Before the traffic stop in West Englewood that killed his partner and left him fighting for his own life, Carlos Yanez Jr. had considered moving his young family to the neighborhood.

“My son’s heart was so gentle that I had to stop him from buying a property there to move in there with his son and his wife because he felt so much compassion for the community and the people,” said Carlos Yanez Sr., a retired Chicago police officer.

“He said, ‘Dad, there’s so many good people there, but they’re scared. They live in fear. They can’t come out at night. Now, they can’t come out during the day. They’re killed in their homes. Through the windows. Through the walls. And nothing happens.'”

The Chicago Sun-Times is identifying the officer critically wounded during the traffic stop that killed his partner, Ella French, with the consent of the officer and his father.

Carlos Yanez Jr. and his wife, Brenda. Photo courtesy of Carlos Yanez Sr.

During a lengthy and emotional interview, the elder Yanez shared details on his son’s condition and the difficult recovery ahead.

That will include living with two bullets in his brain; doctors did not remove them because, as his father put it: “They can’t.”

Yanez Jr.’s sister, Nicole Christina, a doctor, is coordinating her brother’s medical care team and sending written updates.

According to her latest messages, her brother lost an eye, is out of the intensive care unit and has some “sensation,” but “no movement on left side of his body or right leg.” He has made “some intentional twitches of movement in three limbs he is not able to move,” she wrote.

“Junior’s sentences are getting longer. Sometimes, his voice gets a little louder. Mood improves when he can twitch a leg muscle. There was a twitch in his left shoulder,” the sister wrote in her 11th update.

A neurosurgeon who is a family friend also weighed in, Yanez’s sister said, and noted “the fact that this speech is advancing is a really great sign. No one can know for sure until we are a couple months into therapy.”

A GoFundMe effort for Yanez Jr.’s continuing medical care had brought in about $167,000 from about 2,400 donors by Wednesday afternoon.

Carlos Yanez Jr., his wife, Brenda, and their son, Carlos Yanez III. Photo courtesy of Carlos Yanez Sr.

In an update earlier this week, Nicole Christina said her brother’s body is “still adjusting to eating and digesting again,” she wrote. But she noted the “shock is wearing off and his mood drastically sank. It’s heartbreaking to see him so sad.”

“We were talking about what a miracle it is that he can move his right arm, and he said, ‘And my right leg,'” she wrote. “We pulled the sheets back and he did make his right foot do the tiniest movement. At first, because of the hospital socks, we weren’t sure anything was happening. But then, we could see a twitch. We were screaming, crying and thanking God. … He has not had that feeling of being able to move on the left. We are focusing on the positive and every win never feels small.”

Yanez Sr. told the Sun-Times his son is “talking and regaining his memory. And that’s both good and bad.”

It was days before his father could tell his son that French had been killed.

“I’ve been keeping him in the dark about that and telling him she was OK up until [Monday]. He does know, now. He’s quite depressed and sad, but he’s getting better, I hope. I don’t know. I just told him for some reason God spared him and has a plan for him and that we don’t know why, but to accept it,” Yanez Sr. said.

How is Yanez Jr. handling the news while fighting for his own life?

“Like anybody else would handle the loss of a family member. Great pain and agony and sorrow. He’s sad and depressed. We’re trying to get him to think positively that he’ll be OK. But he’s just sad. Extremely sad. And that’s not good for his health,” Yanez Sr. said, though he added his son “doesn’t feel any” survivor’s guilt.

Nicole Christina wrote that her brother “thinks about Ella French and, in waves, it hits him.” And she added, he has said he must “get better for both of us.’

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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 partly sunny with a slim chance of thunderstorms and a high near 85 degrees. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low around 70. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a high near 85 and a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the late afternoon.

Top story

Evergreen Park special ed teacher killed in Dan Ryan Expy. shooting

An Evergreen Park special education teacher shot and killed last night on the Dan Ryan Expressway is being remembered for her dedication to her students.

Denise M. Huguelet, 67, was shot around 10 p.m. in the southbound lanes near 63rd Street, according to Illinois State Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

A state trooper nearby heard the gunshots and pursued a vehicle speeding from the area, state police said. With the help of a police helicopter, troopers arrested two people from the car and recovered a handgun.

Huguelet, of Orland Park, was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. A spokeswoman for the state police said additional details would be released later.

Huguelet worked for 24 years as a special education teacher at Central Middle School, according to a Facebook post from Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124.

