What’s New

A man was wounded in a shooting Dec. 3, 2021, in the Near North neighborhood. | Sun-Times file photo

The 31-year-old was inside a vehicle in the first block of East Huron Street when someone shot him in the legs and back, Chicago police said.

A man was critically wounded in a shooting Friday evening just blocks from the Mag Mile.

About 6:50 p.m., the 31-year-old was inside a vehicle in the first block of East Huron Street when another vehicle pulled up alongside and someone opened fire, Chicago police said.

He was shot in the legs and brought himself to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said.

There was no one in custody.

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Flanked by family members, supporters, attorneys and bodyguards, former “Empire” star Jussie Smollett walks into the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on Thursday morning. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Prosecution witnesses said Smollett was the mastermind of a hoax attack in 2019. But the defense has lobbed a few bombshell accusations as they’ve tried to tear down testimony by Smollett’s alleged accomplices,

There has been little courtroom drama for former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, who has yet to take the stand himself as his trial wrapped its first week.

Prosecution witnesses pointed the finger — literally — at Smollett as mastermind of a hoax attack in 2019. But the defense has lobbed a few bombshell accusations as they’ve tried to tear down testimony by Smollett’s alleged accomplices, brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo.

Here’s a look at what’s unfolded over the first week of the trial.

1: Brothers testify Smollett orchestrated attack for publicity

Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, the bodybuilding, aspiring actors Smollett allegedly recruited to help him stage the attack, have testified at length about everything from a nutrition and fitness plan they crafted to get the “Empire” star in shape for an upcoming music video, to visiting a bathhouse together in Boystown.

But both said they were taken aback when Smollett allegedly suggested a “crazy idea” to make it look like two supporters of President Donald Trump had attacked the actor so he could post surveillance footage of it on social media.

Abimbola Osundairo said he agreed to help stage the attack because he felt “indebted” to the actor he considered his friend. He also said he thought Smollett could help further his acting career.

Both brothers testified Smollett drove them around their Lake View neighborhood on Jan. 25 to broach the plan and took them on a “dry run” two days later in Streeterville to choreograph how the attack would unfold.

After they were arrested at O’Hare Airport two weeks after the attack, when they returned from visiting family and friends in Nigeria, the brothers flipped on Smollett, telling detectives he’d planned the whole thing, including the racist and anti-gay slurs they were told to yell at him.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Olabinjo Osundairo (center left, in blue), Abimbola Osundairo (center right, in black) pray with their attorney and a supporter before walking into the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on Thursday. The brothers are key prosecution witnesses in the trial of Jussie Smollett.

2: Detectives detail exhaustive investigation that led to Smollett become suspect

Chicago Police Detective Robert Graves detailed the massive investigation– involving as many as two dozen officers — that began early on Jan. 29, 2019 when Smollett’s agent called police. Smollett told arriving officers he’d been attacked by two white men, saying they had hurled racist, homophobic slurs and a Donald Trump slogan as they fled.

But Graves said Smollett was cagey with investigators, refusing to turn over his cellphone or medical records. Graves was then asked if any crime victim he’d encountered in his decades with CPD had ever been so unhelpful. “One,” he said, standing up and pointing across the courtroom at Smollett.

3. Defense accuses brothers of seeking payout

Smollett’s lawyers have sought to portray the brothers as false friends and opportunists who lied to police when they were caught to get out of being charged.

During their cross examinations, defense attorney Shay Allen accused Abimbola Osundairo of asking for a $2 million payout from the actor to not testify against him at trial, which he denied. Allen also suggested that Abimbola Osundairo and Smollett were more than friends.

“When did you and Jussie start dating?” Allen asked and suggested Abimbola had used knowledge that Smollett had a “crush” on him — including going to a gay bathhouse together — to manipulate the actor.

In contrast, Smollett’s defense accused Olabinjo Osundairo of being homophobic and questioned him about a prior felony conviction and several weapons that were found at the family’s home.

Lead defense attorney Nenye has also questioned whether investigators ignored leads that would point away from Smollett’s involvement after hearing the brothers’ allegations.

“The evidence is going to show there was a tremendous rush to judgment, and this rush to judgment has destroyed Jussie Smollett’s life, it has destroyed his career, it has made him a pariah,” Uche told the jury in his opening statement.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Former federal prosecutor Dan Webb, who was appointed special prosecutor in the Jussie Smollett case, walks into the Leighton Criminal Courthouse Tuesday morning.

4. Observer says Smollett must testify next week

During cross-examination, Smollett’s lawyers’ questions have made some bombshell accusations. That Abimbola Osundario and Smollett went to gay bathhouses together, and that the star had a crush that the bodybuilding, would-be actor exploited Smollett.

