Prosecutors had said they wanted Jamel Danzy held in custody, and a detention hearing had been set for Wednesday. But when the hearing began, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert said lawyers had come to an agreement on conditions for Danzy’s release.
Gilbert then agreed to release Danzy, 29, on terms that included a $4,500 unsecured bond, supervision by court personnel and a warning to have no contact with Eric Morgan, who has been charged along with his brother in state court in connection with French’s death.
The Saturday shooting at 63rd and Bell Avenue left French dead and her partner in critical condition.
Danzy, who was arrested Sunday, is charged with conspiracy to violate federal firearm laws. His release underscores the uphill battle authorities say they face when prosecuting so-called straw purchasers, who use their clean criminal records to put guns in the hands of people who aren’t supposed to have them.
Straw purchasing has been characterized as a so-called paperwork crime that involves lying on a form. And straw purchasers have clean criminal records by nature, though prosecutors would point out that they use their clean records to commit their crime.
To have Danzy held, the feds would have had to show he is a danger to the community or a flight risk. They signaled during an earlier hearing that part of their argument could have involved at least one other straw purchase he allegedly made. Danzy admitted he also purchased a gun for his cousin, who he knew was a convicted felon, records show.
The criminal complaint filed against Danzy alleges the Honda CR-V stopped by the officers Saturday was registered to Danzy. He was not present at the shooting, it said. Authorities then traced the gun used in the shooting to Danzy.
He allegedly purchased the Glock semi-automatic pistol from a licensed dealer in Hammond on March 18.
Federal agents approached Danzy on Sunday at a Munster restaurant where he works, according to the complaint. He agreed to speak to the agents, and he initially told them his purchase of the gun was legitimate, the document said. Eventually, the feds say he admitted he was lying. He said he bought the gun for Eric Morgan knowing Eric Morgan could not legally purchase it because of a criminal conviction, court records show.
Eric Morgan was previously convicted of felony theft in 2019 in Dane County, Wisconsin, records show. He was sentenced to three years of probation.
Chicago’s most important news of the day, delivered every weekday afternoon. Plus, a bonus issue on Saturdays that dives into the city’s storied history.
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Mayor Lightfoot insisted today that a ritual at the medical examiner’s office normally afforded to police officers killed on the job was canceled last weekend to avoid “exponentially delaying” the family of slain officer Ella French.
Lightfoot said First Deputy Police Supt. Eric Carter made that decision and “I support what he did.”
On the police scanner, Carter’s voice is heard impatiently declaring: “We don’t have 20 minutes for this s—.” He demanded the Chicago Fire Department ambulance bearing French’s body be taken directly into the medical examiner’s office, skipping the Emerald Society’s traditional playing of bagpipes.
“There was no official honor guard that night. There was, let me choose my words carefully, [a] well-meaning but not well-organized group that wanted to hijack the procession. Which would have meant that the family would have been delayed exponentially in getting to the morgue,” the mayor said.
“Given the new restrictions that the new coroner has put in place, that wouldn’t have been fair to them. … So, a call was made under those circumstances to focus on the family. Eric Carter made the right call. I support what he did. And I’m horrified that, in this moment, people are trying to savage him for whatever agenda or purpose.”
The Cook County medical examiner’s office said today that rules for processions haven’t changed since the pandemic began.
The youth in North Lawndale wanted a change when it came to an annual musical event that takes place in the neighborhood.
They wanted the event to be more inclusive to everyone in the community.
Hip Hop Revival — the event’s original name — had a religious connotation to it so it was rebranded into the “FireFest Hip Hop Block Party,” which is scheduled for Saturday at North Lawndale’s Firehouse Community Arts Center.
The block party, which starts at noon, will also feature breakdancing, 3-on-3 basketball, art, and a performance from the LowDown Brass Band, among others.
The FireFest Hip Hop Block Party kicks off Saturday in front of North Lawndale’s Firehouse Community Arts Center. Firehouse Community Arts Center
“Oftentimes, in a community like Lawndale where there’s 100 churches, people may think it’s a church thing and I don’t really want to come to church — a ‘revival’ thing,” said Firehouse Community Arts Center founder and CEO Pastor Phil Jackson.
Jackson aims to get the community involved also by adding resources such as COVID-19 vaccinations and unconventional engagement.
Desiree Lopez, a block party volunteer and youth advisor at the community center, describes the block party as a way to “activate” the community.
“We didn’t like the corners, but I feel like there’s not really any activity,” said Lopez. “People can go there for basketball but there’s really no life to it. So what we’re trying to do is bring life and activate the community so people feel like a community corner and not just a corner.”
