to vote on the agreement Aug. 15.
Dolinko said that if all goes according to plan, work on the water detention area could begin in November, and construction on the building addition next March. He said the district is hoping the new additions will be ready for the start of the 2017-18 school year.
misaacs@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @SKReview_Mike | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/skokie/news/ct-skr-meyer-school-addition-tl-0811-20160812-story.html | en | 2016-08-12T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/de972e06a0e4d7042b4ad0e922b7cd5ba4073e2732645f4f8c6c28a67f532ce3.json |
[
"Associated Press",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-28T06:48:08 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fmidwest%2Fct-ohio-prisoner-jumps-death-20160827-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c27020/turbine/ct-ohio-prisoner-jumps-death-20160827 | en | null | Ohio prisoner jumps to his death after being sentenced to 13 years prison | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Authorities say a man took his own life at an eastern Ohio courthouse moments after he was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Jefferson County prosecutor Jane Hanlin says 42-year-old Jason Binkiewicz was being led out of the courtroom by a deputy Friday when he got away and threw himself over the building's third floor banister. He was then pronounced dead.
Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla says the deputy grabbed the handcuffed man's clothing as he jumped, but could have gone over, too, if he held on.
Binkiewicz was sentenced on attempted murder and felony assault charges after he was found guilty in July of shooting a man in the face.
Abdalla says the attorney general's office and Steubenville police will investigate Binkiewicz's death.
A message seeking comment was left Saturday with an attorney for Binkiewicz.
Associated Press | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/midwest/ct-ohio-prisoner-jumps-death-20160827-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/a5c6b202ac999827c50c036c9e22321b84b9ae8354f327eeb9809232c9532ae3.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Rick Kambic"
] | 2016-08-26T13:25:37 | null | 2016-08-03T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fvernon-hills%2Fnews%2Fct-vhr-hawthorn-mobile-trailors-boundary-tl-0811-20160803-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57a27007/turbine/ct-vhr-hawthorn-mobile-trailors-boundary-tl-0811-20160803 | en | null | Hawthorn 73 to lease trailers to ease overcrowding at Elementary School South | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Faced with an overcrowded school, members of the Hawthorn School District 73 Board of Education debated for over three hours before deciding to lease two trailers, or modular classrooms, to alleviate space constraints at Elementary School South.
The decision to rent the trailers was settled on after possible boundary changes were discussed at the Aug. 1 special meeting that many attending parents criticized for its last minute nature.
"There's no reason we should be sitting here three weeks before the deadline and talking about moving students," parent Eric Sirinsky said. "And then talk about modular buildings? This is Vernon Hills; this is a joke. Imagine if they talked about this in Highland Park. It's unfathomable. This is the best there's supposed to be."
The approved plan means art classes at Elementary South will be held in students' homerooms in order to free up a classroom and reduce congestion in the hallways.
Music classes will be transferred to one of the trailers, which diverts more hallway traffic and frees up a second extra classroom. A third room will become available by sending English language learners to the second trailer.
The three new classrooms will allow the school to reduce class sizes by splitting some of the second grade and fifth grade classes, according to a report prepared for the board.
The plan also involves sending some students across the playground to Aspen School for physical education class in that school's gymnasium, which would also reduce hallway congestion.
Nick Brown Rick Kambic / Pioneer Press Nick Brown, superintendent of Hawthorn School District 73, listens while school board members talk over each other during an Aug. 1 special meeting. Nick Brown, superintendent of Hawthorn School District 73, listens while school board members talk over each other during an Aug. 1 special meeting. (Rick Kambic / Pioneer Press)
Studies contained in the report say Elementary South can handle a maximum of 725 students without affecting learning. The report showed enrollment stands at 769 students as of Aug. 1, with more expected to sign up.
The enrollment issues come after the board of education restructured the school district in late 2014 and early 2015.
Superintendent Nick Brown told the board that enrollment totals unexpectedly boomed last year and might increase this year, but the new problem is that recent reviews are showing students at different schools.
Brown said he thought the district would lose a few students with the incoming kindergarten class being smaller than last year's outgoing group of fifth graders.
That did happen, he said, but new students who were not predicted also enrolled. Brown said 24 unexpected new students registered in the two weeks prior to the Aug. 1 special meeting, many of them fifth graders at Elementary South.
"This is unusual. Most people who have children in fifth grade are pretty settled in wherever they are and not moving," Brown said. "I believe what's causing this is a lot of empty nesters moving out (of Vernon Hills) and families with children moving in, because we've had no new significant housing additions."
Future projections show continued growth throughout the district, according to Brown, which prompted the board to consider new construction earlier this year. A contractor was hired to develop a master plan this fall and winter, the district announced earlier this summer.
"I think we should do whatever we can to accelerate the building plan and complete some sort of construction by next fall," Board President Jeff Bard said. "It's not going to be easy, but I've seen other districts do it and it's become a necessity if we want to reduce the impact on students."
The most vocal critic of the plan was board member Lou Gatta, who told the crowd of more than 30 parents that he and others could have prevented the problem.
Board member Ghita Mueller answered back, telling Gatta that he was exaggerating and giving the elected board undue blame for unpredictable housing patterns.
"Elementary South was already past capacity last year and we've been talking about series-c aggressive growth for a year," Gatta said. "We've been talking about future topics for board meetings. We wasted our time. We can't be exploring new options now."
Brown confirmed that both Elementary South and Townline School were at capacity when school concluded in the fall, but he did not anticipate further growth in those schools. He said the future growth is expected at Elementary North.
An alternative proposal involved changing boundaries to re-route 46 students in the Plymouth Farm subdivision and 60 students from the Westwood subdivision out of Elementary South. One group would be sent to Aspen and the other to Elementary North.
Gatta suggested moving 100 children from the Park Butterfield apartment complex and splitting them between Elementary North and Aspen.
"These schools have different start times and it's three weeks out when I know half the daycares and aftercares have waiting lists," board member Sonali Patil said. "People can't just quit their jobs."
Gatta was the only vote against leasing trailers. He said he's uncomfortable having that many students on the campus.
Brown said the total project would likely cost around $100,000 for each unit after ground and utility line work.
The new classrooms, however, will not arrive by the time school starts.
Brown said the first few weeks of school involve assessment for English language learners and the staff will likely delay forming their classes.
rkambic@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter @Rick_Kambic | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/vernon-hills/news/ct-vhr-hawthorn-mobile-trailors-boundary-tl-0811-20160803-story.html | en | 2016-08-03T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/0031afd7f7c98a9039ccd81ea7554294f5e5362c778262ce9dd83764a80e8199.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Chicago Tribune Staff"
] | 2016-08-27T16:48:07 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fbreaking%2Fct-trump-on-twitter-dwyane-wade-cousin-killed-20160827-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c1b66f/turbine/ct-trump-on-twitter-dwyane-wade-cousin-killed-20160827 | en | null | Trump: Slaying of Bulls star's cousin an example of why blacks will vote for him | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took to Twitter on Saturday politicizing the shooting death of Bulls star Dwyane Wade's cousin on the South Side — suggesting that such crimes are the reason African-Americans will vote for him in November.
Misspelling the athlete's first name, he tweeted: "Dwayne Wade's cousin was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago. Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!"
On Friday, Nykea Aldridge, 32, and a man were walking in the 6300 block of South Calumet Avenue about 3:30 p.m. when two men approached and someone began firing at the man, authorities and a family spokesman said.
Aldridge, Wade's cousin, was hit in the head and the arm and taken to Stroger Hospital, where she died, police said. The baby was not hurt, and a relative came to the scene and took the child, police said. Aldridge leaves behind four children.
Trump has shined a spotlight on Chicago's violence — criticizing everyone from Police Department leadership not being tough on crime to President Barack Obama, who got his start as a community organizer on the South Side — on the campaign trail, including during the Republican National Convention.
"In the president's hometown of Chicago, more than 2,000 people have been the victims of shootings this year alone. And almost 4,000 have been killed in the Chicago area since he took office," Trump said during the speech.
"Decades of progress made in bringing down crime are now being reversed by this administration's rollback of criminal enforcement."
A Tribune review of shooting incidents in the city showed more than 2,200 people had been shot this year as of July 20 — the time of the convention. The number of deaths since Obama took office on Jan. 20, 2009, was not available.
Homicides in Chicago are up 49 percent, according to Chicago Police Department figures, with 441 total as of Monday. In comparison, Chicago recorded 473 homicides for all of 2015. So far this year, at least 2,702 people have been shot in Chicago, according to data kept by the Tribune. All of last year, there were 2,988 shooting victims.
In an interview Monday night on the Fox News show "The O'Reilly Factor," Trump reiterated comments about Chicago violence being "out of control" and added that the Chicago police force does not have "the right people in charge."
Show host Bill O'Reilly asked Trump how to solve the city's crime problem, with homicides up nearly 50 percent.
"How? By being very much tougher than they are right now. They're right now not tough. I could tell you this very long and quite boring story. But when I was in Chicago, I got to meet a couple of very top police. I said, 'How do you stop this? How do you stop this? If you were put in charge — to a specific person — do you think you could stop it?' He said, 'Mr. Trump, I'd be able to stop it in one week.' And I believed him 100 percent," Trump said.
A Chicago police spokesman said Trump has not met with top brass. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-trump-on-twitter-dwyane-wade-cousin-killed-20160827-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/f3867dd75c10047c3669d059030e1e7af41eeedc863e6de05e18a428d7c7ccc8.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Megan Crepeau"
] | 2016-08-27T10:48:01 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fbreaking%2Fct-2-dead-1-critically-hurt-in-back-of-the-yards-fire-20160827-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c157cc/turbine/ct-2-dead-1-critically-hurt-in-back-of-the-yards-fire-20160827 | en | null | 2 dead, 1 critically hurt in Back of the Yards fire | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Two people were pronounced dead and a person was critically injured in a fire at a Back of the Yards home early Saturday, officials said.
Fire Department officials responded to the 5400 block of South Laflin Street at about 12:40 a.m. for a fire that started on the first floor of a two-story residence.
The flames climbed from the first floor through the roof, witnesses said. The fire was struck out at about 1:20 a.m.
Two people were pronounced dead on the scene. They are believed to be a man and a woman, police and fire officials said. Information on their ages was not immediately available.
In addition, one person jumped from the second floor to the ground and was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious-to-critical condition.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-2-dead-1-critically-hurt-in-back-of-the-yards-fire-20160827-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/f591d00700e3b9dcee531c48c4f75c05861b1fc863e3834d64e97195b8ce4617.json |
[
"Washington Post",
"Aaron Blake"
] | 2016-08-27T22:48:05 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fpolitics%2Fct-donald-trump-doctor-letter-20160827-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c20ec0/turbine/ct-donald-trump-doctor-letter-20160827 | en | null | The strange tale of Donald Trump's doctor letter just got stranger | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Donald Trump's doctor finally spoke out in an interview that aired Friday night. But his comments aren't likely to end the questions about the strange letter he drafted last year declaring Trump would be the healthiest president in history.
NBC News tracked down Dr. Harold Bornstein, who said in the interview that he crafted Trump's doctor letter in only about five minutes - declaring his patient healthier than all 43 American presidents - while a limousine waited impatiently outside for him to finish.
"I thought about it all day and at the end, I get rushed, and I get anxious when I get rushed," Bornstein said. "So I try to get four or five lines down as fast as possible so that they would be happy.
"I've got five minutes to sit right at this desk and write that letter while the driver waited for me."
Needless to say, this isn't a fantastic way to write a sober-minded review of the health of a now-70-year-old man who could soon lead the free world. And Bornstein's letter raised roughly as many questions as it tried to answer, given the errors and typos it contained and the fact that it read, well, a lot like something Trump himself would write.
As Philip Bump wrote back in December when the letter was released:
"Trump's recent lab tests were 'astonishingly excellent,' said Harold Bornstein, a gastroenterologist on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. His recent examination showed 'only positive results.' His strength and stamina are 'extraordinary.' His cardiovascular system is 'excellent,' and he has 'no history' of drinking or smoking.
"What's more, Bornstein writes, 'If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.'
"Clearly, Trump's hyperbole is itself a disease - and it's contagious."
Bornstein admitted in the NBC interview that he was at least somewhat influenced by the kinds of words Trump uses.
"NBC NEWS: Is that the way that you write most of your medical letters?
"BORNSTEIN: No, but for Mr. Trump, I wrote that letter that way.
"NBC NEWS: Did he ask you to describe it that way? Or do you pick up his kind of language by spending time with him?
"BORNSTEIN: I think I probably picked up his kind of language and then just interpreted it to my own."
Got it.
While the strangeness of the doctor's letter was largely laughed off and forgotten at the time - perhaps given it was back during a time when many were still convinced Trump wouldn't actually win the Republican nomination - it has resurfaced in recent days.
Trump himself has played a big role in its reemergence, by raising suspicions and feeding conspiracy theories about Hillary Clinton's health.
A Newsweek reporter responded to the Trump campaign's innuendo about Clinton by raising fresh own questions about the letter, suggesting Trump's doctor's letter might not be totally legitimate. Kurt Eichenwald noted the doctor said Trump had received only "positive results" during a recent examination - when testing "positive" generally suggests a bad result.
CNN's Sanjay Gupta then raised his own questions about the letter.
Of all the problems with the letter - and there are more than a few - the biggest may be the hyperbole. Doctors are trained to be circumspect and not draw conclusions that aren't supported by facts. Bornstein's letter, quite simply, didn't sound as though it were written by a serious-minded doctor who had given it the kind of thought it warranted.
And in his interview with NBC, Bornstein seemed to confirm it wasn't.
"In the rush, I think some of those words didn't come out exactly the way they were meant," he said.
The question from here is what it means going forward.
The letter was already arguably incomplete. As the New York Times noted, it "contained no details about his heart rate, respiratory rate, cholesterol level, past medications or family medical history."
And now, given Bornstein's comments suggesting his own letter was written under some duress - or at least, less than ideal circumstances - you can expect rising demands for a do-over, and perhaps more information about Trump's health.
That is, of course, assuming Trump decides he wants to provide it: As he's shown with his tax returns, he won't easily give in to public pressure to disclose things about himself.
But given Bornstein's comments Friday night, it's clear we don't have a particularly serious evaluation of what condition Trump's health is in. And it seems logical that a guy whose campaign is raising questions and suggestions about Clinton's health would want to erase any doubt about his own. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-donald-trump-doctor-letter-20160827-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/706ec9d9587e57fab29dc3a878771eaaa87a8e90fe89925957884ec44e16c475.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Mike Helfgot"
] | 2016-08-30T02:48:44 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fcollege%2Fct-northwestern-western-michigan-depth-chart-spt-0830-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4dd9c/turbine/ct-northwestern-western-michigan-depth-chart-spt-0830-20160829 | en | null | Western Michigan duo will put Northwestern pass defense to the test | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Northwestern's 2015 opener set the defensive tone, a 16-6 victory over eventual Rose Bowl champion Stanford that established the rough-and-tumble identity the Wildcats used to win 10 games.
While several of the players who made the NU defense one of the nation's best statistically are back, three new starters could be part of the storyline Saturday.
Western Michigan isn't Stanford, but P.J. Fleck's Broncos have a terrific quarterback-receiver tandem in Zach Terrell and Corey Davis, which could put defensive ends Xavier Washington and Ifeadi Odenigbo and cornerback Montre Hartage under a microscope.
Coach Pat Fitzgerald released his first depth chart Monday in advance of Saturday's opener at Ryan Field, and as expected, Washington and Odenigbo — who were groomed as backups to Deonte Gibson and Dean Lowry — will take over for the standout ends.
Hartage, a sophomore, won the job in camp after Keith Watkins II went down with a season-ending knee injury.
Terrell threw for 3,579 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, while Davis — who played at Wheaton Warrenville South with Northwestern's Dan and Tommy Vitale — is college football's active receiving leader with 3,785 career yards.
Mid-American Conference coaches and media picked Western Michigan to win the MAC West.
"It is college football," Fitzgerald said. "You're going to have seniors graduate, and if we recruited well, we've kind of backed them up — and I feel like we have. ... We're going to learn a lot about ourselves by 4 o'clock on Saturday."
Fleck takes blame: Western Michigan is dealing with a serious distraction this week after dismissing two freshmen who were arrested Friday.
Receiver Bryson White and linebacker Ron George are charged with armed robbery, first-degree home invasion and larceny in a building in an incident near the Kalamazoo campus.
Fleck took the blame during the MAC's weekly teleconference Monday.
"It falls on me as the head football coach," said Fleck, a former Kaneland and Northern Illinois receiver. "I'm the one who offers the scholarships. I'm the one who brings people in here. I'm the one, in the last four years, who brought in the type of student-athletes that we want to be very proud of here at Western Michigan.
"Somewhere along the line, obviously I didn't do a thorough enough job on a few guys."
Vaulting up the chart: Solomon Vault is one of the Big Ten's most dangerous kickoff returners, and his transition from running back to receiver figures to have him on the field a lot.
