What’s Happening This Week in Space: August 9th, 2021on August 9, 2021 at 2:12 am

Cosmic Chicago

What’s Happening This Week in Space: August 9th, 2021

What’s Happening This Week in Space: August 9th, 2021on August 9, 2021 at 2:12 am Read More »

Officer Ella French wore the insignia of the Chicago Police Department — but it did not keep her safeCST Editorial Boardon August 9, 2021 at 1:12 am

In an undated photo posted on Twitter, Chicago Police Officer Ella French is equipped with everything that should have protected her on Saturday night.

She is wearing a safety vest. She has a police radio attached to her uniform so she can call for backup. She has her gun strapped to her waist.

Most importantly, Officer French is wearing the insignia of the Chicago Police Department on her left sleeve, and that should have been enough. In a better world — a better city — that should have been the only armor she needed. It should have kept her safe.

It did not.

Officer French was shot and killed in the West Englewood neighborhood on the South Side about 9 p.m. on Saturday while making an apparently routine traffic stop. Another officer was shot, as well. He is fighting for his life, as we write this, in a hospital intensive care unit.

This city should be so ashamed of itself.

Every weekend, Chicago shoots itself up. More than 60 people were shot just this past weekend. And now the city can’t even claim to reasonably protect the police officers it throws into the streets to push back against the violence. So far this year, Police Supt. David Brown said Sunday, 38 officers have been shot at, and 11 have been hit by gunfire.

Let’s understand:

When the police are not respected, when the authority of their uniform and badge no longer holds, nobody is safe. We either stand as a city with the police, even as we support police reforms, or we sink as a city without the police.

We will learn more about Officer French in the coming days.

She was just 29.

We will learn more, as well, about the traffic stop, near 63rd Street and Bell Avenue, that ended in Officer French’s death and the critical wounding of the other officer. There is body cam video. We urge the city to release the video as quickly as legally possible.

Who were the three people in the car, now arrested? What in hell were they up to? What exactly transpired?

And perhaps this is the most pressing question of all: What might our criminal justice system have done to keep us safe from the people in that car before this bloody night?

Chicago flags are at half-staff again. And men and women in blue, standing at attention and saluting, will line the streets again as funeral hearses roll by.

Will we all, in every neighborhood, stand with them, in person and in spirit?

We had better.

On Sunday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot was asked whether the surge of shootings of police officers might be related, somehow and indirectly, to Chicago’s continued efforts at police reform. There has been so much criticism of the department, and so much defensive lashing back.

To which Lightfoot responded quite rightly: “Stop. Just, stop it.”

Yes, the mayor said, Chicago must “continue the journey” to more “constitutional, accountable police,” but “the police are not our enemies.” On the contrary, they risk their lives for us “every day.”

They risk their lives and give their lives.

Every day.

Send letters to [email protected].

Officer Ella French wore the insignia of the Chicago Police Department — but it did not keep her safeCST Editorial Boardon August 9, 2021 at 1:12 am Read More »

Jane Withers, who was Shirley Temple’s foil and later ‘Josephine the Plumber,’ dies at 95Associated Presson August 9, 2021 at 1:15 am

Jane Withers, the former child actor who bedeviled Shirley Temple on the screen and went on to star in B-movies and the “Josephine the Plumber” TV commercials, has died, her daughter said. She was 95.

Withers died Saturday, her daughter Kendall Errair said. Withers was one of the last remaining stars from the 1930s and 1940s, the height of Hollywood studio dominance.

After a series of minor roles as a child actress, Withers was cast by Twentieth Century-Fox in the 1934 “Bright Eyes,” as the nemesis of lovable Temple, then Hollywood’s most popular star.

“I had to play the meanest, creepiest little girl that God ever put on this planet,” Withers recalled in 2000. “I ran over Shirley with a tricycle, and a baby buggy. And I thought, ‘Oh dear, everybody’s going to hate me forever because I was so creepy mean to Shirley Temple!’ “

It didn’t turn out that way. Critics claimed that she stole the picture from Shirley. Children wrote fan letters admiring what she did to Shirley “because she’s so perfect.”

Fox boss Darryl F. Zanuck figured there was room for another child actress at the studio, and she was signed to a contract. She played the anti-Shirley, a bright, talky, mischief-prone girl with wide eyes, chubby cheeks and straight black hair that contrasted with Shirley’s blonde curly top.

Jane Withers first became famous as a child star.