Property taxes will rise by $20 million to match the consumer price index, but Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Wednesday she’s hoping to hold it to that despite a $733 million budget shortfall for 2022.
“It’s my hope that we will not need to raise taxes — and by taxes, I assume you mean property taxes. It’s our hope that we will not need to use that tool,” Lightfoot told reporters at the Cultural Center.
The mayor pointed did not rule out other tax increases. A budget summary chart tied to the city’s three-year financial analysis talks about “exploring new revenue sources, financial reforms” and department efficiencies to close the $733 million gap.
During a conference call that followed the mayor’s speech, Budget Director Susie Park acknowledged that Lightfoot’s declaration does not mean property taxes will be frozen.
“It is not our intention to increase the property tax for the upcoming budget. However, the CPI that was approved in the last budget remains. … I think it’s around $20 million-ish,” Park said.
The 2022 shortfall is down 40% from the $1.2 billion gap that preceded what Lightfoot calls her “pandemic” budget.
It would have been bigger and more daunting if not for the $1.9 billion of federal stimulus funds on its way to Chicago.
It will allow the Lightfoot administration to play a financial shell game of sorts.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot delivers the city’s budget forecast Wednesday during a news conference at the Chicago Cultural Center in the Loop.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Gone is the mayor’s plan to use more than half of the money to retire $465 million in scoop-and- toss borrowing and canceling plans to borrow $500 million more. That ran contrary to initial Treasury Department guidelines.
Instead, the mayor plans to use $782 million in stimulus money to replace revenues lost to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. That will free up corporate fund revenues to retire the scoop-and-toss borrowing.
“Those funds were intended to fund investments from all the impact that we have from COVID-19. But, in addition to that, it is meant to also fund government services. That is what we’re doing. We’re using [American Rescue Plan] dollars to fund eligible government services to keep government going from the pandemic and moving forward,” Park said.
During the fourth quarter of this year, the city plans to refinance $1 billion in debt at reduced interest rates and use the $250 million in savings to pay for retroactive pay raises for Chicago Police officers.
Chief Financial Officer Jennie Huang Bennett stressed that the $1 billion refinancing is “not scoop-and-toss.” Debt services will be lower every year, even though the city will reclaim the savings upfront.
The tentative contract gives rank-and-file police officers a 20% pay raise over eight years, 10.5% of it retroactive.
The total cost of the retroactive paychecks is $375 million. The mayor’s 2021 budget set aside only $100 million for police back pay. That means Lightfoot needs to find at least $25 million more — even after the refinancing — and come up with “around $165 million” going forward.
The city’s Chief Financial Officer Jennie Huang Bennett discusses the budget forecast Wednesday at the Chicago Cultural Center.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Lightfoot blamed the “still sizable” shortfall on the “lasting and continuing impacts” of the coronavirus pandemic.
Her three-year financial analysis forecast a “base, positive and negative” case shortfall of $733 million in 2021. The shortfall rises to anywhere from $391 million to $1.2 billion by 2024, depending on the economy.
“COVID has thrown us a wrench a number of times in terms of the actual pace of the virus, the recovery, potential additional waves of cases. We are planning for all of those various scenarios and how we might be able to address the potential change in revenue forecasting,” Bennett said.
Lightfoot said the surge in coronavirus cases tied to the Delta variant underscores the need for the city to be “smart” about how it spends the once-in-a-lifetime avalanche of the federal stimulus funds.
“It’s not gone. It’s not going to be gone entirely for some time. … This race sometimes feels like a race against time with these mutations that are coming,” Lightfoot said, renewing her push for Chicagoans to get vaccinated.
“We’ve gotta be diligent. And being diligent is also being smart in making sure that we’ve got the resources in order to respond. If we spent every penny that has been allocated for COVID and we had, God forbid, another catastrophic surge, then people would say, `What happened to the mayor. Why did she do that?’ “
Already, the city has used $800 million in federal stimulus money to support hard-hit small businesses and provide a safety net of assistance for housing, food, homeless services and mental health and cover the salaries of police officers, firefighters and other first responders.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot delivers the city’s budget forecast Wednesday.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
On Wednesday, City Hall disclosed plans to use $37 million in remaining first-round stimulus funds to “create a bridge” toward the investments Lightfoot intends to make with the next round of federal help.
The new investments include $14 million for youth prevention programming; $9 million for neighborhood recovery initiatives; and $14 million for child care assistance.