“Her passion for students and her dedication to the community showed in all aspects of her work,” the school district said in the post.

David Struett has more on Huguelet and what happened last night here.

More news you need

Chicago Teachers Union leaders today said they were at an “impasse” with city officials in talks over additional safety precautions to protect children and staff from the Delta variant. Students are preparing to return to classrooms in less than two weeks.

With the release of new census data, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch is said to be gauging Democrats’ “availability for return to session” — and potentially to the map-drawing board. Depending on what a review of new population figures reveals, House Dems could be asked to return to the state capital in about two weeks.

U.S. health officials recommended today that everyone get COVID-19 booster shots to shore up their protection amid the surging Delta variant. The plan calls for an extra dose eight months after people get their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

The Obama Foundation yesterday revealed nearly $830 million is needed to build and operate the Obama Presidential Center in its first year. This comes days after City Hall signed legal papers to clear the way to build the center in Jackson Park.

Chicago’s own Kanye West announced today that he will hold another public listening event for his yet-to-be-released album “Donda” — this time at Soldier Field on Aug. 26. Fans attending previous listening sessions heard pieces of the album but it has remained unreleased.

A bright one

With Logan Square mural ‘Prima,’ Matthew Mederer aims to inspire new beginnings

Artist Matthew Mederer left New Jersey for Chicago 10 years ago in search of a new beginning.

Last winter, as he and his wife stayed inside because of the coronavirus pandemic, Mederer, 37, came up with an idea for a mural reflecting another new start as he looked forward to spring and a hoped-for waning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Once Mederer started drawing, he knew he wanted to paint this mural in the spring. His wife titled it for him: “Prima,” short for primavera — Spanish for spring.

He painted the 28-feet-by-30-feet mural in April on the alley side of a building at Fullerton and Milwaukee avenues not far from where he lives in Logan Square.

Matthew Mederer’s mural “Prima” in Logan Square.Provided

It features an image of a woman in bright colors to represent fertility and the vibrant hues of springtime. She’s figuratively staring into the future through a prism and letting a blanket fall off her shoulders as she steps into the new season.

Mederer says being inside so much because of the pandemic made him “hungrier” to start new projects as soon as possible.

He says he hopes the mural will inspire people to find strength in new beginnings — much as he tried to do after a breakup 10 years ago when he loaded all of his belongings in his car and set off for Chicago, a city where he’d never been. He says he figured: It’s a day’s drive away; that should work.

Lu Calzada has more on the story behind the mural here.

From the press box

The Bears held Justin Fields out of practice today as a precaution due to a groin injury, but coach Matt Nagy was quick to note that he’s optimistic the quarterback will be ready to play Saturday in the team’s next preseason game.
The team’s other top draft pick, second-rounder Teven Jenkins, will undergo back surgery soon to address an injury he’s been dealing with since last year at Oklahoma State. Nagy said he’s hopeful Jenkins won’t miss the whole 2021 season.
And while the excitement around Fields keeps building, the veteran QB at the top of the depth chart, Andy Dalton, says the rookie is going to have a great career, he’s not ready to give up his role: “Right now it’s my time.”
The White Sox announced their 2022 spring training schedule today.
The Cubs’ Keegan Thompson will get a shot at a spot in the club’s rotation this weekend as the expected Saturday starter against the Royals.

Your daily question ?

What is the best TV show set in Chicago? Tell us why.

Reply to this email (please include your first name and where you live) and we might feature your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday, we asked you: When you think back to some of your hardest days during the pandemic, what’s something that got you through? Here’s what some of you said…

“Believe it or not, it was my focus on losing weight. I used a weight loss program that delivered small meals to my door once a month. Since we couldn’t go out to restaurants anyway, it was a good time to get serious. I lost 40 pounds in 6 months. Working now to keep it off. Inspired others to do the same.” — Jackie Flinchum

“My patients! we were so short-handed that nurses and techs from specialty areas were asked to help out on the floor. We called ourselves the “Spa Girls” and bathed, groomed and just talked to them. Patients were very lonely, not being able to have visitors. The smiles and hugs we got were truly a blessing!” — Eva Cortez

“My fur babies. I didn’t have to say goodbye every morning and think about them all day.” — Cyndie O’Brien

“I hate to say it, but I watched more TV than I care to admit. But everyone was in quarantine, so we talked on the phone and talked on Facebook. Talking to family and friends helped the most.” — Marion McLaughlin