The brothers’ accounts of the planning and execution of the plan, according to their testimony, were witnessed by only one other person: Jussie Smollett. Only the actor can describe his reaction and explain things, such as what he meant when he texted Abimbola Osundairo that he “might need your help on the low” before the attack, and why he and the brothers were cruising around his neighborhood near the crime scene

Smollett is almost certain to take the stand, said veteran Chicago defense lawyer April Preyar, who has watched most of the trial from the extremely limited public seating in the courtroom.

“In the end, he’s the only one who can tell the story (the defense) is trying to tell,” Preyar said. “It will come down to, who do they believe? Do they believe Jussie, or do they believe the brothers?”

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The United States must make children’s mental health a priority. | Sun-Times file photo

That young people are struggling mightily to recover from the anxiety, isolation and fears caused by the pandemic should surprise no one. Three pediatric groups call it a national emergency.

There’s another wave of this pandemic about which experts have sounded the alarm, and it’s got nothing to do with the Omicron variant or the latest uptick in coronavirus cases.

This “fourth wave,” as some experts call it, is the worsening crisis in mental health among children and adolescents who are struggling, like the rest of us, to cope with the effects of the worst public health emergency in a century.

Politicians and policy makers, take note: As a nation, protecting the health of the country’s young people must be one of our top priorities.

The crisis is now a national emergency, a coalition of three major children’s health organizations warned recently: the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Children’s Hospital Association. The problem is especially acute among children and adolescents of color, whose communities have been hardest hit by COVID-19.

But young people across every social and economic class, and among all races and ethnic groups, are affected. Soaring rates of depression, anxiety, trauma, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts have been reported among children and teens nationwide, the organizations reported in a joint statement in October.

Here in Chicago, as one expert told us recently, health care providers are overwhelmed.

“Every day, kids are sitting in emergency rooms, on medical units awaiting psychiatric placement,” said Dr. Frank Belmonte, a primary care pediatrician and chief medical officer at Advocate Children’s Hospital. “We already had a paucity of mental health services [for children]. The pandemic only made that worse.”

It’s up to every adult who can make a difference to pay attention and contribute, even in small ways, to solutions.

Already stressed out

That young people are struggling mightily to recover from the anxiety, isolation and fears caused by the pandemic should surprise no one.

They spent an entire school year, for the most part, attending school on electronic screens. Classmates, favorite teachers, sports, extracurricular activities — all those things that are paramount in their lives and contribute to mental well-being — were gone.

Many young people lost parents and other loved ones. More than 140,000 children in the United States lost a primary or secondary caregiver to COVID-19, the coalition of experts reported.

Teachers warned that students would need much more support to deal with the trauma when in-person schooling resumed. And this fall, teachers in suburban Chicago have indeed reported an uptick in students acting out since returning to the classroom.

“The emotional-social readiness that our kids have right now . . . is, quite honestly, about two years behind what we typically see,” a teacher from Elgin told WBEZ in October.

But the crisis goes far beyond school misbehavior. At Advocate Children’s Hospital, during the first six months of 2021, the second most common diagnoses on medical wards involved behavioral health issues, Belmonte reports.

“We’ve never seen numbers this high,” he said.

Mental health problems among young people were already worsening before COVID-19, for a host of reasons including the negative influences of social media.

Throw in a global pandemic, Belmonte said, and a bad situation gets even worse.

It’s up to adults

There is no magic bullet to solve the problem, of course. But for children who need intensive care, additional federal and state funding for psychiatric beds in hospitals, clinics and other facilities is needed.

Forty-eight of 50 states have a severe shortage of beds for teens and children who need in-patient psychiatric care, Belmonte said. Illinois is among them.

Not every troubled young person will need in-patient care. Schools and other community-based resources must have the resources to provide professional counseling and other support.

To that end, it’s a good sign that Chicago Public Schools seems to be making good on its promise to hire more school social workers. As of Nov. 2, the district had filled 573 school social worker positions, with about 25 vacancies remaining.

That’s up significantly from two years ago, prior to the pandemic, when the district had just 327 social workers — and some 20,000 more children.

Next year, under a new state law, Illinois public school students will be allowed to take five “mental health days” off from school per year.

That might seem like a small move. But it’s a step toward acknowledging the gravity of the problem.

“This [bill] was one way of letting students know that by removing that stigma, that it was OK for them to address their mental health and seek the help that they need,” as state Sen. Robert Martwick, a sponsor of the bill, said when Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed it.

“Getting them back to their routines, their friends, socialization are all important,” Belmonte said. “Have an open dialogue with kids about stress and the difficulty of coping with it.”