Last year, Lightfoot spent months claiming Chicago was well-positioned to weather the economic storm caused by the coronavirus only to finally reveal that the stay-at-home shutdown had blown a two-year, $2 billion hole in the city’s budget.
After weeks of contentious negotiations, the City Council ultimately approved her $12.8 billion budget by the narrowest margin Chicago has seen in decades.
The mayor’s plan to raise property taxes by $94 million, followed by annual increases tied to the consumer price index, passed with only two votes to spare. The roll call was 28 to 22.
The vote on the budget itself was 29 to 21, a roll call made famous during the 1980s power struggle known as “Council Wars” that saw 29 mostly white aldermen thwart then-Mayor Harold Washington’s every move.
Although she has condemned political horse-trading, Lightfoot was forced to do a lot of wheeling and dealing to line up the 26 votes she needed to approve the budget.
She canceled 350 layoffs in favor of borrowing against future revenues from the sale of recreational and medical marijuana and ordered five furlough days, but only for those non-union employees with six-figure salaries.
She sweetened the pot for violence prevention by $10 million and set aside $2 million to test a pair of alternate response pilot programs for emergency calls related to mental health.
And she increased the value of the treasured aldermanic menu program from $1.32 million for each of the 50 wards to $1.8 million.
For the second straight year, Lightfoot’s budget was also precariously balanced with one-time revenues.
It called for the city to refinance $1.7 billion in general obligation and sales tax securitization bonds and claim $949 million of the savings in the first two years.
That would have extended the debt for eight years and returned Chicago to the days of “scoop-and-toss” borrowing that former Mayor Rahm Emanuel ended, although not nearly fast enough to satisfy Wall Street rating agencies.
A $304 million tax increment financing surplus created a $76 million windfall for the city. The 2021 budget also included $59 million by “sweeping aging accounts”; a $30 million raid on the city’s $900 million in reserves; and $54 million in savings by off-loading the cost of pensions and crossing guards from the city to Chicago Public Schools.
This year, Lightfoot moved up her budget unveiling to mid-September, one month earlier than normal.
Chicago’s $33 billion pension crisis continues to weigh heavily on city finances, in part because all four pension funds are now on the actuarial road to 90 percent funding.
Next year, the state mandated payment rises to $2.25 billion to four city employee pension funds. That’s up from $1.8 billion this year.
The firefighters’ pension fund is in the worst shape, with assets to cover just 19% of its liabilities.
MINNEAPOLIS — Carlos Rodon was scheduled to start the Field of Dreams game in Iowa on Thursday night. Instead, the White Sox’ All-Star left-hander is going on the 10-day injured list with shoulder fatigue, the team announced before its 1-0 loss to the Twins Wednesday afternoon at Target Field.
Lance Lynn, scheduled to start Wednesday, was pushed back to start Thursday night in Iowa. Right-hander Reynaldo Lopez started Wednesday, pitched three scoreless innings and figures to get at least one more start in Rodon’s place.
“Yesterday Carlos came in with some arm soreness,” manager Tony La Russa said. “We’re hoping it’s a short break.”
But it doesn’t figure to be. While Rodon, who has a history of arm problems, is on the IL retroactive to Aug. 8, returning on Aug. 18 “would seem to be overly optimistic,” La Russa said.
“That would be the most optimistic but always treat players, pitchers with arm issues, with caution,” La Russa said.
With a 10-game lead in the AL Central, the Sox are gearing to a postseason that looks better with Rodon in it rather than not. Fingers are crossed that the injury-prone Rodon will return to the healthy state that has helped him post a 9-5 record, 2.38 ERA and pitch no-hitter against the Indians in April for a starting rotation that leads the American League in ERA (3.38), strikeouts (705) and several other categories.
This has easily been Rodon’s best season. There was concern, though, when his velocity was down in starts on July 24 and July 29 against the Brewers and Royals, each start lasting just four innings. Following an eight-day rest, Rodon touched 99 mph and threw five innings of scoreless, two-hit ball against the Cubs on Saturday and seemed to be back on track. La Russa said Rodon wanted to pitch deeper into the game.
He returned to Chicago to have the shoulder examined.
Last season, Rodon was limited to four games and two starts due to shoulder soreness but the Sox brought him back on a one-year contract, even though staying healthy had been a battle for the former No. 3 overall pick. After having arthroscopic shoulder surgery in late 2017, he returned to make 20 starts in 2018. In 2019 he made seven starts before undergoing Tommy John surgery in May.
This season, he has pitched like a Cy Young Award and is a big reason why Sox World Series hopes are so high.