“Family. Even though we were social distancing at home, just knowing they were there was extremely comforting and uplifting. Hearing my grandkids laughing and enjoying themselves was music to my ears.” — Sue Shannon Whelan

“Fishing. Being alone out in nature with a pole in my hand and catching a few nice bass fish among other things.” — Bradley Nawara

“Cartoons and comic book movies ie Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Extended Universe. I just want to escape from reality and enjoy a predictable happy ending.” — Robert Sanders

“My husband makes wine, need I say more?” — Wanda Freeman

“Houseparty calls with my family. And knowing I got to spend more time with my young adult kids because they weren’t out and about with friends.” — Stephanie Burns

Thanks for reading the Chicago Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

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After losing its 2020 edition due to the pandemic, Ruido Fest is roaring back for its annual three-day run in Chicago.

“Ruido” means “noise” in English, and there will be plenty of musical exuberance Friday through Sunday at Union Park, once again the site for this alternative Latin music festival, with appearances by powerhouses such as Cafe Tacuba, Caifanes, Ivy Queen and Panteon Rococo.

The three locally based promoters of Ruido Fest — Metronome Chicago, Riot Fest Presents and Star Events — have scaled down the event this year due to COVID-19. Instead of the usual 50-plus acts on three stages, there will be 31 acts on two stages. Attendees will need to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test (within 72 hours prior) for admittance. Masks will be encouraged at enclosed spaces, such as the VIP tent. “As usual at Ruido, we make sure the area is safe and clean,” said Max Wagner of Metronome Chicago. “We’re trying to produce the best possible customer experience.”

The pandemic caused one headliner, Argentina’s Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, to drop out because of travel and logistical issues. But the group promises to return for Ruido 2022. “I’m really excited by the headliners, but also by our local artists, such as Rosalba Valdez or Evil Empire,” Wagner said. “If we’re not trying to grow the scene here, then we’re not doing our job.”

So let’s bring noise — here are 10 must-see acts at Ruido 2021, in chronological order:

Los Amigos Invisibles attends the 20th annual Latin Grammy Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on November 14, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. They are scheduled to perform Friday night at Ruido Fest.Getty Images

Los Amigos Invisibles, 6:15-7:15 p.m. Friday, Ruido Stage: Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Venezuelan alternative Latin trio leans heavily on funk and other dance-based genres, declaring, “We’re a party band, first and foremost.”

Silverio, 7:15-8 p.m. Friday, Tecate Stage: Known for his showmanship and flamboyant lucha libre attire, the Mexican rocker likes to “bring something new to the table.” Silverio performed at the first Ruido Fest in 2015 (where he stole the show, according to the site Remezcla, “with his bonkers mix of sequins, dirty electronica and a vocabulary that would make a sailor blush”); he’s returned for every event since, and in the process, has become Ruido’s mascot, like GWAR has been for Riot Fest.

Caifanes, 8-9:45 p.m., Friday, Ruido Stage: The godfathers of Latin rock, the Mexican band emerged in the mid-’80s and never looked back. In 1995, the group morphed into the equally acclaimed Jaguares, and 16 years later, reclaimed the mantle of Caifanes. By any name, expect excellence.

Camilo Lara attends Disney Pixar’s “Coco” premiere at El Capitan Theatre in 2017 in Los Angeles.Getty Images

Mexican Institute of Sound, 3:45-4:30 p.m. Saturday, Tecate Stage: Fronted by DJ and producer Camilo Lara, this electro-cumbia project creates “irresistible beats for the global dance floor.” Between gigs, Lara juggles myriad assignments, including a stint as a musical consultant for Disney-Pixar’s “Coco” (2017). Ed O’Brien of Radiohead calls him “The Mexican Herb Alpert,” and Lara himself on his bio page remarks in wry understatement: “He stays busy.”

Enjambre, 5:15-6 p.m. Saturday. Tecate Stage: Originally from Orange County, California, this band of three brothers and two friends moved to Mexico City shortly after they formed their group in 2007. “Classic rock is always in the back of our minds — part Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin,” said guitarist Javier Mejia. “Plus, romantic songs reminiscent of the ’60s and ’70s. We like to mix our sounds.”