Adults, let’s keep that in mind.

Send letters to [email protected]

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On Nov. 20, Pastor Corey Brooks, founder of Project H.O.O.D., began a 100 day campout at 6615 S King Dr in West Woodlawn. His goal is to bring attention to the violence and poverty of the area and to raise money for a new resource center. | Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

The South Side pastor — who is encouraging CEOs and others to join him this time — is seeking to raise $35 million for a new community resource center.

Ten years ago, Pastor Corey Brooks slept on the rooftop of a dilapidated motel for 94 days with the goal of helping end the cycle of violence in his Woodlawn neighborhood.

Now, with violence nearing record levels a decade later, Brooks is camping out again.

Late last month, Brooks, now 52, embarked on a 100-day “tent-a-thon,” a campout with the same stated objective of ending gun violence. His home until Feb. 28 will be a tent atop eight shipping containers at 6615 S. King Dr.

A small heater is helping protect him from the bitter cold, while a stove is serving as a firepit. And his bathroom is nothing more than a bucket and baby washing basin.

Brooks — along with a few others who have spent nights with him on and off since he started his latest campout — is enduring the harsh conditions to help raise awareness of violence and poverty at a site that is just steps away from what was once Chicago’s most dangerous block.

“I’m in an environment on the South Side of Chicago that can be a pretty tough,” Brooks said in an interview. “To be outside in the elements, to make that sacrifice over a long period of time, draws attention.”

Brian Jackson/Sun-Times
Pastor Corey Brooks — seen on Jan. 20, 2012 — spent 94 days on the roof of a motel across the street from his Beginnings Church, 6620 S. King Dr.

Brooks’ effort drew national attention in 2012, when he raised $463,000, including $100,000 from movie mogul Tyler Perry, to buy and tear down the motel, which he said was a hotbed of drugs and prostitution.

And while he said conditions have since improved in the immediate area — it’s no longer home to the city’s most dangerous block — he acknowledged there’s “still a long way to go.”

Now, he hopes to build a new $35 million resource center.

“The shootings in Cook County are at an all time high since the ’90s,” said Brooks. “Our neighborhood really needs a place of transformation, a place where they can go and get all the things that they need to start trying to change their life. This center is really, really needed at this point in time.”

The Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center, which is planned as an 85,000-square-foot-building, is envisioned to provide a safe space for children.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Eight storage containers on South King Drive will be the home for Pastor Corey Brooks for 100 days. Four tents, one for Brooks, one for guests, one for supplies and one for media are clustered atop the containers.

It would be built across the street from Brooks’ New Beginnings Church on South King Drive, in the same space as the shipping containers.

“Instead of raising money to tear something down, we’re raising money to build something up,” said Brooks.

The center will include teen programming, a trauma center, sports facilities, including a pool, and a schoolroom.

Already, $7 million has been raised or pledged to the center. For the nearly two weeks Brooks has been camped out on the rooftop, an additional $250,000 has been raised. Brooks hopes to break ground within the next two years.

The center is part of Project H.O.O.D., an organization Brooks created the first time he hit the roof.

According to the group’s website, violence prevention programs, education and workforce training have helped more than 1,500 at-risk youth and 2,500 adults in transition around Woodlawn and Englewood.

Up at 5:30 a.m.

On the roof, Brooks usually starts his day at 5:30 a.m., reading and listening to podcasts. By 7 a.m., he’s getting ready for his 9 a.m. team meeting. And by noon, he and those outside with him are making calls and emails, taking donations and pledges.

One person who has been by his side is Chris Eubanks. Eubanks, who was born on the West Side and then lived throughout the South Side growing up, is a developer with Maty Lac Developments. It was his team that built the deck for Brooks to camp out on.

“I’m out here just about every day,” said Eubanks. “There’s been a few cold nights but … I’m excited. This is part of history and it’s a good thing that he’s doing.”

This year’s campout is also labeled, “The CEO Challenge.”

“We’re calling on the majority of CEOs in the Chicagoland area to step up,” said Michael Paulsen, senior vice president of Lockton Companies. “Find out what we’re doing on the South Side in terms of our programs to provide training for jobs [and] in terms of violence prevention to help reduce and stop gun violence on the South Side.”

Paulsen, who has previously donated to Project H.O.O.D., stayed overnight on Nov. 20. As the teams were setting up, gunshots went off not too far from them.

But those around him seemed unsurprised.

“No one down there really batted an eye about it because it seems to be so common down there,” said Paulsen. “It’s similar to someone’s dog barking.”

But Paulsen stayed; he said for Brooks to have camped out 10 years ago was incredible. To do it again is inspirational.