With more big plays among the top offensive priorities, Vault is listed as a first-string receiver with Austin Carr and Flynn Nagel. Another convert to the position, former defensive back Marcus McShepard, is on the second team with Andrew Scanlan and Macan Wilson.
Fitzgerald suggested the competition is ongoing.
"The depth chart is funny," he said. "When they gave it to me at first, it had a bunch of 'ors'. I'm not looking for ors. I'm looking for a two-deep, so we eliminated the ors. There is more names than are listed there, but currently that's all I have to talk about, so that's all I'm going to talk about."
Fat jeans? Cameron Green, a redshirt freshman from Stevenson, is not in the mix for playing time at receiver because he is now a superback. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Green is listed at second team behind 6-3, 245-pound Garrett Dickerson.
"Cam has done a great job," Fitzgerald said. "We're looking forward to see how things progress for him. He is a big, young player. He has had to work really hard to stay in skinny jeans. Now I tell him he doesn't have to worry about that anymore. He's not overly upset."
Honored captain: NU players elected seniors Carr, Matthew Harris and Connor Mahoney and junior linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. as captains.
Mahoney, who played tight end and defensive line early in his career before settling in at left guard and making five starts last year, called it the "biggest honor" he has received.
"It shows if you keep pushing and have the right attitude, anything can happen," Mahoney said.
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-northwestern-western-michigan-depth-chart-spt-0830-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/d3e76deb1ac7ae4811df1b9d062d7a6e471d978812a11dd480a05e4923b2c4f4.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Chicago Tribune Staff"
] | 2016-08-30T12:48:49 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fbreaking%2Fct-woodlawn-man-charged-in-prairie-district-fatal-shooting-20160830-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c565af/turbine/ct-woodlawn-man-charged-in-prairie-district-fatal-shooting-20160830 | en | null | Woodlawn man charged in Prairie District fatal shooting | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Authorities charged a man after another man was shot to death in the Prairie District neighborhood on the Near South Side Sunday morning.
Robert Burgess, 56, was charged with a felony count of first-degree murder, according to a news release from the Chicago Police Department.
Burgess is accused of shooting and killed a 45-year-old man about 10 a.m. in the 1800 block of South Michigan Avenue.
Police said witnesses heard an argument before gunfire, and police found the man in an alley with a gunshot wound to his head.
The shooting took place in an alley between two low-rise apartment buildings on 18th Street, between Michigan and Indiana avenues.
Burgess, of the 6200 block of South Kimbark Avenue, was arrested after he was identified as the person who fire shots. He was taken into custody around 10:20 p.m. Sunday in the 5100 block of South Wentworth Avenue, according to the release.
Burgess is scheduled to appear in Cook County bond court Tuesday. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-woodlawn-man-charged-in-prairie-district-fatal-shooting-20160830-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/3896b6cc2321dd472b724e7349c1d06a8954f4153a95d8bf5e9cca7a7bf9652b.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Katherine Skiba"
] | 2016-08-26T13:21:51 | null | 2016-06-24T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fct-bob-dold-gun-control-bill-20160624-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-576d6fd5/turbine/ct-bob-dold-gun-control-bill-20160624 | en | null | Rep. Bob Dold, an Illinois Republican, backs gun control bill | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Rep. Bob Dold sat out this week's sit-in in the House — all Republicans did — and on Friday he and a small group of colleagues sponsored a bill aimed at preventing terror suspects from buying a firearm or explosives.
The bill is identical to a gun control measure from Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. One problem: Her bill came up for a test vote Thursday and fell short of the 60 votes needed in the Senate for adoption.
The bipartisan bill that Dold is co-sponsoring with eight others in the House would let the attorney general deny the sale of a firearm or explosives to people on the no-fly list and the "selectee list" of people singled out for extra screening at airports.
The two lists carry the names of about 109,000 people, including 2,700 people who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, according to Dold spokesman Brad Stewart.
A denial by the attorney general would have to be made within three days of a background check.
If a citizen or permanent resident were refused a firearm or explosives, they could appeal the denial in federal court, and the court would have 14 days to act.
Another provision of the bill pertains to the FBI's terrorist watch list, a larger group of suspects. Law enforcement would be notified if anyone who has been on that list in the previous five years tries to buy a gun or explosives.
Dold has endorsed the measure as he faces a toss-up election campaign against Democratic ex-Rep. Brad Schneider in Illinois' 10th congressional district.
Dold, asked the prospects of passage of the House bill, said he hoped it would move forward since it was narrowly tailored and he hoped lawmakers do "not play political games" and get a bill to the president's desk.
Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., who is in a tough race against Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is behind the Collins measure.
kskiba@tribpub.com
Twitter @KatherineSkiba | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-bob-dold-gun-control-bill-20160624-story.html | en | 2016-06-24T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/023380762c99a468961f5dda2472d7a57a457cbbebd67ea1a94cba27b5734e2b.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Paul Sullivan"
] | 2016-08-29T04:48:32 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fcolumnists%2Fct-sullivan-cubs-spt-0829-20160828-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c3af58/turbine/ct-sullivan-cubs-spt-0829-20160828 | en | null | Loss takes the zip out of the Cubs' onesie trip | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Joe Maddon admitted Saturday that he made a mental mistake by scheduling the Cubs' annual onesie trip for Sunday.
Maddon thought Sunday's game was going to be at night instead of in the afternoon, thinking the Cubs and Dodgers would be picked up by ESPN.
"A horrible assumption on my part," he said, adding it was "going to be a warm onesie departure."
Some like it hot, but not this hot.
As Jake Arrieta and David Ross dressed up in matching Mr. Peanut onesies after a 1-0 loss to the Dodgers, Arrieta remarked it was like "wearing a diaper."
The Cubs decided not to go onto the field for a group shot, as they did last year in a memorable photo after Arrieta's no-hitter against the Dodgers. Instead they decided to take the photo at the team charter, miles from the Chicago media.
After a tough loss that stemmed from a physical mistake by Trevor Cahill and a mental one by Javier Baez, the Cubs probably could've gone without dressing up.
But Ross said no one would dwell on the loss, and the onesies were still good for a laugh or two.
Cubs wear onesies as they leave Dodger Stadium The Cubs wear onesies on their themed trip back to Chicago on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, following their series against the Dodgers. (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune) The Cubs wear onesies on their themed trip back to Chicago on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, following their series against the Dodgers. (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune) See more videos
"There are worse spots to be in, 14 games up and almost September," Ross said. ""I thought we played good baseball today. We pitched extremely well. Just a couple mistakes that we'll learn from, which is good. That's all you can really ask for.
"Maybe a couple (things). Got to get a guy in from third the last two days, (which) maybe cost us a 'W' here or there. That's baseball."
The Dodgers won two straight one-run games after the Cubs rallied to win the opener. Jon Lester was on the mark with six shutout innings, but the Cubs failed to come up with a clutch hit in the fifth and sixth innings, and the Dodgers' eighth-inning rally came without a hit. A hit batter, a wild throw by Cahill on a bunt and a bases-loaded, two-out, fielder's choice grounder to Baez that resulted in a late throw to second brought in the only run.
Baez said he "completely forgot" slow-footed Adrian Gonzalez was running down the line, and he blamed a communication breakdown with second baseman Ben Zobrist.
Falling on a grenade for his young teammate, Zobrist tried to shift the blame to himself, unsuccessfully.
So the Cubs ended the trip with a 5-4 record, returning home with the 14-game lead and two more contenders on tap in the Pirates and Giants.
If the division race were in doubt, the losses Saturday and Sunday would've been fodder for nonstop kvetching by Cubs fans. But when you're running away with the division, there's no reason to reach for the antacids, at least until October.
"One of those days, man," Maddon said. "Both sides pitched really well. We made the mistake. We blinked, and they win."
Near the end of his interview, Maddon invited the media to chronicle the onesie night merriment, saying, "Don't miss that."
Tweeting photos of the Cubs in silly get-ups is a staple of Chicago sports journalism, dating back to the halcyon days of manager Dale Sveum. It was Sveum who once had a superheroes theme trip in which Reed Johnson and Jeff Baker dressed up as Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, walking around with cellphones glued to their ears.
This onesie trip was much anticipated because the players were so into it last year, especially Arrieta, who attended his news conference in his onesie. Before Sunday's game, even Aroldis Chapman smiled as he tried on a blue onesie, which was big enough to use as a circus tent. He ended up wearing a green one with white shamrocks.
Perhaps because of the tough loss, some of the Cubs didn't seem quite as thrilled to look goofy, and Maddon's invitation to the media was quickly rescinded by Dodgers security guards, who booted reporters and an ABC cameraman from an area outside the clubhouse.
Fortunately a professional photographer camped out by the team bus got the goods, providing onesies shots to save the day.
psullivan@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @PWSullivan | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-sullivan-cubs-spt-0829-20160828-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/357abfb68f2948723900e224e637e5f8204f6084c2eb38bb7b128f1050eb1d80.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Todd Shields"
] | 2016-08-30T00:48:47 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fbarrington%2Fnews%2Fct-bcr-catlow-owner-dies-tl-0901-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4b54d/turbine/ct-bcr-catlow-owner-dies-tl-0901-20160829 | en | null | Co-owner of Catlow Movie Theater in Barrington dies | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | By mid-morning Monday, people had already placed flowers, candles and cards by the front entrance of Boloney's Sandwich Shop, next door to the Catlow Movie Theater in downtown Barrington.
The co-owner of both well-known Barrington businesses, Roberta Rapata, died the day before on Aug. 28.
She was 57.
Her fiancé and business partner, Tim O'Connor, told customers about Rapata's death in an email, detailing how the theater and restaurant both will be closed for a few days.
"Thank you for all the love and affection you have shown for Roberta over the years," he wrote. "She loved everyone of you and lived to make you all happy, comfortable and well fed!"
Barrington residents Jack and Carolyn Schaefer brought flowers to the businesses.
"We've been patronizing the Catlow for 40 years. Roberta was a lovely, caring person," said Carolyn Schaefer. "Our son worked in the movie theater in about 2000. She always asked about my son."
In May 1988, the theater was sold to Rapata and O'Connor, who led a group of investors, according to the Catlow Movie Theater website.
A year later, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The theater, designed to portray a medieval English hall, originally had its grand opening May 28, 1927, the website stated.
A call to the Catlow Theater, 116 W. Main St., Barrington, was not returned Monday. O'Connor said in another email late Monday afternoon the Catlow will reopen Friday night, Sept. 2.
Service arrangements also have been set.
Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Davenport Family Funeral Home and Crematory, 149 W. Main St., Barrington. Visitation will continue at 10 a.m. and last until 11 a.m. Thursday, followed by a funeral mass at St. Anne Catholic Church, 120 N. Ela St., Barrington.
The entombment will be private, according to Davenport Family Funeral Home and Crematory.
tshields@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter @tshields19 | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/barrington/news/ct-bcr-catlow-owner-dies-tl-0901-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/8426e895e7458064e976e8c5a432aa2469eb9751f3433e629ceb41e5d7b5d28e.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Lee V. Gaines"
] | 2016-08-26T13:22:04 | null | 2016-07-01T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fevanston%2Fnews%2Fct-skr-niles-north-jonathan-kite-tl-0707-20160701-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-5776cc25/turbine/ct-skr-niles-north-jonathan-kite-tl-0707-20160701 | en | null | Skokie native and '2 Broke Girls' actor, Jonathan Kite, to perform at Niles North | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Nearly 20 years after he graduated from Niles North High School, Jonathan Kite, who stars on the television show "2 Broke Girls," is returning to the scene of his adolescence to film his first comedy special, according to the producers for the project.
Kite, a Skokie native, will perform in the 800-seat Niles North High School auditorium for two shows slated for 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. July 9, according to a news release. The event is restricted to attendees who are 21 or older.
"I want to perform my first special on a stage that really means something to me. High school is where I decided to go into the arts professionally and the lessons learned at Niles North were some of the first major steps I took towards achieving that goal," Kite wrote in an email.
Kite, who graduated from Niles North in 1998, said he's remained in touch with his high school mentor and theater director, Timothy Ortmann, over the years.
"One afternoon at lunch, I proposed the idea of doing this special and asked if (Ortmann) would be interested in helping me set this up with Niles North. Without hesitation, he offered his support and blessing," Kite wrote.
The actor, comedian and impressionist said he plans to film interviews with a group of students selected by Ortmann prior to taping his special. Kite will ask the students what they want to do when they grow up and he'll likely use the footage from the interviews in the final cut of his special, according to a new release.
"I was the theatre director when Jon was in school here, and he and I have kept in touch over the years." Ortmann wrote in an email. "When stand-up comedians tape a live show, they typically choose the comedy club where they got their start—to the place that feels like their comedy-home. We were honored to find that, for Jon, home was here at Niles North."
Kite, who plays the character Oleg Golishevsky on the CBS comedy "2 Broke Girls," wrote that his classroom experiences at Niles North helped him to direct his "frantic energy" into a creative foundation and structure that he could build upon in his future career.
The actor wrote that he also wanted to meet the students whose stage he would be sharing.
"We are all connected because we have performed there. I am a big believer in respecting and acknowledging the generations that have come before and after the institutions of which I am a part," Kite wrote.
Jonathan Kite in Niles North play Timothy Ortmann / Handout In this undated photo, Jon Kite (front, orange) plays Petey Fisk in Niles North High School play "Greater Tuna," as a student. "It still makes me smile to think how charming and funny he was in the role," Niles North theater director Timothy Ortmann said. In this undated photo, Jon Kite (front, orange) plays Petey Fisk in Niles North High School play "Greater Tuna," as a student. "It still makes me smile to think how charming and funny he was in the role," Niles North theater director Timothy Ortmann said. (Timothy Ortmann / Handout)
Rick Gieser, publicist for Chicago's Zanies Comedy Club -- which will be helping to produce the special -- said the high school's auditorium is an excellent venue for taping a comedy special.
"It is state of the art and is equipped with equipment and tools that many professionals would be envious of," he said. "It's a beautiful theater."
Kite has appeared in dozens of national commercials and was chosen by Jamie Foxx to perform as an original cast member on FOX's short-lived sketch comedy show "In the Flow with Affion Crockett."
Kite received a bachelor's degree in theater acting from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, studied improv with Second City and moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career in 2003, according to his bio on the CBS website.
Tickets for the comedy special cost $25 and can be purchased online at Zanies.com or by calling 847-813-0484.
Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/evanston/news/ct-skr-niles-north-jonathan-kite-tl-0707-20160701-story.html | en | 2016-07-01T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/eedcf2b85b40084aecad3a06f757faf3222ba88968deb4f60bc0404c8082bdee.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Lisa Schencker"
] | 2016-08-29T22:48:54 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fbusiness%2Fct-emergency-visits-obamacare-0830-biz-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4ad97/turbine/ct-emergency-visits-obamacare-0830-biz-20160829 | en | null | Illinois emergency room visits increased after Obamacare, study says | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Hospital emergency department visits increased in Illinois after the Affordable Care Act took effect — the opposite of what many hoped would happen under the landmark health care law, according to a new study.
"Emergency departments are already overcrowded, and bringing more patients in will continue to make that worse," said Dr. Scott Dresden, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and the lead author of the study.
Emergency visits in Illinois increased 5.7 percent, or by more than 14,000 visits a month on average, in 2014 and 2015 compared with 2011 through 2013, according to the study, published online in Annals of Emergency Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal.
The number of visits by uninsured people dropped in Illinois the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, took effect. But that decrease was not enough to offset a higher number of visits by those with Medicaid and private insurance, according to the study.
The study adds to the conversation about the effectiveness of the health care law, as some other researchers have come to different conclusions.
The Affordable Care Act mandated that all Americans have health insurance and forbade insurers from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions. Illinois expanded its Medicaid program under the law, and three-fourths of Illinois residents now qualify for tax credits to help defray the cost of buying private insurance through the Obamacare marketplace.
Since major parts of the Affordable Care Act went into effect, the percentage of nonelderly Illinois residents without insurance fell to 7.9 percent in 2015, from 14.2 percent in 2013, according to the federal government.
One of the goals of expanding coverage to all was to reduce the use of pricey services, such as emergency department visits, which can sometimes be a last resort for people who don't see doctors regularly, according to the study.
But the study's authors noted that the spike in visits in Illinois "runs contrary" to that goal.
It's unknown whether the surge will persist, or if was a temporary result of people with long-untreated conditions flocking to emergency rooms once they got insurance, the study said.
A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was not able to immediately comment on the study Monday afternoon.
But Jay Bhatt, chief health officer for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, said he believes the increase is temporary. He attributed it to pent-up demand from previously uninsured people and patients learning how to use health insurance for the first time.
Bhatt, who is also a primary care physician on Chicago's northwest side, said he regularly sees patients who are newly insured and don't know what to do with their coverage.