For four years, Fox ground out three or four Withers films annually at budgets far lower than the Temple specials. Among the titles: “Ginger,” “Paddy O’Day,” “Little Miss Nobody,” “Wild and Wooly” and “Arizona Wildcat.”

Even though B pictures were aimed for the bottom half of double bills, a theater owners poll named Withers one of the top money-making stars in 1936 and 1937.

Withers proved less of a draw as a teenager, and her career dwindled.

As an adult she appeared in a few films and on television.

Her biggest prominence came from portraying “Josephine” in TV commercials for Comet cleanser for 12 years.

“Oh, the money is nice, all right,” she told the Los Angeles Times in 1963. “I got five figures for eight of those commercials, and I’m doing four more.”

The main advantage, she said, was that unlike the Broadway offers she was getting, the job didn’t interfere with her home life in Hollywood.

She said in a later Times interview that she felt the original Josephine character was “too smart-alecky, too brash,” but she thought “any lady who was going to become a plumber” would take pride in her work and care about her customers.

Fame started early for Jane Withers. Born April 12, 1926, in Atlanta, she had appeared as Dixie’s Dainty Dewdrop on local radio by the age of 3.

Her mother had greater ambitions, and she persuaded her husband to move the family to Hollywood.

Jane played bit roles in movies and supplied voices for the Willie Whopper and the Looney Tunes cartoons.

Her experience with W.C. Fields in “It’s a Gift” (1934) belies the legend — encouraged by Fields himself — that the comedian hated children. Fields chose her for a scene in which she played hopscotch in front of his store, frustrating his exit. He coached her and afterward praised her professionalism.

When she won her first starring role, he sent her two large bouquets and a note saying, “I know you’re going to knock them dead in ‘Ginger’ and you’re going to have a fantastic career.”

Her popularity led to Jane Withers dolls and other merchandise. At her peak, she was earning $2,500 a week and $50,000 a year in endorsements. Unlike other child stars, she did not watch her earnings disappear.

She explained in 1974: “Fortunately, my dad had a great love of California land. He kind of dibble-dabbled in real estate in a marvelous way.”

During her childhood she started collecting dolls and teddy bears, and she continued throughout her lifetime. In 1988 she reported that she owned 12,000 dolls and 2,500 teddy bears which were boxed and crated in a 27,000-square-foot warehouse.

Withers’ film appearances as an adult were sporadic, partly because of three marriages and five children. Her most notable credits were “Giant” (1956) and “Captain Newman, M.D.” (1963).

In 1947, Withers left Hollywood to live with her first husband, producer-oil man William Moss, in Midland, Texas. The marriage produced three children and ended after seven years.

She returned to Hollywood and was paralyzed with arthritis. She recovered after spending five months in a hospital.

She had two more children with second husband Kenneth Errair, one of the Four Freshmen singing group, who died in 1968. In 1985 she married Thomas Pierson, a travel agency executive.

An interviewer in 1974 asked Withers how she managed to escape the troubles that plagued many child stars in adulthood. A lifelong Presbyterian, she commented: “I always took my troubles to the good Lord, and I never failed to get an answer.”

Jane Withers, who was Shirley Temple’s foil and later ‘Josephine the Plumber,’ dies at 95Associated Presson August 9, 2021 at 1:15 am Read More »

Chicago Architecture Biennial Announces Cultural Partners Offering Fall 2021 Programs that Bring The Available City’s Exploration of Architecture, Space, and Public Use to a Broad Range of Contexts and Communitieson August 9, 2021 at 12:08 am

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Chicago Architecture Biennial Announces Cultural Partners Offering Fall 2021 Programs that Bring The Available City’s Exploration of Architecture, Space, and Public Use to a Broad Range of Contexts and Communities

Chicago Architecture Biennial Announces Cultural Partners Offering Fall 2021 Programs that Bring The Available City’s Exploration of Architecture, Space, and Public Use to a Broad Range of Contexts and Communitieson August 9, 2021 at 12:08 am Read More »

Third suspect captured in fatal shooting of Chicago police officerSophie Sherryon August 8, 2021 at 11:07 pm

Chicago police on Sunday captured the third suspect in the fatal shooting of a police officer and the wounding of another the night before during a traffic stop in West Englewood.

Chicago Police Department Supt. David Brown announced the arrest Sunday morning at CPD headquarters. He said the wounded officer remained in critical condition.

“Our officers need this city to pray for their strength, to pray for peace that they are comforted, that their families are comforted,” Brown said.