“What I have learned is many of the different gang factions on the South Side of Chicago are street by street,” he said. “You could live on Martin Luther King Drive but not be able to cross the street to the other side because that would be another gang. What we’re trying to do is create this community center not only to provide training for people to find meaningful work, but also to bring together all the gangs in the neighborhood to one place so they can stop fighting.”

Todd Ricketts, co-owner of the Cubs, also joined The CEO Challenge.

Ricketts, who had lunch with Brooks last week, said the resource center will be an important tool for the community. He praised Brooks for his dedication.

“We all see the issues in our city and when you look around at who can make a difference, Corey stands a head and shoulders above the rest,” he said Friday.

Brooks has extended his invitation citywide, encouraging others to spend 12 to 24 hours with him.

Those who are interested in joining him can sign up on Project H.O.O.D.’s website, projecthood.org/tent-a-thon. Donations can also be made through the site.

Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
The guest tent for those staying overnight at the site of Pastor Corey Brooks’ 100 Day campout at 6615 S King Dr in West Woodlawn.

Cheyanne M. Daniels is a staff reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times via Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster the paper’s coverage of communities on the South and West sides.

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Bartlett’s Ian Smith (14) drives to the basket as the Hawks play West Chicago. | Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

All the scores from around the area.

Please send scores and corrections to [email protected]

Friday, December 3, 2021

BIG NORTHERN

Oregon at Stillman Valley, 7:00

CATHOLIC – CROSSOVER

De La Salle at St. Rita, 7:15

Montini at St. Laurence, 7:00

Providence at Loyola, 7:00

Providence-St. Mel at Brother Rice, 7:00

St. Francis de Sales at Mount Carmel, 7:00

St. Ignatius at Leo, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – NORTH

Deerfield at Vernon Hills, 7:00

Highland Park at Maine West, 7:00

Maine East at Niles North, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – SOUTH

Evanston at Glenbrook South, 7:00

New Trier at Maine South, 7:00

Niles West at Glenbrook North, 7:00

CHICAGO PREP

Christ the King at Cristo Rey, 7:00

Holy Trinity at Northtown, 6:30

DUKANE

Geneva at Glenbard North, 7:15

St. Charles East at Lake Park, 7:15

St. Charles North at Wheaton-Warr. South, 7:30

Wheaton North at Batavia, 7:15

DUPAGE VALLEY

DeKalb at Metea Valley, 7:00

Neuqua Valley at Naperville North, 7:00

Waubonsie Valley at Naperville Central, 7:00

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Carmel at Marian Central, 7:00

Joliet Catholic at Benet, 7:00

Marist at Marian Catholic, 7:00

Notre Dame at Nazareth, 7:00

St. Viator at St. Patrick, 7:00

FOX VALLEY

Cary-Grove at Hampshire, 7:30

Crystal Lake Central at Crystal Lake South, 7:30

Dundee-Crown at Burlington Central, 7:30

Jacobs at Huntley, 7:30

Prairie Ridge at McHenry, 7:30

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Coal City at Peotone, 6:45

Herscher at Reed-Custer, PPD

Manteno at Wilmington, 7:00

Streator at Lisle, 6:45

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Lake Forest Acad-Blk at Elgin Academy, 6:00

Latin at University High, 6:00

Morgan Park Academy at Francis Parker, 6:00

INTERSTATE EIGHT

LaSalle-Peru at Plano, 7:00

Ottawa at Morris, 7:00

Rochelle at Kaneland, 7:00

Sandwich at Sycamore, 7:00

LAKE SHORE ATHLETIC

ACERO-Cruz at Beacon, 5:30

British School at Lycee Francais, 6:00

LITTLE TEN

Hiawatha at Newark, 7:00

Hinckley-Big Rock at Leland, 7:00

Serena at Earlville, 7:00

Somonauk at DePue, 7:00

METRO PREP

Universal at Chesterton Holy Family, 6:30

METRO SUBURBAN – BLUE

Chicago Christian at St. Francis, 7:00

Riverside-Brookfield at IC Catholic, 7:30

METRO SUBURBAN – RED

Elmwood Park at Ridgewood, 7:00

MID-SUBURBAN – EAST

Elk Grove at Buffalo Grove, 7:30

Hersey at Rolling Meadows, 7:30

Prospect at Wheeling, 7:30

MID-SUBURBAN – WEST

Barrington at Fremd, 7:30

Hoffman Estates at Conant, 7:30

Schaumburg at Palatine, 7:30

NIC – 10

Auburn at Harlem, 7:30

Belvidere at Guilford, 7:00

Belvidere North at Freeport, 7:15

Hononegah at Jefferson, 7:00

Rockford East at Boylan, 7:15

RIVER VALLEY

Beecher at Donovan, 7:00

Gardner-So. Wilmington at Illinois Lutheran, 7:00

Grant Park at Grace Christian, 7:00

Momence at St. Anne, 7:00

Tri-Point at Clifton Central, 7:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Argo at Lemont, 7:00