“He wasn’t happy about it,” Lynn said. “The season he’s having you wanted to keep going. I don’t think it will be anything crazy but you never know. He seems to think a little rest will help and he’ll be ready to go here in the new future.”
Lopez is ‘the best candidate’ to replace Rodon in the rotation, La Russa said, and that was before Lopez looked sharp with four strikeouts Wednesday. The team’s best starter in 2018 who has since struggled, Lopez owns a 1.37 ERA in 10 appearances since getting recalled from Triple-A Charlotte July 16.
“I feel sad for glad but I welcome the opportunity to step up and do my part to help the team,” Lopez said. “I have confidence in all my pitches.”
As for Michael Kopech, who is viewed as a future starter, ‘we’re into August and extending him to where he would be a starter takes him out of that [relief] role we really need him in, especially when you expect Carlos to be back. It’s not realistic.”
Taking Rodon’s spot on the roster was right-handed reliever Matt Foster, who was recalled from Charlotte and pitched a perfect seventh. Foster was 0-1 with a 1.17 ERA over seven appearances with Charlotte.
Bailey Ober and three relievers including closer Alex Colome held a Sox lineup without resting Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert to six hits, and Jorge Polanco homered against Jose Ruiz in the sixth, Twins took two of three games from the Sox in the series.
Federal public health officials say COVID-19 is now spreading at a high rate across nearly all of Illinois as the Delta-fueled surge lifts infections to the highest level seen statewide in four months.
Transmission is considered high in all but 13 of Illinois’ 102 counties, including the entire Chicago area except for northwest suburban McHenry County, according to metrics set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the spread is still labeled “substantial” in McHenry and nine of the other remaining counties.
The CDC laid out the sobering color-coded state map Wednesday as the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 3,933 new cases of the disease, the most in a day since April 9.
COVID-19 transmission is considered high in counties marked red.U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The state is now averaging nearly 3,000 new COVID-19 diagnoses each day, a rate that has multiplied by eight since the first week of July.
The seven-day average statewide positivity rate is up to 5.1%, which marks a seven-month high, while the total of 1,558 hospitalized coronavirus patients is the greatest burden facing Illinois care centers since May 15.
Daily death tolls have risen slightly, too. With nine more COVID-19 fatalities reported Wednesday, Illinois is averaging 11 per day over the last week, compared to eight per day in early July.
Cases have been on the rise in the state since about two weeks after Gov. J.B. Pritzker allowed the state to fully reopen in mid-June — not long after the more infectious Delta variant of COVID-19 emerged in the United States.
The latest suffering is overwhelmingly concentrated in unvaccinated communities. Only 899 fully vaccinated residents have ended up in a hospital with COVID-10 all year, according to state data — about .01% of the 6.5 million-plus Illinoisans who have completed their vaccine series.
Just over 74% of residents have gotten at least one shot. About 57% are fully vaccinated.
Last week, Pritzker issued a vaccination mandate for some state workers, and he’s said he’s considering expanding that to more employee groups.
On Wednesday, the governor applauded small music venues that are requiring concertgoers to show proof of vaccination.
“We must take the utmost precautions in crowded indoor spaces — and that means getting vaccinated,” Pritzker said in a tweet.
State public health officials launched a new online portal in an effort to make it easier for residents to obtain their vaccination records in case they lose their CDC-issued cards. The “Vax Verify” system uses the credit reporting company Experian as an “identity verification service provider” before providing access to vaccine records.
“With the current surge in cases, more people are making the decision to get a COVID-19 vaccine and this new tool will aid residents in confirming their vaccination where needed,” Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a statement.
You’ve finally reached the finish line. You’re getting ready to collect the gold watch.
Nearing the end of your working career is an exciting time. If you’re coming up on retirement, keep the following seven points in mind.
1. Know Your Credit Score
Once you retire, you might find it tougher to get credit than previously. Companies consider factors such as your income, housing expenses and payment history when deciding how much credit to extend. If you’re like most people, your income will drop significantly when you leave the workforce. Please ensure you have everything that you need before you cut the cord.
For example, perhaps you plan to retire in an RV and travel the country. If you want to finance your ride, a subprime score can mean paying more in interest. You might want to delay your departure from work date until you raise sufficient cash or pay down your outstanding debt.
2. Plan Your Living Arrangements
Where do you plan to spend your golden years? If you intend on remaining in your familial home, you might want to make some accessibility upgrades. Even if you don’t need them right now, they could come in handy in the future.
Many people choose to downsize when they reach this life stage. If you plan on this route, get started early. Sort everything into three piles — to take, to sell or donate and to recycle. Give yourself at least 12 weeks, as you might need to go through belongings you’ve held onto for years.