"I think there's just going to be a lot more education," Bhatt said. "The learning curve on how to use coverage doesn't happen overnight."
The study also noted a potential lack of timely access to outpatient, primary and specialty care providers in Illinois might be one reason for the increase in emergency room visits.
"Patients may believe they have no other option for timely and effective acute care besides the (emergency department)," according to the study.
Carrie Nelson, chief clinical officer for Advocate Physician Partners, said ensuring there are enough primary care physicians and promoting a team-based approach to health care could help decrease emergency visits in the long run. Advocate Physician Partners is Advocate Health Care's aligned physician network.
Nelson couldn't immediately provide data Monday showing whether overall emergency visits are up at Advocate hospitals, though she said the system's emergency departments are busy.
But Nelson said Advocate has had success reducing emergency department visits among patients involved in certain Advocate programs. For example, care managers can see how patients are using the health system and reach out to them if they are visiting the ER when a primary physician would do. Community health workers also visit patients' homes to talk with them about the value of primary care doctors and alternatives to emergency care, she said.
The study's findings are in line with the results of a nationwide poll last year in which three-fourths of emergency physicians surveyed reported seeing increasing numbers of emergency visits. That poll was released by the American College of Emergency Physicians, the same group behind the journal that published the Illinois study.
But the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report earlier this year showing the percentage of adults visiting emergency rooms didn't change much between 2013 and 2014. Some studies have shown decreases.
Those mixed results suggest factors such as the number of people uninsured in a state, a lack of Medicaid expansion, availability of primary care and financial incentives for hospitals and clinicians also may influence emergency department visits, according to the study.
Emergency department visits were increasing before the Affordable Care Act took effect, Dresden said, but the jumps revealed by the study go beyond those increases.
The study did not include federal hospitals such as U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and it looked only at patients ages 18 to 64.
lschencker@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @lschencker | http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-emergency-visits-obamacare-0830-biz-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/f706102968fbb548fb2f248d728d7083fb1c1f70eff2ca36373207f2b08116f6.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-29T16:48:40 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fpolitics%2Fct-anthony-weiner-huma-abedin-separating-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4577c/turbine/ct-anthony-weiner-huma-abedin-separating-20160829 | en | null | Anthony Weiner's wife Huma Abedin is leaving him amid a new sexting scandal | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin said Monday that she is separating from her husband, Anthony Weiner, after the former New York congressman was accused in yet another sexting scandal.
"After long and painful consideration and work on my marriage, I have made the decision to separate from my husband," Abedin, vice chair of Clinton's presidential campaign, said in a statement issued by the campaign. "Anthony and I remain devoted to doing what is best for our son, who is the light of our life."
The New York Post published photos late Sunday that it said Weiner had sent last year to a woman, whom it identified only as a "40-something divorcee" who lives "out West" and is a supporter of Donald Trump.
Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner Charles Dharapak / AP Then-New York Rep. Anthony Weiner and his wife, Huma Abedin, an aide to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are pictured in 2011. Then-New York Rep. Anthony Weiner and his wife, Huma Abedin, an aide to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are pictured in 2011. (Charles Dharapak / AP) (Charles Dharapak / AP)
The photos included several shots of Weiner bare-chested and two close-ups of his bulging underpants. one of the pictures, Weiner is in bed with his toddler son while he is texting the woman, according to the Post. The tabloid also ran sexually suggestive text messages that it said the two exchanged.
Weiner told the Post that he and the woman "have been friends for some time."
"She has asked me not to comment except to say that our conversations were private, often included pictures of her nieces and nephews and my son and were always appropriate," he told the newspaper.
Weiner didn't return a call, text or email from The Associated Press. Weiner deleted his Twitter account Monday.
The Post didn't say how it had obtained the photographs and messages.
Weiner, a Democrat, quit Congress in 2011 after it discovered that he was sending women sexually explicit messages. Weiner ran for mayor of New York in 2013, but that bid collapsed after it was reported that he was continuing to sext women.
Since then, Weiner has remained in the public eye, commenting on politics on a local cable news show. A documentary offering a cringe-inducing inside view of his mayoral campaign and its unraveling played in theaters earlier this year and is set to air on Showtime this fall.
In the documentary, Weiner allowed the camera crew extraordinary access even after the new scandal broke. His wife appeared stricken and deeply uncomfortable as the cameras continued to roll.
Abedin, 40, is a longtime aide and confidante to Clinton and is often referred to as Clinton's second daughter. Frequently by Clinton's side, Abedin was spotted outside fundraisers for the Democratic presidential nominee on Sunday in the Hamptons, on New York's Long Island.
Abedin began working for the former first lady as a White House intern and became a trusted aide and adviser as Clinton won a seat in the Senate representing New York in 2000, ran for president in 2008 and served as President Barack Obama's secretary of state.
She has been under scrutiny as part of the probe of Clinton's use of a private email system while she was secretary of state. Federal prosecutors declined to file charges in the investigation.
Abedin and Weiner were married in 2010 at a wedding officiated by former President Bill Clinton. They have a 4-year-old son, Jordan.<
Associated Press | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-anthony-weiner-huma-abedin-separating-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/f11cef71391073979eae047d8ade7cfe22769b67a642b2624ef6c273861c8f68.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Natalie Hayes"
] | 2016-08-26T13:15:27 | null | 2016-08-05T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fmorton-grove%2Fct-mgc-national-night-out-tl-0811-20160805-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57a576f3/turbine/ct-mgc-national-night-out-tl-0811-20160805 | en | null | Morton Grove police mingle with hundreds during National Night Out | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | For those disheartened by the national stories this summer of mistrust between police and their communities, the American Legion Civic Center in Morton Grove Tuesday night provided a heartwarming scene, as hundreds of residents showed up to support local police.
For the second consecutive year, the Morton Grove Police Department held its National Night Out event, drawing people from the community to enjoy live music, food, and entertainment while getting to know their local police department a little better.
Part of a national campaign to build positive relationships between police and residents, the Aug. 2 event was a chance for the community to spend time with police in a relaxed, casual setting, according to Morton Grove police officer Adam Tabor.
"It's a special night because although we don't have many of the problems other places in the country do, we still want to take the time to promote a positive relationship by having lots of community interaction," Tabor said.
While the event drew about 300 people last year, the addition of a live band, pony rides, face painting and live taekwondo helped make the event even larger this year, said police officer Gina Lietz.
Lietz said local businesses and residents helped raise $10,000 to stage Night Out. Guests enjoyed free hot dogs and soda, and fast food chain Culver's handed out free custard to help people cool off in the 80-plus degree night.
One of many families who soaked in the late summer evening, Morton Grove couple Don Petersen and Kathy Denning relaxed at a picnic table with their deserts in hand as the sun started to set Tuesday night.
National Night Out Natalie Hayes / Pioneer Press Morton Grove resident Jackson Pelletier, 7, checks out a truck used by the village public works department during the police department’s second annual National Night Out Aug. 2. Morton Grove resident Jackson Pelletier, 7, checks out a truck used by the village public works department during the police department’s second annual National Night Out Aug. 2. (Natalie Hayes / Pioneer Press)
"You don't hear about suburban police as much in the media, so what we see on the news doesn't affect my opinion of (officers)," Denning said. "They play an important role in the community — we need our police to protect us. It's nice to see them walking around being friendly."
As families mingled while kids scrambled to get a chance to hop into the driver's seats of the police, fire, and public works vehicles on display, the mood was upbeat as police officers and firefighters chatted with residents.
Police officers and residents, such as Night Out volunteer Liz Marino, said the solution to better policing can only be obtained by working as a team.
After completing the Morton Grove Citizens Police Academy last year, Marino said she feels a closer connection to the police. She decided to enroll in the academy to help quell a fear she used to have about police officers.
"In smaller towns, they pull drivers over more often, so that made me nervous," Marino said. "I didn't want to feel scared of their authority anymore, so I decided to get to know them as people."
After graduating from two citizens police academies in Morton Grove and Evanston before that, Marino said the anxiety she used to feel when she saw a police car has diminished.
Standing next to Marino behind a table set up for free water and soda, her former classmate Darrel Karlin said volunteering for police-sponsored events helped him stay in touch with the officers and other residents he met during the course.
"I'm impressed with the turn out tonight," Karlin said. "The music is good, and it gives police a chance to interact with everyone in a positive setting."
Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/morton-grove/ct-mgc-national-night-out-tl-0811-20160805-story.html | en | 2016-08-05T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/c392d08d9c65123f0ce2036e66d82d7aa841c8bf758ee5123dfe688f9aa4498f.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Karie Angell Luc"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:34 | null | 2016-07-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Flake-zurich%2Fnews%2Fct-bgc-craft-beer-long-grove-tl-0728-20160725-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-579648fd/turbine/ct-bgc-craft-beer-long-grove-tl-0728-20160725 | en | null | Strong showing for first craft beer festival in Long Grove, organizers say | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | The first-ever Craft Beer and BBQ Days launched in downtown Long Grove over the past weekend, attracting an estimated 1,000 people, said David Gayton, marketing chair for the Historic Downtown Long Grove Business Association.
"We are very excited to be bringing new events to Long Grove, " Gayton said. "To be able to showcase our historic downtown, and the beautiful surroundings Long Grove is celebrated for, this Craft Beer and BBQ Days event is just another example of why Long Grove is a preferred destination and a wonderful place to call home."
Craft beer makers from locations, such as Mundelein and Glenview, poured beer for the many attendees who came to the downtown on July 22 and July 23. Rockin Rodizio, of Palatine, offered fire-kissed meats, such as a pork chop on a stick.
About 20 volunteers helped launch the event for the first time, said Ryan Messner, president of the Long Grove Business and Community Partners.
"Without volunteers, we couldn't do what we do," Messner said.
Brewmasters poured beer into sample-sized glasses.
"You may come as a stranger, but you always leave as family," Gayton said.
Karie Angell Luc is a freelance photographer and reporter for Pioneer Press. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-zurich/news/ct-bgc-craft-beer-long-grove-tl-0728-20160725-story.html | en | 2016-07-25T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/d587830f02f7561cadbc7416268ce83b512496a14765e29e293f5a3a74d360c2.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Irv Leavitt"
] | 2016-08-26T13:24:00 | null | 2016-08-15T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fnorthbrook%2Fnews%2Fct-nbs-swimming-at-the-mall-tl-0818-20160815-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57b1f3e6/turbine/ct-nbs-swimming-at-the-mall-tl-0818-20160815 | en | null | Swimming pool planned for Northbrook's White Plains Shopping Center | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | The strip-mall space that housed the hardware store serving Northbrook's west side for 45 years is now likely to be filled with swimming children, and older people trying to get some exercise.
An application to use 8,500 square feet of the old store, last known as Northbrook Ace Hardware & Rental, has been filed by the Goldfish Swim School, a chain that teaches children, three months to 12 years, how to swim. Most of the rest of the hardware store's original 15,000 square feet has been claimed by Orangetheory Fitness, an exercise training operation based in downtown Wilmette.
Goldfish, a fast-growing Michigan-based franchised firm, now has eight facilities in the Chicago area, including in Evanston and Mundelein, and claims 25 overall.
The company application, filed by the operator of the Mundelein facility, promises three lifeguards and 10 teachers in the water during peak periods.
Both the fitness and swimming operations need Northbrook special permits, which require that they not significantly harm surrounding businesses and homes, and both seem likely to get them. Northbrook trustees July 12 sent the fitness company plans to the Northbrook Plan Commission for public hearings with their encouragement, and no criticism, and they did the same with the swimming company Aug. 9.
It's rare that projects with such strong backing at their Northbrook preliminary hearings fail to be completed, if entrepreneurs follow through. Dates for public hearings haven't yet been set.
Aug. 9, only two trustees had any question at all about the swim school. Bob Israel said the commission should ensure that the plan for pick-ups and drop-offs would be safe. Todd Heller said he just wondered what would happen if the swim school decided to move on, leaving a 75-by27 foot pool, 4-feet deep.
"You just fill it in," Village President Sandy Frum said.
That is what has happened to the 86,000-square-foot shopping center in general in recent years, with spaces filled in by a variety of uses not closely connected to shopping.
Those include the DancEd. Dance Centre, in the center since 1998, which now claims about 170 youth dance classes weekly. The studio was later joined by a martial arts center, a tutoring company, and a teaching-enrichment center for children. The latter, a firm called Noggin Builders, has been approved for a move to a Dundee Road industrial park.
Ron Gadek, who owned the hardware store from 2008 until it closed in early 2015, said then that it was tough to make "the economics of occupancy" work for his store, though sales increased each year. He merged the store with his downtown Northbrook store at 1941 Cherry Lane, leaving only one store in town.
Jack Vanrenterghem, who had owned the store for the previous 32 years, said last year that the property taxes on the store, which had risen to $70,000 annually by 2008, was one reason he sold.
According to the Village of Northbrook, the property taxes for the same space rose to $90,000 in 2013.
Pat Lederer, chairman of the Northbrook Industrial and Commercial Development Commission, said he had been approached by Goldfish for space at his own office park. "I was intrigued by the use," he said, but he didn't complete a deal.
"There's the same landlord issue now in shopping centers, office, and industrial," he added. "You're thrilled with anybody that's going to pay rent."
ileavitt@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter @IrvLeavitt | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/northbrook/news/ct-nbs-swimming-at-the-mall-tl-0818-20160815-story.html | en | 2016-08-15T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/7203de6720c682bb74dbd5d8f4462f432018626c0164d421e56f679b48334353.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Mike Isaacs"
] | 2016-08-26T13:24:45 | null | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fskokie%2Fnews%2Fct-skr-skokie-budgeted-salaries-tl-0901-20160823-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56f02a81/turbine/chi-default-open-graph-ct-logo/1200/1200x650 | en | null | Village Board considers 2.5 percent raises for top Skokie administrators | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Most of Skokie's top administrators are expected to receive raises of about 2.5 percent, which are scheduled for a Skokie Village Board vote in September.
The proposed raises, which already are included in the 2016-17 budget, officials say, reflect a slightly higher increase than last year, when most administrators received 2 percent hikes.
The raises were introduced on first reading Aug. 15 at the Village Board meeting and are scheduled for a vote Sept. 6, officials said.
Raises in the 2 percent range for Skokie administrators have been typical since the recession began more than seven years ago. Before that, administrators more typically received raises in the 3.75 percent range. The village has viewed these more modest raises as "cost-of-living increases," and in this case, they would be retroactive from May 1 through April 2017, they said.
Under the new adjustments, Village Manager John Lockerby would receive an annual salary of $193,420, up from $188,700.
Corporation Counsel Michael Lorge's salary would bump up to $192,905 from $188,200. The village would also pay $30,010 to a retirement compensation plan for Lorge.
Deputy Village Clerk Sylvia Luke's salary would be set at $68,644, up from $66,970.
Assistant Corporation Counsels James McCarthy would be paid $123,000, up from $120,000; Barbara Mangler, $104,550, up from $102,000; and Abraham Funk, $63,550, up from $62,000.
Part-time Assistant Corporation Counsel salaries include the following: Melanie Pettway, $35,875, up from $35,000; and Tyler Kobylski, $12,300, up from $12,000.
The Village Board on Sept. 6 will also consider a similarly slight increase in compensation for the mayor, trustees and the village. Lorge said the state constitution stipulates that any change in compensation for elected officers cannot take effect during the same term. That means the new compensation would kick in after next year's election on April 4, Lorge said.
Under the proposed compensation, the mayor would make $35,000 from fiscal year 2018 to 2021. Compensation for the mayor was last adjusted in 2012, Lorge said.
Compensation for the six trustees would be set at $9,500 from fiscal year 2018 to 2021. The last time compensation was adjusted was 2013, Lorge said.
Compensation for the village clerk would be set at $87,000 over the same time span. The last time an adjustment was wade for the clerk's pay was 2013, Lorge said.
Like the administrator raises, the proposed compensation for elected leaders was introduced on first reading Aug. 15 at a Village Board meeting and is scheduled for a final vote Sept. 6.
The proposed ordinance states that the compensation amounts for elected officials would become effective the first day after they take their oath of office "however in no event shall it be before May 1, 2017."
misaacs@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter @SKReview_Mike | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/skokie/news/ct-skr-skokie-budgeted-salaries-tl-0901-20160823-story.html | en | 2016-08-23T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/7922b615b7ec8191c4d76e0d6b891cb35a1fb2e76ec34e34567c527087e6f485.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Natalie Hayes"
] | 2016-08-26T13:15:52 | null | 2016-07-15T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fmorton-grove%2Fct-mgc-cyclist-hit-by-train-morton-grove-tl-0721-20160715-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57895d80/turbine/ct-mgc-cyclist-hit-by-train-morton-grove-tl-0721-20160715 | en | null | Cyclist hospitalized after being struck by Metra train in Morton Grove | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | A 53-year-old man was hospitalized Friday morning after his bicycle struck a train at the Metra crossing at Dempster Street and Lehigh Avenue, police said.