Ivy Queen, 6-7 p.m. Saturday, Ruido Stage: Hailed as “The Queen of Reggaeton” ever since she emerged on the scene in late ’90s, the Puerto Rican-born, New York-reared diva stands tall (even without her trademark stilettos) in a male-dominated genre. She also hosts the recently launched, 10-episode podcast “Loud: The History of Reggaeton,” produced by Spotify and Futuro Studios.

Moenia, 7-8 p.m. Saturday, Tecate Stage: Formed in 1991, the influential Mexican synth-pop group draws its inspiration from ’80s British bands such as the Cure and New Order.

Panteon Rococo, 8-9:45 p.m., Saturday, Ruido Stage: The Mexican ska band, founded in 1995, has called itself “the guacamole of Latin music … smooth and tasty.” And speaking of smooth, how many bands could negotiate the intricacies of “Sobrevivire,” Panteon Rococo’s 2020 reworking of the 1970s anthem “I Will Survive,” which segues from ska, cumbia, disco, norteno to arena rock, all without a false step. “Yo vivire, yo vivire!”

Ambar Lucid — shown during the SXSW Presents Wednesday Night at Stubb’s showcase in 2019 in Austin, Texas — performs Sunday night at Ruido Fest. Getty Images for SXSW

Ambar Lucid, 6:15-7 p.m. Sunday, Ruido Stage: Born in New Jersey to Dominican and Mexican parents, the singer-songwriter has arrived like a comet, with Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and the New York Times singing her praises. Now just 20, she displays a wisdom beyond her years on her newly released EP “Get Lost in the Music.”

Cafe Tacuba, 8-9:45 p.m. Sunday, Ruido Stage: Over its 32-year run, the Mexican quartet Cafe Tacuba has thrown virtually every traditional Mexican style — son, norteno, ranchera, bolero, cumbia — into its alt-Latin mix, layered over a foundation of guitar rock. If Caifanes is the godfather of Latin rock, then Cafe Tacuba is the Goodfellas, not in the Martin Scorsese sense, but more for its antic spirit that pervades every performance.

Laura Emerick is a local freelance writer.

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NEW YORK — A newspaper editor friend of former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner was hit Wednesday with state cyberstalking charges in New York, seven months after Trump pardoned him in a similar federal case just before leaving office.

Manhattan prosecutors accused Ken Kurson, a former Chicago musician, of hacking his wife’s online accounts and sending threatening, harassing messages to several people amid heated divorce proceedings in 2015.

Kurson, of South Orange, New Jersey, is charged with eavesdropping and computer trespass, both felonies. At times, prosecutors said, Kurson was monitoring his now ex-wife’s computer activity from his desk at the Manhattan offices of the New York Observer. Kurson was the Observer’s editor when it was owned by Kushner,

Kurson did not enter a plea at his arraignment Wednesday. He was released on his own recognizance.

The allegations mirror federal charges filed last October against Kurson — a case that went away when Trump pardoned him in January in the final hours of his White House term.

Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes, not state offenses.

“We will not accept presidential pardons as get-out-of-jail-free cards for the well-connected in New York,” Vance said in a statement.

A message seeking comment was left with Kurson’s lawyer.

Speaking about the federal charges last year, Kurson lawyer Marc Mukasey said: “The conduct alleged is hardly worthy of a federal criminal prosecution. Ken will get past it.”

Kurson is the first person in Trump’s orbit to be charged by local prosecutors after being pardoned by the former president, though it’s not the first time Manhattan prosecutors have tangled with a Trump ally.

District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. charged former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort with state crimes in 2019 as a hedge against a possible pardon after he was convicted in federal court over similar mortgage fraud allegations.

Manafort challenged Vance’s case on double jeopardy grounds and won, with a final decision coming in February, less than two months after Trump pardoned him in the federal case.

Last month, Vance brought tax fraud charges against Trump’s company, the Trump Organization and its longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg. A court hearing in that matter is scheduled for Sept. 20. Neither Weisselberg nor the company had been charged with those crimes previously.

New York eased double jeopardy protections in 2019 to ensure state prosecutors could pursue charges against anyone granted a presidential pardon for similar federal crimes.

In Kurson’s case, double jeopardy wouldn’t necessarily be an issue because his federal case ended before a conviction or acquittal.

The federal case against Kurson, who now works in the cryptocurrency industry, arose from a background check after the Trump administration offered Kurson a seat in 2018 on the board of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Manhattan prosecutors started investigating Kurson for possible violations of state law once Trump pardoned him.