3. Discuss Schedule Changes With Family
If your spouse continues to work after you retire, you might find yourself picking up more of the household chores. Likewise, you might find yourself in line for a babysitting position if you have grandkids. You could even bring in extra money coaching your grandchildren’s soccer team.
Communicate your plans with your family members — remember, having you around more often might disrupt their schedules, too. Working out details and setting appropriate boundaries in advance spares future arguments.
4. Understand Your Benefits
You might be one of many retirees who decides to continue working part-time after retirement. If so, you should understand how your choices affect your Social Security benefits if you turn in your apron before you reach age 65.
Once you hit that age, there’s no limit on what you can earn. However, those under age 65 who make more than $1,580 per month will lose $1 in benefits for every $2 they earn over that figure.
5. Make a New Budget
When you retire, you’ll probably find a little less money in your wallet each week. However, you’ll also eliminate certain expenses. For example, you could save a small fortune in gas and vehicle wear and tear if you have a lengthy commute.
Sit down and make a new budget based on your post-retirement figures. Most banks today make this easier than ever by categorizing your expenses for you. Ensure you’ll feel comfortable with what you have to spend.
6. Meet With Your Financial Planner
If you stowed away your acorns during your working career, you probably plan to live on more than Social Security alone after retirement. Meeting with your financial planner ensures the maximum money goes in your pocket or goes to causes you care about instead of ending up in Uncle Sam’s pocket.
For example, you can avoid paying taxes on your required minimum distributions (RMDs) from IRAs and 401ks by making a qualified charitable distribution. You can redirect up to $100,000 in RMDs to the charity of your choice, effectively lowering your adjusted gross income (AGI). While you can’t “double dip” and deduct these expenses on Schedule A, contributions you make outside of retirement funds still apply on that schedule, further reducing your tax burden.
7. Embrace Plans for Your Next Chapter
Finally, your retirement is yet another new beginning. It marks the start of your time to do what you’d like. What are your plans for the next chapter?
Find ways to keep yourself active and involved with others. Loneliness increases all-cause mortality, but even those who live alone can avoid this effect by collaborating with others in their communities.
Keep These 7 Points in Mind When Planning for Retirement
Planning for retirement is an exciting time. Keep these seven points in mind as your guide when plotting the course for your next life stage.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot insisted Wednesday that a ritual at the medical examiner’s office normally afforded to police officers killed in the line of duty was canceled Saturday night to avoid “exponentially delaying” the family of slain officer Ella French.
Lightfoot said First Deputy Police Supt. Eric Carter made that decision and “I support what he did.”
“There was no official honor guard that night. There was, let me choose my words carefully, [a] well-meaning but not well-organized group that wanted to hijack the procession. Which would have meant that the family would have been delayed exponentially in getting to the morgue,” the mayor said.
“Given the new restrictions that the new coroner has put in place, that wouldn’t have been fair to them. … So, a call was made under those circumstance to focus on the family. Eric Carter made the right call. I support what he did. And I’m horrified that, in this moment, people are trying to savage him for whatever agenda or purpose.”
The Cook County medical examiner’s office said Wednesday that rules for processions haven’t changed since pandemic began.
“First responders have always gathered in the office parking lot and dock to pay respects to fallen police officers and firefighters. … At no time did personnel from the Medical Examiner’s Office try to impede officers or bagpipers,” the office said.
On the police scanner, Carter’s voice is heard impatiently declaring: “We don’t have 20 minutes for this s—.” He demanded the Chicago Fire Department ambulance bearing French’s body be taken directly into the medical examiner’s office, skipping the Emerald Society’s traditional playing of bagpipes.
“We’re not waiting on the bagpipes. Go ahead and get the vehicle inside,” Carter is heard saying on a recording.
“Take it all the way inside. Do not stop.”
Lightfoot stood firmly behind the first deputy, calling him an “incredible public servant” and a “dedicated veteran” who does not deserve to be vilified.
“What people don’t like is that he wasn’t part of the friends-and-family program. He did his job and came up through the ranks and worked his tail off and, now he’s the first deputy,” she said.
“It’s really hard when the media becomes ferocious in propagating a story that’s just not true. Eric Carter deserves our respect and our thanks for his service — both as a Marine and now, as a police officer for many, many years.”
The mayor was told repeatedly that the wounded officer’s father, a retired Chicago police officer himself, didn’t want her on the floor of the University of Chicago Medical Center where his son was being treated in the intensive care unit. But Lightfoot ignored his wishes and got a tongue-lashing from the father.