Eisenhower at Bremen, 6:00

Reavis at Oak Forest, 6:30

Richards at Hillcrest, 6:30

Shepard at Tinley Park, 6:30

Thornton Fr. North at Oak Lawn, 7:00

SOUTHLAND

Rich at Kankakee, PPD

Thornridge at Bloom, 6:00

Thornton at Crete-Monee, 5:00

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – EAST

Joliet West at Romeoville, 6:30

Plainfield East at Plainfield Central, 6:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – WEST

Minooka at Oswego East, 6:30

Plainfield North at Oswego, 6:30

West Aurora at Yorkville, 6:30

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Bolingbrook at Stagg, 6:00

Homewood-Flossmoor at Andrew, 6:30

Lincoln-Way East at Lincoln-Way Central, 6:15

Lockport at Lincoln-Way West, 6:00

Sandburg at Bradley-Bourbonnais, 7:00

TRI-COUNTY

Dwight at Putnam County, 7:30

Midland at Woodland, 7:00

Roanoke-Benson at Lowpoint-Washburn, 7:30

Seneca at Henry-Senachwine, 7:00

UPSTATE EIGHT

East Aurora at Glenbard South, PPD

WEST SUBURBAN – GOLD

Hinsdale South at Willowbrook, 7:30

Leyden at Proviso East, 6:00

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Downers Grove North at Hinsdale Central, 7:30

Lyons at Glenbard West, 7:00

Proviso West at York, 7:30

NON CONFERENCE

Bowen at Richards (Chgo), 5:00

Clemente at Clark, 5:00

Danville at Ogden, 5:00

Elgin at Elgin Academy, 6:00

Evergreen Park at DePaul, 7:00

Fenger at Curie, 5:00

Foreman at Comer, 5:00

Golder at ACERO-Soto, 5:00

Hillcrest (TN) at Butler, 12:00

Intrinsic-Downtown at Roycemore, 6:00

Kennedy at Legal Prep, 5:00

Lincoln Park at Prosser, 5:00

Marine at Uplift, 6:00

Marquette at Ashton-Franklin Center, 7:00

McNamara at Timothy Christian, 7:30

Muchin at Sullivan, 5:00

Noble Street at Wells, 6:30

North Boone at Richmond-Burton, 7:00

Northridge at Schaumburg Christian, 6:00

Northside at Chicago Academy, 5:00

Pecatonica at Winnebago, 7:00

Schurz at Collins, 5:00

Steinmetz at Lake View, 7:00

Thornwood at Little Village, 6:30

Urban Prep-West at Amundsen, 6:30

CHICAGO ELITE CLASSIC

at UIC – Credit Union 1 Arena

Oak Park-River Forest vs. Fenwick, 6:00

Taft vs. Lane, 9:00

DANVILLE (IN)

Yorkville Christian vs. Don Bosco (IN), 6:00

KISKI (PA)

Lake Forest Acad-Org vs. Kiski (PA), 7:30

AURORA CHRISTIAN

Mooseheart vs. St. Edward, 6:00

IMSA vs. Aurora Christian, 7:30

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A man was shot to death December 2, 2021 in Marquette Park. | Sun-Times file

A 37-year-old man was in an alley in the 2700 block of West 65th Street when he got into an argument with a male in a vehicle.

A person was shot to death after getting into an argument with a man Thursday morning in Marquette Park.

A 37-year-old man was in an alley about 6:30 a.m. in the 2700 block of West 65th Street when he got into a verbal altercation with a male in a vehicle, Chicago police said.

The male pulled out a gun and the man, who had a valid conceal and carry license, pulled out his gun and fired shots, police said.

The male was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. His name hasn’t been released.

The man wasn’t injured.

Area Two detectives are investigating.

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This season is now just about a quarter done with for most teams around the league, and the Chicago Bulls are still up there with the best of them. Winning basketball has been sustained in Chicago, when many critics thought it wouldn’t work with the current roster. Currently, the Bulls are tied with the Brooklyn […] These 3 soon-to-be trade eligible players would help the Chicago Bulls – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & MoreRead More

Three people were wounded in a shooting near the Garfield Red Line station Dec. 3, 2021. | Google Maps

On Wednesday, a CTA train operator was hospitalized after two teenagers beat him while a train was stalled near the Garfield station.