The man, whose condition is unknown, was hit by a Milwaukee District North line train at approximately 9:05 a.m. as it headed north through Morton Grove, according to Meg Reile, a Metra spokeswoman.
He was conscious and talking when paramedics transported him to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, according to Morton Grove Police. Witnesses told police the man appeared to have attempted to cross the tracks while the gates were down and the signals were on.
He and his bicycle were struck "lightly" by the moving train, police said, and the conductor stopped when he saw the bicyclist had been hit.
The man had moderate injuries, including lacerations on his body, Morton Grove Police Cmdr. Paul Yaras said.
The train was stopped on the tracks following the accident for nearly 30 minutes before northbound service resumed, according to Reile.
The train signals and gate were working properly at the time of the incident, Reile said.
"People blowing through the gates isn't uncommon," Reile said. "There's no indication that any of the gates weren't functioning, and it looks like the bicyclist ran into the side of the train while it was moving."
No one on the train was hurt and no damage was reported to the train, she said.
Police said the incident serves as a reminder that pedestrians and bicyclist—not just drivers—should use caution around railroad tracks.
Trains overhang the tracks by at least three feet on both sides, police said, making it possible for a person near the tracks but not on top of them to be hit.
"Failure to obey the flashing lights, audible signals, and the lowered gates will also result in fines," Yaras said.
Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/morton-grove/ct-mgc-cyclist-hit-by-train-morton-grove-tl-0721-20160715-story.html | en | 2016-07-15T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/2f092864fcdfcfbd0ef4d33e6a5e858b7b64609df2fd510caeeea785a88c70cd.json |
[
"Associated Press",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-30T16:48:56 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fpolitics%2Fct-fbi-clinton-emails-20160830-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5ad8d/turbine/ct-fbi-clinton-emails-20160830 | en | null | FBI to release documents related to Hillary Clinton email probe soon | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | The FBI is expected to release documents soon related to its investigation into Hillary Clinton and her use of a private email server.
A law enforcement official said Tuesday that documents in the case would be made public as the FBI responds to Freedom of Information Act requests.
It wasn't immediately clear when the documents would be released or exactly what they would include. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The FBI this month provided Congress portions of its file from the agency's yearlong investigation into whether then-Secretary of State Clinton and her top aides mishandled classified information that flowed through a private email server.
CNN reported that the records could be made public as early as Wednesday.
Associated Press | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-fbi-clinton-emails-20160830-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/c5aba7c4ebbcc9e6e63b2b6fe85fa2bceac2cdb2ab53cbabcd3247033a987a73.json |
[
"Tribune Content Agency",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-31T02:49:03 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fentertainment%2Ftv%2Fct-next-bachelor-is-nick-viall-20160830-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c64196/turbine/ct-next-bachelor-is-nick-viall-20160830 | en | null | Ex-Chicago salesman Nick Viall is ABC's next 'Bachelor' | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Nick Viall is officially the next "Bachelor" for Season 21 of ABC's reality dating show.
Mike Fleiss, creator of the "Bachelor" franchise, made the announcement Tuesday evening on his personal Twitter account.
"The Bachelor" premiered in 2002 and has become the longest-running reality dating series, spinning off the female-led series "The Bachelorette," plus other spinoffs "Bachelor Pad" and "Bachelor in Paradise," which is currently airing this summer. Collectively, "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" have run for 32 seasons.
"The Bachelor" stars are typically selected from the franchise's pool of contestants from previous seasons. ABC has been largely criticized for "The Bachelor" and "Bachelorette's" lack of diversity, as only one non-white lead has been featured in the totality of the franchise, with the Latino Juan Pablo Galavis on Season 18 of the flagship show -- and he put the show at the center of controversy with anti-gay remarks.
Earlier this summer at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills, Calif., ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey was asked by reporters about "The Bachelor's" diversity issue. She said, "I would very much like to see some changes there."
Dungey continued, "I think one of the biggest changes that we need to do is we need to increase the pool of diverse candidates in the beginning because part of what ends up happening as we go along is that there just aren't as many candidates to ultimately end up in the role of the next Bachelor or Bachelorette so that is something we really want to put some effort and energy towards."
MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR
Last season, ABC received backlash for choosing the JoJo Fletcher as the next "Bachelorette." Though Fletcher is half-Persian, viewers and critics felt as if the network should have chosen a more diverse candidate -- especially after former ABC boss Paul Lee (who's spot was filled by Dungey) teased that the next "Bachelorette" would be diverse, at the time saying, "We're doing a whole lot of tweaks...I'd be very surprised if 'The Bachelorette' in the summer isn't diverse. I think that's likely."
"The Bachelorette" recently wrapped its 12th season at the beginning of this month with leading lady Fletcher choosing Jordan Rodgers. Prior, the most recent season of "The Bachelor" starred Ben Higgins who selected Lauren Bushnell as the winner. Up next, the engaged pair, Higgins and Bushnell, will have their own reality show on ABC's little sister network Freeform.
Variety
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Check out the latest movie reviews from Michael Phillips and the Chicago Tribune. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/tv/ct-next-bachelor-is-nick-viall-20160830-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/6ba0a1e191ff57d5b4a72b6fc313928e3a86243b6faadc436bc8094c86dd7a2c.json |
[
"Associated Press",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-30T16:48:59 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fpolitics%2Fct-donald-trump-immigration-20160830-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5b2bf/turbine/ct-donald-trump-immigration-20160830 | en | null | Donald Trump's deportation waffle illustrates campaign weaknesses | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Donald Trump and his aides used to say that voters didn't care about the nitty-gritty of policy details. But now those details are tripping up his campaign.
For more than a week now, as he's tried to shine the spotlight on his rival, Trump has appeared to wrestle with one of his signature proposals: A pledge to expel everyone living in the U.S. illegally with the help of a "deportation force."
At a Fox News town hall taping last week, in the face of pressing questions, the GOP nominee proceeded to poll the audience at length on the fate of an estimated 11 million people. It was a stunning display of indecision from a candidate who has asked voters to put enormous faith in his gut instincts.
Trump is now planning a major speech Wednesday, during which he's expected to finally clarify his stance. Supporters are hoping for a strong, decisive showing. But the episode underscores how little time his campaign has invested in outlining how he would accomplish his goals as president, especially when compared with the detailed plans of his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. And for critics, many already disposed to vote against him, his wavering on what has been his signature issue seems like a warning that he's unable to handle a central element of any president's job — making decisions.
"It's just puzzling," said Lanhee Chen, who has served as a policy adviser to several Republican presidential candidates. "This is the issue on which he rose to prominence in the primary and the issue on which he continues to stake much of his campaign."
From the start, Trump has never been the kind of candidate to pore over thick policy books.
Indeed, he has mocked Clinton on the subject.
"She's got people that sit in cubicles writing policy all day. Nothing's ever going to happen. It's just a waste of paper," he told Time Magazine in June. "My voters don't care and the public doesn't care. They know you're going to do a good job once you're there."
To date, Trump's campaign has posted just seven policy proposals on his website, totaling just over 9,000 words. There are 38 on Clinton's "issues" page, ranging from efforts to cure Alzheimer's disease to Wall Street and criminal justice reform, and her campaign boasts that it has now released 65 policy fact sheets, totaling 112,735 words.
"I've laid out the best I could, the specific plans and ideas that I want to pursue as your president because I have this old-fashioned idea," Clinton said during a recent speech in Colorado. "When you run for president, you ought to tell people what you want to do as their president."
Trump's new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, has said she's pushing her boss to get more specific. Yet his positions on a host of issues remain vague at best.
For example, while Trump has slammed the Common Core education standards and touts the benefits of local control of education, he has no formal, detailed plans for improving public schools. He talks about student loan debt and the increasing costs of higher education, but has yet to propose solutions. He has teased plans to make childcare more affordable, but has missed his own deadline for unveiling them.
Trump's supporters say questions about his recent waffling on the deportation question are overblown. His running mate, Mike Pence, describes him as "a CEO at work" as he consults with various stakeholders.
"You see someone who is engaging the American people, listening to the American people," Pence told CNN on Sunday. "He is hearing from all sides."
But Chen, the Republican policy adviser, said a President Trump arriving at the White House without detailed plans could be limited in how much he might achieve, since a new president's power is at its apex early on.
"If you're not able to hit the ground running, chances are you're going to run into serious resistance if you sit there studying something for the first 100 days," he said.
Associated Press | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-donald-trump-immigration-20160830-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/f0b7c660d32cb8ec1d164136456acbaa8402e9817deab682cdf3ca65c032af04.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Pat Lenhoff"
] | 2016-08-26T13:20:12 | null | 2016-07-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fmundelein%2Fnews%2Fct-vhr-lenhoff-column-tl-0728-20160725-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57964c94/turbine/ct-vhr-lenhoff-column-tl-0728-20160725 | en | null | Lenhoff: 'Smart' technology? Depends on your perspective | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | I recently got a new cell phone and number. I won't bore you with details, but suffice it to say I never make a technology change without being coerced.
The process is usually accompanied by kicking, screaming, pouting and finally dejected acceptance that I will again have to learn another new device. For me, that's a process which usually lasts until the next time I'm forced to change.
My old device was one of the first Samsung Galaxy phones with that cute little stylus. I'd sometimes withdraw the stylus from its built-in slot and touch a few things on the screen just to see what it would feel like to play with. Then I would replace it until the next time I was bored enough to revisit the function.
The Galaxy was very touch-sensitive. It had buttons in all the places where you would naturally hold it, which of course triggered actions you didn't intend, but I got used to working around that. The Boss, however, could never get the hang of handling my phone when trying to assist. It was his ultimatum that my next phone, the one I am now trying to get used to, would be an iPhone. It's easy, he said.
I don't like it. Not one bit. It's bossy, telling me what it wants rather than allowing me to decide how I want it set up. After six hours of reorganizing the contact list, which didn't transfer over efficiently from my old phone, I realized that all those changes had also been applied to our email accounts on both the phone and the home computer.
I didn't ask Apple to do that. And Apple didn't ask me if I wanted it done. They just assumed everything should be linked together and proceeded accordingly.
My old phone had a function where you could press a key and the type would stay in all caps until you touched the key to restore normal typing. It appears that the iPhone has to be pressed for each and every capital letter you type. If that is truly how it functions, then that's an amazingly dumb omission for such a supposedly smart phone.
And as for the voice technology, she asks me questions when I haven't spoken to her and when I do, she doesn't understand what I'm saying. I saw a news article last spring that discussed how "Siri" and her compadres aren't really consistently up to snuff, especially when it comes to emergency matters. The article used examples like a phone user saying "my head hurts" to which the response was "it's on your shoulders". Uh, thanks for clarifying.
While it's amazing what technology can do, as a certified amateur I sometimes think we've gone too far with our expectations. It's no wonder that for some people, their single most important relationship is with their mobile device.
Mine is going to put me in therapy if I don't catch on soon.
viewfromvh@yahoo.com
Pat Lenhoff is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/mundelein/news/ct-vhr-lenhoff-column-tl-0728-20160725-story.html | en | 2016-07-25T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/f43d448a14818b1ca977b677613a1a1a2eb3a21bf9aeb2cd8810d5d7123ad335.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Deanese Williams-Harris"
] | 2016-08-26T13:24:05 | null | 2016-08-12T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fbreaking%2Fct-northbrook-man-charged-in-2015-fatal-motorcycle-crash-20160812-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57ae7522/turbine/ct-northbrook-man-charged-in-2015-fatal-motorcycle-crash-20160812 | en | null | Northbrook man charged in 2015 fatal motorcycle crash | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | A north suburban man was ordered held in lieu of $300,000 bail in a 2015 motorcycle crash that killed a woman who was riding with him on the Far North Side.
Paul Szydlowski, 32, of the 2800 block of Brindle Court in Northbrook, was charged earlier with one count of reckless homicide with a motor vehicle, police said.
About 1:15 p.m. July 20, 2015, Szydlowski was driving a 2005 Harley Davidson weaving in and out of traffic in the 7300 block of North Western Avenue and collided with a Toyota Camry in the southbound lanes of Western, police said.
His passenger, Lauren Lohan, 23, of Wheeling, was pronounced dead at 3:53 p.m. at Presence St. Francis Hospital in Evanston following the crash, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office and police.
Also injured was the driver of the car, police said.
Szydlowski was identified as the driver of the motorcycle, and appeared at a bail hearing Friday, where he was ordered held in lieu of $300,000 bail, according to court records. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-northbrook-man-charged-in-2015-fatal-motorcycle-crash-20160812-story.html | en | 2016-08-12T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/31823b2ab1fa77f8d089e4f6d3daca82e3839d602c4a1ecccfa62b15511baa05.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Paul Sullivan"
] | 2016-08-28T02:48:24 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fcolumnists%2Fct-hammel-maddon-cubs-sullivan-spt-0828-20160827-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c24b66/turbine/ct-hammel-maddon-cubs-sullivan-spt-0828-20160827 | en | null | What's up with Joe Maddon and Jason Hammel? Talk to the hand | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Joe Maddon and Jason Hammel had a nice conversation Saturday afternoon at Dodger Stadium after Hammel's 39-pitch outing against the Dodgers.
At least we think it was a conversation, based on the time it took for the Cubs to open the visitors clubhouse after the 3-2 loss.
It could have been a brief chat, or even a Hammel soliloquy.
Whatever it was, the normally talkative Hammel didn't want to talk about it.
"That's information between me and him," he said.
Maddon projects an image of being an avuncular manager who gets along with everyone and always has a smile and a one-liner at the ready.
But he's still the boss and sometimes he has to deal with unhappy players who don't always believe they're being treated properly, whether it's Hammel getting an early hook, John Lackey warming up in the bullpen as an emergency reliever or Tommy La Stella being sent to the minors because he has options.
It's an occupational hazard, as Maddon knows, and he doesn't mind them venting.
"Not at all," he said. "I want them to be able to do that. I think it's healthy. Just like with (the media queries), I have a reason why I did it. I'm not going to hide behind anything.
"It's not like I picked it out of hat and chose to do it today. There was a reason to do it today. When Johnny needs to talk, I talk to Johnny, or anybody.
"You just have to shoot it straight back, and hopefully they can deal with it. There's a great line — honesty without compassion is cruelty. So at some point you have to understand your audience, too."
Uncle Joe wasn't moving kind of slow when he waltzed to the mound in the third inning after Hammel gave up a double and three singles for two runs that gave the Dodgers a 3-1 lead with one out and four left-handed batters due up next.
Hammel doesn't hide his emotions well, and no amount of potato chips can change that part of his personality. He had been dealing since the All-Star break until he gave up seven first-inning runs in his last start in Colorado.
Maddon clearly wasn't in the mood for another potential shellacking.
"He was not happy with me taking him out that early, and I can understand why, because it has happened in the past," Maddon said. "Watching him one time through, it looked like they were on him a little bit, and I thought that was a great lineup for Rob-Z."
Joe Maddon on Jason Hammel: 'I just didn't see the game straightening out' Cubs manager Joe Maddon discusses Ben Zobrist's sacrifice bunt and his decision to remove Jason Hammel in the third inning during the team's 3-2 loss to the Dodgers on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016. (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune) Cubs manager Joe Maddon discusses Ben Zobrist's sacrifice bunt and his decision to remove Jason Hammel in the third inning during the team's 3-2 loss to the Dodgers on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016. (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune) See more videos
That would be rookie left-hander Rob Zastryzny, a second-round pick in 2013 out of Missouri who was called up from Triple-A Iowa when the trip began in Colorado. "Rob-Z," not to be confused with rocker Rob Zombie, threw 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing one hit and keeping the Cubs in the game.
Zastryzny hasn't allowed a run in his first 7 1/3 innings and could very put himself into the postseason mix if he keeps this up. Recall that Trevor Cahill was picked up off the scrap heap from the Braves with a 7.52 earned-run average last August and signed to a minor league deal. Cahill didn't make his first appearance as a Cub until Sept. 2, after rosters expanded, but pitched well and made the postseason roster.
As for Hammel's cameo, the veteran argued the Dodgers "found holes," and had only two hard-hit balls — Corey Seager's game-tying home run in the first and Andrew Toles' double leading off the third.
"It is what it is," Hammel said.
So how does he deal with Maddon when he's upset?
Photos from the game on Aug. 27, 2016, at Dodger Stadium.
"That's a conversation for me and him," Hammel repeated. "There is no reason for that to be in the papers. That's a professional way of looking at it, so leave it at that."
The fact Hammel has been lifted early in the past also wasn't something Hammel cared to discuss.
"Like I said, that's a topic between me and Joe," he said. "We lost today. Move on."
Is this issue different than last year?
"This is totally different," he said. "This has nothing to do with anything from last year."
But the quick hook was also an issue last year.
"Like I said I'm not going to talk about that," he said. "It's just ridiculous. You can stop asking that question."
With the loss, Cubs starters fell to 15-2 in August. Hammel was charged with both losses.