Shortly after, Lightfoot walked out into the hallway and suffered another indignity. Officers gathered to pray for French and her wounded partner turned their backs on the mayor as she approached.
The mayor made no effort to hide her anger when asked Wednesday why she ignored the family’s wishes.
“I’m not gonna respond to that. I don’t force my way anywhere. And that’s offensive, frankly, that you would ask me that question. … It really does a disservice to the moment that we’re in,” she said.
“Come on. Give me a break. What else are you gonna mine from the bottom of the chum barrel? You’re better than that. You’re better than that. You’re better than that.”
As for the hallway show of disrespect, Lightfoot said it’s part of a broader societal problem.
She argued that we’re living at a time when people “don’t respect each other,” have “lost our empathy for one another” and where shooters like the brothers charged in the shooting of French and her partner have “no regard for the sanctity of life.”
“People feel like it is their right to spew hatred at everyone that they don’t agree with or make fun and mock — usually anonymously and cowardly from social media. Not confronting somebody directly. But using the power of the pen and the keyboard to just spew unbelievable hate,” Lightfoot said.
“This is a larger question than what may have happened with 10 or 15 officers Saturday night. Why do we think it is OK for people to engage in such nasty, officious talk orally or worse on social media, then have it repeated by media as if it is fact and true? … The media plays a very important role in our democracy. But you lose me when it’s a race to the bottom, and it’s all about the fight and it’s all about the conflict.”
EDITOR’S NOTE:The Lindsey Stirling concert on Aug. 10 was canceled due to weather. Per a Tweet from the venue, the show has been rescheduled to Aug. 20. Ticketholders are being notified via email.
Lindsey Stirling is excited about marking her first concert appearance in Chicago since her 2017 Lollapalooza performance.
“Getting to now stand on stage and perform music and see what it means to people in-person after so long makes me remember how powerful music is to not only connect people,” said Stirling, an Arizona native. “It’s a language that goes beyond words.”
The show, scheduled for Tuesday, is one of 35 that Stirling has as part of her Artemis Tour (which is scheduled to end Sept. 10 at Milwaukee’s Summerfest). The show features tracks from Stirling’s fifth and latest album, “Artemis,” which debuted in September 2019 at No. 1 on Billboard’s dance/electronic albums chart before the pandemic rocked the live entertainment industry into desolation for over a year. Kiesza, an uptempo Canadian singer and multi-instrumentalist who transcends genre, will join Stirling in her Chicago show, performing songs from her latest album, “Crave.”
Lindsey Stirling
When: 7 p.m. Aug. 10
Where: Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, 1300 S Linn White Dr., Northerly Island
Stirling’s tour name is inspired by the Greek goddess Artemis, a huntress with a wild nature and proclivity to dance. Stirling is known for her ability to draw her bow across the strings of her violin with an electric enthusiasm while dancing en pointe in a modern ballet style.
“This tour and this album is all inspired by [the ‘Artemis’] comic book that I wrote,” Stirling said. “It really gives a new life to the whole process of writing and touring. … And it’s been especially fun trying to bring that story to life, not only through the music videos, but then to really think outside the box for the tour, from the costuming to the videos we play on the screen to the style of dancing we do. It makes for a very entertaining, colorful show.”
Her tour costumes are reminiscent of a wilderness left behind in the modernization of society. Folklore is ever-present in the thematic approach, fused with electronic dance music and classical violin. The set is bold and colorful, pulling from the storyline of her comic book series to bring light to her life and others’ during dark times.
Lindsey Stirling says her battle for perfection is something she has long dealt with, driving her to anorexia, and ultimately overcoming her eating disorder through therapy.Sydney Takeshta
“We’ve all been so deprived of these kinds of experiences and interactions, so there is just this really special feeling of gratitude that’s very powerful and very tangible,” Stirling said. “Even if you don’t come to my show, I highly recommend going to anyone’s show at this time because I think it’s a special time that won’t last forever. It’s something that anyone who experiences it is going to remember for the rest of their life.”
Stirling has been in the spotlight for more than a decade, getting her start as one of the first YouTube music sensations and appearing on “America’s Got Talent” in 2010.
Over the course of the past year (Stirling had not performed since 2019), she said she’s battled with a feeling of inadequacy. The first few tour shows were the most difficult because of that struggle; she cried in her dressing room after performing.
But her battle for perfection is something Stirling said she has long dealt with, driving her to anorexia, and ultimately overcoming her eating disorder through therapy.