Three men were wounded in a shooting during an attempted robbery near the Garfield CTA Red Line stop Friday afternoon on the South Side.

Two men were on the sidewalk about 12:42 p.m. in the 200 block of West Garfield Boulevard when two people approached and demanded their shopping bags and personal items, Chicago police said.

The gunmen opened fire after the men refused, police said. One man was struck in the back while the other was shot in the abdomen. Both were taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition.

A third man who was in the area suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh and took himself to the same hospital, where he was in good condition, police said.

No arrests have been reported. Area One detectives are investigating.

Trains were bypassing the station during the police investigation but resumed service with delays by 4:10 p.m., the CTA said.

On Wednesday, a CTA train operator was hospitalized after two teenagers beat him while a train was stalled near the Garfield station.

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Michigan’s Hutchinson has been unstoppable. | Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images

So much is up in the air, but, hey, no complaints here. This is what we call a good time.

College Football Playoff selection committee chair Gary Barta, the longtime athletic director at Iowa, was asked a simple question this week about No. 4 Cincinnati: If the 12-0 Bearcats win convincingly Saturday against No. 21 Houston in the American Athletic Conference championship game, is it safe at assume they’ll be in the final four?

Oh, boy.

“We, as a committee, don’t project,” Barta said. “So they’re going to play a championship game against Houston. Georgia and Alabama are going to play. Michigan and Iowa are going to play. Oklahoma State and Baylor. We’re going to watch all those games. And until that occurs — until the last game is played — we won’t be having any conversations about who is going to be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc., and that’s the way we go about it.”

Translation: Prepare to be gutted, Bearcats Nation. Sure, you’re the first Group of Five team ever ranked in the top four. OK, so you won at No. 6 Notre Dame. But when it really counts, you might find out we were never all that into you to begin with.

Cincinnati needs No. 3 Alabama, which already has lost once, to go down against No. 1 Georgia in the SEC title game; no team has made the playoff with two losses. Even better would be if No. 9 Baylor, a two-loss team, upset No. 5 Oklahoma State in the Big 12 title game. A 12-1 Cowboys squad could easily — and justifiably — leapfrog the Bearcats.

There are all sorts of playoff “ifs.” If Georgia loses to Alabama, the Bulldogs almost certainly will still be rewarded with a spot and the SEC will have two of them. But what if Alabama plays spectacularly in defeat? Given the pedigree of the Crimson Tide, who’s to say the committee won’t buck convention and give us a semifinal rematch?

If Iowa upsets No. 2 Michigan, the Big Ten will be unrepresented barring unimaginable Saturday chaos. If Baylor wins, the Big 12 will be out in the cold. And what about Notre Dame? It’s a long shot for the Brian Kelly-less Irish, but if any two of Michigan, Alabama, Cincinnati and Oklahoma State lose, they’ll have more than a little hope.

So much is up in the air, but, hey, no complaints here. This is what we call a good time.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

Big 12: No. 9 Baylor (+5 1/2 ) vs. No. 5 Oklahoma State (11 a.m., Ch. 7): These teams aren’t made for shootouts anymore. Just see OSU’s 24-14 win at home in October, when it turned the ball over three times but repeatedly was bailed out by its stellar defense. But can the Pokes gear all the way back up emotionally after such an intense Bedlam win against archrival Oklahoma? And what about Bears QB Gerry Bohanon’s iffy right hamstring? Pokes by 10 in Arlington, Texas — and into the playoff they go.

MAC: Northern Illinois (+3 1/2 ) vs. Kent State (11 a.m., ESPN, 560-AM): The rematch in Detroit probably can’t top the game a month ago in Kent, when the teams combined for 99 points, 63 first downs and an unthinkable 1,345 yards of offense. The Golden Flashes took that one 52-47. Revenge for the Huskies? From winless in 2020 to a league title? Really? Make it so, 38-35.

Mountain West: Utah State (+6) vs. No. 19 San Diego State (2 p.m., Fox-32): How great is SDSU punter Matt Araiza? So great, his nickname is “Punt God.” Brady Hoke’s team runs the ball well, stops the run even better and — God almighty — wins the field position battle week after week. Aztecs by seven in Carson, California.

Sun Belt: Appalachian State (-3) at No. 24 Louisiana (2:30 p.m., ESPN): They’ve already played once in Lafayette this season, with the Ragin’ Cajuns winning 41-13. Why on earth is this 11-1 team an underdog? One reason: ASU has won six straight since then and basically stopped letting opponents score. Another: Cajuns coach Billy Napier has already accepted the Florida job. Distracted much? Mountaineers, 31-27.