The slain officer was identified by the department as Ella French, 29, who had started with CPD in April 2018.

Chicago Police officer Ella French was fatally shot in West Englewood Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. — Chicago Police officer Ella French was fatally shot in West Englewood Saturday night.

French and the other officer were shot during a traffic stop shortly after 9 p.m. at 63rd Street and Bell Avenue in West Englewood. They returned fire, hitting at least one suspect, police said.

Officers involved in the incident were equipped with body-worn cameras and much of what happened was caught on video, Brown noted.

He commended officers for continuing to show up and do their dangerous work after a night of tragedy. “I’m asking Chicago to wrap their arms around our police officers today and encourage them to continue their great work in protecting us all, he added.

Chicago Police Supt. David Brown takes a moment as he provides an update on the shooting of two police officers in West Englewood during a press conference at CPD headquarters in Bronzeville, Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021. — Chicago Police Department Supt. David Brown talked to reporters Sunday about the fatal shooting of a CPD officer Saturday night. Another officer also was shot and was in critical condition Sunday afternoon. Brown urged city residents to keep the families of both officers in their prayers.

Day of mourning

All city buildings will have flags lowered to half-staff, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said, speaking after Brown and declaring Sunday an official day of mourning.

Lightfoot urged an end to constant bickering over police reform, the argument over whether police are over-regulated, or whether they’ve been given free rein.

“Stop. Just, stop,” Lightfoot said. “This constant strife is not what we need in this moment.”

While the mayor said “we need to continue the journey to achieve constitutional, accountable policing,” she insisted “the police are not our enemies.”

She continued: “They are human, just as we are. Flawed, just as we are. … But also risking their lives every day for our safety and security.”

Chicago residents, she said, should remember the danger police officers put themselves in every day.

“When you see a police officer, say ‘thank you,'” Lightfoot said. “Just say, ‘thank you.'”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot spoke to reporters Sunday morning about the fatal shooting of a police officer and the wounding of another Saturday night. She urged all residents to remember that “the police are not our enemies.” She continued: “They are human, just as we are. Flawed, just as we are. … But also risking their lives every day for our safety and security.”

Brown said so far this year, 38 officers have been shot at, and 11 have been hit by gunfire.

Brown declined to release details about the slain officer at her mother’s request, noting the department will delay issuing any information “until she is ready.”

2nd officer ‘fighting for his very life’

The wounded officer has been with the department six years, Brown said. He remained at University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was “fighting for his very life” in critical condition, according to First Deputy Eric Carter, who spoke to reporters outside the hospital early Sunday.

With him was Lightfoot, who said the officer who died was “very young on the job, but incredibly enthusiastic to do the work.” Brown had been out of town Saturday to finalize details of his mother’s funeral. On Sunday, he explained that she died suddenly last week.

A Chicago police officer rubs his eyes while standing in line with other officers outside the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office right before a procession for a Chicago police officer who was shot and killed earlier during a traffic stop at 63rd and Bell, Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021. — Chicago police officers gathered outside the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office early Sunday to await the arrival of the body of a fellow officer killed in the line of duty Saturday night.

Ald. Raymond Lopez, whose ward covers the shooting scene in West Englewood, took to Twitter on Sunday after the news conference to slam the city’s response to the shooting.

“Lightfoot, Brown & Carter need to shut up & stop,” tweeted Lopez, a staunch advocate for officers. “Let the families & police process last night’s tragedy in peace [without] confrontation or argument. It’s not about you or your petty feelings. It’s about the brave men & women dealing with a collective pain, only needing our support.”

Investigators believe a male passenger in the suspect vehicle first opened fire, prompting the cops to shoot back, Brown said. The alleged shooter was then struck in the exchange of gunfire, the superintendent added.

He and another suspect were taken into custody shortly after the shooting, according to police communications from the scene.

While the alleged gunman was initially taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Brown said all the three suspects were now being questioned at Area One Headquarters. He declined to comment on what potentially prompted the deadly interaction.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the officer-involved shooting, Brown said. An agency spokesman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Although Brown said none of the suspects appears to have “extensive” criminal backgrounds, he told reporters the alleged shooter had been arrested for robbery in 2019. He said that case has been adjudicated and resulted in some form of probation.

Both Community Safety Team officers

Both officers were part of CPD’s Community Safety Team, created last year. The unit is intended to help forge stronger community ties on the South and West sides. It was started with about 450 officers, and 200 more were added last September.