In explaining the pardon, the Trump White House cited a letter from Kurson’s ex-wife in which she said she never wanted him investigated or arrested and, “repeatedly asked for the FBI to drop it.”

It wasn’t clear from the criminal complaint filed Wednesday whether she’s cooperating with the state case. In the document, prosecutors cited interviews she and Kurson gave to police in New Jersey in 2015, as well as computer records and an interview with a person who worked with Kurson’s ex-wife.

According to Manhattan prosecutors, Kurson monitored his now ex-wife’s computer keystrokes in 2015 and 2016 using spyware, obtaining passwords and accessing her Gmail and Facebook accounts. In October 2015, prosecutors said, he accessed and then anonymously disseminated his now ex-wife’s Facebook messages.

According to Wednesday’s criminal complaint, Kurson’s now ex-wife told South Orange police he was “terrorizing her through email and social media, causing her problems at work and in her social life.”

Kurson grew up in the Chicago area and attended Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook. In the 1980s he played bass with the popular Chicago alternative rock band Green.

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The newest injury concern for the Bears is tight end Cole Kmet‘s hamstring issue.
Kmet, who has rarely had a whiff of health trouble since the Bears drafted him last year, missed practice Wednesday. As he did with quarterback Justin Fields‘ groin injury, coach Matt Nagy downplayed his absence as merely an “extremely conservative” approach to make sure he’s ready when it matters.
With the Bears still more than three weeks away from their season opener against the Rams, they can afford to take it slowly with players they believe don’t need the reps as much as others.
Kmet opened his career with 28 catches, 243 yards and two touchdowns while playing 56% of the snaps last season. He played 70% or more in each of the last seven regular-season games and the playoff game.
“You’re going to see his game step up speed-wise,” Nagy said of Kmet last week. “Last year, [he’s] probably thinking a little bit and then when we got a chance to make a play, he did. This year you’re probably going to see a little more, ‘Hey, I was open; Get me the ball,’ or ‘Hey, run to my side,’ that he didn’t have last year.”
Kmet and Fields joined an ever-morphing injury list for the Bears, along with defensive tackle Eddie Goldman (back) being added Wednesday. The Bears also gave several players, including linebackers Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn, a rest day.
Hicks’ mysterious absence
A series of six questions about defensive tackle Akiem Hicks yielded no useful information from Nagy about his star player’s abrupt exit from practice Tuesday.
“There’s no update,” Nagy said. “He’s back today. That’s the only thing that matters.”
It’s not, though.
Whether it was related to health, his contract situation or something else, something significant clearly happened with Hicks. He left during stretching, then Nagy spoke with trainer Andre Tucker before getting into an extended conversation on the field with general manager Ryan Pace.
That bizarre scene, coupled with Nagy’s dodgy responses, registered as curious.
“He’s been fine,” Nagy said. “We want him to come out and play good football. That’s all. You know what I mean? Go sack the quarterback and stop the run.”
It has been choppy for Hicks, 31, since the end of last season. He’s in the final season of a four-year, $48 million contract, and agent Drew Rosenhaus has said he wants an extension. Hicks also reportedly was given permission to explore trade possibilities in the offseason while the Bears made cost-cutting moves.
He has refused to speak to the media since the start of camp.
Daniels back in business
Bears right guard James Daniels spoke to the media for the first time since tearing a pectoral muscle in Week 5 last season and going on injured reserve and is optimistic about the offensive line this season despite the constant injury-related disruption it has encountered already.
The Bears have moved him among the three interior o-line positions over the three seasons since drafting him No. 39 overall, but now he is locked into the right guard spot and should benefit from the continuity.
“Position-wise, it doesn’t really matter,” Daniels said. “I feel good wherever the Bears want me to play. I’ll be fine with that.”

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NEW YORK — R&B star R. Kelly is a predator who lured girls, boys and young women with his fame and dominated them physically, sexually and psychologically, a prosecutor said Wednesday, while a defense lawyer warned jurors they’ll have to sift through lies from accusers with agendas to find the truth.

The differing perspectives came as the long-anticipated trial began unfolding in a Brooklyn courtroom where several accusers were expected to testify in the next month about the Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling singer whose career has been derailed by charges that have left him jailed as he goes broke.

“This case is not about a celebrity who likes to party a lot,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Cruz Melendez told the Brooklyn jury as she explained the evidence to be revealed at his federal trial. “This case is about a predator.”