SEC: No. 1 Georgia (-6 1/2 ) vs. No. 3 Alabama (3 p.m., Ch. 2): Nobody runs the ball on the Bulldogs, right? But Alabama’s offensive line is having a devil of a time pass blocking, so where does that leave the Tide? Basically, it leaves them in the same position Alabama’s opponents usually inhabit: needing a perfect-storm type of game in order to win. Can star QB Bryce Young put the offense on his shoulders? Will Nick Saban’s defense rise to the challenge? Isn’t Atlanta always the Tide’s kind of town? Dogs, 34-24.

American: No. 21 Houston (+10 1/2 ) at No. 4 Cincinnati (3 p.m., Ch. 7): The Cougars have won 11 straight. They’re basically dead even statistically with Cincinnati’s offense. They’ve actually been stingier than the Bearcats on defense. But going on the road here is tough duty. Trying to block an experienced, deeply motivated team from what it believes is its playoff destiny? Good luck with that. Cincy, 31-23.

Big Ten: No. 2 Michigan (-11) vs. No. 13 Iowa (7 p.m., Fox-32): Early-season Iowa could’ve beaten Michigan. Early-season Iowa would’ve been favored head-to-head. But the Hawkeyes are pretty well broken offensively, and that’s a terrifying way to be against Aidan Hutchinson and the rest of the Wolverines’ defense. The only concern for Jim Harbaugh’s team is the letdown factor — last weekend against Ohio State was arguably the high point for this football school since 1997. Michigan by 14 in Indianapolis.

ACC: No. 15 Pittsburgh (-3) vs. No. 16 Wake Forest (7 p.m., Ch. 7): Come for the gorgeous deep balls thrown by the Panthers’ Heisman-hopeful quarterback, Kenny Pickett, to wonderful receiver Jordan Addison. Stay for what should turn into a two-way track meet on a beautiful night in Charlotte, N.C. Pitt, 45-35.

Last week: 7-2 straight-up, 3-6 vs. the spread. The check’s in the mail.

Season to date: 85-37-1 straight-up, 66-55-2 vs. the spread.

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Alicia Hume, 42, outside her home in Metolius in central Oregon. | Joe Kline/For the Sun-Times

Today’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be mostly cloudy with a high near 50 degrees. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low around 30. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a high near 44, and Sunday will bring rain with a high around 48.

Top story

Oregon’s the first state to ticket narcotics users, but reform has yet to live up to what was promised

Alicia Hume feared she was headed to jail after a sheriff’s deputy pulled over her borrowed Volkswagen Beetle and saw her put a bottle of eight fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills in her bra.

She faced a misdemeanor drug possession charge that could mean up to a year in jail, more than $6,000 in fines and court-ordered addiction treatment.

The Jefferson County, Oregon, sheriff’s deputy charged her but used his discretion to let the 42-year-old mother of two drive away that September night. Prosecutors later dropped her case, saying the deputy should have written her a ticket instead of charging her.

That’s because of a new Oregon law — the first in the nation — making possession of small amounts of drugs such as heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine the equivalent of a minor traffic infraction.

Since the Oregon law went into effect in February, police officers have written more than 1,300 tickets for drug possession instead of arresting people like Hume, achieving the ballot measure’s aim of keeping people out of jail.

It also steers hundreds of millions of dollars into expanding treatment throughout Oregon, which regularly ranks among the worst states for substance abuse and mental health problems as well as access to care.

But records show few have entered drug treatment through the ticketing system, which the law also was supposed to encourage. And interviews suggest many cops aren’t carrying out their new responsibilities.

Casey Toner, Jared Rutecki, and Frank Main have more in the second part of a Sun-Times and Better Government Association investigation into dead-end drug arrests. You can read the full Sun-Times/BGA series here.

More news you need

In a news conference today, Carmen Day, the mother of Jelani Day, demanded the FBI take charge of the investigation into her son’s disappearance and death. A task force including state police, the Bloomington and Peru police departments, LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit continue to investigate Day’s death.

New cases of COVID-19 jumped by nearly 50% in Illinois over the past week and have climbed nearly 150% since last month, according to figures released by health officials today. Coronavirus positivity rates and hospitalizations have also more than doubled over the past month during the fifth surge of the pandemic.

A Crest Hill couple pleaded guilty today to their roles in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach, admitting they spent about an hour in the building after entering through a broken window. John and Amy Schubert each pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

Two people were shot and wounded on the Dan Ryan Expressway early this morning. It was the 233rd shooting on Chicago-area expressways this year.

Gas-powered portable generators emit deadly carbon monoxide and have been blamed for more than 1,000 deaths since 2005, as previously reported by the Sun-Times in 2019. Citing that report, U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush is pushing to mandate safety standards for those types of generators.