First-place problems.
Everyone wishes they had them. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-hammel-maddon-cubs-sullivan-spt-0828-20160827-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/dda08474257f071ba840872b874deb1f54ff0eaf940975f74edc47cf5851a02e.json |
[
"Associated Press",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-30T16:49:00 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fbusiness%2Fct-nerdwallet-personal-finance-5-money-myths-you-probably-believe-20160830-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c58fe1/turbine/ct-nerdwallet-personal-finance-5-money-myths-you-probably-believe-20160830 | en | null | 5 money myths you probably believe | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Managing money can be complicated, and myths are often born from people's struggles to make it simpler. But simplistic solutions can cost you instead of saving you money.
If you believe any of these five money myths, it's time to take a closer look at the financial realities.
MYTH: EVERYONE NEEDS A FAT EMERGENCY FUND
Certified financial planners typically recommend clients have enough savings to cover expenses for three to six months. If you're living paycheck to paycheck, though, it can take you years to amass that much.
Say you spend $5,000 each month and somehow manage to trim your expenses by 10 percent. To accumulate three months' expenses ($4,500 times three, or $13,500), you would have to put aside every dime of that $500 savings for 27 months. Accumulating a six-month stash could take nearly five years. Either way, it's too long to put off other important goals, such as saving for retirement and paying off high-interest-rate debt.
A better course: Shoot for a starter emergency fund of $500, which would cover small car repairs or an insurance deductible. Once you're on track with retirement and debt repayment, you can focus on building up your savings.
Meanwhile, identify other sources of emergency money: items you can sell, nonretirement investments you can tap or low-cost ways to borrow, such as a home equity line of credit.
MYTH: GETTING MARRIED MEANS HIGHER TAXES
Many couples don't pay a marriage penalty — and some get a marriage bonus, meaning their tax burden is lower because they married. That's particularly true for couples with disparate incomes; together they pay less in tax than they would as singles.
Congress tried to eliminate marriage penalties for most taxpayers by expanding the 10 percent and 15 percent federal income tax brackets, which are twice as wide for married couples as for singles. In addition, the standard deduction for married couples is twice that for singles.
The couples most likely to pay a marriage penalty are those at the top and bottom of the income scale. The higher tax brackets aren't twice as wide for married couples as for singles. At the lower-income end, couples that combine their incomes through marriage could lose some or all of the valuable Earned Income Tax Credit.
Even if you do pay a tax penalty, the cost is likely outweighed by the many other financial and legal benefits marriage provides.
MYTH: ROTH IRAS ARE A GREAT WAY TO SAVE FOR RETIREMENT
Withdrawals from a Roth IRA are tax-free in retirement, and there are no required minimum distributions, which means you can pass unused money to your heirs, free of income tax. That makes Roths a pretty good deal for wealthier taxpayers and those who expect to be in a higher tax bracket when they withdraw the money than when they contributed it.
Many people, though, will be in a lower tax bracket when they retire. They'd be better off taking a tax break now by making deductible contributions to 401(k)s and regular IRAs.
Of course, no one knows what future tax rates may be. If you want to hedge your bets, you can stash some money in a Roth IRA or Roth 401(k) in addition to making contributions to tax-deductible plans.
MYTH: YOU SHOULD ROLL YOUR 401(K) INTO AN IRA
You definitely shouldn't cash out a 401(k) when you leave a job, but rolling your account into an IRA may not be the best option, either. You may be better off leaving your money in the old plan if it's a good one, or transferring it to a new employer's plan if that's an option.
Financial services firms encourage rollovers because that means you'll be investing in their retail investment options, which cost more than the institutional funds found in many 401(k)s.
Your 401(k) account has other advantages:
—You can withdraw money penalty-free if you leave the company at or after age 55, while IRAs typically make you wait until 59 1/2.
—If you continue to work, you can put off withdrawals from your current employer's 401(k), while IRA withdrawals must start after age 70 1/2.
—You can't borrow money from an IRA for more than 60 days without the withdrawal being taxed and penalized, but most 401(k)s offer loans that can last five years — and sometimes longer for a home purchase.
—Workplace plans also are better protected against creditor claims than IRAs if you're sued or go bankrupt.
If any of these issues might affect you, consider leaving your money in a 401(k).
MYTH: SCHOLARSHIPS WILL HELP REDUCE COLLEGE COSTS
Scholarships can reduce the amount of financial aid students get, leaving families no better off.
That's because federal financial aid rules require colleges to ratchet back need-based aid when students win money from "outside" sources such as corporations, nonprofits and fraternal organizations.
Colleges have some leeway in how they implement these rules. The most generous may reduce the amount students are expected to contribute from their own earnings or lower the amount they'll have to borrow. Other schools that don't fully meet a student's financial need will allow scholarship money to fill the gap. Most, however, reduce grant aid dollar for dollar.
Affluent families who don't qualify for financial aid tend to be the ones who benefit most from scholarships. If you have financial need, though, you'd be smart to ask about a college's "scholarship displacement" policy before you spend too much time applying for supposedly free money.
Associated Press | http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-nerdwallet-personal-finance-5-money-myths-you-probably-believe-20160830-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/27582c85dcf6d3be0fbd3e4d57f26c023e4bed1b35a75321f98db3aea139ed8c.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Chris Kuc"
] | 2016-08-30T06:48:43 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fbaseball%2Fcubs%2Fct-gameday-cubs-pirates-spt-0830-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5180c/turbine/ct-gameday-cubs-pirates-spt-0830-20160829 | en | null | Monday's recap: Cubs 8, Pirates 7 (13 innings) | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Call it the Power of the Onesies.
Playing well into the night after arriving back in Chicago in the wee hours of Monday morning, the Cubs twice rallied to defeat the Pirates 8-7 in 13 innings at Wrigley Field.
"Of course you want to win that game," manager Joe Maddon said of the contest that ran 5 hours and 3 minutes and finished after midnight. "Understand the effort that you saw (Monday) was based on a lot of fatigue. That's probably what I'm most proud of."
The Cubs wore onsies on the flight home from Los Angeles following their road trip and Maddon jokingly said that made a difference.
"Look at how they all played," Maddon said. "It must have been the onsies. If you're flying on a charter airplane and you have onesies on you have to feel better the next day."
After Jorge Soler tied the game with a home run in the bottom of the ninth, Miguel Montero knocked in the winning run in the 13th as the Cubs capped off their second rally of the night to snap a two-game losing skid. The Pirates had grabbed a 7-6 lead in the top of the 13th but the Cubs got RBIs from Anthony Rizzo and Montero to steal the victory.
"We never give up," Soler said through an interpreter. "Even to the last out we're always trying to battle on and continue for the victory."
Jake Arrieta came up short in his bid for his 17th victory of the season and settled for a no-decision after yielding six runs in 6 1/3 innings. Rob Zastryzny earned the win.
"The onesies are fun, yeah," Arrieta said. "I was sweating more than I would have liked on the plane but it was nice. It's something that we've done perdiodically, have those theme trips, and everybody enjoys it."
At the plate
Soler went 3-for-5 with his 10th homer of the season, Javier Baez was 4-for-6 and Willson Contreras launched his ninth home run.
Gregory Polanco and Josh Bell homered for the Pirates.
On the mound
Arrieta allowed five hits while walking three and striking out three during his stint on the hill.
Pirates starter Steven Brault went four innings, giving up three runs—two earned—on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Jeff Locke suffered the loss for the Pirates.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon on Monday's win Cubs manager Joe Maddon breaks down Monday's 13-inning victory. (Chris Kuc/Chicago Tribune) Cubs manager Joe Maddon breaks down Monday's 13-inning victory. (Chris Kuc/Chicago Tribune) See more videos
In the field
Baez continued to flash outstanding glove work for the Cubs as the shortstop made an acrobatic tag on a Contreras throw to nail would-be base-stealer Polanco in the eighth inning.
Big number
8: Consecutive foul balls hit by Arrieta during a fourth-inning, 14-pitch at bat against Brault. Arrieta eventually struck out.
The quote
“Baseball is a really humbling game so if you do start getting ahead of yourself it will cut you down pretty quick.” – Cubs President Theo Epstein on the team’s big lead in the National League Central
Up next
Vs. Pirates, Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.; WGN-Ch. 9.
RH Kyle Hendricks (12-7, 2.19 ERA) vs. RH Chad Kuhl (3-1, 3.50). | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-gameday-cubs-pirates-spt-0830-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/1c0a01f933dca0594ef051e018d9c0587faf277d741af0a0c0fde84fed0eafa0.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Lee V. Gaines"
] | 2016-08-26T13:24:31 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fevanston%2Fnews%2Fct-evr-evanston-drug-sentence-tl-0901-20160825-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf7a5a/turbine/ct-evr-evanston-drug-sentence-tl-0901-20160825 | en | null | Evanston man sentenced to 8 years in prison for large-scale marijuana distribution | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | A 32-year-old Evanston man was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for distributing large amounts of marijuana and concealing the proceeds from drug sales in luxury car purchases and property rentals.
Jonathan Tankson pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to deliver and conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Illinois. He was sentenced to 96 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly in federal court in Chicago Thursday.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Tankson coordinated large-scale shipments of marijuana from growers in California between 2010 and 2013. At least twice monthly during the three-year period, Tankson carried between $400,000 to $500,000 in cash on flights to California, purchased between 100 and 200 pounds of marijuana at a time and shipped it on vans and trucks to "stash houses" in Chicago, including one in Lincoln Park and a penthouse in River West, according to the release. Tankson is responsible for distributing over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, the release states.
After Tankson was arrested in December 2013, authorities found over $1 million in cash, 75 kilograms of marijuana stuffed in several plastic bags, five suitcases containing the drug, two 9mm pistol magazines and 20 rounds of 9mm ammunition in the Lincoln Park house, the release states.
Tankson concealed the profits of his drug trafficking operation in straw buyer purchases of multiple luxury vehicles. In his plea agreement, Tankson admitted to orchestrating the purchase of a $140,000 Porsche Cayenne SUV, a $108,000 Mercedes-Benz sedan, an $80,000 Audi sedan and several other pricey cars as a means to hide the source of his money.
Two Chicago residents were convicted in connection with the money laundering investigation. They are scheduled to be sentenced by Kennelly in September.
An attorney for Tankson, Beau Brindley, said he was pleased with the sentence his client received. He said prosecutors in the case requested a far lengthier prison term, between 15 and 30 years.
"The judge very thoughtfully acknowledged that, at this point in time in this country, the sale of marijuana simply isn't as serious as the sale of other drugs," Brindley said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik K. Rama, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the government, wrote in a sentencing memorandum that Tankson's crimes "cannot be overstated."
"For several years, (Tankson) plagued the community by directly purchasing wholesale quantities of marijuana from growers in California, in order to sell the drug on the streets for profit," Raman wrote.
A public information officer for the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to provide any additional comment on the case.
Lee Gaines is a freelancer. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/evanston/news/ct-evr-evanston-drug-sentence-tl-0901-20160825-story.html | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/d842aae6f2713a71152d3b1aafd68c121d97d430ec4570efe881391462db1bf4.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Todd Shields"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:18 | null | 2016-08-18T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Flake-zurich%2Fnews%2Fct-bcr-harper-college-renovation-tl-0825-20160818-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57b65d85/turbine/ct-bcr-harper-college-renovation-tl-0825-20160818 | en | null | Harper College reveals $44.8 million building renovation | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Dee Beaubien stood in the sunlit rotunda room, a part of a $44.8 million building renovation at Harper College, to highlight how the project will benefit students during a dedication Thursday in Palatine.
Used as a common area for students, the two-story, round and gleaming structure is named after Beaubien, a recognition of her $100,000 gift to fund the new rotunda at the community college.
Educators also described how an upgraded Building D at Harper College would meet students' needs and offer them a welcoming learning environment.
Beaubien said her late husband, Mark Beaubien, a Republican state representative from Barrington Hills for the northwest suburban 52nd District before he died in 2011, was always interested in helping immigrants. Under the renovation, one of the departments Building D now houses is the English as a Second Language (ESL) program and linguistics, she noted.
"The ESL is here, so helping to build this rotunda fits," she said. "We always supported places where students can meet and discuss things."
The multi-million dollar renovation started 18 months ago. School officials formally open it to students when they return to class Monday.
More than 100 people attended the dedication Thursday and toured the renovated space. Harper President Kenneth Ender described how Building D before the renovation was an aging space with poor lighting and not inviting to students
"Some people think buildings don't matter," he said. "The thing so unique about this building is that you can see sunlight everywhere."
Building D was first designed and built in the late 1960s, according to the college.
In addition to the ESL program, the facility will contain a lab for the American Sign Language and Interpreter Training program, mathematics and adult education departments.
Kathy Bruce, dean of mathematics and science division at Harper College, said two rooms were made into "hybrid math classrooms," equipped with computer stations, as well as traditional tables and chairs, where teachers can "flip" the room.
"Students in flipped classes will be expected to watch short-recorded lectures or video clips, which explain the basics outside of class," she said. "Class time can then be devoted to software-based or pen-and-paper practice problems."
Math students also will have access to instructors in the hybrid classrooms. A developmental math center also was included in the renovation, serving students who place below college-level math, Bruce said.
Harper College President Kenneth Ender Rich Malec / Handout Harper College President Kenneth Ender addresses the audience who came to see the college's $44.8 million building renovation Thursday. Harper College President Kenneth Ender addresses the audience who came to see the college's $44.8 million building renovation Thursday. (Rich Malec / Handout)
Elia Gonzalez, a Wheeling resident and an ESL student at the college, said the renovation would help with her studies.
"This new building encourages me to continue my education," she said.
With construction complete, Building D now has 29 classrooms, two lecture halls, 300 student computers, a 40-seat language lab and 13 meeting rooms, according to the college.
Gregory Dowell, chairman of the Harper College Board, said taxpayers within Harper's boundaries approved the funding for the $44.8 million renovation back in 2008.
Like other college officials, Dowell said the rotunda and its common area was the special feature of the project.
"This space is a gathering spot for students wanting some quiet time, studying together on a project or preparing for classes," he said.
tshields@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter @tshields19 | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-zurich/news/ct-bcr-harper-college-renovation-tl-0825-20160818-story.html | en | 2016-08-18T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/2fabe8aec088d5a88be4fc41c8a961465ecfd29e625dc60f89b9548df9bbb611.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz"
] | 2016-08-30T12:48:55 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fbusiness%2Fct-payscale-ego-survey-0830-biz-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c50c8e/turbine/ct-payscale-ego-survey-0830-biz-20160829 | en | null | Which workers are most full of themselves? | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Who knew private cooks have such big heads? Or that doctors are so humble?
In a new survey from PayScale.com, the online salary information company ranked occupations by ego size. It asked 383,000 people how strongly they agree with the statement, "I am the top performer at my company for jobs similar to mine," with the highest scores suspected to reflect "either a high level of professional confidence, an inflated sense of self, or both."
It turns out many of us think quite highly of ourselves. Forty-three percent of people strongly agreed that they are their company's top performer, with little difference between men and women.
Private household cooks topped the ranking, with 74 percent saying they were the very best, edging out chief executives, who came in at No. 2 despite earning a median salary that was two times as much. Farm and ranch managers, art directors and airfield operations specialists were the motley crew that rounded out the top five.
With chefs and head cooks coming in at No. 8, and bartenders at No. 9, the food and drink industry seems to be a prominent breeding ground for healthy egos.
To be sure, company size may skew responses because the question asks people to compare themselves to co-workers. Private cooks, after all, may be their company's sole employee.
But it was striking to see some job titles at the bottom of the confidence scale.
Just 26 percent of internists strongly agreed that they are the best, tied with cable repairmen and firefighters to rank 475 out of 483 (graduate teaching assistants ranked last). Pediatricians, psychiatrists and anesthesiologists were other highly paid medical professions that ranked well below average for ego.
That could be because there are so many high performers in the field that many doctors don't deign to think they are the best, or that the subject matter is so complex that humility is warranted. But if driven by self-doubt, low ego isn't exactly a comforting quality.
"You would hope that all of your doctors are exceedingly confident," said Sean Leslie, senior content strategist at PayScale.
People with medical degrees had the lowest ego scores despite having the highest median salaries. The biggest egos were found among people with masters in business administration as well as — more surprisingly — people with only GEDs or high school diplomas.
However, despite several notable outliers, overall larger egos are correlated with higher salaries. That could be because confident people negotiate pay better, or because people tend to feel more secure in their abilities later in their careers when they are making more money, Leslie said.
If there is a takeaway from the report, it is that "being confident pays off," Leslie said. "Fake it till you make it."
aelejalderuiz@chicagotribune.com | http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-payscale-ego-survey-0830-biz-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/07b1bad854f3b5586d72d3f2585166facad473f95fd06239d67ebdb69fb52d02.json |
[
"Associated Press",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-29T16:48:44 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Ffootball%2Fct-trevor-siemian-broncos-starting-qb-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c45d8b/turbine/ct-trevor-siemian-broncos-starting-qb-20160829 | en | null | Broncos name their starting quarterback: Northwestern's Trevor Siemian | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Trevor Siemian is Peyton Manning's successor.