“Now when I feel those feelings, I get reminded that I’m stepping onto the stage in the wrong way, if I’m stepping on the stage worrying that people are going to think I’m not enough,” Stirling said. “The show is about them — the fans. I really hope that when people hear my music they believe they can fight, because we often build the box that we live in.”
She continues to promote her nonprofit charity, The Upside Fund, to help families in need during the ongoing pandemic.
In Stirling’s spare time, she enjoys watching the TV show “Nashville” because of its authentic depiction of the music scene and multi-dimensional characters. Her guilty pleasure, though, is hit sitcom “New Girl.”
“I’m very excited to come back to Chicago,” Stirling said. “Back in the day before I ever had a band and I was just playing on my own with an iPod and a violin, one of the first shows I ever did was a showcase in Chicago. I’ll never forget that I walked a long way to Lou Malnati’s and learned I could only order a really large pizza and not eat by the slice. I asked a random guy on the street if he would like to split a pizza with me. I still have him in my phone as Chicago Tom.”
CONCORD, N.H. — An off-the-grid New Hampshire man’s days living as a hermit appear to be over.
“River Dave,” whose cabin in the woods burned down after nearly three decades on property that he was ordered to leave, says he doesn’t think he can return to his lifestyle.
“I don’t see how I can go back to being a hermit because society is not going to allow it,” David Lidstone said.
Even if he could rebuild his cabin, Lidstone, 81, said, “I would have people coming every weekend. So I just can’t get out of society anymore. I’ve hidden too many years, and I’ve built relationships, and those relationships have continued to expand.”
Lidstone, a former logger, chopped his firewood and grew his food in the woods along the Merrimack River in the town of Canterbury. He initially built the cabin with his wife, from whom he’s now estranged.
He said he’s not grieving the loss of his life in isolation.
“Maybe the things I’ve been trying to avoid are the things that I really need in life,” said Lidstone, who drifted apart from his family, including his daughter and three sons. “I grew up never being hugged or kissed or any close contact.
“I had somebody ask me once, about my wife: ‘Did you really love her?’ And the question kind of shocked me for a second. I … I’ve never loved anybody in my life. And I shocked myself because I hadn’t realized that. And that’s why I was a hermit. Now, I can see love being expressed that I never had before.”
On July 15, Lidstone was jailed on a civil contempt sanction and told he’d be released if he agreed to leave the cabin following a property dispute that dates to 2016. Landowner Leonard Giles, 86, of South Burlington, Vermont, wanted Lidstone off the property — undeveloped and mostly used for timber harvest — that Giles’s family has owned since 1963.
Lidstone previously said a prior owner in the family gave his word years ago that he could live there but had nothing in writing. He later disputed he was even on the property.
In court Wednesday, both sides agreed to arrange for Lidstone to collect his cats and chickens and remaining possessions.
A fire destroyed the cabin Aug. 4, hours after Lidstone defended himself during a court hearing. He was released from jail the next day after the judge ruled that he how had less incentive to return to “this particular place in the woods.”
Smoke rises Aug. 4 from the burnt remains of a cabin in Canterbury, N.H., inhabited by 81-year-old David “River Dave” Lidstone, who for 27 years has lived in the woods of New Hampshire along the Merrimack River in the solar-paneled cabin. Canterbury, N.H., Fire Department
People across the country have offered to help Lidstone by raising money or offering a place to live.
I think it’s safe to assume that the majority of the population loves pizza. Whether it be a classic cheese or a meat lovers or a veggie za, most people can’t resist. With that being said, not everyone can have them. And what I mean by that is people are Gluten intolerant and sometimes it’s hard finding a good pizza that won’t make your stomach turn and land you in the bathroom for the rest of the night. Luckily though many restaurants and pizzerias have come to the realization that they need to be inclusive when it comes to dietary restrictions. And I found 8 of the best places to order gluten-free pizza in Chicago. All my fellow GF eaters can now rest easy knowing that they won’t have to skip out on a Netflix and pizza night. For more GF friendly restaurants, check out our guide here.
For Robert’s Pizza and Dough Company, a proper slice of pizza, when folded, cracks but does not break. Striking a perfect balance between “crunch and chew”, they mix, rest, ferment, and rise their dough. Their dedication to the perfect dough is what makes their pizza one of the best. And unlike some places, they offer ALL of their yummy pizza on a gluten-free crust. So if you were dying to try one but were worried, don’t be! Some of my personal favorites (yes I’m GF) are The Jay, made with house made fennel sausage, calabrian peppers, fresh mozz, tomato sauce, and the Cali Italia, made with asiago, mozzarella, and Gorgonzola cheese finished with fig preserve, prosciutto di parma, balsamic reduction, and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.