In a conversation with our Fran Spielman, retiring Illinois House Majority Leader Greg Harris today reflected on his crowning achievement — leading the crusade to legalize gay marriage in Illinois. Harris, 66, also talked about the significant changes in his own daily life as someone who is HIV-positive.

In a two-page letter to constituents, Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson said he perceives racism in an effort to redraw the boundaries of his 11th ward to give it an Asian American majority. The letter came after a city committee unveiled a ward remap plan that would turn the Daley family’s Bridgeport-based fiefdom into the city’s historic first Asian American-majority ward.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul today touted the efforts of a so-called retail theft task force that covered well over $1 million in stolen goods from about four semitrailers this week. The items recovered were a mix of electronics, high-end food items, hair extensions, jewelry and clothing from a variety of major national retailers, Raoul said.

Performing under the moniker She & Him, actress Zooey Deschanel and singer-songwriter M. Ward will bring their holiday-themed tour to town with a stint at the Chicago Theatre on Tuesday. The tour marks the 10-year anniversary of their album “A Very She & Him Christmas.”

A bright one

Thomas Melvin pays homage to Louis Sullivan with Fulton Market murals

Chicago muralist Thomas Melvin is paying homage to pioneering Chicago architect Louis Sullivan in two murals he created for a development in Fulton Market.

Sullivan is renowned for his work during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, designing buildings including the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Dr., and the former Carson Pirie Scott department store building at 9 E. Madison St., now known as the Sullivan Center.

In one of Melvin’s two untitled murals, at 205 N. Peoria St. next to the Fulton East building, he offers a glimpse of the Chicago skyline through an eye-shaped lens. Melvin says that was inspired by the Sullivan Center and that the aim was to give the effect of seeing the city through the renowned architect’s eyes.

Amelia Ickes/Sun-Times
Thomas Melvin says he aimed with his mural at 205 N. Peoria St. to let people see the city, in effect, through famed architect Louis Sullivan’s eyes.

Melvin, 69, who lives in Albany Park, did another new mural nearby. It features larger-than-life ivy vines that appear to be crawling up the west side of the building at 220 N. Green St.

The artist got his start as a sign painter. He says he draws inspiration from early American folk art and the painted scenic backdrops that often were used in early photography.

Melvin takes some of his technique from what he learned from Richard Haas, a muralist who specializes in the trompe-l’oeil style that aims to “deceive the eye” by making an object appear in three dimensions.

Amelia Ickes has more on Melvin and the murals here.

From the press box

Andy Dalton will be the Bears’ starting quarterback Sunday against the Cardinals.
Alex Caruso got recognition in L.A. for helping the Lakers, but that was a tough town to compete for attention in. It’s a different situation in Chicago, where Caruso is impacting games and winning with his defense, Joe Cowley writes.
Now that the champions have been crowned, Michael O’Brien names his 2021 All-Area high school football team.

The 2021 Sun-Times high school football player of the year: Brother Rice’s Jack Lausch.
Miami recruit AJ Casey and the Young basketball team have sky-high expectations for the season, O’Brien writes.
Notre Dame named Marcus Freeman, previously the Fighting Irish’s defensive coordinator, as the school’s new head football coach.

Your daily question ?

What was the best album of 2021?

Email us (please include your first name and where you live) and we might include your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday, we asked you: Who does the holidays better — New York City or Chicago?

Here’s what some of you said…

“Chicago hands down! The ice rink at Millennium Park, Maggie Daily Ribbon, Navy Pier and Michigan Avenue is so much better than NY. The rink at Rockefeller Square is so small! I was so disappointed and it cost $25. Whereas the Millennium Park rink only costs to rent skates and it’s so much larger!” — Barbara Crowley

“Because of the bigger streets, Chicago does. But Chicago learned from New York.” — Robin Hickman

“Chicago for Christmas and New York City for New Year’s Eve.” — Loli Mauriz

“NYC — if even just for the vastly superior retail AND people watching. Like people walking designer dogs in fur jumpsuits. Or watching the people going in and out of St Patrick’s Cathedral and other Churches on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. And Chinese restaurants are the place to see and be seen!” — Mike Listwan

“Chicago, because it’s less crowded and there’s more free stuff to do. NYC charges when you breathe.” — Daisy Flores

“That’s a tough call New York is beautiful at Christmas but there’s little to do there. Chicago is beautiful too and there’s plenty to do here, so the advantage, I give to Chicago.” — Byron Benguche

“There is nothing like shopping Michigan Ave., the Christmas Train, and the Christkindlmarket.” — Joe Medearis

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