Coach Gary Kubiak told the team Monday that the former Northwestern product will be the starting quarterback when the Denver Broncos face Carolina in the season opener Sept. 8.
Kubiak informed Siemian, Mark Sanchez and Paxton Lynch of his decision before telling their teammates.
Siemian has just one NFL snap on his resume, a kneel-down when he was the No. 3 QB last year behind Manning and Brock Osweiler.
Manning retired and Osweiler left for Houston after the Super Bowl.
General manager John Elway acquired Sanchez from the Eagles and drafted Lynch. The Broncos will save $3.5 million and a conditional seventh-round draft pick if they cut Sanchez, as expected. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/ct-trevor-siemian-broncos-starting-qb-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/95f9e5d9db0ce9991b3a4daa865293a2e88e951497a7212d9f853982ca85f0f7.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Vikki Ortiz Healy"
] | 2016-08-26T13:20:32 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fcolumnists%2Fct-healy-column-teaching-kids-death-hf-0831-20160825-column.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bfce56/turbine/ct-healy-column-teaching-kids-death-hf-0831-20160825 | en | null | When teaching kids about death, be honest | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | It started off as one of the more grim moments in the final days of my dad's long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. A hospice chaplain and a funeral home director sat with me and my mom at her kitchen table. Knowing Dad's death was imminent, we were choosing prayer memorial cards and planning a memorial service when my 5-year-old daughter took a break from playing with the dog to offer some much-needed levity.
"What are you guys talking about?" Gracie asked, climbing into my lap and surveying the catalogs of coffins, urns and other funeral needs.
"We're talking about how sick Grandpa is," I said, distracted.
"You're talking about him dying," Gracie corrected, catching everyone's attention before adding innocently, "Is Grandpa going to get buried or burned up?"
The whole table couldn't help but smile through tears at her youthful candor.
A few weeks earlier, I had explained to her the difference between being buried and cremated when she noticed a cemetery outside the car window. At the time, she was startled by the idea that people were underground, so I told her that some people choose to get turned into ashes that can be spread in places they loved.
I realized that to Gracie, my cemetery explanation was a piece of a puzzle about life that she was slowly putting together in her own way.
She made us laugh again when she followed up with her next question:
"When you burn up my grandpa, can I have his arm?"
In most other cases, my instinct is to shelter and protect my daughters from the harsh realities of the real world. I cheer on her first wiggly tooth and perpetuate her excitement about the first visit from the Tooth Fairy. I lie in bed with her at night and tell long stories about imaginary parties she throws with all her favorite fictional characters. I go out of my way to never complain about my weight or physical appearance in front of them, because I dread the day they'll realize that women make a pastime out of being hard on themselves.
Yet for some reason, as my dad's illness and, ultimately, his death, were upon us, I felt the need to do the opposite: to be real about how life — and death — work.
Thankfully, I've found that child psychology and hospice experts agree with this approach.
While decades ago parents may have been inclined to keep secrets from children and steer away from discussions of death and dying, the hospice counselors we worked with set aside time to read Gracie a children's book that helped her talk about losing a loved one. In the weeks leading up to his death, they invited her to ask any questions she might have about what was happening. They counseled me, too, on how to best answer her questions in an age-appropriate way.
"Allowing children to be a part of the grieving process with the community is actually helpful and healing for kids," said Sally Miller, chaplain at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove. "Naming the loss that they're probably already aware of, and being there in that open space to comfort it is how they're going to be able to move through their grief in a safe way."
Miller said she and her colleagues who counsel patients both in and out of Good Samaritan Hospital encourage families to be direct with children by using the words "death" and "die" instead of "expire," "pass away" or other euphemisms that could confuse vivid imaginations. They encourage parents to follow children's lead in offering explanations, being mindful not to have an air of secrecy, but also not to give children details that may be too frightening or too abstract for them to comprehend.
The advantage, Miller said, is that children who are properly guided and supported as they learn about heavy issues will be exposed to age-appropriate exploration of emotions, coping skills and other emotional intelligences that will serve them for years to come.
I agree with this theory. But still I was surprised when, minutes after my dad died, the hospice chaplain asked if I was going to let Gracie come to see her grandpa one last time to say goodbye. The chaplain reasoned that after spending years visiting her sick grandpa weekly, it could be jarring for her to return to the house and see no trace of him. Knowing our family was also not planning a traditional wake and funeral, she argued that it would be quite a leap to ask a 5-year-old to process her grandpa disappearing and landing in heaven.
Though I wasn't completely sure it was the right choice, we let the girls come join us at my parents' house a half hour later. They ran in the door excitedly, greeting the rest of the family with hugs and kisses and surveying the surroundings.
I asked the chaplain if I should say something directly to Gracie, but she reminded me to let the child lead. "Just let her get to it," the chaplain said. "She will."
And sure enough, minutes later Gracie asked to see Grandpa.
With tears in our eyes, we watched her walk confidently into her grandpa's room, where she climbed up the railing of his hospital bed and kissed his forehead.
"Bye, Grandpa," she said. "You're going to go to heaven. And angels are going to guide you."
vortiz@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @vikkiortiz | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-healy-column-teaching-kids-death-hf-0831-20160825-column.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/4ee86a8b01d2209a013da8df7ded7b0197d4807ffea1ec48f748302fafc96538.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Alicia Fabbre"
] | 2016-08-26T13:24:18 | null | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fbolingbrook-plainfield%2Fnews%2Fct-bingo-parlor-robbery-0826-20160825-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bf2644/turbine/ct-bingo-parlor-robbery-0826-20160825 | en | null | Plainfield man charged with armed robbery of Bolingbrook bingo hall | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | A Plainfield man remains in custody with bail set at $1 million after being charged in the armed robbery of a bingo hall in Bolingbrook, officials said.
Patrick Daly, 24, of the 16500 block of Spangler Road, was arrested Saturday after a patron at the bingo hall tackled him as he attempted to flee, according to police.
Daly, who allegedly wielded a knife during the robbery, is charged with robbery, aggravated robbery, armed robbery and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, according to court records.
He was on parole for drug-related charges, Bolingbrook police Lt. Carter Larry said.
According to Larry, Daly had painted his face black and was wearing a black stocking cap and winter ski gloves when he entered the bingo hall in North Commons Shopping Center on South Bolingbrook Drive.
Larry said Daly had taken about $4,000 from the cashier and was running out when a patron tackled him. Daly was held down by several patrons until police arrived, Larry said.
Daly is scheduled to appear before a Will County judge Sept. 7.
Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/bolingbrook-plainfield/news/ct-bingo-parlor-robbery-0826-20160825-story.html | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/431a0502a47abdf3034c06c68650cee038127b5f6cedd7e1662bbb261baf2ba1.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Mark Gonzales"
] | 2016-08-27T18:48:01 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fbaseball%2Fcubs%2Fct-gameday-cubs-dodgers-spt-0828-20160827-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c1ca6c/turbine/ct-gameday-cubs-dodgers-spt-0828-20160827 | en | null | Ben Zobrist in right field as Cubs aim for 5th consecutive win | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Ben Zobrist will start in right field Saturday as the Cubs try to extend their winning streak to five games against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Zobrist will start in place of Jason Heyward, who collected a double and scored the tying run in the 10th inning of the Cubs' 6-4 win Friday against the Dodgers.
Jorge Soler will start in left field, with Willson Contreras will start at catcher.
Here's the Cubs' lineup:
Fowler cf
Bryant 3b
Rizzo 1b
Zobrist rf
Russell ss
Soler lf
Contreras c
Baez 2b
Hammel p | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-gameday-cubs-dodgers-spt-0828-20160827-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/8a641fa1f7e428c81a67881389c78848d991dda2b598263c52d2b1accd0ccffa.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune"
] | 2016-08-31T08:48:55 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fbaseball%2Fcubs%2Fct-cubs-joe-maddon-postgame-video-spt-20160830-premiumvideo.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c65cc8/turbine/ct-cubs-joe-maddon-postgame-video-spt-20160830 | en | null | Cubs manager Joe Maddon on Kyle Hendricks' victory | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Cubs manager Joe Maddon on Kyle Hendricks' victory
Cubs manager Joe Maddon breaks down pitcher Kyle Hendricks' win over the Pirates. (Mark Gonzales/Chicago Tribune) | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-joe-maddon-postgame-video-spt-20160830-premiumvideo.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/bb7a5d6485daf17b81775b576d6f7b5a4022cb16479275672e83b5e18ab5e726.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Rich Campbell"
] | 2016-08-28T02:48:20 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Ffootball%2Fbears%2Fct-bears-defense-shows-signs-spt-0828-20160827-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c2323f/turbine/ct-bears-defense-shows-signs-spt-0828-20160827 | en | null | Bears defense remains optimistic as it shoulders offense's burden | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Jerrell Freeman was one of the last Bears players to leave the locker room at the end of a long Saturday afternoon. Contemplation was necessary for the inside linebacker to draw conclusions from the defense's mixed contribution to an ugly 23-7 exhibition loss to the Chiefs at Soldier Field.
A couple of positives, such as red-zone defense, bred optimism. Other areas, such as third-down execution, comprise the defense's to-do list before the season-opener in Houston on Sept. 11.
In the final analysis, one thing seemed certain: given the first-string offense's latest discouraging performance, the defense is going to have to carry this team forward until further notice.
"We played some all right situational football," Freeman said. "We have to be a little bit tighter. That's what we have preseason for, to work all those kinks out. We still have a lot of new guys and some rookies mixed in. I think we're on our way."
The defense is advancing faster than the offense, at least. And in analyzing the starting defense Saturday, it's impossible to extricate its production from the offense's ineptitude.
The Bears' first-string defense — most of it, at least — was on the field for 45 plays and almost 22 minutes in the first half. That's exactly what coach John Fox wants to avoid by applying the brand of complementary football the offense played last season.
But with the offense misfiring Saturday at most positions, the defense was subjected to a variety of situations.
Third downs stood out among the negatives. The Chiefs' first-string offense converted 6 of 10, including a third-and-14.
And with Freeman among four starters on the field to start the second half, the Chiefs' second string converted third-and-20 and third-and-8 on a touchdown drive.
"Third-and-long, it shouldn't be that easy," Freeman said.
Players lamented soft coverage and how they allowed quarterback Alex Smith to escape the pocket. Smith scrambled for 17 yards on the third-and-14, extending a first-quarter field-goal drive.
"I think we did well as a group," outside linebacker Lamarr Houston said. "We just need to work on execution and rush lanes a little bit better."
They left plays unmade, too. On a second-quarter screen to fullback Anthony Sherman, Houston missed the tackle in space.
"It's my play to make," he said. "That's all there is."
Then, after nose tackle Eddie Goldman chased down Sherman and hacked the ball loose, cornerback Demontre Hurst failed to secure it.
"I thought I could slide my hip in where (the ball) slid in front of me," Hurst said. "Once I realized it was behind me, I just got slammed on. You have to come up with those balls. I have to have better awareness. We could have taken them out of scoring position."
Instead, the Chiefs punched in a 1-yard touchdown three plays later.
The Bears' pass rush surfaced in brief spurts, but Smith routinely either got rid of the ball quickly or had enough time to survey the field.
Defensive end Akiem Hicks did register the starting defense's first sack of the preseason. Good coverage behind him forced Smith to hold the ball.
"It was great that coverage and pressure got together and made a good play," Hicks said. "We've been waiting for that for a while now."
Houston and Hicks sensed that the first string's extended playing time enabled the pass rushers to attack and adjust as the game progressed.
Players also clung to two red-zone stops in the first half. The Chiefs stalled on the 2-yard line and the 9 on separate drives.
"We worked all this offseason on being one of the best, bend but don't break," said linebacker Danny Trevathan, who played one series. "I feel like we held our own then."
One other potential pitfall seemed non-threatening after the game. Cornerback Tracy Porter left with a concussion after absorbing safety Harold Jones-Quartey's knee to his head. Teammates reported Porter was upbeat and seemed well after the game.
Porter is indispensable because of his ability in man-to-man coverage, his experience and the lack of proven talent around him in the secondary. He will be subjected to the return-to-play protocol this week.
It all amounted to an uneven day, one the offense's woes overshadowed. Now the final lead-up to the regular season begins with defensive players sensing they're capable of making the necessary improvements.
"I like the way we're going," Trevathan said. "We could be a little tighter and fine tune things game-planning-wise, but we haven't done that yet. I'm excited to see how well we'll play with game planning, flying around and having fun."
rcampbell@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @Rich_Campbell | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-bears-defense-shows-signs-spt-0828-20160827-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/01b01a54df895fb9d3a242f0f416e3d2a594bca6ed1dd2c57dc8d951b7e97b33.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Kathy Routliffe",
"Lee V. Gaines"
] | 2016-08-30T20:49:04 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Fwinnetka%2Fcrime%2Fct-wml-auto-theft-crime-pattern-tl-0901-20160830-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5dc9e/turbine/ct-wml-auto-theft-crime-pattern-tl-0901-20160830 | en | null | Auto thefts, carjackings on the rise throughout North Shore | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Police across the North Shore are pleading with residents to lock their cars and be careful getting in and out of them, saying that an existing pattern in which cars are stolen and often used to commit other crimes has escalated into carjackings and armed street robberies.
"The pattern we're experiencing now is the same we experienced all of last year, but it's grown in size, and it encompasses a lot of communities," Wilmette Police Chief Brian King said.
The most recent of the violent incidents were two car hijackings in south Evanston, which took place hours apart on Aug. 25 and 26, according to Evanston police. In each case, suspects forced a woman to give up her car at gunpoint. Police later saw both cars following each other and gave chase. One car crashed and the occupant fled, leaving behind a loaded revolver recovered by police. Officers discovered the second car abandoned on the far north side of Chicago.
Earlier this month, King warned that previously-identified burglary crews "have morphed into committing street robberies and carjackings … Offenders in our auto thefts and auto burglaries are suspects in violent crimes, including armed robberies, street robberies and carjackings."
A Wilmette resident pulling into her driveway on the night of Aug. 15 was accosted by two men, who reportedly pointed a gun at her and threatened to shoot if she didn't hand over her purse and the keys to her vehicle. The men ran when their intended victim screamed for help, King said.
Earlier that night, a suspect whose description matched that of one of the Wilmette offenders robbed a man at gunpoint in Skokie and took his mobile phone, according to Skokie Officer Eric Swaback.
King said his department tracked 121 burglaries to unlocked vehicles in 2015, and 54 so far this year, many of them in neighborhoods near the Linden L station and others in neighborhoods off the Edens Expressway. Those could have been prevented had vehicle owners simply locked their cars and not left their keys or key fobs in the vehicle, he said.
King said his department recorded 17 stolen cars between the beginning of this year and Aug. 21. He said all of the cars were recovered, and 14 of the cases have been cleared with the arrests of 11 people.
"Many of the offenders are juveniles, some are young adults, and all have prior contacts with the criminal justice system," he said.
Winnetka Police Chief Patrick Kreis said Aug. 29 that his officers spread out across Winnetka the previous week to restaurants, coffee shops and the Metra train station, handing out reminders to residents to lock their cars and homes.
"Right now, we've got some pretty dangerous offenders that are regularly coming back to our community because of this temptation of finding an unlocked car. We can't arrest our way out of this problem," Kreis said. "So if residents do those four things – lock their car, take their valuables in, lock their garage, and lock their homes, they can virtually stop this."
King and Kreis said Aug. 30 that suburban departments are cooperating with each other and with Chicago in an effort to handle the rash of auto-related crimes.
King also said many of those arrested have prior criminal arrests, and some have known or suspected gang affiliations.
"I would be reluctant to name specific groups, as (the incidents) do not appear to be an organized activity," he said.
Glenview and Northfield police issued similar warnings to village residents earlier this month, warning that incidents of auto burglary and theft had taken place in Glenview and Northfield in recent weeks, adding to those logged in Northbrook, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Skokie, Wilmette and Evanston.
Evanston Police Chief Richard Eddington last week estimated between 75 and 100 cars have been stolen in several months in an area stretching from Evanston and Bolingbrook to Winnetka. Evanston recorded 27 vehicle thefts between April and August of this year, but only one involved a vehicle that was forced open, Evanston Police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan said.
Dugan and Eddington said the vast majority of car thefts in the city stem from young men, usually from Chicago, getting into unlocked vehicles and finding the keys inside. Dugan said Aug. 30 that investigators made those judgments based on interviews with arrestees, and with suspects who weren't charged, as well as with the location of cars they recovered.
Communities farther to the north are seeing similar patterns. Glencoe's public safety department warned village residents on Aug. 18 that the department has seen an increasing number of auto thefts and burglaries during overnight hours in recent weeks.