I actually recently went to Homeslice because I wanted to see what the hype was about. And I can tell you this, if you want great vibes with plenty of photo ops AND delicious pizza, then you’ve come to the right place. All of their signature pizzas can be ordered with a gluten-free crust! S However, it is only limited to the small pies. But, trust me, their “small” isnt quite so small. I opted for their “Boyler Room” pizza and it’s verye simple, just cheese, marinera and pepperoni. But it was one of the best pepperoni pizzas I’ve ever had. Some of their other staples include, the BMZ (Big Meaty Ziser) made with canadian bacon, pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, black olives, cheddar, mozzarella, provolone & a ranch base, and the Lew-Wow, made with canadian bacon, pineapple, mozzarella, provolone & a marinara base.
I’ve heard great things about Roots, but have never really tried it, but I know they’r eknown for their malt crusts! And like Homeslice, all of their 12” crusts can be prepared gluten-free and the cheese subsittuded to Vegan cheese. They even have some collabs featuring Joanna Stachon, Rick Ortiz, Jimmy Bannos Jr, and Brian Fisher. Joanna Stachon’s Pub Royale Butter Chicken Pizza features butter sauce, marinated chicken, ginger, curry, onions, paneer, methi, chili oil, lime and mozzarella. Rick Ortiz’s Antique Taco Chili Cheese Curd Pizza features chorizo chili, cheddar curds, chihuahua cheese, mozzarella, pickled jalapeños and onions, avocado cream, tortilla strips, black olives and scallions. Jimmy Bannos Jr’s Purple Pig ‘Nduja Sausage Pizza features ‘Nduja sausage, tetilla cheese, giardiniera and mozzarella. And finally, Brian Fisher’s Entente Korean Fried Chicken Pizza features red pepper sauce, garlic puree, kimchi, mozzarella, smoked gouda, Korean fried chicken, scallions, sesame seeds and cilantro.
View the full menu and other pizza selections here.
Lou Malnati’s gets bonus points for creativity with its “crustless” deep-dish pizza. The crust is actually a super-thin sausage patty, which makes this deep-dish extra sloppy. It tastes better than it sounds, but we wouldn’t recommend adding any heavy toppings because you might feel like a pig by the end of it. You can also order a gluten-free Crust, gluten-free Cheese, gluten-free Lou, or a gluten-free Malnati Classic.
With over 10 kinds of pizzas, all of which can be prepared gluten-free, Spacca Napoli has something for everyone. Worried about cross-contamination? Don’t, they offer a choice between two cooking methods: on a sheet in the pizza oven with the regular pizzas, or in a separate oven on its own. Ingredients are carefully sourced from trusted vendors, many of which are unavailable anywhere else in Chicago. Some of their pizza staples include the Cinque Formaggi, made with fior di latte, gorgonzola, fontina, caiocavallo, and pecorino, and the Puttanesca, made with blended San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte, anchovies, black olives, capers, Piennolo tomatoes, and parmigiano reggiano.
Chicago’s Pizza may be the only pizzeria in Chicago to offer gluten-free pizza in three Chicago styles: thin, stuffed, and deep-dish. All three are made with this spot’s own gluten-free dough, which it’s perfected over several years, practically making them pioneers in the field of gluten-free pizza-making. For toppings, you can’t go wrong, but the prosciutto and goat cheese on thin crust is something special.
Giordano’s is a Chicago Classic so I would highly recommend trying their pies if you haven’t already. They offer 4 kinds of crusts and you can request it to be gluten-free. Of course, theyre famous for their stuffed deep dish, so I would recommend trying the Chicago Classic which is made with pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers & onions and/or the Bacon BBQ Chicken made with BBQ-basted chicken, bacon & balsamic onions. They replace the marinera with BBQ sauce too!
Although not known for their pizza, they do have quite a selection of gluten-free items, including some pies. They have 5 options, which if you have a hard time deciding, this might be the perfect spot for you. Their za’s are the following, Margherita made with tomato sauce, basil leaves, and fresh mozzarella, Funghi made with mushrooms, squash, caramelized onions, and parmigiano, Gamberi made with shrimp, calamari, onions, tomato, pesto, and pecorino, Salsiccia made with crispy prosciutto, sausage, bacon, fontina, tomato, and red onions, and the Bianco made with fresh mozzarella, pecorino, fontina, caramelized onion, arugula, and prosciutto.
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