She said he distributed backstage passes to entice children and women to join him, sometimes at his home or studio, where he then “dominated and controlled them physically, sexually and psychologically.”

The prosecutor said Kelly would often record sex acts with minors as he controlled a racketeering enterprise of individuals who were loyal and devoted to him, eager to “fulfill each and everyone one of the defendant’s wishes and demands.”

“What his success and popularity brought him was access, access to girls, boys and young women,” she said.

But Kelly’s attorney, Nicole Blank Becker, portrayed her client as a victim of women, some of whom enjoyed the “notoriety of being able to tell their friends that they were with a superstar.”

“He didn’t recruit them. They were fans. They came to Mr. Kelly,” she said, urging jurors to closely scrutinize the testimony. “They knew exactly what they were getting into. It was no secret Mr. Kelly had multiple girlfriends. He was quite transparent.”

It would be a stretch to believe he orchestrated an elaborate criminal enterprise, like a mob boss, the lawyer said.

Becker warned jurors they’ll have to sort through “a mess of lies” from women with an agenda.

“Don’t assume everybody’s telling the truth,” she said.

Defense lawyers have maintained in court papers prior to the trial that Kelly’s alleged victims were groupies who turned up at his shows and made it known they “were dying to be with him.” The women only started accusing him of abuse years later when public sentiment shifted against him, they said.

Kelly, 54, is perhaps best known for his smash hit “I Believe I Can Fly,” a 1996 song that became an inspirational anthem played at school graduations, weddings, advertisements and elsewhere.

The openings came more than a decade after Kelly was acquitted in a 2008 child pornography case in Chicago. It was a reprieve that allowed his music career to continue until the #MeToo era caught up with him, emboldening alleged victims to come forward.

The women’s stories got wide exposure with the Lifetime documentary “Surviving R. Kelly.” The series explored how an entourage of supporters protected Kelly and silenced his victims for decades, foreshadowing the federal racketeering conspiracy case that landed Kelly in jail in 2019.

Prosecutors in Brooklyn have lined up multiple female accusers — mostly referred to in court as “Jane Does” — and cooperating former associates who have never spoken publicly before about their experiences with Kelly.

They’re expected to offer testimony about how Kelly’s managers, bodyguards and other employees helped him recruit women and girls — and sometimes boys — for sexual exploitation. They say the group selected victims at concerts and other venues and arranged for them to travel to see Kelly in the New York City area and elsewhere, in violation of the Mann Act, the 1910 law that made it illegal to “transport any woman or girl” across state lines “for any immoral purpose.”

When the women and girls arrived at their lodgings, a member of Kelly’s entourage would set down rules about not speaking to each other, how they should dress and how they needed permission from Kelly before eating or going to the bathroom, prosecutors say. Also, they allegedly were required to call him “Daddy.”

An anonymous jury made up of seven men and five women was sworn in to hear the case. The trial, coming after several delays due mostly to the pandemic, unfolds under coronavirus precautions restricting the press and the public to overflow courtrooms with video feeds.

The New York case is only part of the legal peril facing the singer, born Robert Sylvester Kelly. He also has pleaded not guilty to sex-related charges in Illinois and Minnesota.

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The adrenaline that comes with a breaking news story never deserts a journalist, so when word arrived that Bears quarterback and savior Justin Fields would miss Wednesday’s practice (but possibly not Saturday’s preseason game!) with groin soreness, I immediately started devising a battle plan for our Chicago Sun-Times team. You know what they say about minor injuries: They’re only minor if they happen to someone not named Justin Fields.

Story assignments scribbled on a napkin for me and Bears beat writers Patrick Finley, Jason Lieser and Mark Potash:

Finley: Reaction from Kennesaw, Georgia, Fields’ hometown. Mood — somber, defiant, tearful? (Can a mood be “tearful?” Hmmm.) Paint a picture for readers. Find the collection point for candles, stuffed animals, scrawled words of encouragement for the sidelined hero. Talk with the locals. Anybody see this coming years ago? Fields’ youth coach still around? Pat: If family members ask for privacy during this very difficult time, ask them if they’re referring to your tent on their lawn.

Lieser: What’s a groin injury and who figures to benefit from it? Thinking Big Pharma here. Talk to medical professionals about the short- and long-term challenges of groin soreness (potential six-part series later). Timeline for healing? What’s the difference between a groin muscle and, well, you know? Will need a diagram for the newspaper and the website (tasteful!).