Public Safety Deputy Chief Richard Bookie told Glencoe village board members Aug. 18 that eight of the 11 automobiles stolen since 2014 involved residents leaving keys in the car.
"This is a demonstrable example of what is going on and why we are sometimes concerned that maybe our community feels too comfortable," he said.
Eddington agreed, saying "It's a misguided level of comfort we need to change."
He and Kreis also pointed out another danger stemming from the rash of automobile thefts: thieves who are often young, unlicensed, and unskilled drivers, getting behind the wheel and driving at unsafe speeds.
"My point of view is we need to prevent young men getting into powerful automobiles and stealing them easily," Eddington said.
"It's exhilarating for them to drive an expensive luxury car very fast. That's dangerous to everyone involved," Kreis said.
Pioneer Press reporters Alex Kukulka and Bob Seidenberg and freelance reporter Dan Dorfman contributed to this story.
kroutliffe@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @pioneer_kathy | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/winnetka/crime/ct-wml-auto-theft-crime-pattern-tl-0901-20160830-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/e69487aaae6b0cae7a0cbc14dec2175d4d62247e60fcd543611936403b15f72f.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Phil Rockrohr"
] | 2016-08-26T13:19:01 | null | 2016-08-15T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Flake-zurich%2Fnews%2Fct-lzc-insurance-leave-tl-0818-20160815-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56f02a81/turbine/chi-default-open-graph-ct-logo/1200/1200x650 | en | null | Lake Zurich joins insurance pool to offset costs from 'unpredictable claims' | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Hoping to share risk with other members and save on premiums, Lake Zurich officials will join a 102-municipality medical insurance pool.
The Lake Zurich Village Board voted unanimously earlier this month to end the village's own self-contained, self-insurance program and join the Intergovernmental Personnel Benefit Cooperative, effective Jan. 1, 2017.
The IPBC, which spreads the costs of self-insurance among its members, will stabilize premiums and reduce the risk of unexpected large claims, Human Resources Manager Doug Gibson said in a report to the board.
"Entering into an intergovernmental agreement with the IPBC will allow the village to remain self-insured while sharing the risk of health claims among a large pool of like-minded municipalities and nonprofit organizations, thus reducing the problematic monetary spikes in unpredictable claims," Gibson said.
The IPBC was established in 1976 to offer more financial stability than the commercial insurance market, he said. Members can create and change their own plans, Gibson said.
The cooperative insures about 30,000 people and maintains reserves of more than $97 million, he said. Lake Zurich will become a member of the IPBC sub-pool called the Northern Illinois Health Insurance Initiative, Gibson said.
In June 2014, Lake Zurich switched its employee health insurance program from full insurance under United Healthcare to its own self-insurance program to try and control costs while providing benefits that were competitive with other programs, he said.
"While this cost containment strategy was successful, further long-term cost containment strategies are required," Gibson said.
Over the last year, village staff researched various options, including meeting with brokers and health insurance providers, he said. After studying various options, staff recommended the village continue some form of self-insurance to maintain benefit levels, Gibson said.
"Being self-insured allows the village to avoid the profit margins paid to (health insurance companies) but does not open the village up to exposure for unexpected claims," he said.
The IBPC is able to get lower rates by purchasing services in bulk, Gibson said. In the past five years, its premiums have risen only 2.3 percent for Preferred Provider Organization coverage and 3.3 percent for HMO coverage, Gibson said.
"Costs that occur above the provided rates would be shared by all in the sub-group, reducing the village's total liability," he said.
Gibson did not return calls for additional comment.
Village President Tom Poynton said the move will provide Lake Zurich with some financial stability.
"IPBC has over 100 municipalities with over 30,000 insured that offer the village significant economies of scale, shared risk and premium stability that we do not have with our current standalone program," Poynton said.
Phil Rockrohr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/lake-zurich/news/ct-lzc-insurance-leave-tl-0818-20160815-story.html | en | 2016-08-15T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/8de0c23de830fd86671b2471a2b086d318490a14dc953a2bf8f9adb2417cce34.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Peter Nickeas"
] | 2016-08-29T00:48:27 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fbreaking%2Fct-boy-dies-8-months-after-englewood-shooting-20160828-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c36577/turbine/ct-boy-dies-8-months-after-englewood-shooting-20160828 | en | null | Boy dies 8 months after Englewood shooting | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | A 16-year-old boy died Friday night more than eight months after he was wounded in an Englewood neighborhood shooting, according to authorities.
Corey Strother Jr., of the 5900 block of South Princeton Avenue, was shot on the same block where he lived on Dec. 22, according to police. He was 15 at the time he was shot.
He was hit in the back and right side of his neck and taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said.
Strother was 16 when he died at Lurie Children's Hospital about 11:15 p.m. Friday. An autopsy is scheduled. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-boy-dies-8-months-after-englewood-shooting-20160828-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/9ced69e731b197feebd04479966c7a9e731951a5e72c959d6338cc7af9c96ac8.json |
[
"Associated Press",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-28T14:48:22 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fct-pakistan-cricket-attack-20160828-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-56f02a81/turbine/chi-default-open-graph-ct-logo/1200/1200x650 | en | null | Pakistan says 4 militants behind 2009 cricket attack killed | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Pakistani officials said Sunday that four Islamic extremists allegedly involved in a 2009 attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team were killed in a shootout with police.
The attack on the cricket team killed six police and two bystanders, and wounded six cricket players. The Pakistani Taliban and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an affiliated extremist group, claimed the attack, which was carried out by 10 gunmen.
The shootout erupted late Saturday on the edge of Lahore when other gunmen tried to break the militants out of police custody, a counterterrorism official said. Another senior official confirmed the account. Both spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing retribution.
Pakistan has stepped up its fight against extremist groups over the past two years, including with a military offensive in North Waziristan, a tribal region near the Afghan border and longtime stronghold of al-Qaida and other militants.
On Sunday, security forces raided a religious seminary on the outskirts of the southwestern city of Quetta, where a suicide bomber killed more than 70 people earlier this month, and sealed it when they found nearly 100 illegal Afghan immigrants residing there, provincial government spokesman Anwarul Haq said.
Other such raids netted another 228 Afghans, said paramilitary spokesman Khan Wasey. It was unclear if the raids were linked to terrorism suspicions.
Quetta is the capital of the southwestern Baluchistan province, which has long been the scene of a low-level insurgency by separatists groups. Islamic extremist groups also operate in the region. Six alleged recruiters for al-Qaida and the Islamic State group have been arrested in the province in recent days, according to provincial home minister Sarfaz Bugti.
Associated Press | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-pakistan-cricket-attack-20160828-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/1cf6864f4156bf0ed9dc4948808de9e43aefb3bfede967a0d73e3dac11ffc4de.json |
[
"Associated Press",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-31T02:49:15 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fbaseball%2Fct-baseball-tim-tebow-showcase-spt-20160830-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c62fe5/turbine/ct-baseball-tim-tebow-showcase-spt-20160830 | en | null | Determined to chase dream, Tim Tebow shows power in MLB workout | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Tim Tebow crushed a batting-practice fastball with a confident left-handed swing, sending it into the trees next to the scoreboard beyond right field.
The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback only paused an instant to appreciate his shot, and then he went right back to work on the unlikely next chapter in his unique athletic story.
Tebow took his first big swings at a baseball career Tuesday, showing off a powerful bat and other developing skills during a workout in front of dozens of major league scouts and reporters.
The 29-year-old aspiring outfielder went through drills at the University of Southern California's Dedeaux Field for over an hour, confidently chasing a dream deferred for 12 years. Declaring his football career essentially over, Tebow insists he is serious about becoming more than a baseball curiosity.
"The goal would be to have a career in the big leagues," Tebow said. "I just want to be someone to pursue what I believe in, what I'm passionate about. A lot of people will say, 'But what if you fail? What if you don't make it?' Guess what? I don't have to live with regret. I did everything I could. I pushed it. I would rather be someone that could live with peace and no regret than what-if, or being scared."
Tebow's heavily muscled, 255-pound physique and 6.70-ish time in the 60-yard dash were impressive to the scouts. He also showed undeniable hitting ability with a series of line drives and long homers during batting practice.
But Tebow also showed he still needs baseball seasoning when he faced live pitching from former big-leaguers David Aardsma and Chad Smith, who repeatedly fooled him with off-speed pitches. Tebow could only grin in frustration after he fanned on a series of changeups and breaking balls.
"There is 100 percent nerves, no question about it," Tebow said. "When you're at the combine or a pro day, you have your body of work for four years, everything that you did, so it's not just that one day. Here, you might have seen me when I was 17, but you haven't seen me since. A lot goes into it, so you'd better show something. A lot of nerves, a lot of pressure, for sure."
Tebow hasn't played baseball regularly since his junior year at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra, Fla. He left early to enroll at the University of Florida, beginning a fabled college football career that led to the 2007 Heisman and two national titles for the Gators.
But 12 years ago, Tebow was a .494-hitting, all-county outfielder who loved hitting a baseball every bit as much as he loved leading a huddle.
"The second-hardest decision I ever made was giving up baseball to go to the University of Florida and play football," said Tebow, whose choice of Florida over Alabama was the toughest. "There wasn't a season that went by that it wasn't something that I thought about. When I felt like I had this opportunity, I wanted to take it and pursue it with everything I had."
A few big-league teams talked privately with Tebow after the workout, and he seems unlikely to have trouble finding an organization willing to give a chance to a celebrity with clear baseball ability, however rudimentary.
Tebow realizes he is still far from the big leagues, but he hopes to play in the instructional league in Arizona next month before heading into winter league ball, perhaps even in Latin America.
Tebow decided to pursue his baseball aspirations in earnest three months ago. He began training at a baseball school in Arizona run by Chad Moeller. The former big-league catcher saw daily improvements in Tebow, from his bat speed to his mental game.
"If I'm a team, I'm signing him," Moeller said. "I'm taking him to instructional ball. I'd get him to the Arizona Fall League and get him matched up against some good arms and see what happens. I don't think this is one you're going to take your time on, because he's not a young kid. So you're going to push him. For him and for the teams, I thought if he goes out and performs the way he could and is capable of, you could see it in a year, a year and a half, definitely in the big leagues."
Tebow hasn't played in the NFL since 2012, becoming a broadcaster and resisting attempts to move him to another football position as his quarterback career evaporated. Even while he got an extended look last year from the Philadelphia Eagles, who cut him after the preseason, Tebow said his mind already had wandered back to baseball.
"It's not about publicity," Tebow said. "It's definitely not about money. It's a pay cut to do this. Just pursue what you love, right? Regardless of what else happens. Regardless of if you fail, or if you fall on your face. If that's the worst thing that can happen, that's OK. When did that become such a bad thing? When did pursuing what you love become a bad thing, regardless of the result? For me, yeah, I'll make all the sacrifices to be the best I can."
Associated Press | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/ct-baseball-tim-tebow-showcase-spt-20160830-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/66faa543ed5cd35167cfa1445d9498f46314c039073a0536c1ce71b39a94804f.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Mark Gonzales"
] | 2016-08-27T06:48:06 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fbaseball%2Fcubs%2Fct-dodgers-stay-cohesive-despite-injuries-20160826-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c10dcc/turbine/ct-dodgers-stay-cohesive-despite-injuries-20160826 | en | null | Dodgers stay cohesive despite injuries | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed 27 players on the disabled list this season and have five starting pitchers currently on the DL.
That’s a crazy contrast to the Cubs, who have used only eight starting pitchers this season and have only one -- John Lackey -- currently on the DL.
“I just think it’s the player himself,” manager Joe Maddon said Friday, pointing to the medical history of the pitchers.
“Talk about some of these Dodgers guys, they have a history of not being well. That’s just a history lesson more than anything. They don’t do anything differently than we do. It’s just up to the individual player.”
Yet, Maddon was impressed with the manner the Dodgers have remained cohesive with veterans and deep financial resources.
“I’m sure the clubhouse is solid in a good way,” Maddon said. “So when things aren’t going well, I’m sure there are guys there to plug the gaps or plug the holes so that everyone is on the same page.”
Maddon knows the Dodgers’ bullpen has been worked heavily but marveled over their 3.26 ERA and the fact that closer Kenley Jansen has struck out 16 of the past 19 batters he’s faced.
“They’re ridiculous,” Maddon said. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-dodgers-stay-cohesive-despite-injuries-20160826-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/99f3b787178e0df8002f2a34d0ce3e8bf4292048ade0d3e4b35e5891e15b6e44.json |
[
"Associated Press",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-29T00:48:26 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Ffootball%2Fct-colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-20160828-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c374a1/turbine/ct-colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-20160828 | en | null | Colin Kaepernick will sit through national anthem until there's change | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Defiant, and determined to be a conduit for U.S. change, Colin Kaepernick plans to sit through the national anthem for as long as he feels is appropriate and until he sees significant progress in America — specifically when it comes to race relations.
He knows he could be cut by San Francisco for this stand. Criticized, ostracized, and he'll go it all alone if need be.
The quarterback realizes he might be treated poorly in some road cities, and he's ready for that, too, saying he's not overly concerned about his safety, but "if something happens that's only proving my point."
"I'm going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed," Kaepernick said Sunday at his locker. "To me this is something that has to change. When there's significant change and I feel like that flag represents what it's supposed to represent, this country is representing people the way that it's supposed to, I'll stand."
Two days after he refused to stand for the "The Star Spangled Banner" before the 49ers' preseason loss to the Packers, Kaepernick insists whatever the consequences, he will know "I did what's right." He said he hasn't heard from the NFL or anyone else about his actions — and it won't matter if he does.
"No one's tried to quiet me and, to be honest, it's not something I'm going to be quiet about," he said. "I'm going to speak the truth when I'm asked about it. This isn't for look. This isn't for publicity or anything like that. This is for people that don't have the voice. And this is for people that are being oppressed and need to have equal opportunities to be successful. To provide for families and not live in poor circumstances."
Letting his hair go au natural and sprinting between drills as usual, Kaepernick took the field Sunday with the 49ers as his stance drew chatter across NFL camps.
He explained his viewpoints to teammates in the morning, some agreeing with his message but not necessarily his method. Some said they know he has offended his countrymen, others didn't even know what he had done.
"Every guy on this team is entitled to their opinion. We're all grown men," linebacker NaVorro Bowman said.
"I agree with what he did, but not in the way he did it," wideout Torrey Smith said. "That's not for me. He has that right. Soldiers have died for his right to do exactly what he did. ... I know he's taken a lot of heat for it. He understands that when you do something like that it does offend a lot of people."
Both Bowman and Smith are African American.
Kaepernick criticized presidential candidates Donald Trump ("openly racist") and Hillary Clinton;" called out police brutality against minorities; and pushed for accountability of public officials.
"You can become a cop in six months and don't have to have the same amount of training as a cosmetologist," Kaepernick said. "That's insane. Someone that's holding a curling iron has more education and more training than people that have a gun and are going out on the street to protect us."
In college at Nevada, Kaepernick said, police were called one day "because we were the only black people in that neighborhood." Officers entered without knocking and drew guns on him and his teammates and roommates as they were moving their belongings, he said.
He said his stand is not against men and women in the military fighting and losing their lives for Americans' rights and freedoms.
Kaepernick, whose hair had been in cornrows during training camp, sat on the bench during Friday's national anthem at Levi's Stadium. Giants wideout Victor Cruz and Bills coach Rex Ryan said standing for the anthem shows respect.
"There's a lot of things that need to change. One specifically? Police brutality," said Kaepernick, whose adoptive parents are Caucasian. "There's people being murdered unjustly and not being held accountable. People are being given paid leave for killing people. That's not right. That's not right by anyone's standards."
On Sunday, he stopped briefly on a side field to talk with Dr. Harry Edwards and they shared a quick embrace before the quarterback grabbed his helmet and took the field. Edwards is a sociologist and African-American activist who helped plan the "Olympic Project for Human Rights" before the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, where U.S. sprinters and medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos bowed their heads through the anthem on the medal podium in their black power protest.
After swirling trade talks all offseason following Kaepernick's three surgeries and sub-par 2015 season, he has done everything so far but play good football — and he doesn't plan for this to be a distraction.
Coach Chip Kelly did not speak to the media Sunday. He said Saturday he still hasn't decided on his starting quarterback in a competition between Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert, who took over the job from Kaepernick last November and has vowed to be the No. 1 again.
Kaepernick hasn't stood for the anthem in any of the team's three preseason games "and I don't see it as going about it the wrong way."
"That's his right as a citizen," Kelly said. "We recognize his right as an individual to choose to participate or not participate in the national anthem."
Now, Kaepernick is prepared for whatever comes next.
"I think there's a lot of consequences that come along with this. There's a lot of people that don't want to have this conversation," he said. "They're scared they might lose their job. Or they might not get the endorsements. They might not to be treated the same way. Those are things I'm prepared to handle. ...