The incident was part of a violent night in Chicago, which also saw two mass shootings in Gresham and several triple shootings. In all, at least 45 people were shot between 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.

Chicago police work the scene where two police officers where shot, one fatally, during a traffic stop in the 6300 block of South Bell in the West Englewood neighborhood, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. — Chicago police work the scene where two police officers where shot, one fatally, during a traffic stop in the 6300 block of South Bell Avenue in West Englewood Saturday night.

Site of shooting called ‘sleepy enclave’

Diana Luna, 37, was at her home Saturday night near the West Englewood shooting watching television with two of her children when she heard what sounded like four gunshots ring out.

Startled, Luna then tapped into her home security camera’s feed and saw what appeared to be a person collapsing near the front of her home. The single mother of four had just installed the camera about two months ago, hoping to protect her kids and keep tabs on a yard that had apparently been the scene of some recent petty thefts.

Despite those incidents, and being locked between areas with active gang conflicts, Luna said Sunday her sleepy enclave has remained safe since she moved there from Chicago Lawn about three years ago.

“You don’t see these things,” she said of the shooting.

Another neighbor, who wouldn’t provide his name Sunday, described the shooting as an isolated incident, saying the block is a haven for families that’s “basically quiet.”

In the Galewood neighborhood Sunday, where French apparently lived until recently, a person who used to live nearby described her as a courteous and “very respectful” neighbor who usually kept to herself.

They said they often would see her playing with her dog in the patch of grass in front of their apartment building before she moved out.

“That’s shocking” said the person, who declined to share his name. “She was a really good person… she was respectful. She let us know if she was going to have a party or something they would leave a sign downstairs, ‘We might have people going in and out.’ … that was nice.”

French had recently purchased a new home in the Parkview neighborhood on the Southwest Side in June, records show.

Her neighbor, who identified himself Sunday only as Johnny R., was shocked to learn the fallen officer from recent news reports was the same “decent person” who lived next door to him.

“That … breaks my heart right there,” Johnny, 62, told the Chicago Sun-Times. “She literally just moved in.

Some of the first police calls from the scene described one officer being shot.

“Officer down,” an officer radioed around 9:10 p.m.

“I got an officer down,” a police dispatcher repeats. “6-3 and Bell, officer down, officer down, shot twice, shot at police, officer down.

“Stay off my air, stay off my air,” the dispatcher continues, asking for no unnecessary calls on the channel. “Everybody stay off the air, I got an officer down, 6-3 and Bell, start rolling.

An officer is heard yelling, in apparent distress, and the dispatcher says, “Give me two ambulances, two ambulances needed for two officers down, two officers down … Get those officers wrapped up going to 6-3 and Bell. I want a perimeter set up three blocks, north south, east, west.”

A Chicago police procession for a police officer who was shot and killed earlier during a traffic stop at 63rd and Bell drives by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021. — A Chicago police procession early Sunday near the Cook County medical examiner’s office for a police officer who was shot and killed earlier during a traffic stop at 63rd Street and Bell Avenue.

“

The last Chicago Police officers who died in the line of duty were Conrad Gary and Eduardo Marmolejo, who were chasing a man with a gun on the Far South Side when they were struck by a train and killed in December 2018.

The last officer shot to death in the line of duty was Samuel Jimenez, who was killed just a month earlier while responding to a shooting at Mercy Hospital. Three other people died, including the gunman.

Contributing: Mohammad Samra

Chicago police officers gathered near the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office early on Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021 to honor the officer who was killed in the line of duty Saturday night during a traffic stop at 63rd Street and Bell Avenue. — Chicago police officers gathered near the Cook County medical examiner’s office early Sunday to honor the officer who was killed in the line of duty Saturday night during a traffic stop at 63rd Street and Bell Avenue.

Third suspect captured in fatal shooting of Chicago police officerSophie Sherryon August 8, 2021 at 11:07 pm Read More »

Third suspect captured in fatal shooting of Chicago police officerSophie Sherryon August 8, 2021 at 10:52 pm

Chicago police on Sunday captured the suspect in the fatal shooting of a police officer and the wounding of another the night before during a traffic stop in West Englewood.

Chicago Police Department Supt. David Brown announced the arrest Sunday morning at CPD headquarters. He said the wounded officer remained in critical condition.

“Our officers need this city to pray for their strength, to pray for peace that they are comforted, that their families are comforted,” Brown said.

The slain officer was identified by the department as Ella French, who had started with CPD in April 2018.