Potash: Famous Bears-Packers groin injuries from the past 100 years. Get Ditka to say groins aren’t what they used to be.

Me: Big picture. Chicago, a blue-collar town of thundering highs and shuddering lows — the metaphorical dichotomy of deep-dish pizza and The Great Chicago Fire (Nice! Use this!) How does the city deal with the latest blow to its psyche? Go deeper here than that deep-dish pizza. What does Fields’ iron willpower and wondrous athleticism say about us as a city? What does the bigger societal issue of groin soreness say about us? Working headline: Beyond Hurt.

***

OK, I think you can see what I’m getting at here — that perhaps we in Chicago and we in the media are a bit preoccupied with all things Justin Fields these days. When Fields, the Bears’ 2021 first-round pick who will someday lead the franchise back to Super Bowl glory, because he just has to, feels groin soreness, we reflexively respond to the alarm by sliding down our fireman poles and rushing to the scene.

Take a deep, cleansing breath, everybody. If we all stay together, we’ll make it through this.

There’s still the chance that Fields will play Saturday against the Bills and fulfill the cosmic edict that says he must compete against his Bears predecessor, the much-maligned Mitch Trubisky, now a backup quarterback for Buffalo. I would just ask, meekly so as not to bring on a bombardment of objects thrown at me in anger, what’s the rush?

It’s true that Fields needs as many game reps as possible. To think that he’s anywhere close to being a finished product in terms of running Matt Nagy’s offense is silly. But it’s also true that what Fields does best at this point is run, and it makes little sense to risk further injury to his groin by having him run around the field in a preseason game.

Most of what has been said and written about Fields during training camp has been with the regular-season opener in mind. Bears fans want him in there against the Rams on Sept. 12 and, if I’m not speaking out of turn here, so do most media members. And why not? All of us are in it for the entertainment value that football brings. Fields is more entertaining than Andy Dalton the way a race car is more entertaining than a turnip. Nothing against Dalton. Or turnips. But putting Fields behind an offensive line that looks like a mystery, at best, isn’t the wisest move in the world for Week 1.

Nagy said the Bears are being “super conservative” with Fields’ injury, as they should be. The goal should be for the rookie to see the field when he’s ready to handle all that comes with being an NFL quarterback. Despite the hoopla surrounding him, no one can say with certainty that he’s ready for the starting job, not after three weeks of training camp and one preseason game.

Is the groin injury a blessing? If it is, it’s one weird blessing. But it does give Nagy an out if he’s feeling pressure to put the kid in the starting lineup. The coach has been consistent: Dalton will be the starter Sept. 12. Very few people want to hear it, but Nagy keeps saying it anyway.

At this point, I don’t want Fields’ injury to get worse, though I am prepared for the possibility of it happening. I can see it now, a Sun-Times special section that goes beyond the immediate problem: The NFL’s Soft-Tissue Injury Epidemic — Who Knew What When?

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Steve Spurrier stashed six decades worth of memorabilia in closets and cabinets, scattered between his office, his home and his nearby beach house. Jerseys and cleats. Helmets and visors. Trophies and trinkets. Rings and pictures. Spurrier’s collection was as massive as it was impressive.

He stored another assortment of keepsakes in his head: “ball plays,” some of them as famous as his notable one-liners.

He has gathered all those treasures — even the plays he jotted down from memory — and proudly put them on display at Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille. The one-of-a-kind restaurant opened this week in Gainesville and doubles as the Head Ball Coach’s personal museum.

Spurrier and his investment team spared no expense in putting together a “polished casual” eatery that serves farm-to-table food. They visited nearly 60 celebrity restaurants across the world, stopping at places owned by Troy Aikman, John Elway, Gloria Estefan, Pele, Mike Shanahan and Tiger Woods. They also studied what caused others to falter.

Football plays designed by Steve Spurrier from years past are displayed on wallpaper in a restroom at his new restaurant, the Gridiron Grill, in Gainesville, Florida.AP

“We believe we got a plan that’s in place to be very successful,” Spurrier said. “Location, food, service, we got all that. Hopefully we got all that. We believe we do.”

Spurrier gave The Associated Press a tour of the 18,600-square-foot restaurant that cost more than $12 million to build weeks before the grand opening, and the details and decor stood out.

Spurrier has his Heisman Trophy on display along with 14 championship rings, including Duke’s 1989 Atlantic Coast Conference title, South Carolina’s 2010 Southeastern Conference Eastern Division championship and his latest one from the Orlando Apollos (He claims the Alliance of American Football title after the league suspended operations in April 2019 with Spurrier’s Apollos atop the standings at 7-1).