"At this point, I've been blessed to be able to get this far and have the privilege of being able to be in the NFL, making the kind of money I make and enjoy luxuries like that. I can't look in the mirror and see people dying on the street that should have the same opportunities that I've had."
Associated Press | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/ct-colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-20160828-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/a91b7be101319fd418215c8fbc6b04da035ef612febac85ee02aa30ab56ae103.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Jeremy Gorner"
] | 2016-08-26T13:20:56 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fbreaking%2Fct-2-shot-by-illinois-state-police-on-south-side-20160825-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57bfbbfd/turbine/ct-2-shot-by-illinois-state-police-on-south-side-20160825 | en | null | 2 men shot by Illinois state trooper on South Side | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Two people were shot by an Illinois state trooper after one of them pulled a gun while in the backseat of a cab on the South Side Thursday night, authorities said.
At about 8:30 p.m., state troopers had made a traffic stop near 77th Street and Vincennes Avenue in the Gresham neighborhood, state police said.
As they were conducting the traffic stop, a Norshore Cab driver pulled up to tell the state troopers that his passengers were refusing to pay their fare, authorities said.
As troopers spoke to the two men in the back seat, they saw what appeared to be a gun in the pocket of one of the passengers. That man pulled the gun from his pocket and refused to drop it after being ordered to put it down, according to a news release from state police.
At that point, one of the troopers fired his gun, and the two men were shot. The one with the gun was shot twice in the lower torso, and the other person was shot in the toe, according to the news release.
One was taken to Stroger Hospital, and the other was taken to St. Bernard Hospital, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
One of the men, 23, has been released from the hospital and is in police custody. The man at Stroger Hospital, 25, was still hospitalized as of about 3:30 a.m. Friday. His condition has been stabilized, state police said.
In addition, a state trooper also was hospitalized for a "minor issue," according to the Fire Department, though state police said no troopers had been injured. Further details were not immediately available.
A gun was recovered from the scene.
This is the second shooting involving Illinois State Police in Chicago in the past week. On Saturday evening, a trooper shot a 15-year-old in a stolen vehicle after a pursuit. Charges have been filed against the teen.
After the shooting Thursday night, the cab was blocked off by police tape on Vincennes, surrounded by city and state police personnel.
Jason Sledge Sr. said he was in a nearby car with his mother at the time of the shooting.
"All we heard was 'don't move, don't move, don't move,' " Sledge said. Then they heard three gunshots.
Chicago Tribune reporter Megan Crepeau contributed. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-2-shot-by-illinois-state-police-on-south-side-20160825-story.html | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/22a6e478b0fe0f4d3a9747959210b4274ecb79a272dacc367cc894344b76db98.json |
[
"Associated Press",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-29T04:48:27 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fentertainment%2Fct-gabby-douglas-hospitalized-20160828-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c3a5ec/turbine/ct-gabby-douglas-hospitalized-20160828 | en | null | Gabby Douglas hospitalized, misses MTV Video Music Awards | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Olympic gymnastics star Gabby Douglas was hospitalized Sunday night, forcing her to miss a scheduled appearance with her U.S. teammates at the MTV Video Music Awards.
"Gabby is back in the hospital tonight being treated for a seriously infected past mouth injury. She continues to have deep swelling and adverse reactions to medications," publicist Lesley Burbridge said in an email to The Associated Press.
Earlier Sunday, 20-year-old Douglas posted on social media that she was out of the hospital.
"Out of the hospital & resting comfortably," Douglas said on Instagram. "#FinalFive so sad I can't be with u all to present tonite @MTV thank u xoxo #VMAs #myview."
Douglas had been scheduled to present an award alongside teammates Simone Biles, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian and Aly Raisman at Madison Square Garden.
Associated Press | http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-gabby-douglas-hospitalized-20160828-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/ec110d8a2762b16e067e99ed0d463f1adab04ac0dab496e846106c15bfd689a7.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune Ugc",
"Community Contributor Hyde Park Cats"
] | 2016-08-30T08:48:45 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Flifestyles%2Fpets%2Fadoptions%2Fchi-ugc-article-adventurous-kitten-pair-rosie-and-violet-h-2016-08-30-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c53c14/turbine/chi-ugc-article-adventurous-kitten-pair-rosie-and-violet-h-2016-08-30 | en | null | Adventurous kitten pair Rosie and Violet -- Hyde Park Cats | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Rosie and Violet are a bonded kitten pair. They are both very cuddly and love to play with humans, each other, and most toys. Rosie's a bit more adventurous, as she approached the resident dog head-on within about 5 minutes of being out of the carrier, but Violet wasn't far behind once she saw her sister doing it.
Both of them fear very little in terms of trying new things, and they've come close to jumping on the counters even though they are both so small still.
To meet this kitten duo, please write to us at hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com !
Hyde Park Cats is a local, all volunteer group dedicated to helping stray and homeless cats in and around Chicago's Hyde Park. We received our 501©(3) status in 2014 and have had over 700 adoptions since our founding in 2008. See all our adoptable kitties on our webpage: http://hydeparkcats.org/adopt/
All of our cats are in loving foster homes, which means the cat you adopt will be familiar with the sounds, smells and movements of life in a home and accustomed to living with humans. He or she has been interacting on a daily basis with people who know this particular cat intimately, and the foster mom or dad can tell you all about the cat's individual personality, habits, preferences. You can't judge a cat by its cover! And while we can't predict the future or know everything about a cat, we can help you choose the cat who is right for you. We have an adoption application and an adoption fee, $95 for the adoption of one cat or $190 for a pair. This fee goes towards covering their vet costs. All cats adopted out by us are neutered/spayed, micro-chipped, tested for FIV/FeLV, and treated with Revolution.
Email hydeparkcatsadoptions@gmail.com for more information on how to adopt, volunteer, or foster with us! And be sure also to follow us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HydeParkCats
This item was posted by a community contributor. To read more about community contributors, click here. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/pets/adoptions/chi-ugc-article-adventurous-kitten-pair-rosie-and-violet-h-2016-08-30-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/83c2cd40f32697d1693f11421503ab05b61abdfb6f94fef925258ac72c60c864.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune"
] | 2016-08-30T00:48:48 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Fbaseball%2Fcubs%2Fct-cubs-theo-epstein-video-spt-20160829-premiumvideo.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4aa79/turbine/ct-cubs-theo-epstein-video-spt-20160829 | en | null | Theo Epstein on the state of the Cubs | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Theo Epstein on the state of the Cubs
Cubs President Theo Epstein talks about where the team stands as the playoffs approach. (Chris Kuc/Chicago Tribune) | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-theo-epstein-video-spt-20160829-premiumvideo.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/c3cdda945bd0cd36943bd4bb06f734bd068d6bbda0bd2bf144a84d285d08900a.json |
[
"Associated Press",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-27T16:48:03 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsports%2Ffootball%2Fct-colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-20160827-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c1c260/turbine/ct-colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-20160827 | en | null | 49ers QB Kaepernick refuses to stand for anthem in protest | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is refusing to stand for the national anthem before games because he believes the United States oppresses African Americans and other minorities.
Kaepernick sat on the team's bench Friday night during the anthem before the Niners played host to the Green Bay Packers in an exhibition game. He later explained his reasoning in an interview with NFL Media .
"I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,"Kaepernick said. "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."
The 49ers issued a statement after Pro Football Talk initially reported on Kaepernick's stand, saying that Americans have the right to protest or support the anthem.
"The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pregame ceremony," the team said. "It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose to participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem."
Kaepernick, who is biracial, was adopted and raised by white parents. He has been outspoken on his Twitter account on civil rights issues and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Kaepernick is not the first U.S.-based athlete to use the anthem for protest. In 1996, NBA player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf refused to stand for the anthem, saying the United States had a history of tyranny and doing so would conflict with his Islamist beliefs. The NBA initially suspended Abdul-Rauf for his stance before it was lifted when he said he would stand and pray silently during the song.
Kaepernick said he is not worried about any potential fallout from his protest.
"This is not something that I am going to run by anybody," he told NFL Media. "I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. ... If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right."
The NFL and Kaepernick's agent did not immediately return a request for comment.
Kaepernick is in competition to win back the starting quarterback job in San Francisco that he lost to Blaine Gabbert last season. He made his first appearance of the preseason on Friday night after missing two games with a tired shoulder. He finished 2 for 6 for 14 yards and added 18 yards on four runs.
Associated Press | http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/ct-colin-kaepernick-national-anthem-20160827-story.html | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/45d1c6208b5cc036fcbd256be601898e11bd3fa1de9cc69073325fd08e0d9adb.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Elvia Malagon"
] | 2016-08-30T20:49:15 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fbreaking%2Fct-prosecutors-murder-suspect-seen-holding-bloody-bears-jersey-after-fatal-shooting-20160830-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c5dd29/turbine/ct-prosecutors-murder-suspect-seen-holding-bloody-bears-jersey-after-fatal-shooting-20160830 | en | null | How a damp Bears jersey led to charges in South Loop fatal shooting | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Police investigating a fatal South Loop shooting say they found incriminating evidence hanging in a bathroom: A Devin Hester Bears jersey and blue shorts, both damp.
When confronted, Robert Burgess admitted he was the man seen wearing those clothes on surveillance video after William C. Smith was shot to death Sunday morning during an attempted robbery in the 1800 block of South Michigan Avenue, according to prosecutors.
Burgess, 56, told detectives he washed the clothes with dish soap because Smith's blood got on the jersey during a robbery gone bad, according to court records.
Smith had left his home in the South Loop and was walking through an alley when Burgess, armed with a gun, got out of a dark-colored Hyundai, prosecutors said in court Tuesday. Burgess tried to rob Smith, there was an altercation and Burgess shot Smith in the head, prosecutors said. Smith, 45, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives traced Burgess by looking up the Hyundai's license plate from the surveillance video. Another camera near Burgess' home in the 6200 block of South Kimbark Avenue showed him holding the Bears jersey as he returned home about 25 minutes after the shooting, prosecutors said.
Inside Burgess' car, police found a .45-caliber gun believed to have been used in the shooting.
Judge James Brown ordered Burgess held without bail on a first-degree murder charge.
Burgess is a married father of three children who works as a courier, his attorney told Brown during Tuesday's hearing. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-prosecutors-murder-suspect-seen-holding-bloody-bears-jersey-after-fatal-shooting-20160830-story.html | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/ae282bd3a6393a54c32090720c441925c1a43cb7eedfe1814c4482f13ccfa82a.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune"
] | 2016-08-30T08:48:43 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fsuburbs%2Felgin-courier-news%2Fcrime%2Fct-ecn-elgin-police-blotter-church-robbery-st-0830-20160829-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c4c2b6/turbine/ct-ecn-elgin-police-blotter-church-robbery-st-0830-20160829 | en | null | Chicago man charged in robbery at Elgin church | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Jermine M. Thomas, 41, of Chicago, was charged with Class 1 felony counts of robbery at a place of worship following an incident Sunday, Elgin police said.
According to police, a witness saw Thomas going through a homeless person's unattended bags on the United Methodist Church grounds, 216 E. Highland Ave. in Elgin, and approached him. Thomas is accused of pushing the witness, an 83-year-old man, to the ground and stealing his wallet, which was later recovered, police said.
Bail was set at $50,000, and he was given a Sept. 14 court date. | http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elgin-courier-news/crime/ct-ecn-elgin-police-blotter-church-robbery-st-0830-20160829-story.html | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/71fda59478e8775a9bd4bfc56d9609fa3d7bfc7399fc278a54c2e7d1dae60e32.json |
[
"Chicago Tribune",
"Tribune News Services"
] | 2016-08-28T16:48:15 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagotribune.com%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fct-mississippi-nuns-slain-20160828-story.html.json | http://www.trbimg.com/img-57c30dc5/turbine/ct-mississippi-nuns-slain-20160828 | en | null | Friends, colleagues to remember slain Mississippi nuns | null | null | www.chicagotribune.com | Friends and colleagues who knew two nuns killed in their Mississippi home are gathering Sunday to remember them, as authorities continue to investigate the harrowing crime that shocked people in the small communities where the women committed their lives to helping the poor.
Rodney Earl Sanders, 46, of Kosciusko, Mississippi, has been arrested and charged in the deaths of Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill. The county sheriff said Sanders confessed to the killings although many people are struggling to comprehend why anyone would want to take the two women's lives.
Rodney Earl Sanders Warren Strain / AP This is a smartphone photograph taken and released by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety in Durant, Miss., Friday, Aug. 26, 2016, of Rodney Earl Sanders, 46, of Kosciusko, who has been charged with two counts of capital murder in connection with the killing of Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill, both nurse practitioners who were found dead in their Durant house Thursday. This is a smartphone photograph taken and released by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety in Durant, Miss., Friday, Aug. 26, 2016, of Rodney Earl Sanders, 46, of Kosciusko, who has been charged with two counts of capital murder in connection with the killing of Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill, both nurse practitioners who were found dead in their Durant house Thursday. (Warren Strain / AP) (Warren Strain / AP)
A wake is scheduled to be held Sunday at the St. Thomas Church in Lexington where the women led Bible study. That will be followed by a mass Monday in Jackson.
The women's bodies were found in their Durant, Mississippi, home after they failed to show up for work Thursday at a health clinic in Lexington, about 10 miles away.
Willie March, the sheriff of Holmes County where the killings occurred, said Saturday that police work and tips from the community led police to Sanders. Authorities have said Sanders was developed as a person of interest early in the investigation.
He said he had been briefed by Durant police and Mississippi Bureau of Investigation officials who took part in Sanders' interrogation and was told that Sanders confessed to the killings and gave no reason for the crimes. The sheriff said the investigation is ongoing.
Durant police could not be reached for comment Saturday. Warren Strain, a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety which includes the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, said the organization would neither confirm nor deny that Sanders confessed.
Sanders had a criminal record.
He was convicted last year of a felony DUI, said Grace Simmons Fisher, a spokeswoman for the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
He was later released from prison and is currently on probation.
Sanders was also convicted of armed robbery in Holmes County, sentenced in 1986 and served six years, Fisher said.
People who knew the nuns, known for their generosity and commitment to improving health care for the poor, have been grappling with why anyone would want to kill them.
Dr. Elias Abboud, the physician who oversees the clinic in Lexington where the nuns worked, said Saturday that Sanders was not a patient there.
The Rev. Greg Plata, sacramental minister at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Lexington where the wake is to be held, said he does not think people at the church knew Sanders.
Authorities said Sanders was being held in an undisclosed detention center pending a court appearance. They have not given any details on why they think Sanders killed the women or whether he knew them but they do say they believe he acted alone.
Strain said he does not know if Sanders has an attorney.
Merrill's nephew, David Merrill, speaking by telephone from Stoneham, Massachusetts, said Saturday the family was "thankful" Sanders is off the streets.
But the family still has to deal with the loss.
Merrill said he agrees with the idea of forgiveness and that is something his aunt would want for whoever killed her but he's not sure if he's capable of completely forgiving.
Jamie Sample AP Jamie Sample, a parishioner of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Lexington, Miss., sits in the shade in Durant, Miss., and shows a smartphone photograph taken last December 2015, of Sisters Paula Merrill, left, and Margaret Held. The two nuns who worked as nurses, and lived in Durant, Miss., were found slain in their home Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016. There were signs of a break-in and their vehicle was missing. Jamie Sample, a parishioner of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Lexington, Miss., sits in the shade in Durant, Miss., and shows a smartphone photograph taken last December 2015, of Sisters Paula Merrill, left, and Margaret Held. The two nuns who worked as nurses, and lived in Durant, Miss., were found slain in their home Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016. There were signs of a break-in and their vehicle was missing. (AP) (AP)
Merrill said he would not support the death penalty if Sanders were to be convicted but that decision will ultimately be made by the people in Mississippi. The capital murder charge leaves open the possibility Sanders would face the death penalty but that determination would be made by prosecutors later.
The order Held belonged to — School Sisters of St. Francis — thanked law enforcement officers working on the case and thanked people who offered prayers and support in the wake of the sisters' deaths.
In the poverty-stricken Mississippi county where the two nuns were slain, many people were still mourning their loss.
Jonell Payton, a Durant alderwoman, lives across the street and a few doors down from Held and Merrill's house. She said the nuns were "the most precious two people" and were known for helping provide medicine for those who couldn't afford it.
Both women worked at the clinic, where they gave flu shots, dispensed insulin and provided other medical care for children and adults who couldn't afford it.
The clinic and the nuns' home in Durant are in Holmes County, population 18,000. With 44 percent of its residents living in poverty, Holmes is the seventh-poorest county in America, according to the Census Bureau.
The nuns' death leaves a gaping hole in what was already a strapped health care system.
The clinic provided about 25 percent of all medical care in the county, Abboud said.
Associated Press | http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-mississippi-nuns-slain-20160828-story.html | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.chicagotribune.com/45e40d1b33da98303224f24ceabea26f3d2048f0d9cd19cb35155f44c91ed34d.json |
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