The cleats he wore while kicking a 40-yard field goal to beat Auburn 30-27 in 1966 and clinch the Heisman Trophy are on display and so is the game ball from that one, both on loan from the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.

He has glass cabinets filled with trophies awarded to former players. There’s a wall-sized mosaic of Spurrier from his quarterback days adorning the main entryway, plaques recognizing Spurrier’s “Gator Greats” — the inaugural class featured Spurrier, Carlos Alvarez, Emmitt Smith, Errict Rhett, Danny Wuerffel and Percy Harvin – and hundreds of other items spread throughout.

The upstairs bar displays Steve Spurrier’s signature on the wall at his new restaurant, the Gridiron Grill.AP

A hole-in-one display from the par-3 course at Augusta National. Congratulatory letters from Hall of Fame coaches Pat Summitt and John Wooden. Fifteen keys to cities. An array of bowl watches. Pictures with President Bill Clinton, entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. and comedian/actor Jackie Gleason. Photos of Spurrier from every decade of his coaching career, beginning before he switched from hats to his trademark visors.

Speaking of Visors — that’s the name of Spurrier’s rooftop bar where, of course, he has a collection of about 250 of them on display. He also had two specific bar stools reserved for the “HBC” and his wife, Jerri.

“It’s all me? Yeah, it’s a little weird, I guess,” Spurrier said. “But a lot of team pictures, too, which is very important.”

There are five private dining rooms, which make Spurrier’s a hot spot for meetings and parties. Current Gators football coach Dan Mullen and men’s basketball coach Mike White will broadcast their weekly shows from the restaurant. There’s also a podcast room that houses every helmet from every team Spurrier has even been associated with.

ESPN has placed a rental deposit on part of the restaurant for the weekend of the Alabama-Florida game, scheduled to be played Sept. 18.

“This is built for Gator Nation,” said Freddie Wehbe, who collaborated with Frankel Media to handle most of the heavy lifting in getting Spurrier’s from conception to completion. “How would you not? UF is the program that Coach created.”

Spurrier was Florida’s first Heisman winner and coached the Gators to their first national championship 30 years later. He has a statue outside the stadium and is a member of the program’s exclusive ring of honor.

Spurrier also nicknamed the stadium “The Swamp.” The Gators went 122-27-1 in 12 seasons under Spurrier, including a staggering 68-5 at home, and won six SEC titles.

The Gators renamed their football field after him in 2016, calling it Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. He’s without question the most beloved personality in school history.

A table setting with photos and other memorabilia is viewed at Steve Spurrier’s Gridiron GrillAP

Spurrier’s daughter, Amy Moody, urged him to build a restaurant just to get all his memorabilia organized and on display. Spurrier didn’t do much else to get the place up and running other than sit in meetings and tweak ideas from countless consultants.

One thing he did provide: those plays.

Spurrier recreated dozens of his most famous and successful plays on paper and had them turned into wallpaper that now covers both upstairs bathrooms.

A few of them came from lopsided wins against hated rival Georgia, of course. Others: Terry Dean connecting with Jack Jackson in a victory against Alabama in the 1993 SEC title game; Wuerffel to Reidel Anthony on a fourth-and-12 play versus Tennessee in 1996; Doug Johnson hooking up with Jacquez Green on a curl-and-go that set up the winning score against Florida State in 1997.

Spurrier’s menu, meanwhile, has several items that are sure to elicit smiles from the Florida faithful, too. Main courses include the Ike Hillard Catch of the Day, the Tomahawk Porkchop and the Emory & Henry. Drinks include The Kick (for Spurrier’s 40-yarder against Auburn), CiTrUs 75 (for his “you can’t spell Citrus without U-T” joke) and the 52-20 Pale Ale (the score of Florida’s first national title).

For Spurrier, creating the restaurant stirred fond memories. And he hopes it will do the same for his fans. It might also fill a void since the winningest football coach in the history of two schools (Florida and South Carolina) has more time on his hands than he expected when he temporarily walked away in 2016.

“Life doesn’t always go the way you plan,” he said. “I thought when my coaching days were over, I’d get good at golf again. But guess what? I grew arthritis in the fingers. … My golf game is not near what it used to be. But you get to the play the senior tees.”

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